2022 Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

Nectarine, peach pit, biscuit, liquorice root, charcoal, gunsmoke, this is a thoroughly well structured white wine that has 3.3ph, a little higher than in some vintages but delivers grip, freshness, complexity and ageing ability. 41.9% new oak. Harvest August 16 to 23.

The 2022 Château Haut-Brion Blanc is close to an even split of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, but it seems to lead with its Sauvignon at this point and has bright citrus, lime pith, honeyed flower, and obvious chalky minerality on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with notable concentration as well as acidity, it's another brilliant wine from this team.

Delivering aromas of peach, sweet orchard fruit, spring flowers and lemon oil, the 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc is a full-bodied wine with a seamless, enveloping profile. Its glossy, textural mid-palate that segues into a sappy, racy finish of crystalline purity. A blend of 51.4% Sémillon and 48.6% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is fatter and fleshier than the more tensile La Mission Haut-Brion and will in all likelihood offer a broader drinking window.

Dried lemon and lime with honeysuckle and stone aromas, that follow through to a full body with fantastic length and energy at the end. Phenolics give it great length and stature. 51.4% semillon and 48.6% sauvignon blanc.

The 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc is fabulous. Rich, explosive and dramatic, the 2022 is stunning right out of the glass. Soft curves wrap around a core of lemon confit, marzipan, chamomile, dried flowers and mint. The 2022 is a serious white that will blossom beautifully with time. It is wonderfully impressive in this tasting.