Winemaker Notes
The wine displays a beautiful garnet color and opens with discreet notes of smoke that give way to powerful aromas of black fruits such as blackberry and blackcurrant, accented by hints of pepper, while the palate begins pleasantly smooth with a structure that balances controlled power and freshness, leading to a tender, long finish with notes of licorice.
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from dismal yields of 12.5 hectoliters per hectare, the 2020 Château Haut-Brisson is shockingly good and another brilliant Right Bank that's going to represent a tremendous value. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in just 35% new French oak, it has a sensational perfume of red and black cherries, leafy tobacco, chocolate, lead pencil shavings, and liquid violet-like nuances. Full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced, it has ultra-fine tannins, remarkable purity, and a great finish. This wine comes from an 18-hectare vineyard that was purchased by Peter Kwok in 1997, only to be sold in 2020 to Bordeaux native Stéphane Schinazi. The soils here are a mix of fine gravel and granular, quartz-rich silt atop a deep clay subsoil. The farming has been certified organic since 2010, vinification spans just over three weeks in stainless steel, and the wine sees malolactic fermentation in tank and four months on lees before being moved into 35% new French oak, 35% second-fill, and the balance in third-fill barrels.
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James Suckling
A linear and fine red with blueberries, lavender and hazelnut. Some black olives. Medium-bodied. Lovely tension and focus. Lots of harmony to this. Drink after 2025.
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Vinous
The 2020 Haut-Brisson is every bit as captivating as it was in barrel. Succulent dark cherry fruit, plum, mocha, licorice, espresso and spice are beautifully amplified. Creamy and resonant, with terrific depth, Haut-Brisson is super-expressive today. It is a harmonious Saint-Émilion to drink over the next 15-20 years. Terrific. Best after 2026.
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Decanter
Deep ruby red, damson and blackberry autumnal fruits on the palate. A more subdued and serious feel than some. Powerful overall with liquorice and black chocolate, touches of reduction. Almost over concentrated but it lifts up on the finish.
Barrel Sample: 91 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of cherries, sweet blueberries, spices and licorice introduce the 2020 Haut-Brisson, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine with a ripe core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. Best After 2023
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.