En savoir plus sur Château La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Léognan, guide des vins

Prenez toute la puissance que La Mission Haut Brion peut utiliser, ajoutez l’élégance, la fraîcheur, la pureté et la complexité que vous obtenez dans les vagues, et vous avez une idée de ce à quoi s’attendre de votre verre. Il y a de la pureté du fruit avec un profil de fumée naturelle, de feuille de tabac et de braise brûlante à chaque gorgée. Et la finition a duré longtemps après que le vin ait quitté mon verre. La récolte a été faite à partir de 57,5% de merlot et de 42,5% et a atteint 14,4% d’alcool avec un pH de 3,76. Elle s’est déroulée du 19 septembre au 14 octobre. Le Grand Vin représente 53% de la récolte. 97-99 points

Avec une forte essence de citron, le gravier, les nuances océaniques, les fruits jaunes tropicaux, le chèvrefeuille et les épices traversent. Ce vin mi-corsé sans la force et la fraîcheur des meilleurs millésimes sera un millésime précoce pour La Mission Haut Brion Blanc. Fabriqué à partir d’un mélange de 57,4% de sauvignon blanc et 42,6% de sémillon. Ce n’est que la deuxième fois que le mélange contient plus de sauvignon blanc que de sémillon.

La fumée, le gril, les fleurs, la cerise noire et le tabac dans le nez sont tout simplement géniaux. En bouche, le vin est riche, frais et plein de feuilles de tabac ainsi que de fruits rouges doux et d’épices. L’un des meilleurs millésimes de La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion. Difficile de croire qu’il s’agit d’un second vin! Le mélange se compose de 42% de cabernet sauvignon, 36,5% de merlot et 21,5% de cabernet franc. 92-94 points

Ce vin a une forte minéralité et une finale rafraîchissante. Il est juteux, énergique, corsé, concentré, riche en textures et mordant avec son caractère d’agrumes énervé. Le vin était fabriqué à partir d’un mélange de 76,2% de sémillon et 23,8% de sauvignon blanc et atteignait 14,3% d’alcool à un pH de 3,23.

Ce vin a une couleur rouge rubis souterrain et s’ouvre sur des lys et du jasmin à floraison nocturne, de la prune noire, du cassis, un nuage de fumée et un soupçon de chêne. Corsé et énergique, mais pas frénétique, il y a de la fraîcheur, de la maturité, des tanins affirmés et une touche juteuse de cassis en finale. Le millésime nécessitera plus d’une décennie de vieillissement. Le vin était issu d’un assemblage de 56% de merlot, 39,6% de cabernet sauvignon et 4,4% de cabernet franc et atteignait 14,1% d’alcool à un pH de 3,86. La vendange s’est déroulée du 4 au 29 septembre et représente 51% du Grand Vin.

Il s’agit d’une production mi-corsée avec des truffes fumées, des cerises noires et des notes de feuilles sur le parfum. En bouche, le vin montre une épice vivifiante, des fruits doux, des tanins finis et un croustillant dans le cassis et une finale au chocolat noir.

Ce mur massif de fruits, de pierres, de pierre, de tanins et de terre brûlée vous frappera aux bons endroits. Dense, intense et concentré, le fruit en bouche et au nez s’accompagne de cette fabuleuse note éclatante sur le feu de camp. Il s’agit d’une prise à long terme. Attendez donc deux décennies pour que le vin montre vraiment sa taille. Cela vaut la peine d’attendre si vous êtes assez jeune, assez riche ou les deux!

La paroi de fruits rouges mûrs, foncés, fumés, terreux et parfaitement mûrs, enveloppés dans un emballage de tabac, s’intègre parfaitement avec la paroi solide en tanin. Les tanins sont riches en contenu, mais ils sont mûrs, raffinés et contrôlés par la qualité du fruit mûr et ses textures veloutées. La cible dure près de 60 secondes!

Les saveurs de fumée, de tabac, de fruits rouges foncés, de terre, d’espresso et de boîte à cigares sont d’une couleur profonde et vous occupent. Corsé, concentré, le vin prend beaucoup de place en bouche. C’est long, tentaculaire et un rêve de cigare cubain, à condition de profiter également d’une grande vague de fruits. Il y a beaucoup de tanin, mais les fruits sont si mûrs et doux que vous ne le remarquez presque pas. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 57,5% de merlot et 42,5% de cabernet sauvignon. La récolte a eu lieu du 19 septembre au 14 octobre. Le vin a atteint 13,7% d’alcool à un pH de 3,66. Cela correspond à 50% de la récolte.

