Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2020

Dark chocolate, bramble fruits, some perfumed notes, exotic spices, liquorice, cedar and clove, but floral too. Supple and charming on the palate, not so lively and openly expressive at this point, a bit more knitted down, quiet and calm but a lovely texture. Tannins are fine but just chalky, giving grip and width, while the dark fruit has both a red and black tang to it, only slightly restricted by the oaky edges which, subtle as they are in terms of flavour, narrow the expression a little. You can feel the concentration in the lingering flavour on the cheeks and again a touch of heat and wood spice on the finish. Good acidity with a lightness of touch despite the depth of flavour. Well crafted with a long finish.

Perfectly ripe black and blue berries on the nose with blackcurrants, too. Crushed fruit. Complex and perfect. Full and intense. You feel the intensity of the tannins, yet it is not overpowering. They are in a sophisticated and elegant state. Muscular and formed finish. Gorgeous in every sense of the word. Strength with finesse. Drink after 2030.

The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very pure bouquet with crushed violet infusing the mixture of blueberry and blackberry fruit, scents of cassis emerging with time. The oak is wonderfully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a cashmere texture and lavish new oak that is perfectly knitted to the filigree tannins. Very precise and very persistent on the finish, this fans out gloriously, Jean-Philippe Delmas conjured a sensational La Mission this year. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Black, red, and blue fruits, along with incense, spice box, cigar box, tobacco leaves, and floral aromatics, weave their way into the bouquet. The wine coats your palate with nonstop layers of deep, dark, ripe fruit that, once they begin, never let up. The fruit has depth, breadth, length, and complexity, delivering a seamless tasting experience that lingers for at least 60 seconds. If you have the disposable income and time to wait, this is a future legendary vintage of LMHB that needs to be experienced! With time, it could easily surpass Haut Brion and hit 100 points. The blend is 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, 14.7% ABV. Drink from 2030–2065.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, delicate rim brightening. Attractive black berry fruit, a touch of juniper, dark cherries, delicate hints of nougat, fresh orange zest. Juicy, ripe cherries and plums, fine, silky tannins, finesse-rich acidity, salty minerality, very balanced, lingers long, a delicate wine with good drinking appeal and certain ageing potential. (2025-2065).

Good purity, depth and nuance, some stony notes, charcoal, violet and ripe dark berries and crème de cassis. Excellent combination of power and freshness, dense young fruit with plenty of fine tannin, good oak integration, layers of digest dark fruit, mild spices and a very long lingering finish.

Lastly, the Grand Vin 2020 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is cut from the same cloth as the La Chapelle, only it brings more of everything. Black raspberries, cassis, ripe cherries, sandalwood, smoked tobacco, and acacia flowers are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless, sexy mouthfeel, remarkable tannins, and a great, great finish. The level of purity, finesse, and elegance, paired with incredible concentration, is something to behold. Give bottles just 5-7 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following half a century. The blend is 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, hitting a natural alcohol of 14.7%.

Finely detailed bouquet with black-berry nuances, dark precious wood, Sichuan pepper and cloves. On the taut palate, a silky texture, well-balanced drive and an athletic frame. Concentrated, slightly closed finish with a delicate leather note, wild cherry and profound dark minerality; loses a little compared to the primeurs. Drinking window pushed back.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: a concentrated, complex, profound, dark, velvety bouquet—prunes, currants, black cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco, cedar, graphite. Dense, powerful, elegant, velvety, fruity palate with creamy, concentrated dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, finely muscled structure, rich, varied dark aromatics, and a very long, dense, full finish with many lingering flavors. Has room to improve.

Concentrated, complex, profound, dark, velvety bouquet: prunes, currants, black cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco, cedar, graphite. Dense, powerful, elegant, velvety, fruit-driven palate with creamy, concentrated dark fruit, lots of fine tannins, a concentrated, finely muscular structure, varied, intense dark aromatics, and a very long, dense, full finish with plenty of lingering flavors. Can improve further. 19/20 2029 - 2060

Grips from the first moment, with lashings of damson, cassis, brownie, chocolate shavings, espresso, pencil lead, plum pudding, incense. The palate is muscular but juicy, totally mouthwatering, with real tension and depth, powerful but restrained. It gets better and better every time you come back to it, building in floral notes, and lives up to its En Primeur promise. Harvest from 7th to 29th September.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.85. After a swirl or two, the nose blossoms with an alluring array of black cherries, kirsch, and blackcurrant jelly scents, followed by hints of rose oil, sandalwood, tree bark, and Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with muscular black fruits, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

A very deep nose, with aromatic layers stacked one upon another, starting with blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf and finishing, at the deepest level, with bramble and fresh earth. Delightful on the palate, with an energy that is both supple and kinetic—fresh, precise, yet always opulent—guiding you toward a beautifully balanced finish. There is magic in this glass, full of character.

Mission Haut Brion presents itself with a certain restraint, yet with a keen sense of detail through predominantly dark-fruited nuances. Juicy on the attack, the wine has an elegant yet still tightly knit texture. What a tannic framework and what finesse of grain. The energetic character shown by La Chapelle is clearly present as well, though in a more crystalline, more precise form. A wine with great ambitions, ready for several decades.

The nose is fruity, offering a hint of concentration, a finely tight grain, plenty of nobility, and a lovely touch that is rich, silky, and delicate at once. It reveals notes of vibrant boysenberry, crushed raspberry, and, more subtly, creamy blue fruits, combined with delicate floral touches, fine hints of star anise, as well as a subtle hint of Bourbon vanilla, Madagascar pepper, and a saline character. The palate is elegant, mineral (great minerality!), and offers lovely juiciness, freshness, fine definition, tension, sapidity, an airy feel to its richness, a refined, elongated/straight profile (yet with elegance and delicacy), and beautiful sapidity. There is a lovely nobility in this wine. Lots of precision and finesse. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy boysenberry, creamy blue fruits, and, more lightly, raspberry/cherry, combined with touches of cornflower and lily, as well as a subtle hint of fresh nutmeg and sweet spices. A slight creaminess on the finish. Very pretty tang!

Its watchword: depth. With a fruity palette (crushed black berries, black plum) that still feels restrained, a generous, very fleshy attack, and a palate with a highly dense texture and a volume that unfolds throughout the tasting, gradually delivering gentle, fresh spices, La Mission is a monument of 2020.

Of great richness, yet supported by sturdy, firm, perfectly integrated tannins; powerful, meaty; an impressive wine that comes astonishingly close to Haut-Brion.

97–99. Barrel Sample. The density of this wine is impressive. It combines that concentration with an emerging velvet texture that is a hallmark of this estate. There is a sense of completeness about the wine that promises some serious aging.