The wine was still too young in 2024. The very dense texture of the wine is characterised by fine cassis, berries, nougat and cherries as well as fully ripe peppers. The long and complex finish is pleasantly fresh with present but very fine tannins. Probably at its peak in 10-15 years.
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Ready to drink, but not ready to shine at this moment! Dark, opaque colour! Gorgeous nose of sweet, ripe, caramel black fruits. Intoxicated aromas! Dense and young on the palate, I think it needs some years of cellaring!
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Tobacco, graphite, and darker fruit readily apparent on the nose. Definitely connected to Graves. Nicely in its secondary phase but still a bit tight upon opening. Needed about 30-45 minutes in the decanter and then continued to evolve quickly. Cassis and blackberries with a hint of bacon on the palate. Well put together. Nicely evolving and has at least a decade or 2.
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Wonderfully evolved, coffee, mocha and leather to it. Lively and fresh still, very good tension. Just opened. Smooth, fresh, and just super drinkable. Damn, as it opens it just get better and better.
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Pop n pour. Brought to a 60th birthday celebration. Expressive nose of graphite, cedar, macerated black cherries. Palate is velvety with the dark fruit. Would have liked to see how this evolved during the evening, but there were many other wines to try. Perhaps, decant the bottle ahead of time.
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This is really showing well and with time, it is going to be even better. This is a good thing because you cannot get enough of its spicy, smoked currant, leather, tar, and tobacco character. Showing more elegance than power, at 21, this has entered the start of its drinking window. Drink from 2022-2045.
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A wonderful contrast to the equally exciting La Turque drunk alongside. Classic left bank Bordeaux. The deep ruby/crimson color does not show its age. Cassis, smoke and tobacco burst on the nose. Medium body, seemless and long. Wish I had a smoking jacket to wear while drinking this. Yum. (94)
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When I purchased this five years ago, it was without a doubt the nicest bottle of Bordeaux I owned. 2001 was a good vintage for certain producers, and with Haut Brion being my favorite first growth, I wanted to have one of these with some age to see how they evolve. I slow ox’ed for 1-2hrs, consumed from bottle over the next three hours, and saved the last quarter for the next day.
Amongst quite a few first growths (and a ‘94 and ‘04 Haut Brion) this held its own. Compared to HB, it doesn’t have that brooding power and deep fruit core as intensely, but it wasn’t too far behind. More red fruit/black cherry than the dominant black I normally get with HB. Potpourri, baked black cherries, and cherry pipe tobacco showed strong on both days. No reductive funk to blow off. Faint notes of mocha, scorched earth and peppered strip, but it meshes with the cassis and grippy herbal tannic finish. What I didn’t expect was how vibrant the acidity was on both days. A beautiful example of high quality Bordeaux, and one I wish I had more of.
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A wonderful wine. Great favours, great length, good acidity, all the flavours of a well aged Bordeaux. A great subtle sweetness, flavours of dark chocolate, black fruits ,leather, tobacco, a noticeable smokiness, tannins are showing on the back of the palate. Drinking well now. This can age but don't know if it will dry out and the tannins will take over the fruit component with more time?
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This nice bottle should have been in its prime… On opening the nose showed nicely but a strong acidic streak marred the flavor. After a loooong rest the acid calmed down and revealed a good, but not great, profile of dark fruits, aromatic spices and gravel. Plenty of life left and we enjoyed it, but it did not compare to some of the nicer bottles others have reviewed here.
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In beautiful shape now but easily a decade more of potential. Decanted 2 hours before drinking but I wish I’d added a couple more hours (first of a case so I have time to get it right). Very together, great length, developing in many layers.
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This is certainly in contention for the Left Bank wine of the vintage. Continuing to add weight and complexity, the naturally smoky nose adds oceanic nuances to its leather, tar, dark currant, burning wood, cedar and tobacco leaf nose. Medium/full-bodied, with length, complexity, freshness and a bite of ripe cassis, currant, and spicy, tobacco-covered blackberry on the palate, this is starting to drink quite well. As an added plus, this could be the best deal in older LMHB available today.
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Wine still looked very young in the glass. Cherry-red with medium intensity and only a small change of colour in the rim.
Dominating primary aroma's in the nose with ripe cherry, blueberry, prune, cranberry, leather and some cacao.
On the palate: a little bit unripe and harsh tannins, medium + acidity. Flavors of cherry, cedar, prune, leather, the unripe aroma's of green paprika and some vanilla in the retro with a long finish.
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My first bottle and probably should have started drinking these younger to see development. This is pretty mature with still good fruit but much of the tannin resolved and flavors of mature, earthy Bdx.
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2001 20-years on Commanderie dinner. Here we had the most complex nose of the evening. As so often, Mission Haut-Brion combines dark fruit with animatic and herbal notes, providing excellent depth and complexity. The palate was a bit too rustic for my tasted so I made some deductions on the overall score. Nose 96, Palate 94. Great wine to drink now and will keep another decade.
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Decanted then drunk over several hours. A pleasant improvement after the first flawed bottle.
On the nose, Graves/Pessac earth, stone fruit more than cassis, tobacco, and bitter chocolate. The Merlot dominates the fruit profile on the nose and beyond. This has terrific palate presence. It's seamless, expansive, deep, and texturally rich, yet finely detailed with Grand Cru weight with more stone fruit, gravel and tobacco notes. This has effortless power coupled with grace. Very long on the back end. Drinking youthfully beautifully right now with plenty of time in hand. Wonderful. 95
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Decant 60 minutes; tasted over 3 hours; ruby; sous-bois, hint of bell pepper to begin with, medium bodied, dark berries, cedar, fountain pen ink; nice minerally finish of sweetness and tannin,
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Decanted and drank over several hours. Classic Bordeaux nose. In the in between phase where it’s showing some aged notes but also retains some youthful qualities. It is still a bit big/burly and if I had another bottle I’d hold for a bit.
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Aromen ziehen wie ein Feuerwerk über den Gaumen langer Abgang sehr ausgewogen. Ist am Anfang seiner Trinkreife hat noch viele Jahre vor sich. Ein Traumwein
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So, if it’s my birthday celebration, there is a juicy ribeye & some old(er) Claret.
My only disappointment with this bottle is as good as it is, there are better things still down the road.
The nose reveals classic Claret. There are earthy, funky fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, baked strawberries with shades of raspberries. Steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, stones, black, rich earth, clay, dry herbs, dark berry cola, cedar, leather, not quite fresh tobacco, underbrush, graphite, gentle, dark spice, slight peppery notes, clove, touch of nutmeg & cinnamon & vanillin, anise to black licorice, eucalyptus notes with fresh & slightly candied florals of, red, dark, blue, purple & violets.
The body is medium full with rounded, nicely resolved, tarry tannins. The structure, tension, length and balance are really singing. It would be good to have another 2001 LMHB in ten years. While 2001 wasn’t a critically acclaimed vintage, I think LMHB over performed the vintage. As well, it followed a grand 2000 vintage which, handicapped it from the start. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, baked strawberries, bright cherries, rhubarb, figs, with shades of raspberries. Steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, stones, black, rich earth, clay, dry top soil, dry herbs, dark berry cola, cedar, leather, not quite fresh tobacco, underbrush, graphite, gentle, dark spice with soft heat, slight peppery notes, clove, touch of nutmeg & cinnamon & vanillin, anise to black licorice, eucalyptus notes with fresh & slightly candied florals of, red, dark, blue, purple & violets. The acidity is excellent...like a gentle rain shower. The long finish is elegance defined, extremely well balanced ending in soft, round, dry, dusty tannins with beautiful spice.
Please indulge me while I post some history on this grand producer. As much as I love the wine, I love the history & people that do the hard work to bring us such great wines.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is not quite as old as Chateau Haut Brion. However, they are opposite side of the road neighbors. La Mission Haut Brion dates back to the late 16th century. The property came into being after it was purchased by Jean de Pontac in 1533. US winery history is a baby compared to France.
In 1607, the estate changed hands. It was inherited by Ms. Olive de Lestonnac. What an inheritance!
In 1815, something rare happened. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion became the property of an American owner, the Chiapelle family. At the time, the family was already involved in the Bordeaux wine trade. In fact, they knew about the business as they had managed a myriad of different estates including Chateau Cos d’ Estournel.
La Mission Haut Brion continued to change hands until it was finally sold to another American family, the Woltner’s. Frederic Woltner purchased La Mission Haut Brion in 1919. The also became owners on Howell Mountain.
It changed hands one final time in 1983 when it was purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owner of neighboring, Chateau Haut Brion. They renovated the entire property, starting with replanting the vineyards which, was completed in 1987.
The 26 hectare vineyard of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is planted to; 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.8% Merlot and 10.4% Cabernet Franc. 3.5 hectares of vines are reserved for the production of the white Bordeaux.
To produce the red wine of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, the wine is vinified in large, 180 hectoliter, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats and aged in 100% new, French oak for an average of 22 months. The annual production of La Mission Haut Brion averages between 6,000 and 7,000 cases per year.
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On the open, plenty of funk and bricking in the decant. Smells seems off a quite bit, hints of cedar and tobacco appear, plus a rustic taste that makes one wonder if this is quite beyond it's years! Trust me- it's not! It takes about 1,5-2 hours of aeration but then she awakens with a dense, dark and very charming mouthful! Color improves too as the browning turn to a nice deep crimson, and the wonderful dark fruits emerge along side the cedar. The wine is powerful and muscular, full body for sure, again dense but charming showing the wonders of aging in a classic style. The only thing missing here was a spectacular finish. That came a bit short and slightly tart. Other than that, it's a wonderful classic "big" bordeaux.
Decanted for ~45 minutes. Singing now with layered plum and mineral with light tobacco and bell pepper nuances. Very elegant and easy drinking in this vintage. Otherwise rather classic.
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This showed younger and deeper than the '01 Haut Brion alongside with darker fruits and bigger tannins. It couldn't match the elegance of the HB yet but it showed great sweet/smoky dark fruits with excellent intensity and power. The finish is quite complex with notes of tobacco, warm gravel and Asian spices. 93+
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The 2001 La Mission Haut Brion is stepping into its drinking window and offers a great amount of charm, almost as good as the blockbuster 2000. Rich and intense with densely packed array of primary dark fruits, blackberries, fresh wood spices and high toast new oak. Energetic with good ripeness, reminds me of 2006 Bordeaux, which are fresh and charming with soft tannins (relatively speaking). Drink now to 2050. (92-93/100)
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Small glass at C&B Bordeaux La Paulee - beautiful now, but it is evident that it is still so young and has so much potential to improve further. Would have loved to sit with a bottle of this over an evening, or better yet, in 10 years time...
