Château La Mission Haut Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan, 2021

Name: Château La Mission Haut Brion, Cru Classé, Pessac Léognan
Brand: Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Price: 777.53 GBP

Available Vintages

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

justerini & brooks tasting note

We still haven't tasted the Clarence Dillon 2019s and 2020s. They were one of the few estates not to send samples during lockdown. How we've missed their wines. The 2021 range is superb both for reds and whites, with La Mission and Haut Brion amongst our favourite wines of the vintage. The aromatic profile is really superb, lots of florality, griotte, roses, pure red and black fruits, vanilla and sandalwood. There's terrific energy and lift to the fruit, coupled with great definition and dazzling detail. Small crisp berries, tense, nervy and layered, culminating is taut, super-fine tannins laced with minerals and salts. A beautiful and harmonious La Mission. Bravo. 47.9% Merlot, 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.3% Cabernet Franc, 73% new oak.

critic reviews

94/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

La Mission Haut-Brion 2021 has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is closed at this youthful stage, needing a fair bit of shaking to wake up notions of plum preserves, redcurrants, and wild blueberries, followed by nuances of rose oil, Indian spices, and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate delivers impressive tension, with a fine-grained texture to frame the bright, bold red and black fruits, finishing long and spicy.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2050

date of review 04/2024

97/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

This is just gorgeous, flirting with the very best. Striking aromatics of crushed red rose petals that pop out of the glass, Not as long lasting as some vintages perhaps, but so much finesse and balance, plenty of classic La Mission finesse and balance, touches of mint leaf, cloves and pummice stone minerality. Taut on the finish in its tannic structure and no question majors more heavily on the cool blue fruit character than we have seen with this property in recent years but it is seriously enjoyable, a total masterclass in cool fruit delivery, and a reminder than in the warmer location of Mission and Haut-Brion, these more understated vintages can really offer joyful drinking. 73% new oak, harvest September 20 to October 8. No frost impact here and very little mildew, meaning the overall yield was up to 47hl/h. This is one I strongly recommend, my red wine of the vintage.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2041

date of review 04/2024

93/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very cohesive bouquet, well-defined with minerally red and black fruit, hints of white flowers and a distant tang of black olive. The almost "estuarine" element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite fresh though not a complex or deep La Mission. It is lifted by the salinity and sustain on the finish—also its typicité. Whilst not a wine from the top drawer, it is a fascinating, engaging Pessac that will drink over the next 20 or 30 years.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2055

date of review 02/2024

95/100Yohan Castaing,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion unfurls in the glass with a complex, detailed bouquet of plums, cassis, flowers, spices, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its fleshy, layered core of fruit is framed by beautifully velvety tannins. In bottle, much as en primeur, this blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc is a charming, sensual rendition of La Mission.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2055

date of review 02/2024