The 2019 Haut-Brion is seriously impressive. A dark, virile wine, the 2019 impresses with its vertical energy and statuesque elegance. It's a Haut-Brion that will only reveal itself over many years. Today, the density and resonance are super-impressive and also hugely promising. Classic savory and mineral notes start to emerge over time. I can't wait to see how this ages.

The 2019 Haut-Brion has an intense bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar, mint and black olive aromas vying for attention. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins that belie the backbone, the arching structure of this Haut-Brion. Very persistent and very precise, showing a little more ambition and breeding than the La Mission this year, and a persistent, graphite-tinged, sapid finish. An opulent Haut-Brion and yet the pedigree is palpable. 14.6° alcohol.

A potent, brooding wine, the 2019 Haut-Brion soars out of the glass with magnificent intensity. Its greatness and regal bearing are immediately apparent. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of dark fruit, scorched earth, tar, licorice and incense overtones that build effortlessly into the deep, eternal finish. The 2019 Haut-Brion is a wine of breeding, structure and power. It is also very clearly one of the standouts of the vintage. Don't miss it!

The 2019 Haut-Brion is completely different to La Mission Haut-Brion, the two compared side-by-side in the course of 24 hours. It was picked from 10 September until 3 October at 53hl/ha. Initially it is riper, more extrovert and luxurious than its sibling, yet returning after four hours (when chatting to Jean-Philippe Delmas) it has transmogrified into a very different wine with intense black fruit, boysenberry, iodine, forest floor and potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied and like the nose, initially comes across quite exuberant. Four hours later it is a much more nuanced wine that begins in understated fashion before a crescendo of black fruit tinged with blood orange and Chinese 5-spice. It fans out and gains volume wonderfully on the finish. This is a sensual and almost flamboyant Haut-Brion.

A powerful, concentrated, muscular Haut-Brion, full of layers that will take years to fully uncover. Think liquorice, leather, crushed stones, smoked earth, bitter chocolate shavings, ripe and rich through the mid palate, both generous and finessed, with silky tannins that exert their influence without getting in the way of the sappy freshness that runs right through the wine. A seriously impressive vintage at this First Growth, one to put away and not think about for the next decade. Harvest September 10 to October 3.