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.