Château Haut-Brion Premier Cru Classé, Pessac Leognan, 2006

The 2006 Haut-Brion was composed with a significant proportion of Merlot, a blend that emphasizes the estate's distinction from the more Cabernet-dominant profile of the Médoc. The nose is fine and complex: plum fruit with delicate vegetal wood notes, delicate spices, and the dark cherry and blackcurrant aromatics that signal a wine of depth and structure. On the palate, the tannins are present and firm, giving good grip and density, with tar, tea, and dark spice adding layers to the dark-berry finish. Very aromatic, densely knit, and built with the structural tannin character to last twenty-five to thirty years. A wine of extraordinary longevity from an address that rarely disappoints.