The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion is fabulous. There's no doubt about that. When it might actually be ready to drink is another matter! Soaring aromatics are so alluring. On the palate, though, the 2019 is incredibly reticent. Readers should be in no rush. Today, La Mission is a wine of huge potential. Dark red cherry, rose petal, incense, iron and gravel hint at what is to come 01/2022

The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion was picked from September 11 until October 2, and matured in 78% new oak. This has a fragrant nose, very well defined and neatly disguising the 14.6° alcohol. It comes across just a little closed compared to other vintages, perhaps due to tasting in December. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fresh and vibrant. This has a gorgeous texture and real tension toward the finish. Intense rather than powerful, it fans out wonderfully, gaining depth with aeration. An audacious La Mission Haut-Brion, but perhaps not quite within the very top rank of this estate. 12/2021

The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential. 04/2022

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez intense, fruité, complexe, avec un fond fumé et une touche étonnante de fruits blancs. Bouche tout en rondeur, comme souvent en départ de b 06/2020ouche, qui vient se tramer après avant de ralentir dans la persistance. Longueur normale. Assemblage : 53 % merlot, 39,5 % cabernet sauvignon, 7,5 % cabernet franc. Degré d’alcool : 14°65 - pH : 3,88. Rendement : 52,8 hl/ha. Production : 50 % de premier vin.

Blackcurrants and crushed stones with violets and roses. Earthy and black truffle notes, too. Medium to full body with firm, silky tannins that are layered and attractive, in a muscular and toned fashion. Iodine, ink, earth and bark with wet-vine undertones to the fruit at the end. Reserved and impressive. Best after 2025. 03/2022