Château Haut-Brion Pessac Léognan 2016

Immensely tannic, this is a great Haut-Brion, one of the finest for many years. It shows the severe side of this estate, with a dense structure to match the powerful black fruits. Rich with berry flavors and lifted by enough acidity, the wine will age for many years. Drink from 2026.

As to the reds, the 2016 Haut Brion is a prodigious, legendary wine in the making, although it's not for those seeking instant gratification. Deeper colored and more concentrated than the La Mission Haut Brion, it reveals a purple/ruby color as well as a sensational bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, cigar tobacco, cold fireplace, violets, and lead pencil. Deep, masculine, structured, and mineral-laced, it has a stacked mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a firm, blockbuster styled finish that lasts for close to a minute. A wine for the ages, don't even think about opening bottles for at least 7-8 years. It should keep for half a century. The blend in 2016 is 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc.

The 2016 Haut-Brion has a precise, focused bouquet of blackberry, briar, pressed flowers and supremely well-integrated oak; there is real panache here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, pinpoint acidity and a little grittiness to the texture. Quite spicy, revealing white pepper and cedar toward a finish that just tapers in slightly, probably because this is beginning to close down. I have had better bottles in the past. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.