4x100 Points: The Incredible 2005 La Mission Haut Brion
Here’s a wine we’d love to have in any of our collections, the incredible 2005 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. Rated at 100 points by an amazing four different critics (two of which give their scores only this year), this is an immaculate Bordeaux, from a great vintage, that confirms La Mission’s status as a First Growth rivalling powerhouse.
La Mission is a magnificent producer. It neighbours Haut Brion and is so impressive that, for Jane Anson, “This is a wine that I would make a First Growth” and it “shares the exceptional range of subtle yet striking aromatics” as its famous stablemate. The 2005 is one of the finest La Missions ever crafted, a legend in the making.
A look at the notes from the critics shows this to be truly something special:
- “Utterly seamless and as insanely good as it gets”, 100 points Jeb Dunnuck
- “a future legendary LMHB that if you have the money, grab it.”, 100 points Jeff Leve
- “an electric backbone of energy and firm, ripe tannins”, 100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
- “The 2005 La Mission Haut-Brion is pure perfection.”, 100 points Robert Parker
As the photos above show, these are lovely cases. Do let us know if you wold like one.
2005 Château La Mission Haut Brion
£2,380 per case (6*75cl OWC) in bond – 2 cases available
100 points Jeb Dunnuck
Utterly seamless and as insanely good as it gets, the 2005 Château La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc raised in a mix of new and used barrels. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, leafy herbs, and graphite that’s to die for. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with tons of structure, it nevertheless glides across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness and has incredible length on the finish. This is a quintessential, opulent, sexy La Mission that isn’t far off the style of the 2009. It needs air to show at its best today but is unquestionably in the early stages of its prime drinking window. It will evolve for another 30-40+ years in cold cellars. (2024) www.jebdunnuck.com Drink 2024-2065
100 points Jeff Leve
Inky dark in color, with its best days needing another decade or more in the cellar, what a wine! Thick, intense, dense, concentrated, powerful, and palate-staining, this is an other-worldly wine caught in its youth. The finish passes the 60-second mark and keeps on going in its seamless manner. Make no mistake, this is a future legendary LMHB that if you have the money, grab it. It is a wine for the ages. www.
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2005 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it slowly grows on the nose to offer earthy suggestions of damp soil, wild mushrooms, and crushed rocks, over a flamboyant core of warm cassis and fruitcake, plus a hint of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, with an electric backbone of energy and firm, ripe tannins supporting the generous fruit, it finishes with incredibly persistent earth and mineral layers. This evocative beauty is just entering its drinking window, yet has the stamina and stuffing to give a further 40 years+ of pleasure. Purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon in 1983, the vineyard is smaller than Haut-Brion, at 75 acres. It is very close to Haut-Brion – about a 5-minute drive – with some of the vines located near the Chateau, but there are sections of vineyard located further away in Talence, to the east of Pessac, and thus with a very different terroir / style, with sand, gravel, chalk, and clay soils. The planting density is very high at 10,000 vines per hectare. La Mission Haut-Brion tends to be more gregarious, opulent, and rich than Haut-Brion, as demonstrated by this 2005. (2022) www.thewineindependent.com
100 points Robert Parker
The 2005 La Mission Haut-Brion is pure perfection. It has an absolutely extraordinary nose of sweet blackberries, cassis and spring flowers with some underlying minerality, a full-bodied mouthfeel, gorgeously velvety tannins (which is unusual in this vintage) and a long, textured, multi-layered finish that must last 50+ seconds. This is a fabulous wine and a great effort from this hallowed terroir. Drink this modern-day legend over the next 30+ years. Only 5,500 cases were produced of this blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. (2015) www.robertparker.com
Offered subject to final confirmation. Available from our UK cellars. Offer expires 23rd August 2024.
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