2012 Château Haut-Brion

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 96+ Punkte
»Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, the 2012 Haut-Brion has an open and generous bouquet with blackcurrant pastille, cassis and briary aromas the exude very pure Merlot. The palate is medium-bodied with a sumptuous opening that is rare in 2012: rounded and generous, caressing in the mouth with black plum and blackcurrant towards the finish, residues of truffle and white pepper lingering on the aftertaste that turn very savory after 15 minutes—bacon fat or Italian cured meats. There is a lot to love about this Haut-Brion although in this blind showing I scored it the same as La Mission Haut-Brion. Who will stick their neck out as the two wines mature? Tasted January 2016.«
Genussreife: 2022 - 2055

James Suckling: 96 Punkte
»Amazing aromas of wet stones, earth, currants and berries. Subtle and complex. Full body and a beautiful core of ripe fruit on the palate and the finish. Round, light, chewy tannins. Needs at least four or five years to open. This is the most merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% merlot, 32.5% cabernet sauvignon and 25 cabernet franc.«

Wine Enthusiast: 96 Punkte
»Firm and solid, this is one of the successes of 2012. It's properly dark and tough at this stage, with that serious intent that's a hallmark of Haut-Brion. Layers of firm tannins are interspersed with blackberry fruits and juicy acidity. The wine is dense and concentrated, with the wood aging still showing. This powerful wine will need many years. Drink from 2024.«

Decanter: 95 Punkte
»Dense velvety red, rich earthy black fruits on the nose, both lively and smooth, terrific class is there with the ripe Haut-Brion tannins that give a subtle grip to the very polished, Merlot-dominated fruit.«
Genussreife: 2017-2035

Falstaff: 94 Punkte
»Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, feine Herzkirschen, ein Hauch von Nougat, angenehme Kräuterwürze, facettenreiche Nuancen, ein Hauch von Orangenzesten. Komplex, straff, reife rotbeerige Frucht, finessenreich strukturiert, salzig und lange, tragende Tannine, die noch einige Jahre brauchen werden, verfügt über beachtliches Potenzial.«