Learn everything about Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion History, Overview
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is not quite as old as Chateau Haut Brion. La Mission Haut Brion only dates back to the 16th century. The property came into being after it was purchased by Jean de Pontac in 1533. Pontac was also the owner of what later became Chateau Haut Brion. Jean de Pontac was responsible for the birth of several of the best estates and vineyards in Bordeaux.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion and its vineyards became famous when Arnaut de Lestonnac and the sister of Jean de Pontac were married. In 1607, the estate changed hands. It was inherited by Ms. Olive de Lestonnac.
Olive de Lestonnac eventually bequeathed the property to the Congregation of the Mission. This is where the vineyard earned its moniker. Even though the gifting was not popular with other members of the family, in 1664, Catherine de Mullet made the gift official. At that point in time, La Mission Haut Brion became the property of the Roman Catholic Church. In those days, not much land was cultivated, perhaps 10 hectares were planted with vines.
In 1698, a small chapel was built in the vineyards. This chapel was known as Notre Dame de La Mission. 15 years later, in 1713, the official chateau was built on the property. Interestingly, the production was not reserved for the Clergy. Much of the wine was sold, which helped cement the vineyard’s reputation among consumers in those formative years. The estate remained in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church until it was repossessed during the French revolution and later sold at a public auction.
In 1815, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion became the property of its first American owner, the Chiapelle family. At the time, the family was already involved in the Bordeaux wine trade. In fact, they knew about the business as they owned and managed a myriad of different estates including Chateau Cos dEstournel in the St. Estephe appellation.
The Chiapelles left an important mark on the estate that remains almost untouched today. They designed and built the famous gates that guard the historic property today.
Interestingly, even though La Mission Haut Brion was selling its wine for as much, if not more than any Second Growth Bordeaux, the property was not included in the 1855 Classification, due to its not being situated in the Medoc. Chateau Haut Brion was the only wine not from the Medoc included in the 1855 Classification.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion The Modern Age
La Mission Haut Brion continued to change hands until it was finally sold to another American family, the Woltners. Frederic Woltner purchased La Mission Haut Brion in 1919. Many people consider this the birth of the modern era for the vineyard. The Woltner family renovated the cellars starting with removing the old, oak fermentation vats, replacing them with stainless steel glass-lined tanks.
In 1927, marked the debut for Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc. Prior to 1927, the estate only produced red wine.
The Woltner family maintained several other interests in the wine trade, as negociants and as vineyard owners in Napa Valley, on Howell Mountain while they owned Chateau La Mission Haut Brion.
The Woltner family remained the owners of La Mission Haut Brion until 1983 when the estate was purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owner of neighboring, Chateau Haut Brion. Once Clarence Dillon established control, the new owners renovated the entire property starting with replanting the vineyards.
There was also a modernization of the chateau and wine-making facilities. Their next decision was to build a new vat house, which was completed in 1987. In an ever-continuing effort to improve the property and winemaking, a new bottling line was completed in 1996. Extensive work was recently completed in the Grand Chai as well. The latest round of renovations was completed in 2007.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 30.7-hectare vineyard of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion has 27 hectares planted for red wine grapes and 3.7 hectares reserved for white wine grape varieties. The vineyard is planted to 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.8% Merlot, and 10.4% Cabernet Franc. This shows a marked increase in Merlot plantings matched with a decrease in Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc since the mid-1990s.
3.7 hectares of vines are reserved for the production of the white Bordeaux wine of La Mission Haut Brion. The vines are planted to 61.7% Semillon and 38.3% Sauvignon Blanc. The white wine grapes are planted to a vine density of 8,000 plants per hectare. On average, the vines are 37 years of age.
The vineyard has a terroir of deep gravel over clay, sand, and chalk in the topsoil. Underneath, you find more gravel, which is less refined, along with clay and sand. The vineyard is well placed on 2 ridges of gravel hills that reach up to 25 meters in elevation at its highest point. The vineyard is perfectly situated between 2 streams, Ars and Peugue, which help provide moisture in hot, dry vintages. The vines are on average 27 years of age, and they are planted to a vine density of 10,000 vines per hectare.
It is interesting to note, that while the chateau is located across the road from Haut Brion, many of the vineyards are not quite as close. While most of the vines used by Chateau Haut Brion are in Pessac, the majority of the vines for La Mission Haut Brion are in Talence. Although, there are 2 parcels of vines in Pessac Leognan as well.
When you look at the differences in the soils and notice the higher level of vine density at La Mission Haut Brion than at Haut Brion, it is easier to understand the differences in the wines styles.
To produce the red wine of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, the wine is vinified in large, 180-hectoliter, temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and aged in 100% new, French oak for an average of 22 months. The annual production of La Mission Haut Brion averages between 6,000 and 7,000 cases per year. Not much white wine is produced here. The production of La Mission Haut Blanc is less than 1,000 cases of wine per vintage.
Interestingly, the blending for Chateau La Mission Haut Brion takes place shortly after Malolactic fermentation is finished and before the aging process in the barrel has started. This is because the property feels it’s better to blend the wines before the influence of the wood begins to be felt in the wine.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc is one of the great white wines of Bordeaux which most of the time, is only bettered by Chateau Haut Brion Blanc! Until the 2008 vintage, the wine was sold as Laville Haut Brion. The name and label changed with the legendary 2009 vintage.
For the production of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc, the grapes are harvested in the pre-dawn hours. According to Jean Philippe Delmas, the cool and often cold night air retains the freshness in the fruit and retards oxidation, allowing more freshness and purity to shine through in the fruit.
After the early morning sorting, the grapes are crushed using a pneumatic press. There is no contact between the juice and the skins. The wines are barrel fermented in 100% new, French oak barrels from Allier. There is no malolactic fermentation and interestingly, there is almost never any stirring of the lees.
The white wine is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for an average of 13-16 months before bottling, depending on the vintage and its characteristics.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion as well as Chateau Haut Brion are currently managed by Jean-Philippe Delmas. Jean-Philippe is the third generation of the Delmas family to manage Haut Brion and the second to take care of La Mission Haut Brion, where he followed in the footsteps of his well-known father, Jean-Bernard Delmas and his grandfather before him.
The best vintages of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Rouge are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2000, 1998, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1982, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1949, 1945, 1934, 1929, 1928, 1926, 1921 and 1900. As you can see, there is a remarkable level of consistency that takes place here. La Mission Haut Brion ages extremely well. While older vintages can be quite expensive, they are worth purchasing at auction today.
It’s important to note that those years are for the red wine of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. The white wine, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc can excel in very different vintages, for example, 2013 and 2011 were both great vintages for the white wine, but quite difficult for the red wine. 2006 and 2007 were also much better for the white wine, which in those vintages, was sold as Chateau Laville Haut Brion.
The best vintages of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc and Laville Haut Brion are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 1998 and 1995. Laville Haut Brion ages extremely well. Older vintages are worth taking a chance on in the marketplace.
Character and style of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
La Mission Haut Brion produces a Bordeaux wine of intensity, richness, opulence, and charm. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and requires several years to develop. The perfume offers smoke, tobacco, earth, truffle, spice, and cassis scents.
It’s a bigger and more tannic wine than Haut Brion. Depending on the vintage, it might not show the same level of elegance. Yet, in some years, La Mission Haut Brion produces better wine than Haut Brion. Today, La Mission is at the top of the list for Super Seconds. If a reclassification were done, this is one wine that would definitely be promoted to First Growth status!
The property produces an outstanding second wine, La Chapelle La Mission Haut Brion, which made its debut in 1991. Starting with the 2006 vintage, the quality of this wine improved when fruit normally reserved for La Tour Haut Brion was merged into La Chapelle La Mission Haut Brion. There is a new second wine for the white wine as well, La Clarte de Haut Brion Blanc, which is made from a blend of La Mission Haut Brion and Haut Brion white grapes.
When to Drink Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion needs as long as 15-25 years in the best years until it truly offers its best drinking experiences. Young vintages can be decanted for 3-4 hours or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15-60 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau La Mission Haut Brion with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is also good with Asian dishes, and hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta.
The white wine of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.
https://www.mission-haut-brion.com
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Wine Tasting Notes
112 Vintages 1,811,561 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Blackberries, spice, smoke, flowers, and currants shine in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, yet, refined, long, deep, and intense. There is a vibrancy to the fruits that pairs perfectly with the smoky, currants, and blackberries, There is depth, length, and volume, with an easy-going elegance, and lift, Nothing is pushed. Everything is balanced, and in place. The sneaky finish builds, lingers, and resonates its essence. Part of the success of the vintage is due to July, with its cloudy skies, which provided protection from the sun, helping to keep ABV levels down. In the cellars, the extraction was soft, at lower temperatures. The wine blends 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17.7% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV. 3.7 pH. Harvesting took place, September 6-October 3. Only 42% of the harvest was placed into the grand Vin. Drink from 2030-2060. 95-97 Pts. 3,131 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2023
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Waxy lemons, white peach, pineapple, and green apples come through in this vibrant, juicy, crisp, wine, which balances its juicy yellow citrus with its sweetness. The wine is made from a blend of 65.3% Semillon and 34.7% Sauvignon Blanc, picking took place August 24, and finishing September 5. The length of harvest is extraordinary, considering there are only 3.5 hectares of vines. 13.9% ABV, 3.3 pH. Drink from 2026-2040. 96-96 Pts. 889 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2023
Château La Mission Haut-Brion La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Cigar box, smoke, currants, and dark red pit fruits show with ease. On the palate, the wine is dark in fruit, with the essence of tobacco, black currants, spice, and chalk, with a chewy, lifted, finish. Enjoy it while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 48% Merlot, 39.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12.3% Cabernet Franc, 14.3% ABV. 3.7 pH. Drink from 2025-2040. 91-93 Pts. 1,791 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Deep purple in color, and the fruits are equally deep. You find blackberries, black currants, and black cherries before its nuances of smoke, cigar box, barbecue, smoked meat and roses. On the palate, there is intensity, depth of flavor, concentration, and layers of fruit. But the wine is also lifted, fresh and energetic. It is easy to taste. The finish is rich, long, vivacious, and palate-filling. The wine blends 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot, and 5.1% Cabernet Franc, 14.15% ABV, 3.95 pH. Harvesting took place, August 29 - September 19. Yields were 28 hectoliters per hectare, making this the lowest yields since 1991 with 50% of the harvest going into the grand Vin. Drink from 2027-2055. 96-98 Pts. 6,565 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2022
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Anjou pears, green apples, white flowers, honeysuckle, lemon curd, vanilla, and orange peel create the complex nose. The palate picks up where the nose leaves off with its yellow citrus, pineapple, spice, and tangerine accents. The finish balances its sweet, juicy citrus with freshness. Made from a blend of 72% Semillon and 28% Sauvignon Blanc, picking took place September 3, finishing September 10. 14.3% ABV, 3.3 pH. Drink from 2025-2040. 97-97 Pts. 2,404 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2022
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Loads of black, red, and deep fruits with tobacco leaves, herbs, and burning forest leaves open the wine. On the palate, the wine is even better with its smoked fruit palate, savory, spicy, sweet, dark cherries, and currants in the finish. There is a polish to the tannins, sweetness to the fruits, and smoky plushness in the finish. Enjoy it while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 55.9% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.4% Cabernet Franc, 13.9% ABV. 3.88 pH. Drink from 2025-2040. 94-95 Pts. 3,666 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
With a pronounced floral bouquet, the wine continues expanding in the nose with notes of lemons, Granny Smith apples, lemon curd, sea salt, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, and pears. Rich, crisp, sweet, fresh, and mouth-filling, this is a sublime wine that will evolve, and develop for decades. Drink from 2026-2050. 1,108 Views Tasted Jun 25, 2024It takes no time at all to be reeled in here, starting with the nose. Crushed rocks, lemon verbena, flowers, pears, green apples, pears and tangerine rind pack the perfume. As good as the nose is, the palate is equal to the task of keeping you focused with its 60 second plus blast of sweet, juicy, rich, creamy, fresh, vibrant, energetic waves of fruits. This is clearly in contention for one of the best vintages of La Mission Haut Brion Blanc ever produced! Made from a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon, picking took place September 3, finishing September 10. 14.1% ABV. Drink from 2023-2060. 98-98 2,049 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Bright, firm, lifted, and medium-bodied, the wine kicks off with a smoky, spicy note before you find its core of vibrant red fruits with their salty-edge. This is a classic, reserved style of LMHB that will please fans of less-exuberant vintages. Drink from 2026-2055. 1,147 Views Tasted Jun 25, 2024Surprisingly deep in color, it takes a bit of effort before finding the cigar box, tobacco, smoke, forest leaf, currants, blackberries and plums in the nose. On the palate, there is a richness and sweetness to the fruit. But this is not an exuberant vintage. It is reserved, slightly austere, quiet and discreet. There is finesse to the tannins and flesh to the fruits, but the wine is restrained, building in the mid-palate with air, finishing with chewy currants, leafy, fresh, green herbs, thyme and dark chocolate. The wine blends 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% ABV. Harvesting took place, September 20 - October 8. Yields were 48 hectoliters per hectare, with 40% of the harvest going into the grand Vin. Drink from 2026-2055. 93-95 2,444 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The fruits are bright, fresh, crisp and savory, with a leafy, tobacco wrapper, forest leaf, and spearmint accent on the nose, as well as in the chalky, spicy, tobacco-infused, red berry oriented finish. Enjoy it while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 51% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% ABV. Drink from 2024-2034. 90-92 2,356 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Château La Mission Haut-Brion La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Medium-bodied, bright, crisp, almost crunchy wine with nuances of herbs smoke, tobacco leaves, and spice that adds complexity to the red, and black currants in the nose, and on the finish. Drink from 2025-2035. 1,069 Views Tasted Jun 25, 2024 |
