The Wine Advocate | RP 96
Published: Jan 1, 2003

It is fun to go back and forth between the 1995 and 1996, two superb vintages for Haut-Brion. The 1995 seems to have sweeter tannin and a bit more fat and seamlessness when compared to the more structured and muscular 1996. Certainly 1995 was a vintage that the brilliant administrator Jean Delmas handled flawlessly. The result is a deep ruby/purple-colored wine with a tight but promising nose of burning wood embers intermixed with vanilla, spice box, earth, mineral, sweet cherry, black currant, plum-like fruit, medium to full body, a high level of ripe but sweet tannin, and a finish that goes on for a good 40-45 seconds. This wine is just beginning to emerge from a very closed state where it was unyielding and backward. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Last tasted, 11/02.
Drink Date: 2003 - 2035

Haut-brion.com

Elegant and complex, Château Haut-Brion red presents mineral aromas and a unique complexity. Its strength lays in the finish, which is surprisingly long. This aromatic persistence is due to its very noble origins.

Tasting Notes
The characteristic of this wine is its harmony between the very soft and very fine structure and the complex aroma given by the earth of the “Graves”.
There is a lot of charm in this bottle which could be consumed either in the next few years or be kept in the cellar as the wine will age remarkably.

The weather
1995 was a precocious year. The winter was mild and the spring hot and dry. The bud burst and the flowering were precocious and homogeneous. June, July and August were characterized by hot temperatures and no rain. Some of the vines with superficial roots as for young vines suffered from dryness. The harvest was perfectly ripe and sounds although September was cooler than usual and rainy in the middle of the month.