Château Haut-Brion Premier Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan 2005 (Magnum 1.5L)

Château Haut-Brion's iconic 2005 vintage earned a perfect 100 points FOUR TIMES over and is considered one of the greatest of any singular wine in modern times, with Jeb Dunnuck calling it “out of this world and certainly one of the finest wines I’ve ever tasted.” We've got a fleeting 10 magnums of this historic First Growth for a full $1,800 below the usual retail, with free shipping included. Grab yourself a piece of legend-making wine history!

In April 1525, Jean de Pontac married Jeanne de Bellon, acquiring a portion of the Haut-Brion land as part of her dowry, with construction of the actual château commencing in 1549. Pontac's descendants spent generations refining the estate's winemaking, and by the 17th century, the wines of Haut-Brion were massively prized in London society. In 1787, Thomas Jefferson visited the château and ranked it among the four estates of first quality in Bordeaux, later keeping a substantial collection of the wine for himself. When the famous 1855 Classification arrived, Haut-Brion earned its place among Bordeaux's elite First Growths – and remarkably, it remains the only wine classified as both a First Growth under the 1855 ranking and a Classified Growth of Graves.

In 1935, Harvard-educated banker Clarence Dillon purchased the estate at a time when owning a Bordeaux château was far from a fashionable investment, reportedly because it was simply his favorite wine. The Dillon family's stewardship transformed Haut-Brion into the global behemoth it is today, and that legacy is now carried forward by the fourth generation of the family, led by Prince Robert of Luxembourg as Chairman and CEO since 2008.

“This is a wine that makes you dream.” –James Suckling, 100 Points

The 2005 vintage is remembered as a historically dry growing year in Bordeaux and exceptional in terms of quality. This wine takes a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc and became only the second wine at the time of its release to receive at least four 100-point scores from major critics, a massive feat indeed! It’s broad, rich, and full-bodied, with huge aromas of scorched earth, plum compote, red cherries, and toasty oak. Time in the bottle has given it mystical levels of complexity – so many layers and incredible nuance, with dried cherry, cassis, black licorice, coffee bean, earthy mushrooms, Indian spices, and purple flowers melting across the tongue with incredible elegance, kitten-soft tannins, and wondrous balance. 

Larger formats allow blessedly slow and graceful aging, meaning this is still drinking fresh as a daisy with room to age even longer still, should you be able to refrain. Alas, we only have 10 magnums for the LOWEST price you’ll find in the states. Free shipping makes it all the easier to experience this legend.

FOOD PAIRINGS: The structure and depth here call for something equally substantial – a classic roasted leg of lamb with herbes de Provence will stand up beautifully to the wine's power.