Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2020

100 points Jeb Dunnuck: "I finished my trip through Bordeaux with the 2020 Château Haut-Brion, and it was certainly a fitting cap to the trip. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, the 2020 exhibits extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers. An absolute blockbuster on the palate, this structured, full-bodied, massively concentrated Pessac builds incrementally, with ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Richer and more concentrated than both the 2018 and 2019 (there are some similarities to 2010), this is a legend in the making. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all of which will spend 15-18 months in 77% new French oak. Hide bottles for a decade, and it should evolve for 50-75 years. Drink: 2033-2093. (3/29/23)"

100 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, delicate rim brightening. Dark wild berries, a touch of noble wood, ripe cherries, delicate floral nuances of candied purple fruit, sweet tobacco, very inviting bouquet. Complex, juicy, red berry texture, well-integrated, ripe tannins, fine sweetness on the finish, already seems very at peace with itself, great length, a great food companion, secure future. (2025-2065). (2/22/23)"

99 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit that's girdled by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. Despite checking in at a similarly lofty alcoholic degree to the 2019, its more granular tannic profile tempers the vintage's sweetness of fruit and lends the wine a more classically proportioned, and more classically structured, profile. Drink: 2030-2065. (4/06/23)"

99 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2020 Haut Brion is a blend of 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.5% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.78. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with profound blackcurrant cordial, baked plums, and boysenberry preserves notes, leading to an undercurrent of graphite, iron ore, black truffles, and wood smoke, plus a hint of cardamom. The full-bodied palate is tightly knit with black fruit and mineral layers, supported by a rock-solid backbone of grainy tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long and savory. Alcohol 15%. Drink: 2028-2068. (3/12/23)"

99 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Concentrated, deep, creamy, supple, long, and intense, the wine is packed with notes of flowers, spice, chocolate, black cherries, plums, porcini, tobacco leaf, and white pepper. On the palate, there is a minor degree of heat, but the ample layers of perfectly, ripe, sweet, rich fruit are really what you notice as they roll onto your tongue and coat your palate. The wine has a serious depth of flavor, length, and endless waves of black with dark red fruits, finishing with a touch of chalky, crushed rocks in the endnote. The wine blends 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.5% Cabernet Franc, 15% ABV. Drink from 2030-2060. (8/21/23)"

98.8 points CellarTracker.com community score.

97-99 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2020 Haut-Brion is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Substance, depth and textural intensity elevate Haut-Brion into the realm of the sublime in 2020. All the elements are so wonderfully balanced. Inky dark fruit, gravel, lavender, violet and dark spice build as the 2020 gradually opens with some aeration. Wow. Drink: 2035-2070. (Jun 2021)"

98 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "A dark, brooding and rather withdrawn nose compared to La Mission, hinting at dark and savoury fruits, with layers of grilled blackcurrant, liquorice and black pepper, as well as a fragrant Cabernet freshness, infused with powdered chalk and other new oak barrel notes. The palate has just beautiful proportions, showing a core of softly polished dark fruits at the very beginning, with a fresh and linear frame to it, understated and unprepossessing at first, but in the midpalate it slowly builds to reveal layers of dark fruits, blackcurrant, liquorice, black olive, leather and toast, with a correspondingly confident structure increasingly making its presence known, but always maintaining a sense of balance and freshness, before we get to a flourish of energy and charged tannic grip through the middle. A very long finish here. More introverted than La Mission, but clearly with more substance to it, this has stunning potential. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and the alcohol level is 15%, both in terms of analysis and what is on the label. (Dec 2022)"

98 points La Revue du Vin de France: "The same can be said of 2020, with its restrained touch. Despite the solar richness of the fruit, the emphasis is on tension and freshness, with a noble smoky character that asserts itself over the wine's length. Haut-Brion 2020 follows the same trend: discreet, even reserved, it reaches new heights of intensity and finesse. Its imposing tannic mass is stretched out over an impressive length. This is a complete, assured wine of profound serenity. Be patient! (2024)"

98 points James Suckling: "Aromas of blackberry, licorice, tile, stone and mocha. Tobacco and cigar, too. They follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins that go on and on. Sophisticated ripe fruit in the center palate with a brightness. Tangerines in the finish. Very supple and savory at the end, in a classy way. Reminds me of the 1998. Already so attractive, but it will reward you much more after 2028. (4/14/23)"

98 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2024).