Juteux et frais, avec une belle bouchée acide épicée sur le fruit imbibé de citron. Le vin est frais, rafraîchissant et laisse un long zeste de citron brillant, du pamplemousse et une finale de pomme verte. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 62,7% de sauvignon blanc et 37,3% de sémillon.

Corsé et concentré avec des agrumes doux, polis et frais, du chèvrefeuille, du pamplemousse et du zeste de citron. Doux, mûr et en avant, ce vin peut bien sûr être vieilli ou apprécié dans sa jeunesse. Le vin a été élaboré avec 70,5% de sauvignon blanc et 29,5% de sémillon. La récolte a eu lieu du 1er au 13 septembre. Le vin a atteint 13,85% d’alcool à un pH de 3,23, ce qui correspond à seulement 31% de la récolte.

Le fruit montre facilement de la fumée et une essence terreuse. Mi-corsé avec de la longueur et de la fraîcheur, les fruits mûrs, rouge foncé et la feuille de tabac sont les caractéristiques qui définissent. Ce n’est que dans les premiers stades de sa vie. Donnez-lui au moins 5 ans avant d’éclater un bouchon.

Vin mi-corsé à cassis épicé, doux et frais. Le vin offre des fruits propres, épicés et ouverts, des tanins polis, de la longueur, des fruits et des épices en finale. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 42% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 36,5% de Merlot et 21,5% de Cabernet Franc et atteint 13,8% d’alcool.

Avec une profondeur de couleur du bord au centre du verre, tout tourne autour des fruits rouges foncés incroyablement mûrs, des tanins doux mais forts et des couches de fruits qui semblent commencer et sont difficiles à arrêter. L’objectif reste là pendant plus de 40 secondes! Le vin est riche, corsé et concentré, mais élégant, puissant et gracieux. Ici, tout est en équilibre et en harmonie. Cela vieillira facilement pendant 3, 4, 5 ou 6 décennies.

Fumée, goudron, tabac, fleurs, mûres et cassis pop sans effort. En bouche, ce vin allie puissance, fraîcheur, longueur et pureté du fruit. Riche et structurée, cette joie offre une finition aux multiples facettes que je fixe à près de 60 secondes! Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 58% de merlot et 35% de cabernet sauvignon et 7% de cabernet franc et atteint 15,1% d’alcool à un pH de 3,74. Le Grand Vin a été élaboré à partir de 56% de la récolte, qui s’est déroulée du 9 septembre au 1er octobre. 96-98 pts

Le vin est vif et minéral, corsé, intensément long, frais et profond, avec une acidité vive et la pureté du fruit dans le mélange de pierres concassées, d’écorce de citron, d’orange et de notes de fond de miel en finale.

Pierre, agrumes frais et forte acidité. Ce vin a une réelle concentration de goût, de force et de longueur et laisse un caractère concentré d’agrumes caillouteux, frais, doux, charnu qui reste en bouche longtemps après avoir quitté le verre.

Des notes de fumée, de mûre et de cassis et des notes de tabac sont déjà visibles. Les fruits corsés, somptueusement structurés et polis avec de la longueur et de la fraîcheur sont les caractéristiques qui définissent ici. La douceur du fruit confère à la finale beaucoup de charme et de brillance.

Couches soyeuses, polies, mûres, rondes et adhérentes de fruits sucrés, richement structurés, de fumée et de tabac. Ce vin mi-corsé se termine sur une finale longue, fraîche, finale et fruitée. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage à 45% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% de Merlot et 25% de Cabernet Franc et atteint 14,6% d’alcool. 92-94 points

Ce vin commence avec du citron, du citron vert, quelques tiges de lis de Pâques et du calcaire humide et altéré et ça ne fait que se réchauffer. C’est l’acidité rafraîchissante et la finale d’une pomme verte complexe qui distingue vraiment ce vin. Et juste au moment où il semble trop beau pour rester beaucoup plus longtemps, il y a une explosion d’agrumes de fruits concentrés et de fraîcheur qui permet vraiment à tout de s’infiltrer et de s’infiltrer en place. Le vin était issu d’un mélange de 84% de sémillon et 16% de sauvignon blanc et atteignait 14,75% d’alcool avec un pH de 3,13. 95 points

