Farr Vintners Logo

La Mission Haut Brion 1995

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-LĂ©ognan
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by La Mission Haut Brion

Label

Tasting Notes

This vintage is aging at a glacial pace and the tannins are currently more significant than their counterbalancing components of fruit and glycerin. While the word "potential" seems to be the most positive descriptor for this vintage, there are some nagging doubts about whether all the tannins will melt away and the fruit will hold. As in most 1995s, the color remains a healthy dark plum/purple. One of the bigger wines of the vintage, the ripe, powerful Merlot component has buttressed the Cabernet elements, giving the wine plenty of body, tannin and La Mission's classic asphalt, cassis, blackberry, smoky barbecue, meaty notes intermixed with a hint of hot rocks. The 1995 is still a young wine and I am beginning to wonder if this vintage overall will resemble 1975 rather than something with more charm? Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035?

95+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (202), August 2012

50% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon. Mid ruby. Occluded nose. Rather a gentle beast. Rich and sweet with the bite of dust tannins on the finish. Very sweet and flattering. Very definitely a smudgy 'cloud' of a wine. Medium weight. Not lots of intensity. Quite delicate. But lovely length even if the dryness of the tannins is starting to triumph. Long.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2011
94
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

The wine is high-class, exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color, and a reticent but promising nose of roasted herbs, sweet, peppery, spicy fruit, medium to full body, and admirable power, depth, and richness. Anticipated maturity 2003-2020.

91
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (115), February 1998
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.