2015 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Description

100   James Suckling
“Rose petals, sandalwood and currants with some plums and fruit tea. Full-bodied, tight and focused. Incredibly straight and minerally. Toned muscles here. Tannic. Traditional and unwavering.Try in 2024.” (2/2018)

98   Jeb Dunnuck
“More opulent, sexy and concentrated, the 2015 La Mission Haut Brion is a tour de force that has everything you could want from Bordeaux. A huge nose of smoke tobacco, gravelly earth, graphite, cassis, and blackcurrants gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, perfectly balanced beauty that has incredible depth of flavor and intensity, yet with no weight. While the overall impression is upfront and in your face, it has incredible elegance and length on the finish (as well as ripe tannin), and will keep for three decades.”

98   Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The deep garnet-purple colored 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Youthfully mute with bright, youthful red currants, black raspberries, cassis and freshly crushed blackberries notions, it slowly unfurls to reveal an earthy/minerally undercurrent of damp soil, charcoal, iron ore and truffles plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, decadently fruited and yet wonderfully elegant with very ripe, very silky tannins, freshness that sits well in the background and an almost electric intensity of vibrant red and black fruit flavors, it finishes long and minerally. Just. Beautiful. Consider giving it 6-7 years in bottle before broaching and drink it over the next 30+.” (2/2018)

98   Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 9 September and 1 October. Throughout its barrel maturation it has clearly retained that purity of fruit with copious blackberry and blueberry scents, that cold stone/cave-like element perhaps more accentuated now that the wine is in bottle. The palate is very well balanced with firm tannin that provides a solid backbone to this La Mission. It is already a complex and intellectual wine with layers of black fruit infused with black olive tapenade, hints of seaweed and white pepper, fresh and tensile from start to finish with a persistent finish that seems to go on for over 60 seconds. As I remarked during en primeur, the 2015 will rank among the canon of great wines from this estate. I can now rubber-stamp that statement.” (2/2018)

96   Roger Voss for Wine Enthusiast — CELLAR SELECTION
“This wine, rich and opulent, defines the terroir of this estate. It has a rich, dense character, powerful and concentrated. The juicy black fruits enhance the impression of generosity as well as concentration.” (4/2018)