Jeroen Koenen

9.3

Drink up if you have some.
Broad, rich and lush yet fading after an hour in the glass. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc 2019 – Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Pessac-Léognan white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon (Sauvignon dominant) 70% Sauvignon Blanc with 30% Sémillon, delivering tension, texture, and layered complexity. Sauvignon Blanc drives citrus energy, minerality, and aromatic lift, while Sémillon contributes mid-palate weight, subtle creaminess, and aging potential. This is a serious white Bordeaux built for balance rather than flash, expressive yet restrained, polished and quietly powerful.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon zest, grapefruit pith, white peach, and green apple. Subtle white flowers, crushed stone, and gentle herbal tones. Light almond, beeswax, and faint vanilla from integrated oak. Citrus oil and saline minerality linger through the finish with beautiful clarity and precision.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a vibrant, energetic entry. Crisp, linear acidity balanced by Sémillon’s rounded texture. Silky mid-palate with excellent tension and freshness. Clean, focused, long finish with mineral persistence and refined structure.

Food Pairings
Chilean sea bass, halibut, or turbot with light citrus or beurre blanc. Scallops, shrimp, or lobster. Roast chicken with herbs and lemon. Soft cheeses, triple-cream brie, or fresh chèvre. Elegant vegetable dishes, asparagus, fennel, or spring peas. A natural partner for delicate yet flavorful cuisine.

🍷 Personal Pick
This sits right in my sweet spot for Bordeaux whites, delicacy, precision, freshness, and texture in perfect harmony. Beautiful on its own, but truly shines at the table. One of those bottles that reminds you why great Sauvignon-driven Bordeaux can quietly outperform flashier styles.

Did You Know?
Pessac-Léognan whites are often fermented and aged partially in oak with lees contact, giving Sauvignon Blanc added depth and texture without masking freshness. Sémillon plays a crucial role by enhancing mouthfeel, aging potential, and savory complexity, a hallmark of top Graves and Pessac whites. — 5 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

HAUT BRION BLANC X KELLER X EARLY 90’S NIELLON CHASSAGNE 1ER CRUS. OH YEAH, THIS IS SAUVIGNON BLANC! PREPOSTEROUSLY GREAT! — 4 years ago

Bob Boyle

9.1

Reminds me of L’Arrivet Haut Brion, notes of oak & mineral, pear and faint citrus — 6 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.7

Unbelievable!!!
Lime jelly, lemongrass, oxidized apple(reminds me of a Haut-Brion blanc), toasty, honeyed, lanolin, white flower and much more
Neverending after taste
At peak, but standing where it is
I am astonished 🙏🙏 — 7 years ago

Jeff Loo

9.5

The surprise of the night! Beat out the 37 Haut Brion Blanc! Not likely to see this ever again — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Inaugural vintage of a brand new winery with Jesse Katz as their winemaker.
Light greenish yellow showing its youth. Complex nose layered with honeysuckle, stone fruits, lychee, melon, acacia, nectarine and white peaches. A touch fizzy on the attack of the palate with medium plus acidity (7/10) and medium plus bodied. Love the texture on this Sauvignon Blanc, rich and silky as well as being well balanced. Notes of ripe tropical and stone fruits, melon, peach, kiwi and a touch creamy. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2023.


The Setting Wines is a new winery with wines made by Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof. This is the maiden vintage of their Barrel Fermented Sauvignon which comes from the Grandma's Block Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley AVA. This vineyard is owned by the Mauritson Family and is planted with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc clones, specifically for this bottling is the Musqué clone which adds to the strength of the aromas as well as weight on the palate. This bottling is made up of 100% Sauvignon Blanc and aged in an interesting oaking program. Which is as follows: 10% custom Haut-Brion toasted new French oak with acacia barrel heads, 30% new Francois Freres medium and light toast and 60% once used French oak. Only 94 cases produced or 4 barrels. One of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs to date.

$$ - Sample provided by the winery. Release price is $38.00. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

GaryWEdwards

9.3

Big fiull white from mission Brion. Wow! — 2 months ago

Meredith Moody

9.1

Loved my first sip of this. Have in my notes that I liked it less as I kept drinking, but then liked it again at the end. It’s pretty dry and you can taste the yeast. Definitely apple-y , I also get some grapefruit and pineapple. It has a bit of oak and minerality. Feels polished. Nice wine. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .

