Wine Advisor
La Mission Haut Brion 1989
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1989 La Mission-Haut-Brion is irrefutably the finest wine made at this chateau since 1975. Certainly it is much more "user-friendly" than the 1975. It is a thick, muscular, sensationally concentrated wine that is even bigger than its nearby sibling, Haut-Brion. Once past the roasted cassis and smoky nose, the wine is superbly extracted with plum and tar-like flavors framed with generous quantities of new oak (100% was used). While there is a tendency to compare the 1989 to the voluptuous, unctuous 1982, the 1989 is more concentrated and has greater structure and grip. Nevertheless, it should drink well given its heady alcohol content and soft tannins. It is a formidable, probably legendary La Mission that will last for at least several decades. If you can still find it (and afford it), this is a must purchase. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2015. Last tasted, 7/93.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind from decanter at Chez Bruce. This bottle, poured by Philippe Schofield from his cellar, is sensational. To put that into context, it breezed past the Haut-Brion ’89 served alongside. The bouquet is simply jaw dropping and my first words are ethereal and profound. Blackberries, cassis, iodine, violets and liquorices, later touches of oyster shell, the aromatics tease and lead you a merry dance (at least for someone trying to nail a tasting note!) The palate is full bodied, perfectly balanced with a beguiling sense of harmony that is impossible to encapsulate into words. Filigree tannins towards the structure finish with hints of cedar, sandalwood, graphite and tobacco, lingering on the palate for God knows how long. In the words of Greg Wallace: “Pessac does not get any better than this.” Perfect. Drink now-2030+ Tasted July 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This is showing beautifully well. An ebullient, mercurial, vivacious nose with intense savoury fruit, iodine and violets, then becoming gamey with time with hints of date and Satsuma. The palate has a palpable tension to it, fine tannins, harmonious and vibrant with a grainy texture, though surprisingly backward on the black tea-infused, glycerin finish. The acidity is quite noticeable and yet it is absolutely in synch with the wine itself. Great potential. Drink now-2030. Tasted May 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Farr Vintner's La Mission dinner. The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion has flirted with perfection for many years. It has an expressive and generous bouquet with hints of lavender, wild woodland, clove, black olive and warm gravel - one of those heady bouquets that seem to "glow". The palate is utterly sublime with super fine tannins, perfectly judged acidity and a gorgeous tobacco-infused finish that has incredible persistency and complexity. This is just about as good as you could expect from a bottle of wine. Stunning. Tasted November 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1989 La Mission-Haut-Brion irrefutably ranks with the finest wines made at this chateau. It is a thick, muscular, sensationally concentrated wine. Once past the roasted cassis and smoky, chocolatey nose, the wine is superbly extracted with plum and tar-like flavors framed with generous quantities of new oak. The 1989 is voluptuous, unctuous, and massively concentrated. Nevertheless, it should drink reasonably well given its heady alcohol content and soft tannins. It is clearly a La Mission that will last for at least several decades. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2015.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep brick in color, this has a moderately pronounced nose of damp earth, smoked bacon and leather over anise and kirsch. The palate is concentrated with a medium-firm level of fine tannins, lively acid and a long layered finish with a little mocha coming through.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The architect behind Haut-Brion, Jean Delmas, also made a riveting wine at La Mission-Haut-Brion. The 1989 is even more powerful than Haut-Brion, with an essence of smoky, mineral, Grave-like character. The wine exhibits exceptional concentration, profound richness, and the velvety tannins that make this vintage so sexy to taste. I have rated it between 97-99. Given its voluptuous texture and heady alcohol content, this is a La Mission that will drink well young, but should last for at least 20 or more years. It is an awesome wine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Just a brilliant, brilliant wine. Tasted three times, twice juxtaposed against the Mission 1990. At the Farr 89 vs. 90 tasting in September 2004. Well this is just showing brilliantly tonight. A raucous, decadent nose: blackberry, beef stew, quite mushroom. Very complex and constantly evolving in the glass. The nose is extrovert, rich with firm tannins, prunes and dates with a touch of earth. Very long with a burnt toast finish. There is so much going on in this wine. Absolutely superb. At the Mission vertical in March 2006. The first wine to display maturity on the rim. The nose is more focused and less flamboyant than the 1990. But incredibly complex with subtle flavours of blackberry, fig, dates, even mandarin orange. The palate is supremely focused, brilliantly balanced. Sweet spicy mid-palate, lots of glycerin but all kept in check. This has just so much more to give and I think it will last longer than the 1990. After an hour in the glass this was just souring into the clouds.