Haut Brion 2000’s recent Parker upgrade from 98 to 99 points has led to a surge in trading over the past week. In his latest tasting notes, the critic describes the First Growth as “one of the three or four most prodigious wines of the vintage… a deep, layered, sumptuously textured, full-bodied Haut-Brion, but one with extraordinary complexity.” And though James Suckling rated the wine a tepid 94 out of 100 back in 2003, Parker’s enthusiasm is supported by Neal Martin (98/100) and Jancis Robinson (18+/20), both of whom have retasted and rescored the wine since their initial tastings.
Haut Brion’s improved Parker score has also prompted a notable uplift in prices, with the wine now trading at £5,800 per 12x75cl case, up from £5,400 at the end of May. But despite its near-perfect Parker rating, the 2000 is still changing hands at well below the price of the other First Growths (of the same vintage). The Premier Crus (2000) are currently valued at between £8,000 and £18,000 per case, with Mouton, Latour and Lafite all bearing inferior Parker scores (96+, 98 and 98+ respectively).
Compared to other high-scoring Haut Brion vintages such as 2005 (RP 98) and 2009 (RP 98-100), the 2000 looks equally cheap. It has yet to catch up with the lower-scoring 2005 at £5,996 and is 33% cheaper than the 2009 (priced at £7,800). As the dust settles on this year’s en primeur campaign and the focus returns to physical vintages, this pricing anomaly seems certain to correct itself.
The graph below compares the current trading prices of Haut Brion vintages 2000-2009.
