1959 | Château Haut Brion | Pessac-Leognan

Detailed Description

The bouquet is pure, vibrant and bottomless, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of ripe cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, gloriously complex, dark, gravelly soil tones, black truffle, a touch of nut skin and plenty of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and brilliantly complex, with perfect, seamless balance, a sappy core and a very, very long, smoky, roasted and laser-like finish.

Reviews:

• John Gilman: The 1959 vintage of Haut-Brion was the first legendary bottle of claret that I ever had the pleasure to taste in my career. The bouquet is pure, vibrant and bottomless, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of ripe cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, gloriously complex, dark, gravelly soil tones, black truffle, a touch of nut skin and plenty of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and brilliantly complex, with perfect, seamless balance, a sappy core and a very, very long, smoky, roasted and laser-like finish.

• Vinous: Layered and sweet on the palate, with fabulous depth and breathtaking complexity, the 1959 boasts superb polish, a long, seamless finish and tremendous harmony.

Producer Information

Château Haut-Brion is the oldest of Bordeaux’s five first growths, and one of the most famous wines in the world. Located in Pessac-Léognan, south of the city of Bordeaux, the château is rather far removed from its counterparts, all of which are found in the Médoc. The vineyards were established in the 1530s by the Pontac family, changing hands several times throughout the ensuing centuries. Historical evidence shows that Haut-Brion was drunk by King Charles II and Thomas Jefferson, and the famous London diarist Samuel Pepys was also a fan of the wine. The estate was acquired by American Francophile Clarence Dillon in 1935 and has been managed by the family since. Haut-Brion is notable as being the only first growth in the Graves region south of Bordeaux city – Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour are all in Pauillac, while Château Margaux is – unsurprisingly – in Margaux.The Haut-Brion cuvée tends to have more Merlot than the wines from the Medoc, with Cabernet Sauvignon in more of a supporting role (this is reflected in the vineyard). As such, Haut-Brion is more rounded and softer than other Left Bank wines. The château describes the wine as having an empyreumatic (charred organic matter) bouquet.