2000 Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan

CHATEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION For those of us who spend much of our lives round Bordeaux, the place and the wines, La Mission Haut Brion has First Growth Status. It is a given. The prerequisites are all there - terroir, wine-making, longevity. So is the track-record - unbelievable consistency over more than a century. Vertical tastings of La Mission are astonishing, with the great vintages an absolute knock-out and delicious wines in modest years. In fact, for me, it is the most consistent of all over the last half century. In blind comparisons with the First Growths, it is more than their equal in depth, class and complexity.

When the Dillons of Haut Brion bought La Mission in 1983, there were those who feared that the differences between the two neighbouring properties might be less marked than before, now that the same brilliant team was responsible for both châteaux. It was not a fear I shared! The integrity of the people concerned and, above all, the pronounced, and fascinating, difference in taste between the two wines is as dramatic as ever. One of the great comparisons in the wine world is that between La Mission and Haut Brion - the texture alone is amazingly different, with La Mission always denser and `thicker` than Haut Brion. Try it and see!

Tasting Note

Serena Sutcliffe, MW: 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc. In 2012, this had a cedary bouquet of great persistence, almost Médocain. Immensely scented. One senses huge power here. Briary and full of blueberries. Fleshy and creamy on the palate, with tannin, fruit and acidity in big doses. The blueberries are so strong – and the overall effect is so ripe and sweet. Luscious perfection. 05/13

Jamie Ritchie: Last tasted at dinner with Jean-Philippe Demas at the Chateau in March 2013. Rich and exotic, with tobacco and spice. Amazing depth and concentration. 97+ 03/13