Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac Léognan, 2025
Haut Brion Blanc (53% Sauvignon Blanc and 47% Sémillon), like Mission, shows an abundance of citrus on the nose. Lemon pith and lime zest, floral notes, white pepper and vanilla. A waxy linseed oil and lanolin profile lengthens and caresses the mid-palate with soft white fruits of peach and pear. There is a smoky ethereal element that crests the finish with a hint of tropical melon and guava top-notes. A very smart Haut Brion Blanc indeed.
critic reviews
The 2025 Haut-Brion Blanc was picked from September 14 to 21 and in this vintage the Sémillon was picked before the Sauvignon Blanc in order to preserve the acidity at this level. Lemon thyme, fennel, touches of Conference pear and light tertiary scents form what is quite a complex bouquet. The palate is well balanced with pleasing weight and fatness, a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced with a touch of ginger, then quite linear and strict in its final third. Very good potential here, even if I prefer the 2024 and let's face it... not the most inexpensive dry white Bordeaux in recent years.
Things are revving up here, totally humming, coming in for a strong finish, right up there as the best dry white of the vintage, layered with stone fruits, gorgeous texture, orange peel and liquorice. Well structured, muscular even as a white wine, with waves of fennel and bitter anis notes that add focus and draw out the closing minutes. Excellent quality. Harvest August 14 to 21. 45% new oak, 23hl/ha yield, 3.31ph.
The Haut-Brion 2025 Blanc, a blend of 53% Sauvignon Blanc and 47% Sémillon, was vinified in barrels and bottled from April 13. It reveals aromas of white fruits and pear, with subtly smoky, toasty notes and a touch of reductive nuance, complemented by delicate spice. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and crystalline, it’s tense and elegant and built around a remarkably fresh, fleshy core of fruit. Ethereal and finely detailed, it stands out for its purity and precision, with no overt thiolic expression. The finish is long, taut and particularly refined, delivering a very delicate and poised interpretation of Haut-Brion Blanc.