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2020
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Flowers, lemon peel, vanilla, pomelo, lemon, and Granny Smith apple aromatics fill the nose. On the palate, the wine is sweet creamy, and fresh, with a core of bright yellow citrus and spice on the mid-palate and finish.. Made from a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon, 13.8% ABV, 3.22. Picking took place August 20, and August 27. Drink from 2023-2045. 1,646 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2023Green apples, pears, lemon, grapefruit peel, spice, flowers, crushed rocks and stone create the nose. The palate is full, rich, deep and creamy, with endless layers of fresh, ripe, yellow citrus, honeysuckle and minerality tinted fruits that are made even better by its slap of crisp, biting acidity. Made from a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon, picking took place August 20, August 27. 99 Pts 3,012 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2020
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Black, red, and blue fruits, along with incense, spice box, cigar box, tobacco leaves, and flower aromatics work their way into the perfume. The wine coats your palate with non-stop layers of deep, dark, ripe, fruits that once they get started, they never stop. The fruit has depth, width, length, and complexity, leaving you with a seamless tasting experience that remains for at least 60 seconds. If you have the disposable income, and some time to wait, this is a future legendary vintage of LMHB that needs to be experienced! With time, this could easily surpass Haut Brion and hit 100 Pts. The wine blends 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, 14.7% ABV. Drink from 2030-2065. 4,847 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2023Dark in color, the wine pops with its profile of Cuban cigars, black currants, camphor, spice, tar and smoke. Full-bodied, powerful, long and rich, the wine builds as it intensifies on your palate. There is length, intensity and layers of mineral-driven, dark red pit fruits with lift and persistency in the extended finish. The wine demands 12-15 years of aging and will evolve for at least 3-4 decades after that. The wine blends 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, 14.7% ABV. Harvesting took place, September 7, September 29. 97-99 Pts 6,121 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2020
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The wine is rich, lusciously textured, deep, and concentrated, with layers of ripe, dark currants, savory herbs, and red plums on the nose, and mid-palate, all of which carry through to the long finish. Drink from 2025-2045. 2,173 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2023Tobacco leaf and currants, savory herbs, cedar, and red plums open the perfume. On the palate the wine is loaded with sweet, red fruits, soft, polished tannins, freshness and a tobacco infused, refined, spicy currant character. Give this at least 5 years before popping a cork. Enjoy it while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. 92-94 Pts 3,469 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
A serious, age-worthy vintage of La Mission Haut Brion here. With a deep, dark, rich hue, the wine pops from the glass with its smoky essence made even better by its layers of black currants, black plums, tar, herbs, cigar box, and tobacco accents. The palate is full-bodied, powerful, rich, intense, mouth-filling, and long. Everything is in balance, meshing power with precision, purity, freshness, length, and complexity. Like all the great vintages of La Mission Haut Brion, this is going to demand time in the cellar before it unfurls and displays all it has to offer. Drink from 2036-2060. 10,673 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Inky ruby in color, the wine blasts off with smoke, tar, hoisin sauce, oyster shell, thyme, black currants and plum aromas. The palate is full-bodied, powerful, rich, intense, mouth filling and long. The wine coats your palate, but there is nothing heavy about it. Everything is in balance, meshing power with precision, purity and depth with a finish of more than 60 seconds! This is one of the great vintages for LMHB! Created from a blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, reaching14.6% ABV with a pH of 3.9. Picking took place September 11 through October 2. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest. 98-100 Pts 19,316 Views Tasted Jun 13, 2020 |
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2019
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
It was a close call picking a favorite here between LMHBB and HBB, but, perhaps the La Mission has just a bit more going here. The perfume is packed with honeysuckle, lemon rind, pomelo, white peaches and herbs, with a touch of spice cover all the bases. Full-bodied, rich, fleshy and deep, the wine fills your palate with wall of ripe, yellow and orange citrus, crushed rocks, mango and a dab of honey, with ample acidity to keep everything up-beat and fresh. Drink from 2025-2040. 1,745 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022The sting of all that crushed rock, grapefruit, honeysuckle, white peach, lemon oil and star anise makes you take a step back and go for it again. Sapid in nature, the wine is rich, concentrated, juicy and mouth-filling with a crisp, zesty, sweet finish that does not quit. The wine is a blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. It is interesting to note that this is the first vintage of LMHB where the Semillon was picked before the Sauvignon. 99 Pts 5,210 Views Tasted Jun 13, 2020 |
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2019
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Smoky red fruits, spice, licorice, cocoa and black plums come through easily on the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh, savory and vibrant, with a focus on its earthy, tobacco-tinged, savory red fruit filled mid-palate and finish. Drink from 2023-2034. 3,019 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Smoked black cherries, plums, licorice, herbs and earth create the nose. On the palate, the wine is supple, soft, filled with fruit and vivacity. There is length and freshness in the finish. There is a lot of LMHB character here. The wine blends 50% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc reaching 14.4% ABV. 5,417 Views Tasted Jun 13, 2020 |
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2018
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Black, red fruit and hints of blue fruit, cigar box, tobacco leaf, tar, smoke, espresso and campfire notes create the enticing aromatic profile. The wine is powerful, full-bodied and concentrated, taking up a lot of room on your palate. Luxurious, palate staining, polished, and energetic in your mouth, the finish lingers with layers of smoked red, blue and black fruits, stone, tobacco leaf, oyster shell and smoke. I really like the length and purity in the finish. The end note kept going long after the wine left my glass. The wine blends 57.5% Merlot with 42.5%, 14.4% ABV. 5,305 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Take all the power La Mission Haut Brion is capable of harnessing, add the elegance, freshness, purity and layers of complexity that come at you in waves and you have an idea of what to expect in your glass. There is purity of the fruit with a natural smoke, tobacco leaf and burning ember profile in every sip. And the finish, it kept going long after the wine left my glass. Made from 57.5% Merlot and 42.5% and reaching 14.4% ABV with a pH of 3.76, the harvest took place September 19-October 14. The Grand Vin represents 53% of the harvest. 97-99 Pts 9,931 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2018
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
A cornucopia of yellow, green and orange citrus is accompanied by hints of yellow tropical yellow fruit, honeysuckle and spice on the nose. Round, lush, rich and long on the palate, the finish leaves you with layers of sweet, juicy Meyer lemons, crisp green apple, crushed rocks, stone and a touch of honey. Made from a blend of 57.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 42.6% Semillon. This is only the second time you find more Sauvignon Blanc than Semillon in the blend. 2,310 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021With a strong lemon essence, the crushed rock, oceanic nuances, tropical yellow fruit, honeysuckle and spice cut through. Medium-bodied and lacking the power and freshness found in the best vintages, this wine will be an early drinking vintage for La Mission Haut Brion Blanc. Made from a blend of 57.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 42.6% Semillon. This is only the second time that the blend featured more Sauvignon Blanc than Semillon. 3,130 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2018
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Full-bodied, rich, deep, and concentrated with ripe, smoky blackberries and dark red pit fruit. The smoke, tobacco, dark cocoa, espresso, and forest leaf complexities add to the experience. The long, smoky, fruit-filled finish truly resonates. One of the best vintages for La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion. It is difficult to believe that this is a second wine! The wine is a blend of 51.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40.8% Merlot, and 7.6% Cabernet Franc. 3,228 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021The smoke, barbecue, flowers, black cherry and tobacco on the nose is just great. On the palate, the wine is rich, fresh, and loaded with tobacco leaf and sweet, dark red fruits and spice. One of the best vintages for La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion. It is difficult to believe that this is a second wine! The blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot and 21.5% Cabernet Franc. 92-94 Pts 4,221 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Strong minerality and a refreshing finish, this wine is juicy, energetic, full bodied, concentrated, richly textured and biting with its edgy citrus character. Made from a blend of 76.2% Semillon and 23.8% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine reached 14.3% ABV with a pH of 3.23. 3,174 Views Tasted Apr 11, 2018 |
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2017
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Subterranean ruby in color, this wine opens with lilies and night blooming Jasmine, black plum, cassis, a puff of smoke and a stroke of oak. Full-bodied and energetic but not frenetic, there is freshness, ripeness, assertive tannins and a succulent black currant hit in the finish. The vintage will require over a decade of aging. Created from a blend of 56% Merlot, 39.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4.4% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.1% ABV with a pH of 3.86. The harvest took place September 4 through September 29 and represents 51% of the Grand Vin. 8,502 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2017
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This is a medium/full-bodied production with smoky truffle, black cherry and leafy notes on the perfume. On the palate, the wine exhibits an invigorating spice, sweet fruits, ready tannins and a crispness to the cassis and dark chocolate finish. 3,051 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This massive wall of fruit, rocks, stone, tannin and scorched earth hits you in all the right places. Dense, intense and concentrated, the fruit on the palate and in the nose comes with this fabulous campfire ember note. This is a long term hold. So be prepared to wait for as long as 2 decades for the wine to really show off its greatness. It will be worth the wait if you are either young enough, rich enough, or both! 9,724 Views Tasted Sep 26, 2019The wall of perfectly ripe, dark, smoky, earthy deep red fruits wrapped in tobacco wrappers is perfectly matched with the massive wall of tannin. The level of tannins is strong, but they are ripe, refined and held in check by the quality of ripe fruits and their velvety textures. The finish holds on for close to 60 seconds! 10,361 Views Tasted May 12, 2018Deep in color, the smoke, tobacco, dark red fruits, earth, espresso and cigar box aromatics keep you busy. Full bodied, concentrated, the wine takes up a lot of room on your palate. It's long, expansive and is a Cuban cigar dream, provided they also enjoy a big wave of fruit. There is a lot of tannin, but the fruit is so ripe, and sweet, you barely notice it. The wine was made from a blend of 57.5% Merlot and 42.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The harvest took place from September 19 to October 14. The wine reached 13.7% ABV, with a pH of 3.66. This represents 50% of the harvest. 11,379 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2016
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Juicy and fresh, with a nice, zesty bite of acidity on the lemon drenched fruits, the wine is fresh, refreshing and leaves you with a long, bright lemon peel, grapefruit and green apple finish. The wine was made from a blend of 62.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 37.3% Semillon. 3,126 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Full bodied and concentrated with sweet, polished, fresh, citrus, honeysuckle, grapefruit and lemon peel. Sweet, ripe and forward, this can be aged of course, or enjoyed in its youth, The wine was produced using 70.5% Sauvignon Blanc and 29.5% Semillon. The harvest took place from September 1 to September 13. The wine reached 13.85% ABV with a pH of 3.23, this represents only 31% of the harvest. 3,736 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2016
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The fruit shows it smoke and earthy essence with ease. Medium/full-bodied with length and freshness, the ripe, dark red fruits and tobacco leaf are the defining character here. This is only in the beginning stage of its life. Give it at least 5 years before popping a cork. 4,189 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Medium/full bodied, with spicy, sweet, fresh cassis, the wine offers clean, spicy, open fruits, polished tannins, length, fruit and spice in the finish. Made from a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot and 21.5% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.8% ABV. 4,619 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
With a depth of color from the rim to the center of the glass, this is all about the incredibly ripe, dark red fruits, soft, but strong tannins and the layers of fruit that seem to start and have a hard time stopping. The finish hangs in there for over 40 seconds! The wine is rich, full bodied and concentrated, yet it's elegant, powerful and graceful. Everything is in balance and harmony here. This will easily age for 3, 4, 5 or 6 decades. 7,922 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Smoke, tar, tobacco, flowers, boysenberry and cassis pop with no effort. On the palate, this wine combines power with freshness, length and purity of fruit. Rich and structured, this delight delivers a multifaceted finish, which I timed at close to 60 seconds! Created from a blend of 58% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 15.1% ABV with a pH of 3.74. The Grand Vin was made from 56% of the harvest, which took place from September 9 to October 1. 96 - 98 Pts 6,018 Views Tasted Apr 23, 2016 |
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2015
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Vibrant and mineral driven, the wine is full bodied, intense long, fresh and deep, with crisp acidity and purity of fruit in the , blend of crushed rocks, lemon peel, orange and background notes of honey in the finish. 3,864 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Stone, fresh citrus and bracing acidity, this wine has real concentration of flavor, power and length, leaving you with a focused, stony, fresh, sweet, fleshy citrus character which remains in your mouth long after the wine has left your glass. 3,191 Views Tasted Apr 23, 2016 |
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2015
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Smoke, blackberry and cassis wet earth and tobacco notes can already be discerned. Full bodied, lushly textured, polished fruits, with length and freshness are the defining character here. The softness to the fruits brings a lot of charm and polish to the finish. 4,323 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Silken, polished, ripe, round and packing layers of sweet, lushly textured fruits, smoke and tobacco, this medium/full-bodied wine ends with a long, fresh, ready, fruit-filled, finish. Made from a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.6% ABV. 92 - 94 Pts 3,240 Views Tasted Apr 23, 2016 |
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2014
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
This wine begins with lemon, lime, a few stems of Easter lily and some wet, weathered limestone and that’s just the warm up. It’s the refreshing acidity and the finish of complex, green apple that really sets this wine apart And just when it seems too good to go on for much longer there is a citrus jolt of concentrated fruit and freshness, which really allows it all to percolate and fall into place. The wine was made from a blend of 84% Semillon and 16% Sauvignon Blanc, reaching 14.75% ABV with a pH of 3.13. 95 Pts 4,096 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2015 |
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2014
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Fleshy, bright, exciting and sweet, this full-bodied, tannic, rich and structured wine delivers a multifaceted finish of cassis, tobacco and dark berry but demands at least a decade to rise to its riches. The wine was made from a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon with a pH of 3.67. 94-95 Pts 14,212 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2015 |
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2014
