1964 La Mission Haut Brion Blanc
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The 1964 Laville Haut-Brion remains one my favorite vintages. This bottle repeated two previous showings (indeed, it may have come from the same source). Still appearing more youthful than the 1962, the bouquet is stunning, one of the most complex that I have found on a mature Laville Haut Brion: melted candle wax, Cornice pear, Japanese yuzu and just a hint of kerosene, quasi-Auslese in style. The palate is beautifully balanced, with a fine bead of acidity, demonstrating more mineral tension than the 1961 or 1966. with a creamy-textured finish. As I have remarked before, the palate cannot hope to match that show-stopping nose...but at least it tries. If you do possess any bottles, then take my advice and give the wine a couple of hours in the decanter. Tasted at a private dinner with a private collector in Tokyo.
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Neal Martin
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
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The 1964 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc is a spectacular wine that perhaps pips the 1966 Laville that I tasted just a month later. As is customary, it is reticent on the nose at first, gives little away, fooling around. Once it has left you waiting long enough, then the aromatics soar from the glass: honeysuckle, puff pastry, nectarine, dried pineapple and quince jus, all beautifully defined and erring towards more resinous scents as it opens over a period of three or four hours. The palate displays exquisite balance and poise, a nigh perfect seam of acidity, utterly fresh and vital with a slightly honeyed texture—suggesting that perhaps there was a bit of pourriture noble? It is one of the finest old bottles of Laville Haut-Brion that I have had the pleasure to taste. Tasted August 2015.
About the producer
Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion – sister estate of Ch. Haut-Brion and part of the Clarence Dillon stable – is one of the greatest estates in all of Bordeaux. Based in Pessac-Léognan but not officially classified, it produces outstanding red and white wines.