Region | |
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Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
Colour | White |
Type | Still |
The rare dry white wine from La Mission Haut Brion is made by the same team as Haut Brion Blanc. It used to be known as Laville Haut Brion but changed its name in 2009. The 2.5 hectare vineyard produces around 500 dozen bottles annually. There is more Sémillon planted here than Sauvignon Blanc (the opposite of Haut Brion Blanc).
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by La Mission Haut Brion
Pure and clear aromas of green melon, apple, flint and stone follow through to a full body with extremely attractive fruit, with vivid and energetic acidity at the end. Lime and pineapple, but subdued and very pretty. 55% sauvignon and 45% semillon. Drinkable but in four or five years it will be even better.
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc opens in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, lemongrass, crisp stone fruits and wet stones framed by a touch of youthful reduction. Medium to full-bodied, layered and racy, with chalky structure and a mouthwatering finish, it was bottled under Diam 30.
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, a blend of 54.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 45.3% Semillon, slowly emerges from the glass with notes of Golden Delicious apple, juicy pears, and coriander seed, followed by underlying hints of paraffin wax, wet pebbles, and white pepper. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled, with a lively backbone and energetic apple and pear layers, finishing long with a spicy lift.
Fragrant white flowers, touches of lime blossom and slate-filled citrus. The acidity is fresh, but this is more about texture, and it is extremely successful. Harvest from 19th to 28th August. The minerality, together with freshly cut rosemary and sage notes, is accentuated as it opens, which is an excellent indicator of how well this wine will age. Deft winemaking, as ever, proving why this is one of Bordeaux's best loved white wines. Tasted twice.
Drinking Window 2022 - 2032
Full, embossed bottle 1,275 g. Cask sample taken 13 April. 54.7% Sauvignon Blanc, 45.3% Sémillon picked 19 to 28 August. Estimated alcohol 13.8%.
Very pale, low-key nose. Edgy and pungent with real freshness (more than Haut-Brion Blanc?). Sleek and dense with a certain smokiness and drive, but still pretty embryonic. Much less flashy and rich than this wine used to be. This promises well.
Drink 2024 – 2037
(55% SB, 45% SM; 13.8% ABV)
Pale, cloudy; discreet nose, delicately ripe Sauvignon, but lacking a little Sauvignon Blanc vitality; full, broad, supple wine, with a moderate supporting acidity; dry, ample, mouthfilling, with a gentle raciness, a touch of warmth, and subtle oak-cedar aromas, and with fine aromatic length. But this is just lacking a bit in the excitement, scope, and definition it usually has. Refined and very attractive, of course, but not grand. Probably better drunk earlier rather than later. 2025–35?
A vivid, really bright La Mission, showing strength and finesse at the same time. Honeysuckle, lime, lemon and other citrus fruit with stone and mineral undertones. 55% sauvignon and 45% semillon.
The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a blend of 54.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 45.3% Semillon, harvested 19th to 28th August, with an estimated alcohol of 13.8%. The nose tingles with electric notes of lemon zest, orange blossoms and pink grapefruit, followed by hints of fresh ginger, elderflowers and crushed rocks, plus a waft of lime leaves. The medium-bodied palate quivers with intense, tightly wound citrus fruit layers, backed up by a racy backbone and finishing long and steely. DRINK: 2023 - 2039