2008 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
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Tasting notes
51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Aged 15–18 months in 75% new oak. Heady green, sappy aromas. Blackcurrant fruit and spice too, albeit less obviously than the herbal scent. Then, the palate gives way to more primary fruit, and it is still seems to be in the first flush of youth. Much more development is surely in store. Plenty of tannin to go the distance too. (RH)
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
A beautiful, high-class effort that offers incredible pleasure, the 2008 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Ripe black cherries, sweet currants, cigar tobacco, and exotic spices all emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort that has beautiful concentration, sweet tannins, and again, a pleasure-bent, even sexy character that’s a joy to drink. It’s capable of lasting another 30 years or more.
Tasted blind. Bit smudgy. Sweet and simple. Lots of pinched dry tannins on the end. Lots there but not the purest expression of 2008. Drying end. (JR)
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.