La Chapelle de la Mission 2021

Aromas of dark berries, rich spices, loamy soil and new oak introduce the 2021 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and charming wine with an enveloping core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish. While it can't match the polish and elegant of La Clarence de Haut-Brion this year, it's a fine second wine.

The 2021 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion offers up a complex, fresh bouquet with aromas of lead pencil, spices, dark berries and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with a fleshy texture, it’s perfectly balanced with a structuring core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, ethereal, delicate finish. It’s more polished and round than Le Clarence de Haut-Brion. Drink Date: 2024 - 2034

Bright ruby purple colour. The nose is full of fresh, bright red berry and dark cherry fruit. The palate is soft and silky, full of red fruit and milk chocolate. The tannins are very supple and integrated, making for a very approachable style. Finishing with more juicy fruit on a compact and youthful finish, it should offer early-drinking pleasure.

Nicely firm and structured with a tight core of blackberry, stone and bark with some graphite. Grainy, firm tannins. Fresh and focused finish. 51.3% merlot, 45.2% cabernet sauvignon and 3.5% cabernet franc.

Subtle and sculpted, with clarity to the vivid and ripe sweet cherry, raspberry and loganberry fruits. This is bright and great quality, takes its time to open, but then shows waves of flavour, with smoked earth and campfire smoke. The lower alcohols are unusual in the Haut-Brion range of wines, and it has been several years since seeing anything under 14%, and it takes a moment to adjust to the different weight in the palate. 48hl/h yields after no frost and very little mildew. 27% new oak. Subtle, this takes its time to open.