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La Mission Haut Brion
Burg Staufeneck
Tasted March 9, 2012 - March 10, 2012 by mwanasheria with 1,687 views
Introduction
This was one of the rare occasions where one could taste through many years of LMHB. Because of the much smaller production than the first growth, these bottles are difficult to find. I drank many of these wines for the first time.
Flight 1 - Day 1, Apéritif (2 notes)
Two older Laville Haut-Brion blancs. They are holding out pretty well.
White
1980 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
90 points
In great shape. Nose of honey and flowers, on the palate some sweetness, lemon, grapefruit. A great old Laville.
White
1988 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
92 points
Quite soft and round, with lemon, grapefruit, nice acidity and minerality. Great.
Flight 2 - Day 1, Flight 1 (6 notes)
Less prestigious vintages from the sixties to get started.
Red
1966 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
92 points
Top shoulder. Quite light and fragile, but still very nice with cedar, greenness. Really good, but possibly on its way out.
Red
1967 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
Perfect bottle. Sweetness, chocolate, round and full on the palate.
Red
1968 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
High shoulder. Underwood, mushrooms, leather, damp earth, deadwood. Not much life left.
Red
1969 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
88 points
Perfect bottle. Better than what the critics have expected, but still not great. Nose of tobacco, leather, underwood. On the palate smoke, slightly green but perfectly drinkable.
Red
1971 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
Perfect bottle. Tobacco, cedar, smoke, game. In the nose tobacco, herbs, cool stone. Amazingly good.
Red
1889 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
50 points
Bottle was only half full and nothing in terms of taste was left. Too bad.
Flight 3 - Day 1, Flight 2 (5 notes)
And from the nineties ...
Red
1991 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
87 points
Herbs, spices, green notes with high acidity, seems very young but pretty one-dimensional.
Red
1993 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
89 points
Cedar and graphite on the nose, impressive aromatics. On the palate lacking a bit of elegance but nice taste of cassis, pepper, underwood.
Red
1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
91 points
Initially a bit dry bouquet of cedar, smoke. Later opening up to plums, cherries. On the palate lacking power and while improving not achieving greatness.
Red
1997 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
87 points
Light and green notes of bellpepper, grass, high in acidity. Not a great LMHB.
Flight 4 - Day 1, Flight 3 (5 notes)
Magnums from smaller years.
Red
1973 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
From magnum, top shoulder. Sweet and earthy in the nose. On the palate forest, sweetness, unbelievably silky and elegant finish. A great bottle.
Red
1976 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
From magnum, top shoulder. Earth and cedar in the nose. Notes of chocolate, forest, earth on the palate. Still drinking very well.
Red
1978 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
Perfect magnum. Green notes, eukalyptus, nice sweetness. Bouquet of tobacco, some cassis, licorice. Really very good if not as great as I had expected it.
Red
1988 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
92 points
Perfect magnum. Bouquet of herbs, earth. Dense and powerul on the palate with notes of smoke, some cassis, malt. Great.
Red
1994 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
Perfect magnum. Quite attractive for a 1994. Nose of herbs, pepper, some greenness. On the palate somewhat rustic and still quite tannic and and high acidity but not in a bad way.
Flight 5 - Day 1, Flight 4 (5 notes)
More recent LMHBs.
Red
1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
A great bottle of LMHB. Forbidding and young but destined for great things. Bouquet of moccha. Quite tannic, but nice sweetness of cassis, vanilla.
Red
1999 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
92 points
A very attractive wine to drink right now. Sweet, elegant, mature and long sappy finish.
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Red
2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
97 points
Nose of truffles, cinnamon, provencal herbs. Cassis, tobacco, chocolate. Elegant and perfectly integrated and lots of power. Long opulent finish. Truly great and will probably appreciate further.
Red
2001 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
Very elegant yet quite powerful. Nose of cassis, dark fruits. On the palate sweetness, silky tannins, nice finish.
Red
2003 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
Dense and powerful, opulent palate of black cherries, cassis, vanilla. It does have a certain core of freshness, so this is balanced.
Flight 6 - Day 1, Dessert (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1999 Château d'Yquem
94 points
Honeycomb, peach, quince, nice balancing acidity of lemon. Very elegant.
Flight 7 - Day 1, Table Wine (2 notes)
Two very nice impériales so nobody needed to leave thirsty.
Red
1983 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
95 points
From impériale, perfect bottle. Dense, dark und useful. Nose of Graphite, tobacco, leather, herbs. Sweet and luscious on the palate. Spectacular.
Red
2000 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
93 points
From impériale. Sweet cherries, cassis, lots of unresolved tannins. Good but too young.
Flight 8 - Day 2, Lunch (3 notes)
While waiting for more LMHB in the evening.
White
2009 Wittmann Westhofener Aulerde Riesling Großes Gewächs
90 points
Very balanced with nice acidity, lemon, peach and wet stone.
White
2002 Marcel Deiss Mambourg
92 points
Creamy, fat, floral with peach, pear, some leon. Really quite good.
Red
2008 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Magari
88 points
Quite tannic and heavy. Cedar, licorice, cassis, dark cherries.
Flight 9 - Day 2, Dinner, Apéritif (3 notes)
Warming up with younger Lavilles.
White
1994 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
90 points
Yellow fruit in the nose. Velvety palate, slightly oxidized. Still nice but on its way out.
White
White
2002 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc
95 points
Bouquet of flowers, herbs. Fresh, cool, nicely defined acidity, long finish. Great.
Flight 10 - Day 2, Dinner, Flight 1 (6 notes)
Old LMHBs perform wel..
Red
Red
1896 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
Sweet nose of dried fruit, sherry. On the palate sweet, tobacco, spices, nuts. Still really nice.