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Polished, and medium-bodied with clean fruit, this wine starts off with dark ripe berries and moves to a fresh cassis and peppered blackberry finish. Made from a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.5% Merlot and 15.5% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.25% ABV. 89-91 Pts 4,053 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2015 |
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2013
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Reticent aromas of fresh squeezed citrus, lemon curd, flowers and honey make their presence known with swirling. Fresh, vibrant and focused, the bright yellow fruits in the end really stand out. The wine was made from a blend of 67% Semillon and 33% Sauvignon Blanc, reaching 14.6% ABV with a pH of 3.18 2,606 Views Tasted May 25, 2016From a blend of 76% Semillon and 24% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine pops with lemon wax, honey, spice, floral and stone personality. Polished, long, fresh and rich with a mouth-filling, fresh and concentrated character. 95-96 Pts 3,797 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2014 |
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2013
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Tight at the moment, it takes effort to find the tobacco, cassis and smoke filled character. Medium bodied, with a cassis and fresh,, juicy, cherry finish. This needs a few more years to develop. 6,887 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Cherry pipe tobacco, licorice, earth and spice are on the nose. With a bright, spicy and fresh personality, the wine delivers a lively, crisp and structured finish featuring cassis, pomegranate and blackberry finish. Blending 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.2% ABV with a pH of 3.6. From yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare, the wine represents 39% of the crop. 90-93 Pts 9,496 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2014 |
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2013
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Surprisingly fresh and supple for the vintage, the wine is focused on its sweet, cherry, plum and earthy character. You can drink this now, or age it for a year or two. But this is a wine for enjoyment during its youth. 4,113 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Ruby in color with light cherry and strawberry character, this lighter style of La Chapelle de La Mission Haut will drink well early. 86-88 Pts 3,832 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2014 |
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2012
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Meaty, smoky, dark red fruits, cigar box, tobacco leaf, spices, and wet earthy nuances are all over the place here. Full-bodied, concentrated, youthful, and even a bit backward for the vintage, if have any of this gem in your cellar, give it a few more years before pulling a cork, as it is going to age quite well. Drink from 2028-2050. 5,119 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Full bodied, concentrated and showing more depth in bottle than in barrel, the wine is packed with layers of ripe, smoky fruit, tannins and earth in every sniff, sip and swallow. The wine really lingers on the palate with intensity and expansiveness. The wine was made from a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no touch of heat in the 14.9% ABV finish. This is much better from bottle than barrel. As it ages, this could get better still! 10,053 Views Tasted May 15, 2015Dark in color, the nose offers smoke, tar, black cherry jam, tobacco and cassis notes. The wine quickly shifts to a powerful, rich, tannic, masculine, almost brawny, intense mouthful of black fruits, jammy cherries and dark chocolate. This definitely needs time in the cellar before becoming user-friendly. 92-95 Pts 7,515 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2013 |
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2012
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Crushed stone, grapefruit and citrus lead to a concentrated, full bodied, expressive, fresh, citrus filled wine with volume, length concentration and complexity. 3,896 Views Tasted May 15, 2015Orangesicle, melon, beeswax and candied, waxy lemon peel scents open to fresh, lively and sweet citrus finish. 93-95 Pts 4,322 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2013 |
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2012
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Lots of smoke, earth, spice and ripe blackberries with polished textures, a medium body and a round, elegant finish. 4,583 Views Tasted May 15, 2015A subtle nose of earth, tobacco and cassis move to fresh, polished red berries, and an herbal, crunchy blackberry and cassis finish. 88-90 Pts 4,608 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2013 |
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2011
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Cantaloupe, honeysuckle and lemon zest scents grab you before you find the rich, citrus and sweet grapefruit center. The wine finishes with a long, zesty, candied lemon and stone note. 4,665 Views Tasted May 21, 2014Blending 72.9% Semillon and 27.1% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine reached 14.6% ABV. With a grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange wax, citrus oil and honeysuckle perfume, there is enough freshness to pop, yet ample concentration of fruit to balance the acidity and offer a long pure, finish. 96-98 Pts 4,853 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2012 |
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2011
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Smoky, dark berries, medium/full bodied, with a sense of polish to the tannins that carries all the way through to the fresh, dark, smoky, plum finish. This will be better with 3-5 years of age. 4,810 Views Tasted May 21, 2014Produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.7% Merlot and 11.3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% ABV - Deep ruby in color, the wine offers tobacco, earth, smoke, cassis and coffee with ripe tannins and a classic, bright, fresh and pure crème de cassis finish. This classic styled Pessac Leognan lacks the concentration of the more recent 2009 and 2010 vintages. 93-95 Pts 7,513 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2012 |
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2011
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Soft, forward, with slightly dry tannins, the wine, dominated by its fresh, black and red cherry profile is already drinking well. 5,189 Views Tasted May 21, 2014Produced from 68.7% Merlot, 19.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.7% Cabernet Franc , is ruby in color with truffle, black cherry, licorice, supple textures and a fresh, soft red berry finish. 88-90 5,558 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2012 |
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2010
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Smoke, oak, hot earth scents open to a packed and stacked wine, filled with ripe tannin, fresh, long, pure, sweet black raspberries that remain on your palate for at least 40 seconds. Structured to age, the wine demands at least 15 years before delivering its charms. This is showing much better in bottle than it did in barrel. With luck, this trend will continue. 9,458 Views Tasted May 8, 20132010 La Mission Haut Brion, is produced from a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and a dollop of Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 15.1% natural ABV with pH levels of 3.67. This picture is very different than what we saw in 2009 which was made from equal parts Merlot and cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. 2010 is slightly higher in ABV as the 2009 reached 14.7. Tasters who go by the numbers might have problems with the wine, but there was no sensation of heat. Everything is in balance. This is a contender for the highest concentration of Cabernet Sauvignon in the history of La Mission Haut Brion. This is due to a combination of the perfect levels of ripeness reached in the Cabernet Sauvignon and the draught plagued Merlot which had problems ripening correctly. . 2010 La Mission Haut Brion explodes with earth, minerals, cassis, burning embers, truffle and blackberry scents. This opens to a dense, concentrated, full bodied, tannic wine. This powerful La Mission Haut Brion is packed with mocha, cassis, blackberry and spice. Stylistically, this is a big, powerful, masculine La Mission Haut Brion that will require serious cellar time. 95-98 Pts. 8,164 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2011 |
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2010
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
It took some coaxing to bring out the reticent notes of citrus, lemon, lime, orange, white peach, flowers and honeysuckle. Rich, intense and full on the palate. The wine offers a blast of minerality and fresh, crisp, yellow citrus with a dab of honey on the palate and in the finish. If you are lucky enough to have a bottle or two in your cellar, wait a decade or so before popping a cork. 3,022 Views Tasted Oct 15, 2021Fat, rich and intense, with fresh lemon, grapefruit, mineral, honeysuckle and vanilla notes, the wine is full bodied, fresh and concentrated, but lacks the precision found in Haut Brion Blanc. 5,379 Views Tasted May 8, 2013La Mission Haut Brion Blanc blends 81% Semillon and 19% Sauvignon Blanc to produce a perfume of honey, fresh picked flowers, grilled nuts and citrus that gets your mouth ready for a big dose of fresh, buttery lemon, banana, grapefruit and guava flavors with zesty acidity and freshness that lingers. 94-97 Pts 6,375 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2011 |
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2010
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Toffee, coffee, smoke, herbs and blackberries open to a fresh, sweet, supple textures wine filled with sweet red berries and spice. 4,962 Views Tasted May 8, 2013La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion produced from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc is filled with smoke, tar, blackberry and tobacco scents. Full bodied, with layers of chocolate covered blackberries that end with a blast of fresh, juicy cassis. 91-93 Pts 5,069 Views Tasted Apr 21, 2011 |
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2009
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Powerful, full-bodied, youthful, mouth filling and packed to gills with layers of dark, red and black fruits, the wine is big. But it is also balanced, long, deep, regal and complex. Made from blending 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the finish does not seem to quit. The texture is equally dense and regal, with layer after layer of smoky, tobacco infused fruit. This is still a baby. Give it 10-15 more years and this will be a truly majestic wine. 6,791 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019Inky dark in color, this is mouth filling, powerful, concentrated, lush, rich and packed with perfectly ripe berries, smoke, earth, spice, crème de cassis, blackberry, licorice, tobacco and liqueur. With perfectly ripe tannins and an opulent personality, this is not quite at the level of the 2000, but it’s not that far either. Who knows, with time, it could be as good as it develops. This is as stunning wine! 7,373 Views Tasted May 3, 20122009 La Mission Haut Brion, a blend of 47% cabernet sauvignon, 47% merlot, and 6% cabernet franc, offers dark purple color along with floral, smoke, cassis, earth and plum liqueur aromatics. Full bodied and filled with dense, sweet, mouth filling fruit, the wine is balanced and pure. The velvet textured finish has blackberry, smoke, and chocolate flavors. Although the wine reached a whopping 14.7 ABV level, it has no sensation of heat. As a comparison, in 1989 La Mission Haut Brion reached 13% ABV with the help of chapitalization. The pH in 1989 was 4.0, and 3.85 in 2009. Yet with a very high pH, the wine displays ample freshness. 96/97 Pts 7,643 Views Tasted Jul 2, 2010 |
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2009
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Powerful, rich, concentrated and deep, with waves of rich, juicy, sweet, fresh mineral driven citrus fruits, honey suckle and vanilla, this is quite young and tight. Give this at least another 5 or more years to develop. 3,263 Views Tasted Nov 26, 2015Powerful, intense, concentrated, stony, fresh and filled with waves of just squeezed citrus notes, vanilla and mineral essence, this definitely makes a great impression. Although, its best days are clearly in the future. 4,095 Views Tasted Sep 24, 201484% Semillon and 16% Sauvignon Blanc combine to produce a mineral intensive wine packed with lemon, grapefruit, lime and citrus oil. Freshness, power and a long, spicy, lemon wax finish are the hallmarks of this wine. 5,243 Views Tasted May 3, 2012 |
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2009
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
From a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine is packed with anise, truffle, smoke and black cherry jam aromas. On the palate, the wine is plush, soft, round, sweet, ripe and ends with a cassis and black cherry filled finish. 4,468 Views Tasted May 3, 2012 |
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2008
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Just a knock wine that has everything an aged white Bordeaux needs. It is rich, full bodied, long, complex and loaded with perfectly ripe, yellow citrus, rocks, stones and just a hint of honey. It offers the right balance of dry sweetness and racy acidity. This should age for at least another 20 more years, or longer! 4,344 Views Tasted Mar 23, 2018The final vintage for this esteemed estate is a beauty. There is ample richness from the layers of sweet, ripe, grapefruit, lemon peel and Cara Cara oranges, with more than a dollop of honeysuckle. The wine has a beautiful sweetness that comes from the ripeness in the fruit that is made better with the bracing acidity. This should age for decades. 4,318 Views Tasted Oct 7, 2016 |
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2008
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Powerful, youthful, tannic, fresh and even a but crisp, the wine is full bodied, offering tobacco, cigar wrapper, tobacco and dark. deep, red fruits. There is a firm, almost strict nature to the tannins. There is the structure to age, which is a good thing, as this wine is going to need time before it all comes together. The wine is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. 7,281 Views Tasted Sep 17, 201808 Château La Mission Haut Brion is deeply colored with purple accents. Ripe black and blue fruits are easy to note in the perfume. The wine has a good concentration of suave, opulent fruit. The refined tannins, structure, and acidity give the wine body and a long, round, rich, fruit filled finish. 93-96 Pts 12,507 Views Tasted Aug 31, 2009 |
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2007
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Light in color, the wine delivers an interesting blend of vanilla, bright citrus, vermouth, lemon peel and roasted nuts on the nose. Full bodied, bright and fat, the sweet and tart, slightly honeyed citrus in the finish is fresh and refreshing. The wine was made from a blend of 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc. 5,038 Views Tasted Jun 5, 2016Full bodied, rich, intense and filled with ripe lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, stone and honeysuckle in the nose. Long, fresh, clean and pure, the waxy, citrus and mineral driven finish makes a serious impression. 5,123 Views Tasted May 21, 2013 |
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2007
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Clearly one the top wines of the vintage. There is a nice ripeness to the dark red fruits. You find all those wonderful, smoky, earthy, burning campfire embers here too, with elements of wet forest floor, black cherries and blackberry. Medium/full bodied, with most of the tannin melted away, but not completely, as there is still some improvement to be gained with a few more years of cellaring. There is a nice, fresh bite of juicy cassis and tobacco in the finish to round things out. The wine was produced from a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. 5,758 Views Tasted Aug 29, 2017 |
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2006
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The color shows development, nit the wine is still young and fresh. The wine is rich with extract, the fruit is ripe and the crushed rock, pomelo and lemon peel, with just a touch of honeysuckle really sticks with you. 2,518 Views Tasted May 25, 2016 |
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2006
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Full bodied, still youthful, tannic and fresh, the wine has smoke, tobacco, cassis, ripe black fruits and tannins to spare. However, the tannins are firm and there is a strictness to the wines classic character that will appeal to some more than others. You will need to wait at least a decade before this opens and is fun to drink. 7,470 Views Tasted May 25, 2016This starts with plum, herb, tobacco and spice nose. The palate enjoys ripe, chocolate, cassis and plum flavors. There is ample tannin and body to allow the wine to age gracefully for decades. 7,205 Views Tasted Jun 12, 2009 |
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2006
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Tobacco, cigars and cassis make a great combination, especially when you add in the mature mouth feel and taste. This is ready for consumption today. 4,145 Views Tasted May 25, 2016 |
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2005
