2023 Haut-Brion

There is plenty to like in the 2023 reds from both La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion. “It is the second most tannic year here, after only 2010,” Deputy Managing Director Jean-Philippe Delmas told me. That seems to be especially evident at La Mission, where the reds have a feeling of edginess in the tannins. Readers should also note that all the whites are Sauvignon Blanc--driven, as Sémillon was picked in the middle of a heat wave.

Jean-Philippe Delmas ushered me to a private room for a tasting of their 2023s, although I did not taste Quintus. “We are moving towards more elegance,” he told me when I asked whether he is changing the winemaking. “The temperature for the alcoholic fermentation is now 27°C. We just did a green harvest for the Merlot that was also saignée [bleeding of the vats] as the yields were a little high. There is 14.5% alcohol for the Grand Vin with a pH of 3.7, a little lower than last year, and there is the highest IPT for Haut-Brion since 2010. The 2023 has the freshness of the 2021 but with more concentration.” As my tasting notes state, I thought there was a tangible gap between the La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion this vintage, but readers should be aware that this can always be closed as the wines mature. It will be interesting to observe their progress.