Château Haut-Brisson 2025

Château Haut-Brisson is an 18-hectare estate in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation, on the right bank of Bordeaux, owned by the Hong Kong financier Peter Kwok. The wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the classic right-bank pairing, grown on the area's clay and limestone soils. The clay holds water through the dry summer and gives the Merlot its rich, fleshy character, while the limestone keeps the wine fresh and adds a mineral backbone. The maritime climate gives a long, even ripening season, and the Merlot reaches full ripeness here, reflected in the 14 percent alcohol. Farming is organic. The wine is aged for 15 months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins, fixes the colour and adds spice, vanilla and structure. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows ripe black fruit, plum and cherry with cocoa, vanilla and liquorice over an earthy edge. The palate is full bodied and structured, with firm ripe tannins, fresh acidity and a long warming finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It suits roast beef, lamb and mushroom dishes.