80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon
93 Points Jeb Dunnuck
I loved both the red and white from Larrivet Haut-Brion. Starting with the 2015 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc which is based largely on Sauvignon Blanc, it gives up a big nose of white peach, citrus, caramelized lemons and hints of leafy herbs. With an exotic, ripe, beautifully textured personality that stays fresh and vibrant, it should keep for a decade or more.
92 Points Wine Advocate
The 2015 Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc, a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, did not quite deliver the requisite complexity and vivacity on the nose compared to the likes of La Tour Martillac or Olivier this year. The palate is well balanced, however, with a keen thread of acidity, hints of tropical fruit with fine salinity on the finish. It actually finishes in better fashion than it begins
92 Points Decanter
Such a pretty aromatic profile, both subtle and refined. Lemon meringue, white flower and orange clementine come to mind. The attack is almost soft, leaving the impression of tenderness and yet with a sneakily long finish. Less new oak in recent years and less systemic leaf clearing have improved the quality here. It lacks the level of verve from the 2014 vintage, but it has greater opulence. 'It is coherent, from start to finish', Strasbourg-based sommelier Paulo Puel remarked. 'You have lots of pleasure drinking it', he added.
Winemakers Notes
This wine has a very beautiful deep garnet-red color with a complex, charming bouquet featuring roasted and toasty aromas as well as hints of black fruit and vanilla. Elegant, concentrated, powerful, and well-balanced on the palate. The aftertaste is long with remarkably smooth tannins. It is a great wine with fine ageing potential that will richly reward patience.
Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion was acquired by the Gervoson family in 1987. They restored the estate's unity, once again combining the Chateau, outbuildings, 13 hectares of grounds, and 42 hectares of vines under one owner, as well as replanting 18 hectares of land that had laid fallow.
A team of enthusiastic professionals has done a wonderful job of giving Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion back its superb reputation, and the estate is once again universally recognised as one of the finest wines in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.
