Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2003
La Mission has switched roles with Haut-Brion this year, being the more reticent of the two wines in the primeur tasting. There is considerable restraint in the aromatic profile of this wine, a subtle mineral complexity, hinting at something really quite special. The palate begins and ends with big firm tannins, and there is good fruit concentration between, but you get the sensation of a work in progress, with far more to come in the second year in barrel. Very impressive, one to watch. Harvested from 25th August to 15th September; a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the few examples of this infamous vintage that has improved in bottle, though it’s still far from a first- or even second-tier La Mission. My most recent bottle displays all the tropes of that hot summer: black cherries, fig, singed leather and cooked meats. It does not have the delineation of the best vintages. The palate is reasonably well balanced with sweet black fruit, still displaying those fennel and garrigue notes. The finish is opulent yet slightly monotone. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.
The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion shows more creme de cassis, plenty of cedar wood, melted licorice and charcoal in a medium to full-bodied wine. It is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Rustic tannins in the back knock down the ultimate pleasure, and the point score, ever so slightly, but theres no doubting the complex, perfumey, noble aromatics this wine has managed to attain despite the staggering heat and drought in June, July and August. This has reached full maturity, but should hold nicely for another 7-10 years. Heres a case where the second wine comes very close in quality to its bigger sibling, possibly because it is showing great complexity and is even more evolved than the Mission Haut-Brion. 2003 was tough in the Pessac-Leognan because of the lighter soils and the enormous heat and drought. Hence, the harvest here started in mid-August, which was historic.