2023 Haut Brion Blanc
Buying options
Tasting notes
Greengage, honey blossom and nettle dominate the airy and delightfully subtle nose, a little fresh pear also. The palate is more direct than La Mission, full of pure fresh stone fruit flavour, long and mineral on the finish. 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42% Semillon
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Based on 58% Sauvignon Blanc and 42% Sémillon, the 2023 Château Haut-Brion Blanc is clearly a step up and has sensational aromatics of crushed citrus, white figs, mint, crushed stone, and a kiss of clean reduction. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and pure, layered, and round, with incredible depth and a great, great finish. This is a killer white that will evolve for decades. It doesn't get better in Bordeaux Blanc. This reference white will need 7-8 years of bottle age to hit its plateau of prime drinking. Drink 2034-2054.
The 2023 Haut-Brion Blanc is fascinating to taste next to La Mission, as it is more linear and focused, whereas the personalities of the two wines are usually the opposite. Lemon peel, crushed rocks, mint, chalk, dried herbs and white pepper sizzle with tension. Weightless and focused, with striking energy, the Blanc is a total stunner.
The 2023 Haut-Brion Blanc has a clean and precise bouquet, lilting scents of apple blossom, dewy meadow and Mirabelle (as I remarked out of barrel). The palate is very well balanced with impressive weight, finely judged acidity, quite tensile and sapid with a dab of stem ginger on the finish. As I said before, texturally, this is a very satisfying Haut-Brion Blanc.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.