($129-$160) Medium red-ruby. Raspberry, smoked meat and truffle on the nose, with a slightly liqueur-like ripeness. Dense, fat and seamless; unusually soft and lush for a young La Mission, with compelling sweetness. But there are also huge, ripe tannins underneath. Finishes very sweet, suave and long.

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Extremely heady and almost bretty. So rich! The richness counterbalances any dry tannins. Very ambitious and starry indeed. Long. Cocoa. Dry end. Youthful. (Average group score: 17.5)

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The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion is a large-scaled wine offering a distinctive bouquet of scorched earth, black cherry liqueur, and hints of blackberries, blueberries, graphite, and smoke. Ripe, heady, full-bodied, soft, and revealing considerable complexity, low acidity, and a broad, expansive mouthfeel, it should drink well in 2-3 years and last for two decades. Its 13% plus alcohol is normal for this hot year.

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Aromas of blackberry, tobacco and hints of oak. Full-bodied, with lots of silky and round tannins and a long finish. Lots going on here. Layered and powerful. 460 cases made.

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Dark ruby red. Deep, dense nose packed with cedar, graphite, smoky tar and some sweet soft blackcurrant. Generous and luscious on the palate; well structured with clear defined flavours. Lingering dark tarry black fruits, fine but grippy tannins, stony minerality and pencil shavings. Lovely.