The saying goes, “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammed, Muhammed must go to the mountain.” Sound advice. But occasionally it’s the mountain that comes a’knocking. That’s how we felt when we were tasting at Joanne, and had the great pleasure of a visit from Haut Brion.

Tasting at Joanne itself felt like a right of passage for me, as a newbie to the K&L Bordeaux travel team. Joanne is one of the oldest and most important negociants in Bordeaux, which means it’s at the epicenter of the Bordeaux market. As châteaux do not sell directly to the consumers, negociants are the gateway to buying Bordeaux wine. Joanne has a deep and impressive list of grands vins, and we tasted about 60 wines first thing in the morning (though I hear this pales in comparison to many previous years, when Joanne tastings have numbered in the hundreds!). Céline Gautheron hosted us as we tasted through many very excellent wines. Among my favorites was the Brane Cantenac, a Margaux Second Growth that delights me every year for its silky vibrance and intensity. This year’s wine leans toward aromatics of deep black cherries, tobacco, lavender, and baking spice with a velvety texture.

But, really, there were many winners in this bunch: 2020 is a vintage with the power like 2010, but very precise tannins. What a unicorn combination to achieve simultaneously: power and finesse. Plus there’s freshness of fruit and purity of aromatics. I think we are seeing Bordeaux at its best this year (though, admittedly, not at its least expensive.)

The grand finale was our visit with Laëtitia Dubos of Haut Brion: First Growth, oldest winegrowing property in the region, utter superstar. We tasted the whole lineup for 2020, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Here are my notes:

Le Dragon de Quintus—The second wine of Château Quintus. 84% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc from their limestone-clay slope called Le Dragon in St-Emilion. Very nice. Blue fruit, plummy, silky, a lot of freshness and fine, ripe tannins. Vivid and bright.

Château Quintus—(I don’t have the cepage.) From the top section of the same vineyard, with limestone soil. Sweeter and more concentrated blue fruit. More oomph in both structure and body.

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion—They made 30 percent less than last year because of the heat. Grapes were small and concentrated. 45% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet fruit, lovely structure, tobacco notes, red fruit, sweet tannins.

La Mission Haut Brion—48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.2% Cabernet Franc. Sweet tannins, lots of body and power. It’s certainly big and the palate is rich, but the fruit is fresh and alive, so the overall effect is not of heaviness, but of exuberance. Black tea, black currants, graphite, violets.

La Clarence de Haut Brion—The second wine of Haut Brion. 60% Merlot, 31.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.3% Cabernet Franc. Silky palate, long and smooth, fresh blackberries and currants, with crushed stone. A graceful, very pretty wine.

Haut Brion—17.5% Cabernet Franc (up from the usual 8% but this year the Cab Franc was really great). 48.2% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon. My first note was “WOW!” with a heart beside it. It is a knockout. The palate unfolds in layers of rich dark chocolate, espresso, crushed rocks, sweet cassis fruit, and then a long long long finish that just doesn’t quit. This wine is absolutely brilliant.

La Clarté de Haut-Brion Blanc—75% Semillon, 25% Sauvignon Blanc. There’s new packaging this year. Lemony roasted pineapple with texture and a sumptuous body, lifted and fine.

La Mission Haut Brion Blanc—55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon. Starts with a vibrant nose of lime and lemon zest with hints of white pepper. Creamy full body with a nice acid on the tongue at the finish. Sweet pineapples, tangerine, grapefruit, and hints of floral notes. It’s a big wine with a gorgeous acid throughline.

Haut Brion Blanc—61.4% Sauvignon Blanc, 28.6% Semillon. I love this wine. Tight on the nose and maybe a bit of reduction but there’s a minerally drive apparent right off the bat. As you move the the palate, there’s a round and luscious hedonism that shows notes of almond paste, marzipan, sweet pineapple, and crème brûlée, all buoyed by a freshness from the minerality and acid drive.