Opened for N's birthday dinner but was beyond tertiary and sadly undrinkable. I had high hopes for this but that is a gamble with these old wines from less heralded vintages!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty & vegetal notes, leather, coffee, gravel, iron, herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of smoke & menthol in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & cassis with mushrooms, coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and at 44 years of age, it is at or past its peak of development & would drink up if you have any. Fill was at bottom of neck right up above the shoulder level; cork was stained 1/2 the way up but intact upon opening.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a wine that captures the essence of La Mission Haut Brion wonderfully.
Heady perfume of red berries, cherry, spicy wood smoke, brick, rosemary and olives. Very pessac in its approach and the palate is even more so. Silky and fine tannins that only age can accomplish. Clearly there was vigor when the wine was young as the entry of blackberry, cherry skin and mineral is intense, yet the subtlety unfolds as this sits in the decanter and grows longer in the mouth. Inner mouth perfume of tobacco, smoking embers and baked bricks lies beneath the slightly browning red fruit.
A La Mission of elegance and class that can only be accomplished from the best terroir of Pessac. I adored this wine not for hitting the highs of a great vintage, but for its character and ability to show the nature of the property.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lot of green going on here on the nose and palate. The perfume, with its array of tobaccos, leaves, herbs and earth is the best part of the wine, which is a bit stern and drying out in the finish. If you have this in your cellar, it is time to drink up.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.
(Château La Mission Haut-Brion) Brick red color with pale to clear meniscus; reticent, slightly pruney, plum and leather nose; tangy, mature, dry cassis and iron palate, starting to dry out; short-medium finish
NOTE: Some content is property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and The World of Fine Wine and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com.
1/26/2024 - dchain wrote: 80 Points
Opened for N's birthday dinner but was beyond tertiary and sadly undrinkable. I had high hopes for this but that is a gamble with these old wines from less heralded vintages!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2023 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty & vegetal notes, leather, coffee, gravel, iron, herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of smoke & menthol in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & cassis with mushrooms, coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and at 44 years of age, it is at or past its peak of development & would drink up if you have any. Fill was at bottom of neck right up above the shoulder level; cork was stained 1/2 the way up but intact upon opening.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Birthday Bonanza (Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)): Overshadowed by the Margaux served alongside. This is a good old Bordeaux. Cigar box and a bit more of that secondary style but drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2022 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
This is a wine that captures the essence of La Mission Haut Brion wonderfully.
Heady perfume of red berries, cherry, spicy wood smoke, brick, rosemary and olives. Very pessac in its approach and the palate is even more so. Silky and fine tannins that only age can accomplish. Clearly there was vigor when the wine was young as the entry of blackberry, cherry skin and mineral is intense, yet the subtlety unfolds as this sits in the decanter and grows longer in the mouth. Inner mouth perfume of tobacco, smoking embers and baked bricks lies beneath the slightly browning red fruit.
A La Mission of elegance and class that can only be accomplished from the best terroir of Pessac. I adored this wine not for hitting the highs of a great vintage, but for its character and ability to show the nature of the property.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
A lot of green going on here on the nose and palate. The perfume, with its array of tobaccos, leaves, herbs and earth is the best part of the wine, which is a bit stern and drying out in the finish. If you have this in your cellar, it is time to drink up.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment