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2012 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
Ready, but will improve
Neal Martin MW
96/100
17.5+/20
James Molesworth
92-95/100
Product: 20128008990
2012 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Description

Other châteaux wanted an extra fortnight of summer in the 2012 vintage: the suburban vineyards of Ch. Haut-Brion and la Mission Haut-Brion, sheltered from much of the worst of the weather, seemed to have achieved it. Both are among the success stories of the vintage, but to my taste the elegance and subtlety of la Mission just shaded the annual battle.
Simon Berry, Chairman
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2012
Alcohol % 15
Maturity Ready, but will improve
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château La Mission-Haut-Brion

Critics reviews

Neal Martin MW 96/100
Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, the 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion showed brilliantly. It has an intense, floral bouquet with rose petals and strawberry preserve, hints of sous-bois and tobacco gently unfolding in the glass, gaining more earthiness as it aerates in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, broad and spicy with hints of bell pepper suggesting high quality Cabernet Franc. It fans out gloriously with a sustained tertiary finish that completes what is a wondrous La Mission Haut-Brion from Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team. Tasted January 2012.Neil Martin - 28/10/2016
Neal Martin MW, (Oct 2016)
17.5+/20
Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2012 shows fine depth of colour and has the earthy/Graves nose of La Chapelle but a better expression of fruit, very polished and ripe due to 62% Merlot, but time is needed to dominate the fine but rather firm tannins.
Decanter.com
James Molesworth 92-95/100
Features pure, racy, floral cassis, violet and bergamot notes, with a long, mineral-tinged finish. Very expressive, this represents a noticeable step up from the second wine in this vintage. Tasted non-blind.james_molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com (Apr 2013)

About this wine

Chateau la Mission Haut-Brion

Château La Mission-Haut-Brion is the greatest Graves wine after Haut-Brion and in some vintages is considered the superior wine of the two. La Mission-Haut-Brion is situated just across the road from Haut-Brion in the commune of Talence in the southern suburbs of Bordeaux. Since 1983, both properties have been under the same ownership, Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A. La Mission-Haut-Brion's vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 48%, Merlot 45%, Cabernet Franc 7%) lie on a large (up to 18 metres deep in places) gravel bank interspersed with clay. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and then matured in oak barriques (100% new) for 18 months. The wines of La Mission Haut Brion are rich, oaky and powerful and need at least 10 years of bottle ageing before they should be broached.
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