Wine Advisor
La Mission Haut Brion, Blanc 2020
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc opens in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, lemongrass, crisp stone fruits and wet stones framed by a touch of youthful reduction. Medium to full-bodied, layered and racy, with chalky structure and a mouthwatering finish, it was bottled under Diam 30.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a blend of 54.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 45.3% Semillon, harvested 19th to 28th August, with an estimated alcohol of 13.8%. The nose tingles with electric notes of lemon zest, orange blossoms and pink grapefruit, followed by hints of fresh ginger, elderflowers and crushed rocks, plus a waft of lime leaves. The medium-bodied palate quivers with intense, tightly wound citrus fruit layers, backed up by a racy backbone and finishing long and steely.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is pure seduction. Creamy and layered in the glass, the 2020 is elegance personified. Hints of spice and white flowers lead into apricot, white peach, mint and sage, all beautifully knit together. The 2020 balances freshness with textural intensity so sell. It's an absolutely gorgeous wine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has a complex and engaging bouquet with Granny Smiths and Conference pear, wet limestone, a subtle petrichor scent that I did not notice from barrel. The palate is very well balanced with admirable weight and just a tad more acidic "bite" compared to its showing en primeur. Hints of lemongrass add more spiciness and vivacity towards the finish that feels persistent in the mouth. This is very impressive and I can foresee a long future ahead. Dare I say that this has passed Haut-Brion Blanc in its slipstream during its élevage? Indeed, I do.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has an intense nose of white flowers, Conference pear, broom and almost basalt-like aromas. It demands an hour to really show what it can do – nothing new there. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine acidity, delivering grapefruit, passion fruit, touches of sour lemon and an underlying salinity that upholds the requisite tension on the finish. Very assured and classy, though perhaps the growing season denied it a soupçon of mineralité that would have elevated it to a bona fide great La Mission Blanc. As usual, it will require cellaring and ample decanting.
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.