Château Haut-Brion Pessac Léognan 1996

$699.00
Save $100.00 (14%)
$599.00

SKU 12099

750ml

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Category Red Wine
Varietals
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Appellation Pessac-Leognan
Brand Château Haut-Brion
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Wine SpectatorGorgeous aromas of crushed berries, cigar box, black licorice and tanned leather. Full-bodied, with fine silky tannins and a medium to long finish. Seems a little tight right now. But refined and pretty. Nice for the vintage.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.

2007
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Wine AdvocateThe backward 1996 Haut-Brion was bottled in July, 1998. Even administrator Jean Delmas was surprised by how closed it was when I tasted it in January. Only 60% of the crop was utilized in the final blend, which was 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. Out of barrel, this wine exhibited far more forthcoming aromatics as well as a sweeter mid-palate than it revealed from bottle. I had expected it to be more forward, and thus slightly down-graded the wine, although I am thrilled to own it and follow what appears to be a slow evolution. It will be a potentially long-lived wine. The 1996 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, and a surprisingly tight bouquet. With aeration, notes of fresh tobacco, dried herbs, smoke, asphalt, and black fruits emerge ... but reluctantly. It is tannic and medium-bodied, with outstanding purity and a layered, multidimensional style. However, the finish contains abundant tannin, suggesting that this wine needs 5-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.

Robert Parker, April 1999

2016 Blowout Sale

Chateau Clinet Pomerol 1996
Planted to 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Clinet boasts extremely old vines with an average age of close to 50 years. It is also superbly located no more than 1/2 mile away from Lafleur and Pétrus. All of the work in the vineyards is done by hand, and the winemaking conducted with the help of wine consultant extraordinaire Michel Rolland.
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Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2005
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Château L'Evangile Pomerol 2006
Superbly situated next to La Conseillante, Pétrus and Vieux-Chateau-Certan, this extraordinary vineyard was purchased by the Rothschild family of Château Lafite in 1990 and the wines keep getting better and better... Lafite's goal is for L'Evangile to rival Cheval Blanc and Pétrus year in and year out. The 34.6-acre vineyard is brilliantly situated on deep, gravelly soil mixed with both clay and sand, and is planted to 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc with an average age of vines of 45+ years.
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Château Haut-Brion Pessac Léognan 2007
Unlike the other 4 First Growths, Mouton, Margaux, Lafite and Latour, which are planted to 70-80% Cabernet Sauvignon, Haut Brion has less than 50% Cabernet in the blend, with up to 40% Merlot, which explains why it is usually not as 'big' as its First Growth peers, but eminently more aromatic. The growers in Graves learned that Merlot performed extremely well in their soils, so most producers use a fair amount of the grape made famous by the esteemed Pomerol estate, Chateau Petrus. However, Cabernet Sauvignon is still the most widely planted varietal in Graves, which gives the most power and tannins. The combination of elegance and power must have led Robert Parker to say in his 4th edition of Bordeaux, "After more than 30 years of intensely tasting Bordeaux, I have a greater and greater affection for Haut-Brion, its character increasingly appealing to me as I have gotten older and wiser..."
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Château Hosanna Pomerol 2006
 
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Château Hosanna Pomerol 2008
Planted to 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc with old vines averaging 40 years, Hosanna was previously known as Certan-Giraud. Owned by the reputable Jean-Pierre Moueix firm, the talented Christian Moueix has made Hosanna into a superstar since their acquisition in 1998. Parker gushes: 'Hosanna comes closest in aroma, taste and texture to a hypothetical blend of Cheval Blanc and L'Evangile (both of which are located only about one mile away). It is one of Pomerol's finest.' Only 1500 cases produced each year.
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Chateau Lynch-Bages Echo de Lynch Bages 2009
 
