Château Haut-Brion has the lowest average prices of the First Growths but one of the highest set of average scores.
- Château Haut-Brion has the lowest average prices of the First Growths but some of the best scores.
- With strong price performance and a former 100-point score, the 2015 vintage may offer an opportunity for those confident in its quality.
- The last 10 physical vintages have an average Neal Martin score of 96-points.
A recent examination of the First Growths highlighted the current opportunities around Château Haut-Brion.
Château Lafite Rothschild remains the pre-eminent First Growth, commanding the highest average prices. By contrast, Haut-Brion has the lowest average price of the five estates but some of the best scores.
Over the period 2000-2020, Haut-Brion’s wines have an average score of 95-points from Neal Martin, rising to 96-points in the period 2009-2018 (the last 10 physical vintages).
Highest scoring Haut-Brion wines
The chart above shows the price performance of Haut-Brion’s top-scoring wines from the last 10 physical vintages.
The highest scoring wines are 2009, 2010 and 2015; rated 97, 100 and 97-points respectively. With price points to match, the 2009 and 2010 are the most expensive, both with Market Prices above £6,000 per dozen.
The 2012 and 2016 meanwhile both have scores of 96.5. The only wine from these 10 vintages scored below 94-points is the 2013 with a rating of 92.
The 2015 stands out as an interesting case. It was originally scored 100-points by Martin, who then subsequently downgraded it to 97+ at the Southwold Tasting in 2019, noting that it was ‘a strange showing compared to previous encounters that were sheer perfection’.
Perhaps the bottle Martin tasted was somewhat muted? Regardless, the question remains as to whether the wine will regain its ‘perfect’ rating at a future tasting. With a current Market Price of £4,950, the 2015 might be a tempting proposition for those confident in its quality.
Furthermore, as can be seen from the chart above, the 2015 has been the best-performing vintage among this selection both year-to-date (up 10.4%) and over the last year (up 12.5%).
Those looking for other opportunities may want to consider the 2012 and 2016 vintages. The former has a Market Price of £3,620 and the latter £5,000. Two very different prices for wines with the same score and no doubt an example of the higher esteem in which the 2016 is held.
As the least expensive of the top-rated Haut-Brions of the past 10 vintages, the 2012 might also be another compelling buy as it approaches its tenth anniversary.
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Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 530+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £80m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.