Charnu, brillant, excitant et doux, ce vin corsé, tannique, riche et structuré offre une finale à multiples facettes de cassis, de tabac et de fruits noirs, mais prend au moins une décennie pour atteindre sa richesse. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 62% de Merlot et 38% de Cabernet Sauvignon avec un pH de 3,67. 94-95 points

Poli et mi-corsé avec des fruits propres, ce vin commence par des baies noires et mûres et se poursuit sur une finale de cassis frais et de poivre-mûre. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 56% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 28,5% de Merlot et 15,5% de Cabernet Franc et atteint 14,25% d’alcool. 89-91 points

Des arômes sobres d’agrumes fraîchement pressés, de lait caillé de citron, de fleurs et de miel font connaître leur présence par tourbillonnement. Frais, vifs et concentrés, les fruits jaune vif ressortent vraiment à la fin. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 67% de sémillon et 33% de sauvignon blanc et atteint 14,6% d’alcool avec un pH de 3,18

Issu d’un mélange de 76% de sémillon et 24% de sauvignon blanc, le vin se pare de cire de citron, de miel, d’épices, de fleurs et de pierre. Poli, long, frais et riche avec un caractère gourmand, frais et concentré. 95-96 points

Pour le moment, il est étroit de trouver le personnage rempli de tabac, de cassis et de fumée. Corps moyen, avec du cassis et une finale cerise fraîche et juteuse. Le développement prend encore quelques années.

Le tabac à pipe cerise, la réglisse, la terre et les épices sont au nez. Avec une personnalité brillante, épicée et fraîche, le vin offre une finale vive, croquante et structurée avec une finale de cassis, de grenade et de mûre. En mélangeant 65% de merlot, 32% de cabernet sauvignon et 3% de cabernet franc, le vin atteint 13,2% d’alcool avec un pH de 3,6. Avec un rendement de 33 hectolitres à l’hectare, le vin représente 39% de la récolte. 90-93 points

Le vin est étonnamment frais et moelleux pour le millésime et se concentre sur son caractère doux, cerise, prune et terreux. Vous pouvez boire cela maintenant ou vieillir pendant un an ou deux. Mais c’est un vin à déguster dans sa jeunesse.

Ce type plus léger de La Chapelle de La Mission Haut a une couleur rouge rubis avec un léger caractère cerise et fraise et se boit tôt. 86-88 points

Le vin est corsé, concentré et montre plus de profondeur dans la bouteille que dans le fût.Il est rempli de couches de fruits mûrs et fumés, de tanins et de terre à chaque gorgée, gorgée et gorgée. Le vin persiste vraiment en bouche avec intensité et expansion. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 62% de merlot et 38% de cabernet sauvignon. Il n’y a aucune trace de chaleur dans la finition alcool à 14,9%. C’est bien mieux en bouteille qu’en fût, ça pourrait encore s’améliorer avec le temps!

Le nez a une couleur sombre et offre des notes de fumée, de goudron, de confiture, de tabac et de cassis. Le vin se transforme rapidement en une gorgée puissante, riche, tannique, masculine, presque musclée, intense de fruits noirs, de confiture de cerises et de chocolat noir. Cela prend définitivement du temps au sous-sol avant de devenir convivial. 92-95 points

Le gravier, le pamplemousse et les agrumes conduisent à un vin frais concentré, corsé, expressif, rempli d’agrumes avec volume, concentration en longueur et complexité.

Des senteurs d’orange, de melon, de cire d’abeille et de zeste de citron confit s’ouvrent sur une finale d’agrumes fraîche, vive et douce. 93-95 points

Beaucoup de fumée, de terre, d’épices et de mûres mûres avec des textures polies, un corps moyen et une finition ronde et élégante.

Un nez subtil de terre, de tabac et de cassis se transforme en baies rouges fraîches et polies et une finale de mûre croustillante aux herbes et de cassis. 88-90 points

Les senteurs de cantaloup, de chèvrefeuille et de zeste de citron vous saisissent avant de trouver le centre riche, agrumes et doux de pamplemousse. Le vin se termine sur une longue note épicée de citron confit et de pierre.

