Château Haut-Brion 2008

Bettane et Desseauve

La Revue du Vin de France

Jeannie Cho Lee

Wine Enthusiast

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

Oh so young, but oh so good. At this stage, it is all about the promise, yet, with its elegant, silky tannins, refined layers of fruit, polished, textured and 40-50 second finish, there should be no doubt as to what you should expect with another decade or two of aging. The wine was made blending 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

This is profound! 2008 Haut-Brion: The extraordinary 2008 Haut-Brion is a candidate for -wine of the vintage.- Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, it reveals more evolution and complexity in its large-scaled perfume. The dense purple color is followed by a sweet nose of creosote, asphalt, blueberries, black currants and jammy raspberries, sweet tannins, a savory, fleshy mouthfeel and a stunning finish. This incredibly pure, noble wine was produced from one of the estate's smallest crops (only 7,000 cases produced versus the usual 12,000 cases). It should drink well for three decades or more.

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2008 Haut Brion is another classic, austere, yet balanced and concentrated wine in this vintage that still has some upside. Notes of blackcurrants, cold fireplace, smoked earth, and tobacco all flow to a medium to full-bodied, firm, structured Haut-Brion that has beautiful purity as well as length. It’s just still tight and relatively closed at present. Give bottles another 4-5 years, after which it should be at the early stages of its drinking plateau and cruise for another two decades.

Decanter Magazine

For me, Haut-Brion stands a few notches above La Mission in this vintage. It's a wine which is almost impossible to spit forwards rather than backwards! The entire palate climbs upwards, with a mineral kick and slatey walls. This is the most complex wine that I have tasted so far, showing layers of cassis, rosemary and freshly picked mint - utterly gorgeous, and another wine of the vintage contender.

James Suckling

What a finish here. It starts off slowly and then builds. Full bodied, but in reserve with a sweet tobacco, berry, and light dark chocolate character. Bright acidity and a chewy finish. So classy. Production was tiny in 2008.