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Inky dark in color, with its best days needing another decade or more in the cellar, what a wine! Thick, intense, dense, concentrated, powerful, and palate-staining, this is an other-worldly wine caught in its youth. The finish passes the 60-second mark and keeps on going in its seamless manner. Make no mistake, this is a future legendary LMHB that if you have the money, grab it. It is a wine for the ages. Drink from 2025-2080. 4,902 Views Tasted Feb 4, 2024Perhaps more decanting would have helped. While still a beauty this was not quite as expressive or complex as other bottles. Still, it would be impossible not to find this wine seamless. It is concentrated, deep, long, luscious, rich and fresh. Primary, but obviously complex, if you can wait, and you should, give this until at least 2025, and you will be rewarded with a stellar drinking experience. 8,345 Views Tasted Sep 5, 2018This is really far too young to open. Even with multiple hours of decanting, it remains youthful. That being said, it's stunning in every sense of the word. It's powerful, refined, intense, pure, silky and mouth fillingly dense. It has everything needed to rival and surpass the 1989 and that says a lot. Give it at least until it turns 20 however. 11,527 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2017Stunning in every way, the wine perfectly balances intensity, incredible levels of concentration, power and purity. Mouth coating, palate staining and harmonious, this is a future legend. Still young, the tannins are so ripe, you can pop a cork now to experience the wine in its impressive youthful stage. Else you can wait decades for an incredible experience that will be hard to equal when this reaches maturity. That might take 15-20 years, but it’s going to be worth the wait. 10,481 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015Full bodied, concentrated and intense, the wine coats your mouth, palate and taste buds with fruit, freshness and flavor. Still young, this is all about the potential. In another 10-20 years, this will probably hit triple digits and be considered one of the wines of the vintage. 9,584 Views Tasted Jul 14, 201405 La Mission Haut Brion, unlike some years that are considered better for either Cabernet or Merlot, this special vintage was considered perfect for both varietals. Black, inky and opaque in color. This has one of the most compelling noses of any young wine I’ve ever smelt. Aromatics explode from the glass like an old school Playboy Bunny popping out of a cake! Incredible levels of sweet, ripe, jammy berries, licorice, black fruit, tar, exotic spices and liqueur of an amazing mélange of fruits are all over the place! Quivering in anticipation for my first sip of this supposed, mythical vintage of La Mission Haut Brion, it did not disappoint. The wine actually blows up your palate! This is pure decadence. One of the richest, most concentrated young wines I have had the privilege to taste. Your palate is coated with an endless stream of rich, ripe fruit that feels like every berry was hand polished before being crushed. This long finish was absolutely seamless. I wish I could last as long as this finish! When Bob retastes the vintage, this has to be a serious contender for a triple digit score. At first, I gave it 100, but upon reflection, decided it was not quite at the level of the profound 89, served at the same dinner. 99 Pts 11,425 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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2005
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fresh, sweet, waxy, lemon, honeysuckle and grapefruit fill your nose. On the palate, there is a sweetness to the fruit coupled with freshness that keep this lively, refreshing and focused. 4,089 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015With a beautiful nose of lemon peel, honeysuckle, citrus and vanilla, the wine is filled with ripe, sweet, Meyer lemons, plush, fat textures and a mildly, honeyed grapefruit and fresh, bright, lush, lemony finish. It was fun tasting this seldom seen white Bordeaux wine. 3,180 Views Tasted Feb 19, 2013 |
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2004
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The wine keeps getting better with age. Showing more weight and density, there is a freshness to the fruit and rounding of the texture that is starting to come through. Another 3-5 years could add more to the wine, which is turning out to be one of the longest lived wines of the vintage. This is the first vintage where Jean-Philippe Delmas was fully in charge from start to finish. 7,513 Views Tasted Jan 4, 2015Deeply colored, the nose of smoke, cigar box, blackberries, road tar and earth was a pleasure. Tannic, tight, medium bodied and for the most part mostly primary, the wine demanded 4 hours of air in the glass and decanter before it softened and became civilized. I'm waiting another 5 years before popping another bottle. From a blend of 55% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. 6,778 Views Tasted May 27, 2013The wine kicks off with tobacco, blackberry and spice notes. This full bodied wine is a lighter, elegant style of La Mission Haut Brion. 11,089 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2010La Mission Haut Brion is considered the product of a Merlot vintage. Deep ruby color, with an earth, raspberry, licorice and truffle nose. Nice entry followed by a rich, ripe, finish of blackberry and bitter chocolate. There was some grit in the tannins. 5,929 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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2004
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Light in style, with bright lemon, grapefruit and vanilla notes, this medium bodied wine leaves you with a fresh, vibrant, citrus filled finish. 3,426 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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2003
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
I remain in the middle here. I like the wine, but as much as I try, I cannot love it. Lacking the concentration, lift, and complexity of the best years, the fruit is a bit overripe, the tannins are slightly too soft and the flavors lack all the smoke and tobacco, instead, focusing on the ripe and overripe fruits. 3,675 Views Tasted Dec 10, 2021The wine is better on the smoke and tobacco, campfire ember, red berry nose than on the soft, easy drinking, mid-weight palate. Seemingly mature beyond its years, this is a nice, restrained, charming wine, but it lacks the power, vigor, complexity and the ability for aging found in the better years. In short, if you have it, drink it over the next decade. 3,658 Views Tasted Feb 12, 2019This tastes much older than it should at age 10. The wine is stylish, silky and offers pleasure, but the rapid pace of maturity forces the taster to finish their remaining bottles sooner than later so as not to lose any of the fruit. 6,341 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013This continues to age at a supersonic pace. At close to 10 years of age, the color is much lighter than it should be. The developed nose offers tobacco, earth, smoke and black cherry notes. On the palate, the medium bodied wine is soft, delicate and feminine, with a silky, but light, red berry dominated finish. If you're seeking a La Mission Haut Brion that shows great today, this might be a reasonable choice. But this is not a wine to cellar as it's a;ready giving up most of what it has to offer. 6,176 Views Tasted Nov 23, 2012Made from a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend owith only 40% Merlot, the wine opens with deep, dark color and plumy aromatics. In the mouth, the wine kicks off with a wonderful, large mouthful of ripe, roasted, chocolate covered, black fruits. Very rich and concentrated. This is a wine for hedonists with its decadent style. When asked how La Mission turned out so much better in 03 than its neighbor across the street, Haut Brion, Jean-Philippe Delmas coyly smiled, answering, “The French have a special word for it. Perhaps you know it. Terroir”! It was a very funny moment. 7,729 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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2003
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fat, dense, lush and concentrated with ample, sweet citrus, stone and honeysuckle notes. But the wine lacks the level of acidity needed to really make it sing, as opposed to just fine and interesting. 5,397 Views Tasted Oct 21, 2014 |
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2003
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Light in color, medium bodied, with a mature nose of tobacco, smoke earth and musty forest scents, the wine ends with a short, sweet and tart, cassis and cranberry note. Do not age this wine from this point forward. If you have a bottle, pop the cork as the fruit will only continue to fade from here. 3,381 Views Tasted Mar 1, 2014 |
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2002
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Medium bodied, tannic and a little austere, the nose is a pleasure, with its tobacco, smoke, burnt earth, forest leaf, cassis and blackberry scented perfume. Solid and conventional in style, also known as classic in some circles, perhaps another 3-5 years will help the wine soften and develop additional nuances. 6,618 Views Tasted Feb 22, 2013 |
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2001
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This is really showing well and with time, it is going to be even better. This is a good thing because you cannot get enough of its spicy, smoked currant, leather, tar, and tobacco character. Showing more elegance than power, at 21, this has entered the start of its drinking window. Drink from 2022-2045. 4,505 Views Tasted Nov 5, 2022This is certainly in contention for the Left Bank wine of the vintage. Continuing to add weight and complexity, the naturally smoky nose adds oceanic nuances to its leather, tar, dark currant, burning wood, cedar and tobacco leaf nose. Medium/full-bodied, with length, complexity, freshness and a bite of ripe cassis, currant, and spicy, tobacco-covered blackberry on the palate, this is starting to drink quite well. As an added plus, this could be the best deal in older LMHB available today. 4,737 Views Tasted Oct 22, 2021An hour of air was all it took for this beauty to blossom. Over the past few years, this gem has really softened, filled out and added not only great texture and a richer palate feel, but the aromatics are there as well. The wine remains youthful and fresh, yet offers sublime drinking today. I am sure this has another 15 or more years in the tank easily. 5,284 Views Tasted Oct 13, 20182001 La Mission Haut Brion opens up with smoke, Cuban cigars, blackberries, hot stones, earth and tar aromas. Supple textures, round tannins and a refined character lead to a rich, silky wine that ends with a long, elegant, deep, smoky dark berry and creme de cassis filled finish. From an assemblage of 62% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, this Pessac Leognan is just starting to open up and offer its delicious charms. 94 Pts 8,230 Views Tasted Oct 7, 2011This is a beautiful style of La Mission Haut Brion. In the nose, the wine offers smoke, cassis, BBQ, leather, hot rocks, tobacco and burnt wood. Richly textured, the wine feels great as it glides over your palate like silk. The elegant, finesse styled finsih is filled with juicy, soft textured cassis, blackberry and spice flavors. 9,519 Views Tasted Aug 12, 20102001 La Mission Haut Brion, anothervintage that favored Merlot offers generous aromas of earth, tobacco and fresh herbs. Bright fruit and freshness fill the palate ending in a leather, cherry note. Jean-PhilippeDelmas said “2001 reminded him of 85. He thinks it’s more concentrated than the 04, although the 04 was more expressive today”. This is probably the best bottle of La Mission Haut Brion available for the money today. 92 Pts 6,409 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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2001
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The floral tones that come with all the show honeysuckle add a lot to the ripe, sweet, yellow citrus, and dried peach notes. The wine is still fresh, vibrant, and plush on the palate and in the finish. 3,020 Views Tasted Aug 22, 2021 |
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2000
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This is a wow wine! From start to finish, everything here is just off the chart. Starting with its still, deep, dark hue, the wine offers a dark fruited, blackberry and black currant liqueur nose, with accents of cigar box, cedar, and smoke. On the palate, the wine coats your palate with its waves of dark black fruits. There is purity, symmetry, length, and harmony that you can sense. There is also weight and depth, with a seamless finish that keeps on going. Drink from 2025-2060. 5,500 Views Tasted Nov 5, 2022Make no mistake, this is a future legendary bottle of LMHB, but it remains quite youthful. Dark in hue, the wine is intensely concentrated, powerful, full-bodied, and tannic, yet, graceful, balanced, and complex. The fruit is dark, fresh, elegant, and smoky. Refinement measured with power, the wine coats every nook and cranny of your palate, leaving you with waves of ripe, sweet, earthy, rich fruits that stick. If you have a case, pop a bottle. If you have a few bottles, wait a decade and drink it over the next 30 or more years after that. 5,433 Views Tasted Dec 8, 2021This is a remarkable wine that is clearly a legend in the making! Inky dark in color, (which is amazing at 20 years of age) the wine coats your every nook and cranny of your palate with layer after layer of ripe, rich, intense, pure fruit that holds on for over 60 seconds. The wine has moved slightly past its initial primary phase, but even now, it is impossible not to see what this has to offer. It should be in prime time drinking mode in about 10 years and offer incredible tasting for 3-5 decades easily, from that point forward. 8,607 Views Tasted Mar 10, 2020With the exception of one recent bottle, which was off, this wine has been consistently thrilling on every occasion. It's powerful, rich, concentrated, intense and deep. The layers of fruit just coat your mouth and palate with fruit and flavor, the finish, with its perfectly ripe, dark berries just goes on and on. The fruit and tannin are so ripe, you can drink it now. But the real magic should kick in about 2025. 8,409 Views Tasted May 6, 2018This could be one of the few, 101 Pt wines of your life. Spellbinding in every sense of the word, the nose grabs and holds you. But it is the immense levels of density that are light on their feet. So much power, yet it's elegant and gentle on your palate. The fruit has this beautiful sense of purity. Even though this is still a baby, because everything is in balance and harmony, you need to be careful, as it drinks so easily. This is a true legend in the making that could rival the past great vintages like 1989, 1961, 1955 etc. If you do not own it, and have the bank, it's well worth thinking about. 8,476 Views Tasted Jul 5, 2017This is a mind blowing wine! It has everything a world class wine needs to offer. It's still young, fresh and primary. But it's hard to not see the greatness in this wine with just one taste. It's massive, yet balanced. Packed to the brim with layer after layer of pure boysenberry, black cherry liqueur, tobacco, espresso, smoke, tar and licorice, every nook and cranny of your tasting receptors are coated with the essence of La Mission Haut Brion. 11,023 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2014Served blind, this was close to off the charts! It is one of those wines that is so concentrated, you can drink it, or almost eat it. Layer after layer of ripe fruit coats your palate. The wine is long, intense, massive, and expansive. It's also quite young and tannic. If you like your wines primary, pop a cork. If you want this stunning elixir at its best, patience is required. It could take another 15-20 years. If you have the time to wait, you will be rewarded with one of the great tasting experiences of your life. Sadly, this bottle was popped and poured. It quickly improved in the glass. But it requires about 2 hours of air to show its best. I think a decanted bottle would be even better and would probably hit a 100 Pt score. 9,072 Views Tasted Jul 14, 2013Powerful aromatics stuffed with cassis, ripe black fruit, blackberry, spice, smoke and truffle aromatics. The texture is an incredible blend of opulence, concentration and depth. The wine is intense, fresh and pure. Everything is in balance from start to finish, ending with multiple layers of pure silk, velvet, power and a complex array of perfectly ripe fruit in this stunning Bordeaux. 11,674 Views Tasted Mar 5, 20102000 La Mission Haut Brion, a product of a year where Cabernet and Merlot flourished equally, wears a deep, purple robe. Very spicy and exotic in the nose. A myriad of ripe fruits and liqueur essences exploded from the glass. The palate enjoys an incredible bath of rich, fat, sexy, concentrated, ripe fruit. Very silky, rich, polished and elegant. The tannins are perfectly smooth. The wine oozes over your palate. The wine features a great purity of fruit coupled with stunning levels of intensity. The wine at 5 years of age offers more finesse, but less concentration of flavors than the 2005. I could not give it 100 Pts because I thought the 05 was a better, more exciting wine. But this is a treasure I am thrilled to have in my cellar! 99 Pts 10,731 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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2000
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
2000 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion with an earthy, smoky, cassis nose, soft textures and medium body and soft cherry finish is fully mature. 88 Pts 5,368 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2010This offers a spicy, tobacco, black fruit filled nose. The wine is already drinking well. 5,855 Views Tasted Mar 5, 2010 |
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1999
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
