Medium-bodied with a silky texture that coats the palate elegantly. The wine exhibits a balanced acidity that adds freshness. TB paired with our beef, this was just exquisite. Love the minerality & fresh acidity that balanced up the buttery flavors from the A5 Miyazaki. Intense complex aromas of black fruits; blackberries & blackcurrants, mingled with notes of tobacco, leather, and subtle hints of cedar & spice. Ripe black fruits dominate, complemented by layers of earthy tones, & tobacco leaf.
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Ten Vintages Haut Bailly vs Mission HB: Preamble: All wines tasted blind in 10 vintage flights (1994-2015). To every flight one random third wine from Pessac Leognan added (2x Haut Brion, 2x Smith, 2x Pape Clement, 1x Branon, 1x Luchy Halde, 1x Carmes, 1x Chevalier). All wines opened a few hours before consumption but no decanting.
Some findings: 1) Haut Bailly outperformed Mission (5 vs 4 wins, 92.5 vs 90.5 average). 2) Haut Bailly is a rather structured wine which seems to shine bright in ripe and warm vintages, without any form of excess ripeness or extraction. 3) When done right (05/15), Mission eclipses Haut Bailly with its depth and delineation , but several vintages showed a bit too ripe but especially with the alcohol not well masked (09/10). 4) Pessac wines usually need quite some air to open up. In this setting (no decanting), most wines needed a lot of swirling to fully open up and will need more cellar time. 5) The best wines today were Haut Bailly 09 (96pts) & 10 (95pts) and Mission 05 & 15 (95pts).
TN: Very discrete nose. On the palate more open and round, with a fine streak of acidity. Not enough fruit or substance to excite but only with time there comes fine blue and red fresh fruit forward, rendering it fine and round. Good but without exceptionalism. All 3 2011s showed well but do not have the depth of better vintages as well as probably a touch too pronounced acidity.
Decanting: Two hours should help here.
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Reflecting the vintage, this is a relatively austere La Mission, but of fine quality. Quite a deep colour, a very attractive and classic nose. On the palate the tannins are still rather prominent with a highish acidity, but there is a good underlying concentration of fruit. The finish is fresh. Quite a long aftertaste. This could develop very well as the tannins soften further, perhaps exceeding early expectations for the vintage. Certainly give it a few more years.
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Tasted at the chateau side by side with Haut Brion 2011. This bottle was opened an hour before. Very accessible, quite fruit driven and a bit floral with some spicieness this was drinking rather well. Not a huge wine but a very pleasant one. Drink now-2030.
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Tasted next to 2011 Haut Brion. More expressive on the nose, lovely fruit, earth, spices, herbs. Still grippy but rather polished tannins, good fruit, great acidity. Slightly spicy and mineral, very good length. 92-93+
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Wine Spectator Grand Tour - Las Vegas: Aromas of dried florals, cedar, spices and currant fruit. Silky palate with seamless layers of melted stone, currant, floral and spices. Supremely elegant while hugely structured. Full depth throughout. A highlight of the evening.
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WS Grand Tour 2018, New York. Medium to dark ruby. Nice, subtle fruit, with good fruit concentration. The oak is still present and coats the palate with chocolate, coffee and some vanilla. Medium-bodied, elegant and very balanced, with fine tannin, fresh acidity and incredible length. This really lasts long! A beautiful wine that will truly start to shine in a few years.
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WS Grand Tour in NYC (Marriott Marquis): This was a bit of a surprise for me as I generally haven’t found that I love this producer. There was something compelling though about the wine. An herbal/spice note that made me take note. Still a very young wine and not ready to drink, but could see some stuffing that could turn into something quite interesting. Some cedar as well. I enjoyed it.
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'Meaty', lots of dark berries, bonfire, blueberries, blackcurrants, mature fruit, not opulent - but rather obvious/in your face; massive structure, very fine tannins, fresh and long. Fruit-forward behind the solid frame.
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Well the bottle was just opened and to me smells like grape alcohol. 55 cAb, e4 merlot and 11 franc.
Ha, funny, so closed and tight. Very funny to be standing in la mission haut Brian and be served la mission from a freshly opened bottle in a glass that smells a bit like dish towel. I'm such a bitch.