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Small glass at Bdx La Paulee (lost notes). Side by side a sublime 83 this 01 still needs time but it is already an attractive wine and can be approached with a decant this sample suggested. In 10 years should be a beauty. 93 today with upside for 2 more points.
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Still in a dumb phase, despite ample air. The signature cigar box and smoky spice notes are there, but no Graves gravel yet, and the wine seemed a touch astringent. Wait five more years.
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A bit more red than the La Mouline. The nose soars with black current, gravel and soy. Velvet feel with plus depth. Classic, balanced and delicious. Tobacco on the finish. Super. Certainly the most elegant tonight. (94)
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From magnum. Cork was fresh as a baby. Decanted approx 1h and followed for another 2. Improved by every minute of air. Really opened up towards the end, showing some fine complexity on the nose as well as on the palate. Dark fruits, hints of tobacco, leather and some black tea. Great mouthfeel. Long. Tannins in a good place. 93-94p.
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13.5% alcohol. Embossed bottle with distinctive lilac-coloured collar sleeve. Exemplary cork with virtually no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead (possibly might have benefited from more air time). Deep colour with no sign of ageing. The nose is not the most intense, but it is balanced and civilised, with ripe blackcurrants and some confectionery notes. The mouth is better still, displaying the flavours promised by the nose and adding a superb creamy mouthfeel. Very good grip but no protruding tannins; the oak is fully integrated. A highly civilised Pessac favouring balance and style over extraction. This can improve for a further five to ten years and then keep for ten more years, I would guess. I got an exceptional deal on this wine 15 years ago, but I have to admit that it would not be a repeat purchase at current prices.
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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.
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I don’t drink that much Bordeaux but every once in a while one needs to calibrate the palate against the great classics. And when you get a bottle like this it doesn’t hurt at all. The 2001 La Mission Haut-Brion is truly spectacular. Incredibly intense with lots of dark cassis, freshly oiled leather, light tobacco, pencil shavings, a hint of chlorine (!), spices etc. etc. On the palate a little less exuberant. Well balanced with a smooth and seamless texture, medium+ tannins and a long, spicy finish with soy and some pepper. Still young and I miss some of the complexity that comes with age but... Wow!
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The wine is in a really good drinking window. Decanted, it threw a little sediment. Took a few minutes to blow off some odor and the only flaw was a hint of jamminess on the finish that went away with food. Drink now or hold for up to ten years.
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First offline of 2018 & a birthday celebration (Amali, NYC): Decanted for about 2 hours. On the nose this seemed a bit shut down tonight. Not as expressive on the palate either, someone commented on a bit of an astrigent note. I think perhaps this might be going through a dumb phase right now, or maybe poorly stored.
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Aromas of blackcurrant, tobacco, horse stable ++. The palate is surprisingly soft, juicy and forward, with little structure. Not a blockbuster vintage, this. I guess it needs more cellaring to build structure.
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(Single-blind tasting) Full, dark fruit and dense nose. Complex spicy aroma. Tobacco, plum and dark currant. Some smokiness. More impressing on the palate. Fullish, black currant, gently oaky with emerging tertiary notes of tobacco. Quite rich and balanced. Nutty, long finish. Not correctly identified, but still WotN in our 2001 tasting. This has an upside.
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All the classic smells and flavors of a great Bordeaux. Still amazingly fresh and lively with blackberry and cassis - more earthy and pencil shaving smells in the nose. Nice acidity and long finish. Drinking really well and could age for years to come.
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A week in Paris - with a side trip to Reims; 6/8/2017-6/14/2017: Fourth wine served at private Guy Savoy tasting menu dinner - from magnum. Paired with the filet of giant turbot ("cooked simply"). I was really excited to try this, but following the 2000 Damoy Clos de Beze - this was not as forth coming and open for business. The nose was not that expressive - on swirling some dark fruits and a bit of oak. Very dark in color with the palate leaning more to blackberry and leather - but with lots of structure still holding back the layers. I think this needs more cellar time to fully reveal itself - so would recommend holding for at least 5 more years.
Dark red center fading to brick red rim. Moderate-plus intensity nose begins with tobacco and dark fruit, emphasizing plum and black raspberry. Slightly mossy notes accompanied by dried herbs, licorice, and menthol. Nose eventually exhibits significant smoked meat character plus some Worcestershire. On the palate, there is cassis, plum, and black raspberry. The herbs appear here again, but they are fresher on the palate than on the nose. There are tobacco flavors plus a slight nuttiness. Wine has a long, appealingly phenolic finish. Remains quite concentrated and has a silky body with well-integrated medium tannins and medium-plus acidity. Has room to develop.
Concluded that in 2001, La Mission beats Haut-Brion, with La Mission being more structured, gamier, and longer lived, albeit with less acidity. Of course, the greater structure of La Mission fits the general profile of it versus Haut-Brion, but in 2001, the structure adds significant quality to the wine.
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Bt decanted for 1.5 hrs, dark red with aroma of cassis, hint of flower and cedar. Sweet fruit on palate, mildly acidic as balance, very elegant, sufficient concentration here foe the wine to continue to evolve. Tannin is smooth with a dry edge which also make the wine a good pair with food. At this price point, what a great treat for Valentine's day !!
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Decanted 2 hours before. This is a delicious wine with superb balance of tannins, fruit and acidity. Captivating bouquet. As others have said, this isn't a blockbuster, but that doesn't mean that it's thin or insipid - just that you need to choose your food accordingly. It went very well with our lamb casserole.
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The nose on this wine is simply incredible: plum fruit, gravel, worcestershire and wet tobacco leaf. Powerful and complex but not the slightest bit heavy. The color remains deep for the vintage and doesn't point to maturity. The palate confirms the youthful color - there is bright fruit and still a vein of tannin present. Maybe lacking a bit of fullness as others have suggested. This is a lighter styled La Mission that is nonetheless extremely enjoyable. I think it will really hit its stride in 2020 and enjoy a fabulous life for many years after. Count me as a fan (93+)
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Great nose and moderately complex on palate. Graphite and the good stuff of Graves. Somewhat thin and lacking in depth and concentration. Very good overall. Getting to be at a good place at this time.
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Not quite sure how to score as its in an in between place. Right now its rich and intense and the tannins are not yet as soft as i would expect. i also found none of the typical LMHB gravel, smoke and leather that i truly enjoy. Did not change over a few hours in the glass. Others liked more than me and I think it will be good but i would decant long and probably wait before drinking again.
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A terrific effort in an off vintage, this wine melds spice and fruit layers, and it has strong tannins. I'd say the both compete a bit; nonetheless, nice w a big fat piece of red meat.
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Brillant, belle couleur rubis profond, limbe orangé, moyennement lourd, larmes moyennes, lentes et fréquentes. Nez assez fin de cuir et de fruits noirs (cassis et mûres) et rouges (fraises) légèrement compotés. Senteurs de fumée et d'épices (poivre). Attaque sur la fraise compotée, la mûre, le cassis et de groseilles sur un fond de fumée. Belle minéralité bien exprimée. Légère pointe citronnée. Belle finale longue et délicate sur la groseille rouge. Tanins parfaitement intégrés. Une Mission assez massive, avec un fruit un peu avancé qui manque toutefois d'élégance et de fraicheur dans un millésime très chaud. Dégusté à My Way 2 avec un Risotto aux truffes et un dos de Merlu à la bisque de Homard.
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Needs decanting and we did so for a good hour. Albeit young the wine is not tight and austere or difficult but also not singing. Almost as if all the orchestra members are there but not in tune to the level we expected at least. Nice acidity , nice balance of fruit, light secondary. A bit short and dare we say not very complex at this stage. Expected more given pedigree and vintage. 92-93
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Dracks sida vid sida med 1986, 1990 och 2008. Koncentrerad mörk frukt med körsbär, läder och ceder. Det här vinets styrka är kraft, struktur och längd men saknar helt den elegans man vill ha i detta vin.
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Drank with Jim and Nam at ChinaTang and paired remarkably well with the duck. Started a little tight and overly fruity but opened up nicely over the course of the meal. By the end - excellent.
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Goosefoot (Chicago): Dark fruit, herbs and quite a bit of smoke dominate the nose. More dark fruit on the palate. This seemed thin and a bit disjointed but perhaps it is simply too young.
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Dinner @ Librije: scored conservatively with upside as this matures. Certainly lacks the complexity that the 1990 LMHB has (this 01 was served next to the 1990), but a very beautiful nose characterised by cherries and ripe dark fruits. Some spicyness as well. Sweet and soft tannins. Great wine, it just needs more time.
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Leiden visits Librije tasting: Drank this after the 1990 version, what a difference! This is still young, lots of black fruit in nose and taste, lots of flesh on the palate. Alcohol is noticible in the taste. Long finish. Great wine, needs more time in bottle.
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Liking the freshness of 01... (Esp pape clement). Drank well from first pour with no air. Classic cassis earth leather spice. Delicious but not breathtaking nor did evolve hugely.
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Lovely and in a good spot. Medium bodied, virile and juicy. Ripe rounded fruit, supple and tight, vibrant acidity, soft tannins. Somehow fresh while still very "Bordeaux'ish" with pencil, tobacco, leather and oak. Excellent.
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Cellar raid! - Freelon gave us (near) free run of his cellar - this is one of three bottles we dragged up to have with steaks following the white wine tasting - Thank you Freelon!
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Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Very nice, full round nose of leather, dark fruit, herbs and some pepper. Obviously pedigree on the palate with great balance and freshness. Dark fruit and earth. Classic with plenty of life ahead. Medium finish.
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Excellent - was a tasting party comparing Bourdeaux to a 2001 Phelps Insignia. This group of Americans all (but one) chose the Haut Brion as their preferred wine. Not wine experts, but all thought there was just more complex flavors and scents to enjoy.
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Young but coming out, pencil shavings, briary but balanced in fruit. Cassis, blackberry smash the mid palet and a touch of pepper on the finisg. Tannins are fine but there. Few more years and try another.
