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There is some debate as to whether La Mission 2000 is even more impressive than itsstable mate. The debate will rumble on, but suffice to say that its blend which is morecabernet dominated and has produced one of the most complete and exciting winesthat we tasted. It shows dark, smoky fruit, generous and juicy with a lovely texture. April 2001
There is some debate as to whether La Mission 2000 is even more impressive than itsstable mate. The debate will rumble on, but suffice to say that its blend which is morecabernet dominated and has produced one of the most complete and exciting winesthat we tasted. It shows dark, smoky fruit, generous and juicy with a lovely texture. April 2001
Tasted at Farr Vintner's La Mission dinner. The 2000 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion seems remarkably backward compared to the 2005. Sultry and broody, it reluctantly reveals very pure scents of blackberry, blueberry, iodine that are joined by black olive compote with time. The palate is smooth and mellow, slightly viscous in texture betraying the concentrating within this almost saturnine La Mission Haut-Brion. This is a powerful wine, one that will only be tamed by time. Drink 2018-2045. Tasted November 2013.
The 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage. Its performance was off-the-charts in two separate tastings for this report. Deep blue/purple, with a nose of creme de cassis, floral scents, graphite, and subtle smoke, the wine is pure, deep, sumptuously textured, full-bodied, powerful (although certainly not at the power level of the amazing 2009). This wine certainly transcends its 13% natural alcohol and has the same level of concentration found in such great vintages of La Mission Haut-Brion as 1989, 1982, 1975, and of course, more recent efforts such as 2005, 2008, and 2009. Still young but beginning to display some secondary nuances, the wine has enormous layers of depth as well as an unctuous texture. Even though it is still quite youthful, I believe it will hit its prime in another 3-4 years and last 50 or more. It is certainly a wine that will likely jump dramatically in price once the price of the 2009 is released.
A superstar of this great vintage, the 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion is as profound as the 1989, 1982, and 1975. It is more structured and tannic than the 1989, more civilized and refined, but not as thick as the 1982, and sweeter as well as purer than the 1975. The 2000 is neither flamboyant nor accessible, but what upside potential it possesses! In time, one might have to return to the prodigious duo of 1959 and 1961 to find a La Mission with this much potential. While still tight from bottling, its inky purple color is accompanied by extravagantly sweet aromas of blackberries, blueberries, toast, scorched earth, coffee, asphalt, graphite, and smoke. Super-intense and unctuously-textured, with a sumptuous mid-palate and finish, this is an explosively rich, layered effort that possesses everything I could ever want from a terroir that has given me as much hedonistic and intellectual pleasure as any other wine in the world. It is an amazing achievement for administrator Jean-Bernard Delmas, his son, Jean-Phillipe, and the entire winemaking team. The phenomenal aftertaste goes on for over a minute. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2045.
Brilliant deep purple. Many, many layers of sumptuously ripe fruit. Real broad opulence with some edges of sultry smoke. Velvet start with inky ripe tannins creeping up only from behind. Not overpoweringly alcoholic, despite all that ripeness. A triumph. According to Jean-Bernard Delmas, this wine's special quality comes simply from the sheer quality of the exceptionally healthy fruit. 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Blackish crimson. Very deep, dense, and savoury. Deep. Satin-textured, wonderfully seductive and extremely serious. Lots and lots of stuffing. Prunes. Dry finish, but a masculine and meaty wine. Minerals. Grainy tannins. Extremely chewy. Earnest. Very, very savoury. Drink 2012-2030
58% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Very good colour. Very classy nose. Splendidly concentrated. Marvellous fruit. Very fine grip. A really very fine example of La Mission. Very good oaky base. Full and fat. Very good tannins. Excellent grip. Very long. Very intense. Very complex and very classy. Excellent. From 2012+.
Stretching from the rather unglamorous southern suburbs of Bordeaux, for 50 km along the left bank of the river Garonne, lies Graves. Named for its gravelly soil, a relic of Ice Age glaciers, this is the birthplace of claret, despatched from the Middle Ages onwards from the nearby quayside to England in vast quantities. It can feel as though Bordeaux is just about red wines, but some sensational white wines are produced in this area from a blend of sauvignon blanc, Semillon and, occasionally, muscadelle grapes, often fermented and aged in barrel. In particular, Domaine de Chevalier is renowned for its superbly complex whites, which continue to develop in bottle over decades. A premium appellation, Pessac-Leognan, was created in 1987 for the most prestigious terroirs within Graves. These are soils with exceptional drainage, made up of gravel terraces built up in layers over many millennia, and consequently thrive in mediocre vintages but are less likely to perform well in hotter years. These wines were appraised and graded in their own classification system in 1953 and updated in 1959, but, like the 1855 classification system, this should be regarded with caution and the wines must absolutely be assessed on their own current merits.
