La Mission Haut Brion 2006

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

This superb effort rivals La Mission’s 2005. There are 6,000 cases of the 2006, and general manager Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that the Merlot came in at a natural alcohol that exceeded 15%. The final alcohol is a whopping 14.3%, the pH is 3.8, and the blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. This utterly profound, exceptionally rich, full-bodied, thick La Mission is undeniably one of the candidates for the “wine of the vintage.” It possesses a dense ruby/purple color followed by sweet blue and black fruit notes intertwined with notions of burning embers and flowers. Unctuous, massively fruity, and thick, this is a great La Mission! Anticipated maturity: 2012-2035+. With the elimination of La Tour-Haut-Brion from the Dillon estate’s portfolio, the production of La Mission’s second wine, La Chapelle de la Mission, has dramatically increased to 4,000 cases. I rated the 2006 La Chapelle de la Mission (89-90).

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. This is rich and decadent on the nose with blackberry, damson, fruitcake and Asian spices: complex and well defined, very generous at the moment. Violets developing with further aeration in the glass. The palate has great weight and density, firm, sturdy tannins, good definition, assertive and perhaps even brash with confidence, leading to a chewy, reticent finish that shuts up shop and says come back later...in about 10-15 years. Almost Pauillac-like in style at this early juncture, but the La Mission has the upper hand over Haut-Brion at the moment. Tasted January 2010.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This has a great nose of blackberry, sandalwood, raspberry and red cherry - very harmonious with great delineation. The palate is very harmonious, brilliant definition and tension, lovely poise with bright black fruits, minerals, limestone, hints of violets and bilberry towards the finish. This is much better than I recall at en primeur and shows great potential. Tasted February 2008.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: William Kelley

The 2006 La Mission Haut-Brion is showing very well at age 15, and even though it's still five or six years away from the beginning of its plateau of maturity, it is already quite expressive, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of smoke, cigar wrapper, black truffle and loamy soil. Full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, with a richly layered core of fruit framed by an abundance of ripe, powdery tannin, in a blind tasting I suspect many would confuse it with a 2005.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Haut Brion. Picked at 43hl/ha (44ha/hl for the 2005). Deep black/purple colour. The nose has good intensity with blueberry, raspberry, a touch of sea salt. Good definition, no greenness. Good lift. Full-bodied, grippy tannins, very solid and cohesive. Fine acidity, a real mass of black fruits, infused with black olives. Very tight, very focused, this is not a flamboyant La Mission, it does not have the persistency of a truly great vintage like the 1989 or indeed 2005, but there is a wonderful purity and beguiling reserve. Very harmonious, minerally finish. It needs a year in bottle for its true pedigree to show. Tasted April 2007.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château La Mission Haut-Brion has a very attractive, captivating bouquet: red berry fruit, warm gravel, Hoisin and a pinch of truffle all beautifully conveyed. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin that lend this La Mission such symmetry and detail. It is not a powerful wine, never pressing its foot down hard on the accelerator, but that is one of it strengths, and those black truffle and mineral notes surfacing towards the poised finish are entrancing. Classic from start to finish, the only facet that is missing is that peacock's tail on the finish. Tasted January 2016.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A somewhat under-the-radar La Mission, the 2006 was generally overlooked following the brilliance of the 2005. A young, dense purple-hued wine that is developing beautifully, it exhibits notes of Asian plum sauce, charcoal, barbecue smoke, roasted meats, graphite and background oak. Full-bodied with good acidity, moderate tannin and a vigorous, powerful youthfulness, the 2006 will age more quickly than the 2005, but it still requires another 5-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated Maturity: 2014-2035.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

One of the vintage's top wines is the 2006 La Mission-Haut-Brion. From bottle, it reminds me of the 1998, given its structure and backward style. Dense ruby/purple-colored, it possesses a boatload of tannin, but with coaxing, tobacco leaf, sweet black currant, burning ember, and blue fruit characteristics emerge. While thick and full-bodied, the tannins seem more elevated than I remember from barrel. It is going to be a beauty, but like many of the top 2006s, considerable patience is required. Only 55% of the production made it into the grand vin as Jean-Philippe Delmas made a severe selection. The final blend was 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2006 has one of the highest natural alcohols ever achieved at La Mission, averaging around 14.3%, which is astonishingly high for a Graves. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Bright red-ruby. Redcurrant, cherry, iron, brown spices and licorice on the nose. Begins lush, full and generous if not overly sweet, then tightens up with air, showing its rather powerful underlying structure. This sharply delineated wine will need a good seven or eight years in bottle to reveal itself.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Medium ruby-red. Roasted redcurrant, scorched earth, minerals, roasted herbs, Cuban cigar tobacco and licorice on the rather forbidding nose. Densely packed but with a light touch thanks to penetrating acidity and minerality. Showing no easy sweetness today, with red fruits lurking in the deep background. Finishes with chewy, serious tannins whose youthful toughness calls for a decade of aging.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(a relatively high 14.3% alcohol) Saturated ruby-red. Knockout nose melds black plum, minerals, hot stones, tobacco and caramel. Lush, sweet and stuffed with fruit; a round, utterly seamless wine that offers superb palate coverage and an impressive mounting finish featuring sweet, fine-grained tannins and wonderful fullness of texture. This is remarkably explosive today considering that the 2006s here have recently been fined. Interestingly, enologist Jean-Philippe Masclet noted that the pHs of La Mission and Haut-Brion were higher in 2006 than in either 2007 or 2005-a testament to the advantages of the warm microclimate here and the ability to pick ripe fruit early. Even better than I thought it was a year ago.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Bright ruby-red. Pure but reticent aromas of black cherry, minerals, licorice, flowers and gravel. Suave, fruity and tight but pliant, with lovely subtle sweetness of fruit. Captivating soil-driven notes of flint and warm stones. A distinct step up in density and structure from La Chapelle. Finishes with building, ripe tannins and lingering flavors of black cherry and minerals.