1994 Laville Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
The 1994 Laville Haut-Brion is a vintage that I had never tasted before, and one touted by other critics. Here, even compared to an impressive 1986 Ygrec, this white Pessac-Léognan showed beautifully. Deep straw in colour it has a complex and enticing bouquet of clear honey, Japanese yuzu, fennel and nutmeg that is very well defined and with so much energy. The palate is tensile and underpinned by a fine bead of acidity, a subtle marine influence permeating from start to finish. This is a fantastic white Bordeaux given the vintage, and at 23 years of age shows no signs of slowing down. Tasted at a white Bordeaux-themed private dinner in London.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Molten gold. Pungent and directed and fine and very different from the others. Seems much more modern than the 2004. Tight and dense. Very exciting. Leafy. (JR)
This tightly knit, medium-bodied wine exhibits an intense, sweet nose of toast, minerals, honey, and spices. There is ripe fruit and intensity on the palate, but the overall impression is one of a backward, undeveloped wine. It has 20-25 years of aging potential.
About the producer
Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion – sister estate of Ch. Haut-Brion and part of the Clarence Dillon stable – is one of the greatest estates in all of Bordeaux. Based in Pessac-Léognan but not officially classified, it produces outstanding red and white wines.