En mélangeant 72,9% de sémillon et 27,1% de sauvignon blanc, le vin atteint 14,6% d’alcool. Avec un parfum de pamplemousse, de citron, de lime, de cire d’orange, d’huile d’agrumes et de chèvrefeuille, il y a suffisamment de fraîcheur pour éclater, mais toujours beaucoup de concentration de fruits pour équilibrer l’acidité et offrir une finale longue et propre. 96-98 points

Petits fruits noirs fumés, mi-corsés, avec une touche de brillance pour les tanins, qui se prolonge jusqu’à la finale fraîche, sombre et fumée de prune. Ce sera mieux à 3-5 ans.

Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 55% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 33,7% de Merlot et 11,3% de Cabernet Franc et atteint 13,5% d’alcool. Le vin est d’un rouge rubis profond et offre du tabac, de la terre, de la fumée, du cassis et du café avec des tanins mûrs et un classique. finale de crème de cassis brillante, fraîche et pure. Ce Pessac Leognan au design classique n’a pas la concentration des nouvelles années 2009 et 2010. 93-95 points

Doux, vers l’avant, avec des tanins légèrement secs, le vin, dominé par son profil de cerise fraîche, noire et rouge, se boit déjà bien.

Composé de 68,7% de merlot, 19,6% de cabernet sauvignon et 11,7% de cabernet franc, il est rouge rubis avec des truffes, de la cerise noire, de la réglisse, des textures douces et une finale fraîche et douce de fruits rouges. 88-90

Des parfums de fumée, de chêne et de terre chaude s’ouvrent sur un vin emballé et empilé rempli de tanins mûrs, de framboises noires fraîches, longues, pures et douces qui restent en bouche pendant au moins 40 secondes. Le vin est structuré selon l’âge et a besoin d’au moins 15 ans avant de déployer son charme. Cela se montre beaucoup mieux en bouteille qu’en fût. Avec un peu de chance, cette tendance va se poursuivre.

2010 La Mission Haut Brion est composé d’un assemblage à 62% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% de Merlot et un soupçon de Cabernet Franc. Le vin a atteint 15,1% d’alcool naturel avec un pH de 3,67. Cette image est très différente de ce que nous avons vu en 2009, qui se compose de Merlot et Cabernet Sauvignon et 6% de Cabernet Franc à parts égales. En 2010, la teneur en alcool est légèrement plus élevée qu’en 2009 14,7. Les dégustateurs basés sur les chiffres peuvent avoir eu des problèmes avec le vin, mais il n’y avait aucune sensation de chaleur. Tout est en équilibre. Il s’agit d’un candidat à la plus forte concentration de Cabernet Sauvignon de l’histoire de La Mission Haut Brion. Cela est dû à une combinaison de la parfaite maturité du Cabernet Sauvignon et du Merlot en difficulté, qui a eu des problèmes avec la maturation correcte. . 2010 La Mission Haut Brion explose de terre, de minéraux, de cassis, de braises brûlantes, de truffes et de senteurs de mûre. Cela débouche sur un vin tannique dense, concentré et corsé. Ce puissant La Mission Haut Brion regorge de moka, cassis, mûres et épices. Sur le plan stylistique, il s’agit d’un La Mission Haut Brion, grand et puissant, masculin qui nécessite un temps de sous-sol sérieux. 95-98 points

Gras, riche et intense, avec des notes fraîches de citron, de pamplemousse, de minéral, de chèvrefeuille et de vanille. Le vin est corsé, frais et concentré, mais n’a pas la précision du Haut Brion Blanc.

La Mission Haut Brion Blanc mélange 81% de sémillon et 19% de sauvignon blanc dans un parfum à base de miel, de fleurs fraîchement cueillies, de noix grillées et d’agrumes, qui prépare votre bouche à une grande dose d’arômes frais et beurrés de citron, de banane, de pamplemousse et de goyave acidité piquante et fraîcheur qui persiste. 94-97 points

Le caramel, le café, la fumée, les herbes et les mûres s’ouvrent sur un vin frais, doux et moelleux aux fruits rouges doux et aux épices.