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I am certainly not going to argue with anyone who believes La Mission-Haut-Brion's 1989 is every bit as profound as the 1989 Haut-Brion. It is a spectacular wine, and as it ages in the bottle, it is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite La Mission-Haut-Brions, ranking alongside the 1982, 1975, 1961, 1959, and 1955. The 1989 boasts a dense, thick, purple color, followed by a sweet, roasted cassis, chocolatey-scented nose with whiffs of tobacco, tar, and minerals. The wine is extremely full-bodied, unctuously-textured, sweet, jammy, and rich. Although it is still a youthful, unformed wine, it is already delicious to drink. It should develop additional bottle bouquet by the turn of the century, after which it will drink well for 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1989 La Mission-Haut-Brion is irrefutably the finest wine made at this chateau since the perfect 1975. It is a thick, muscular, sensationally concentrated wine that is even bigger than its nearby sibling, Haut-Brion. Once past the roasted cassis and smoky nose, the wine is superbly extracted with plum and tar-like flavors framed with generous quantities of new oak (100% was used). While there will be a tendency to compare the 1989 to the voluptuous, unctuous 1982, the 1989 is more concentrated and has greater structure and length. Nevertheless, it should drink reasonably well given its heady alcohol content and soft tannins. It is clearly a La Mission that will last for at least several decades. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2015. Tasted six times. Consistent notes.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasted 9 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes The 1989 La Mission-Haut-Brion is irrefutably the finest wine made at this chateau since 1975. Certainly it is much more "user-friendly" than the 1975. It is a thick, muscular, sensationally concentrated wine that is even bigger than its nearby sibling, Haut-Brion. Once past the roasted cassis and smoky nose, the wine is superbly extracted with plum and tar-like flavors framed with generous quantities of new oak (100% was used). While there is a tendency to compare the 1989 to the unctuous 1982, the 1989 is even more concentrated in addition to offering greater structure and grip. Nevertheless, it should drink well given its heady alcohol content and soft tannins. It is a formidable, probably legendary La Mission that will last for at least several decades. If you can still find it (and afford it), this is a must purchase. Anticipated maturity: 1998-2020.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Both La Mission-Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion hit home runs in this vintage, which did not produce as many profound wines as the Bordeaux publicity machine suggested. 1989, the 200th anniversary of the French revolution, was an incredibly hot year (surpassed only by 1990 and 2003). Even from barrel the seamless 1989 La Mission revealed a special elixir aspect, tasting like it had been designed by Chanel. It still possesses a blue/purple color with only a hint of garnet creeping in, and the explosive aromatics offer up notes of licorice, creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur, smoky barbecue meats, truffles and graphite. If that’s not enough to get one salivating, the palate has never disappointed either. Full-bodied with extraordinary opulence as well as sweet, well-integrated, velvety tannins, this fresh, lively, blockbuster La Mission appears to be one of those rare wines that never goes through a closed, unfriendly stage. It has been a compelling, multidimensional effort from barrel, in its infancy, and as it heads into late adolescence. A remarkable tour de force in winemaking, it is one of the all-time profound La Mission-Haut-Brions. Anticipated maturity: now-2050.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a profound bottle of La Mission-Haut-Brion with a deep ruby/purple color and a gorgeous nose of espresso, tar, tobacco, mineral, and blackberry, blueberry, and black currant fruit. The extraordinary smorgasbord of aromatics is matched by a full-bodied, viscous, opulent style of wine with sweet, jammy fruit yet enough tannin and acidity to provide uplift and definition. Still somewhat of an adolescent in terms of its development, and far less evolved than its gorgeous sibling, the 1990, this is a prodigious, multi-dimensional wine that is a modern-day legend. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. Last tasted, 1/03.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I am certainly not going to argue with anyone who believes La Mission-Haut-Brion's 1989 is every bit as profound as the 1989 Haut-Brion. It is a spectacular wine, and as it ages in the bottle, it is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite La Mission-Haut-Brions, ranking alongside the 1982, 1975, 1961, 1959, and 1955. The 1989 boasts a dense, thick, purple color, followed by a sweet, roasted cassis, chocolatey-scented nose with whiffs of tobacco, tar, and minerals. The wine is extremely full-bodied, unctuously-textured, sweet, jammy, and rich. Although it is still a youthful, unformed wine, it is already delicious to drink. It should develop additional bottle bouquet by the turn of the century, after which it will drink well for 15-20 years. Last tasted 11/96
About the Producer
25 hectares of red grape varieties, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, are planted in the traditional vineyard of the winery; the Werner family's vineyard also has 4 hectares of white grape varieties, including Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, used for Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc at different times during the Werner family's reign And the production of the original Chateau Laville Haut-Brion Blanc (Chateau Laville Haut-Brion Blanc). The Werner family's original Chateau La Tour Haut-Brion ceased production after 2005, and the 5 hectares of vineyards it owns are mainly used for the blending of the second red wine of Chateau Meixun. In terms of wine production, the winery will set up screening stations on trucks in the vineyard to screen the manually picked grapes for the first time. Fermentation is then carried out in a stainless steel wine tank equipped with a computer-controlled system that monitors the homogenization and temperature of the wine after measuring the temperature of the pressed grape juice and residue. Clarified with fresh egg whites before bottling, but not filtered.
1982(2)1985(2)1986(2)1987(1)
Package Size
1 x 75cl12 x 75cl
