| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion has a sophisticated, very detailed bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and graphite. This is very focused and yet at the same time quite controlled and discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, cedar and touches of allspice. I love the depth of this wine and the gentle grip towards the finish. It knows not to push too hard in this growing season and that results in a very classy wine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2025 - 2060
The typicity of La Mission is really here. Aromas of iodine, oyster shell, currants and orange peel are evident. Full-bodied, tight and tannic with a muscular and toned texture that holds the wine down at the moment, but it’s waiting to release its joy and true nature. Fine-grained. Give it until 2023.
Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion needs a swirl or two to unlock notes of blackberry pie, creme de cassis, and espresso plus nuances of truffle, tapenade, and fragrant soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and velvety, with spicy accents to the black fruit flavors, finishing long and decadent.
Tasted blind. Rather exotic nose with masses going on. Very much first-growth quality. Masses of tannins. Really appetising. Edgy and salty. Very sweet.
Drink 2024-2050
Frequently the qualitative equal of sister-Chateau Haut Brion and in some years even better. The historic La Tour Haut Brion vineyard has been incorporated into La Mission now but none of the fruit produced from it is used in the grand vin - it is relegated to the 2nd label - La Chapelle de la Mission. La Mission's production levels are now smaller than ever and more than ever it can be seen as an 'honorary' First Growth. There are normally around 5000 cases produced annually. The vineyard is planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2014 blend. Deep ruby with a purple rim. Huge brooding Graves nose. Very opulent and exotic. Truffles, incense, cassis and blueberry fruits. The palate is rich, soft, and supple with a lovely sweetness of fruit tempered by ripe and ultra-fine tannins. Sumptuous and fleshy, a really hedonistic wine for the vintage, with excellent balance, length and complexity on the finish.
The 2014 Château La Mission Haut Brion is slightly more elegant and pretty compared to the richer, slightly more masculine Haut Brion. A blend of 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, it shows a kiss of red fruits in its core of darker currants, smoke tobacco, scorched earth, vanilla bean, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, fine tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a downright classy La Mission that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+. 2022 - 2042
Fleshy and very compact, with layers of dark fig, black currant paste and blackberry reduction still sorting themselves out. Sports a serious spine of tar while a well-roasted apple wood element forms the backdrop on the dense finish. The range and density set this apart. Should be rather long-lived for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,300 cases made.
Fragrant, floral the black fruits are fresh the start of the palate bright. Richer in the middle an underlying power and richness the fruit supported by fine tannins. The back palate has depth the richness of sweet fruit the finish though is lighter fresher long and elegant. 2025-40
One of the best young La Missions I have ever tasted, this is closer to the 2001 in terms of its blend than to the more Cabernet-dominated 2010. Silky, yet structured, with a shimmering mineral freshness, this is a thing of beauty. The tannins and oak integration are very fine, even at this early stage.
The 2014 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October and raised in 55% new oak. It has retained that engagingly fresh and vibrant bouquet, the bashful nature that it showed in barrel replaced by a more outgoing personality. This is an exquisite bouquet with pure black fruit, cold stone, a touch of black olive and later a suggestion of boysenberry preserve. The palate is still structured and considering that a majority is Merlot, quite masculine. There remains some new oak to be fully assimilated, although there is clearly the fruit to soak that up. It comes more alive on the second half with a lovely spiciness and impressive persistence. It will have more to give down the line and the strictness implies that this La Mission Haut Brion should be afforded a decade in the cellar before it will show what it can do. Drink Date 2024-2050
The Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2014 is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October raised in 55% new oak. It has a very fresh and precise bouquet, not one that marches out the barrack in confidence fashion, but rather unfolds piece-by-piece in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured and neatly placed opening: a little masculine for La Mission Haut-Brion at this stage, linear and focused, maintaining precision rather than aiming from power and roundness. This is a sophisticated La Mission Haut-Brion in the making, one that may actually surpass Haut-Brion as it is sometimes prone to do. The 2014 is a sterling success for Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team.
Chewy and rich with blueberry, stone and mineral character. Full body, silky and intense tannins and a mineral berry aftertaste. A finely grained La Mission.
