Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby , quite wide garnet rim, clear and bright . Cassis , blackberry , sous bois , mint , cedar , grafite , good clarity and surprisingly fruit driven still . Good volume on the palate , dark fruits , mint , good acidity and still quite gritty tannins. Saline and grafite tinged finish . Good length . Drinking very well now and over the next 5 years . For 2002 this is showing very well, classic and surprisingly elegant, a really nice surprise! — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Pretty deep ruby with medium wide pink rim . Quite closed and mineral focused nose , with grafite , wet stone , dark cherry , blackberry and touch of toast . On the palate quite elegant dark fruits , with dark cherry , blackberry , grafite and cacao . Medium bodied with very fresh quite intense acidity and gritty , quite dry tannins . Medium length crushed rock and grafite tinged finish. This needs more time , better in 3-4 years and will last well a further 5-8 — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.9

Medium ruby garnet , quite light garnet , terracotta rim . Quite spicy , tobacco , earthy , sous bois tinged nose . On the palate quite strict , slightly lean red fruited sous bois , tobacco , earthy coffee tinged. Refreshing high acidity , slightly gritty , and drying tannin . Ok length and balance . Showing quite well , at peak, now and over the next 5 years . — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Pretty deep colour with very little bricking . Pretty deep cassis , black fruit nose , touch of truffle , grafite . Lovely red and dark fruits , great acidity , ripe slightly gritty tannins , long slightly slate and grafite finish . Young still , better with time in the decanter and will be better still in 5-10 years and will last a further 10. — a year ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby , quite wide garnet , terracotta rim . Quite spiced tobacco , red focused sous bois , warm spice , coffee and cacao , a little foursquare , rustic perhaps . On the palate better , quite juicy and rounded , spiced red plum , dark cherry , dry spice . This becomes more saline with time in the glass, balanced acidity and some slightly gritty tannins. This is probably in the middle of its drinking window , and will remain here over the next 5-10 years perhaps. Within the context of Haut Brion , this perhaps is just a little below par . — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep and quite opaque , narrow ruby rim . Quite a lot of wood spice though with time in the glass there is a lot underneath that oak , dark cassis , ripe blackberry and a mineral undertone . Quite round and ripe on the palate , almost ‘new world’ in style compared to some of the preceding vintages , rounded but gritty tannin , balanced acidity . Generous and round, but with balanced alcohol , good length. Dark cassis , blackberry dark cherry notes. A strong oyster shell , saline component after a while in the glass . Needs time obviously , even though this is quite round and ripe. Intense with great potential. Better in 10-15 years will last well a further 10-15. — 6 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Quite deep ruby slightly narrower rim . This is more closed than any of the previous wines . Quite austere and more mineral , grafite notes . Quite serious on the palate with mineral and dusty cassis , cedar . Good refreshing acidity , slightly dry gritty tannins noticeable . This probably shows the best balance of the 4 so far , all the parts seem better integrated. Dark cassis , cedar and grafite , though not the marine/seashell influence of the 1995. Better length than all the previous wines . This will go further and is probably in the middle of its drinking window, from now and onwards for another 10 years perhaps ? — a year ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Bright ruby garnet with quite narrow garnet rim . Quite closed at first with mineral , cassis , sous bois , cigar box , touch of smoke . On the palate very intense with lots of cigar box tinged cassis , blackberry , cedar , coffee. Gritty but integrated tannins , fresh acidity . Very long and complex on the finish . This is still young but is starting to show what it can do , perfectly balanced and enormously long . Precise and for Las Cases very elegant . Now and for the next 10-15 years . — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium ruby garnet , medium terracotta rim . Quite ripe plum , dried blackberry , dried spice , earth , tobacco . On the palate lovely cassis , dried plum, earthy blackberry and tobacco nuance , liquorice touches . Good definition and balancing acidity, fine , slightly gritty but ripe tannins , good length . Fully mature this is still showing well , drink now and over the next 3-5 years . — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Médium ruby , medium ruby pink rim . Needs time to open up , with spiced red cherry , cut herbs , violets , slightly toasty hints . On the palate very intense red fruits , high acidity and quite gritty tannin . Quite raw and young this , really needs time . Quite saline and mineral on the long , quite lean finish , menthol tinged finish . Needs 5-10 years really will last a further 10 . Very promising . — 7 months ago