Mission Haut Brion 2018

The wine in this vintage

A wet spring with heavy mildew pressure, followed by a hot, very dry summer: 2018 in Bordeaux produced rich, concentrated, generous wines, among the most acclaimed of recent years. La Mission Haut-Brion 2018 earned 98 points from Robert Parker and 96 from Wine Spectator. The glass alternates blackberry, cassis, plum, liquorice, cocoa, tobacco and smoky notes of warm gravel; the palate is opulent and powerful, with abundant yet velvety tannins and a very long finish. Though already expressive, it is a wine to cellar, destined to evolve over decades.

The producer · Château La Mission Haut Brion

Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the summits of Pessac-Léognan and, for many enthusiasts, a First Growth in all but official classification. It lies in Talence, on the edge of Bordeaux, directly opposite Château Haut-Brion, with which it shares the famed deep gravel soils and a particularly favourable urban microclimate. Its name recalls the priests of the Congregation of the Mission, who owned the estate for more than a century before the Revolution. In the twentieth century the Woltner family made it legendary, renowned for powerful, long-lived wines; in 1983 it passed to Domaine Clarence Dillon, now led by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, which renewed vineyards and cellars under the technical direction of the Delmas family. The vineyard is planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. La Mission's style combines density and depth with the smoky, mineral signature of the Graves, and an ageing potential measured in decades.

Critics' scores

• 98 Robert Parker
• 96 Wine Spectator
• 94 Wine Enthusiast
• 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Château La Mission Haut Brion

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2018

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

96/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0230118