I am tempted to add another point. The wine has filled out over the past few years. Medium/full bodied, soft, ripe, dark red fruits with all the smoke, thyme, cigar wrapper, wet earth and forest floor required, this is really in a great place for current drinking. The bottle was popped about one early before consumption. 5,979 Views Tasted Jun 26, 2019The best showing of this wine yet. The smoky black cherry, earth and licorice nose is right there. Medium bodied, with slight dusty tannins and just a hint of green in the black cherry filled finish leaves this a really nice wine, that is drinking at peak. However, the wine does begin to fade after 2 hours in the glass. Still, I am happy to have 6 more bottles in the cellar. 4,059 Views Tasted Dec 29, 2016Medium bodied, charming, well made, but lacking in excitement. This is probably close to fully mature. The nose was more complicated than the palate, which ended a bit too quickly. 5,335 Views Tasted Oct 14, 2013Ruby with bricking in color. Notes of tobacco, tar, cassis, herbs and wet earth make up the perfume. Medium bodied, round textured, soft, some green in the tannins can be detected. The wine ends with cassis, cranberry and strawberry. This is probably close to fully mature and requires drinking over the next 5 -7 years to enjoy it at its peak. 6,658 Views Tasted Nov 12, 20111999 La Mission Haut Brion is ready to drink. With an earthy perfume filled with cassis, black cherry, smoke and tobacco scents that leads into elegant, soft, mature textures. This wine is a bargain for a mature La Mission Haut Brion. 91 Pts 8,023 Views Tasted Dec 18, 20101999 La Mission Haut Brion is the product of a Cabernet dominated vintage. Ruby colored with with a nose offering toffee, mocha, vanilla, tobacco and spice. Medium bodied soft tannins. Very polished. Compared to great years, the finish is a bit short, but for 99, the wine is a major success and is one the top wines from the year. Ready to drink, the wine should give pleasure for another 15 years, give or take. 91 Pts 7,466 Views Tasted Nov 20, 2009 |
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1998
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
If you are a fan of La Mission Haut Brion, with some extra money burning a hole in your pocket, this is the wine to buy. It has all the power, layers of perfectly ripe, earthy, smoky, leafy, tobacco covered fruits, balanced, poised and graceful, with the ability to age and evolve for decades. Drink from 2024-2050. 3,002 Views Tasted Apr 2, 2024The last 5 years have really added a lot to this wine. Now, you find more weight density and softness, as well as more nuances. Packed with smoke, cigar box, tobacco leaf, and spicy currants, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and rich, the mouth-filling layers of fruit, build and expand, only leaving you after a long finish. If you are seeking an LMHB that is just about ready to go, this is the wine to buy! Drink from 2023-2045. 4,811 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2022Still youthful, but everything is definitely headed in the right direction. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, long and intense. The dark ripe, tobacco and smoke infused fruits take up a lot of room in your mouth and cover your palate. The tannins are ripe, but remain present. GAive this another 5-10 years if well stored and this will rock you. 6,343 Views Tasted Jun 5, 2018This is a future stunner in the making. It is full bodied, concentrated, long, intense and complex. It has the stuffing to age for decades along with the length, complexity and character to be worth the wait. If you have the patience, this is going to reward cellaring. 6,147 Views Tasted Mar 23, 2018This wine keeps getting better and better with age, which is the mark of all great wines. With richness and intensity, the wine builds and expands on your palate. The fruit is dark, smoky, earthy and regal. Time in the decanter added more soft, velvet to the long, powerful, refined finish. Another 5-10 years will make this an even better experience, but there is no denying its greatness, even today, as it straddles adolesence and potential maturity. 7,105 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2017Tight and still holding a lot in reserve, the wine is powerful, tannic, young, fresh and not ready for prime time. But the potential is clearly there. Give it at least another 5 years and this could be even better, as La Mission tends to do, as it matures. 6,751 Views Tasted Sep 14, 2016Smoke, truffle, tobacco, blackberry and black cherry aromas get your attention, although it takes a bit of effort and air. Rich, concentrated, long and built to age, another 5 years will help soften the wine while adding additional complexities. 6,968 Views Tasted Sep 24, 2015Since last tasted, this seems bigger, denser, more tannic and even younger than I remember it. With 3 hours of decanting, the smoky, blackberry, boysenberry, earthy, forest floor and campfire aromas are in full force. But it took another 90 minutes before the tannins softened and the fruit filled finish fleshed out. There is a lot of purity, depth and length in this wine. The moral of the story, if you cannot wait another 5-10 years, this wine is not for you. If you have the patience and a cold cellar, this will improve, expand and develop a lot more complexity in time. 8,150 Views Tasted Feb 15, 2014Picture a lit Cuban Cigar, cherry pipe tobacco, tar, cassis, spice, leather, gravel and earth scents get you hooked. Powerful, concentrated, tannic and a little rustic. There is a slight drying sensation to the tannins. Coming up to its 14th birthday, this Pessac Leognan wine demands another 5 years before it begins to soften up. Very classic La Mission Haut Brion in style. This bottle was decanted 2 hours and enjoyed over another 2 hours. The wine clearly benefited from the air. But its always going to be a little rustic. 10,219 Views Tasted Dec 9, 2012Blackberry, leather, spice, tobacco, cigar box and smoke filled aromatics fill your glass. In the mouth, a big, powerful, juicy mouthful of black fruit, cassis, truffle and spice. Tannic and masculine, this big wine requires another 8-10 years before it's completely civilized. 11,340 Views Tasted May 15, 20111998 La Mission Haut Brion pops with a complex perfume of cigar box, cedar, leather, smoke, tobacco leaf and cherry. Full bodied and filled with ripe dark fruit, this still tannic wine requires a few more years before its ready for prime time drinking. 95 Pts 11,860 Views Tasted Dec 18, 20101998 La Mission Haut Brion, another vintage considered a Merlot year (65% Merlot) is stunning at 10 years of age. The color shows some lightness and light pinking around the edges. The explosive nose offers wonderful scents of earth, cassis, tobacco and Asian spice. The texture is all about sex! Very opulent and silky. The ripe fruit glides over your palate with layers of black and red flavors. Very opulent and concentrated. Tannins are elegant. Still young, but no longer asleep, this will develop into a great wine over the years. 95 Pts 8,183 Views Tasted Oct 20, 20091998, according to the estate is considered a Merlot year. The blend includes 65% Merlot is stunning at 10 years of age. The color shows some lightness around the edges. The explosive nose offers wonderful scents of earth, tobacco and Asian spice. Very concentrated, opulent and silky with elegant tannins. The ripe fruit glides over your palate with layers of black and red flavors. Still young, but no longer asleep, this wine will develop more complexity wine with time and will probably merit a higher score. 8,360 Views Tasted Oct 11, 2008 |
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1998
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
With good concentration of flavor, the wine is loaded with all the vanilla, sweet, ripe, yellow and orange citrus, flowers, herbs and just the right amount of honey on top that you need. Fresh and refreshing, this is drinking quite well today. 2,868 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2016Based on this wine, perhaps I should be drinking more white Bordeaux wine! Rich, full bodied, concentrated and intense, lots of fresh lemon, citrus rind, stone, vanilla and floral qualities were experienced in every sniff and sip. Still young, this delicious wine should age for years. 4,949 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2013 |
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1998
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1998 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion opened with aromas of smoke and spicy cassis. This simple wine ends with a cassis, cranberry finish. 85 Pts 3,139 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2010 |
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1996
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Burning wood, smoked herbs, leafy tobacco, and sharp red currants with a peppery edge shape the perfume. Crisp, firm, and slanting towards austere in the palate, this is an old-school-styled wine that some tasters will appreciate more than I did. Drink from 2023-2045. 3,284 Views Tasted Nov 26, 20231996 La Mission Haut Brion is a firm, structured, tannic, masculine style of wine. Interestingly, that what I was expecting to find in the 95. This is a clear case of role reversal. With tobacco, cassis and stone aromas, this powerful wine needs another 5 years to sort itself out. 91 Pts 7,545 Views Tasted Dec 18, 20101996 La Mission Haut Brion, dominated by Cabernet is showing some bricking in the color. Chocolate, spice and black plums dominate the aroma. Powerfull and tannic, with a polised entry that finishes a sweet cherry, blackberry and strawberry filled note. Good length and depth. Already open, it offers pleasure today. 91 Pts 6,507 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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1995
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
If you like a lot of tobacco notes on the nose and palate, this is for you. The dark currants with their spicy, leafy accents are ripe. The tannins are mildly strict with a slightly rustic edge to the classically -styled, full, chewy, earthy, smoky finish. Decanted about 60 minutes was about right. Drink from 2022-2040. 3,953 Views Tasted Jul 17, 2022The knockout nose, with all its smoke, hot stone, campfire embers, burnt earth, tobacco, cigar wrapper and roasted, ripe red fruits is a beauty. Full-bodied, with good concentration, the tannins are a bit rustic, so the wine lacks the polish of the better vintages, but with decanting, the wine fills out, offering a classic expression of its charms. You can drink now with 1-2 hours of air, else, wait another 5 years. 4,007 Views Tasted Apr 5, 2020The color shows the right amount of age, leaving you with a ruby, rose hue. Smoke, campfire, barbecue, cassis, iron and damp, leafy, forest aromas are fun to stick your nose in. Masculine, but refined, long, fresh and with a sweet, smoky cherry finish, with an hour in the decanter, this is drinking quite nicely. 5,670 Views Tasted Oct 5, 20161995 La Mission Haut Brion – One of the best results vertical tastings provide is the occasional surprise. Surprises work both ways. Some wines are much worse than anticipated. Other wines are much better than you remember them. 1995 La Mission Haut Brion was a positive surprsie. I could not believe how much I liked this wine! 95 Bordeaux has not developed well. Many wines have taken on a hard, severe style. But not the 95 LMHB! This smoky, spice filled wine reeks of tobacco, blackberry, olives, truffle, forest floor, pepper and fresh herbs. Concentrated with lush, ripe fruit, soft tannins and supple textures, this wine is only now just starting to come out of its shell. It should evolve for at least 2 or more decades. While not cheap, this is worth the money. When people start tasting and talking ab out this wine, prices can only go higher. If the wine keeps improving, (and it might)the wine may score higher than its current 95 Pts 9,333 Views Tasted Dec 19, 201095 La Mission Haut Brion (50%Merlot 50% Cabernet Sauvignon) is dominated by the barnyard scents that were further complicated by sweet, jammy fruit, tobacco and smoke. The palate enjoys a silky entry, but the finish was marred a bit by the gritty tannins. The bright fruit flavors were held back in their development by the strong, tannic spine. This wine needs time, at least another 5-10 years before it beings to show its stuff. Jean-Philippe Delmas liked the 95 more than the 98 adding, “He found the 95 riper.” Perhaps in time, I will come to the same conclusion. 93 Pts 6,924 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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1995
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1995 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion offers a leafy, smoke and kirsch perfume. Short and light, this needs to be drunk up. 85 Pts 3,931 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2010 |
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1994
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
This has everything you need in a classic white Bordeaux wine with its citrus, lemon peel, stone and floral aromatics, rich textures and long, fresh, citrusy, honey tinged, concentrated finish. 4,107 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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1994
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, this has morphed into an elegant, soft, refined, lighter style of La Mission Haut Brion. Everything has moved to the subtle side. The wine is not overly complex, but the sweet notes of cassis, cherry and cigar wrapper were there, just to a lighter degree. The tannins have completely melted away. The soft finish is on the short side. The wine is now, disarmingly easy to drink. If you have any of this in your cellar, you need to be popping those corks, before the remaining fruit fades away. Pop and pour, or a short, 20 minute decant is all this needs. 3,731 Views Tasted Mar 16, 2018At full maturity, the nose has those great cigar box, tobacco, smoke, coffee and red fruit notes that come with aged Bordeaux. Medium bodied, and even a little short on the finish, the red berry, tobacco infused finish shows a touch of herbs or green pepper that some people are going to like more than others. This needs drinking if you're sitting on any bottles. 3,273 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2016Right in the sweet spot, with its nose of cigar box, tobacco, cassis and herbs. Soft in texture, with only a hint of olive and green in the slightly dusty finish. All things considered, its a very pretty, fully mature Bordeaux that is drinking nicely as it's at its peak right now. 3,585 Views Tasted Feb 6, 2015Tobacco, smoke, earth, forest floor, blackberry, cigar box and tar aromas pop as soon as the cork is pulled. In the mouth, the wine is full bodied and filled with soft, voluptuous black cherries, cocoa, coffee and spice, The wine has turned out better than expected with onlly a hint of green and some dryness at the end of the finish. Better than Haut Brion in this challenging vintage. 6,555 Views Tasted Aug 20, 20131994 La Mission Haut Brion is fully mature. Tobacco, earth, cassis and green olive tapenade perfume, meshed with rustic tannins and a finish that is staring to dry out. 89 Pts 7,298 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1993
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1993 La Mission Haut Brion took effort to find the wine's light perfume. This medium bodied Pessac Leognan is dropping its fruit fast and needs to be drunk up sooner than later. 87 Pts 5,164 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1990
