Château Haut Brion, 1er Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2018

We'd already established that Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team had produced a great range of reds by the time we arrived at Haut Brion. What awaited us was something truly remarkable. Many of the younger palates in our team had tasted 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2016 en primeur, but this swept all these magnificent vintages aside. Even our Chairman with close to fifty years' experience didn't have a reference point for us. This could be a new chapter for Haut Brion. Produced from 49.4% Merlot, 11.9% Cabernet Franc and 38.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, this introspective Haut Brion is the polar opposite to its neighbour La Mission. Whereas Mission was all flare, this is so reserved. After some coaxing noble aromas of gravel and wild fruits emerge - it's quite frustrating, one senses there is so much more to come, but it is not forthcoming. The palate is much more rewarding. Here there's a really stony core, lots of gravelly minerals, a quintessential young Haut Brion. This has an effortless sense of breeding with layered stones and pure, silky crème de mûre, black currant and plum skin, graphite, pepper and fine herbs. Complexity and tension without great density and weight. Now we are starting to catch a glimpse of this wonderful brooding bouquet: crushed rocks, pencil shavings, violets and roses. Such understated power, there is nothing forced, just classic flavours, beautiful poise, huge concentration and so much persistence. Lacy violet scented fruits cling to the palate – this has an immense finish that goes on and on. Although colossal, this has such beautiful pitch, coupled with refreshing saline tannins it leaves the palate yearning for more. Superb, noble, long and very classy.