Château Haut-Brion en primeur history: 2016 – 2020

‘Concentrated, powerful and precise’ is how Jane Anson summed up Château Haut-Brion 2020 in her recent Bordeaux en primeur report, scoring the Pessac-Léognan-based first growth at 96 points.

The wine was released on 23 June, and was being offered by UK merchants at around £5,196 per 12 bottles in bond, according to Liv-ex.

Below, we’ve brought together Anson’s Château Haut-Brion en primeur scores, as well as in-bottle ratings and pricing information, on the famous estate’s grands vins back to the 2016 vintage.

Château Haut-Brion en primeur scores

Château Haut-Brion 2020: 96 points

Château Haut-Brion 2019: 97 points

Château Haut-Brion 2018:  98 points (Latest in-bottle score: 98)

Château Haut-Brion 2017: 97 points

Château Haut-Brion 2016: 98 points (Latest in-bottle score: 100)

These scores above also show how ratings can nudge up, or down in some cases, between the en primeur barrel sample tastings and the in-bottle reviews that normally take place around 18 months later.

Of the 2020 barrel sample, Anson noted; ‘This takes a grip and holds on, layers of liquorice, grilled coffee bean, chocolate, blackcurrant pastille, cassis bud and a more steely wet stone edge that gives a much needed balance to the richness of the overall feel of this wine. This is going to need serious ageing, impressive and powerful stuff.’

Of the recent wines tasted in bottle, Anson gave 100 points to the 2016 when she re-tasted the wine in December 2018.

‘A great wine en primeur that has settled into greatness,’ she wrote of Haut-Brion 2016 after tasting it in-bottle.

‘It has hidden power and subtle oak toasting – this clearly feels no need to shout about its presence, but there will be plenty to discover over time. You can feel those tannins licking around your teeth, building up one layer at a time.’

Château Haut-Brion en primeur prices: Recent vintages

Data: Jane Anson’s latest rating of the wine, with prices sourced from Liv-ex on 23 June.

Château Haut-Brion 2020 (96 points) release price: €432 per bottle ex-Bordeaux | £5,196 per 12-bottle case in bond

Château Haut-Brion 2019 (97): Ex-Bordeaux €282 per bottle | Ex-London £3,588 (12x 75cl in bond) | Current Liv-ex market price: £4,874 ($6,809)

Château Haut-Brion 2018 (98): Ex-Bordeaux €408 | Ex-London £4,900 |

Current Liv-ex market price: £4,710 ($6,580)

Château Haut-Brion 2017 (97): Ex-Bordeaux €348 | Ex-London £4,054 |

Current Liv-ex market price: £3,400 ($4,750)

Château Haut-Brion 2016 (100): Ex-Bordeaux €420 | Ex-London £4,980 |

Current Liv-ex market price: £4,982 ($6,960)

See also: Bordeaux wine investment – 20 years of hits and misses

Prices may vary and are published for informational purposes only. This does not constitute investment advice.

Château Haut-Brion wine style

‘Château Haut-Brion has a fair claim to being the father of the first growths. It was here that the ‘New French Claret’ style was born,,’ wrote Jane Anson in a profile of the Bordeaux first growths last year.

‘Part of the secret of its complexity comes from its array of terroir, ranging from limestone to large gravels to deep clays, all within a few rows of each other. This is also why it has more Merlot in the blend than the other four (in most vintages close to 50%), which translates into richness and depth of fruit in the glass.’

Château Haut-Brion at a glance

• Vineyards: Reds – 45.4% Merlot, 43.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.7% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
• Owner: Dillon family since 1935, headed up by Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
• Winemaking: Estate director Jean-Philippe Delmas, the third generation of his family, is in charge of producing the Château Haut-Brion wines. There is no outside consultant.

Château Haut-Brion en primeur and in-bottle tasting notes

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