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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.8 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 143 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Renatod on 4/21/2024 & rated 95 points: Classic Graves; leather, Cigar box , dark cherries and tobacco. Impressive and mind blowing as the previous bottles. It was elegant and almost sweet on the palate, tannins have fallen off quite a bit. Great Wine!!!! (418 views) | | | Tasted by ankitmehra on 3/22/2024 & rated 93 points: 1988 Bordeaux Horizontal (Hawksmoor NYC): The first bottle of our 1988 Bordeaux horizontal and this was perhaps the bottle I was most excited about on the night. After letting this slow oxidise for an hour or so, I could tell that this wine was in pristine condition upon seeing its medium ruby colour when being poured. The nose was captivating, boasting a lot of the traits I love and associate with Pessac-Léognan: smoke, cedar wood, tobacco, vanilla and a hint of blackberries. The palate was beginning to enter its tertiary phase, but was still packed with youth as leather and blackcurrant medlied in the upfront prior to red cherries, some meatiness and vanilla dominating the mid-palate. Licorice arose as a prominent note across a long, powerful finish. As a whole, this wine is just entering the prime of its life and can age for much longer. No rush. (465 views) | | | Tasted by Ernestas on 3/8/2024 & rated 93 points: A one well matured slightly restrained Mission where tertiaries are taking over its fruitiness and freshness. Made from a blend of 48% CS, 45% Merlot, 7% CF. Deep garnet, ruby hue. Medium+ intensity aroma filled with tertiaries, such as earth, camphor, iodine, tar, smoke, mushrooms, smoky cassis, prunes. Medium+ body, palate feels restrained but complex, still showing some cassis and dried plum fruitiness with camphor, earth, mushroomy notes taking over. Great lengthy with medium+ extra fine melting tannins. (665 views) | | | Tasted by wineton.mee on 12/28/2023 & rated 93 points: Pretty restrained but floral nose. Touch of green, pencil shaving, dark cherries and tobacco. The palate has a good dose of ash and smoke which is reflective of the maker. This is not an intense expression, thought it was elegant and didn’t have massive stuffing on the palate, tannins have fallen off quite abit. (1190 views) | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 12/26/2023 & rated 91 points: Boxing day at Caroline's: More rugged and less elegant than the stunning bottle at the start of the year. Some greenness that emerged with air. Impressive but not as mindblowing as the previous bottle. (1393 views) | | | Tasted by jmoore431 on 11/4/2023 & rated 94 points: Classic Graves; leather, cigar box, “bricky” like that old guy Penning-Rowsell used to say: color wise and smell of warm bricks too. Textbook LMHB (1251 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 10/21/2023 & rated 92 points: blind
Nice aged left bank, I think it won't get better. Nice to drink but missing finesse and concentration. Still good acidity structure. 92-93 (1588 views) | | | Tasted by VoteferPedro on 10/20/2023 & rated 95 points: Decanted gently and consumed right away
Not much sediment and color is still fresh without much bricking
nose is pretty classic Pessac with smokey earthy tones and sort of a refreshing inviting palate. Hard to find a flaw in this one but I feel the finish may be a bit to short to get a more exalted score but that is really nitpicking. (1112 views) | | | Tasted by fussyeater on 6/30/2023: Fully tertiary nose showing mushrooms, undergrowth and decaying red fruit. Silky and with umami on the mid-palate and an after taste of blue cheese. Something not quite right for me and perhaps there are better bottles out there. Still, a huge treat to try. (839 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 6/1/2023 & rated 93 points: I generally love this vintage of La Miss that has just recently opened up from it's shell. excellent grip and intensity here with a bit leaner profile but there are lovely notes of black fruits and sweet tobacco making this a joy to drink. However, in the same flight with the '66 and '78, it fell a touch short but perhaps with time it will get there. (1785 views) | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 1/2/2023 & rated 95 points: Beat the '89 Angelus: My contribution, was excited to try this after reading positive notes about this vintage in a vertical of LMHB and it didn't disappoint. The nose was rather muted at first but with air the classic left-bank notes of tobacco and pencil shavings began to show. Very rugged wine with a little rusticity. In comparison to the Las Cases this was definitely a brute, but still showing remarkable restraint. An understated wine that spoke with such clarity, this was clearly a wine from a bygone era and made in a style