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750. Like a couple of others, who I'm sure got their bottles from a different source, this seemed an off bottle. Nose with lots of oak, umami, miso, iodine, this did not seem like typical La Mission. It was a shame really. Well enough and my guests liked it, but this did not even seem like the same chateau that produced the '89 and '90.
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Starting to really come around. Disagreed with friend and listened to him...no decant initially. Tasted and then decanted for 2 hrs and wow! 2 hours after that even better. By that time dinner party was over. I will give my 3 other bottles a minimum of 2 years. Integrated tannins (esp after airtime), sweet tobacco, cassis, and graphite. Complex. Interestingly, I opened 2 identical bottles from the same purchase and storage conditions and everyone noted one was quite a bit more tannic (hence the different scores).
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Colour: medium to dark red Nose: blackcurrants, some dark berries, rather fruity, some notes of leather Palate: dark berries, blackcurrants, rather noticable tannins, decent acidity. Summary: young! 92+ p.
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Silky smooth on opening. Black raspberry and lots of gravel, cassis, cedar. As it opened it hardened a bit, to my surprise. No hurry. This is great wine unfolding.
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This wine completely caught me off guard. None of the earthy, dark fruit, and mineral-driven excitement that usually comes with La Mission was present, but instead this was a lifeless, oaky hulk. Very little character other than toasted notes. No clue what was going on here, but if other 2001s are like this, I'm definitely staying away.
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A Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): I don't know what was up with this bottle. It just didn't seem like any la mish that I had ever had. It was completely blunted by oak on both the nose and palate with any other tones being muted. This was in a decanter, but I don't know how much air it had (though I did get to the tasting after many wines had been opened for 2 hours).
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Flat out wow. A spectacular aromatic profile right away combining fresh dark fruits, tobacco, cedar wood and that Graves smoky/earthy flavour into a wonderful scent. It's very youthful with plenty of primary fruit and more savoury flavours just starting to emerge, but it's already incredibly appealing to drink now with the tannin not particularly aggressive, an incredibly finessed texture and a sense of real purity to the flavours.
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2012 - Clarence Dillon: Alcohol :: 13% Decanted for 60mins. The nose is highly expressive with sweet plum, blueberry and blackberry, all surrounded by graphite, smoked meat and tobacco note, adorable. This has really good depth and scale on the palate, especially for a 01. I thought this was at least 2notches up compared to the 2008 today, maybe this is more ready but clearly a more complete wine. Good scale and structure, with complex depth of fruits, mineral, herbs and inner perfume of violet. The wine added some weight toward the long, intense finished with mineral lingers around. Quite feminine yet with good underlying power with it. Give this another 3-5yrs will surely improve more. 92-93+
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Deep black ruby color with a lovely nose of black fruits and smoke. Still quite a young wine but beginning to break out of its shell a bit and showing rich black fruit flavors along with a wonderful hint of gunsmoke. There is an incredible opulence and class to this wine as it sits in the glass and while the tannins are still quite present on the finish, it's a great drink tonight with the charred steak at Sparks. Medium-to-full bodied and still primary and beautifully balanced. To think of this as an off vintage for La Mission is a mistake as this is loaded with the breed of the vineyard and should be long-lived. 94+
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In which I host the Tuesday Supper Club. (My place.): This bottle was completely monolithic, revealing little other than hints of its traditional profile of black fruit and gravel. Couldn't get much of a sense of this wine as it was all about structure. Lesson to the wise, at age ten, top traditional Bordeaux should be left to sleep. NR.
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Decanted for about an hour. Exhibiting some black cherry fruit on the nose and palate with hints of cedar, cocoa. Elegant wine but was still tight and some tannins that needed to be integrated. Great potential. I would leave the remaining bottles alone for several more years.
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Lots of Bordeaux with Dan G for Public TV; 11/6/2011-11/7/2011 (WVIZ World Series of Wine Seminar): Another wine at the back of the room that Dan G. graciously opened for the group. I thought this was the best 2001 wine I have had. This is in a spectacular place right now. The nose has cassis, black raspberries, graphite and charcoal. On the palate, this is layered and complex. I would say at peak but no hurry either. Cassis, hot tar, black raspberries. Nice acidity after so many wines. Long finish. Makes me wish I had bought some on release as this was reasonable at the time.
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Friday Night With Friends (Columbia): Young and tight, decanting and time didn't get it there. Fruit is dark and a little sweet, could turn into something better than it is now though. Tannins were a bit rough for me, but again could mellow in the next few years. 90, but maybe 92 or more in several years.
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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
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A superb wine boasting its youth all throughout, great dark red core with a vibrant red rim, even though 10 years have passed this can still survive for more than 30! A great well rounded and vibrant nose with dark berries, plums, cassis, red fruits, milk chocolate, crushed rocks, with a slight touch of sweet tobacco, black pepper, and meat aux jous on the end. This nose was quite shy and hiding its true potential. On the palate this wine was glorious, nice velvety texture and enticing flavors. An initial attack with blackberries, raspberries, and sweet strawberries due to its high amount of merlot in the blend; the mid-palate explodes with milk chocolate, lavender, and sweet tobacco which makes this a well rounded wine. The finish starts with sun heated rocks, great velvety tannins, and touches of dark earth, smoke, cassis, and dark fruit compote.
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Decanted for about an hour. Dark, youthful color with an initial aromas of warm cherry pie, tar, and dried flowers. Nose closes down a bit. Palate is medium bodied with some blackberry, plum, oak, and cloves. It's fresh with good acidity. I'll try another one in a few years.
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PDH--Michael Whitehead sendoff. Opaque ruby purple in color. Typical nose of graphite, pencil shavings, pure cassis fruit, eucalyptus. Finishes with notes of wood and malo, some structure and tannin at the core, just not as expressive as some of the 'great' vintages. This was a fantastic treat and consumed too quickly by the group.
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I should not have opened this bottle on a sudden impulse, but rather have reflected on tasting notes from other aficionados testifying to the wine not being in a right place at this moment. Fresh and fruity nose, merlot dominating but rather simple. The palate is somewhat better, tannins are very fine and already well integrated, nice freshness and a somewhat ample mouth volume that hints at the wine's pedigree. Limited complexity, medium length. At 10 years of age, this bottle is far from showing the level LMHB is reputed for. Given 2010 EP pricing, I hope the now famous chinese amateur is not opening his bottles before more than 10 years of bottle age, as he might be induced to think that his fancy 1000$ wine is not significantly better than a regular 30$ Bordeaux blend...
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Is this all La Mission can muster? I know this wasn't a swell vintage, but La Mission is famous for shining in less than perfect years. It's not bad; it just isn't good either. It is rather one sided; it has plenty of structure and mineral, but, ...'where's the fruit?' (remember that commercial?) I really think Many of the Bordelais, based on many bottles I have drunk lately, have forgotten how to make wine!
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I stood up the wine the day before. Six hours before going out to dinner, I opened it and poured an ounce to a glass and let the bottle slowly breath. In the initial pour, the wine displayed crushed cherries, chocolate, and a bit of lavender on the nose. The wine appeared cloudy at first but cleared up and was a beautiful garnet/violet color. The sweet dark fruit carried over to the palate.
After arriving at the restaurant, the wine was carefully decanted, leaving a good amount of sediment on the bottom of the bottle. I thought the color became darker but still youthful and elegant. The nose evolved more into a potpouri and remained that way throughout dinner. On the palate, the sweet dark fruit was replaced by sliced, firm plums. The tartness kept things fresh but also resulted in a clipped finish. Tannins were mostly integrated. A solid 92, and I would expect it to continue to improve over time. I would open another bottle in 2 years.
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oh boy....this was my first " la mish". i called the store before finishing the bottle to reserve the last three bottles. soft, rich, and gentle. lovely wine. I paid $100 each. That is more than the wine is worth, but less than it can easily command, so I think I got a bargain. If that does not sound like a bargain, I recommend laying down some $25 Gazin Roquencourt for 5 years instead.
On december 11, we drank the second one. Upon opening, and when I served it after an hour of air time, it seemed not as impressive as the first, but then after 2.5 hours it began to open up and was again extremely good. I.e. when I first served it it just sat in my guests' glasses, a sure sign something is amiss. But eventually they began to treasure it. I only wish I had had the nerve to open it at least 2 hours early instead of only one. These wines are really extremely good, but only if you treat them just right. To be honest, my guests seemed to prefer the $60 2006 Corison cab I served as an afterthought. Tonight nobody drank the 2006 Chateau Haut - Vigneau or the Andrew Will 2006 ciel du cheval, good wines, but not ones that should follow la mission.
On December 31, we drank the third one. I decided to give it plenty of air and decant it for 2-3 hours. Early tastes revealed remarkable richness but also some tartness, and a slight bitterness on the finish. I expected the tartness to go away, but there was only a small window at about 2 hours, before the richness also went away. To my dismay, after 3 hours in the decanter, it was somewhat flat and had lost all its earlier remarkable qualities. I had been tasting it along and enjoyed most of it, but the last part of the bottle was not compelling and left until the next day. This wine is apparently quite sensitive to when it is served, but that moment is not so easy to predict, nor so long lasting.
I hope I can offer some pleasure to connoisseur friends with the 4th la mish, but I have somewhat lost my fascination with this wine. The expense and the trouble were not sufficiently offset for me by the experience. And my wife never really cared for it, too tart for her. I agree there was nothing deep to it as in a good latour. In a triple lineup, she preferred both the Sorella 2008 (soon to be released), and the Corison napa cab 2006. I myself still preferred the slightly subtler bordeaux, but consider those two new world wines more reliable and tasty (and cheaper), if less complex.
1-3-2011 to night i invited friends for the last one. I let time get away though and am only opening it now 15 minutes before they arrive, instead of 90 minutes. So I poured it back and forth and left it in the big decanter that rendered it flat last time in 3 hours, hoping for quick development. Even though it won't be quite ready, I think they will actually enjoy the experience of noticing it change over time, if they can wait. It is obviously good, but not obviously spectacular. The initial taste is again more tart than sweet, but with hints of richness underneath. I like the mild but interesting smell of this wine even when first opened. maybe I will precede the la mish by a haut vigneau so we can compare with a more modest wine from the same region.
well this went well. the champagne prevented me from serving the la mission all along its development, and by the time I served it it had 90-120 minutes development and was mellow. But everyone loved it, since unlike me they did not know what stages they were missing. Everyone loved the haut vigneau served first, which had softened over a day or two being open, but as I hoped, they then loved the la mish even more, as more complex. I would say this wine is most enjoyable if tasted gradually over several hours, i.e., as a wine tasting event rather than a dinner.
