97pts Wine Enthusiast
Luscious blueberry aromas vibrate with a dry core of tannins and open black-currant flavors. The wine has an opulent character. layers of acidity and tannins, finishing with dark black fruits.
96pts James Suckling
Blackcurrants and graphite aromas follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a savory finish. Fluid, with a subtle and open character. Stone and dust at the end. So drinkable now but will improve with age.
95pts Wine Advocate
The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion unfurls in the glass with a complex, detailed bouquet of plums, cassis, flowers, spices, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its fleshy, layered core of fruit is framed by beautifully velvety tannins. In bottle, much as en primeur, this blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc is a charming, sensual rendition of La Mission.
95pts Decanter
Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision - this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, a weightless touch almost but there are still tannins that give a soft support around the palate. Elegant and charming, not demonstrative really, but confident nonetheless. Quite high acidity keeps the freshness and zing and this also has a graphite undertone giving the minerality. Well worked and a characterful wine. Delicate but very enjoyable.
94pts Jeb Dunnuck
Black raspberries, dried flowers, tobacco, violets, and a beautiful spicy character emerge from the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a pure, medium-bodied, incredibly polished, elegant Péssac-Léognan that has fine tannins, an utterly seamless, graceful mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It plays in the more elegant, fresher style of the vintage yet brings ample depth and richness, has good mid-palate depth, and is already just about impossible to resist. Give bottles just 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
93pts Vinous
The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very cohesive bouquet, well-defined with minerally red and black fruit, hints of white flowers and a distant tang of black olive. The almost "estuarine" element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite fresh though not a complex or deep La Mission. It is lifted by the salinity and sustain on the finish—also its typicité. Whilst not a wine from the top drawer, it is a fascinating, engaging Pessac that will drink over the next 20 or 30 years. –Neal Martin
History
In 1664, Madame de Lestonnac bequeathed the domaine of La Mission Haut-Brion to the Peres Lazaristes, a congregation founded by Saint Vincent de Paul. The "good fathers" worked to restore their property to its rightful worth. After them, the Chiapella family (owners in the 19th century) and Woltner family (owners between 1919 and 1983) never stopped improving the vineyard and modernizing the cellars. Since 1983, the Dillon family, already owner of Chateau Haut-Brion, continues the same policy under the presidency of H.R.H. Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
