An absolutely staggering vintage for this historic and tiny estate, this 2006 has a huge nose of tropical fruit, including pineapple, as well as a liqueur of minerality, with quince, white citrus, and a hint of subtle toast. Full-bodied, with huge concentration, an almost flinty mouthfeel, zesty acidity, and a monster finish, this is a prodigious Laville Haut-Brion that needs about 10 years of cellaring and should last 30 or more years.

Tasted at Haut Brion. A divine nose of lemon, pineapple, whipped cream and mango, Great definition and lift. Good concentration on the palate, dominated by new oak at the moment. Good acidity, very cohesive with a lovely citrus finish. Great potential, a wine with the stuffing to last for decades. Tasted April 2007.

(56% sauvignon blanc and 44% semillon; the harvest began on August 29) Very pale color. Pungent, scented nose offers minerals, fresh herbs, citrus peel and brisk minty lift. Juicy, vibrant and gripping, but also quite tactile and chewy, with captivating flavors of ginger candy and lemon drop. This shows a distinct sauvignon pungency and great cut and precision today. I would expect a wine like this to go on for decades in bottle, but it may well go through an extended closed stage along the way. A great example of a vintage that has produced white wines with a near-perfect combination of richness and verve.

Very lemony, with hints of vanilla and cream on the nose. Reminds me of a baby grand cru Burgundy. Full-bodied, showing lots of coconut and toasty oak character, with lemon curd on the finish. A bit ponderous and thick now, but flavorful and structured. Powerful and layered. JS

Brilliant yellow. Wonderfully complex nose melds lime, stone fruits, mint, licorice, resin and saline oyster shell; still a touch of reduction. Sweet and ripe but with excellent energy and purity to its flavors of yellow fruits, minerals, flint and baked bread (Masclet did a lot of batonnage with this vintage). Beautifully integrated acidity extends the finish of this very ripe and sexy wine. This is outstanding, and perhaps more classically semillon in character than the young 2007, but the newer wine offers even greater potential.