La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical

Bentley Hotel, London
Tasted Wednesday, March 8, 2006 by Russell Faulkner with 925 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Rich purple, quite a lush silky viscosity. Enormous nose, ripe blackcurrant and blueberry, pie crust, sweet oak and tame coffee, I could just have smelt it all night. On palate there is massive acidity, great complexity although it is not as 'big' as the nose suggests, quite monolithic, I guess this is pretty closed. Serious tannin that steps up on the finish, with time developed a menthol note. Superb, potential 98 or more.

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  • 1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Lighter purple, less dense, much more restrained than the 2000, shows the same level of acidity on the attack, an interesting rusty note on the midpalate, quite closed though. Tannins have softened, a medium bodied wine. I detected just a hint of heat on the finish. Less showy than the 2000, and still in need of much time.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    A little advanced looking, ruby brick rim. Nose screams graphite, flinty minerals, soot and classy dried fruit. Calm and sedate on palate, spicy and balanced, tannins are still quite obvious, could do with perhaps 5 years more to really come together.

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  • 1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Surprisingly advanced colour, could have passed for a wine 20 years older. Herbal, hay and lead, dates and liquorish, a little thin to begin but developed complex plumy fruits. Not a perfect wine though, not this bottle. Can't wait to try it again.

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Flight 3 (1 Note)

  • 1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Back to a young ruby rim, Iodine and woodsmoke, quite saline, light tannins but holding high acidity, with some bright, if simple fruit, some drying tannin on the finish which is the only thing keeping this from being a really lovely wine.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Clearly a mature wine, some red but approaching London brick colour. Glorious perfumed nose of undergrowth, fig and date, the nose grows and develops in the glass. Very big on the palate, coconut, prune, superb balance of sweet tannin and acid, massive finish, glorious structure. The definition of balance. Still a lifetime to live.

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  • 1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Quite advanced, more fruit led nose than the 1982, still smoky, perfumed, graphite and leaf. Again I get coconut on the palate less big than the 1982, more restrained, calmer but easily the equal, despite the stylistic difference.

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Flight 5 (2 Notes)

Flight 6 (2 Notes)

  • 1945 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Light mature orange/amber. Elegant nose, raspberry, bay leaf, very herbal, almost Vimto after time. Immediatly quite herbal on the palate, great mature sweetness of fruit, mature tannin, leathery, super finish, very restrained, balanced, super.

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  • 1943 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Burnt sugar and molasses, herbal, slightly whiffy (not brett). Less balance and poise than the 1945, great fresh fruit, still lively. Got a little quirky with time and didn't last as long in the glass, but a treat.

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