CHATEAU LARRIVET HAUT-BRION, PESSAC-LEOGNAN

BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2009

While much of the attention on Bordeaux is bestowed upon a relatively small group of high profile estates – the opportunity to find hidden gems of exceptional value is abundant if you scratch just beneath the surface. Furthermore – we believe that enjoying the benefits of a perfectly-aged Bordeaux shouldn’t be exclusive to those willing to pay a small fortune, which is why we were excited to discover the 2009 Larrivet Haut-Brion to offer to you today. Not only is this estate associated with the biggest names in Bordeaux – Michel Rolland, Stephane Derenoncourt and ex-Montrose director Bruno Lemoine – they have been at the cutting edge of an evolution in Bordeaux. From experimentation to micro-vinification – they even aged a 55-litre barrel of this 2009 vintage for two years under the sea in the Arcachon Bay (with such exceptional results that they repeated this experiment in 2017) – this estate has been at the forefront. 

With the name Haut-Brion attached, the unclassified Pessac-Leognan estate certainly seems to have been destined for greatness from the start. Situated among classified growths’ Haut-Bailly and Carbonnieux, today Larrivet Haut-Brion stands among the biggest estates in the appellation. Originally named Haut-Brion Larrivet until 1929, Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion’s evolution has closely mirrored the incredible movement going on in Pessac-Leognan, with much of the credit due to Michel Rolland who joined the team in 1993 and restored the credibility of this historic estate. For the past few years, Stephane Derenoncourt has taken over as consultant and Bruno Lemoine has led the charge as Estate Director for the past decade. 

Over the years, they have made continuous investments in the vineyard along with the winery – and it shows. Years of soil studies have altered plantings in the vineyard, as seen with an increase in their Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. Today, the average vine age is 30 years old with approximately 55% of the vineyard planted to Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The cellar now has a mix of different size vats, casks, cement eggs and amphorae with amphorae being used to a higher degree with their second wine to retain more purity of fruit. It is this attention to detail that has turned out some riveting wines over the past decade and today’s 2009 is no exception. This “broad, mouthfilling red delivers linzer torte, blackberry preserves and mulled fig notes laced with black tea, bittersweet cocoa and anise accents. The long, fleshy finish has a mouthwatering peppery hint. Approachable, but will cellar well” (James Molesworth, Wine Spectator). This is the perfect opportunity to buy a perfectly-aged Bordeaux from a world-class estate for sub-$50. This offer is valid for one week or until sold out, so don’t miss your chance to buy a few bottles before our offer ends! It doesn’t get much better than this…