Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2021

Marked by élevage; particularly crisp in style, with noticeable acidity and herbal, powdery tannins.

Blackcurrants and graphite aromas follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a savory finish. Fluid, with a subtle and open character. Stone and dust at the end. So drinkable now but will improve with age.

The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very cohesive bouquet, well-defined with minerally red and black fruit, hints of white flowers and a distant tang of black olive. The almost “estuarine” element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite fresh though not a complex or deep La Mission. It is lifted by the salinity and sustain on the finish—also its typicité. Whilst not a wine from the top drawer, it is a fascinating, engaging Pessac that will drink over the next 20 or 30 years.

Bright, firm, lifted, and medium-bodied, the wine kicks off with a smoky, spicy note before you find its core of vibrant red fruits with their salty edge. This is a classic, reserved style of LMHB that will please fans of less-exuberant vintages. Drink from 2026–2055.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, hints of cloves and liquorice, sweet tobacco notes, blackberry confit and ripe cherries underlaid with candied orange zest. Medium-bodied with a red berry texture, silky tannins, good freshness, a mineral note and a persistent finish. An elegant food wine, already approachable with definite ageing potential. (10/1/2024, drink, store + 30)

Black raspberries, dried flowers, tobacco, violets, and a beautiful spicy character emerge from the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a pure, medium-bodied, incredibly polished, elegant Péssac-Léognan that has fine tannins, an utterly seamless, graceful mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It plays in the more elegant, fresher style of the vintage yet brings ample depth and richness, has good mid-palate depth, and is already just about impossible to resist. Give bottles just 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

La Mission Haut-Brion 2021 shows a dark, dense color and clearly confirmed its quality since the en primeur tastings. Delicate black fruits, enriched with plenty of spice, appear in a powerful nose, framed by fine oak and excellent layered depth. Dense and complex, it is very intense and full-bodied on the palate. A great youthful La Mission, presenting superb polish and an endless finish, with fine tannins and tremendous extract and density. Its creamy sweetness on the deep finish is very balanced and refined. 13.5% ABV. Anything but a small vintage!

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (47.9% Merlot, 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.3% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% vol. alcohol). Deep, dark, velvety bouquet with plums, cassis, fine woods, tobacco, licorice, mocha. Concentrated, tightly knit, elegant palate with dense, creamy dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a velvety, dense structure, multifaceted dark aromatics, and a long, powerful finish with many lingering flavors.

(47.9% Merlot, 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.3% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% vol. alcohol) Deep, dark, velvety bouquet, plum, cassis, fine woods, tobacco, licorice, mocha. Concentrated, tightly knit, elegant palate with dense, creamy dark fruit, lots of fine tannins, a velvety, dense structure, complex dark aromatics, long, powerful finish with plenty of lingering flavors. 19/20 2029 - 2060

This is just gorgeous, flirting with the very best. Striking aromatics of crushed red rose petals that pop out of the glass. Not as long-lasting as some vintages perhaps, but with so much finesse and balance, plenty of classic La Mission finesse and balance, with touches of mint leaf, cloves and pumice-stone minerality. Taut on the finish in its tannic structure, and it clearly majors more on cool blue-fruit character than we’ve seen from this property in recent years, but it’s seriously enjoyable, a total masterclass in cool-fruit delivery, and a reminder that in the warmer locations of Mission and Haut-Brion, these more understated vintages can really offer joyful drinking. 73% new oak, harvest from September 20 to October 8. No frost impact here and very little mildew, meaning overall yield was up to 47 hl/ha. This is one I strongly recommend, my red wine of the vintage.

A ripe, expressive nose with sweet, charming fruit. Subtle yet building intensity on the palate, leading to a dynamic, concentrated mouthfeel—like a Japanese high-speed train. And yet, the wine is caressing and fluid, like a silk kimono or the shadow cast by a Japanese lantern. The finish is delectable, fine, eloquent, long, and irresistibly moreish.

Linear in character, Mission Haut-Brion combines vigor and temperament. Its tannins provide some breadth and align with the tension of the acidic structure. Together, these components form the foundation and framework of the wine and promise it a fine future. The wine also leaves room for finesse, though this plays in the background. It will take the lead over the years—everything in its own time! The fine-grained tannins drive the finish, championing aromatic expression and persistence. A filigreed, subtle wine with nuances of iris, licorice, and elderberry.

Deep, intense, purple colour. Very aromatic nose, refined, fruity, subtle and complex. Unusual notes of raspberry, pine wood and smoke. Supple on the attack, supple through the mid-palate, fragrant, with a delicate richness that runs across the palate; the wine develops slowly, juicy and creamy, in great balanced tension. Good length with deep flavour.

Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision – this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, almost weightless, yet there are still tannins that provide gentle support across the palate. Elegant and charming, not really demonstrative, but confident nonetheless. Fairly high acidity keeps the freshness and zing, and there’s also a graphite undertone lending minerality. Well-crafted and full of character. Delicate but very enjoyable.

95–97. Barrel Sample. The wine has a rich texture and is splendidly fruity. It is structured while juicy and full of complex tannins. This is a wine that sings of fruits that are ripe while never heavy.