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion, composée à 47% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% de Merlot et 26% de Cabernet Franc, regorge d’odeurs de fumée, de goudron, de mûre et de tabac. Corsé, avec des couches de mûre recouvertes de chocolat qui se terminent par une explosion de cassis frais et juteux. 91-93 points

Puissant, corsé, jeune, riche en bouche et rempli jusqu’aux branchies avec des couches de fruits noirs, rouges et noirs, le vin est grand. Mais il est également équilibré, long, profond, royal et complexe. Fabriqué à partir d’un assemblage de 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot et 6% Cabernet Franc, la finale ne semble pas se terminer. La texture est également dense et royale, avec des fruits fumés, enrichis en tabac, couche par couche. C’est encore un bébé. Donnez-lui encore 10-15 ans et ce sera un vin vraiment majestueux.

Cette couleur sombre est riche en bouche, puissante, concentrée, luxuriante, riche et pleine de baies parfaitement mûres, de fumée, de terre, d’épices, de crème de cassis, de mûres, de réglisse, de tabac et de liqueur. Avec des tanins parfaitement mûrs et une personnalité opulente, ce n’est pas tout à fait au niveau de 2000, mais ce n’est pas si loin non plus. Qui sait, au fil du temps, il pourrait être aussi bon qu’il se développe. C’est un vin à couper le souffle!

2009 La Mission Haut Brion, un mélange de 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot et 6% Cabernet Franc, offre une couleur pourpre foncé et des arômes de fleurs, de fumée, de cassis, de terre et de liqueur de prune. Corsé et gorgé de fruits denses, doux et gourmands, le vin est équilibré et pur. La finition texturée de velours a des arômes de mûre, de fumée et de chocolat. Bien que le vin ait atteint un taux d’alcool de 14,7%, il ne fait pas chaud. A titre de comparaison: en 1989, La Mission Haut Brion a atteint 13% d’alcool grâce à la chapitalisation. Le pH était de 4,0 en 1989 et de 3,85 en 2009. Avec un pH très élevé, cependant, le vin montre beaucoup de fraîcheur. 96/97 pts

Puissant, riche, concentré et profond, avec des vagues d’agrumes riches, juteux, sucrés, frais, de forme minérale, de mamelles et de vanille. C’est assez jeune et exigu. Donnez-lui au moins 5 ans ou plus pour se développer.

Puissant, intense, concentré, rocailleux, frais et rempli de vagues uniquement d’agrumes pressés, de vanille et d’essence minérale, cela fait certainement une grande impression. Cependant, les meilleurs jours sont clairement dans le futur.

84% de sémillon et 16% de sauvignon blanc donnent ensemble un vin riche en minéraux qui est rempli d’huile de citron, de pamplemousse, de citron vert et d’agrumes. Ce vin se caractérise par sa fraîcheur, sa force et une longue finale épicée à la cire de citron.

Issu d’un mélange de 46% de cabernet sauvignon, 44% de merlot et 10% de cabernet franc, le vin est rempli d’arômes d’anis, de truffe, de fumée et de confiture de cerise noire. En bouche, le vin est moelleux, doux, rond, doux, mûr et se termine sur une finale garnie de cassis et de cerises noires.

Juste un vin qui a tout ce dont un vieux Bordeaux blanc a besoin. Il est riche, corsé, long, complexe et plein d’agrumes jaunes parfaitement mûrs, de roches, de pierres et juste un soupçon de miel. Il offre le bon équilibre entre la douceur sèche et l’acidité racée. Cela devrait vieillir au moins 20 ans ou plus!

Le dernier millésime de cette prestigieuse propriété est une beauté. Les couches de pamplemousse doux et mûr, de zeste de citron et d’oranges cara cara sont riches et contiennent plus d’une goutte de chèvrefeuille. Le vin a une belle douceur qui vient de la maturité du fruit, qui est renforcée par l’acidité vivifiante. Cela devrait vieillir pendant des décennies.

Puissant, jeune, tannique, frais et même croustillant. Le vin est corsé et offre du tabac, des emballages de cigares, du tabac et de l’obscurité. fruits rouges profonds. Les tanins ont un caractère ferme, presque strict. Il y a la structure pour le vieillissement, ce qui est bien car ce vin prend du temps avant que tout ne s’assemble. Le vin est un mélange de 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot et 6% Cabernet Franc.

