2005 Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

• 2005
• France
• Pessac-Léognan

• The Story

  Some wines are so brilliant, so transcendent, that just about any attempt to describe them can feel like an affront. The 2005 Haut-Brion is one of them.    100 points from Robert Parker. 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck. 100 points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous. 100 points from James Suckling. 100 points from Jane Anson. 100 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown’s Wine Independent. 100 points from Wine Spectator.   “An absolutely perfect wine in every way,” wrote Dunnuck. “The 2005 Haut Brion is out of this world and certainly one of the finest wines I’ve ever tasted.” 

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• Wine Facts
  • Fruit Intensity
  • Oak Intensity
  • Body
  • Acidity
  • Tannin

  • ABV 14.00%
  • 1 hour
  • Now - 2050
  • 56% Cabernet Sauvignon
    39% Merlot
    5% Cabernet Franc
  • Serving temperature - 60°
  • Cork
• Wine Access Tasting Note

  A limpid, pure ruby in appearance, with the first tinges of garnet appearing near the rim. Pronounced, gorgeous aromas explode from the glass: fresh florals (most memorably violets), Ferrari leather, Morello and Bing cherries, fresh cassis, and rich earth. The texture is an absolute harmony of perfection: pure silk on the palate, with ripe, powerful tannins balanced by plentiful acidity and tremendous flavors of black and red currants, fresh mushrooms, red and white flowers, crushed river stones, Black Forest cake, vanilla beans, and fresh raspberries. The perfect accompaniment to a lightly-seared A5 Wagyu or black truffle pasta. Drink now–2050.

• Food Pairings
  • Hard Cheese
  • Cured Meat
  • Red Meat
• Critic Reviews

  100 pts

  Wine Advocate

  The mineral-laced 2005 Haut Brion (56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc) is exquisite. With its elegance and finesse, it is not as powerful as La Mission, but the nobility and complexity of the aromatics, incredible fragrance (subtle smoke and blue, red, and black fruits) that persists in the glass, full-bodied mouthfeel (though very light and delicate on its feet), and incredible length characterize this great Haut-Brion. It is just starting to drink well, and should continue to do so for at least another three decades. It is a tour de force in winemaking, but only 9,000 cases were produced.

  100 pts

  Wine Spectator

  This is incredible on the nose, showing coffee cake, blackberry, floral, coffee bean and vanilla bean, with Chinese spices. A very complex, full-bodied red, with seamless, hyperpolished tannins that caress every millimeter of the palate. Lasts for minutes. So beautifully balanced, I'm left speechless. Is it even better than the 1989? Best after 2017.

  100 pts

  Vinous

  The 2005 Haut-Brion is a deep, meaty wine. Black cherry, game, smoke, tobacco, licorice, gravel and scorched earth saturate every corner of the palate. The 2005 is inky, creamy and voluptuous right out of the gate. It is also very young and in need of time in bottle. Most wines I tasted for this report started to lose a little steam after 24 hours, but the Haut-Brion kept getting better and better. It’s a magical wine, if a bit less accessible than most other 2005s at this stage. Tasted two times.

  100 pts

  Jeb Dunnuck

  An absolutely perfect wine in every way, the 2005 Château Haut-Brion reveals a more vivid ruby/plum hue as well as a quintessential Haut-Brion bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, iron, and lead pencil, with just a hint of background violet and floral, earthy nuances. Rich, full-bodied and powerful, it stays tight and compact on the palate and has building, flawless tannins as well as nicely integrated acidity.

  100 pts

  James Suckling

  This is a wine that makes you dream. The nose is packed with flowers, sweet tobacco, iodine, spices, raspberries, blackberries, and great freshness. The texture is perfection, pure silk and the fruit is wonderfully complex and subtle. Currants, fresh mushrooms, flowers, and stones fill the mouth and make way to a delightful finish. Please leave this alone until 2020.

  100 pts

  Jane Anson

  The stand out First Growth in my recent retasting of the 2005s, and again here it blew us all away. This was a drought year, with almost no rain from May to October, but never excessively hot, and the balance is evident. The slightly dry tannins that affected many 2005s when young were never such a problem on the warm soils at Haut-Brion, and this is generous, exceptionally nuanced and flavourful, with vivid black cherry and cassis fruits, riven through with liqourice, cocoa bean, pomegranate, sage, cocoa bean and luscious acidities. Jean-Phillip Delmas winemaker, two years into his tenure at the time after taking over from his father Jean-Bernard Delmas in 2003. 100% new oak.

  100 pts

  The Wine Independent

  The 2005 Haut-Brion is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, the nose explodes with heart-thumping floral and fragrant earth notes over a core of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and creme de cassis. It is medium to full-bodied, with super-firm, ripe tannins and a lively backbone lending a rock-solid structure to the bright, muscular fruit. The palate absolutely shimmers with stunning mineral and floral notes, finishing with epic length. Tantalizingly good now, expect even greater things with 5-10 more years of bottle age. It will cellar to 2070 and, most likely, well beyond.