2023 Chateau Haut Brion
We have an immense set of releases from Bordeaux this morning, the 98-100 point First growth of Chateau Haut Brion and the second wine of the estate, Clarence de Haut Brion, alongside the Haut Brion Blanc, one of the world’s great white wines, and Clarte de Haut Brion.
Haut Brion is a class act in 2023. Jane Anson sees it as potentially perfect and gives this “exceptional Haut-Brion… generous but restrained, sense of architecture and building blocks of a truly great Left Bank wine” 98-100 points. It’s the same score as Lisa Perrotti-Brown, who praises the “jaw-dropping energy… finishing with a breathtaking firework display.”
As the table above shows, it is also very well-priced versus comparably-scored recent vintages. For fans of the top wines in 2023, this is one to pick up on release.
Quality runs throughout the Haut Brion portfolio with the famous Haut Brion Blanc worthy of 98 points and of “Exceptional quality” for Anson. The Clarence de Haut Brion is an “Exceptional vintage of this wine, one to savour” and the Clarte is “Effortless, well balanced… delicious, sculpted and extremely easy to love”.
A sublime set of wines. Details are below.
2023 Chateau Haut Brion
SGD $3,310 ($3,607.90 inc GST) per case (6*75cl OWC)
SGD $3,320 ($3,618.80 inc GST) per case mags (3*150cl OWC)
98-100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9.1% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Haut-Brion has a pH of 3.7 and a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of patient swirling to coax out notes of plum preserves, black cherry compote, and wild blueberries, leading to perfumed hints of peonies, crushed stones, rose bud tea, and licorice, with a touch of wood smoke. The medium to full- bodied palate delivers black and blue fruit layers that shimmy and swirl in the mouth with jaw-dropping energy, accented by mineral and exotic spice notes and supported with a firm backbone and plush, plush tannins, finishing with a breathtaking firework display. Very clever wine! (2024) www.thewineindependent.com
98-100 points Jane Anson
This is an exceptional Haut-Brion, offering juice and elegant balance alongside classically structured layers, generous but restrained, sense of architecture and building blocks of a truly great Left Bank wine. Rippling with sinewy muscles, juicy and controlled, packed with cocoa bean, espresso, liouqorice root, but none of these flavours dominate, knitted together, with a vertical lift. 100% new oak, Jean-Philippe Delmas director, Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director, no outside consultant. (2024) www.janeanson.com Drink 2035-2050
98-99 points James Suckling
This is tight, yet so upright and proper, with a vertical line of fine tannin that runs true and deep. It’s medium- to full-bodied with an exquisite texture and a long, structured finish. 52.3% merlot, 38.6% cabernet sauvignon and 9.1% cabernet franc. www.jamessuckling.com
96-98 points Neal Martin
The 2023 Haut-Brion was picked at the same time as the La Mission Haut-Brion, albeit the secateurs sheathed one day later, on October 6. The nose is less immediate than the La Mission and the fruit is a little darker: blackcurrant, juniper, hints of black olive and a light cedar scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip and tension. This has superb energy, presenting a crescendo of flavors toward a complex and persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. There is real pedigree to this First Growth, and it will certainly give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. (2024) www.vinous.com
2023 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc
$2,860 ($3117.40 inc GST) per case (3*75cl OWC)
98 points Jane Anson
On the reductive style, with gunsmoke and flint, reserved but evident flesh to the fruit, captures the contrasting freshness and intensity of a great white wine, and delivers a feeling of being raised up through the palate. Exceptional quality, 3.2ph. 40% new oak. (2024) www.janeanson.com Drink 2025-2040
2023 Clarence de Haut Brion
$1,080 ($1,177.20 inc GST) per case (6*75cl OWC)
$1,090 ($1,188.10 inc GST) per case mags (3*150cl OWC)
94 points Jane Anson
More intense and deeply coloured than the Chapelle, this is inky, cassis, spiced bilberry, with a slow build tannnic architecture, and the most gorgeous slate scrape. Exceptional vintage of this wine, one to savour. (2024) www.janeanson.com Drink 2029-2040
2023 Le Clarte de Haut Brion
$710 ($773.90 inc GST) per case (6*75cl OWC)
$720 ($784.80 inc GST) per case mags (3*150cl OWC)
93 points Jane Anson
Effortless, well balanced, white peach, juicy pear, delicious, sculpted and extremely easy to love. 3.2ph, 40% new oak. A test with shade cloths to provide cover for the berries on a small part of the white vineyard is underway, as the team under Jean-Philippe Delmas reacts to the changing conditions. (2024) www.janeanson.com Drink 2025-2035
Terms & Conditions of 2023 En Primeur Purchase in Singapore
* All items offered under bond, ex-Singapore (inclusive of freight from Bordeaux)
* Government duties are not inclusive & will apply at the time of physical availability.
* 2% discount will be given for Cheque/TT/PayNow payments.
* Purchases are to be transacted in case multiples as offered, change of bottle formats subject to extra charges.
* Payment is immediate upon confirmation of order/s. Order/s confirmed are non-refundable &/or exchangeable.
* 2% administrative charge [subject to prevailing GST] will be levied for amendment(s) [Duty paid to Bond or vice versa] on confirmed orders. Alterations are not allowed for confirmed order(s) after two years from the date of invoice.
* ETA 2026
* All wines offered subject to remaining unsold