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Hmmm... well the earth didn't move this time like on the previous occasion (see TN below) at the restaurant. Very fine and enjoyable but not quite together tonight, and the killer nose seemed to have gone MIA. On this showing, this bottle very clearly could use some more time.
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Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 62%, Cabernet Franc 3%
Nice deep red color. Closed nose, ripe fruit with earthy notes and some pepper in the back. The palate is very complex, round, ripe fruits, leather, chocolate, ends with a medium aftertaste. Ready to drink .
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Well I paid restaurant prices for this at a 3x mark-up and came away still buzzing with this wine. This wine was singing. Nose was just incredible and was up with my Bdx of the year, including vs a 98 LMHB and a few first growths. Classic Graves nose and the body was full and long flavoured. At normal retail prices, this wine outperforms.
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La Mission Haut Brion plus white Burgs and Port: This had been a star at a prior tasting a couple of years ago, so I was surprised it showed as little. Not the best time perhaps to be opening this wine. Purple in color, shimmering bright. The nose is very tight. Juicy texture with some cassis, but really lacked much on the palate. Long smooth finish. You can tell there is a good wine lurking, but it is very tight. This bottle had just been shipped so perhaps some travel shock as well. That said, by the end of the evening it did open up a bit. Lots of room for this wine to improve over the next decade.
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May be closing down a bit but probably not for long. Tried one 2 years ago prior to getting 6 and I recall it more layered and complex then. Regardless, great Graves nose and taste. Ill give it at least another 1.5 years before opening another. Score will probably be higher then and considering the high Bordeaux prices of today not a bad deal for a wine of this quality.
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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.
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Terrific nose. Elegant and restrained, perhaps to the point of lacking a bit of stuffing. Serve with very lean meat -- bison or ostrich -- anything with fat will overpower this one. Ready to drink.
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Inarguably young, but delivering beauty. Nice nose of leather and old lace. Svelte and lovely lines like Christy Turlington. Developed intricate angles among the supple, young tannins. Shimmering and changing. Almost too mercurical to deliver LMHB, but damn nice.
Surprised that the glass I left in the stoppered bottle O/N was completely oxidized.
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The nose on this wine was a shut down which was disappointing as a previous bottle had the most amazing perfume on the nose. The nose showed a bit of fruit and spice but was pretty muted. Medium wait with decent fruit and spice on the palate. Well balanced with decent length. Enjoyable, but short of spectacular.
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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
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2001 Bordeaux Dinner (Bethesda, MD): A nose to die for. A perfumed bouquet of jasmine, juniper, refined cassis liqeur. The palate is not as thick or boisterous as the Pavie, but judged on its own merits with food, its elegance is truly unique. Not as much weight or fat as other profound vintages of La Mission, this wine is almost burgundian in its palate presence. A profound wine. I agree with Neal Martin's assessment. Just in a fantastic place right now, as the bouquet began to subside after a few hours in glass and a more fruit laden and gamey nuance began to develop. I think this wine is peaking and is ripe for a decline until it re-emerges, perhaps five years from now. Drink!!!
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On the second night, this was a sophisticated, artful Bordeaux with a seamless range of tastes. Black cherry, currant, vanilla woven together beautifully. I drank the first evening over a couple of hours, and the wine had the same fruit nose and a long finish, but the tastes were not integrated through the mid-palate. Need to either age longer or decant long before drinking, I guess!
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Pop and pour - this came out of the bottle singing. Nice notes of tar, spice, leather. Good tannic structure and not extremely acidic. This wine was a pleasant surprise. After more than 2 hours in the glass, starting to shut down. While I don't think this has the stuffing for extended agining, I'd expect it to integrate over the next couple years and drink well for several more.
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Ideally wanted to cellar this longer, but this one was a leaker. I think it may be just a little cooked, so I'm not sure if I should be scoring it, but it will still get a 90+ from me tonight.
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My first experience with this wine. On opening the nose was primary and dominated by new oak and the palate was closed but had an incredible depth of fruit. I double decanted it and 2 hours later the nose and the wine were much more integrated. The nose still had the smell of toast but in addition had the grave character you would expect in La Mission. Leather, tar and hot rock were all there. The palate had great balance and while the wine is medium-bodied it has dense fruit and ripe tannins. The finish is incredibly long. This wine spun my cap. Is this what the '85 tasted like in its youth?
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This wine began the afternoon light bodied. As such, I left it in the decanter for the next three hours to sit on the sideboard while the festivities reigned.
At dinner, the wine had gained weight, compexity and a lovely fragrance. The body of the wine was richer and pleasant with our roast. Dad and our guests slurped it and the 94 QC--the QC was a much fuller and bolder wine. The LMHB can best be described as a wine of finesse. No pain having more in the cellar!
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2001 Claret Tasting (Vintners' Hall, London): Nose started very muted, very complex, great layers of fruit light oak, bound by very rich strong tannin, not overbearing. Superb.
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At Victors in NY. The nose was explosive on first opening. It is among the more intense noses I have smelled in a young wine. After 4-5 hours of air it really shut down, so if you open one, try it earlier. The nose showed blood, blackberries, vanilla, and dried herbs. The palate was big and obviously very young with loads of structure. The tannins really zinged and bordered on over the top. The finish was very long. This wine needs decades but it will be a winner. 92+
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3/8/2024 - Latache01 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine was still too young in 2024. The very dense texture of the wine is characterised by fine cassis, berries, nougat and cherries as well as fully ripe peppers. The long and complex finish is pleasantly fresh with present but very fine tannins. Probably at its peak in 10-15 years.
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2/1/2024 - Tao wrote: 95 Points
Ready to drink, but not ready to shine at this moment! Dark, opaque colour! Gorgeous nose of sweet, ripe, caramel black fruits. Intoxicated aromas! Dense and young on the palate, I think it needs some years of cellaring!
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11/24/2023 - spineguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tobacco, graphite, and darker fruit readily apparent on the nose. Definitely connected to Graves. Nicely in its secondary phase but still a bit tight upon opening. Needed about 30-45 minutes in the decanter and then continued to evolve quickly. Cassis and blackberries with a hint of bacon on the palate. Well put together. Nicely evolving and has at least a decade or 2.
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9/26/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wonderfully evolved, coffee, mocha and leather to it. Lively and fresh still, very good tension. Just opened. Smooth, fresh, and just super drinkable. Damn, as it opens it just get better and better.
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5/13/2023 - maaike2 wrote: 93 Points
During 6 stars lunch BOB at Aan de Poel:Smooth, rich and power with tertiary notes and good length. Still young.
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11/5/2022 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine:
Pop n pour. Brought to a 60th birthday celebration. Expressive nose of graphite, cedar, macerated black cherries. Palate is velvety with the dark fruit. Would have liked to see how this evolved during the evening, but there were many other wines to try. Perhaps, decant the bottle ahead of time.
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11/5/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
This is really showing well and with time, it is going to be even better. This is a good thing because you cannot get enough of its spicy, smoked currant, leather, tar, and tobacco character. Showing more elegance than power, at 21, this has entered the start of its drinking window. Drink from 2022-2045.
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7/10/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
A wonderful contrast to the equally exciting La Turque drunk alongside. Classic left bank Bordeaux. The deep ruby/crimson color does not show its age. Cassis, smoke and tobacco burst on the nose. Medium body, seemless and long. Wish I had a smoking jacket to wear while drinking this. Yum. (94)
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5/23/2022 - Shay.Aldriedge wrote: 95 Points
When I purchased this five years ago, it was without a doubt the nicest bottle of Bordeaux I owned. 2001 was a good vintage for certain producers, and with Haut Brion being my favorite first growth, I wanted to have one of these with some age to see how they evolve. I slow ox’ed for 1-2hrs, consumed from bottle over the next three hours, and saved the last quarter for the next day.
Amongst quite a few first growths (and a ‘94 and ‘04 Haut Brion) this held its own. Compared to HB, it doesn’t have that brooding power and deep fruit core as intensely, but it wasn’t too far behind. More red fruit/black cherry than the dominant black I normally get with HB. Potpourri, baked black cherries, and cherry pipe tobacco showed strong on both days. No reductive funk to blow off. Faint notes of mocha, scorched earth and peppered strip, but it meshes with the cassis and grippy herbal tannic finish. What I didn’t expect was how vibrant the acidity was on both days. A beautiful example of high quality Bordeaux, and one I wish I had more of.
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4/15/2022 - Eddie stiefel wrote:
Traded for an 01 Cheval Blanc
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1/30/2022 - Pinot Peter Likes this wine:
A wonderful wine. Great favours, great length, good acidity, all the flavours of a well aged Bordeaux. A great subtle sweetness, flavours of dark chocolate, black fruits ,leather, tobacco, a noticeable smokiness, tannins are showing on the back of the palate. Drinking well now. This can age but don't know if it will dry out and the tannins will take over the fruit component with more time?
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10/30/2021 - fredshouse Likes this wine: 91 Points
This nice bottle should have been in its prime… On opening the nose showed nicely but a strong acidic streak marred the flavor. After a loooong rest the acid calmed down and revealed a good, but not great, profile of dark fruits, aromatic spices and gravel. Plenty of life left and we enjoyed it, but it did not compare to some of the nicer bottles others have reviewed here.
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10/24/2021 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
In beautiful shape now but easily a decade more of potential. Decanted 2 hours before drinking but I wish I’d added a couple more hours (first of a case so I have time to get it right). Very together, great length, developing in many layers.
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10/22/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
This is certainly in contention for the Left Bank wine of the vintage. Continuing to add weight and complexity, the naturally smoky nose adds oceanic nuances to its leather, tar, dark currant, burning wood, cedar and tobacco leaf nose. Medium/full-bodied, with length, complexity, freshness and a bite of ripe cassis, currant, and spicy, tobacco-covered blackberry on the palate, this is starting to drink quite well. As an added plus, this could be the best deal in older LMHB available today.