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Château Puygueraud Cotes de Francs 2009
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Château Léoville Las Cases Saint Julien 2007
This stellar estate is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, with an average age of 35+ year vines. Located next to Chateau Latour, the wines produced here are majestic, ageworthy, and traditional. A Second Growth of Saint Julien since the classification of 1855, Leoville Las Cases not only deserves this status, it is thought by many critics and collectors to be of the highest First Growth quality. It is also considered one of the longest lived wines in virtually every vintage, including 2007.
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Lucien Le Moine Bonnes Mares N 2008
This Bonnes Mares is from the Morey side of this famous Grand Cru vineyard which is known for rich, ageworthy Pinot Noir wines. Mounir and Rotem Saouma established the two-person micro-négoce of Lucien Le Moine in 1999. They describe the 2008 vintage as one where the élevage was critical to each wine achieving its full potential. A very limited amount of sulfur (and in some cases, none at all) was used and that clearly played an important role because despite having ice cold cellars, the malos finished relatively early whereas in most cellars, they were late to finish. They stressed however that despite having malos that finished early they didn't touch the wines so as to allow them to develop without intervention. One other key point that Mounir made was that "you can't use essentially zero sulfur for such a long period unless you are absolutely sure that your wines are impeccably clean. This was ultra important as we really focused on working with the lees in 2008."
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Chateau Trotanoy Pomerol 2007
Planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the Trotanoy estate has vines averaging 35 years with just under 18 acres of vines. Since 1953, Trotanoy has been owned by the firm of Jean-Pierre Moueix, and is located one kilometer to the west of Chateau Petrus between the church of Pomerol and the village of Catusseau. Its prized soils of clay and gravel often produce wines of Second Growth quality, and in its history these soils have even made profound First Growth quality wines. Today, the wine is vinified and handled in exactly the same way as Petrus, except only 40% new oak barrels are used each year, so in that respect, Trotanoy is a relative bargain.
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Domaine Allary Haut Brion Pessac Léognan 2008
Domaine Allary Haut-Brion (which used to be called Domaine de la Passion Haut-Brion) is a 1.5-hectare parcel of vines situated in the heart of First Growth Haut-Brion's vineyard. From 1954 to 1978, the property bottled under its own name, but for the past 30 years, the grapes have been going into Haut Brion wines under a cropshare agreement. Planted to 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, Allary Haut-Brion is owned by Dr. Michel Allary who decided once again produce a domaine wine at the property and 2008 is the first vintage under the new label. His daughter and grandson ensure a family-owned and managed future. Today the wine is made by celebrated Bordeaux consultant, Stéphane Derenoncourt, who is known for being somewhat modern in his approach, late harvesting and using a fair amount of new wood, to give the wines softer, sweeter tannins; but in other ways, this wine is very traditional. The new generation of Allarys work the gravel and sandy clay vineyard by hand or using horses. There are no tractors. Next year biodynamic viticulture will be introduced.
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$199.00$159.00
Lucien Le Moine Chambertin Clos de Beze 2009
Established in 1999, this two-person micro-négoce is owned by Mounir and Rotem Saouma. They describe the 2009 vintage as 'the best vintage we have ever seen and that includes 2005. The tenderness, finesse and terroir transparency are simply magnificent. It was a unique vintage in that, typically, when you taste a Pinot Noir grape, you enjoy the juice and the pulp and then spit out the skin as it's mildly astringent. In 2009 the skins were sweet too. Which we believe is in a way representative of the entire vintage.' The Clos-de-Bèze vineyard is the oldest of Gevrey's vineyards, planted by the monks of the Abbey of Bèze after its bequest to them, in 630, by Duke Amalgaire of Burgundy. In the 1200s it was sold intact to the order of the Cathedral of Langres, who leased it out in parcels until the 1700s, when both Le Chambertin and Clos-de-Bèze were acquired, nearly in their entirety, by Claude Jobert. Since Jobert's ownership, Clos-de-Bèze has become divided, as of 1985, among eighteen proprietors. The Clos-de-Bèze occupies a rectangular 38-acre plot in the center of Gevrey's grand cru slope just north of Le Chambertin. Clos-de-Bèze may take the Le Chambertin appellation, but not vice-versa, an indication of its slightly superior quality. Indeed, though Clos-de-Bèze is nearly seven acres larger than Le Chambertin, its average annual production is approximately six percent less.
