Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac Léognan, 2022
51.4% Semillon, 48.6% Sauvignon Blanc, Haut Brion Blanc exhibits a tighter, limier bouquet next to its La Mission stablemate. Here, touches of dried tropical fruit sparkle and dance, with subtle streaks of wispy smoke, fine herbs and lees bringing a moreish, complex and restorative character to the wine.
critic reviews
The 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc is quite bold and expressive on the nose: white flowers, lavender oil and light, waxy aromas. The palate is fresh on entry with an attractive texture, missing some acidity and tension, so I wonder if it might begin to pall by the second glass? Just a bit Rhône-like in style on the finish, which might be your bag. This is outclassed by several peers in this flight of '22 dry white Bordeaux. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
The blend has a slightly Merlot dominance, at just over 53%, the remainder more Cabernet Sauvignon than Cabernet Franc, although the latter still accounts for 11%. The élevage was in 63% new oak. Dark, toasted rather introverted on the nose compared to La Mission which was of course tasted alongside, with savoury dark fruits and a little crushed oyster shell. This continues on the palate which is rather brooding, with a fibrous core of sinew, wrapped in tendons of dark fruit, while all around buzz the toasted, savoury, smoky elements, draped over an intensely charged structure of vibrant, firm, tightly knit and lightly drying tannins. This is a substantial Haut-Brion with great potential, as indicated by the incredibly long, charged, electric finish. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.
Nectarine, peach pit, biscuit, liquorice root, charcoal, gunsmoke, this is a thoroughly well structured white wine that has 3.3ph, a little higher than in some vintages but delivers grip, freshness, complexity and ageing ability. 41.9% new oak. Harvest August 16 to 23.
Delivering aromas of peach, sweet orchard fruit, spring flowers and lemon oil, the 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc is a full-bodied wine with a seamless, enveloping profile. Its glossy, textural mid-palate that segues into a sappy, racy finish of crystalline purity. A blend of 51.4% Semillon and 48.6% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is fatter and fleshier than the more tensile La Mission Haut-Brion and will in all likelihood offer a broader drinking window.