Château La Mission Haut Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2022

Name: Château La Mission Haut Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan
Brand: Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Price: 1600.33 GBP

Available Vintages

all 1990 1996 1997 1998 2000 2002 2005 2010 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024

justerini & brooks tasting note

Initially, we thought La Mission was brooding and masculine - but compared to Haut Brion, it's an extrovert. On the day of our tasting, Mission was much easier to assess and was our unanimous favourite. Produced from 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc, this requires a bit of time to open up to reveal stony Cabernet fruits, quite perfumed and floral, full of violets, dark cherries, cassis, briar, sandalwood and hints of dark chocolate. Wonderfully pixilated and layered - the delineation of flavours is extremely impressive. Waves of lavish black fruits, pure raspberry and aromatic currants, so well-constructed, there's a seamless texture to the decadent fruit, which segues effortlessly to these long, very classical flavours on the engaging tannins. It's an overused phrase, but this really has the sensation of an iron fist in a velvet glove. An incredible Mission.

critic reviews

97/100Chris Kissack,The Wine Independent

This is the one red from the Clarence Dillon stable not ruled by Merlot in this vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon accounting for just over 51% of the total (a slim majority!), with the remainder mostly Merlot, and the élevage was in 62% new oak. I find an intertwining of dark fruits, finely described, with a classical La Mission perfume on the nose, the notes of coffee bean and toasted currants mingled with rose petals and verbena. The palate is just dying to please, opening with a melting texture that just glides across the palate, filled with finely grained currant, toast, black damson and blackberry, lifted with little notes of rose and vanilla flower, all wrapped around a core of beautifully finessed tannins, finely grained and knit together, Such a contrast here between the precision of the structure and the melting palate of tar and chocolate, but it is the structure that wins in the length, all polished, tightly grained, powdery and long. An excellent La Mission which promises much. The alcohol on the label is 14%.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2059

date of review 06/2025

97/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

Reserved and closed down right now, you can feel the muscularity on the opening beats but as it widens through the mid palate a ton of spice and fragrant freshly-cut herbs come crowding in, giving a light and finessed touch to the deep blueberry and plum fruits. Great quality, these wines have kept their typicity in the heat of the vintage.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2046

date of review 03/2025

96/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion, as usual, deserves five minutes in the glass before sticking your nose into it. Scents of black plum, gravel, violet and crushed stone emerge; that Earl Grey element is not as obvious as it was out of barrel. This is beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Extremely pure with unerring symmetry, the 2022 builds through the caressing and persistent finish. Maybe for some it does not have the grip of top vintages, though you cannot argue against its riveting complexity and persistence in the mouth. All that said, juxtaposing the two side-by-side for 30 minutes, it must take the silver medal to 2022 Haut-Brion.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2065

date of review 02/2025

94-96/100Yohan Castaing,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

A rich and muscular wine that reflects the warmth of the vintage, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion reveals aromas of dark berries, cherries and creme de cassis mingled with licorice, spices, incense and spring flowers. Full-bodied, broad and concentrated, it's surprisingly lively despite an elevated pH of 4.0, exhibiting a seamless, broad-shouldered profile with an ample core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannin. It's a blend of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc.

date of review 04/2023