that I adore. Impressively the taster below nailed it as a HB or LMHB but in comparison to the HBs last week this was definitely more masculine and less aristocratic. Tied 3-3 for wine of the lunch with the Las Cases. (2869 views) | | | Tasted by pclin on 1/2/2023 & rated 95 points: Paired with ‘90 LLC, this tasted so much younger. Silky tannins and good balance, still fairly reserved both on the nose and palate. Signature burnt tobacco finish leaded me to ‘96 La Mission Haut Brion. Co-WOTD with ‘90 LLC, drinking well with upside. How did LMHB manage to pull this off in such vintage? Time to re-look into ‘88 Bordeaux. (2156 views) | | | Tasted by dnnk88 on 11/12/2022 & rated 93 points: Better than the last bottle tasted recently on 11 Sep 2022 in London. This is more vibrant and juicy. Open up (2106 views) | | | Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 10/20/2022 & rated 96 points: Surprisingly the 1988 was by far the the most impressive wine in its flight which contained the much less expressive 1983 and 1985 vintages. This is a wine which was cloaked in austere tannins a decade or two ago. While it lacked the full-bodied rock star flamboyance of the 1989 and 1990 in the following flight, in an important way it was a more satisfying experience because it was unadulterated classical La Mission, beautifully poised and nuanced, with nothing hanging out, with compelling cool notes of tar with a enthralling tension and nervosity - just brilliant. (2121 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 9/25/2022 & rated 91 points: 20 minute in the glass for a little bit of funk to blow off. Teaspoon of sediment. Bricking but no orange. Black tea, tobacco, flint on the nose and palate with fine silky tannins of black and red fruits. Always an austere wine, this is most enjoyable for those who love old school with age. Although I suspect this wine will stay exactly as it is for another 5 years, it will not improve. (1798 views) | | | Tasted by dnnk88 on 9/11/2022 & rated 93 points: Bought from Hedonism in London. Enjoyed it. Open now if you have as it is gg down hill. (1091 views) | | | Tasted by Bullethead on 8/14/2022 & rated 92 points: A lot of cedar and cigar boxes which are overwhelming. Not my favourite style of bordeaux. (1643 views) | | | Tasted by B Paul on 3/15/2022: Similar to the bottle I had in late 2020, there is still a bit of musty note on the nose. This time there was also just a bit of green bell pepper. Very good wine, albeit perhaps slightly overshadowed by the others on the table. (2241 views) | | | Tasted by Elpaninaro on 3/12/2022: deep red purple color just starting to show some age at the rim, refined nose with lots of bell pepper at first, herb and mineral notes, on the palate a ripe but sedate dark fruit- on a scale not far off the 1989 but with a completely opposite personality, tranquil, restful, gentlly rolling waves of fruit with a remarkable purity in contrast with the complex nose, elegant, regal, and then over the course of 4 hours the balance shifts with the pepper notes on the nose toning down to reveal more dark berry and cherry notes, and on the palate bright pepper notes and steely minerality come in to add subtle complexity to the grand and glorious fruit, relative to other vintages this is performing much like the 1988 Chateau Petrus- a top wine for the vintage with the characteristic understatement, but also a lot more power and a lengthier finish than its peers, back in a time when top Bordeaux was far cheaper and far more available- this is the kind of wine so many of us overlooked as we raced for the 1989s and 1990s, and oh what a mistake that was, happily I have friends who were wiser than I at the time.
****, ready to drink and time in hand, a long distance runner (2369 views) | | | Tasted by CHINACAT on 1/2/2022 & rated 95 points: Dark red color and clear. Fragrant bouquet. Ripe dark berries, earthy and minerally, some menthol notes, good length and a silky texture. Mature, but still has adequate acidity to last a few more years. A stellar bottle. (2298 views) | | | Tasted by mowtod on 1/2/2022: With Beckers and Steak Diane starting to lean out but still good (2158 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 12/21/2021 & rated 96 points: Many 1988 from good producers did not get much critical acclaim on release and in the years following but are absolutely stunning to drink now. The Latour (95+ pts), Mouton and Pichon Lalande (each 94 pts) and Angelus (93 pts) I’ve had over the past year confirm that (and all these wines were tasted as part of larger tastings where the scores are usually a touch lower vs following a wine over an evening). This Mission showed fantastic, drinking on a 96/97 pts level easily with the complete package of depth, precision, superb structure and length. One to chase as the prices are still quite reasonable and at or below more recent vintages.