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8/12/2021 - Mr Coone wrote: 92 Points
Wine still looked very young in the glass. Cherry-red with medium intensity and only a small change of colour in the rim.
Dominating primary aroma's in the nose with ripe cherry, blueberry, prune, cranberry, leather and some cacao.
On the palate: a little bit unripe and harsh tannins, medium + acidity.
Flavors of cherry, cedar, prune, leather, the unripe aroma's of green paprika and some vanilla in the retro with a long finish.
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4/9/2021 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
Very solid and impressive nose. But lacking seductiveness a little.
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3/30/2021 - Mr T wrote:
My first bottle and probably should have started drinking these younger to see development. This is pretty mature with still good fruit but much of the tannin resolved and flavors of mature, earthy Bdx.
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2/10/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
Small pour served into Acker Zalto Burgundy glass (“Root” day): Pale garnet with some fine deposit.
Savoury spices, mature red cherry fruits, red dates and some old oak notes.
Good acidity and minerality. Mellow and enjoyable now.
93 points.
2nd round, 100 ml serving: good old Bordeaux here. Savoury leafy spices. Cherries that are quite detailed.
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2/9/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
2001 20-years on Commanderie dinner. Here we had the most complex nose of the evening. As so often, Mission Haut-Brion combines dark fruit with animatic and herbal notes, providing excellent depth and complexity. The palate was a bit too rustic for my tasted so I made some deductions on the overall score. Nose 96, Palate 94. Great wine to drink now and will keep another decade.
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1/16/2021 - cct wrote: 95 Points
Decanted then drunk over several hours. A pleasant improvement after the first flawed bottle.
On the nose, Graves/Pessac earth, stone fruit more than cassis, tobacco, and bitter chocolate. The Merlot dominates the fruit profile on the nose and beyond. This has terrific palate presence. It's seamless, expansive, deep, and texturally rich, yet finely detailed with Grand Cru weight with more stone fruit, gravel and tobacco notes. This has effortless power coupled with grace. Very long on the back end. Drinking youthfully beautifully right now with plenty of time in hand. Wonderful. 95
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12/16/2020 - dafmd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decant 60 minutes; tasted over 3 hours; ruby; sous-bois, hint of bell pepper to begin with, medium bodied, dark berries, cedar, fountain pen ink; nice minerally finish of sweetness and tannin,
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10/11/2020 - B Paul wrote:
Decanted and drank over several hours. Classic Bordeaux nose. In the in between phase where it’s showing some aged notes but also retains some youthful qualities. It is still a bit big/burly and if I had another bottle I’d hold for a bit.
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8/30/2020 - Mission 71 wrote: 96 Points
Aromen ziehen wie ein Feuerwerk über den Gaumen langer Abgang sehr ausgewogen. Ist am Anfang seiner Trinkreife hat noch viele Jahre vor sich.
Ein Traumwein
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6/27/2020 - RayOB Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank at Home
Incredible depth and complexity, showing beautifully now
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6/21/2020 - forsythes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now.
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4/6/2020 - asteff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just stunning and complete. A beautiful wine with everything in its place. Wow and yum.
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3/27/2020 - Somm David T wrote: 95 Points
So, if it’s my birthday celebration, there is a juicy ribeye & some old(er) Claret.
My only disappointment with this bottle is as good as it is, there are better things still down the road.
The nose reveals classic Claret. There are earthy, funky fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, baked strawberries with shades of raspberries. Steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, stones, black, rich earth, clay, dry herbs, dark berry cola, cedar, leather, not quite fresh tobacco, underbrush, graphite, gentle, dark spice, slight peppery notes, clove, touch of nutmeg & cinnamon & vanillin, anise to black licorice, eucalyptus notes with fresh & slightly candied florals of, red, dark, blue, purple & violets.
The body is medium full with rounded, nicely resolved, tarry tannins. The structure, tension, length and balance are really singing. It would be good to have another 2001 LMHB in ten years. While 2001 wasn’t a critically acclaimed vintage, I think LMHB over performed the vintage. As well, it followed a grand 2000 vintage which, handicapped it from the start. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, baked strawberries, bright cherries, rhubarb, figs, with shades of raspberries. Steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, stones, black, rich earth, clay, dry top soil, dry herbs, dark berry cola, cedar, leather, not quite fresh tobacco, underbrush, graphite, gentle, dark spice with soft heat, slight peppery notes, clove, touch of nutmeg & cinnamon & vanillin, anise to black licorice, eucalyptus notes with fresh & slightly candied florals of, red, dark, blue, purple & violets. The acidity is excellent...like a gentle rain shower. The long finish is elegance defined, extremely well balanced ending in soft, round, dry, dusty tannins with beautiful spice.
Please indulge me while I post some history on this grand producer. As much as I love the wine, I love the history & people that do the hard work to bring us such great wines.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is not quite as old as Chateau Haut Brion. However, they are opposite side of the road neighbors. La Mission Haut Brion dates back to the late 16th century. The property came into being after it was purchased by Jean de Pontac in 1533. US winery history is a baby compared to France.
In 1607, the estate changed hands. It was inherited by Ms. Olive de Lestonnac. What an inheritance!
In 1815, something rare happened. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion became the property of an American owner, the Chiapelle family. At the time, the family was already involved in the Bordeaux wine trade. In fact, they knew about the business as they had managed a myriad of different estates including Chateau Cos d’ Estournel.
La Mission Haut Brion continued to change hands until it was finally sold to another American family, the Woltner’s. Frederic Woltner purchased La Mission Haut Brion in 1919. The also became owners on Howell Mountain.
It changed hands one final time in 1983 when it was purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owner of neighboring, Chateau Haut Brion. They renovated the entire property, starting with replanting the vineyards which, was completed in 1987.
The 26 hectare vineyard of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is planted to; 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.8% Merlot and 10.4% Cabernet Franc. 3.5 hectares of vines are reserved for the production of the white Bordeaux.
To produce the red wine of Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, the wine is vinified in large, 180 hectoliter, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats and aged in 100% new, French oak for an average of 22 months. The annual production of La Mission Haut Brion averages between 6,000 and 7,000 cases per year.
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1/1/2020 - Marquis du Vin Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the open, plenty of funk and bricking in the decant. Smells seems off a quite bit, hints of cedar and tobacco appear, plus a rustic taste that makes one wonder if this is quite beyond it's years! Trust me- it's not! It takes about 1,5-2 hours of aeration but then she awakens with a dense, dark and very charming mouthful! Color improves too as the browning turn to a nice deep crimson, and the wonderful dark fruits emerge along side the cedar. The wine is powerful and muscular, full body for sure, again dense but charming showing the wonders of aging in a classic style. The only thing missing here was a spectacular finish. That came a bit short and slightly tart. Other than that, it's a wonderful classic "big" bordeaux.
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1/1/2020 - achasd wrote: 93 Points
Vibrant fruit, classic Bordeaux from an "off" vintage. Lavender, cassis, drink or hold for another 10 years.
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12/27/2019 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for ~45 minutes. Singing now with layered plum and mineral with light tobacco and bell pepper nuances. Very elegant and easy drinking in this vintage. Otherwise rather classic.
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12/13/2019 - Kim Gerner wrote: 88 Points
20 Old Bordeaux grand cru classe - vertical and horizontal semi blind Wine tasting dinner (DK-Frederiksberg): A little herbaceous in a good way
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10/16/2019 - Wine_lvr wrote: 95 Points
Excellent
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10/3/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
This showed younger and deeper than the '01 Haut Brion alongside with darker fruits and bigger tannins. It couldn't match the elegance of the HB yet but it showed great sweet/smoky dark fruits with excellent intensity and power. The finish is quite complex with notes of tobacco, warm gravel and Asian spices. 93+
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9/17/2019 - Jammy Wine wrote: 92 Points
The 2001 La Mission Haut Brion is stepping into its drinking window and offers a great amount of charm, almost as good as the blockbuster 2000. Rich and intense with densely packed array of primary dark fruits, blackberries, fresh wood spices and high toast new oak. Energetic with good ripeness, reminds me of 2006 Bordeaux, which are fresh and charming with soft tannins (relatively speaking). Drink now to 2050. (92-93/100)
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9/11/2019 - Cooky474 wrote: 92 Points
Small glass at C&B Bordeaux La Paulee - beautiful now, but it is evident that it is still so young and has so much potential to improve further. Would have loved to sit with a bottle of this over an evening, or better yet, in 10 years time...
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9/11/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Small glass at Bdx La Paulee (lost notes). Side by side a sublime 83 this 01 still needs time but it is already an attractive wine and can be approached with a decant this sample suggested. In 10 years should be a beauty. 93 today with upside for 2 more points.
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7/28/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still in a dumb phase, despite ample air. The signature cigar box and smoky spice notes are there, but no Graves gravel yet, and the wine seemed a touch astringent. Wait five more years.
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6/20/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice character, yet still young. Drink 2026 to 2035.
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5/15/2019 - skifree wrote: flawed
First La Mission that was flawed, such a bummer
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1/25/2019 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
needs time and lots of it - beautifully made
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12/26/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
A bit more red than the La Mouline. The nose soars with black current, gravel and soy. Velvet feel with plus depth. Classic, balanced and delicious. Tobacco on the finish. Super. Certainly the most elegant tonight. (94)
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11/23/2018 - BSA Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Cork was fresh as a baby. Decanted approx 1h and followed for another 2. Improved by every minute of air. Really opened up towards the end, showing some fine complexity on the nose as well as on the palate. Dark fruits, hints of tobacco, leather and some black tea. Great mouthfeel. Long. Tannins in a good place. 93-94p.
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10/21/2018 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13.5% alcohol. Embossed bottle with distinctive lilac-coloured collar sleeve. Exemplary cork with virtually no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead (possibly might have benefited from more air time).
Deep colour with no sign of ageing. The nose is not the most intense, but it is balanced and civilised, with ripe blackcurrants and some confectionery notes. The mouth is better still, displaying the flavours promised by the nose and adding a superb creamy mouthfeel. Very good grip but no protruding tannins; the oak is fully integrated.
A highly civilised Pessac favouring balance and style over extraction. This can improve for a further five to ten years and then keep for ten more years, I would guess.
I got an exceptional deal on this wine 15 years ago, but I have to admit that it would not be a repeat purchase at current prices.
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10/13/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
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.