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Beautiful nose of ripe plum, roses, lavander, earth, bacon and red meat. On mouth muted and restricted, under the expectations. Could say it is young but I definitely miss some punch and vibration. Harmonious, balanced, medium depth back palate, always solid. 91
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Ripe forest berries, smoke and sweet spice from oak, amazing purity and depth but elegance at the same time Amazing elegance, depth, purity, silky smooth after 5 hours decanted. Will be interesting how it will develop but it's stunning now
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This was more stemmy and green on the nose than the 8 left bank and right bank counterparties in the same vintage, tasted blind. Very clean nose though, and good depth behind a veil of tannins. Seems to be more closed than the others right now.
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Smoky, dark berries, medium/full bodied, with a sense of polish to the tannins that carries all the way through to the fresh, dark, smoky, plum finish. This will be better with 3-5 years of age.
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Produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.7% Merlot and 11.3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% Alcohol - Deep ruby in color, the wine offers tobacco, earth, smoke, cassis and coffee with ripe tannins and a classic, bright, fresh and pure crème de cassis finish. This classic styled Pessac Leognan lacks the concentration of the more recent 2009 and 2010 vintages. 93-95 Pts
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GJE CRD 2008 and EP 2011; 3/29/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): Beautiful floral nose to start, lavender and violet, crushed blueberries, very sweet and rich fruit expression. Exceptional silkiness, excellent concentration and round tannins that are only noticeable as the end note. As usual, fresher, bigger and more masculine than the Haut Brion for me. I believe this is a classic LMHB in making with excellent cellar potential and I slightly prefer this to the 10.
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3/23/2024 - Romz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium-bodied with a silky texture that coats the palate elegantly. The wine exhibits a balanced acidity that adds freshness.
TB paired with our beef, this was just exquisite. Love the minerality & fresh acidity that balanced up the buttery flavors from the A5 Miyazaki. Intense complex aromas of black fruits; blackberries & blackcurrants, mingled with notes of tobacco, leather, and subtle hints of cedar & spice. Ripe black fruits dominate, complemented by layers of earthy tones, & tobacco leaf.
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2/10/2024 - GooseGoose Likes this wine: 95 Points
Black currant, leather, oak. Decanted for 2+ hours. Will continue to benefit from a few more years.
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1/13/2024 - Rune Schwartz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant style with excellent fruit in perfect balance with fresh acid and smooth tannins. Elegant style.
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11/23/2022 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
Ten Vintages Haut Bailly vs Mission HB: Preamble: All wines tasted blind in 10 vintage flights (1994-2015). To every flight one random third wine from Pessac Leognan added (2x Haut Brion, 2x Smith, 2x Pape Clement, 1x Branon, 1x Luchy Halde, 1x Carmes, 1x Chevalier). All wines opened a few hours before consumption but no decanting.
Some findings:
1) Haut Bailly outperformed Mission (5 vs 4 wins, 92.5 vs 90.5 average). 2) Haut Bailly is a rather structured wine which seems to shine bright in ripe and warm vintages, without any form of excess ripeness or extraction. 3) When done right (05/15), Mission eclipses Haut Bailly with its depth and delineation , but several vintages showed a bit too ripe but especially with the alcohol not well masked (09/10). 4) Pessac wines usually need quite some air to open up. In this setting (no decanting), most wines needed a lot of swirling to fully open up and will need more cellar time. 5) The best wines today were Haut Bailly 09 (96pts) & 10 (95pts) and Mission 05 & 15 (95pts).
TN: Very discrete nose. On the palate more open and round, with a fine streak of acidity. Not enough fruit or substance to excite but only with time there comes fine blue and red fresh fruit forward, rendering it fine and round. Good but without exceptionalism. All 3 2011s showed well but do not have the depth of better vintages as well as probably a touch too pronounced acidity.
Decanting: Two hours should help here.
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7/18/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another CHL Wine Night!: Foundations are there. Needs more time though, I would give this 3 - 5 years at least. 92/93
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9/6/2019 - Richard Nabavi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at the chateau.
Reflecting the vintage, this is a relatively austere La Mission, but of fine quality. Quite a deep colour, a very attractive and classic nose. On the palate the tannins are still rather prominent with a highish acidity, but there is a good underlying concentration of fruit. The finish is fresh. Quite a long aftertaste. This could develop very well as the tannins soften further, perhaps exceeding early expectations for the vintage. Certainly give it a few more years.
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8/31/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at the chateau side by side with Haut Brion 2011. This bottle was opened an hour before. Very accessible, quite fruit driven and a bit floral with some spicieness this was drinking rather well. Not a huge wine but a very pleasant one. Drink now-2030.
