| Region | |
|---|---|
| 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).
The 2023 is atypically only 35% Semillon with 65% Sauvignon Blanc and the alcohol is at 13.9%. 46% new oak. This is the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc ever used here.
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is driven by the Sauvignon Blanc (65%) on the nose: Granny Smith apples, kiwi fruit, slate and light spicy aromas. There’s very fine delineation, but I err toward the more nuanced Haut-Brion Blanc. The palate is lively on the entry with a touch of white pepper, very good tension and ample energy. Conference pear mixes with melon and grassy notes toward the finish. This will provide immediate pleasure over the next 20 years, though Haut-Brion Blanc has the intellectual heft.
Offering up generous amounts of lemon oil, spices and ripe orchard fruits with a touch of spring flowers, the 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and broad, with a rich, aromatic palate. It concludes with an ethereal, powerful finish that carries elegant white fruit notes. It's a blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Sémillon.
Pale straw colour. This has an opulent nose of boiled pineapple sweets, lemon blossom and lemon balm. The palate is steely with acidity, matching a rich, textural mouthfeel from full and ripe fruit. Propped up by smoky, toasty oak and broad, savuory lees tones, this has surprising focus and zip, making for a complete, complex wine. Very long on the finish.
A creamy, round texture with ripe yet fresh aromas and flavors, showing apples, pears and hints of peaches. Medium- to full-bodied, polished and satisfying. 65.3% sauvignon blanc and 34.7% semillon.
A blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Semillon, the white La Mission Haut-Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.2. It races out with ready-to-go notes of fresh grapefruit, lime blossoms, and fresh pineapple giving way to wafts of fragrant mandarin peel, beeswax, and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound and elegantly styled, with beautiful tension and a mineral-laced finish.
Zesty, focused, bright and vivid, white flowers, gorgeous texture and aromatics, pulls you forward through the palate, structured and with great ageing ability. Delicious vintage of this wine. 40% new oak. Harvest from August 21 through to September 5 for the 2.5ha of white wines. A test with shade cloths to mitigate heat spikes is underway at the estate, will be fascinating to watch the progress.
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a very soft-textured white, its lovely floral and mineral notes very much front and center. Gentle touches of pear, jasmine, white pepper and mint lift from the glass in a wine that impresses with its understatement and class. Aeration fills out the mid-palate as the Sémillon begins to reveal its breadth.
65.3% Sauvignon Blanc, 34.7% Sémillon. Cask sample.
Atypical given the dominance of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Surprisingly restrained aromatically. Misses a bit of mid-palate presence. Bit of an enigma at the moment. Will have to see how it develops. (JL) 13.9%
Drink 2026 – 2032
