La Mission Haut Brion 2000

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. This is backward on the nose, dense black fruits, smoke, a touch of mushroom with a slight reductive scent in the background. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins, not quite as refined as the Ausone 2000 (tasted blind alongside), good weight, rather brutish and tannic towards the finish, although it is a question of time rather than intrinsic quality. I think this is a fantastic La Mission that is just coming out of its shell and will shine in several years. Drink 2016-2045. Tasted March 2010.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

A limpid garnet core. The nose is absolutely gorgeous with blackberry, cassis, still quite substantial vanillary new oak and with time there is violets and black olive. The palate is full-bodied and seamless with filigree tannins, amazing focus and almost Burgundian in texture. Silky smooth, plump, ravishing and sure to astound like the La Missions of yore. The potential is enormous. Tasted May 2008. Drink 2015-2040+. Tasted May 2008.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Farr Vintner's La Mission dinner. The 2000 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion seems remarkably backward compared to the 2005. Sultry and broody, it reluctantly reveals very pure scents of blackberry, blueberry, iodine that are joined by black olive compote with time. The palate is smooth and mellow, slightly viscous in texture betraying the concentrating within this almost saturnine La Mission Haut-Brion. This is a powerful wine, one that will only be tamed by time. Drink 2018-2045. Tasted November 2013.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A superstar of this great vintage, the 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is as profound as the 1989, 1982, and 1975. It is more structured and tannic than the 1989, more civilized and refined, but not as thick as the 1982, and sweeter as well as purer than the 1975. The 2000 is neither flamboyant nor accessible, but what upside potential it possesses! In time, one might have to return to the prodigious duo of 1959 and 1961 to find a La Mission with this much potential. While still tight from bottling, its inky purple color is accompanied by extravagantly sweet aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much hedonistic and intellectual pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. The phenomenal aftertaste goes on for over a minute. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2045.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A superstar of the vintage, the 2000 La Mission-Haut-Brion's inky purple color is accompanied by extravagant aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This is much sweeter on the nose: cherries and redcurrants. Lacks a little complexity for me. The palate is fleshy, ripe with loads of raspberries. Lots of glycerin and quite exotic in style. The mid-palate lacks some depth though the finish is much better. Length could have been a bit longer. At the Mission vertical in March 2006. A deep garnet, purple hue. A striking minerally, blackberry nose with superb definition. Still quite backward, but more intense and focused than the 1998. The palate is rich, wonderfully balanced with superb acidity. Lavished with toasty new oak, a turbine-engine in this La Mission which suggests this is in for the long-haul. A sturdy finish. Just brilliant.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage. Its performance was off-the-charts in two separate tastings for this report. Deep blue/purple, with a nose of creme de cassis, floral scents, graphite, and subtle smoke, the wine is pure, deep, sumptuously textured, full-bodied, powerful (although certainly not at the power level of the amazing 2009). This wine certainly transcends its 13% natural alcohol and has the same level of concentration found in such great vintages of La Mission Haut-Brion as 1989, 1982, 1975, and of course, more recent efforts such as 2005, 2008, and 2009. Still young but beginning to display some secondary nuances, the wine has enormous layers of depth as well as an unctuous texture. Even though it is still quite youthful, I believe it will hit its prime in another 3-4 years and last 50 or more. It is certainly a wine that will likely jump dramatically in price once the price of the 2009 is released.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

I initially tasted the 2000 La Mission-Haut-Brion in January. Tasting it again in March confirmed my first impression ... that it is the most extraordinary La Mission made since the 1989, as well as one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 58% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2000 La Mission boasts a striking nose of black fruits, scorched earth, and minerals. It possesses an unctuous texture, yet comes across as fresh in spite of its massive, full-bodied, thick, dense, profoundly deep personality. Long and rich, with high levels of melted tannin, this prodigious effort is a big, chewy wine ... a legend in the making! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is consistent with my most recent note, although I must admit that I felt there was a touch more brett on the nose than the previous example. Black cherries and iodine to the fore, with some undergrowth and Provençal herbs, it is very complex. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced and still peppery with a saline finish. Excellent, but I'm going to detract a point for that brett. Tasted at the château.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have not tasted for several years. At age 21, it has retained its youthful nose of vivid black cherries, wild strawberry and iodine, and shows less of the black olive tapenade element that I noticed in its youth. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins that belie that backbone of this La Mission. Beautifully balanced and quite peppery, with fine salinity, it is less sauvage than many other millennial Bordeaux, leading to a succulent, sensual finish. This is only just beginning to show what it is capable of. 13.4% alcohol. Tasted at the château with Jean-Philippe Delmas.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Saturated ruby-red. Full-blown aromas of dark berries, smoked meat, tobacco and iron. Lush, thick and ripe; really builds steadily in the mouth and explodes on the back end. Quintessential La Mission notes of tobacco, minerals, tar and hot stones. Today the 2001 seems even more sharply etched but this is denser, riper and deeper, with perfectly integrated acidity. Finishes very long, with huge, palate-coating tannins.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full medium ruby. Deep, nuanced nose combines black fruits, minerals, smoke, graphite, minerals, tar and sage, along with a suggestion of exotic spices. Dense and fat in the mouth; already shows impressive inner-mouth flavor and sweetness, with serious structure underneath. A lot of wine here. An explosive vin du terroir that's more showy today than the '00 Haut-Brion, and considerably deeper than the young 2001. Finishes with broad, mounting tannins and outstanding length. A great showing today.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Very good medium ruby. Roasted yet vibrant aromas of black cherry, tobacco, earth, minerals, mocha and licorice. Velvety, superconcentrated and sweet, with outstanding depth of flavor; deceptively open today but also rather powerfully styled. Finishes with substantial, dusty tannins. This showed explosive fruit as it opened in the glass.