Chateau La Mission Haut Brion   La Mission Haut Brion

2017 La Mission Haut Brion

By Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

2017 La Mission Haut Brion from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux

In the annals of fine wine, the great Chateau La Mission Haut Brion stands out for crafting expressions of exquisite gravitas and elegance. One need not look further than the 2017 vintage to discover a triumph of viniculture that commands attention amidst savvy wine investors.

 

A Vintage Marked by Adversity

The 2017 harvest in Pessac-Leognan was a clarion call to the resilience of its vineyards, surviving a spate of late frost which cast a pall over Bordeaux's prospects. Indeed, such climatic travails often lead to vintages of unique character— and the 2017 La Mission Haut Brion is no exception. Yielding a lower production but concentrating the essence of terroir and variety, this vintage eloquently speaks to the fortitude of its vines and the deft hand of its viticulturists.

 

Complexity and Elegance

In tasting, the 2017 La Mission Haut Brion reveals its pedigree with solemn grace. The wine presides with an opaque ruby hue, proffering whispers of red and black fruits on the nose enlaced with a smoldering hint of Havana tobacco—a testimony to its poised ageing in oak. On the palate, it unfolds with velvety layers of ripe plums, tempered with an undercurrent of minerality that anchors it firmly in its Pessac-Leognan roots. The tannins are refined yet assertive—an assurance of longevity and reward for those patient to cellar.

 

Investment Potential in Every Sip

The formidable combination of scarcity due to reduced yields and its demonstrable excellence positions the 2017 La Mission Haut Brion as a lustrous gem within an investor’s portfolio. Decanting the potential etched in each bottle showcases one's acumen as much as it reveals this vintage's compelling narrative spun from adversity.

In summation, the 2017 La Mission Haut Brion from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion emerges as a chronicle of resilience transmuted into liquid allure—a seductive proposition awaiting the discerning collector or epicurean alike. Subtle in its complexities, yet undeniably profound, it stands as a testament to the alchemy that unfolds in Bordeaux's revered vineyards amidst a year that asked much and gave back even more generously.

Current market price

$3,110.00

12x75cl

Highest score

96

POP score

116.88

Scores and tasting notes

95-96

This is a very tight and focused young La Mission with a pretty center palate of dark fruit and flavors of oyster shell and hints of fresh tobacco. Serious and precise on the finish. 56% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc.

James Suckling - jamessuckling.com

95-97

The 2017 La Mission Haut-Brion, blended of 56% Merlot, 39.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4.4% Cabernet Franc, is very deep garnet-purple in color and scented of crushed blackcurrants, blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with suggestions of cigar box, bay leaves, Indian spices and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied with very firm, grainy tannins and a racy backbone supporting the taut, muscular fruit, it has bags of mineral and earthy suggestions layering the very long finish.

Wine Advocate - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - robertparker.com

92-95

The 2017 La Mission Haut-Brion is a wine of total finesse and class. Pliant and expressive, the 2017 is beautifully layered from start to finish. Bright red cherry, plum, mocha, pomegranate and blood orange all add to an impression of grace and freshness. This is one of the most refined, understated recent vintages of La Mission I can remember tasting.

Antonio Galloni - Antonio Galloni - vinous.com - May '18

93-95

The 2017 La Mission Haut-Brion was picked from 4 to 29 September and matured in 68% new oak with 14.1° alcohol. It has a more broody bouquet than previous years: dark berry fruit, brown spices, warm gravel and later, a touch of orange rind. This can sometimes be sultry out of barrel and the 2017 falls into that category. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. This La Mission Haut-Brion is built around a wonderful structure and symmetry. It feels precise with a detailed, saline finish that lingers in the mouth. I can see Jean-Philippe Delmas’s comparison with the 2001 though I find the tannins finer in the 2017. Superb.

Neal Martin - Neal Martin - vinous.com - May '18

Vintage performance