08 Château La Mission Haut Brion est profondément coloré avec des accents violets. Les fruits noirs et bleus mûrs sont facilement reconnaissables dans le parfum. Le vin a une bonne concentration de fruits polis et opulents. Les tanins raffinés, la structure et l’acidité confèrent au vin une finale longue, ronde, riche et fruitée. 93-96 points

Le vin léger offre un mélange intéressant de vanille, d’agrumes légers, d’absinthe, d’écorce de citron et de noix grillées au nez. Corsé, brillant et gras, les agrumes aigre-doux, légèrement mielleux en finale sont frais et rafraîchissants. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage à 83% de sémillon et 17% de sauvignon blanc.

Nez corsé, riche, intense et rempli de citron mûr, de pamplemousse, d’orange, de citron vert, de pierre et de chèvrefeuille. Longue, fraîche, propre et pure, la finale cireuse, caractérisée par les agrumes et les minéraux, fait forte impression.

Clairement l’un des meilleurs vins du millésime. Les fruits rouge foncé ont une belle maturité. Ici aussi, vous trouverez tous ces magnifiques feux de camp enfumés, terreux et brûlants avec des éléments du sol humide de la forêt, des cerises noires et des mûres. Corps moyen / plein, avec la plupart des tanins fondus, mais pas complètement, car certaines améliorations peuvent être obtenues avec quelques années de garde supplémentaires. Le tout est complété par une belle bouchée fraîche de cassis juteux et de tabac. Le vin est issu d’un assemblage de 48% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% de Merlot et 9% de Cabernet Franc.

La couleur montre du développement, mais le vin est encore jeune et frais. Le vin est riche en extraits, les fruits sont mûrs et le gravier, le pamplemousse et le zeste de citron, avec juste un soupçon de chèvrefeuille, restent vraiment avec vous.

Corsé, toujours jeune, tannique et frais, le vin a de la fumée, du tabac, du cassis, des fruits noirs mûrs et des tanins. Cependant, les tanins sont fermes et le caractère classique des vins est strict, ce qui plaira à certains plus qu’à d’autres. Vous devez attendre au moins une décennie avant l’ouverture et c’est amusant à boire.

Cela commence par un nez de prune, d’herbe, de tabac et d’épices. La bouche révèle des arômes mûrs de chocolat, de cassis et de prune. Il y a beaucoup de tanins et de corps pour que le vin vieillisse gracieusement pendant des décennies.

Le tabac, les cigares et le cassis font une excellente combinaison, surtout si vous ajoutez la sensation et le goût à la bouche mûre. C’est prêt à être mangé aujourd’hui.

Peut-être que plus de décantation aurait aidé. Bien que ce soit encore une beauté, il n’était pas aussi expressif ou complexe que les autres bouteilles. Pourtant, il serait impossible de ne pas trouver ce vin de façon transparente. Il est concentré, profond, long, luxuriant, riche et frais. Primaire, mais évidemment complexe, si vous pouvez et devez attendre, donnez-le au moins jusqu’en 2025 et vous serez récompensé par une excellente expérience de consommation.

C’est vraiment trop jeune pour l’ouvrir. Il reste jeune même après plusieurs heures de décantation. Cela étant dit, c’est à couper le souffle dans tous les sens. Il est puissant, raffiné, intense, pur, soyeux et serré en bouche. Il a tout ce qu’il faut pour suivre 1989, et cela en dit long. Donnez-lui au moins jusqu’à ce qu’il atteigne 20 ans.

Le vin est à couper le souffle à tous égards et harmonise parfaitement l’intensité, la concentration incroyable, la force et la pureté. Enrobage de la bouche, des taches en bouche et harmonieux, qui est une future légende. Encore jeunes, les tanins sont si mûrs que vous pouvez maintenant faire éclater un bouchon pour découvrir le vin dans sa phase de jeunesse impressionnante. Sinon, vous pouvez attendre des décennies pour une expérience incroyable qui est difficile à réaliser lorsqu’elle est mûre. Cela peut prendre de 15 à 20 ans, mais cela vaut la peine d’attendre.

Le vin corsé, concentré et intense couvre la bouche, le palais et les papilles gustatives de fruits, de fraîcheur et de goût. Encore jeune, tout tourne autour du potentiel. Dans 10 à 20 ans, ce sera probablement à trois chiffres et sera considéré comme l’un des vins du millésime.

