Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc Pessac-Leognan AOC 1-er Grand Cru Classe 2018

Chateau Haut-Brion is a delightful white wine, holder of the highest ratings. Like many wines from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, "Chateau Haut-Brion" can develop in the bottle for a long time, revealing new facets of taste and aroma for another 30-35 years. Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc for this wine are grown on vines with an average age of 35 years. The grapes are harvested by hand, with a triple selection of grapes and complete destemming. Fermentation is carried out in specially designed stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of about 20 °C. The wine is aged for 9-12 months in French oak barrels (50% new). Robert Parker called Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc the Rolls-Royce of white wines, and it truly deserves this title. This elegant wine embodies the 19th-century viewpoint that dry wines should possess a slight sweetness and fragrant aromas of dessert wines. Chateau Haut-Brion has a wonderful balance, where acidity is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of fruity notes, and the softness of Semillon is complemented by the fresh notes of Sauvignon Blanc. The 2018 vintage will fully reveal its potential between 2024 and 2039. The spring of 2018 in Pessac-Léognan was inclement. The growing season began on time, but later slowed down due to heavy hail on May 26. Nevertheless, the vines recovered quickly. June was relatively warm and favorable for flowering. Then came very hot and dry months. The harvest took place in ideal conditions. While the growing season was challenging, the perfect weather at the end of the season contributed to good ripening of the harvest. Moderate temperatures and a little rain allowed for optimal harvest timing depending on the ripeness of each grape variety. The grapes were harvested at peak ripeness and in excellent condition.