Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2023

Addictive, deep, spicy, nutty, with hints of hay; juicy, dense, highly concentrated yet feather-light, creamy texture, long-lasting, spicy, ripe-fruited finish. Warm in the fruit, cool in expression.

Waxy lemons, white peach, pineapple, and green apples come through in this vibrant, juicy, crisp wine, which balances its juicy yellow citrus with its sweetness. The wine is made from a blend of 65.3% Semillon and 34.7% Sauvignon Blanc; picking took place August 24, finishing September 5. The length of harvest is extraordinary, considering there are only 3.5 hectares of vines. 13.9% ABV, 3.3 pH. Drink from 2026–2040. 96–96 pts.

Pale yellow-green, silver highlights. Delicate nuances of white apple fruit, a hint of grapefruit, delicate hay flowers, very restrained bouquet. Juicy, elegant, white peach, mineral, a hint of white nougat underneath, remains persistent, an elegant food wine, good ageing potential, already well developed.

65.3% Sauvignon Blanc, 34.7% Sémillon. Delicate bouquet with fragrant grapefruit and mandarin zest, followed by primrose and lemongrass. On the slender palate, a supportive minerality is paired with filigree verve and a finely peppery extract. The focused, finely aromatic finish shows citrus, white pepper, and kumquat peel.

Finessed, full of energy, majoring on sage, white mango and white pear, this is full of energy and grip, layered, coiled, holding back the full extent of its aromatic expansion, love that in 2023 you get the floral character but also a ripeness that gives a creamy mid palate. This is a wine with a ton of ageing potential, and needs a few more years in bottle. 46% new oak for ageing. Harvest from August 21 through to September 5 for the 2.5ha of white wines. Jean-Philippe Delmas director, Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director, no outside consultant.

Score: 93–95. The bouquet sparkles like sunlight on a rippling water surface, releasing notes of lemon zest, sage, and white peach for a complex, rich effect. Full-bodied and generous on the palate, with multilayered aromas, it finishes on a sweet-and-sour candy note that seems endless.

So much freshness in this bouquet, and yet it wasn’t a given in 2023! It had to be sought out and, above all, integrated. The result is probably up to expectations, as the bouquet reveals hints of citrus and white-fleshed fruit, complemented by floral notes. Slightly saline on the attack, the wine follows a linear progression. It is well supported by its structure, which provides freshness and vitality, and which could rely on the support of bitters that bring freshness, aromatic lift, and persistence. An elegant, captivating wine.

94-96. Barrel Sample. The wine has a lightly herbal aroma with impressive dense white fruits and a firmly textured character. The intense acidity shoots through this impressive wine that has a great potential.

Yellow colour with golden highlights. Intense, fruity, ripe nose. A hint of aniseed. Precise on the attack, very tasty on the mid-palate, juicy, the wine melts on the palate, noble in its progression and aromas. Good length, fruity and flavoursome.

A blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Sémillon, the 2023 Blanc from La Mission Haut-Brion has turned out superbly in bottle, revealing aromas of white peach, pear, flowers, confit citrus and fresh herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and fleshy, it is concentrated yet precise, built around a vibrant core of fruit and a beautifully controlled sense of power, concluding with a long, mineral and perfumed finish. Gaining both freshness and depth during élevage, this is one of the most vibrant and racy renditions of Mission Blanc in recent years.

A stunning white wine in 2023. Green apple, crisp and alive on the nose. Round and forward, gorgeous density and texture on the tongue, bright and fresh, a dash of sherbet lemon gives the zing, while this has a strict backbone like the red, keeping the focus on the fruit and the tension in equal measure. Alive and bright, not too full or too acidic. Great green apple, a touch of grapefruit and orange too. Gorgeous purity and crystalline aspects with some power underneath but all the while keeping straight and direct. Focussed and intentional. Remarkable. 3.2pH, 4 total acidity.