05 La Mission Haut Brion, contrairement à certaines années jugées meilleures pour le Cabernet ou le Merlot, ce millésime particulier a été jugé parfait pour les deux cépages. Noir, encre et couleur opaque. C’est l’un des nez les plus convaincants de tous les jeunes vins que j’ai jamais sentis. Les saveurs explosent hors du verre comme un lapin de Playboy de la vieille école sautant d’un gâteau! Des quantités incroyables de baies sucrées, mûres, de confiture, de réglisse, de fruits noirs, de goudron, d’épices exotiques et de liqueurs d’un mélange étonnant de fruits sont partout! J’ai tremblé en prévision de ma première gorgée de ce supposé millésime mythique de La Mission Haut Brion et je n’ai pas déçu. Le vin éclate vraiment vos papilles! C’est de la pure décadence. L’un des vins jeunes les plus riches et les plus concentrés que j’ai pu essayer. Votre palais est couvert d’un flot ininterrompu de fruits riches qui donne l’impression que chaque baie a été polie à la main avant d’être broyée. Cette longue finale était absolument sans couture. J’aimerais pouvoir tenir aussi longtemps que cet objectif! Si Bob revoit l’année, ce doit être un candidat sérieux pour un score à trois chiffres. Zuerst gab ich es 100, aber nach Überlegung entschied ich, dass es nicht ganz auf dem Niveau der tiefen 89 war, die beim selben Abendessen serviert wurden. 99 Punkte

Frisch, süß, wachsartig, Zitrone, Geißblatt und Grapefruit füllen Ihre Nase. Am Gaumen gibt es eine Süße in der Frucht, gepaart mit Frische, die diese lebendig, erfrischend und konzentriert hält.

Mit einer schönen Nase aus Zitronenschale, Geißblatt, Zitrusfrüchten und Vanille ist der Wein mit reifen, süßen Meyer-Zitronen, Plüsch, fetten Texturen und einer milden, honigfarbenen Grapefruit und einem frischen, hellen, üppigen, zitronigen Abgang gefüllt. Es hat Spaß gemacht, diesen selten gesehenen Bordeaux-Weißwein zu probieren.

Der Wein wird mit zunehmendem Alter immer besser. Mit mehr Gewicht und Dichte gibt es eine Frische an den Früchten und eine Abrundung der Textur, die anfängt durchzukommen. Weitere 3-5 Jahre könnten dem Wein mehr hinzufügen, der sich als einer der langlebigsten Weine des Jahrgangs herausstellt. Dies ist der erste Jahrgang, in dem Jean-Philippe Delmas von Anfang bis Ende die volle Verantwortung hatte.

Tief gefärbt war die Nase aus Rauch, Zigarrenschachtel, Brombeeren, Straßenteer und Erde ein Vergnügen. Tanninhaltig, straff, mittelkräftig und größtenteils primär, benötigte der Wein 4 Stunden Luft im Glas und in der Karaffe, bevor er weich wurde und zivilisiert wurde. Ich warte noch 5 Jahre, bevor ich eine weitere Flasche knalle. Aus einer Mischung von 55% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon und 3% Cabernet Franc.

Der Wein beginnt mit Tabak-, Brombeer- und Gewürznoten. Dieser vollmundige Wein ist ein leichter, eleganter Stil von La Mission Haut Brion.

La Mission Haut Brion gilt als Produkt eines Merlot-Jahrgangs. Tiefe rubinrote Farbe mit Erd-, Himbeer-, Lakritz- und Trüffelnase. Schöner Einstieg, gefolgt von einem reichen, reifen Abgang von Brombeeren und Bitterschokolade. In den Tanninen war etwas Sand.

Leicht mit stilvollen Noten von Zitrone, Grapefruit und Vanille hinterlässt dieser Wein mit mittlerem Körper einen frischen, lebendigen, mit Zitrusfrüchten gefüllten Abgang.

Der Wein ist besser für Rauch und Tabak, Lagerfeuerglut und rote Beerennase als für den weichen, leicht zu trinkenden, mittelschweren Gaumen. Dieser Wein scheint über seine Jahre hinaus reif zu sein und ist ein schöner, zurückhaltender, charmanter Wein, dem jedoch die Kraft, Kraft, Komplexität und Alterungsfähigkeit der besseren Jahre fehlt. Kurz gesagt, wenn Sie es haben, trinken Sie es im nächsten Jahrzehnt.

