1996 Haut-Brion

The team at Haut Brion considers 1998 to be the most promising vintage here for red wine since 1990. Key statistics were similar to those for the exceptional '89s made here. The harvest of red varieties took place during the second half of September and was finished before the damaging October 1 rainstorm. The pH of the vintage was sound, says technical manager Jean-Philippe Masclet, and acidity levels were higher than average, giving the wines very good balance and grip. Polyphenol levels were markedly higher than those of 1996, but the tannins are ripe. The '98 grands vins have a bit more merlot than normal, while the second wines Bahans Haut Brion and Chapelle Haut Brion have a slightly higher percentage of cabernet. A bit of saignee was carried out for the cabernet franc used in Haut Brion and La Mission, but no other techniques were used to concentrate the juice.

Jean-Philippe Delmas explained the uneven ripening that characterized the 1997 growing season as follows: "In winter we had spring, in spring we had summer, in summer we had winter, and in fall we had summer." The harvest actually began on August 18 for the white wines, and September 3 for the reds. The Graves received substantially less rainfall during the final third of August than did most of the right bank. Less than 50% of the crop went into the grand vin for both Haut Brion and La Mission, compared to two-thirds in 1996. Incidentally, Delmas prefers the '95 vintage to '96, "for its finesse and charm."