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Chateau Haut-Brion - Jean-Philippe Delmas
First impressions of the 2005 vintage
Château Haut-Brion
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Pessac-Leognan-Graves
2005 will remain etched in our minds as a historically dry year
at
Château Haut-Brion
When we started the
harvest of the
Sauvignons
on the 24th of August at
Château Haut-Brion, we had never before seen vines looking quite this beautiful. The grapes all reached a perfect maturity in a very homogenous manner, without us noticing any flaws or signs of damage. The vine having barely grown since its last trim could be seen at its best, aligned, upright
and proud.
It is understandable that the vine, at
Château Haut-Brion is proud for it has produced white and red grapes of an extraordinary concentration; analytically, quantitatively but also from an organoleptic point of view. Never before have we gained such pleasure from tasting the grapes.
At Château Haut-Brion,
the grapes benefited enormously from the excellent weather conditions over the summer. The months of June, July and August were of course particularly dry but also exceptionally hot and sunny.
We finished harvesting the white grapes, at
Château Haut-Brion,
on the 31st of August, thereupon immediately commencing to pick the red grapes starting with the Merlots. Our last Cabernets were harvested on the 26th of September, one month after the first snips of our harvesting shears.
What we discovered during and following the
fermentations, at
Château Haut-Brion, confirmed our first impressions in the vines. Both the whites and the
Merlots which have finished their
fermentation are of purity, amplitude and a complexity that we have never before seen at this
stage.
At Château Haut-Brion,
as farmers and winemakers, we are by nature and tradition reserved and prudent people but this year it is difficult for us to contain our smiles. Our faces light up when tasting the vats. Although we don’t dare say it, we have to admit
at Château Haut-Brion,
that our eyes and
palates are witnessing the birth of something rather exceptional.
Jean-Philippe Delmas - Chateau Haut Brion
http://haut-brion.com/home/en/langflash-en.php
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