Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château La Mission Haut-Brion
The beautiful second wine, the 2012 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion, has a dense ruby/purple color, sweet raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, subtle earth and spice, supple tannins and an opulent fleshy mouthfeel. It is a terrific second wine and outstanding in its own right. Drink it over the next 12-15 years. Drink 2015-2030.
Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. The Olivier has a slight smudged, over-egged bouquet that is missing the delineation and focus of its peers - as if trying too hard. The palate is better with quite gritty tannins and decent black earthy fruit, although there is a sense of conservatism towards the finish. I think this will improve after bottling. Tasted April 2013.
Softly brushed tannins, gourmet and enticing grilled fruit flavours and waves of peony and violet aromatics. Enjoyable, with character, this is an excellent wine and one of the true pleasures of the vintage.
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.5% Merlot, 15.5% Cabernet Franc. Dark lustrous crimson. Something just a little skinny and herbaceous on the nose. Firm and dry on the palate. Very angular and with dry tannins dominating fruit. May always be a little demanding. Though it has the imprimatur of top-quality oak. Drink 2020-2028
Representing 33% of the total blend in 2012, the second wine of La Mission echoes the
quality of the grand vin. Fragrant, leafy and lifted, with notes of wood smoke and green
pepper, this is fleshy, textured and long with sweet oak, crunchy minerality and good
ageing potential.
Drink: 2020-30
The elegant, medium-bodied, supple-textured, soft, velvety La Chapelle exhibits notes of damp earth, forest floor, raspberry and blueberry fruit. One-third of the production made it into this second wine, which should drink nicely for a decade or more.
Like its bigger sibling, the second wine, the 2012 La Chapelle de la Mission, was the result of a harvest that occurred between September 17 and October 9. (Keep in mind that the micro-climate of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion is essentially within a highly developed suburb of Bordeaux.)