Château La Mission Haut Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2015
Why oh why can't we sell the Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion wines. Year after year they produce exquisite wines from some of Bordeaux's most hallowed terroirs – and mature they are some of our favourite wines to drink. And yet commercially they remain the least sought after of the Firsts and pseudo-Firsts. Perhaps 2015 will be the vintage their fortunes change; they have made a spellbinding range. Produced from 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is initially a brooding mass of minerals, earth, spice, liquorice, truffle, tobacco, roses, cloves and canelés. The palate is seriously impressive with huge amounts of luxurious, velvety fruit. Pure flavours of sweet wild berries, blueberries and crème de cassis last and last as the classy, corseted, fine boned, tannins envelope the mouth with more sumptuous fruits. This is more flamboyant and sweet fruited than Haut Brion at this early stage. Magnifique!
critic reviews
The 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion has a supremely gifted bouquet with vigorous blackberry, pencil box and cedar scents that seem to have moved little since I last tasted it in 2019. The palate is medium-bodied, very ripe and actually much toastier than I remembered. This has pliant tannins and the savory element I picked up on before is now accentuated. That shaves some of the enjoyment away on the finish, hence my score. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index.
A notch less muscular than the Haut-Brion, exceptionally finessed and textured, satin and slate, push and pull, crushed rose petals, soy and smoked earth. Great quality, love the mandarin peel bitterness that gives lift through the finish, and the waves of floral aromatics that linger in your palate after the wine has gone. An exceptional wine with pleasure on its mind. Jean-Philippe Delmas director, 78% new oak for ageing.