Larrivet Haut Brion rouge Pessac-Léognan 2018
SKU
LHBR201810 UCAU
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Jeb Dunnuck: 92/100"The 2018 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion is nevertheless loaded with potential."
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Decanter: 93/100 "The most gourmet in the line-up with tons of layers of chocolate and liquorice."
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Wine Enthusiast: 93/100 "It has an attractive touch."
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1 or more bottles$88.20
Editors notes
While a touch reductive on this occasion, the 2018 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion is nevertheless loaded with potential, offering a big nose of black cherry and blackberry fruits as well as complex smoked earth and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and balanced, it shines more for its elegance and purity than outright power. With nicely integrated acidity and fine tannins, it’s going to be drinkable with just a few years of bottle age and evolve nicely.
- Jeb Dunnuck
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Blueberry
- Boysenberry
- Herbal
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Palate
- Blue Fruits
- Cassis
- Graphite
Food Pairings
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Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Jeb Dunnuck
92"While a touch reductive on this occasion, the 2018 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion is nevertheless loaded with potential, offering a big nose of black cherry and blackberry fruits as well as complex smoked earth and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and balanced, it shines more for its elegance and purity than outright power. With nicely integrated acidity and fine tannins, it’s going to be drinkable with just a few years of bottle age and evolve nicely."
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Decanter
93"Clear rich layers of fruit on the nose, the most gourmet in the line-up with tons of layers of chocolate and liquorice. Similar to the 2016 but with more flesh on the bones, if not as balanced. Definite similarities with 2009 also, in that is has soft and appealing tannins but with punch and power behind them. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038."
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Wine Enthusiast
93"The wine shows a fine black currant flavor that's supported by firm tannins and fresh acidity. It has an attractive touch of spice, along with plenty of juicy acidity."
Other vintages
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.
The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.
Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.
Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.
Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.
Pessac-Leognan
Pessac-Léognan is a small Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and subregion within the Graves AOC in Bordeaux, France. It includes one Premier Cru from the 1855 classification, as well as all of the Cru Classé properties within the Graves classification. (This classification, established in 1959, is a list based on pricing, renown, and quality – judged by tasting. Overall, 16 classified châteaux fall under the Graves classification for their red wines, their white wines, or both, and all sit within Pessac-Léognan.) The terroir in this AOC benefits from the area’s gravel soils as well as the moderating effect of the Garonne River. Pessac-Léognan has a reputation for both high-quality red and white wines, producing significantly more reds than whites. The exceptional white wines are usually blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. They are typically barrel-fermented and -aged, with many age-worthy for 10 years or more. On the nose, you’ll find pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon, and grapefruit alongside vanilla and clove notes from the oak influence. On the palate, these whites are dry and full-bodied. Pessac-Léognan reds have aromas of red berry, violet, earth, and spice, alongside mineral, nutty, and smoky notes.
About the brand Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion
A Fifth Growth, 100-hectare estate established in the 1800’s and rated as one of the top wines in the commune of Léognan from as early as 1840. From 1874, the new owner began calling it Château Haut-Brion Larrivet, causing extreme Gallic consternation down Château Haut-Brion way.
The Gervoson family have been calling the shots since 1987, working hard to restore the estate to its glory days, partially through a thoroughly modernised winery and upgraded vineyard programme.
The estate sits astride a sandy gravel ridge that is planted with 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. They also produce a very good white wine from a mix of 81% Sauvignon Blanc and 19% Sémillion.
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