Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc

Fig and pear, oak, stony, not showing much after opening. Liked much more at end of night, much more integrated oak, some citrus to fill out the sweeter fruits. B- PnP, B+ with air

1990 vintage

This was a truly pristine bottle from France and it showed. A seamless, refined, suave Blanc with lovely aromatics of wax, white currants, honeysuckle and white flowers and a kiss of honey. This seemed very semillon driven, and as such the palate was softer and lower acid than a Sauvignon Blanc based wine, but I didn’t mind at all. Not super long or intense, but regal and at point. 93-94 pts.

1990 vintage

Caper, dill, flint, suntan lotion, soapy lilac and tea tree, a little mango, something like iodine and butter. Yeah, its waxy. Entrancing and kaleidoscopic.

1990 vintage

My luck with Laville continues. Waxy, nutty, desiccated pineapple, resiny, and just pure elegance and beauty.

1990 vintage

Ripe peach, vanillin oak, wax, quite ripe but there is nice core here and I like, though not best bottle I’ve had, Divisive, with some quite liking and one person disliking. We called a wine merchant dining at another table over for his opinion, he called astringent, not something I can see. For me B+

1990 vintage

Tight and oak still shows,but nice core with pit fruits, almonds, wax, and fennel seed. Later someone tells me it’s corked, but I revisit and find no sign, though by then it’s warm and that makes it a little flabby though more open. I really don’t think corked, and was drinking as too young when at right temp. B+/A-

1990 vintage

This needed time in decanter and tasted younger as it opened over a couple hours.. Nectarine, lemon, beeswax, complex with a long finish. Great acids for a warm vintage. A-

1990 vintage

this has complexity and still freshness. timeless.

1990 vintage

One errant guess of Loire, then they got white Bordeaux and soon LHB (though guesses were younger than 1990). Wax, peach and mango, vanilla, excellent length. B+/A-

1990 vintage

Consistently attractive - here from another source. Long staying power.

1990 vintage

Full, ripe, and round, some lanolin over pit fruits and honey, everyone loved. B+/A-

1990 vintage

Quite young, wax and vanilla over a solid fruit base of tropical and citrus flavors. Nice length, with a tangy mineral meets oystershell finish. Maybe not quite as deep/rich as the ‘89 (maybe my favorite white Bdx of all time), but really quite impressive. A-

1990 vintage

An Evening of Vinous Merriment and Majesty Among Friends (Craft, New York) : Rounder and fruitier than the gorgeous '89. The '90 has a bigger nose but shorter finish. The mouthfeel is a bit waxy.

1990 vintage

Laville Haut Brion Blanc Dinner (Tocqueville) : Also highly expressive, fresh tropical fruit, quite reductive and reminiscent of some of the smokier Coche bottles. Ginger. Close call between the ‘89 and ‘90, neck and neck and very comparable. On the palate the ‘89 is superior with deeper fruit and better structure.

1990 vintage

Superb - still so fresh and acidity structure perfect

1990 vintage

1990 Bordeaux Blind: Highlights : Complex and intricate nose with saffron, ginger, clover honey, vanilla bean, green almond, and some candied citrus. Medium acid on the otherwise ripe and nutty palate. First experience with this wine and very interesting.

1990 vintage

Honey, minerals, a bit evolved with acidity in the background, but showing beautifully and a lot of energy still in store.

1990 vintage

Deep nose of honey, beeswax, vanilla, caramel as well as herbs notes. Very creamy and round texture. Mouthfilling. Medium+ bodied. Medium+ length with lingering acidity. At its peak but with no sign of oxidised. Fresher than the Domaine de Chevalier 83 tasted a week ago. Very classy.

1990 vintage

Odds and ends in Munich (Munich, Käfer's) : I liked this a lot. Nose of flowers, herbs. Beautiful notes of eucalyptus, mint on the palate, round and full-bodied. Great.

1990 vintage

Fully developed with its waxy lemon, lime, floral, honeysuckle and vanilla character, the wine is medium bodied, round, supple and definitely ready to drink.

1990 vintage

Very nice but near the end of its peak. I would drink these quickly if you"re lucky enough to have some left. I think the nose is starting to go from fruity to alcoholly. Still nice structure and the color is fabulous golden yellow. Had with a friend while dining on oysters rockfeller...not too bad a pairing

1990 vintage

Perfume perfume perfume. Herbal white fruit, sweet vanilla coming together in a lovely way with stones, flowers, orange blossoms, biscuit and butter, with salinity, melon. Bit of spice. Everything is there from the word go. Complete nose. On palate, excellent but not quite matching up, but with oyster and minerality. Warm, rich, sophisticated lady asking you to make love to her. The only complaint is that it started to degrade in less than an hour. But this is a marvellous …

1990 vintage

Biscuity, wafers and orange blossoms with deep flavours of ripe peaches. Some salty seaspray. Saline. Superb mineral expression of Bordeaux Blanc. Developed and profound.

1990 vintage

The ULD (Ultimate Label Drinker's) Dinner (Imperial Treasure, Asia Square) : Wow. This was stunning again - it is a privilege to have had two bottles of this in the sapce of a calender year. While not almost as mindblowing as the last time we had it (this bottle seemed just a tad lighter on the finish), this was still probably the best wine on a night of many superlatives. It had such a beautiful nose, with sweet vanilla and …

1990 vintage

Lovely golden color. A very mature and honeyed wine with flavors of white peaches, and heavy cream. Virtually no acidity left. Finishes very soft with notes of metallic minerals and coconut. I think perhaps past it's best and others familiar with this wine confirmed it was a good bottle.

1990 vintage

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Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc

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