| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2014 La Chapelle de la Mission offers light brambly red berry fruit on the nose mixed with cedar and bay leaf notes. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, plenty of pretty red fruit, light on its toes and yet delivering a satisfying and persistent finish that draws you back for the next sip. This has clearly improved since I tasted it just after bottling. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2020 - 2035
Currant and flower aromas galore. Very aromatic. Full-bodied yet tight and dense on the palate. A solid core of fruit and savory acidity. Very long and pretty. Drink in 2021.
Tasted blind. Polished and perfumed with sweet cachou notes. Not the most refreshing. Very drying end.
Drink 2024-2039
The second wine of La Mission Haut Brion. Nearly all the fruit from the now defunct La Tour Haut Brion vineyard is included in this wine. 45% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-deep ruby in colour. A little sweet spice and ripe cherry on the nose, with all spice and earthy undertones. The palate is very smoky with pure blackcurrant notes. There is a lovely smooth texture with fine Graves tannins. Excellent balance and length. Forward and immediately appealing, this shows great typicity and precision, a very well made wine.
The 2014 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut Brion is an outstanding second wine that’s made in an open, sexy, ready to go style. A blend of 45% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it boasts a great bouquet of currants, kirsch, toasted bread, and Asian spices. Medium to full-bodied, front-end loaded, ripe and sexy, it’s already impossible to resist yet I suspect will still be showing great in 10-12 years. 2018 - 2028
Dense and muscular in feel, with a loamy edge complementing the core of steeped plum, black currant and fig compote notes. Lots of tobacco and roasted cedar details fill in on the energetic finish. Best from 2019 through 2026. 4,000 cases made.
Fragrant, perfumed, spring violets the nose has lots of charm. The start of the palate is rich with ripe fruit the mid palate fleshy with depth of flavour but at the back there is more bilberry and bramble in evidence the finish quite light, fresh and bright. 2020-30
Given that La Mission is one of my three wines of the vintage, I make no apologies for rating this, its second wine, so highly. Sleek, grassy and aromatic, with polished tannins, focused acidity, subtle oak and a long, very persistent finish, this is better than many châteaux' top wine.
The 2014 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion has a lightness of touch on the nose, very subtle and understated with pretty blackberry, bilberry and cassis scents gently unfolding in the glass, yet never getting too carried away. The palate is medium-bodied with tobacco-tinged black fruit on the entry. This has certainly gained more weight since I tasted it from barrel, exerting more presence in the mouth, although the finish just lacks a little complexity and seems rudimentary when compared to the Grand Vin. Drink now and over the next 6-8 years. Drink Date 2018-2026
The La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion 2014 is a blend of 45% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a tightly wound bouquet at first with blackcurrant and hints of orange blossom lending a prettiness. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, a nice underbelly of classicism (emanating partly from the 8% vin de presse) underneath a veneer of ripe black fruit, easing down to a supple, “fruity” finish. Fine, though there is a chasm between deuxième and Grand Vins this year.
A wine with dark berry and currant character that is juicy and rich. Full-bodied, round, velvety and savory. Second wine of La Mission.
