Château Haut-Brion 2020

Wineadvocate

The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit that's girdled by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. Despite checking in at a similarly lofty alcoholic degree to the 2019, its more granular tannic profile tempers the vintage's sweetness of fruit and lends the wine a more classically proportioned, and more classically structured, profile. - WK 04/2023

Vinous

The 2020 Haut-Brion has a smorgasbord of red and black fruit on the nose, Indian ink and pressed violets, touches of undergrowth (morels?) emerging with time in the glass. There is just a note of reduction here. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and saline, with hints of black olive and white pepper. A lingering, very controlled, black pepper tinged finish is very harmonious and understated - remarkable given the 15% alcohol, slightly higher than La Mission. Excellent…but I am not convinced that would put it in the top tier of this First Growth…at least, not yet. (Drink between 2028-2055) - NM 02/2023

Beck

Dans la course côte à côte entre Mission et Haut-Brion, qui font partie de la même famille, donc plutôt frères qu'ennemis, le match est souvent serré. La question n'est d'ailleurs plus vraiment de savoir lequel est le meilleur, mais lequel s'exprime de manière pertinente, avec sa nature, sa personnalité. Dans cet exercice, Haut-Brion me semble plus proche de ce que l'on connaît de lui. Son sens aigu du détail apparaît dès les premières senteurs, tandis que le palais affiche d'entrée un remarquable ampleur, entourée par sa trame tannique et une fine amertume qui appuie l'expression aromatique de la finale. Un vin imposant qui revendique une grande aptitude à la garde. C'est un Haut-Brion plutôt rectiligne que sphérique avec une persistance aromatique imposante. C'est très grand et tous les indices pointent vers une note qui tôt ou tard passera à trois chiffres ! 2027-2050 - YB 01/2023

Suckling

This is a superb Haut-Brion with incredible tannins that are wonderfully fine-grained. It’s really powerful. This is very primary with so much grape-generated tannin structure. Very, very long, going on for minutes. Seductive and friendly at the start and then takes you on at the finish with so much structure. Wine of the vintage?

Dunnuck

I finished my trip through Bordeaux with the 2020 Château Haut-Brion, and it was certainly a fitting cap to the trip. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, the 2020 exhibits extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers. An absolute blockbuster on the palate, this structured, full-bodied, massively concentrated Pessac builds incrementally, with ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Richer and more concentrated than both the 2018 and 2019 (there are some similarities to 2010), this is a legend in the making. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all of which will spend 15-18 months in 77% new French oak. Hide bottles for a decade, and it should evolve for 50-75 years. - 03/2023