Haut Brion 2017 (750ML)

98 JS / 98 WE / 97 WI / 97 DE / 97 FS / 97 WCI / 96+ VM / 96 WS / 17.5+ JR

#39 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2020

This is extremely aromatic and perfumed with crushed-berry, flower, currant and orange-peel character. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with fabulous depth and density that brings you down through the wine. Deep and serious. Very classic wine that reminds me of top Haut-Brions of the mid-1980s. Try after 2025. - James Suckling

This will be a magnificent wine. Its structure, acidity and richness all show considerable potential. A crisp edge contrasts with the concentration and density that comes from the swaths of fruit. Wood aging has opened out the tanginess of a wine that will age over many years. Drink from 2024. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast 

The 2017 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53% Merlot, 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet in color, it has an almost impenetrable nose to begin, requiring a lot of coaxing to unlock notes of blackcurrant cordial, baked black plums, and Morello cherries, followed by suggestions of tar, crushed rocks, cast-iron pan, and candied violets with a touch of garrigue. The full-bodied palate has powerful latent energy that is poised to explode, framed by super-fine-grained tannins and beautifully balanced acidity, finishing with amazing length and lots of layers. "We did a lot of selection between the 2nd label and the grand vin this year," said Jean-Philippe Delmas. Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Wine Independent

A hugely captivating wine, one of the contenders for red of the vintage. There's an incredible plush, dense texture to the fruit here, with just the slightest pulling back on the final section that suggests the damson, cassis and black cherry fruit is not at the full extent of ripeness seen in 2016 and 2015, but there is absolutely no question that this is a successful, rich and well-expressed wine. It's extremely powerful and well constructed, with great tannins and a succulence which grows through the palate. 3.73pH. Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2017 Haut-Brion is rich and virile, even in a vintage where it has less power than is the norm. My impression is that the 2017 is going to lie dormant for many years before it awakens, but its pedigree is quite obvious. Black cherry, plum, gravel, smoke, licorice and dark spice all burst out of the glass. The 2017 is a powerful, vertical Haut-Brion endowed with a real feeling of gravitas and somber intensity. The long, substantial finish suggests readers can look forward to many years of fine drinking. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Features red and black currant fruit flavors, laced with bramble, apple wood and anise notes, backed by a powerfully rendered finish. Despite the heft and density, this comes off as refined, with streamlined tannins, buried acidity and a long finish of incense and red tea elements. Not as dense and backward as the top years, but still exhibits pedigree. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2040. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

The top wine, and unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, the 2017 Haut Brion checks in as 53% Merlot, 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It’s cut from the same cloth as the Le Clarence de Haut Brion, only with the intensity, richness, and structure turned up. Cold fireplace, smoked earth, black currants, and truffle notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, dense, concentrated and surprisingly structured 2017 that stays perfectly balanced and elegant on the palate. It doesn’t have the sheer breadth of the 2015 and 2016, yet is classic Haut Brion all the way. It should match or exceed the 2014. Jeb Dunnuck