Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion 2015 Pessac Leognan Rouge《Terroir Collection - ZTF508E》

 Diving into the dusty archives reveals a complex and rich history. From 1840 to the present day, La Riobriand's reputation has never ceased to evolve. First, it was named "Château de Canolle," "La Rivette," and later "Brion-Larrivet," until 1874, when the estate almost took on its final name. During its time under the ownership of Bordeaux wine wholesaler Ernest Laurent, the estate was once again renamed Château Haut-Brion Larrivet. 

In 1893, La Riobriand was owned by Théodor Conseil's sons. They expanded and developed the vineyard, reaching 50 hectares. The legendary year of 1898 saw the estate's wines listed among the best in the Graves appellation by Féret, the most prestigious wine guide of the time. In the 1930s, the grape-growing crisis gradually uprooted the industry, nearly halting production. In 1941, Mr. Guillemaud became the new owner, and in 1929 the estate was finally named La Riobriand. The Guillemaud family meticulously tended the estate until 1982.  

 In 1987, the Gervoson family took over La Riobriand and set out to restore its reputation. At the time, the estate consisted of 17 hectares of vineyards and 13 hectares of woods. Philippe and Christine, the husband-and-wife team, kept their promise and began a comprehensive renovation of the estate. In just a few years, through the acquisition of surrounding vineyards and the planting of new vineyards, the estate expanded to 72.5 hectares (11.5 hectares of white vineyards and 61 hectares of red vineyards).

At the same time, the team, committed to each other, inspires and encourages each other, constantly modernizing the infrastructure and reorganizing the vineyards (including conducting in-depth geological research) to ensure the production of high-quality wines that stand out for their character and elegance. General Manager and Winemaker Bruno Lemoine joined us on this adventure in 2007, bringing his expertise and his unique oenological sensibility. La Rioja is a woman's gene.

In 2009, the team expanded again, with the addition of Communications Manager Emilie Gervoson, one of the three daughters of the owners and a second-generation representative of the estate, who also shared a passion for wine culture and a penchant for bon vivantism. Bruno and Emilie's complementary approach brought a fresh perspective to the estate.

James Suckling 94 pts

Deep and slightly spicy black cherries and blackberries with leafy nuances. The palate has a very pure, lively core of cassis. Full body and deep flavors of blue plums.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 pts

Loads of ripe black cherries, plums, bouquet garni, truffle and forest floor emerge from the glass of the deep purple color 2015 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion. With a full, layered, concentrated profile, ripe tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a seriously good Pessac-Leognan that’s capable of holding for 15-20 years.

Wine Advocate 92-94 pts

The 2015 Larrivet Haut Brion might be overlooked against some startling other 2015s with "Haut Brion" in their name, which would be wholly unfair because this is a potentially great wine. It has an outgoing bouquet with plenty of bright and bushy tailed red fruit that is well defined and very nicely focused. The new oak is carefully used here and gives it real lift. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, fleshy in the mouth with crisp acidity and a nicely composed, lightly spiced finish. This is an excellent Pessac-Léognon and it will hopefully will be well priced.

Vinous 91+ pts

The 2015 Larrivet Haut-Brion has a superb bouquet with brambly red fruit, gravel and cedararomas that unfold with confidence in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finetannin, crisp acidity, quite masculine in style and the only shortcoming is its brevity on thefinish. l suspect that a couple of hours in the decanter would benefit this wine and just lendmore density on the finish. Promising.

Decanter 91 pts

Rich with slightly more exotic spice notes than the 2016 vintage. It’s relatively open – even if still young – and full of layers and intensity. Very good quality, grilled smoked almond notes with clear liquorice and it has Pessac-Léognan finesse in spades. It’s a rich, round and fruity wine, but I feel the alcohol more than in either the 2016 or the 2017 vintages; this year obviously had more sun.

Wine Spectator 91 pts

Enticing, with vibrant raspberry and red currant coulis fruit liberally laced with singed alder and dried anise notes. Flashes of rooibos tea and incense weave through as well. A light tarry thread on the finish adds range.