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2/8/2018 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 96 Points
I don’t drink that much Bordeaux but every once in a while one needs to calibrate the palate against the great classics. And when you get a bottle like this it doesn’t hurt at all. The 2001 La Mission Haut-Brion is truly spectacular. Incredibly intense with lots of dark cassis, freshly oiled leather, light tobacco, pencil shavings, a hint of chlorine (!), spices etc. etc. On the palate a little less exuberant. Well balanced with a smooth and seamless texture, medium+ tannins and a long, spicy finish with soy and some pepper. Still young and I miss some of the complexity that comes with age but... Wow!
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1/20/2018 - achasd Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine is in a really good drinking window. Decanted, it threw a little sediment. Took a few minutes to blow off some odor and the only flaw was a hint of jamminess on the finish that went away with food. Drink now or hold for up to ten years.
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1/14/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote:
First offline of 2018 & a birthday celebration (Amali, NYC): Decanted for about 2 hours. On the nose this seemed a bit shut down tonight. Not as expressive on the palate either, someone commented on a bit of an astrigent note. I think perhaps this might be going through a dumb phase right now, or maybe poorly stored.
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1/12/2018 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant, tobacco, horse stable ++. The palate is surprisingly soft, juicy and forward, with little structure. Not a blockbuster vintage, this. I guess it needs more cellaring to build structure.
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12/9/2017 - Argrath wrote: 94 Points
(Single-blind tasting)
Full, dark fruit and dense nose. Complex spicy aroma. Tobacco, plum and dark currant. Some smokiness.
More impressing on the palate. Fullish, black currant, gently oaky with emerging tertiary notes of tobacco. Quite rich and balanced. Nutty, long finish.
Not correctly identified, but still WotN in our 2001 tasting. This has an upside.
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11/9/2017 - TPB Likes this wine: 95 Points
All the classic smells and flavors of a great Bordeaux. Still amazingly fresh and lively with blackberry and cassis - more earthy and pencil shaving smells in the nose. Nice acidity and long finish. Drinking really well and could age for years to come.
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6/10/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
A week in Paris - with a side trip to Reims; 6/8/2017-6/14/2017: Fourth wine served at private Guy Savoy tasting menu dinner - from magnum. Paired with the filet of giant turbot ("cooked simply"). I was really excited to try this, but following the 2000 Damoy Clos de Beze - this was not as forth coming and open for business. The nose was not that expressive - on swirling some dark fruits and a bit of oak. Very dark in color with the palate leaning more to blackberry and leather - but with lots of structure still holding back the layers. I think this needs more cellar time to fully reveal itself - so would recommend holding for at least 5 more years.
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4/6/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Wonderful Improptu/ Merged Wine Dinner (The Links Club - New York NY): A trace of acetone.
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3/11/2017 - nywine68 wrote: 89 Points
Still closed. Moderate tannins and dense black fruit but not much expression. Need to wait another 5 years at least. Atypical for a 2001
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3/5/2017 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted alongside 2001 Haut-Brion.
Dark red center fading to brick red rim. Moderate-plus intensity nose begins with tobacco and dark fruit, emphasizing plum and black raspberry. Slightly mossy notes accompanied by dried herbs, licorice, and menthol. Nose eventually exhibits significant smoked meat character plus some Worcestershire. On the palate, there is cassis, plum, and black raspberry. The herbs appear here again, but they are fresher on the palate than on the nose. There are tobacco flavors plus a slight nuttiness. Wine has a long, appealingly phenolic finish. Remains quite concentrated and has a silky body with well-integrated medium tannins and medium-plus acidity. Has room to develop.
Concluded that in 2001, La Mission beats Haut-Brion, with La Mission being more structured, gamier, and longer lived, albeit with less acidity. Of course, the greater structure of La Mission fits the general profile of it versus Haut-Brion, but in 2001, the structure adds significant quality to the wine.
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2/14/2017 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bt decanted for 1.5 hrs, dark red with aroma of cassis, hint of flower and cedar. Sweet fruit on palate, mildly acidic as balance, very elegant, sufficient concentration here foe the wine to continue to evolve. Tannin is smooth with a dry edge which also make the wine a good pair with food. At this price point, what a great treat for Valentine's day !!
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12/19/2016 - kristamck wrote:
With Alex and Chrissy
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12/14/2016 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Took to CT Seattle tasting dinner at Sullivan's. No formal notes, but enjoyed it very much - still very young.
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8/25/2016 - cgutch wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours before. This is a delicious wine with superb balance of tannins, fruit and acidity. Captivating bouquet. As others have said, this isn't a blockbuster, but that doesn't mean that it's thin or insipid - just that you need to choose your food accordingly. It went very well with our lamb casserole.
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8/16/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
The nose on this wine is simply incredible: plum fruit, gravel, worcestershire and wet tobacco leaf. Powerful and complex but not the slightest bit heavy. The color remains deep for the vintage and doesn't point to maturity. The palate confirms the youthful color - there is bright fruit and still a vein of tannin present. Maybe lacking a bit of fullness as others have suggested. This is a lighter styled La Mission that is nonetheless extremely enjoyable. I think it will really hit its stride in 2020 and enjoy a fabulous life for many years after. Count me as a fan (93+)
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7/14/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fine Graves. Fine complex nose and good palate. Needs air or more time in bottle.
Definitely something special.
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5/1/2016 - spineguy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great nose and moderately complex on palate. Graphite and the good stuff of Graves. Somewhat thin and lacking in depth and concentration. Very good overall. Getting to be at a good place at this time.
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4/27/2016 - ricknat1 wrote:
Not quite sure how to score as its in an in between place. Right now its rich and intense and the tannins are not yet as soft as i would expect. i also found none of the typical LMHB gravel, smoke and leather that i truly enjoy. Did not change over a few hours in the glass. Others liked more than me and I think it will be good but i would decant long and probably wait before drinking again.
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12/30/2015 - Dough Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
A terrific effort in an off vintage, this wine melds spice and fruit layers, and it has strong tannins. I'd say the both compete a bit; nonetheless, nice w a big fat piece of red meat.
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11/18/2015 - OW_SOSPEL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brillant, belle couleur rubis profond, limbe orangé, moyennement lourd, larmes moyennes, lentes et fréquentes.
Nez assez fin de cuir et de fruits noirs (cassis et mûres) et rouges (fraises) légèrement compotés. Senteurs de fumée et d'épices (poivre).
Attaque sur la fraise compotée, la mûre, le cassis et de groseilles sur un fond de fumée. Belle minéralité bien exprimée. Légère pointe citronnée.
Belle finale longue et délicate sur la groseille rouge. Tanins parfaitement intégrés.
Une Mission assez massive, avec un fruit un peu avancé qui manque toutefois d'élégance et de fraicheur dans un millésime très chaud.
Dégusté à My Way 2 avec un Risotto aux truffes et un dos de Merlu à la bisque de Homard.
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11/17/2015 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Needs decanting and we did so for a good hour.
Albeit young the wine is not tight and austere or difficult but also not singing. Almost as if all the orchestra members are there but not in tune to the level we expected at least. Nice acidity , nice balance of fruit, light secondary. A bit short and dare we say not very complex at this stage. Expected more given pedigree and vintage. 92-93
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11/4/2015 - swyates Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nice Bordeaux, very reasonable admission price for this club.
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9/9/2015 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 92 Points
Dracks sida vid sida med 1986, 1990 och 2008.
Koncentrerad mörk frukt med körsbär, läder och ceder.
Det här vinets styrka är kraft, struktur och längd men saknar helt den elegans man vill ha i detta vin.
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11/13/2014 - hongkongtom Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank with Jim and Nam at ChinaTang and paired remarkably well with the duck. Started a little tight and overly fruity but opened up nicely over the course of the meal. By the end - excellent.
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11/8/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Goosefoot (Chicago): Dark fruit, herbs and quite a bit of smoke dominate the nose. More dark fruit on the palate. This seemed thin and a bit disjointed but perhaps it is simply too young.
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10/27/2014 - dansamsoe Likes this wine:
A good bottle of Bordeaux. Dark fruit with a clean nose. It had silky tannins and seems about ready to drink. It was a treat.
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6/6/2014 - johannes.c Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner @ Librije: scored conservatively with upside as this matures. Certainly lacks the complexity that the 1990 LMHB has (this 01 was served next to the 1990), but a very beautiful nose characterised by cherries and ripe dark fruits. Some spicyness as well. Sweet and soft tannins. Great wine, it just needs more time.
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6/6/2014 - Burgaddict wrote: 91 Points
Leiden visits Librije tasting: Drank this after the 1990 version, what a difference! This is still young, lots of black fruit in nose and taste, lots of flesh on the palate. Alcohol is noticible in the taste. Long finish. Great wine, needs more time in bottle.
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5/30/2014 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours, shows promise, at the early stage of the drinking plateau. I look forward to the future of this wine.
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2/7/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Liking the freshness of 01... (Esp pape clement). Drank well from first pour with no air. Classic cassis earth leather spice. Delicious but not breathtaking nor did evolve hugely.
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11/24/2013 - steinersing wrote: 90 Points
perhaps just not a good bottle, but somewhat closed and a just not spectacular by any means. but better than say 2003 now.
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11/23/2013 - psi wrote: 94 Points
Lovely and in a good spot. Medium bodied, virile and juicy. Ripe rounded fruit, supple and tight, vibrant acidity, soft tannins. Somehow fresh while still very "Bordeaux'ish" with pencil, tobacco, leather and oak. Excellent.
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7/19/2013 - f22nickell wrote: 91 Points
Seattle Wine Group - July 2013 Wine Tasting Event - Theme: Old World Whites ABCR (Freelon's house - Kent/Covington Area): Aroma: smoke, blackberries, plums, earthy, cedar cigar box
Palate: velvety, dark berry fruit, cassis, swisher sweet cigars, a hint of chocolate
Moderate length
Cellar raid! - Freelon gave us (near) free run of his cellar - this is one of three bottles we dragged up to have with steaks following the white wine tasting - Thank you Freelon!
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5/25/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Spice driven start with moderate power, mostly quite young blackberry and plum. Elegant and drinking well young, even if not classically ageworthy.
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5/22/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Very nice, full round nose of leather, dark fruit, herbs and some pepper. Obviously pedigree on the palate with great balance and freshness. Dark fruit and earth. Classic with plenty of life ahead. Medium finish.