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12/7/2018 - Kwlharvey wrote:
Decant for 1 hour. Fine tanin. Medium Body. Layered and complex. Taste fresh.
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7/11/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted next to 2011 Haut Brion. More expressive on the nose, lovely fruit, earth, spices, herbs. Still grippy but rather polished tannins, good fruit, great acidity. Slightly spicy and mineral, very good length. 92-93+
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5/8/2018 - MattMauldin Likes this wine:
Wine Spectator Grand Tour - Las Vegas: Aromas of dried florals, cedar, spices and currant fruit. Silky palate with seamless layers of melted stone, currant, floral and spices. Supremely elegant while hugely structured. Full depth throughout. A highlight of the evening.
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4/24/2018 - PSPatrick wrote: 94 Points
WS Grand Tour 2018, New York. Medium to dark ruby. Nice, subtle fruit, with good fruit concentration. The oak is still present and coats the palate with chocolate, coffee and some vanilla. Medium-bodied, elegant and very balanced, with fine tannin, fresh acidity and incredible length. This really lasts long! A beautiful wine that will truly start to shine in a few years.
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4/24/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
WS Grand Tour in NYC (Marriott Marquis): This was a bit of a surprise for me as I generally haven’t found that I love this producer. There was something compelling though about the wine. An herbal/spice note that made me take note. Still a very young wine and not ready to drink, but could see some stuffing that could turn into something quite interesting. Some cedar as well. I enjoyed it.
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9/8/2017 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
'Meaty', lots of dark berries, bonfire, blueberries, blackcurrants, mature fruit, not opulent - but rather obvious/in your face; massive structure, very fine tannins, fresh and long. Fruit-forward behind the solid frame.
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4/25/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Alright, opening up a touch more, red fruit graphite, mineral finish. Needs some time, really opening up.
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4/25/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well the bottle was just opened and to me smells like grape alcohol. 55 cAb, e4 merlot and 11 franc.
Ha, funny, so closed and tight. Very funny to be standing in la mission haut Brian and be served la mission from a freshly opened bottle in a glass that smells a bit like dish towel. I'm such a bitch.
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2/9/2017 - kbcadeponei wrote:
Beautiful nose of ripe plum, roses, lavander, earth, bacon and red meat. On mouth muted and restricted, under the expectations. Could say it is young but I definitely miss some punch and vibration. Harmonious, balanced, medium depth back palate, always solid. 91
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11/3/2015 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
The Institute of Masters of Wine Annual Bordeaux Tasting - 2011 Vintage (Vintners Hall, London): Leafy, dark fruits on the nose. A touch flat however , lacks persistence of flavour and depth. Almost no energy . Decent fruit but feels like for the sake of ripeness they sacrificed the life and the freshness. Nowhere near the Haut Brion in level this year. ( 89).
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5/17/2015 - Clos & Cru Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe forest berries, smoke and sweet spice from oak, amazing purity and depth but elegance at the same time
Amazing elegance, depth, purity, silky smooth after 5 hours decanted.
Will be interesting how it will develop but it's stunning now
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10/1/2014 - UTPK wrote:
This was more stemmy and green on the nose than the 8 left bank and right bank counterparties in the same vintage, tasted blind. Very clean nose though, and good depth behind a veil of tannins. Seems to be more closed than the others right now.
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5/21/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Smoky, dark berries, medium/full bodied, with a sense of polish to the tannins that carries all the way through to the fresh, dark, smoky, plum finish. This will be better with 3-5 years of age.
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4/25/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.7% Merlot and 11.3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% Alcohol - Deep ruby in color, the wine offers tobacco, earth, smoke, cassis and coffee with ripe tannins and a classic, bright, fresh and pure crème de cassis finish. This classic styled Pessac Leognan lacks the concentration of the more recent 2009 and 2010 vintages. 93-95 Pts
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4/2/2012 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
GJE CRD 2008 and EP 2011; 3/29/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): Beautiful floral nose to start, lavender and violet, crushed blueberries, very sweet and rich fruit expression. Exceptional silkiness, excellent concentration and round tannins that are only noticeable as the end note. As usual, fresher, bigger and more masculine than the Haut Brion for me. I believe this is a classic LMHB in making with excellent cellar potential and I slightly prefer this to the 10.
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