1970 La Tour Haut-Brion

BY NEAL MARTIN | NOVEMBER 18, 2019&nbsp;I admit I have a penchant for deceased châteaux, perhaps
none more so than La Tour Haut-Brion since it provided such a bevy of memorable
bottles. Its history is entwined with that of La Mission Haut-Brion. The
Woltner family acquired La Tour Haut-Brion from Victor Cousteau upon his
retirement. It was later sold to Château Haut-Brion in 1983 as part of La
Mission Haut-Brion. Up until then, between 50% and 70% of fruit from the
four-hectare vineyard was blended into La Mission Haut-Brion and the remainder
labeled a La Tour Haut-Brion, which is why it was considered a Deuxième Vin.
After 1983 La Tour Haut-Brion was treated as a Grand Vin and the vineyard
reverted to those encompassing the château, as had been done prior to
Cousteau’s acquisition.&nbsp;The final vintage of La Tour Haut-Brion was the 2005, whereupon it was merged with La Mission Haut-Brion. The second wine, La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, was a selection made by the winemaking team rather than specific parcels of vineyard.&nbsp;I remember
lamenting the vanishing of the name in writing on the original Wine-Journal,
prompting Prince Robert de Luxembourg to call me at home and explain his
reasoning. To be honest, I still miss this Pessac-Léognon, in no small part
because of so many fond memories of older vintages. It was a wine that often
punched above its reputation.

This brings me to a belated “Xmas” lunch last February, an
annual BYO where bottles are served blind. Several appear in my Cellar Journal
roundup such as 1984 Lafite-Rothschild and 1982 Cos-Labory. My own contribution
was from La Tour Haut-Brion. The 1970 La
Tour Haut-Brion is mature in color, bricked through to the rim. The bouquet
is also fully mature, with an attractive bouquet of light red fruit mixed with
warm gravel, freshly tilled earth and juniper berries, later a touch of orange
blossom. The palate is bright on the entry, quite tart in style with a gentle
grip. It does not possess the breeding of either the 1971 or 1978 La Tour
Haut-Brion, but is simply a Pessac-Léognan giving its final reserves of
drinking pleasure. 90/Drink
2019-2023.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1574089999650-la_tour_haut_brion_1970.jpg"> 

Whilst dwelling upon this Classed Growth, allow me to add a
couple of notes from ancient bottles that I have tasted. The 1971 La Tour Haut-Brion is a vintage
encountered two or three times, partly thanks to a generous friend in Tokyo who
gifted me this outstanding wine. A recent bottle replicated previous
encounters. Deep in color, it is blessed with an intense bouquet of blackberry,
black olive and shucked oyster shells that turn more brine-like with aeration.
The palate defies its age with surprisingly precocious black fruit and a core
of sweetness that is uncommon in this generally austere vintage. It boasts
superb delineation and focus, the finish a doppelgänger for a Right Bank wine.
Bottles will continue to give pleasure. 93/Drink
2019-2030. The 1964 La Tour Haut-Brion
was another bottle that I shared, this time with Jacques Thienpont at his home
in Belgium in return for him opening one of his last remaining bottles of 1980
La Pin. It has a very appealing bouquet that offers scents of black olive,
mahogany antique bureau and undergrowth/damp moss aromas that gain intensity in
the glass. The medium-bodied palate might miss the definition of other
vintages, yet there is impressive depth with leather and tobacco-infused black
fruit. The finish does come across a tad austere, suggesting that bottles ought
to be consumed in the near future. 90/Drink
2019-2021. The 1947 La Tour Haut-Brion
represents the best ancient wine that I have tasted from this estate. Like the 1971,
it has an unexpected deep, almost opaque color. The aromatics reflect the
warmth of that year with an extravagant bouquet of black fruit intermingling
with raisin and quince, a light smoky scent emerging with time. The palate is
medium-bodied and shows more control than some 1947s that can be volatile in
nature. This has a cashmere texture and fine saturated tannins that frame the
mixture of red and black fruit infused with brown sugar, a touch of blood orange
towards the finish. It does deteriorate in the glass, yet before that point it
reinforces my opinion that the ’47 La Tour Haut-Brion is a formidable wine. 96/Drink 2019-2020.

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