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$499.00$399.00
Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne Romanée Les Chaumes 2010
Méo-Camuzet is one of the most celebrated domaines of the Côte d'Or, located in the heart of prestigious Vosne-Romanée. The domaine boasts 14 hectares of land in some of the most spectacular appellations and crus of Burgundy. Founder Étienne Camuzet was not only a passionate vigneron , but a full-time politician, and spent most of his time in Paris, representing the Côte d'Or. By the time his daughter had inherited the estate, she found herself with no successors, so the estate was passed down to her closest relative, Jean Méo. Jean was also deeply involved in national politics-he served as a member of Charles DeGaulle's cabinet. Consequently, he, too, had to direct the domaine from afar. In the early 1980s, as many of the métayeurs were starting to retire, it became clear that the domaine needed a new direction. Jean's son, Jean-Nicolas had also spent most of his life in Paris, but had an enormous passion for winegrowing. By 1985, it was his turn to take the helm. In lieu of continuing to rent out their highly-pedigreed vineyards, he made the bold decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for the domaine's own bottlings. He called upon the resident expert, one of Burgundy's greatest winemakers of all time, Henri Jayer, for guidance. Henri had spent over forty years farming parcels from Méo-Camuzet under his own label. For three years, he mentored Jean-Nicolas during the transition and finally decided to retire in 1988. Jean-Nicolas has since directed the winemaking in the cellar and managed sales. He has put the vineyards in the capable hands of Christian Faurois, son of one of domaine's métayeurs, who has dedicated himself to these vineyards since 1973. We have visited this illustrious estate and tasted wine with Jean-Nicolas. He is extremely serious and detail-oriented with an underlying passion for the vines and the wines which he ultimately produces. Today Domaine Méo-Camuzet bottles four astounding grands crus (Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Corton Clos Rognet, and Échezeaux, with two more Cortons soon on the way), ten premier crus (from the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, and Fixin), several village wines including this Vosne-Romanee, one Bourgogne Rouge , and only one white. Jean-Nicolas aims for balance and purity of fruit, which he accomplishes with terrific success. Though delicate and fine, even in their youth, the paradoxical concentration and intensity of these wines make them ideal for long aging.
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Moulin de Duhart Pauillac 2010
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'The great Madame Denise Gasqueton, a Bordeaux icon whom I always visited early in the morning (8:15 a.m. for nearly 20 consecutive years), passed away on the first day of the 2011 harvest. The 2011 Calon-Segur is a fitting tribute to her extraordinary passion and love for this fabulous estate in the northern sector of St.-Estephe. A very strong effort, it boasts an opaque purple color as well as surprisingly sweet tannin and abundant quantities of black cherry, black currant and dusty, loamy scents. Medium to full-bodied with beautifully integrated tannins and sensational purity and length, this super effort is a wonderful homage to the memory of Madame Gasqueton. Moreover, it is potentially one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage and should drink well for 25 or more years.' reported Robert Parker April 2012 This historic 3rd Growth estate in Saint Estephe dates back to Roman times, and has enjoyed an excellent reputation for over 500 years. In the 18th century Calon Segur was part of the great Segur estate which included Lafite, Latour and Mouton. During this time, the owner, Marquis de Ségur, was fond of saying "I make my wine at Lafite and Latour but my heart is in Calon" - a quote which explains the heart motifs that are dotted all around Calon-Ségur - on walls, fireplaces and even the wine label itself. Calon Segur is situated on a bed of sandy gravel and iron-enriched limestone in the northernmost part of St.-Estephe and has vines averaging 35 years. Planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the estate produces three red wines from its vineyard.
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Calera Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012
 