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5/13/2013 - TPB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent - was a tasting party comparing Bourdeaux to a 2001 Phelps Insignia. This group of Americans all (but one) chose the Haut Brion as their preferred wine. Not wine experts, but all thought there was just more complex flavors and scents to enjoy.
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12/6/2012 - Chains1966 wrote: 94 Points
Young but coming out, pencil shavings, briary but balanced in fruit. Cassis, blackberry smash the mid palet and a touch of pepper on the finisg. Tannins are fine but there. Few more years and try another.
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11/16/2012 - englishman's claret wrote:
750. Like a couple of others, who I'm sure got their bottles from a different source, this seemed an off bottle. Nose with lots of oak, umami, miso, iodine, this did not seem like typical La Mission. It was a shame really. Well enough and my guests liked it, but this did not even seem like the same chateau that produced the '89 and '90.
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11/4/2012 - spineguy wrote: 94 Points
Starting to really come around. Disagreed with friend and listened to him...no decant initially. Tasted and then decanted for 2 hrs and wow! 2 hours after that even better. By that time dinner party was over. I will give my 3 other bottles a minimum of 2 years. Integrated tannins (esp after airtime), sweet tobacco, cassis, and graphite. Complex. Interestingly, I opened 2 identical bottles from the same purchase and storage conditions and everyone noted one was quite a bit more tannic (hence the different scores).
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11/3/2012 - Vintomas wrote: 92 Points
Colour: medium to dark red
Nose: blackcurrants, some dark berries, rather fruity, some notes of leather
Palate: dark berries, blackcurrants, rather noticable tannins, decent acidity.
Summary: young! 92+ p.
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8/15/2012 - Porchino wrote: 91 Points
Mineral
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8/10/2012 - skifree wrote: 93 Points
Silky smooth on opening. Black raspberry and lots of gravel, cassis, cedar. As it opened it hardened a bit, to my surprise. No hurry. This is great wine unfolding.
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7/13/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 96 Points
A spectacular La Mission. Took a while to open up to show its full potential. Cassis, smoke, earth, tar, tannins nicely integrated and silky finish.
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7/6/2012 - tooch wrote:
This wine completely caught me off guard. None of the earthy, dark fruit, and mineral-driven excitement that usually comes with La Mission was present, but instead this was a lifeless, oaky hulk. Very little character other than toasted notes. No clue what was going on here, but if other 2001s are like this, I'm definitely staying away.
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7/6/2012 - KeithAkers wrote:
A Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): I don't know what was up with this bottle. It just didn't seem like any la mish that I had ever had. It was completely blunted by oak on both the nose and palate with any other tones being muted. This was in a decanter, but I don't know how much air it had (though I did get to the tasting after many wines had been opened for 2 hours).
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5/26/2012 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Flat out wow. A spectacular aromatic profile right away combining fresh dark fruits, tobacco, cedar wood and that Graves smoky/earthy flavour into a wonderful scent. It's very youthful with plenty of primary fruit and more savoury flavours just starting to emerge, but it's already incredibly appealing to drink now with the tannin not particularly aggressive, an incredibly finessed texture and a sense of real purity to the flavours.
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5/6/2012 - St Paul wrote: 93 Points
A classic wine! I have always liked the 01´s due to the elegance and freshness. Very nice bottle.
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4/25/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 92 Points
2012 - Clarence Dillon: Alcohol :: 13%
Decanted for 60mins. The nose is highly expressive with sweet plum, blueberry and blackberry, all surrounded by graphite, smoked meat and tobacco note, adorable. This has really good depth and scale on the palate, especially for a 01. I thought this was at least 2notches up compared to the 2008 today, maybe this is more ready but clearly a more complete wine. Good scale and structure, with complex depth of fruits, mineral, herbs and inner perfume of violet. The wine added some weight toward the long, intense finished with mineral lingers around. Quite feminine yet with good underlying power with it. Give this another 3-5yrs will surely improve more. 92-93+
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4/20/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
VEO tasting - focus on 2005 Claret (Restaurant Bolenius, Amsterdam): Last wine of the evening and my concentration fading slightly. Rich and classical, great tannins, muscular, closed but clearly an excellent 2001.
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3/28/2012 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Deep black ruby color with a lovely nose of black fruits and smoke. Still quite a young wine but beginning to break out of its shell a bit and showing rich black fruit flavors along with a wonderful hint of gunsmoke. There is an incredible opulence and class to this wine as it sits in the glass and while the tannins are still quite present on the finish, it's a great drink tonight with the charred steak at Sparks. Medium-to-full bodied and still primary and beautifully balanced. To think of this as an off vintage for La Mission is a mistake as this is loaded with the breed of the vineyard and should be long-lived. 94+
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3/9/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
La Mission Haut Brion; 3/9/2012-3/10/2012 (Burg Staufeneck): Very elegant yet quite powerful. Nose of cassis, dark fruits. On the palate sweetness, silky tannins, nice finish.
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12/13/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
In which I host the Tuesday Supper Club. (My place.): This bottle was completely monolithic, revealing little other than hints of its traditional profile of black fruit and gravel. Couldn't get much of a sense of this wine as it was all about structure. Lesson to the wise, at age ten, top traditional Bordeaux should be left to sleep. NR.
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11/7/2011 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Exhibiting some black cherry fruit on the nose and palate with hints of cedar, cocoa. Elegant wine but was still tight and some tannins that needed to be integrated. Great potential. I would leave the remaining bottles alone for several more years.
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11/6/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Lots of Bordeaux with Dan G for Public TV; 11/6/2011-11/7/2011 (WVIZ World Series of Wine Seminar): Another wine at the back of the room that Dan G. graciously opened for the group. I thought this was the best 2001 wine I have had. This is in a spectacular place right now. The nose has cassis, black raspberries, graphite and charcoal. On the palate, this is layered and complex. I would say at peak but no hurry either. Cassis, hot tar, black raspberries. Nice acidity after so many wines. Long finish. Makes me wish I had bought some on release as this was reasonable at the time.
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10/14/2011 - KingSlacker999 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Friday Night With Friends (Columbia): Young and tight, decanting and time didn't get it there. Fruit is dark and a little sweet, could turn into something better than it is now though. Tannins were a bit rough for me, but again could mellow in the next few years. 90, but maybe 92 or more in several years.
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10/7/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
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
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9/8/2011 - Gobi wrote: 95 Points
A superb wine boasting its youth all throughout, great dark red core with a vibrant red rim, even though 10 years have passed this can still survive for more than 30! A great well rounded and vibrant nose with dark berries, plums, cassis, red fruits, milk chocolate, crushed rocks, with a slight touch of sweet tobacco, black pepper, and meat aux jous on the end. This nose was quite shy and hiding its true potential. On the palate this wine was glorious, nice velvety texture and enticing flavors. An initial attack with blackberries, raspberries, and sweet strawberries due to its high amount of merlot in the blend; the mid-palate explodes with milk chocolate, lavender, and sweet tobacco which makes this a well rounded wine. The finish starts with sun heated rocks, great velvety tannins, and touches of dark earth, smoke, cassis, and dark fruit compote.
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8/17/2011 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Dark, youthful color with an initial aromas of warm cherry pie, tar, and dried flowers. Nose closes down a bit. Palate is medium bodied with some blackberry, plum, oak, and cloves. It's fresh with good acidity. I'll try another one in a few years.
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8/17/2011 - bigwineguy420 wrote: 92 Points
PDH--Michael Whitehead sendoff. Opaque ruby purple in color. Typical nose of graphite, pencil shavings, pure cassis fruit, eucalyptus. Finishes with notes of wood and malo, some structure and tannin at the core, just not as expressive as some of the 'great' vintages. This was a fantastic treat and consumed too quickly by the group.
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6/29/2011 - thomasito2001 wrote: 92 Points
I should not have opened this bottle on a sudden impulse, but rather have reflected on tasting notes from other aficionados testifying to the wine not being in a right place at this moment. Fresh and fruity nose, merlot dominating but rather simple. The palate is somewhat better, tannins are very fine and already well integrated, nice freshness and a somewhat ample mouth volume that hints at the wine's pedigree. Limited complexity, medium length. At 10 years of age, this bottle is far from showing the level LMHB is reputed for. Given 2010 EP pricing, I hope the now famous chinese amateur is not opening his bottles before more than 10 years of bottle age, as he might be induced to think that his fancy 1000$ wine is not significantly better than a regular 30$ Bordeaux blend...
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3/4/2011 - Ho Bryan wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes. Much like the previous showing.
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2/14/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 85 Points
Is this all La Mission can muster? I know this wasn't a swell vintage, but La Mission is famous for shining in less than perfect years. It's not bad; it just isn't good either. It is rather one sided; it has plenty of structure and mineral, but, ...'where's the fruit?' (remember that commercial?) I really think Many of the Bordelais, based on many bottles I have drunk lately, have forgotten how to make wine!
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1/13/2011 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
I stood up the wine the day before. Six hours before going out to dinner, I opened it and poured an ounce to a glass and let the bottle slowly breath. In the initial pour, the wine displayed crushed cherries, chocolate, and a bit of lavender on the nose. The wine appeared cloudy at first but cleared up and was a beautiful garnet/violet color. The sweet dark fruit carried over to the palate.
After arriving at the restaurant, the wine was carefully decanted, leaving a good amount of sediment on the bottom of the bottle. I thought the color became darker but still youthful and elegant. The nose evolved more into a potpouri and remained that way throughout dinner. On the palate, the sweet dark fruit was replaced by sliced, firm plums. The tartness kept things fresh but also resulted in a clipped finish. Tannins were mostly integrated. A solid 92, and I would expect it to continue to improve over time. I would open another bottle in 2 years.
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12/4/2010 - mathwonk wrote:
oh boy....this was my first " la mish". i called the store before finishing the bottle to reserve the last three bottles. soft, rich, and gentle. lovely wine. I paid $100 each. That is more than the wine is worth, but less than it can easily command, so I think I got a bargain. If that does not sound like a bargain, I recommend laying down some $25 Gazin Roquencourt for 5 years instead.
