1961 Château Haut-Brion
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Tasting notes
The 1961 Haut-Brion came from an ex-château bottle that had been sold at auction. This is a case where the wine was deeply impressive throughout dinner and then, after most people had departed, soared to the heavens for the four guests that remained, fortunately including myself. A pertinent reminder of how such wines require decanting. Heavenly purity on the nose, this is utterly sublime, leaning more towards the red side of the spectrum, verging on Burgundian for the first couple of hours before reverting to classic scents of blackberry, gravel and that distant estuarine note. Wonderful delineation. The palate is framed by pliant tannins that effortlessly carry the sensual, surprisingly primal and precocious black fruit. Certainly after three or four hours, the tannins have been completely subsumed into this Graves so that the finish is completely seamless, its sapidity drawing you back for more. For many, the best wine of the night. Tasted at the 1961 dinner at Ami restaurant in Hong Kong.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The first of two reds was the legendary 1961 Haut-Brion. I took over cork-pulling duties and managed to gently ease it out with a waiter’s friend. (I’m a dab hand; it’s all about patience and measuring the pressure of the cork as it is extracted.) Deep in color, this showed a little funk on the nose that did not entirely blow off, though the palate was sturdy and deep, delivering pitted black olive mixed with hung game, a little feral but impressive.
The 1961 Haut-Brion is the third bottle of this wine that I have tasted in the last couple of weeks – no complaints there. It has a slightly more advanced bouquet with touches of game and oxtail infusing the black fruit, hints of black truffle and scorched leather. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly gamey entry. Great length and girth here, although other bottles demonstrated more precision on the finish. On this occasion it is surpassed by the superior 1961s from Palmer and Latour, but a pristine bottle could give those a run for their money. Tasted at the 1961 dinner Chairman Miaow’s in Hong Kong.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.