6 magnums per lot
Details
Château Haut-Brion--Vintage 1961
Pessac (Graves), 1er cru classé
Three slightly damaged capsules. Slightly bin-soiled labels, three slightly damaged. Levels: one 3.5 cms, two 4 cms, two 4.5 cms and one 5 cms. below base of corks
Tasting Notes: First tasted in July 1963 around the time of bottling. Red Graves tend to develop quite quickly, even top-quality wines like Haut-Brion, though this can be misleading. However, judging from my notes, the nose certainly evolved fragrantly, and even at six years of age, the wine was an attractive and refreshing drink, though basically unready. A decade later and showing maturity and displaying what I think of as characteristic Haut-Brion scents: hot, pebbly, deep, earthy, singed; on the palate a lovely texture 'gentle but firm'. At a Bordeaux Club dinner in 1980, 'rounded but not ready'. Despite its unremitting depth of colour, by the mid-1980s I noted 'elegant', 'well mannered', 'beautifully balanced' - on two occasions 'elliptical'. Only four more recent notes. Sweet with perfectly assimilated tannins and acidity; a superb magnum: rich, complete harmonious, good length and a very high mark at the Aschau blind tasting (1994). Most recently, a magnum, and easily the best wine at a very weird tasting in The Musée Baccarat, Paris. It could only have been Haut-Brion and despite showing some age, excellent. Most recently: still very deep; reluctant fragrance hovering above a rich foundation, opening up richly in the glass; amazingly sweet, extremely rich, typical earthy, 'pebbly' Graves flavour, great length. Last tasted June 2004 ***** Long life. M.B.
The dark garnet-coloured 1961 Haut-Brion is pure perfection, with gloriously intense aromas of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, minerals, and sweet red and black fruits complemented by smoky wood. This has always been a prodigious effort (it was the debut vintage for Jean Delmas). It is extremely full-bodied, with layers of viscous, sweet fruit. This wine is akin to eating candy. Consistently an astonishing wine! Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book 3rd Edition (1998)
6 magnums per lot
Pessac (Graves), 1er cru classé
Three slightly damaged capsules. Slightly bin-soiled labels, three slightly damaged. Levels: one 3.5 cms, two 4 cms, two 4.5 cms and one 5 cms. below base of corks
Tasting Notes: First tasted in July 1963 around the time of bottling. Red Graves tend to develop quite quickly, even top-quality wines like Haut-Brion, though this can be misleading. However, judging from my notes, the nose certainly evolved fragrantly, and even at six years of age, the wine was an attractive and refreshing drink, though basically unready. A decade later and showing maturity and displaying what I think of as characteristic Haut-Brion scents: hot, pebbly, deep, earthy, singed; on the palate a lovely texture 'gentle but firm'. At a Bordeaux Club dinner in 1980, 'rounded but not ready'. Despite its unremitting depth of colour, by the mid-1980s I noted 'elegant', 'well mannered', 'beautifully balanced' - on two occasions 'elliptical'. Only four more recent notes. Sweet with perfectly assimilated tannins and acidity; a superb magnum: rich, complete harmonious, good length and a very high mark at the Aschau blind tasting (1994). Most recently, a magnum, and easily the best wine at a very weird tasting in The Musée Baccarat, Paris. It could only have been Haut-Brion and despite showing some age, excellent. Most recently: still very deep; reluctant fragrance hovering above a rich foundation, opening up richly in the glass; amazingly sweet, extremely rich, typical earthy, 'pebbly' Graves flavour, great length. Last tasted June 2004 ***** Long life. M.B.
The dark garnet-coloured 1961 Haut-Brion is pure perfection, with gloriously intense aromas of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, minerals, and sweet red and black fruits complemented by smoky wood. This has always been a prodigious effort (it was the debut vintage for Jean Delmas). It is extremely full-bodied, with layers of viscous, sweet fruit. This wine is akin to eating candy. Consistently an astonishing wine! Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book 3rd Edition (1998)
6 magnums per lot
Special notice
Offered duty paid, but available in bond. VAT at 17.5% will be charged on the hammer price on removal of the lot from bond.