On december 11, we drank the second one. Upon opening, and when I served it after an hour of air time, it seemed not as impressive as the first, but then after 2.5 hours it began to open up and was again extremely good. I.e. when I first served it it just sat in my guests' glasses, a sure sign something is amiss. But eventually they began to treasure it. I only wish I had had the nerve to open it at least 2 hours early instead of only one. These wines are really extremely good, but only if you treat them just right. To be honest, my guests seemed to prefer the $60 2006 Corison cab I served as an afterthought. Tonight nobody drank the 2006 Chateau Haut - Vigneau or the Andrew Will 2006 ciel du cheval, good wines, but not ones that should follow la mission.
On December 31, we drank the third one. I decided to give it plenty of air and decant it for 2-3 hours. Early tastes revealed remarkable richness but also some tartness, and a slight bitterness on the finish. I expected the tartness to go away, but there was only a small window at about 2 hours, before the richness also went away. To my dismay, after 3 hours in the decanter, it was somewhat flat and had lost all its earlier remarkable qualities. I had been tasting it along and enjoyed most of it, but the last part of the bottle was not compelling and left until the next day. This wine is apparently quite sensitive to when it is served, but that moment is not so easy to predict, nor so long lasting.
I hope I can offer some pleasure to connoisseur friends with the 4th la mish, but I have somewhat lost my fascination with this wine. The expense and the trouble were not sufficiently offset for me by the experience. And my wife never really cared for it, too tart for her. I agree there was nothing deep to it as in a good latour. In a triple lineup, she preferred both the Sorella 2008 (soon to be released), and the Corison napa cab 2006. I myself still preferred the slightly subtler bordeaux, but consider those two new world wines more reliable and tasty (and cheaper), if less complex.
1-3-2011 to night i invited friends for the last one. I let time get away though and am only opening it now 15 minutes before they arrive, instead of 90 minutes. So I poured it back and forth and left it in the big decanter that rendered it flat last time in 3 hours, hoping for quick development. Even though it won't be quite ready, I think they will actually enjoy the experience of noticing it change over time, if they can wait. It is obviously good, but not obviously spectacular. The initial taste is again more tart than sweet, but with hints of richness underneath. I like the mild but interesting smell of this wine even when first opened. maybe I will precede the la mish by a haut vigneau so we can compare with a more modest wine from the same region.
well this went well. the champagne prevented me from serving the la mission all along its development, and by the time I served it it had 90-120 minutes development and was mellow. But everyone loved it, since unlike me they did not know what stages they were missing. Everyone loved the haut vigneau served first, which had softened over a day or two being open, but as I hoped, they then loved the la mish even more, as more complex. I would say this wine is most enjoyable if tasted gradually over several hours, i.e., as a wine tasting event rather than a dinner.
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11/20/2010 - Ho Bryan wrote: 91 Points
Hmmm... well the earth didn't move this time like on the previous occasion (see TN below) at the restaurant. Very fine and enjoyable but not quite together tonight, and the killer nose seemed to have gone MIA. On this showing, this bottle very clearly could use some more time.
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11/13/2010 - kostaslonis wrote: 93 Points
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter; 11/13/2010-11/14/2010 (Landmark Hotel, London): (Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Masterclass)
Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 62%, Cabernet Franc 3%
Nice deep red color. Closed nose, ripe fruit with earthy notes and some pepper in the back. The palate is very complex, round, ripe fruits, leather, chocolate, ends with a medium aftertaste. Ready to drink .
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11/3/2010 - Ho Bryan wrote: 95 Points
Well I paid restaurant prices for this at a 3x mark-up and came away still buzzing with this wine. This wine was singing. Nose was just incredible and was up with my Bdx of the year, including vs a 98 LMHB and a few first growths. Classic Graves nose and the body was full and long flavoured. At normal retail prices, this wine outperforms.
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9/3/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
La Mission Haut Brion plus white Burgs and Port: This had been a star at a prior tasting a couple of years ago, so I was surprised it showed as little. Not the best time perhaps to be opening this wine. Purple in color, shimmering bright. The nose is very tight. Juicy texture with some cassis, but really lacked much on the palate. Long smooth finish. You can tell there is a good wine lurking, but it is very tight. This bottle had just been shipped so perhaps some travel shock as well. That said, by the end of the evening it did open up a bit. Lots of room for this wine to improve over the next decade.
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8/30/2010 - spineguy wrote: 91 Points
May be closing down a bit but probably not for long. Tried one 2 years ago prior to getting 6 and I recall it more layered and complex then. Regardless, great Graves nose and taste. Ill give it at least another 1.5 years before opening another. Score will probably be higher then and considering the high Bordeaux prices of today not a bad deal for a wine of this quality.
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8/12/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
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.
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6/4/2010 - Niagara wrote: 91 Points
Terrific nose. Elegant and restrained, perhaps to the point of lacking a bit of stuffing. Serve with very lean meat -- bison or ostrich -- anything with fat will overpower this one. Ready to drink.
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1/30/2010 - psmith wrote:
Ripe, dark fruits and fine tannins. Some hidden tobacco notes - very clean. Medium bodied. Very nice.
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8/22/2009 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Consistent with note of May. More finessed, but the same haunting mercurical character.
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7/5/2009 - Wil wrote: 90 Points
Very expressive nose. Rich and textured with much depth. Smoke and cherries on the palate. Good finish; well rounded wine. Tasted blind.
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5/13/2009 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Inarguably young, but delivering beauty. Nice nose of leather and old lace. Svelte and lovely lines like Christy Turlington. Developed intricate angles among the supple, young tannins. Shimmering and changing. Almost too mercurical to deliver LMHB, but damn nice.
Surprised that the glass I left in the stoppered bottle O/N was completely oxidized.
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12/28/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 92 Points
very young wine with firm tannins, leather, tobacco, dark fruits and some dusty overtones. Really good but just too tight at this point
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12/22/2008 - psmith wrote:
Young, but elegant styling with classic tobacco-type notes and dark fruits. Subdued palate, firm tannins. Very good.
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12/6/2008 - JScott wrote: flawed
Last of a trio of cooked wines. Swell.
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10/26/2008 - EhrlichDY wrote:
The nose on this wine was a shut down which was disappointing as a previous bottle had the most amazing perfume on the nose. The nose showed a bit of fruit and spice but was pretty muted. Medium wait with decent fruit and spice on the palate. Well balanced with decent length. Enjoyable, but short of spectacular.
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10/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
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
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10/10/2008 - Faryan wrote: 97 Points
2001 Bordeaux Dinner (Bethesda, MD): A nose to die for. A perfumed bouquet of jasmine, juniper, refined cassis liqeur. The palate is not as thick or boisterous as the Pavie, but judged on its own merits with food, its elegance is truly unique. Not as much weight or fat as other profound vintages of La Mission, this wine is almost burgundian in its palate presence. A profound wine. I agree with Neal Martin's assessment. Just in a fantastic place right now, as the bouquet began to subside after a few hours in glass and a more fruit laden and gamey nuance began to develop. I think this wine is peaking and is ripe for a decline until it re-emerges, perhaps five years from now. Drink!!!
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9/28/2008 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
On the second night, this was a sophisticated, artful Bordeaux with a seamless range of tastes. Black cherry, currant, vanilla woven together beautifully. I drank the first evening over a couple of hours, and the wine had the same fruit nose and a long finish, but the tastes were not integrated through the mid-palate. Need to either age longer or decant long before drinking, I guess!
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8/16/2008 - Hecht_Pede wrote: 94 Points
way too young and what a life it has in front of it I really liked it, will deffinetly improve to the greater wait 10+ years
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5/4/2008 - JScott wrote: flawed
Cooked
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12/1/2007 - loverboy wrote: 92 Points
Very tight and strong classic graves scent. Still not ready for business, need another 3-4 years. No proper note but definitely one damn good wine.
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9/26/2007 - M-driver wrote:
Pop and pour - this came out of the bottle singing. Nice notes of tar, spice, leather. Good tannic structure and not extremely acidic. This wine was a pleasant surprise. After more than 2 hours in the glass, starting to shut down. While I don't think this has the stuffing for extended agining, I'd expect it to integrate over the next couple years and drink well for several more.
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9/9/2007 - JScott wrote: flawed
Ideally wanted to cellar this longer, but this one was a leaker. I think it may be just a little cooked, so I'm not sure if I should be scoring it, but it will still get a 90+ from me tonight.
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8/26/2007 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Disappointed that it was so closed. Something extraordiary awaits.
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2/11/2007 - Roberto_1 wrote: 94 Points
My first experience with this wine. On opening the nose was primary and dominated by new oak and the palate was closed but had an incredible depth of fruit. I double decanted it and 2 hours later the nose and the wine were much more integrated. The nose still had the smell of toast but in addition had the grave character you would expect in La Mission. Leather, tar and hot rock were all there. The palate had great balance and while the wine is medium-bodied it has dense fruit and ripe tannins. The finish is incredibly long. This wine spun my cap. Is this what the '85 tasted like in its youth?
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12/25/2005 - BradA wrote: 93 Points
This wine began the afternoon light bodied. As such, I left it in the decanter for the next three hours to sit on the sideboard while the festivities reigned.
At dinner, the wine had gained weight, compexity and a lovely fragrance. The body of the wine was richer and pleasant with our roast. Dad and our guests slurped it and the 94 QC--the QC was a much fuller and bolder wine. The LMHB can best be described as a wine of finesse. No pain having more in the cellar!
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11/2/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
2001 Claret Tasting (Vintners' Hall, London): Nose started very muted, very complex, great layers of fruit light oak, bound by very rich strong tannin, not overbearing. Superb.
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10/22/2004 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Heritage: Sweet leather, greenish herbs, subtle forest berry; solid t’s; structure, well-bal. flavor, llong fin. More about earthy elegance.
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7/17/2004 - Eric wrote:
Garagiste tasting of 2001 Bordeaux (Seattle, WA, USA): Initial vanillin moves to subtle Cabernet notes. Pencil shavings. Soft, silky, very balanced and long. 90pts
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6/29/2004 - Jason wrote: 92 Points
At Victors in NY. The nose was explosive on first opening. It is among the more intense noses I have smelled in a young wine. After 4-5 hours of air it really shut down, so if you open one, try it earlier. The nose showed blood, blackberries, vanilla, and dried herbs. The palate was big and obviously very young with loads of structure. The tannins really zinged and bordered on over the top. The finish was very long. This wine needs decades but it will be a winner. 92+
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