Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Any seasoned Bordeaux enthusiast is more than familiar with the region’s infatuation with their many classification systems, the most notorious of which is from 1855. One of the four original First Growths of the Left Bank, Château Haut-Brion is singular in having also ranked in the 1959 Classification of Graves, a double honor bestowed on no other estate in Bordeaux. At first glance, Haut-Brion appears unrivaled with its well-established international reputation and unmatched accolades at the highest level, but if it were to have a rival, the top contender would be directly across the street, from the adjacent vineyards at Château La Mission Haut-Brion.

La Mission Haut-Brion: A Storied History in French Wine 

La Mission vines were first planted in the 16th Century after the land was purchased by the brother-in-law to Jean de Pontac, the founder of Château Haut-Brion. While La Mission would change ownership over the years, these two château would continue down parallel paths. Both earned worldwide admiration for their red and white wines and, in 1959, both received a place in the Classification of Graves, which only recognizes 15 château in total. Eventually, the twin estates were officially reunited by the owners of Château Haut-Brion, the Dillon family, who acquired La Mission in 1983. Today, the two are so intertwined in regard to their location, classification, extremely high quality, and shared ownership that it seems impossible for wine writers to mention one without the other. 

The two reside in Pessac-Léognan, a region famous for its deep gravel soils, hence the eponymous region of Graves (French for “gravel”) that surrounds the greater area. These stony soils are prized for their drainage, never allowing vines to bask in too much water and forcing roots to grow deep below in search of water. This struggle is crucial for Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve greatness, Conversely, Merlot requires more water retention from its soils, thriving best in the pockets of clay found throughout the region. This yin-and-yang relationship allows grapes to optimize their strengths in even the most challenging vintages and harmonize their different expressions in glass. 

First Growth Winemaking

Sharing a terroir and ownership with First Growth giants, Chateau Haut-Brion, both estates undergo similar winemaking processes, but each stays true to its distinct qualities. For La Mission Haut-Brion, the vineyard is 29.16 hectares in the communes of Talences, with an additional two plots in Pessace. The harvest team totals to 50 individuals to hand pick and sort the grapes, before placing them in densitometric baths to separate the sweet fruit from the unsweet fruit while simultaneously measuring the overall density. 

After handpicking the grapes, the next step in winemaking is to begin fermentation, where the grapes are taken to the advanced vat room, filled with twelve 180hl alcoholic fermentation vats and twelve 120hl malolactic fermentation vats. The red wines are later aged for around 16 months in 75% new oak that comes from Seguin Moreau. When finally bottled, the blends are approximately total to 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Additionally, the white wines come out to a mix of 63% Semillon and 37% Sauvignon Blanc. 

Mission Haut-Brion Notable Vintages

"Château La Mission Haut-Brion is above all the alliance of ripe, warm Merlot with the power and strength of Cabernet Sauvignon and the finesse of Cabernet Franc. The blend is often obvious, revealing very ripe red and black fruits on the nose, with spicy notes."

- Jean-Phillipe Delmas, head winemaker at La Mission Haut-Brion

These reds balance dark-berried fruit with impactful, finely-grained tannins, a pleasure in youth, but ready for many decades of age. The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion vintage earned 100 points for its muscle and concentration, clearly capable of long-term evolution. 2000 Mission Haut-Brion was likewise a powerful vintage, showing exceptionally well. 

Other incredible vintages include the highly-touted pair from the 1980s- the 1982 and 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion bottles. Each is noted for being one of the estate's most iconic releases, also playing a significant role in Bordeaux's legendary status for each vintage, especially the '82 vintage. Furthermore, an underrated recent release for the estate is the 2014 bottle, released to acclaim from multiple critics. Scored a 95 or 96-point rating by Jeb Dunnuck, Jane Anson, James Suckling, Antonio Galloni, and Neal Martin, the bottle has slowly risen to cult status for La Mission Haut-Brion.

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