Magnum Château Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2016 11166fe81142afc18593181d6269c740

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning.

Wein Wisser

19,5 / 20

the5/22/2017

56 % Merlot, 37,5 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6,5 % Cabernet Franc.Tiefes Purpur mit granatrotem Rand. Komplexes Brombeerbouquet mit Veilchen, erkaltetem Früchtetee und After-Eight-Touch.Was für ein royaler Wein! Erst diese Souplesse und cremige Textur am kräftigen Gaumen, dann explodiert er förmlich und zeigt Cassis, dominikanischen Tabak, Pflaumenhaut und Brombeermark. Er endet schliesslich in einem ewig langen, facettenreichen Finale, was seine grosse Sonderklasse unterstreicht. Der beste Wein aus Pessac-Léognan – mit klarer Tendenz zur Bestnote!

Wein Wisser

19,5 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/10/2017

Bettane & Desseauve

98-99 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2017

Intensité étonnante de la matière, éclat, profondeur et complexité sans équivalent, il rappelle le 1989 par sa puissance mais dans une forme plus stricte. Très grand avenir. Moitié cabernets, moitié merlots, comme souvent ces dernières années.

Wine Advocate

97-99 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The 2016 Haut Brion is a blend of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 19 September and 13 October. Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that this represents a touch more Merlot than last year's vintage. It clearly has a more powerful and intense bouquet compared to the La Mission Haut-Brion, although maybe not the same killer level of detail and delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with arching tannins that insistently grip the mouth. There are layers of black fruit, minerals, sea salt and a touch of crushed violets. Unlike the 2015 Haut-Brion, this is more linear, stricter and you could argue more nimble on its toes. Yet maybe it does not quite have the same depth and labyrinthine complexity that made the 2015 such an astonishing wine. Nevertheless, this 2016 is not far behind and it will be fascinating to compare in the future.

The Wine Cellar Insider

99-100 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Very dark in color, with just a bit of purple in the sheen the wine is the perfect combination of purity, power, refinement, complexity and length. Not as powerful as other recent vintages, you find more elegance on the palate. The finish builds in intensity moving from flavor to flavor, leaving you with this sense of purity and Cuban cigar tobacco. The wine was made from a blend of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.67. The harvest took place from September 19 to October 13. The wine represents 53% of the Grand Vin. 

Vinous

95-98 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

The 2016 Haut-Brion is shaping up to be one of the jewels of the vintage. Towering, powerful and intense, the 2016 is marvelously complete in all of its dimensions. Gravel, bacon fat, black cherry, smoke, leather and licorice are all pushed forward. The 2016 is quite rich, but never heavy. It is especially polished, even understated Haut Brion built more on finesse than power.

Decanter.com

98 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2017

This stunning wine is flexing its muscles, showing off its power and depth. Perfectly placed, so precise and utterly gorgeous with a hand-in-glove power. The texture is satin, silky and velvety, each strand providing a different take on charcoal, slate, menthol and bilberry, with mouthwatering acidity that suspends the finish for several minutes. Harvesting took place between 19th September and 13th October. 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc aged in 78% new oak. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

matthewjukes.com

19,5 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(56 Merlot, 37.5 Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5 Cabernet Franc) | 78% new oak | 13.9% alc. | 69 IPT | Harvested between 19 September - 14 October The splendour is evident from the off with a veritable tsunami of black fruit engulfing the palate and drenching every taste bud in stunning fruit. This is yet another epic Haut-Brion and it is so controlled and considered it is incredible. The tannins are, admittedly, huge, but they don’t back into the wine, staying discreetly on the finish. These tannins are seriously plush and exuberant and the fruit joins hands with these elements embracing their unique partnership. Their relationship with the oak is, too, incredible. Complete harmony is evident already in this wine. This is a masterful Haut-Brion and it is one of the wines of the vintage. 19.5++

La Revue du Vin de France

19-20 / 20

the4/25/2017

Malgré la sécheresse, la vigne n'a pas trop souffert à Haut Brion avec une véraison lente. L'eau de septembre a surtout bénéficié au cabernet-sauvignon, les francs subissant quelques blocages de maturité. Plus coloré que La Mission, Haut Brion affirme sa typicité avec un corps plus dense et concentré. Au nez comme en bouche, on retrouve une déclinaison aromatique sur le tabac blond et les griottes et une mâche aristocratique. La très grande tenue de tanins en fait un modèle pour le cru.

Jancis Robinson

19 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/21/2017

Even deeper colour than La Mission. Broad and spicy and very rich and a compote of warm bricks. (La Mission is more muscular and obviously tannic.) Firm and not over the top. Prances. Transparent and very much Haut-Brion.

Wine Enthusiast

97-99 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/19/2017

Barrel Sample. Structured and serious, this is complex and dense. Dark black-plum fruits are covered by powerful tannins and ample acidity. It is destined for long, slow aging.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

20 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/10/2017

Couleur sombre, intense et noire. Nez fruité, frais, pur, précis, mais encore réservé. Nuance rare de prune. Immense entrée en bouche ample, développement extrêmement charnu, riche et complet en milieu de bouche avec énormément de goût. Puis le vin fond, gras, profond, puissant, mais sans cesse élégant dans sa texture et son toucher. Immense finale fantastique de fraîcheur, de chair et de classe. Le génie gustatif habite ce Haut-Brion :des tannins mûrs alors que le degré d'alcool est normal, 13,9° versus 15° pour le 2015,un indice de concentration tannique (IPT) de 69 soit dans la moyenne basse. Voilà qui énerveraient tous les vins de garage de la rive droite, tous les vins du nouveau monde et de Californie. Pour information, le millésime 1989 n'avait que 55 d'IPT, tandis que le 2015 affiche 75 et le 2009, 80. Dans ce cas précis, tout et rien de trop signifie le plus parfait des équilibres. Ce n'est pas la quantité de tannin qui compte, mais leur qualité et leur position harmonieuse avec les autres composants. Quant au pH, il est de 3,67 versus 3,73 pour le 2015 et 3,84 pour le 2009. Donc, ce 2016 marie 2 sensations normalement impossibles à concilier dans les vins rouges, la fraîcheur et l'opulence. Un témoignage unique sur la noblesse du goût du vin ! Chapeau bas ! A boire à partir de 2028 et avant 2070. 

Jamessuckling.com

100-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2017

This is a monument for Haut-Brion and reminds me of the great 1998 but in a modern and bright style. Full-bodied, very tannic and superbly structured yet always agile and vivid. Its energy and dynamic nature grabs you by the shoulder and tells you it's great. Staggeringly precise. It can't get better than this, can it?