Red
1916 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
83 points
Mid-shoulder. Sour nose, wood, tobacco on the palate, heavily oxidized. No good.
Red
1928 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
87 points
Perfect Vandermeulen bottling. Oxidized nose. Better on the palate with truffles, nice sweetness, chocolate.
Red
1934 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
Top shoulder. Sweet nose of leather, herbs, spices. On the palate dark, sweet, fresh with herbs. Really good.
Red
1935 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
95 points
Perfect bottle. This was a nice surprise for an off year, maybe they had put some 34 into the blend to make it better? Wet leaves chocolate, dense, long sweet finish.
Flight 11 - Day 2, Dinner, Flight 2 (6 notes)
LMHB in the forties - flat out spectacular.
Red
1943 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
High shoulder. Light sweet nose. On the palate herbs, mushrooms, peppermint, elegant.
Red
1945 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
98 points
Spectacular bouquet of herbs, cedar, coffee. This is followed with an elegant palate, opulent sweetness, tea, truffles and a very long finish. Really extraordinary.
Red
1947 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
100 points
Sweet nose of raisins, port, Madeira, coffee. Unbelievable sweetness on the palate, silky, elegant, dancing with herbs, smoke. Sappy core and long long finish. This is unbelievably good and on this evening a notch above the legendary 45.
Red
1948 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
88 points
Reconditioned bottle. Slightly reduced and oxidized nose. The bottle was not quite right with a musty palate, leather, wet leaves.
Red
1949 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
95 points
Mid-shoulder. Nose of leather, tobacco, forest fruit. On the palate, milk chocolate, roasted coffee, long finish. Great.
Red
1952 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
86 points
Sour nose, but better palate with some residual sweetness, leather, musk. Not very compelling.
Flight 12 - Day 2, Dinner, Flight 3 (6 notes)
More great LMHB from the fifties.
Red
1953 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
Captivating nose of herbs, leather, tobacco, malty sweetness. On the palate very balanced with some earth, dried fruit, sweetness, long finish. Very very good.
Red
1955 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
97 points
Top shoulder. Nose of cedar, mint, herbs. Fresh on the palate, nice bitterness and acidity perfectly balanced by the residual Cabernet sweetness.
Red
1957 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
Slight notes of cork. This could have been a spectacular wine. It was better on the palate, so still drinkable with a nice sweet core.
Red
1959 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
97 points
Top shoulder. Great nose with malt, cocoa, peppermint. On the palate an enchanting sweetness, and a long silky finish.
Red
1961 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
93 points
Top shoulder. Probably not a perfect bottle. But still nice with leather, tobacco in the nose. Slightly dry on the palate and a bit rustic, but long long finish.
Red
1964 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
Slightly green on the palate, but not in a bad way and very agreeable. Nose of spices and herbs and again slightly green.
Flight 13 - Day 2, Dinner, Flight 4 (6 notes)
A flight of magnums.
Red
1920 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
81 points
High-shoulder magnum. Volatile acidity, oxidative notes, not good.
Red
1962 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
89 points
From magnum. Something was not quite right, not sure whether it was cork, but it got worse over time. Initially light but pleasant and round.
Red
1970 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
91 points
From magnum. Not spectacular but quite appealing. Nose of cedar, herbs. On the palate nicely integrated and elegant with a sappy core.
Red
1974 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
92 points
From magnum. I thought this was a nice surprise. Nose of eukalyptus and peppermint, on the palate rustic but not unpleasant.
Red
1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
From magnum. Unfortunately not all it could have been. Slightly wet nose with mushrooms, damp earth. On the palate attractive herbs and spices, but no sweetness. Strange.
Red
1979 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
92 points
From magnum. Nose of cassis, tobacco, chocolate, wood. On the palate dense with dark fruit, vanilla. Quite tannic and for the long run.
Flight 14 - Day 2, Dinner, Flight 5 (6 notes)
All rounded off by a great flight from the eigthies.
Red
1981 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
Bouquet of spices, herbs, cedar, mint. Slightly dry and rustic on the palate but very nice.
Red
1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
96 points
Fruity, young bouquet. Opulent on the palate, fat, round, sappy, almost hot. A great 1982.
Red
1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
A big structured wine, with a typical noise of herbs, mint, eukalyptus. A nicely mature palate with good Cabernet sweetness and balance.
Red
1986 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
87 points
This was not a good bottle, slightly maderized, even though it improved after half an hour in the glass and showed the typical 86 wildness. Too bad, because I heard this is supposed to be good.
Red
1987 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
90 points
This was not heavy, even thin, but very pleasant. Slightly green nose, but sweet on the palate.
Red
1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
96 points
Nose of candied fruit, raisins, herbs. On the palate thick and rich, with lots of life in it. Great.
Flight 15 - Day 2, Dinner, Table Wine - big bottles with flaws (4 notes)
Two flawed impériales. It would have been better to sell them ...
Red
1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
flawed
From impériale. The wine tasted of damp earth, musty cellar. I don't think this was corked, but it was undrinkable regardless. What a shame.
Red
1996 Château Pape Clément
flawed
The second impériale in a row that was corked, after I did not have any big bottle corked for years.
Red
2000 Château Mille-Roses
86 points
From impériale. I did not like this too much. Maybe it was because of the other wines (LMHB) and because the two previous impériales were flawed. Cassis, vanilla, short finish.
Red
1999 Château Monbousquet
89 points
From impériale. A real fruit bomb. Slightly overripe nose. On the palate, cassis, black cherries, vanilla, oak. Not a bad drink by any means, I am just not sure how this is going to integrate.
Closing
This event showed that the best LMHBs are from the fourties and fifties with a return to great form from the late nineties. This has been a memorable two days.