Wine Advisor
La Mission Haut Brion 2010
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2010 is beginning to really show its class. Strangely, here it is more introspective and broody on the nose: intense blackberry and boysenberry aromas, fine mineralite, quite feminine and symmetrical. After 10 minutes it develops more intensity and volume. The palate is medium-bodied with firm and taut tannins. This is very linear and focused, very intense and backwards, with a compelling sense of symmetry and precision on the mineral-laden finish. Aristocratic. Tasted January 2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the most powerful La Missions ever produced, the 2010, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, achieved 15% natural alcohol (even higher than the 2009's 14.7%). Nevertheless, the pH is normal which gives the wine an extraordinary precision, freshness and vibrancy despite its massive size. A blue/purple color is followed by a classic nose of blueberry liqueur, creme de cassis, spring flowers and crushed rocks. This monumental, full-bodied, incredibly rich La Mission-Haut-Brion will need a decade of cellaring and should last for 40-50 years. It is slightly fatter and creamier than its sibling rival, the 2010 Chateau Haut-Brion.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The La Mission Haut-Brion, a blend of 37% Merlot, 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, 3.57pH and knocking in at....15.1% alcohol. It has a wonderful nose with crushed stone, black plum and graphite, with an almost Pauillac-like personality. The palate is medium-bodied and quite structured on the entry, the Cabernet in the driving seat lending cedar and graphite. Linear, strict, brilliant focused with good tension on the finish, you have to give to Jean-Philippe Delmas that the alcohol is cunningly disguised, but on the other hand, how about drinking more the a glass? That remains to be seen, hence my caution. Tasted March 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Chateau Haut Brion. The La Mission has a far more extrovert bouquet compared to the Haut Brion, with fresh, vibrant, gregarious scents of black cherries, mulberry, cassis and vanilla with fine delineation and warmth of alcohol that packs a punch at 15.1%. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, supple tannins. It is far more expressive than the Haut-Brion at the moment, showing ample dark berries, dark plum and a touch of cedar. This is a powerful, burly, sensual, buxom La Mission but one has to ask, are those the characteristics you expect or desire from an estate that produced so many ethereal wines over the years? Personally I prefer the more sophisticated Haut-Brion. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A strong candidate for a perfect score in about 15 years, the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion could well turn out to be a modern-day version of their 1955. Sadly (or maybe fortunately) for me, I’m not old enough to have tasted the 1955 in 1958 from bottle, but this wine could also be an update on the more modern 2000 which, of course, I know well and actually own. This full-bodied, colossal giant of a wine is one of the goliaths of the vintage. It may well have the highest level of natural alcohol for any wine from the Left Bank of Bordeaux (15.1%) and has the definite potential to be a 50- to 75-year wine. Dense purple, it offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal embers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur along with massive concentration, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel and a monumental finish that goes well past a minute, which I think might be a record for a young Bordeaux. Keep in mind that the 2009, which I gave three digits, came in at 14.7%, but the pH of the 2010 is lower, giving the wine a freshness and precision that is remarkable. The final blend was 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and – unlike the Chapelle de la Mission, which has 26% Cabernet Franc – there’s only 1% Cabernet Franc in the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion. This is a wine for those of you with youth on your side as well as patience. It will need a good decade of cellaring. An amazing wine. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2075+.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2010 was not part of this vertical, so I am repeating my barrel tasting note published in issue #194 of The Wine Advocate. The wine will be tasted from bottle within the next six months. One of the most powerful La Missions ever produced, the 2010, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, achieved 15% natural alcohol (even higher than the 2009’s 14.7%). Nevertheless, the pH is normal which gives the wine an extraordinary precision, freshness and vibrancy despite its massive size. A blue/purple color is followed by a classic nose of blueberry liqueur, creme de cassis, spring flowers and crushed rocks. This monumental, full-bodied, incredibly rich La Mission-Haut-Brion will need a decade of cellaring and should last for 40-50 years. It is slightly fatter and creamier than its sibling rival, the 2010 Chateau Haut-Brion.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion has a commanding, profound nose of baked blackberries, boysenberries and warm cassis plus suggestions of candied violets, red roses, chocolate box, cedar chest and smoked meats with a waft of iron ore. Full-bodied, powerful and hedonic, the palate bursts with expressive black fruits and floral sparks, framed by exquisitely ripe, grainy tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing with epic length. A real head-turner, this beauty is already very impressive, but for that full WOW experience I would give it another 3-5 years in bottle to blossom.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion is a terrific wine. Evoking aromas of prune, blackberries, flowers, pencil shavings, cedar, cassis and licorice, it’s layered and concentrated with a deep, elegant mid-palate and powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, this sumptuous wine can age for another 15-30 years, thanks to its mineral structure and incredible freshness.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(62% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot and 1% cabernet franc; 15.1% alcohol) Deep ruby-purple. D eep, refined aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, minerals and wet stone on the reticent, cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose. Then very dense and powerful on the palate, with pristine blackberry, mineral and forest floor flavors and a supple touch that Haut-Brion doesn't yet show. The tannins are amazingly fine and polished, indeed among the noblest of the year, but this otherwise great wine lacks the sheer massive concentration of Haut-Brion. At 10,000 vines per hectare, La Mission almost always has 0.2% or 0.3% more alcohol than Haut-Brion, according to Jean-Philippe Delmas. But the exact measure of La Mission's success in 2010 is that its 15.1% alcohol is not at all obvious.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Even though the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion was poured at the château, Jean-Philippe Delmas had to call for a second bottle as the first was clearly out of sorts. That second is magnificent. Brilliant delineation and almost overwhelming with intensity on the nose, there are layers of black fruit, pencil lead and a strong marine influence with hints of Japanese nori. The palate has a wonderful backbone and more precision than the Haut-Brion, with a persistent, captivating finish. It will need time. Tasted at the château.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion has a strict and very focused pencil lead and undergrowth scented bouquet, fragrant and complex, developing a subtle marine note with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, good acidity here with impressive structure. There is plenty of very attractive red fruit, hints of fennel and black pepper, leading to a very cohesive and persistent finish that fans out beautifully. Seriously fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very flattering bouquet with detailed red and black fruit laced with chestnut, cedar and sous-bois. This is supremely well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. There is immense depth here, more savoury than expected with chestnut once again, white pepper and a tinge of dried blood towards the finish. Outstanding. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep, saturated ruby-red. Sweet, brooding aromas of cassis, coffee, minerals and licorice. Superconcentrated, voluptuous and seamless, with outstanding density of fruit and noteworthy precision to the compellingly sweet dark berry and mineral flavors. The broad, ripely tannic finish features extraordinary length and lingering violet and flint flavors. The best young La Mission I remember tasting at a similar stage of development. This is one of my three or four top wines of the vintage.
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.
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