La Mission Haut Brion 1998

OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 93 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2007 - 2030

Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #134 - Apr 2001)
Complex aromas of scorched earth, minerals, black fruits, lead pencil, and subtle wood accompany this classic, full-bodied, La Mission. It boasts superb purity, an expansive, concentrated mid-palate, and sweet tannin in the long, muscular yet refined finish. This superb La Mission-Haut-Brion, which requires 6-7 years of cellaring, gets my nod as one of the finest La Mission's produced.

_______________________________________________________

La Mission Haut Brion 2000

OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 100 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2011 - 2045

Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #146 - Apr 2003)
A superstar of this great vintage, the 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is as profound as the 1989, 1982, and 1975. It is more structured and tannic than the 1989, more civilized and refined, but not as thick as the 1982, and sweeter as well as purer than the 1975. The 2000 is neither flamboyant nor accessible, but what upside potential it possesses! In time, one might have to return to the prodigious duo of 1959 and 1961 to find a La Mission with this much potential. While still tight from bottling, its inky purple color is accompanied by extravagantly sweet aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much hedonistic and intellectual pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. The phenomenal aftertaste goes on for over a minute.

_______________________________________________________

La Mission Haut Brion 2003

OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 94 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2008 - 2026

Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #164 - Apr 2006)
The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion is a large-scaled wine offering a distinctive bouquet of scorched earth, black cherry liqueur, and hints of blackberries, blueberries, graphite, and smoke. Ripe, heady, full-bodied, soft, and revealing considerable complexity, low acidity, and a broad, expansive mouthfeel, it should drink well in 2-3 years and last for two decades. Its 13% plus alcohol is normal for this hot year.

_______________________________________________________

La Mission Haut Brion 2005

OWC: 75 cl + Magnum
Rating: 97 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2013 - 2038

Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #170 - Apr 2007)
The 2005 La Mission-Haut-Brion is even more impressive this year than it was in 2006. There are approximately 5,500 cases of this blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that for the first time in this vineyard’s history, the entire vineyard was seriously crop-thinned. The result is a wine that is reminiscent of the 1989, but with more structure, muscle, and tannin. However, the tannin is sweet – a good sign in a wine with such extraordinary power and richness. Scorched earth, blueberries, blackberries, and a hint of truffles appear in the staggering aromatics. The wine is massive in the mouth, with incredible fat and richness as well as mouth-searing levels of velvety tannin in the finish. Even though the fruit is wonderfully ripe and the texture is unctuous, this stunning offering will not be drinkable for 6-7 years, and should keep for 25 years thereafter.