While not a heralded vintage, often these so-called off-vintages yield some red-fruited beauties. This Haut Brion ranks up there with the 2011 Vieux Chateau Certan as the two major successes of the vintage. With a healthy cut of Cab Franc in this vintage, the wine shows a Chinon-range of dry earth, smoke, red fruits and some lovely savory, saline-laden notes. Really lithe and silky on the palate. Low alcohol, tannins resolving, this is a very enjoyable drink right now. Enjoyed over the course of a several hour meal with other wines, including an over-powering 2008 Dal Forno Romano, and this Haut Brion really stole the show and paired so well with the charcuterie plate and duck confit entree. Hard to justify the cost, but an excellent success in the vintage.
(93 pts.)