TN: Right after opening the wine junps out of the glass full of Pessac sexiness with so much dried tobacco leaves, old leather, cassis, and some herbal freshness. On the palate the wine shows the same wonderful aromas with so much tobacco, herbs, wet forest floor, old leather, fresh mountain herbs, some violets and a strong sweet yet fresh cassis fruit core. With time more and more graphite and granite minerality. The tannins are molten but the wine is full of tension, the medium acidity is perfectly integrated, the wine is slightly creamy but with a weightless feel. Quite a long finish with caramel/ burnt sugar scents and blach fruit. Superbly balanaced and harmonious and complete.
Decanting: The wine needed some time to fully open up. We decanted it and followed it over roughly three hours. While it became a touch rounder and more open it lost a bit of intensity. My advice would be a short 30-60 minutes in the decanter. (2929 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 12/2/2021 & rated 95 points: Interesting to compare the 1988 to the 1996 and 2005 side by side. You can see how the level of ripeness and body increases in each decade but the wine retains a certain strictness and classicism. The 1988 is fully mature with tertiary notes and noticeable pyrazines so make sure it goes with food. The 1996 was the winner tonight (the 2005 was corked) with an increased fruit level, yet still some youthful tannins. There is excellent aromatic complexity and length to these wines. Too bad that the prices of this have been pushed up by the Chateau, but the quality is there. (2394 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 10/24/2021 & rated 96 points: not blind, Magnum
For this mediocre year in the left bank a really convincing Bordeaux. Soft ripe tannins with a good acidity structure. Close to his peak. A nice suprise. One day before a regular bottle was singing, too (other group). That was the reason the generous host opened this bottle. 96 (2050 views) | | | Tasted by CHINACAT on 9/4/2021 & rated 89 points: I have had a number of excellent bottles of this wine, but this bottle was not one of them. Color and bouquet were fine and there were some nice mineral notes, but the wine was rather thin, shrill and acidic. (1646 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, A Century of Bordeaux: The Eights (May 2018) (5/18/2018)
(La Mission Haut-brion La Mission Haut-brion Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2015, Issue #55, Château La Mission Haut-Brion One of the Graves’ Greatest Estates- Changing For the Better?
(Château La Mission Haut-Brion) Login and sign up and see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2008, Issue #22
(Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/23/2008)
(Ch La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Red) Subscribe to see review text. |  By Gary Vaynerchuk
Wine Library TV, Collector Wines from L'ete du Vin lunch, Episode #668 (5/1/2009)
(Chateau La Mission Haut Brion) #2; COLOR-deep dark red; NOSE-classic earthy terroir driven; a little brett & greenness coming through; a little dark, tight plum; PALATE-really good tight black raspberry flavors coming through; really dark elegance; great length; really firm tannins on the back-end, but silky smooth throughout; proper mid-palate structure; black tea component; good balance; great elegance; not too full bodied; still drinking quite youthful as this has a good 10-20 years left in it; great second and third tier flavors; RP-90; WS-96; GV-93+ 93+ points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and The World of Fine Wine and JancisRobinson.com and Wine Library TV. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château La Mission Haut-Brion Producer website - Read more about Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion is the greatest Graves wine after Haut-Brion and in some vintages is considered the superior wine of the two. La Mission-Haut-Brion is situated just across the road from Haut-Brion in the commune of Talence in the southern suburbs of Bordeaux. Since 1983, both properties have been under the same ownership, Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A. La Mission-Haut-Brion's vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 48%, Merlot 45%, Cabernet Franc 7%) lie on a large (up to 18 metres deep in places) gravel bank interspersed with clay. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and then matured in oak barriques (100% new) for 18 months. The wines of La Mission Haut Brion are rich, oaky and powerful and need at least 10 years of bottle ageing before they should be broached.
Jancis Robinson on La Mission Haut Brion.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanGraves Vins de Graves (Conseil des Vins de Graves) - Read more about Pessac Leogan Graves and its winesPessac-Léognan Pessac-Leognan reds:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Soil: Predominantly gravel and sandy rock, with varying proportions of clay and sandstone
Surface Area: 1,491 ha
Pessac-Leognan whites:
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Soil: Gravel and rocks covered with sand, sandstone, and clay
Surface Area: 275 ha |
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