Ratings & Tasting Notes:
100 points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 12/2017
The 2005 Haut Brion is out of this world and certainly one of the finest wines I’ve ever tasted. Deeper, richer, and more concentrated than the 2000, it offers as pure an expression of this terroir as I could image with huge notes of blackcurrants, roasted herbs, scorched earth, tobacco, and earth all literally soaring from the glass. Full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, and layered, it still holds onto the hallmark elegance and purity of the estate. Wine doesn’t get any better and this tour de force can be drunk anytime over the coming three decades or more.
100 James Suckling
Review Date: 04/2011
This is a wine that makes you dream. The nose is packed with flowers, sweet tobacco, iodine, spices, raspberries, blackberries, and great freshness. The texture is perfection, pure silk and the fruit is wonderfully complex and subtle. Currants, fresh mushrooms, flowers, and stones fill the mouth and make way to a delightful finish.
100 Wine Advocate
Review Date: 06/2015
The mineral-laced 2005 Haut Brion (56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc) is exquisite. With its elegance and finesse, it is not as powerful as La Mission, but the nobility and complexity of the aromatics, incredible fragrance (subtle smoke and blue, red, and black fruits) that persists in the glass, full-bodied mouthfeel (though very light and delicate on its feet), and incredible length characterize this great Haut-Brion. It is just starting to drink well, and should continue to do so for at least another three decades. It is a tour de force in winemaking, but only 9,000 cases were produced. (RP)
100 Jane Anson
Review Date: 06/2023
The stand out First Growth in my recent retasting of the 2005s, and again here it blew us all away. This was a drought year, with almost no rain from May to October, but never excessively hot, and the balance is evident. The slightly dry tannins that affected many 2005s when young were never such a problem on the warm soils at Haut-Brion, and this is generous, exceptionally nuanced and flavourful, with vivid black cherry and cassis fruits, riven through with liqourice, cocoa bean, pomegranate, sage, cocoa bean and luscious acidities. Jean-Phillip Delmas winemaker, two years into his tenure at the time after taking over from his father Jean-Bernard Delmas in 2003. 100% new oak.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Chateau Haut Brion holds a singular place in viticultural history as the only estate located outside the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, where it earned the prestigious First Growth status. Situated in the Graves region, now within the Pessac Leognan appellation, the estate dates back to 1533 when Jean de Pontac purchased the land and began constructing the chateau. Over centuries, it has been managed by influential families, including the Talleyrand and the Larrieu, before being acquired by American financier Clarence Dillon in 1935. Today, under the leadership of Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the estate continues to blend historic tradition with modern precision. The 2005 vintage is widely regarded as legendary, defined by a growing season that was exceptionally dry and sun drenched. Spring arrived early with ideal conditions for flowering, while the summer months saw very little rainfall, leading to small, concentrated berries with thick skins. Despite the lack of rain, temperatures remained warm but not excessively hot, allowing the vines to maintain freshness and acidity. Harvest began in mid September under clear skies, producing grapes with remarkable phenolic ripeness and powerful tannins. This combination of a storied heritage and a near perfect climatic cycle resulted in a wine characterized by profound depth, mineral complexity, and extraordinary aging potential.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.
Outstanding condition.
