Very lovely, rich and deep color. A smoky character, emblematic of the Haut-Brion terroir, shapes the first olfactory impression. Depending on the taster’s sensitivities, the wine may reveal burnt aromas as well as notes of roasted coffee, ripe fruit, prune, ripe banana, tobacco, caramel or licorice. We thus find a level of aromatic complexity perhaps unexpected in this second-label wine of Chateau Haut-Brion. It shares all of the top wine’s elegance and raciness. The terroir’s personality is highly evident in this wine, with exceptional balance and firm tannins that are both supple and ripe at the finish. Lovely structure on the palate. It is the perfect example of what a second-label wine of a first growth should be like; put simply, its presents all the qualities of the estate’s top wine on a reduced scale.