Haut Brion 2001

The 2001 Château Haut-Brion is fabulous stuff, with a mature yet lively style in its ripe black fruits, scorched earth, tobacco, and spicy wood-like nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, it has a round, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and no hard edges. In short, it's a thrilling, mature Haut-Brion that's drinking at point today. It should continue evolving gracefully, yet there's no need to delay gratification at this point. The 2001 is 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, pulled from just 50% of the total production.

Haut-Brion's2001 represents only 50%of the production.A blend of 52%Merlot, 36%Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12%cabernet Frank, it is more evolved and slightly lighter than its fleshier, fuller-bodied sibling, the 2000. A moderately intense perfume of iron, sweetand sour chetties, earth, smoke, black currants, plums, and licorice is followed by a medium bodied wine with excellent purity, fine density, supple tannin, and a long, persistent finish.As Haut-Brion often does in its youth, the 2001 is putting on weight.Anticipated maturity:2008-2025. Last tasted,1/03

The 2001 Haut Brion has added weight, flesh, and substance. It is not as dense or powerful as the 2000, but it is as noble and potentially as complex. A blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, it is more evolved and slightly lighter than its fleshier, fuller-bodied sibling, the 2000. A moderately intense perfume of iron, sweet and sour cherries, earth, smoke, black currants, plums, and licorice is followed by a medium-bodied wine with excellent purity, fine density, supple tannin, and a long, persistent finish. Haut-Brion's 2001 represents only 50% of the production. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.

Haut-Brion's 2001 represents only 50% of the production. This extremely powerful blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc reveals notes of iron, plums, black currants, cherries, earth, and smoke. The wine possesses excellent purity and medium body. It is a quintessential example of Haut-Brion's elegance and finesse. It is lighter than either the massive 2000 or stunningly convincing 1998. The 2001 is another beauty from the brilliant father and son team of Jean and Jean-Philippe Delmas. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2019.

The 2001 Haut-Brion has a very refined bouquet of pure black cherries, wild strawberry, iodine and crushed violet scents. Hints of potpourri and incense emerge with time, but it does not quite slip into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with Seville orange marmalade, tangy and lively, and expands gently toward the sensual Bing cherry and orange zest finish. Wonderful. 13.2° alcohol. 2021 - 2055

This has a very elegant bouquet with blackberry, briary, potter’s kiln and bacon fat with fine delineation and lift. The palate is medium-bodied with great freshness on the entry, very good acidity with red-berried fruit interlaced with cedar, graphite and leather. Very good depth, very feminine and focused with ample freshness on the finish that seems to have “filled out” in recent years.

Heavy and dark. Still quite blue. A bit brutal on the nose with masses of fruit – very dense and pretty luscious. Great energy. A little dry on the finish but creditable force and medium length. Introvert. Very dry tannins on the finish after a while.