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The 2019 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has a very pure but slightly introspective nose at first. This demands coaxing, gradually unfurling to reveal blackberry, cassis and iodine aromas that are nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins. It is very harmonious and lithe. Hints of espresso permeate the sweet black fruit with a corpulent, "sunny" finish. Drink 2025 - 2045
The 2019 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has a very pure but slightly introspective nose at first. This demands coaxing, gradually unfurling to reveal blackberry, cassis and iodine aromas that are nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins. It is very harmonious and lithe. Hints of espresso permeate the sweet black fruit with a corpulent, "sunny" finish. Drink 2025 - 2045
The 2019 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is a wine of real depth and grandeur. Time in the glass brigs out layers of textural richness and resonance in the inky dark fruit, gravel, smoke, licorice, incense and pipe tobacco flavors. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. Tasted a day later, the 2019 was every bit as compelling. It is a superb second wine that will likely come in at or near the top of my predicted range.
The 2019 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 50.1% Merlot, 45.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4.4% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 11th of September to the 2nd of October. The estimated label alcohol degree is 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, it prances out of the glass with showy notes of crushed black cherries, warm blueberries and mulberries plus suggestions of cinnamon toast, aniseed, lilacs and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with poise and sophistication, offering a gentle earthy underpinning to all that black fruit, framed by fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.
Intense but subtle, with high aromatics. Loaded with flavour and sap, extremely juicy, savoury but welcoming. Fruit-forward with a creamy texture, this has the elegance that you want from La Chapelle, the sappy fruit that you want to share, and is a great 2nd stepping stone to La Mission. Last year had less Merlot but it works here, giving charm, elegance and mouthwatering appeal. Harvest finished October 4. 27% of production. Drink 2024 -2040.
Dark and breezy with good lift and energy. Smooth attack then attractive fruit on the mid palate. Hint of mocha. Slightly sandy tannins with a firm, dry stamp to the finish. (JL) Drink 2025 – 2032
Smoked black cherries, plums, licorice, herbs and earth create the nose. On the palate, the wine is supple, soft, filled with fruit and vivacity. There is length and freshness in the finish. There is a lot of LMHB character here. The wine blends 50% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc reaching 14.4% alcohol.
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.