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Drinking in its prime time window, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, smoky and packed with notes of campfire embers, tar, tobacco leaf, cherries and red currants. Refined, earthy, complex and long, with a smoky, tobacco leaf, herb, earth and red fruit finish, this is ready to go. 4,083 Views Tasted Jun 18, 2021Textbook example of LMHB showing off its tobacco, cigar wrapper, leaf, smoke, cherry, cedar and tar aromatics at the drop of the hat. It is concentrated, full and offers ample depth, but there is a slight rusticity to the tannins that takes away from the tobacco-tinged, red fruit finish just a little bit. Still, this is a gorgeous wine that is showing just great today. 4,324 Views Tasted Dec 6, 2019A little bit better on the nose, with its blend of tobacco, cigar wrapper, cedar, forest notes and dark red, smoky fruits. The wine is concentrated, long and intense, but at least with this bottle, the tannins are a bit rough. Still, that is only a minor quibble, as this is showing great with just an hour or so of air. You can drink this over the next 2-3 decades. 4,752 Views Tasted May 6, 2018If you like a good, aged, Cuban Cigar, you came to the right place. With gobs of smoke, tar, cigar ash and tobacco leaf, the earthy, deep, dark, red berries really shine through. Powerful, yet refined, there is depth, length, complexity and character. Good now, and better in 10-20 years, if the bottle has been well stored. 5,548 Views Tasted May 30, 2017This is a super wine. I loved its tar, smoke, tobacco, cigar box and cassis nose. Full bodied, concentrated and lusty on the palate, the long, potent finish with all its fresh, tobacco, cassis and cherry infused charms really sticks with you. At 26, this is drinking in a great place and well stored bottles should get even better over the next few years! 5,142 Views Tasted May 5, 2016If you like refined power, intensity, complexity and a nose that haunts you with its cigar box, smoke, blackberry, cassis, campfire, tobacco and cedar character, you will be more than happy. If you're also looking for concentration, length, freshness and earthy sensations on the palate, with a finish that really delivers, you're definitely going to love this wine! It's ready for prime time drinking too. 4,814 Views Tasted Nov 9, 2015Showing its correct age, with a light, ruby tone, the nose is pure cassis, cigar box, tobacco, mint, cherry pipe tobacco and wet forest aromas. On the palate, the wine is smoky, concentrated with a strong tobacco essence, silky smooth tannins, and a fresh, clean, long, pure cherry and cassis finish. This was really showing great with just 15 minutes in the decanter. If you have a bottle, pop a cork, you'll be happy you did. 4,814 Views Tasted Jul 28, 2015The aromas remind me of a campfire, with its myriad of burning wood and smoke filled scents that are made even better by the cherry liqueur, truffle, cassis and barbecue notes. Full bodied, dense and rich, this youthful, powerful wine can age for decades. 4,960 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2014Now, we're talking my language. I like where this conversation is and I love where this conversation is going!!! This is powerful, yet refined. The nose hits you where it counts with its potent smoke, cigar box, ash, black plum, blackberry, earth and tobacco profile. Dense, thick and concentrated, everything is in balance ending with a long, intense, expansive finish. Drink this now, or age it for decades. What a wine! If you cannot afford the 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, buy this wine. It's not that different in quality. 6,064 Views Tasted Dec 17, 20131990 La Mission Haut Brion is an exciting wine. The moment your nose meets the perfume, you know something special is going on. Potent aromatics of tobacco, earth, cedar, hot stones, coconut, blackberry, cassis, tar and spice are easy to find. In the mouth, the wine feels lush, elegant and yet powerful. Balanced and in harmony, this beautiful Bordeaux wine has a long, bright future to look forward to. 97 Pts 8,801 Views Tasted Dec 19, 2012Tobacco, stone, smoke, truffle, spice, cigar box and cassis aromas lead to a full bodied, concentrated wine that is powerful, rich, tannic and still youthful. Another 5-10 years will add a lot of complexity to the cassis, spice, mineral and licorice filled finish. 8,499 Views Tasted Jul 16, 2011Served blind at Chateau La Mission Haut Brion over dinner - The wine opened with spice, truffle, tobacco, cassis, earth, roasted blackberries and freshly baked berry pie aromatics. Voluptuous in style and filled with rich layers of cassis, this stunning example of La Mission Haut Brion ends with a long, dark berry and kirsch filled sensation. 8,997 Views Tasted Jul 2, 2010With its smoke, tobacco, cassis, mineral and iron nose, this Bordeaux is a treat for the senses. This huge, youthful, concentrated wine is still filled with ripe tannins. Powerful, elegant, rich and supple, this regal style of wine ends with a long, pure, spicy, supple black fruit, filled finish. After two hours the wine continued softening and developing additional nuances. 7,026 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2009Offering a stunning, complex nose of tobacco, truffles, herbs, spice, cassis, blackberry and licorice. Very concentrated. The impressive levels of depth experienced on the palate are a pleasure to taste. Long, rich, opulent and pure, this Bordeaux wine ends with a long, pure, chocolate, cassis finish. 6,983 Views Tasted Jun 12, 20091990 La Mission Haut Brion is showing signs of positive evolution in the color and the nose. Truffle, forest floor, stones, spice, cassis and earth make up the perfume. If nature marketed a perfume, this would be it! Very powerful entry filled with dense, rich, layers of ripe, black fruit, olives, chocolate and bitter, black cherries. Very sweet and rich. As good as this is drinking today, it’s only going to get better. 96 Pts 4,151 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008Flowers, smoke, syrupy cassis and scents of hot stones grabbed your attention. Very rich and full bodied with a stellar mouth feel. The palate was caressed with flavors of over ripe black cherries, plums and other ripe dark fruits. This wine is what elegant Bordeaux is all about. The finish is long and pure. Great wine! It’s approachable, but requires 5-8 more years before hitting full maturity. 4,632 Views Tasted Apr 25, 2007This powerful, elegant, full bodied wine has an intense perfume of blackberry liqueur, spices and cigar box. Deep, rich and plush with amazing balance and character. Incredible, mouth feel and palate presence with a seamless finish. This is starting to come around, but it will easily continue evolving for 2-3 decades. 4,003 Views Tasted Jun 15, 2005 |
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1990
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully developed with its waxy lemon, lime, floral, honeysuckle and vanilla character, the wine is medium bodied, round, supple and definitely ready to drink. 3,571 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2013 |
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1989
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
There are some famous wines that never live up to their reputation. That is not the case here. Explosive does not begin to express the nose, with all of its tar, smoke, cigar wrapper, pipe tobacco, dark cherries, and plums. But as good as that is, it is the richness and layers of palate-staining fruits that build, expand and resonate for 60 seconds that own the show! 60-90 minutes in the decanter is more than ample here. Drink from 2022-2050. 3,962 Views Tasted Sep 24, 2022As good as 89 Haut Brion, or, depending on the day, it can be even better. The verdict with the group was split between the two. Still deeply colored, the wine explodes with dark red berries, charcoal, burning fireplace logs, campfire, cigar box, tobacco leaf, ash and tar scents. Full-bodied, powerful and mouth-filling, the wine starts off strong, and keeps on going, seemingly never quitting. Long, expansive, intense and seamless, this is what great wine is all about. it could age even longer than Haut Brion if well-stored! 5,715 Views Tasted Mar 25, 2021This mind-blowing wine is the real deal. There is so much going on here, words drop the ball. The smoky, black cherry, truffle, herbs, pipe tobacco and burning logs in the nose lets you know you are in store for a treat. But the palate, with its multiple layers of fruit, earth, tobacco leaf, freshness, structure, regal bearing and finish that does not want to quit is where the real action takes place! You can drink this now, an hour or 2 in the decanter is more than ample, or wait 10-15-20 more years. Either way, WOW! 5,369 Views Tasted Feb 21, 2019Spellbinding in every sense of the word. The wine is intense, concentrated and palate staining. But there is also an elegant, fresh, sensuous side to the texture that balances out the wall of power and tannins, lending a refined touch to the wine. The wine really stands out with a uniqueness of character and style. Give it 1-2 hours in the decanter, or wait another 10-20 years and as good as it is now, it's going to be mind blowing!!! 5,831 Views Tasted May 6, 2018This is what intensity is all about. Especially when it's paired with layers of deep, dark, ripe, fresh, sweet, black and dark red fruits. Add in the essence of smoke, tar, wet earth, cigar box and forest aromatics and you get the idea. The wine coats your palate and really sticks, with its flavor and complexities for at least 60 seconds! On some nights, when I am lucky enough to compare it with Haut Brion, the HB wins. On this night, the LMHB stole the show!!! Drink this now, or wait 20 years, either way, this is off the hook. 6,899 Views Tasted Nov 16, 2017Spellbinding in every sense of the word. The nose is off the charts. The wine is intense, concentrated and deep, with so much raw material, it is almost off the charts. The finish remains with you for close to 60 seconds. This is drinking really well today, but if your bottles are well stored, I suspect, this will be even better with another, 5-10 more years of bottle age! 6,681 Views Tasted Jan 3, 2017This is one rockstar of a wine! The Cuban cigar wrapper, smoke, tar, tobacco, earth and cassis aromatics get you charged up. But the wine that fills your mouth with its layers of ripe, juicy, fresh, earthy fruits is the best part of the experience. Count to 60 and this baby is still going strong! This is great today and the best is yet to come! 6,474 Views Tasted May 5, 2016The perfume is intense with its essence of tar, tobacco, campfire, smoke, cassis and tobacco elements. The wine is a flawless example of power paired with grace. This stunner is still young. It's instructive and as well as enjoyable to pop a cork today. But if you only have a few bottles, why not wait a while, as this is only going to get better and better for decades! 7,962 Views Tasted Aug 25, 2015Powerful, young, mouthfilling, long, intense and complex, even with all the secondary notes of smoke, cigar box, tobacco, tar and cassis, it's amazing how young, fresh and vibrant this is. 7,425 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2014Tasting from correct examples of famous bottles is a dream come true for wine lovers. This bottle really delivered the goods in spades. Cherry pipe tobacco, tar, earth, earth, blackberry, spice, leather and liqueur scents created a perfume you could not stop smelling. The show really hit the road once the wine hit your palate with its depth, length and intensity. There is a beautiful sense of balance and purity at play in this wine. You can drink this now, or in 50 years. If you have the money, this is the real deal. 10,223 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2013I cannot think of many wines with this many consistent showings. The wine is the complete package with its stunning, smoke, tar, forest, dark cherry, tobacco and cigar box aromas, dense levels of concentration, structure, balance and length. Still young, this could easily age for more 50 years! 10,011 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2013There are times when 1989 Haut Brion is better than 1989 La Mission Haut Brion. There are other occasions when the La Mission is the better of the pair. On this night, 1989 La Mission Haut Brion was beyond perfection. In the palate, the wine coats your mouth, teeth and gums with layer after layer of powerful, dark, spicy, smoky fruits. The perfume changes with each swirl and sniff. The finish seems longer than 60 seconds. Power, intensity, richness, concentration and tannins are in abundance. Still youthful, give it at least another decade and your grandchildren can enjoy it for another 50 years, or more! 10,825 Views Tasted Sep 3, 2013It took three hours before the wine hit the right spot and exploded with tobacco, iron, earth, cigar box, cassis, blackberry, wet earth, smoke and cherries. With incredible concentration, power, tannin and length, everything is there for a wine that will develop for decades. This is bigger than 1989 Haut Brion, but with a little less finesse. The finish must have remained for at least 50 seconds! If you have a case, try one. If you only have a few bottles, if you can wait another decade, or two, you'll have one of life's great wine tasting experiences! Shared with dad over dinner, what a great wine and an even better memory. And isn't that what wine is for? 8,433 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2013La Mission Haut Brion Intense smokey aromas complicated by scents of hot stone, tobacco, cassis, blackberry, truffle, earth and spice. Full bodied, concentrated and powerful, with layers of ripe, juicy dark berries, the wine remains in your mouth for close to 60 seconds! At 21 years of age, this compelling Pessac Leognan is still young. While it offers an intense experience today, it's only going to get better with more time. 14,104 Views Tasted May 26, 20111989 La Mission Haut Brion opens with a powerful nose, filled with scents of fresh coffee bean, blackberry, cassis, spice, strawberry, smoke, minerality and earth. Massive, deep and stuffed with layers of ripe, rich, fruit with intense purity. The long finish is balanced and close to seamless. The wine could use a few mores of bottle age to soften the tannins and add more complexity. 98 Pts 14,261 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010Served blind at Chateau La Mission Haut Brion over dinner - Cigar, ash, minerals, earth, cassis, tar, leather black fruit, hot stones and freshly ground coffee beans open up the aromatic fireworks. This dense elixir is packed and stacked with layers of rich, intense, ripe dark fruit. The tannins feel ripe. But this wine is tannic and requires more bottle age than Haut Brion. The wine finishes with an intense display of ripe, spicy black fruit, cassis and fresh dark cherries. 15,586 Views Tasted Jul 2, 2010Cassis, tobacco, chocolate, plums, smoke, and licorice with dark berry aromatics are all over the place. Full bodied with intense levels of concentration, this is one of those rare thrill a sip wines. Dense, opulent, rich, and fat, this wine tastes great, pouring over every inch, every nook and cranny, of your mouth. The seamless finish goes on and on with an endless array of palate pleasing, sensations. Still young, it will get better over the next several decades. 14,415 Views Tasted Jun 18, 20091989 La Mission Haut Brion is rock star wine! Make no bones about it. This is the real deal. The deep ruby color shows little signs of age. Spice box aromatics with earth, mocha, chocolate, coffee, smoke and tobacco fill the room. The palate experiences an orgasm as the orgy of ripe fruit dances all over your senses. And endless sea of ripe cherry, black fruit and spice are truly something to experience. This tastes much younger than you might think as it’s almost 20 years old. This is compelling wine! This is what great wine is all about. The scary thing is, the best is yet to come. 100 Pts 12,962 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008Perhaps more concentrated than the Haut Brion, but it was not as balanced, elegant or assimilated. Still it was a great wine, but on that night, as a matter of style, I preferred the Haut Brion. 6,679 Views Tasted Feb 17, 2007Inky, blackberry, chocolate, mineral, tobacco, smoke and earthy scents slam your senses. Huge, tannic, rich, large scaled flavors are almost too much of a good thing. I said almost. This is what great Bordeaux is all about! 8,208 Views Tasted Mar 15, 2006This offers a beautiful perfume of herbs, minerals, licorice and BBQ smoke. Thick, dense and full bodied and filled with ripe fruit. 6,894 Views Tasted Mar 20, 2005 |
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1989
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
The best bottle of this wine I've ever tasted kicked out with an array of secondary aromatics, butterscotch, popcorn, candied lemon peel, butter and lemon wax. Full bodied, fleshy, luscious citrus stuck with you in the finish. The wine continued evolving in the glass. 4,488 Views Tasted Jun 5, 20161989 Laville Haut Brion opened with a perfume of lemon wax, fresh cut grass, citrus oil and bees wax. Soft textures were made better with a vanilla, orange and lemon finish. Fully mature, I would not hold this wine for further development. 92 Pts 4,360 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010Vanilla, waxy flowers and citrus on the nose. Sweet from ripe fruit, but the slightly tart and short finish was not appealing 3,329 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2006 |
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1988
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Better on the nose, with its array of smoke, tar, wet earth, cedar, cassis, tobacco and cherry tones, than on the full bodied palate, which is on the strict, old school, stern side of the style range. Time can heal, but it won't fix everything here. At 30 years of age, it is what it is. 4,792 Views Tasted Mar 23, 201888 La Mission Haut Brion took coaxing to bring out the cedar, earth, tobacco, cassis and olive aromatics. The soft textured wine shows a hint of green in the finish. This wine is fully mature. 90 Pts 7,143 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1987
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fading, but still holding on to its citrus, pear and tropical fruits, you also find a liberal dose of honeysuckle and stone. Medium bodied, and on its way to being even lighter, as it continues dropping fruit and increasing its acidities. Drink up. 2,611 Views Tasted Apr 22, 2017 |
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1986
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Better on the nose, with its campfire, tobacco leaf, cigar box, soy and earthy, bright red berries, than on the tannic, strict, full-bodied, palate. Give it a few hours in the decanter, or wait another decade, hoping it will further soften. 4,180 Views Tasted Dec 1, 20181986 La Mission Haut Brion is filled with smoke, tobacco, cassis and cherry. This austere, chunky styled wine ends with a cassis and cherry finish. Drink up. 90 Pts 9,474 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1985
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Better on the nose, with its smoky, vanilla, butterscotch and lemony freshness, than on the palate, which while it showed density and a citrus character, it was a little listless in the finish. This bottle was good, but not great and definitely not worth the money. FWIW, I have tasted better examples of this in the past. 4,480 Views Tasted Jun 5, 20161985 Laville Haut Brion Blanc offered a beautiful, complex perfume filled with honey, floral, mineral, vanilla, citrus rind and lemon. Round, voluptuous and plush, this fully mature, white Bordeaux wine ends with a fresh, zesty, lemon finish. 5,233 Views Tasted Aug 14, 2012Very lemon waxy with elements of fresh cut grass and ripe fruit. Thick, dense flavors and a long, sweet, citrus filled finish. 3,182 Views Tasted Jul 15, 2007 |
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1985
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
With a rustic leaning on the style scale, the wine offers cassis, tobacco, smoke, earth, forest floor, leaf and cigar box aromatics. This is fully mature. There is no reason to hold this any longer. 6,279 Views Tasted May 3, 2012 |
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1984
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
