The 2008 Château Haut-Brion is a profound and complex wine, with a dense purple color and an intricate nose of creosote, asphalt, blueberries, black currants, and jammy raspberries. The palate is full-bodied with sweet tannins, a savory mouthfeel, and a stunning finish that lingers long. With its powerful tannins and impressive structure, this wine is poised for long-term aging, promising to evolve beautifully for decades. Despite a smaller-than-usual production, it showcases remarkable depth and concentration, making it a standout of the vintage. This wine has a bright future, with an impressive ability to age.

Decanter | D 97
Published: Feb 9, 2021
Drink: 2021-2040

Superb and already immensely delicious, yet decidedly youthful and only beginning its evolution. The colour is dark, and the ripe plummy fruit resounds with notes of game, leather and spice. The rich texture is dense and ripe, with supple tannins and immense concentration and body. There is enough acidity to balance the wine and lead to a lingering, sensual finish. This epic wine for the ages should continue on the way up for another half-century. The blend is 51% Merlot, aged in 75% new barrels before bottling in June 2002.

I loved this vintage of Haut Brion en primeur and am so happy that it has more than lived up to expectations now that it is well into its second decade of life. The fruit remains layered and complex; with plump but measured damson, cassis, bilberry, softening ever so slightly around the edges but still maintaining a slate texture that keeps things just slowly inching forward through the palate. Rosemary, black olives and crushed mint leaf on the finish. Ruthless selection, with just 35% of production going into the first wine.
Closure: Natural Cork
Alcohol: 13.50%
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 9% Cabernet Franc 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 41% Merlot

The Wine Advocate | RP 96
Published: May 2, 2011
Drink: 2011-2041

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. 

Jamessuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Dec 19, 2010

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. Try after 2014.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 17
Published: Mar 21, 2018
Drink: 2021-2039

Tasted blind. Sweet and then something a bit charred about this. Sour end. Solid but no lift. Dense and layered.

Haut-brion.com

Elegant and complex, the red wine of Château Haut-Brion is very mineral and of a rare complexity, it is distinguished by an astonishing length, this aromatic persistence being the privilege of very great origins. 

Tasting note
Beautiful, very dense red color.
The nose is very ripe and presents notes of red fruits dominated by blackberry and blackcurrant. On the palate, the attack is dense and tight. The evolution is impressive in terms of volume and tannic power. The fruit is very persistent on a long and aromatic finish. This wine has a lot of flavor and taste. It promises a very bright future.