Iron Gate Auctions
Timed Auction

Iron Gate Fine Wine Auction

Tue, Sep 16, 2025 10:00AM EDT - Tue, Sep 23, 2025 08:00PM EDT
  • 2003
  • Red
  • Bordeaux Red Blend
  • Pessac-Leognan
  • Graves
  • Bordeaux
  • France
  • 750ml
  • First Growth
Lot 253

2003 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classe - 1 bottle(s)-750ml

Estimate: CAD$600 - CAD$850

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
CAD$0 CAD$20
CAD$500 CAD$50
CAD$1,000 CAD$100
CAD$2,000 CAD$200
CAD$3,000 CAD$250
CAD$5,000 CAD$500
CAD$10,000 CAD$1,000
CAD$20,000 CAD$2,000
CAD$50,000 CAD$5,000
CAD$100,000 CAD$10,000
This lot is comprised of 1 bottle(s) of 2003 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classe - 750ml. Estimate for this lot is between $600 - $850 with a reserve of $440. The wine in this lot belongs to collection 11668.

Available payment options

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Amex
  • Diners
  • Discover
  • JCB
  • Union Pay

All lots are located in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Confirmation of pickup or delivery of Iron Gate Commercial Auction winnings must be made within 30 days of auction close. Thereafter, your winnings will be subject to a $250 handling, administration and storage fee, including a subsequent $5.50/case/month and $1.50 per bottle fee for inventory services. If no contact has been made within two years, auction winnings will be considered abandoned.

Please note that auction winnings from earlier auctions cannot be combined with current or future winnings for shipping purposes. Each auction's items will be processed and shipped separately.

It is the responsibility of the buyer to make all arrangements for insuring, packing and removing the property purchased and any assistance by the Auctioneer, or the employees of, agents or contractors in packing and removal shall be rendered as a courtesy and without any liability to them. The Auctioneer shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or damage caused by packers and shippers, notwithstanding the fact that the Auctioneer may have recommended such shippers or packers to the purchaser.

The consignor installed his wine cellar in early 1991, a project that grew over decades. Many of the bottles were carefully selected during his travels to France and Italy, while others were sourced via government outlets in Quebec and Ontario. Always in a climate-controlled environment, the collection reflected a deep appreciation for fine wine—an interest first sparked years ago while dining at a local restaurant boasting a 40,000-bottle cellar, once the largest in North America. Though his own 1,500-bottle cellar was modest by comparison, it became a treasured part of his life. Now, at 74 and no longer drinking much, he feels it's time to begin letting it go.
The score for 2003 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classe is 95 from Robert Parker and the tasting note - Even better, and clearly the best wine made in the Haut-Brion stable in 2003 (the last vintage of the great Jean-Bernard Delmas as administrator), the 2003 Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol, which seemed high at the time, but given more recent vintages is modest. Dark ruby/plum in color, with no amber or orange at the edge, the wine exhibits an abundance of roasted herbs, hot rocks, black currants, plum, and balsamic notes. Quite rich, medium to full-bodied and more complete, with sweeter tannins than La Mission Haut-Brion, this full-bodied Haut-Brion has hit full maturity, where it should stay for at least a decade. Bravo! These are two great successes in this vintage that have aged well and surprised me by their intensity and overall complexity. Additional scores for the wine in this lot - Wine Spectator 96 points , Wine Enthusiast 96 points , The Wine Advocate 95 points , Jeannie Cho Lee (formerly Asian Palate) 95 points , Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy 95 points , Decanter 95 points .