"Who's knocking at my doo"r said the 1984 Laville Haut Brion Blanc... It's death. There was a glimmer of fruit remaining, but that was hard to find. The wine was maderized. My advice, don't buy this for a birth year wine. 3,695 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2013 |
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1983
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, the fresh lemon peel, vanilla, spice, orange and stone nose gets things off to a good start. Almost lush in texture, the sweet, ripe citrus in the finish keeps things interesting. There is no reason to age this any longer. 4,571 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016Light gold with straw in color, notes of lemon, apricot and honeysuckle dominated the perfume. Light on the palate, some bitterness was found in the citrus and apricot finish. This wine is well past its prime. Drink up. 5,598 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2012 |
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1983
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1983 La Mission Haut Brion offers leafy, cherry pipe tobacco, smoke and earthy aromatics. The wine displayed hints of green flavors with tart fruit in the soft textured finish. It's time to drink up. 87 Pts 5,235 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1982
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
A stunning tasting experience that kicks off with a smoke-drenched perfume made even better by its tobacco leaf, wild cherry, tar, cherry, currant, herb and array of spices. Full, deep, concentrated, regal and intense, this is drinking great today. Drink from 2023-2047. 3,394 Views Tasted Sep 5, 2023Served blind, this mind-blowing elixir has it all. The intoxicating perfume spoils you with its smoke, tobacco, tar, cigar ash, forest leaf, and red currant nuances. There is intensity, richness, depth, and concentration, along with layers of deep, red, earthy, tobacco, and smoke-stained fruits that do not want to quit. The seamless, palate-staining finish goes on for more than 60 seconds. Drink from 2022-2040. 4,184 Views Tasted Aug 9, 2022This bottle was compelling from start to finish. The tobacco, smoke, cigar box, ash, tar and fireplace notes that joined the earthy, leafy, red fruits on the nose rocked it. But the palate, with its levels of mouth-filling depth, length, richness and fruit killed it. This is what great wine is all about. At close to 40 years of age, there is no need to age this any longer. I am sure there is another 2 decades of show left here, but why wait? 5,203 Views Tasted Jan 17, 2021This is about as good as any wine I am going to taste this year. Splash decanted, it took only sip to know, I was not in Kansas anymore. Full-bodied, with intensity, concentration, palate filling levels of fruit and surreal textures, everything about this gem hit the spot! Long, expansive and mouth-filling, the finish kept on going long after the wine went where it was supposed to go. This is at peak, but I am sure well-stored examples should remain at this extrodinary level for at least 2 decades. 4,405 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2020Showing at close to its peak, this stunner remains powerful, majestic, rich, full-bodied, concentrated and complex. The sublime smoke-filled aromatics with nuances of mesquite, tobacco. cigar wrapper, cedar and roasted cherries hits the spot. The palate is bathed in the smoky red fruits with spice and tobacco leaf accents. This is one of the great wines from La Mission Haut Brion that if you have not experienced it, find a friend with a bottle and offer to take them to dinner, because you need to taste this at least once in your life. 4,638 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2020Intensely smoky, with wild cherry, burning cigar wrapper and gravelly scents, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, meaty, regal and lively. This has entered the mature drinking zone, the powerful, refined, mouth-feel and the sweet and tart, red berry finish is the final kicker here. I am sure there is at least 25 or more years of great drinking in this beauty! 4,155 Views Tasted Feb 9, 2019WOW! Just the visuals of this wine in the glass lets you know, you are in for a treat. Mind boggling intensity, concentration and depth of raw materials are at play here. The fruit takes over your palate and stays there for a full 60 seconds. The aromatics combine wet earth, smoke, tar and notes of an unlit Behike cigar. I know this because I had one handy and was trying to show my girlfriend what cigar wrapper scents were like, and I grabbed the best example I could find. The tannins and there, but with fully polished edges. This is what great, aged Bordeaux is all about. 6,997 Views Tasted Oct 5, 2018Always a thrill to taste, with its smoke, cigar box, tobacco, thyme, cassis and blackberry nose. Full bodied, concentrated, rich and loaded with fruit and character, this just keeps getting better and better. You can feel free to pop a cork on this beauty now, or wait a few more decades. 5,250 Views Tasted Feb 5, 2017Compelling, powerful, intense, concentrated, long and mouth filling, the smoky, tobacco, truffle, burning campfire, cigar box, blackberry and cassis characteristics remain with you from start to the seemingly endless finish. This example was still youthful, although as you can see, it clearly offers a sublime experience today. As you might expect with bottles that are close to 35 years of age, there will be bottle variation. This note was for the better bottle. 6,708 Views Tasted Jan 14, 2016A perfect bottle of a perfect wine! There was so much fruit, you could eat it with a spoon. But not just any fruit, the berries were incredibly ripe, fresh, energetic and sweet. The nose was all about the smoke, tobacco, cigar box and burning camp fire embers which were surrounded with an endless array of blackberries, plum and cassis. Deep, plush, polished and long, this is the perfect example of refined, elegant power and purity, 7,771 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2014Stunning in every way! The nose screams its tarry, tobacco laden essence, the berries seem like they were smoked before vinification. The tannins have softened, the flavors have gained in complexity and the palate sensations have expanded. 7,844 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2014Cigar box, tobacco, smoke, ash, tar and dark red berries make a great perfume. But with this bottle, the fruit was on the tart side with cranberry leaning with some rusticity in the finish. Clearly, this was not a correct bottle as I’ve had much better tastings of this potentially perfect wine. It's worth paying for paying in time or money for provenance. 5,771 Views Tasted Dec 10, 2013There are great bottles, and there are amazing wines. When you get lucky and both those qualities hit with a legendary bottle, you are in for a stunning tasting experience. From the moment the wine hit the glass and released its smoky, tobacco, black fruit and earthy aromas, I knew I was in for something special. Layer after layer of intense, ripe, earthy fruits and sweet tannins coated my palate with flavor that must have gone on for 60 seconds! Thank God the dinner lasted 3 hours which allowed us to watch the bottle develop. Drink this now, or wait 20 years, this is the real deal... 8,519 Views Tasted Nov 19, 2013Sublime! I could spend the morning telling you about the truffle, smoke, tar, tobacco, blackberry, black cherry, earthy fruits, or the rich, concentrated texture, the palate coating finish, and the power of the wine, but I think I'll stick with sublime. As good as this is, it's only going to get better with time too! 7,359 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2013Tar, cassis, black cherry, cedar wood, Cuban Cigar wrapper, truffle, slate and charcoal scents created a potent perfume. On the palate, the wine is dense, powerful, rich and concentrated with layers of ripe, sweet berries, ending in a finish of licorice, black cherry, herbs and spice, that must last at least 50 seconds. At 31 years of age, this is still young! 8,056 Views Tasted Mar 16, 2013Smoke, tobacco, cherry pipe tobacco, tar, earth, truffle and stones make up the perfume. Full bodied and packed with cassis, black berries and spice, this tannic wine requires time before full maturity. This was not a perfect example of this often stellar wine. I've tasted much better bottles on different occasions. Provenance is worth paying for. 10,833 Views Tasted Jul 16, 20111982 La Mission Haut Brion explodes from the glass with an complex array of aromas including tobacco leaf, spice, leather, tar, cassis, truffle and fresh earth. This dense, powerful, masculine wine is graceful, elegant and complex. The finish fills the mouth with a purity of fruit that is seldom seen in a wine. Still young, this wine will age for decades. 100 Pts 16,157 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2010This Bordeaux wine is filled with smoke, tobacco, earth, tar and minerals. In the mouth, this juicy, large boned, structured wine is massive. The powerful wine ends with black cherry and dark berries. Still young, this wine needs time for the tannins to resolve. I’ve had better bottles of this potentially magical wine. This bottle, while good, was not at the level of greatness normally found. It was a bit reserved. 12,092 Views Tasted Jul 29, 2010Tobacco, spice, earthy, tar, leather and hot brick aromatics with hints of licorice make up the aromatics. Soft, silky and perfectly balanced, this sophisticated wine was sadly, not a perfect bottle. The color was a little light and the wine lacked the levels of concentration found in the best bottles. While this was a good experience, it did not deliever the thrills discovered in the best bottles. 10,865 Views Tasted Nov 15, 2009This wine shot off all the bells and whistles anyone could want in a wine. This wine makes the blind see, the deaf hear and can be used at revivals to help the wheelchair bound walk again! This was off the charts. If the scale ran over 100, this bottle would bust the triple digit mark. The perfume was intoxicating. Very rich, deep, concentrated and complex. The non stop layers of flavors and sensations that cascade over your palate like water at Niagara Falls is something that has to be tasted to be believed. The seamless finish lasted over a minute, I timed it! Absolutely incredible. If anyone doubts this wine is equal to, or better than the more famous and expensive Haut Brion, they need to taste it. This was a mind blowing wine! Still young, this sublime elixir can be tasted today for its incredible richness, but another decade will do magical things. 100 Pts 12,029 Views Tasted Nov 22, 2008An earthy, truffle, smoke and black fruit perfume was compelling. The palate texture that was a thing of beauty. Could a wine get better than this? 8,801 Views Tasted Dec 10, 2007Smokey aromatics with olives, black fruits, tobacco and cassis please the senses. This wine has such a beautiful mouth feel. It’s very sexy with its layers of silky, concentrated fruit. Does Bordeaux get much better? Does any wine get better? 7,201 Views Tasted Mar 20, 2005The smoke filled nose with minerals, herbs and mountains f ripe fruit accented by coffee, toffee and mocha with lightly toasted bread needs to be experienced. Off the charts! But the party doesn’t stop there. The palate experiences endless layers of rich, deep, ripe, concentrated and complex juicy fruit. 7,401 Views Tasted Feb 17, 2005Complex aromatics filled with truffle, tobacco, smoke, leather, cassis, plums and forest floor. Concentrated, deep and lush with round, silky tannins, freshness and complete harmony. The long seamless finish remains in your mouth for over a minute. 6,731 Views Tasted Jan 10, 2005Young, very concentrated, highly extracted juice with a beautiful smoky nose. Your palate is completely drenched in flavor in every sip. Everything is in balance with this stunning wine. 6,841 Views Tasted Oct 21, 2003 |
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1982
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Much better than the previous bottle, the nose was packed with bees wax, lemon grass, honeysuckle, burnt orange rind, and marmalade. Opulent, fresh, honeyed and intense, this is showing fabulous on its 40th birthday. 2,091 Views Tasted Sep 24, 20221982 Laville Haut Brion seemed old, tired and past its prime. Light in aromatics with muted flavors. This wine has started dropping its fruit. 4,620 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1981
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1981 La Mission Haut Brion offers tobacco, truffle, earth and smoky cassis scents, Soft, supple and fully mature, the wine finishes with light black cherry and cassis flavors. This will not improve. Drink up. 90 Pts 6,743 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2010 |
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1979
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
A lot of green going on here on the nose and palate. The perfume, with its array of tobaccos, leaves, herbs and earth is the best part of the wine, which is a bit stern and drying out in the finish. If you have this in your cellar, it is time to drink up. 4,364 Views Tasted Oct 18, 2021Pleasant, without much depth, complexity or length, the wine is more about its earthy, tobacco and cedar secondary characteristics today, as it continues its slow decline. If you are sitting on this, you should consider drinking this sooner than later before it drops the remainder of its fruit. 4,054 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2020Smoky, earthy, intense tobacco, forest floor and fresh, cherries, slightly rustic tannins, fresh, but fading dark red fruits. 6,327 Views Tasted Oct 6, 20141979 La Mission Haut Brion sports cherry pipe tobacco scents with hints of forest floor and mushroom. Light in style, this elegant, soft wine ends with cherry flavors and a hint of tartness. This wine needs to be drunk up. 89 Pts 6,512 Views Tasted Dec 18, 20121979 La Mission Haut Brion started with a smoke and filled nose with caramel tomato, cassis and earthy aromas. Soft, short and ending with a hint of tart, cassis flavors, this wine needs to drunk up. 5,102 Views Tasted Sep 14, 2010 |
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1979
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, with a floral, spice, sweet Meyer lemon, Mandarin orange nose. The wine has soft textures and a medium bodied finish, with a kiss of honey on top of the citrus in the end note that adds additional character. 3,112 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016 |
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1978
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This was what classic Bordeaux is about, with all its leafy notes, cedar wood, cassis and spicy red fruits. But the tannins are tough, almost austere and the tartness, coupled with the greenery in the finish detract from the wonderful, aromatics and length. 4,226 Views Tasted Nov 16, 2017The nose is clearly stunning, with its Cuban cigar, tobacco, smoke, earth and cassis character. But the fruit is starting to fade, as the sweetness is no longer evident. There is a rusticity to the tannins in the tapenade, tobacco and cassis finish that lacks elegance. This is a good example of an old school, Bordeaux with its best days having already gone by. 7,337 Views Tasted Jul 10, 2015Cigar box, ash, tobacco, smoke, tar and creme de cassis are easy to find in the aromatics. Full bodied and with rustic tannins, this old school style of Pessac Leognan shows some green flavors in the cassis filled finish. Drink up as this is not going to improve. 5,021 Views Tasted Jul 16, 20111978 La Mission Haut Brion is stuffed with smoky cherries, tobacco, minerality, truffle, tar, blackberry and earthy scents. But the wine is not as good as it was 2 years ago, and at that time, it was not as good as it was a few years before that. Ther is still ample pleasure to be found in this fully mature wine, but it’s not a wine to hold for further evolution as its slowly drying out. 92 Pts 5,597 Views Tasted Dec 18, 20101978 La Mission Haut Brion, while good, suffered when showed with the other, mature vintages. Mature color with aromas of chocolate, herbs, spices and strawberry. Fully mature with good concentration, but the plum filled, finish showed a hint of greenness, ending on a pleasant, earthy, tobacco note. Fully mature, there is no reason to hold this wine hoping for further development. 92 Pts 5,543 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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1978
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Clearly fading. Not much fruit of interest going on here. The was simply, simple, lacking in intensity and complexity. Drinkable, but if there was another choice available, I'd prefer the other bottle. 1,935 Views Tasted Apr 30, 2017 |
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1975