This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines ! — a year ago

Vanessa

9.2

👉 I’ve been excited to try this barrel-fermented and -aged Sauvignon Blanc from the Dry Stack Vineyard of Bennet Valley, Sonoma County, thanks to the amazing reviews from @Ron R. 🇺🇸 It’s actually a blend, comprised of 98% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Semillon, reminiscent of a Bordeaux Blanc (winemaker Jesse Katz actually studied winemaking in Haut-Brion, Bordeaux; it shows). @jkatzwine

👁 This wine has strong clarity and a medium lemon hue.

👃 It immediately captures 📷 and focuses my senses on its youthful, layered nose offering complex aromas of ripe guava, mango, tangerine sherbet, passion fruit sorbet, lemon pith, lemongrass, fennel, white rose, cherry blossom, vanilla, and toast. 👏👏👏👏

👄 On the palate this wine is dry, albeit rich, ripe, and sweet in its aroma and flavor characteristics. It has medium(+) acidity, a medium body, medium alcohol, and pronounced intensity in flavors consistent with the nose. The finish lingers. 😍

The richness and vanilla, toasty aromas and flavors were undoubtedly influenced by the 6 months aging in 1/3 New French Oak, 1/3 Once Used French Oak, and 1/3 Neutral French Oak Barrels. 🪵

Aperture, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County, 2019, ABV 13.6%. @aperturecellars — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Naboth van den Broek

9.2

Buttery, brooding. Green and lemon/lime. Needs another few years though. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

This was a special bottle for me. By far the oldest Dagueneau I’ve had. Honeyed bruised yellow pear, caramel, lychee. A marzipan brioche quality reminiscent of an older Pape Clement blanc or Haut Brion blanc. Thought provoking and absorbing. I kept going back for more. Thank you for the deep pull @Matthew Beckman. — 8 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Just like the other two White Bordeaux from 1996 tonight, this seemed advanced, lush and rich. — 2 months ago

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. — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

No formal notes . medium deep ruby , medium bright ruby rim. Quite spicy a little oak noticeable at first . Mixed dark fruits . A bit more round and juicy on the palate , good acidity , slightly grippy but polished tannins . This becomes a bit more restrained and reserved after a while. Served blind , I actually put this as Haut Brion , due to its generous personality, and polished tannins. Overall showed well in the flight was my top wine (though the Cheval Blanc may well be better in absolute terms) . Can be enjoyed now , though has the substance to last a further decade or so, a good showing for the Mouton. — a year ago

Bob Boyle

9.1

Lemon & grapefruit nose, body fairly full and complex, kissed by oak with nice minerality melded with pear & lemon. Reminds me of L’Arrivet Haut Brion, a definite keeper on-the-list — 5 years ago

Sylvain Rhainds

9.8

Un vin Hors norme! Mon meilleur HB et mon Meilleur 1982. Tout y etait. Fruit, matiere, finesse, structure, longueur et nez renversant. Il vient se classer avec les Clinet 90 et cheval Blanc 90 comme vin mytique a mes yeux! — 6 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.4

Thanks to @David L , I’m a believer. Loads of ripe melon, lemon zest, white grapefruit, lemongrass, and tropical fruits of all kinds; green guava, pineapple, kiwi. This is better with lots of air and closer to room temp. Jesse Katz is doing some really fun wines right now, and this stands out. I think this will age really nicely. Extremely interested to learn more about the oak treatment. When I heard Haut Brion Blanc barrels, my ears perked up. Check out @Greg Ballington ‘s post. — 7 years ago

with Diana

Carl Fischer

9.3

Super crisp and delicious. But what I love more than this wine are the blurry folks in the background @David L @Mike R @Shawn R @Bill Bender - great Sauvignon Blanc Lunch (plus one cab) with great friends @Martin G Rivard
@Kirk Alexander @Joe Lucca @ADAM STROMFELD

‘12 Adamvs
‘14 Melka La Mekerra
‘10 Prescott Ashe/The Palace 1915
‘13 Kristine Ashe/Entre Nous
‘16 Brilliant Mistake
‘14 Favia Linea
‘00 Bryant Family Cab
‘12 Araujo Eisele
‘98 Chateau Haut-Brion
‘14 Didier Dagneau Asteroide — 9 years ago

with Kirk, David and 4 others