Dies schmeckt viel älter als es im Alter von 10 Jahren sein sollte. Der Wein ist stilvoll, seidig und bietet Vergnügen, aber das schnelle Reifetempo zwingt den Verkoster, seine verbleibenden Flaschen früher als später zu beenden, um keine Früchte zu verlieren.

Dies altert weiterhin im Überschalltempo. Mit fast 10 Jahren ist die Farbe viel heller als sie sein sollte. Die entwickelte Nase bietet Tabak-, Erd-, Rauch- und Schwarzkirschnoten. Am Gaumen ist der Wein mit mittlerem Körper weich, zart und weiblich, mit einem seidigen, aber leichten, von roten Beeren dominierten Abgang. Wenn Sie nach einem La Mission Haut Brion suchen, das sich heute hervorragend zeigt, ist dies möglicherweise eine vernünftige Wahl. But this is not a wine to cellar as it’s a;ready giving up most of what it has to offer.

Made 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.

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.

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.

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.

An 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.

2001 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

This 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.

2001 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

This 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.

With 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.

This 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.

This 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.

Served 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.

Powerful 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.

2000 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

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

This offers a spicy, tobacco, black fruit filled nose. The wine is already drinking well.

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.

The 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.

Medium 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.

Ruby 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.

1999 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

1999 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

Still 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.

This 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.

This 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.

Tight 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.

Smoke, 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.

Since 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.

Picture 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.

Blackberry, 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.

1998 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

1998 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

1998, 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.

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.

Based 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.

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

1996 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

1996 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

The 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.

The 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.

1995 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

95 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

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

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.

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.

At 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.

Right 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.

Tobacco, 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.

1994 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

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

Textbook 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.

A 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.

If 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.

This 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!

If 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.

Showing 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.

The 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.

Now, 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.

1990 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

Tobacco, 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.

Served 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.

With 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.

Offering 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.

1990 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

Flowers, 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.

This 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.

Fully developed with its waxy lemon, lime, floral, honeysuckle and vanilla character, the wine is medium bodied, round, supple and definitely ready to drink.

This 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!

Spellbinding 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!!!

This 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.

Spellbinding 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!

This 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!

The 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!

Powerful, 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.

Tasting 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.

I 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!

There 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!

It 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?

La 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.

1989 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

Served 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.

Cassis, 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.

1989 La Mission Haut Brion is rock star wine! Make no bones about it. Das ist der wahre 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

Perhaps 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.

Inky, 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!

This offers a beautiful perfume of herbs, minerals, licorice and BBQ smoke. Thick, dense and full bodied and filled with ripe fruit.

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.

1989 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

Vanilla, waxy flowers and citrus on the nose. Sweet from ripe fruit, but the slightly tart and short finish was not appealing

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.

88 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

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.

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.

1986 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

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.

1985 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.

Very lemon waxy with elements of fresh cut grass and ripe fruit. Thick, dense flavors and a long, sweet, citrus filled finish.

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.

« 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.

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.

Light 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.

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

This 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.

Showing 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.

Intensely 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!

WOW! 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.

Always 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.

Compelling, 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.

A 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,

Stunning 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.

Cigar 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.

There 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…

Sublime! 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!

Tar, 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!

Smoke, 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.

1982 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

This 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.

Tobacco, 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.

This 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

An 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?

Smokey 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?

The 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.

Complex 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.

Young, 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.

1982 Laville Haut Brion seemed old, tired and past its prime. Light in aromatics with muted flavors. This wine has started dropping its fruit.

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

Smoky, earthy, intense tobacco, forest floor and fresh, cherries, slightly rustic tannins, fresh, but fading dark red fruits.

1979 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

1979 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.

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.

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.

The 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.

Cigar 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.

1978 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

1978 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

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.

I 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.

Young, 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.

This 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.

La 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?

1975 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

1975 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

If 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.

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.

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.

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.

Absolutely 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.

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.

Medium 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.

Earthy, forest notes, black fruit and complex spices made a beautiful perfume. But, the finish to me was short and light.

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.

With 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.

With 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.

Clearly, 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? »

If 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.

Still 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.

Once 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.

1961 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

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.

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.

One 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!

With 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.

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.

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.

An 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!

The 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!

Just 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.

This is all about the smoke, tobacco, burning embers, cigar wrapper and wet earth. There is length, complexity and lots of life going on.

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.

Smoky, 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.

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.

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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.

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.