Christian Balog beschreibt den Wein wie folgt:
Die Nase ist ebenfalls noch recht verschlossen, es ist ein kompakter Duft der keine klare Frucht oder Aromatik freigibt. Mit ein bisschen Zeit kommen ein paar Noten die an Lakritz und Zedernholz erinnern raus auch eine dunkle Brombeere mit zarter Kirsche und ein Touch Cassis. Etwas rote Paprika. 92-93+
William Kelly zum Chateau Haut Brion 2021 Pessac Leognan (April 2022):
A candidate for the title of wine of the vintage, the 2021 Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of rich red and black fruit mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, licorice, black truffles, loamy soil and burning embers. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's elegant and multidimensional, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ultra-refined tannins. Combining the classical proportions of the vintages of two decades ago with the viticultural and winemaking of today, it's a timeless classic in the making, but it's difficult to find an obvious analogy with an older vintage. When pressed, Jean-Philippe Delmas suggests a superior version of the 2014 vintage, and to me, a more concentrated, serious version of the 2012 vintage also comes to mind. What is clear, however, is that this is one of the real high points of 2021. The blend is 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol—a percentage point or so lower than in 2020 or 2019. 96-98 Punkte
Der Chateau Haut Brion 2021 Pessac Leognan am Gaumen von James Suckling (Mai 2022):
A very structured young Haut-Brion with blackberry, blackcurrant, black-olive and mushroom character. Medium to full-bodied with a driving balance of firm and ripe tannins and gorgeous fruit. 50.3% merlot, 38% cabernet sauvignon and 11.7% cabernet franc. 97-98 Punkte