Description

The 1995 vintage ranks among the very finest years for Mission Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan. The colour shows subtle signs of ageing, with orange-ruby highlights. On the first sniff, notes of roasted coffee, mocha, tobacco and liquorice emerge gently without detracting from the quality of the fruit. The power, exuberance and opulence of the vintage have now given way to a caressing palate, great complexity and a length that will delight lovers of fine Bordeaux. A truly magnificent bottle!

In the vineyard

Château La Mission has a gravelly terroir that is slightly richer than that of Haut-Brion, which lies opposite. Its wine possesses the same qualities of structure and integration (which in no way prevent long and glorious development in the bottle), as well as the same highly distinctive smoky bouquet. Its character on the palate, however, is quite different: softer, deeper when young, and more charming, as it is easier to appreciate from its earliest years. With age, La Mission yields to Haut-Brion in terms of stylistic complexity and pure finesse, but often surpasses its neighbour in the voluptuousness of its texture. These two cousins, vinified with equal rigour by the same team since the Clarence Dillon estates acquired La Mission in 1983, are perfect reflections of their respective terroirs and grape variety choices.

In the cellar

La Mission Haut-Brion 1995 in detail:

• Region: Bordeaux
• Appellation: Pessace-Léognan
• Harvest dates: 11–26 September
• Blend: Merlot: 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 49%, Cabernet Franc: 1%,
• New barrels: 77%
• Bottling date: 12–20 June 1997

The 1995 vintage

1995 was an early year. The winter was mild and the spring warm and dry. Budbreak and flowering were early and uniform. June, July and August were characterised by very high temperatures and a lack of rain. Some vines with shallow root systems may have suffered from drought. Despite the cooler weather in September and heavy rainfall in the middle of the month, the harvest was perfectly ripe and healthy.

History of Château La Mission Haut-Brion

La Mission Haut-Brion not only shares part of its name with its illustrious neighbour, but also embodies the same ever-renewed commitment to excellence that has enabled it, over the centuries, to produce some of Bordeaux’s finest wines. Founded in the 16th century by the powerful de Lestonnac family on the Arregedhuys plot, the vineyard was subsequently expanded and transformed by the Lazarist priests—the name given to members of the Congregation of the Mission—who took up residence there in 1682. The wine production at Château La Mission Haut-Brion was already highly renowned, and the Lazarists’ efforts earned them the admiration of Marshal-Duke de Richelieu, who exclaimed: ‘If God forbade drinking, would he have made such fine wine?

’. Having weathered the turmoil of the Revolution with difficulty, Château La Mission Haut-Brion spent the 19th century in the hands of the Chiapellas, a family from New Orleans who would introduce the estate’s wine to the New World. In 1983, after having belonged to the Woltner family for over half a century, Château La Mission Haut-Brion was acquired by Domaine Clarence Dillon, already the owner of its near-namesake and jewel of Pessac-Léognan, Château Haut-Brion.

(Source: Château La Mission Haut-Brion and La Revue du Vin de France)

What to eat with La Mission Haut-Brion 1995?

• Matured beef
• Venison
• Porcini mushrooms

Some photos of the last bottle of La Mission Haut-Brion 1995 available