2012 Haut Brisson La Reserve
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Tasting notes
Haut-Brisson's 2012 La Reserve is darker and richer than the straight cuvee, but it is not meaningfully more complex. Black cherries, smoke, tobacco and licorice form an attractive backbone of flavors and texture in this imposing Saint-Emilion. I find the Réserve a bit overextracted, but it is notable just the same. The Réserve emerges from blocks that surround Monbousquet. The 2012 is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Haut-Brisson is going to be a fascinating property to follow over the coming years.
Critic scores
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Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
A beautiful wine from the Chinese Peter Kwok family, Haut Brisson’s 2012 La Réserve (98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) has an inky purple color, wonderfully sweet black cherry and black currant fruit, with some judicious toasty oak in the background. The wine cuts a broad, full-bodied (14.8% alcohol) swath across the palate and builds incrementally into a long 30- to 35-second finish, while the tannins are ripe and integrated, as is the new oak. This is a beauty and a tribute to the dedication of the Kwoks. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.
A beautiful wine from the Chinese Peter Kwok family, Haut Brisson’s 2012 La Réserve (98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) has an inky purple color, wonderfully sweet black cherry and black currant fruit, with some judicious toasty oak in the background. The wine cuts a broad, full-bodied (14.8% alcohol) swath across the palate and builds incrementally into a long 30- to 35-second finish, while the tannins are ripe and integrated, as is the new oak. This is a beauty and a tribute to the dedication of the Kwoks. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.| eRobertParker.com.April, 2015