Château La Mission-Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan AOP, Cru Classé des Graves

Jetzt kommt zusammen, was zusammengehört , mag sich Clarence Dillon gesagt haben, als er 1983 mit dem Erwerb von La Mission Haut-Brion der ewigen Konkurrenz mit dem übergroßen Nachbarn ein Ende setzte. Neben Premier-Legende Haut-Brion, bereits seit 1953 im Besitz des US-amerikanischen Unternehmers, hat sich La Mission seinen Stil bewahrt: kraftvoll, extraktreich, zugleich mineralisch und hochelegant. PRESSE 97-98 Punkte James Suckling The classy mouth-feel and length to this is really gorgeous, and it seduces you with its texture of fine silk and finesse. Lasts for a long, long time. Medium body with medium, creamy and round tannins and a layered, textured finish. Shows blackcurrants, lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 52.7% merlot, 29.6% cabernet sauvignon and 17.7% cabernet franc. 94-96 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley) The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass to reveal aromas of ripe red fruits, dark wild berries, spring flowers, burning embers and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and textural with a dense core of fruit underpinned by youthfully firm structuring tannins. This blend of 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.7% Cabernet Franc its likely to become fleshier and more enveloping with barrel maturation. 93-95 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin) The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion was picked between September 5 until October 5, a relatively long picking, at 50hL/ha. It has a wonderful bouquet with brightness and verve: very well-defined red and black fruit, a little floral in style, maybe not as rambunctious as recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins. A perfect line of acidity counterbalances the creamy texture, turning quite plush toward the finish, but it is amazingly well-focused. This is a generous La Mission Haut-Brion that will probably drink earlier than say, the 2022, as winemaker Jean-Philippe Delmas agreed. It’s very fine and very delicious, but I would not place it within the canon of top vintages.