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Penner-Ash Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012
Before starting her own winery, Lynn Penner-Ash made wine for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa and Rex Hill in Oregon. She also served on the board of the International Pinot Noir Celebration from 1996-2002, and acted as President in 1998. Her 2012 Estate Pinot was aged for 1 0 months in 32% new French oak, 21% one year-old French oak, 32% two year-old French oak and 15% in neutral French oak.
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Chateau Beychevelle Amiral De Beychevelle 2010
This is the second wine of the great estate Beychevelle, in Saint Julien. Planted to 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the vineyard has vines averaging 30 years. Thanks to the strict selection procedures used to make the Château's first wine, the second wine, Amiral de Beychevelle, benefits from high-quality grapes. Made according to the same tradition as its glorious elder, it reveals its qualities earlier, giving the wine-lover all the vivacity of youth.
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$59.99 $53.99
Santa Cristina Toscana Rosso 2014
Santa Cristina was originally introduced in 1946 as a Chianti Classico by Piero Antinori's father, Niccolò. But with the passage of the 1984 DOCG laws - spearheaded by Piero Antinori- requiring lower vineyard yields, Chianti Classico grapes became so complex and rich that they required more aging than this soft, fruity fresh wine. So in the 1987 vintage Santa Cristina became a 'Toscana', and in the 1994 vintage Antinori began including 10% Merlot to the blend. Look for vibrant ripe fruit on the nose with hints of flowers. Well-structured, soft and harmonious. Ripe tannins and lingering fruit in the finish will pair well with pasta in tomato basil sauce or with brick oven pizza.
$14.99 $13.49
La Serena Brunello di Montalcino 2012
The La Serena estate has belonged to the Mantengoli family since the 1930s. In 1988 brothers Andrea and Marcello Mantengoli entered the family business and started making wine at the property. What began as a one-hectare farm has since grown into nine hectares, with about six of those under vine, dedicated exclusively to Sangiovese for Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino. The zone of production, Torrenieri, is in the northeast corner of Montalcino at about 400 meters above sea level. The soil here is similar to the Pertimali and Montosoli cru areas, but is slightly less compact, providing wines with structure but perhaps more approachability in their youth than their neighbors. Enologist Paolo Caciorgna is making award winning wines.
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$59.99$42.99
Fattoria di Felsina Fontalloro 2013
Fattoria di Fèlsina is one of the greatest quality estates in Tuscany. Based in the Chianti Classico region, Fèlsina produces one of the finest ranges of ageworthy and complex Chianti bottlings in all of Italy. Unlike many of their neighbors, Fèlsina has never succumbed to the temptation to produce "new age" Chianti made of international-styled blends that include Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Instead, they continue to use solely Sangiovese in their Chianti wines. Consequently, their elegant yet intensely flavored Chiantis place them firmly among the top handful of Chianti producers, with the best vintages of their top Riserva Chiantis often approaching Brunello di Montalcino (also 100% Sangiovese) in terms of complexity and potential for longevity. In addition to their distinct bottlings of Chianti Classico, Fèlsina also produces one of Italy's top Vino di Tavola's (or IGTs), called Fontalloro. Fontalloro is sourced from old Sangiovese vines in three top vineyards that straddle the border between two of Chianti's top regions: "Classico" and "Colli Senesi". The vineyards are practicing biodynamic and all of the fruit is hand-harvested. It is produced from vines that are in excess of fifty years of age, the fruit is deand aged in small French oak barrels for fifteen to eighteen months prior to bottling. Vinification: After de-stemming and pressing, 28-30oC fermentation with automatic daily punch-downs, followed by 16-20 day maceration. Aging: The wine was then drawn off, underwent malolactic fermentation, and went into barriques in March-April for 18-20 months. It was blended in stainless steel, then aged in glass 8-12 months. Production: 3,335 cases made. 'Felsina is a reference-point property for readers who want to discover the best Tuscany has to offer. Prices remain exceedingly fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle.' raves Wine Advocate
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