2018 Château Haut Brion Blanc

Of all the Bordeaux premier crus, Haut-Brion is the most charming, always elegant and refined and always in top condition, young or old. Haut Brion is the oldest and historically the most colourful estate in the Gironde - it was here that the first single-vineyard Bordeaux was made in the 17th century, first served in London coffee houses and praised by many eminent writers. In 1935, the estate was bought by Clarence Dillon, an American banker. He invested heavily in renovating the chai and the vineyard. In 1960, Haut-Brion became the first premier cru to replace the wooden barrels with stainless steel tanks. In 1983, the Dillon family bought the neighbouring Château la Mission Haut-Brion. Haut-Brion is almost always the fastest maturing and most accessible of the premier crus, but this easy, young charm is deceptive, because the wine matures beautifully.

The Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 80.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 19.4% Sémillon – this is the highest level of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend ever. Unsurprisingly, it needs plenty of air at this youthful stage, eventually unfolding little by little to offer subtle scents of lemon peel, fresh grapefruit, green mango and yuzu, with emerging suggestions of wet pebbles, flint, orange blossom and lime leaves with a hint of oyster shell. The medium to full-bodied palate has a beautiful satiny texture and a lovely freshness to offset the intense stone and citrus flavours, with a long and layered finish. Give this a good 4 years and drink it for the next 15 years or more.