Chateau Haut Brion 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2009 Haut-Brion is deep garnet colored and slightly closed and shy to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal sensuous notions of warm blackberries, plum preserves, mulberries and blackcurrant cordial with touches of star anise, mocha and damp soil. Full-bodied, taut and tightly wound in the mouth, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit and mineral layers with a very firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. This needs time!"

JAMES SUCKLING: "Extravagant and exotic, but still lively, this is a super-concentrated and elegant wine that's already breathtaking, yet has enormous aging potential. Plenty of wet earth and mushroom character alongside the cassis and blackberry aromas. Super-long, perfectly balanced finish. Drink or hold."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feines dunkles Nougat, reife schwarze Herzkirschen, tabakig, ein Hauch von Lakritze, kandierte Veilchen und Cassis im Hintergrund, feine Edelholznoten, facettenreiches Bukett. Komplex, engmaschig, feine Extraktsüße, kräftige, reife Tannine, angenehmer Säurebogen, wirkt sehr frisch, mineralisch und straff, sehr große Länge, ein Hauch von dunkler Schokolade im Abgang, bleibt minutenlang haften, ein Vin de Garde, sollte noch weitere zehn Jahre heranreifen dürfen. Also: Finger weg."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Not a lot of wines leave me speechless from start to finish. But this wine did! Still deep, dark, almost inky in color, the wine offers off the hook aromas of smoked truffle, cigar box, tobacco, black and dark red fruit with spice box, tobacco leaf and smoke filled nuances. Deep, rich, full-bodied and with this incredible blend of elegance, power and sensuality, this wine is going to age for decades. The wine was made from blending This 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This enormous young wine is among the most backward of the vintage at this early stage, with iron-clad grip holding the broad, deep core of blackberry, cassis and roasted fig notes in check for now. The finish is a torrent of dense, almost compressed layers of tobacco leaf, hot paving stone, singed bay leaf and tar that will take at least a decade to massage together fully. This one is for the kids born in 2009. Best from 2020 through 2040. 10,500 cases made. — JM"

DECANTER: "Wholly different and evolving in unexpected ways. The colour is still a dark, youthful ruby, but the aromas are developing in a savoury direction with a pronounced earthy edge to the ripe blackcurrant fruit, adorned with hints of smoke and tar. The structure is supple and dense, with fleshy tannins and balanced acidity. An attractive, slightly bitter note helps this meaty wine echo impressively on the palate. The grape blend features more Merlot (46%) than Cabernet Sauvignon (40%)."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Toasty, gravelly nose. So intense, yet fresh and beautifully balanced. Classic Haut-Brion with still a bit of tannin on the very end. Really impressive."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Solid, very structured, packed with dense and dry tannins. There is a core of acidity and darkness that gives the wine a brooding, powerful character. At this stage, it seems austere although it does have the weight of fruit typical of the year."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The second wine of Haut-Brion, the 2009 Le Clarence Haut Brion checks in as 46% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Offering a classic bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth, roasted herbs and earthy, gravely nuances, this beauty is broad, expansive and full-bodied on the palate, with ample depth, density, and structure. There’s no harm drinking bottles today, yet it has two decades of longevity ahead of it as well."