Château Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2012 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, the 2012 Haut-Brion has an open and generous bouquet with blackcurrant pastille, cassis and briary aromas the exude very pure Merlot. The palate is medium-bodied with a sumptuous opening that is rare in 2012: rounded and generous, caressing in the mouth with black plum and blackcurrant towards the finish, residues of truffle and white pepper lingering on the aftertaste that turn very savory after 15 minutes—bacon fat or Italian cured meats. There is a lot to love about this Haut-Brion although in this blind showing I scored it the same as La Mission Haut-Brion. Who will stick their neck out as the two wines mature? Tasted January 2016.Note 96+/100

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

The 2012 Haut Brion (65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc) is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage, with a dense purple color, classic nose of crushed rock, lead pencil shavings, black raspberry, blueberry and flowers. The wine shows subtle barbecue smoke notes in the background, but is full-bodied, stunningly concentrated and builds incrementally, yet finishes with luxurious, almost extravagant amounts of fruit and intensity. From only 46% of the production, this is an absolutely remarkable effort from the Dillon family and their winemaking team of the two Jean-Philippes. Drink it over the next 30-40 years.

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

Amazing aromas of wet stones, earth, currants and berries. Subtle and complex. Full body and a beautiful core of ripe fruit on the palate and the finish. Round, light, chewy tannins. Needs at least four or five years to open. This is the most merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% merlot, 32.5% cabernet sauvignon and 25 cabernet franc. Better in 2020.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

This combines power and refinement, with a singed alder frame around a dense core of red and black currant, plum and blackberry fruit. Notes of bay, black tea and tar line the finish. Has a lovely, fine-grained feel that lets the dark, hefty fruit drape beautifully. The tobacco element hangs in the background. Sneakily long. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,008 cases made. –JM

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92-95 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2013

(65.5% merlot, 32.5% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc; 44 h/h):  Deep ruby-red.  Compelling perfume of dark berries, red cherry, licorice, violet and bitter chocolate.  Highly concentrated and penetrating, with superb sappiness to the rich flavors of raspberry, brown spices, cocoa powder and smoky black pepper.  This big, rich wine displays outstanding spine and grip on the very long finish.  Given the vintage's characteristics, greatly increasing the percentage of merlot was the right thing to do in 2012.   "It's a return to the Haut-Brion wines of the late '90s," said Haut-Brion's owner, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, "when perhaps we were getting a little carried away with merlot in our blend.  But in 2012, we had no choice."  Haut-Brion is clearly the best of the Left Bank first growths in 2012.  In fact, only Léoville-Las Cases can match it for sheer breed and class, but Haut-Brion is the more opulent of the two wines.

timatkin.com

95 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2013

Like La Mission across the road, Haut-Brion wasn’t short of ripeness in 2012, partly because of the high percentage of Merlot, which was the most in 20 years. It’s the Merlot which gives the wine its density and concentration here, showing flavours last seen in 2009 of plum and black fig, but the Cabernet brings backbone, structure and, crucially, acidity. A wine that needs time in bottle. Drink: 2022-40

Le Point

17,5-18 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Fruits noirs, note pâtisserie, pâte feuilletée, cerise cuite, bouche pleine, fine, élégante, serrée en finale, long, plein. Très au dessus de son jumeau La Mission. Plus plein, plus construit, un peu moins sur le fruit. O= 2018 G= 12 ans

Asian Palate

96 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/15/2013

At Haut-Brion 2012 marked one of the highest level of Merlot content in the past 20 years with 66% in the blend. There is more structure in Haut Brion than in La Mission this year with plush, firm tannins and good concentration and depth. Very long finish. According to the technical analysis, the numbers for both wines, La Mission and Haut-Brion in 2012 are the same, but Haut Brion stands out with greater complexity and depth. 14.9% alcohol, higher than most in this challenging vintage.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/3/2013

The Grand Vin is a blend of 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, which is one of the highest percentages of Merlot. It has a ripe, generous bouquet with hints of orange blossom and liquorice infused the red fruit profile. The Merlot clearly defined the character of the 2012. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm grip on the entry – more so than La Mission. This is deeper and more structured than the La Mission, perhaps quite masculine which is quite surprising considering the blend. It has great length. This is one of the great successes of the vintage and there is a clear gap between here and La Mission. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2013

Plush for the vintage, with a lovely, caressing feel and lots of steeped plum, anise and blackberry fruit. Displays a lacing of tar through the finish, revealing a graceful tug of earth. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/30/2013

Rich and heady with 2/3 Merlot, this is an exotic, highly scented wine with decadence and breeding.

My Bettane + Desseauve

17,5 / 20

the4/27/2013

Forte dominante de merlot et degré alcoolique naturel élevé. Un vin de très grand format mais dont le style évidemment étonne dans le millésime ! Énorme matière dont on ne peut encore totalement saisir l’évolution future.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

The 2012 Haut-Brion, which represents only 46% of the production, is a blend of 65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. One of the stars of the vintage, it is a complete, medium to full-bodied, soft, round, atypically accessible effort displaying lots of minerality along with red and black fruits, exceptional fragrance and purity, a fleshy mid-palate and a long finish. A remarkable fact in both these wines is that the alcohol levels in 2012 hit 14.8%, which nearly equals the record levels achieved in 2010 – that’s astonishing! This 2012 should drink well 3-4 years after bottling, and last for 20-25 years.Drink: 2016 - 2041

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-98 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

Deep ruby in color, the wine offers tar, smoke, boysenberry, chocolate, cherry liqueur, smoke and earthy notes. Powerful, rich, concentrated and packed with layers of dense, dark, deep, fresh and pure blackberry, boysenberry and cassis, the wine really makes an impression with its long, expansive, polished, refined finish. This is no wallflower of a wine. It demands and gets attention. 95-98 Pts

Decanter.com

18,5 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/22/2013

Dense velvety red, rich earthy black fruits on the nose, both lively and smooth, terrific class is there with the ripe Haut-Brion tannins that give a subtle grip to the very polished, Merlot-dominated fruit. 18.5/20pts ( 95/100pts)Drink: 2017 - 2035

Jancis Robinson

18,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/19/2013

 Drink 2022-204565.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. Much less aromatic than La Mission. Dense and dark. Rich and sumptuous. Some spiciness. Very broad and rich. Very grand. And easy to see where it comes from and how it will proceed. Very pure. Much more forward than La Mission. Zesty but with grandeur and great persistence.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17,5 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/19/2013

Voici donc une des stars du millésime. Pour la première fois, ce cru contient 65,5 % de merlot ce qui est la proportion la plus élevée devant les millésimes 2004, 2003 et 2001. Le plus remarquable est que malgré le cépage, la nature du cru reste la plus forte. Puis viennent 32,5 % de cabernet sauvignon et 2 % cabernet franc. Le degré d’alcool est à 14°90 ce qui est dans la moyenne haute du cru tout comme le pH à 3,73.La couleur est intense, le nez fruité. La bouche se montre ronde et juteuse dès le départ puis le vin se développe aromatique, très bien construit et gras au milieu. Il évolue lentement vers une finale mûre, puissante. Ce vin est riche pour le millésime, savoureux, plein et long et ses tannins sont fins et particulièrement parfumés. Bravo !

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/5/2013

Plump and open now, with a mix of kaffir lime, lemongrass, white peach, macadamia nut and crème fraîche notes. Picks up a stony edge on the finish, lending grip and cut. Shows serious length in the end. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2013

This is fabulous for the vintage with a super long finish of ultra-fine tannins. Full and racy with a wonderful texture. This is the most Merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc.