Scores
95
Robert Parker
The Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is composed of 80.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 19.4% Sémillon, harvested August 27 to September 5—this is the highest level of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend ever. It comes sashaying out of the glass with flamboyant notions of warm pineapple, passion fruit, lime cordial and lemongrass and hints of dried mandarin peel, peach blossoms, wild thyme and wet pebbles plus a waft of dill seed. Full-bodied and profoundly fruited in the mouth, the silky, vivacious frame has a lot of intense tropical notions and yet is jam-packed with delicate nuances, finishing with great length and a lot of emerging mineral and citrus layers. Big and beautiful.
95
Vinous
The 2018 Haut-Brion Blanc has blossomed beautifully over the last two years. Rich and ample in feel, with superb richness, the Blanc is a knock-out. Everything is dialed up in the 2017 - the aromas, flavors and textures are all so wonderfully expressive. Lemon confit, pear, marzipan, chamomile and gently spiced notes build as the 2018 continues to open in the glass. The 2017 is compelling. That's all there is to it.
99
James Suckling
Opulent and perfumed for this great white in 2018, with lemon curd, cooked apple, lilac, lime flower, stone, rock and hints of sandalwood. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and compressed with layers of fruit that are integrated and focused. Needs time to open and show its true greatness but stunning. Try after 2025.
96
Decanter
Grippy fresh, green-tinged flavours, a little more evident than in the Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, here you get more angular acidities, and yet it works. Sauvignon-dominant flavours and aromatics of rosemary, mint, turmeric, lime blossom and steely citrus. Excellent persistency and a deliciously mouthwatering finish. Harvest from 20th to 27th August.