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Clearly better on the nose than the palate, aromatically you find a display of tobaccos, cigar box, smoke, cedar, green leafy herbs, cedar, and red currants. Full-bodied, powerful, and intense, the wine remains firm with a rustic edge to the tannins from start to finish. This is probably a modern-day example of 1928. At least that's my guess. I would really like to find out one day. 3,321 Views Tasted Dec 6, 2021I do not get the reverence this wine holds with many collectors. Perhaps it's that it was at one time scored 100 Pts by Parker. But I am not seeing it. Powerful, big, concentrated and still tannic at over 40 years of age, I suppose that is saying something. But the tannins are hard, rustic, firm and a bit drying. The nose and its power are the best parts of the wine. Either lay this down for another 10-20 years, decant 4-6 hours, or, unless this is your style of wine, sell it. 2,844 Views Tasted Sep 14, 2016Young, but not immature, this is what old school, classic Bordeaux is all about. The tannins are still there, but there is a wealth of fruit that fills your mouth and palate. Stylistically, it is a very beefy, masculine, tannic wine with a hard spine. It's amazing to think that at close to 40 years of age, another 5 years are going to add the wine, but if the bottle is well stored, those 5 more years will make this even better. Kind of makes you feel sorry for anyone buying this as a future. 5,066 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2014This is a very good wine. But it's not one of the best wines from La Misison Haut Brion. The nose, with its smoke, truffle, tobacco, cigar box, dark cherry and spicy aroma primes your pump. But the tough, stern, austere nature of the wine on your palate lacks the same charm as the nose. Perhaps this is a classic Bordeaux lovers dream. It's a good wine. I can see the quality. But the style is not for everyone. I have a few bottles remaining. Perhaps I'll pop another when the wine hits 50. 5,781 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2013La Mission Haut Brion An array of ripe and overripe fruits, smoke, truffle, cedar, forest floor, jam and cigar box scents capture your attention. Full bodied, powerful and still tannic, the wine offers a wall of fruit, but the equally powerful, rustic tannins gives the wine a masculine, brawny, personality that will not go away regardless of how much age the wine receives. Perhaps this is a modern day version of 1928 Bordeaux and the wine needs another 30 years in the bottle. But who has that much patience or time? 4,824 Views Tasted May 3, 20121975 La Mission Haut Brion opens with a hint of volatile acidity along with smoke, forest floor, earth, dark cherry, cassis and cedar wood aromas. Huge is an apt descriptor. The levels of tannin that remain are troubling. There is no doubting the quality of the wine. But the levels of tannin and their rustic personality detract from what would otherwise be a sensational tasting experience. 96 Pts 5,466 Views Tasted Dec 22, 20101975 La Mission Haut Brion remains a brute. Very powerful, concentrated, but tannic, showing an old school, toughness to the character. With more air, the wine opened, revealing a tarry, tobacco and spice filled nose. Very concentrated, tannic and intense. At close to 35 years of age, it demands another decade of bottle age before it becomes civilized. I pity the people who bought this on release hoping they could drink it while either they or the wine were young. 95 Pts 5,230 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008If you’re looking for elegance, don’t stop here. But if you want to experience a packed and stacked bottle of old school Bordeaux, with an austere style, you came to the right place. The wine is filled with deep, layers of fruit that take over every nook and cranny of your palate. Tobacco, earth, wet forest aromas with olives, herbs and the smell of a hot brick oven need to be experienced to believed. This is a huge, tannic, masculine, concentrated and extracted style of wine. 4,487 Views Tasted Mar 20, 2005 |
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1971
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Brick and ruby in color, tobacco, olives, herbs, green leaf, cassis and cranberry aromas create the perfume. Medium bodied with rustic textures and a dry, tart, red berry finish. Drink up as this will only get worse. 4,993 Views Tasted Mar 7, 2012 |
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1970
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The color was deep. The aromaticswere complex. But the finish was short and tart. This brawny styled wine was better on the nose than palate. It probably offered more pleasure 5 years ago. Nothing lasts forever, especially wine. 5,485 Views Tasted Nov 12, 2006 |
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1966
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Served double blind, it was impossible for anyone at the table to believe this was 50 years old! Deep yellow in color, with a crushed rock, vanilla, marzipan, citrus, butterscotch, popcorn and lemon liqueur nose, it was hard to put the glass down. Rich, almost oily in texture, with ample freshness, the finish did not seem to quit, as it remained with you for at least 40 seconds! The wine did not lose its fruit in the glass during the dinner. 2,423 Views Tasted Aug 6, 2016Absolutely stunning in every way. With a few short years to go before this wine hits its 50th birthday, the golden hued beauty was butterscotch, popcorn, butter, caramel and citrus peel, Smooth as silk, the finish reminded me of a fresh vanilla custard. 3,362 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2013 |
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1966
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Fully mature, perfectly aged claret, with a focus on its smoky, tobacco and cherry aromatics, over the light cherry, pipe tobacco palate presence. Drink up. 3,750 Views Tasted May 5, 2016Medium bodied, elegant, soft and incredibly smoky, the wine reminded of walking into a cigar store. Toss in fresh, sweet cherries and spill wet, earth on the floor and you get an idea of what this wine charmer is like. This is not going to improve. This bottle was probably better than most examples as I purchased it from the original owner. Not decanted. My guess is, the wine was better years ago. If you have a bottle, pop that cork. 3,459 Views Tasted Dec 14, 2015Earthy, forest notes, black fruit and complex spices made a beautiful perfume. But, the finish to me was short and light. 6,810 Views Tasted Mar 20, 2005 |
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1964
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
A very solid bottle of this wine served up smoky, licorice, blackberry and earthy tasting experience that alternated between red and black flavors. Medium bodied and fully mature, there is no good reason to age this wine any longer. 4,438 Views Tasted May 8, 2014With a perfume blending black cherries, cassis, spice, earth, cigar box, tar and truffle scents, this old school wine has some rough edges to the texture. While it shows slightly more depth than the 1964 Haut Brion, the wine is not going to improve. Drink up. 3,893 Views Tasted Oct 28, 2012With its tar, spice, cassis, forest floor and tobacco notes, it was easy to see this wine was fully mature. 64 LMHB is slightly austere in character, although that did not stop its ample , smoky, leather and tar charms from coming through. The wine ended with cassis, earth and dark cherries. 3,868 Views Tasted Jun 22, 2010 |
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1961
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Tobacco, smoke, citrus, hot stones, tar, leather, herbs, red berries, and hint of citrus crowd into the nose. On the palate, the wine is even better with its power, intensity, vibrancy, and depth, finishing with bright, red fruits, truffle, tar, smoke, and cedar. Drink from 2024-2045. 1,789 Views Tasted Apr 2, 2024Heart-stopping in every sense of the word, this is off the hook in every sense of the word from start to finish. The intensity, length, power, and vibrancy, along with complexity, mouth-filling levels of earthy, smoked fruits, and a finish that wants to hang as long as you do is all there in spades. If you have Elon Musk over for dinner and he wants to know what wine to bring, this is the wine to ask for. 3,405 Views Tasted Apr 6, 2022Packed with enough tobacco wrapper to start a cigar store, the wine opened with strong tobacco leaf, cigar box, smoke, tar, leather, cedar and red currants. Full-bodied, earth, rich and concentrated, the finish is leafy, and equally, tobacco infused with red fruits. While clearly stunning, this was perhaps slightly less clean than the best examples I have tasted. 3,382 Views Tasted Jun 18, 2021Clearly, this belongs in the Wine Hall Of Fame! Beyond perfect, if such a thing exists, the nose, with its smoke, campfire, tar, leather, tobacco leaf, tobacco smoke, cigar box and forest floor nuances all serve to back up the ripe, juicy, cassis notes. Full-bodied, dense, powerful and equally regal and refined in character, the intensity here borders on surreal. The finish crosses over the 60-second mark and keeps on going! At that point I am sure I was heard say, "Please sir, can I have some more?" 4,696 Views Tasted Feb 3, 2020If the scale went to 101, I would go there without hesitation for his stunner. This particular bottle was off the charts! There is so much concentration here, in its youth you could have waffled between sipping it or eating all the delicious, spicy, fresh, sweet, pure, smoky fruits. The years have been good here, adding so many complexities and nuances that as soon as you think you have found them all, another wave of fruit and sensations hits your palate and you discover new things in this wine. The finish coats your mouth and palate and stays there for more than 60 seconds. This was simply mind-blowing! It is harder and harder to taste these older gems as they age, are drunk up and perforce become more expensive, I am always surprised and grateful when I get to taste another of these unicorn wines. 3,340 Views Tasted Feb 4, 2019Still showing good depth of color, the wine opens with smoke, tobacco, cigar wrapper, mint, cherry, spearmint, cedar wood and cassis scents. Big, potent, concentrated and intense, there is length, volume, complexity and character, with a masculine leaning that you cannot miss. 4,117 Views Tasted Oct 15, 2015Once again, the no great wines, only great bottle rules proves itself accurate and true. With a smoke, earth, spice and tobacco filled nose, the wine lacked the fruit, concentration, complexity, length and definition this should deliver. Clearly, this was this specific bottle and not the wine, as I've tasted great examples of this in the past. This was either damaged or fake. Such is life. 3,529 Views Tasted May 9, 20141961 La Mission Haut Brion is filled with smoke, cigar box, minerality, leather, tar, ash, blackberry and floral aromas. This mouth filling, rich, suave, polished wine is concentrated with black cherry and spicy, smoke filled blackberries. The wine coats your mouth with intensity and rich, round sensations. This bottle was not at the extraordinary level as the 1961 Haut Brion served the night before. But it's not that far from it either. 97 Pts 6,720 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2010 |
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1961
Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Léognan)
Tasting and looking at least 20 years younger than its true age, this fountain of youth was showing its fresh citrus, lemon peel and honeysuckle with ease. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, with a hint of honeyed sweetness in the citrus filled finish. Perhaps not as complex as other older vintages of Laville I've encountered, but this made up for that with its youthfulness. 2,789 Views Tasted Mar 26, 2017 |
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1959
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Compelling, riveting and just about perfect in every way. The wine combines power, sensuality, refined, soft tannins with an opulent nature. Here you find a cornucopia of secondary notes and a mouth-filling blast of ripe, sweet, earthy, smoky cassis and cigar wrapper seems to go on forever. Hang on to your best vintages of LMHB and as you can see, you will be amply rewarded. 5,037 Views Tasted Feb 3, 2020One of my wines of the year! OK, make that of the past few years! The nose, with its smoke, tobacco, Cuban cigar wrapper, campfire, cassis and blackberry was profound. But the volume of the wine on the palate grabs you where need to be grabbed and it keeps you right there. The finish, with its earthy, smoky essence on top of all that fruit, sticks with you for at least 60 seconds! 5,164 Views Tasted Dec 17, 2017With the patina of age, the exotic textures make an impression that adds to the complex set of smoke, tar, cigar box, truffle and burning campfire notes. Fully mature, this was very, very good But, perhaps there are better bottles out there that are even stronger. It's not a wine I get to taste much these days. 3,873 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2014 |
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1957
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Leaning to the tart, bright, fresh side of the red berry range, the wine offered an earthy, woodburning nose with cedar, tobacco leaf and herbs that paired perfectly with the piquant, cherry and cranberry notes. Not very concentrated, but the crisp red berry fruits, with a hint of tartness, were still hanging on. 2,146 Views Tasted Feb 4, 2019 |
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1955
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
The smoke, leather, tar, tobacco, campfire ember and earthy, stony red fruit nose is impossible to ignore. And yet, when the wine hits your palate, it makes you forget all about it. Waves of fruit, spice, tobacco wrapper and more red fruit stick with you for over 60 seconds. This is greatness in wine. 4,547 Views Tasted Feb 3, 2020An easy candidate for wine of the year. This is everything you dream about in a great wine, with room to spare. Once past the smoky, cigar store aromatics, the richness of the fruit, matched with its length and purity are really the stuff dreams are made of. Ridiculously expensive, but if you just won the lottery, or have wealthy friends, this bottle should be on your wishlist! 4,879 Views Tasted Nov 5, 2016The nose, with its array of smoke, tobacco, cigar box, cassis, truffle, dark chocolate, cherry, barbecue, and sweet plum scents is unreal. As good as that was, the incredibly polished, silky, rich, opulent, velvet drenched textures stole the show. At 60 years of age, this amazing wine remains vibrant and alive, with a smoky, fruit filled finished that does not want to quit. Served double blind, I was sure it was 1961 Haut Brion. Who knows, this is that good and it could even be better! I might never see this again, but the memory is going to stick with me for the rest of my wine drinking days. Few wines deserve 100 Pts. There are even less wines that demand their own scale as they want to expand the range to 101 Pts. 1955 La Mission Haut Brion screams for a new scale, it's that good! 5,636 Views Tasted Aug 22, 2015 |
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1953
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Powerful, chunky, and with a strong lean to its secondary side with all of its smoke, burnt wood, herbs, wet earth, spice, mushroom, and red currants. The almost rustic finish is chewy, classic, and delicious. Drink from 2023-2025. 2,101 Views Tasted Sep 27, 2023Just a beauty, that is if you are like me and seeking a mouthful of ripe, juicy cherries meshed with aged Cuban cigars. Medium-bodied, finesse driven with leather, tar and tobacco from start to finish, this is a wine worth seeking out. 3,039 Views Tasted Aug 16, 2019 |
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1952
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Initially, the nose was off-putting, but after a few minutes that passed allowing all the tobacco, burnt wood, smoke, tar, leather, cigar box, tobacco leaf, and dried red berries to show their stuff. Chewy, slightly rustic, and loaded with charm, the finish was all about its tobacco-infused, cherry and cranberry endnote. Drink from 2023-2028. 1,671 Views Tasted Nov 15, 2023This is all about the smoke, tobacco, burning embers, cigar wrapper and wet earth. There is length, complexity and lots of life going on. 2,398 Views Tasted Sep 5, 2018 |
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1950
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
When entering this note, I was shocked to discover I have actually tasted this elder vintage before, although to be fair it was almost 15 years and more than 20,000 wines ago. Similar to the last time I tasted it, the best part of the wine is the complex nose, with its smoke-filled, campfire ember, cherry, wet earth and cigar box notes. Soft on the palate, medium bodied, and with freshness, but not enough length. 2,881 Views Tasted Feb 4, 2019Smoky, mineral characteristics along with leather, tar and black fruit. Offering good concentration with plumy notes. However, after 15 minutes, it quickly faded in the glass. But those first few minutes were very, very enjoyable. 4,556 Views Tasted Feb 17, 2005 |
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1947
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Not a wine I thought I would ever see, this bottle was marred by more VA than I could handle. The fruit was ripe, there was volume, but the volatile acidity was over the top. 2,293 Views Tasted Aug 16, 2019 |
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1945
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
1945 La Mission Haut Brion from Magnum… This was my first time with this legendary wine. OMG, that’s “Oh My God”, is the best descriptor I can fathom. This wine was so fragrant, just popping the bottle would fill a room with its aromatics. Earthy, truffle, forest floor, spice, tobacco, fresh herbs, coffee and smoke do not begin to describe what you can find in this wine. Incredible layers of concentrated fruit that is ripe, fat and rich, further complicated with decades of age excite your senses. Chocolate, raspberry, cherry, strawberry, licorice, leather and coffee linger on your palate over sixty seconds while your remaining senses catch up to get in on the party. The wine offers an intense purity of fruit that is difficult to find, especially after 60 years of age 9,407 Views Tasted Oct 20, 2008 |
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1940
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
This was all about the smoke, tar, tobacco, cigar box, ash, earth, gravel and forest scents in the aromatics. That being said, for a war year wine, it was quite good. There was still some light, spicy red berries to be found on the palate. Fading, but fine, it was a treat to taste. 3,567 Views Tasted May 21, 2013 |
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1918
Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Much better on the earthy, leafy, tobacco and smoke filled nose, with its hints of drying red fruits than on the fading, mostly tart, red berry palate. Still, it was a taste of history I am not going to forget. 1,745 Views Tasted Feb 4, 2019 |
