Chateau Haut-Brion Premier Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 2012

Whiff of gunsmoke reduction, opening up to show concentrated dark berry fruit with liqourice, pencil lead, campfire and black truffle. Stately and muscular, a brilliant counterpoint to the grace of La Mission Haut-Brion. Grips the palate, this is one of the highest alcohol wines in the vintage and yet it is balanced, with so much flavour and presence that just fills the palate and hangs on. I remember loving this En Primeur, and at the 10 years on mark it remains one of the wines of the vintage. 100% new oak.

A big, powerful wine, the 2012 Haut-Brion possesses stunning richness and intensity, with all of the depth that is lacking in so many other wines in this vintage. Not here. The 2012 possesses remarkable depth and tons of raw, animal power that is going to require considerable time in bottle to soften. Readers should be in no rush; the 2012 Haut-Brion is a wine for the ages. Smoke, graphite, dried herbs and blue/purplish stone fruits grace the exotic, alluring finish.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Haut-Brion leaps with vibrant blackcurrant cordial, preserved plums, tar, and licorice scents, followed by touches of graphite, dried roses, and cardamom plus a hint of crushed rocks. Full-bodied, firm, and very fine-grained, it has loads of savory and mineral layers leading to a long, decadently rich, fruity finish on this very pure and youthful wine. The blend is 65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

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.

The 2012 Haut-Brion is beginning to flex its muscles. The bouquet is perhaps one of the most backward of the five First Growths, the Merlot firmly in the driving seat. Blackcurrant mixes with pitted black olives and cedar, and light sous-bois scents percolate through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, very good weight, plummy and lightly spiced with plenty of weight on the slightly meaty finish. This is an excellent Haut-Brion, but it needs bottle age. Tasted blind in Bordeaux.

"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."

(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.