This wine has a well-deserved, as well as notorious reputation for inconsistency, with many bottles marked by volatile acidity, while others taste cleaner and significantly better. My last three tastings, including this one, have placed the 1970 La Mission in a more negative light. The wine was unquestionably full-bodied, admirably concentrated, muscular, thick, and rich, but the volatile acidity was more than a subtle component. This defect was especially noticeable, and the wine disjointed and beginning to reveal some structural cracks. I have had outstanding examples, but none in the last three years.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Medium garnet; spicy vanilla nose, with cedar and cassis accents; very full-blown cassis flavor; very concentrated, generous and complex; has some volatile acidity, but it's not a flaw.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio