Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Larrivet Haut-Brion – 2020
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
This white Bordeaux is built on the classic backbone of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and (often) a dash of Muscadelle. What makes this cuvée stand out is the use of egg-shaped concrete vats for fermentation and aging — these facilitate a gentle, natural stirring of the lees and preserve freshness without imparting oak character.

Aromas & Flavors
Tropical notes, citrus zest, white blossoms, and a soft mineral streak. The influence of the egg vats gives it a rounded texture without harsh edges.

Mouthfeel
Silky yet crisp — the texture is elegant, clean, and balanced. The finish lingers with refreshing clarity.

Food Pairing
Fantastic with seafood (oysters, scallops), grilled fish, or creamy goat cheese.

Verdict
One of my favorite Pessac-Léognan whites — this expression marries Bordeaux structure with modern winemaking finesse. Great value and beautifully made. Cheers!
📌 Did You Know?
Egg-shaped concrete vats create a “micro-vortex” during fermentation, gently stirring the wine and keeping lees suspended. That subtle movement adds texture and complexity without the overt influence of oak — a technique growing in popularity among modern Bordeaux blancs. — 2 months ago

Ashraf Attal

9.4

Wiith Yasmine again ❤️ — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Gorgeous and deep. Blood and herbs ( rosemary and thyme), black pepper and iron. Intense and salty and delicious. Great. Stuff — 7 months ago

with David

Ruud Verhagen

9.0

90+, very young! First time I had a Bordeaux with some saltiness in the taste. The nose stands out. An elegant fresh wine with stony minerality and very young fruit! Needs time… — 3 years ago

Rob Scalia

9.8

Top notch — 5 years ago

Gunja Gargeshwari

9.3

jammy with a long finish! Just delicious! — 6 years ago

with Amit

ADAM STROMFELD

9.7

Soft round rolling tannins cooked black cherries sandy - nice balance and acidity. Cooked meat — 7 years ago

with Howard, Natalie and 1 other

Alvaro Bustillos

9.0

Juan c sulaiman — 3 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.7

This was brilliant - still lots life left. Remarkably youthful. Notes of tobacco and red fruit on the nose. Elegant and refined. Super long finish. What a treat. Among the best I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Bravo @hautbrion. — 6 months ago

with Michael and David

Jan A

9.5

Full bodied with tropical fruit, honey. Bit reduction and fatty viscosity. Excellent! — 7 months ago

Ted Holland

9.3

Beautiful Pinot with a nose full of cherries and fruit. At 7 years young this wine has some wonderful flavors of jam with a hint of smoke. Really nice wine! Enjoy!!! — 8 months ago

Nancy Schnur

9.1

Foodland $16 — 5 years ago

Philip Dobrin

9.2

Dominus 94 won out this night. A little muted on the palate but smells right — 6 years ago

Randy P

9.3

Along with the beautiful package, One Finds a deliciously, crisp. super floral. pretty well balanced dry white wine. Most of our friends would find it “too austere with its racy acidity circling around the outskirts. I love this wine. #Hammered — 6 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion, 2019
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Left Bank red blend composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, from the highly regarded 2019 Bordeaux vintage. This vintage is widely celebrated for its depth, structure, and balance, ranking alongside 2018 and 2020 as exceptional years.

Aromas & Flavors
Nose: lifted aromas of blackcurrant, redcurrant, plum, and blackberry, laced with herbal notes, tobacco leaf, and subtle spice.
Palate: generous layers of dark fruits, cassis, herbs, and a touch of savory earthiness, supported by ripe, velvety tannins and a structured frame.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied, with polished tannins, fresh acidity, and a harmonious balance between richness and elegance. The finish is long, perfumed, and textured, leaving a graceful impression of fruit and spice.

Winemaking & Style
Château Larrivet Haut-Brion is known for its meticulous vineyard management and refined winemaking, which consistently produces expressive Pessac-Léognan wines that balance fruit concentration with terroir-driven minerality and finesse.

Food Pairing
Perfect with grilled lamb chops, duck breast, roasted game, or earthy mushroom risotto. Also excellent alongside firm cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda.

Verdict
A standout Pessac-Léognan from an exceptional vintage — complex, elegant, and age-worthy, yet already a pleasure to drink. A wine that bridges power and finesse beautifully.
— 5 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Needs a lot more time — 6 months ago

Laura Snider

9.3

Excellent! — 8 months ago

Paul T HB

9.5

Lunch 🥪

K&L notes as follows, Grand Pontet is an interesting property, positioned in the neighborhood of other stars of the appellation such as Châteaux Canon, Beau-Séjour-Bécot and Clos Fourtet. It is, however, a small estate, a mere 14 hectares, and its prices are much better than some of its more prestigious neighbors. In 1980 it was purchased by Gerard and Dominique Bécot, owners of the neighboring Beau-Séjour-Bécot. They have applied the same high standards to both Châteaux in their possession, and their winemaking team crafts Grand Pontet alongside the Beau-Séjour-Bécot wines. Recently purchased in 2021 by Domaines Clarence Dillon (Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, et al.), the property was combined with and incorporated into Château Quintus. Full-bodied and luscious, this Grand Pontet is laden with ripe blackberry fruits, savory tobacco, licorice notes, and ripe, softened tannins. It’s seamless and bold, not shy. It’s going to require something decadent to pair with, such as filet mignon or some other black-tie dish with plenty of flavor and rich umami presence. — 3 years ago

Myke Morgan

9.0

Very fruit forward cab, with minimal tannins or chalkiness. A nice quality everyday wine. — 6 years ago

with Anjanette

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a youngster from Pessac Léognan in Bordeaux.

A beautiful color of dark ruby with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Pronounced nose of blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, leather, earth, forest floor, dark chocolates, light bell pepper, barnyard, bitter vegetables, river rocks and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, currants, blueberries, wood, light vanilla, earth, pencil lead, wet leaves, forest floor, smoke, green vegetables, herbs, spices and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with medium minus tannins and tangy raspberries.

This left bank Bordeaux is already drinking very nicely now, although still young. Showing nice balance and elegance with nice texture. The nose is really special, and I kept on smelling on it for a long time.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly. Still very earthy with lots of vegetable notes. The tangy ending makes it interesting.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

Good now and will be better in the next 15 years.

A good price/ value for a not so good vintage, as it is less than half the price of the 2010 vintage.

Wine Advocate 90 points.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$120. — 7 years ago