Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
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.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95 Points
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.
James Suckling 96 Points
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.
Winery History
The estate
A neighbour of the illustrious Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion has been an iconic Bordeaux wine for centuries. Founded in the 16th century by the de Lestonnac family, the estate was subsequently administered by Lazarist priests. Now owned by Clarence Dillon and Prince Robert de Luxembourg, Château La Mission Haut-Brion continues to shine among the world's greatest wines.
The vineyard
Located in the communes of Talence and Pessac, Château La Mission Haut-Brion looks after a vineyard planted on fine gravel soils resting on a subsoil of clay, sand, limestone and falun (a shell limestone). The vines of Château de La Mission Haut-Brion produce great Pessac-Léognan wines.
