2015 La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge, Pessac-Léognan

The deep garnet-purple colored 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Youthfully mute with bright, youthful red currants, black raspberries, cassis and freshly crushed blackberries notions, it slowly unfurls to reveal an earthy/minerally undercurrent of damp soil, charcoal, iron ore and truffles plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, decadently fruited and yet wonderfully elegant with very ripe, very silky tannins, freshness that sits well in the background and an almost electric intensity of vibrant red and black fruit flavors, it finishes long and minerally. Just. Beautiful. Consider giving it 6-7 years in bottle before broaching and drink it over the next 30+. (LPB)

The 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 9 September and 1 October. Throughout its barrel maturation it has clearly retained that purity of fruit with copious blackberry and blueberry scents, that cold stone/cave-like element perhaps more accentuated now that the wine is in bottle. The palate is very well balanced with firm tannin that provides a solid backbone to this La Mission. It is already a complex and intellectual wine with layers of black fruit infused with black olive tapenade, hints of seaweed and white pepper, fresh and tensile from start to finish with a persistent finish that seems to go on for over 60 seconds. As I remarked during en primeur, the 2015 will rank among the canon of great wines from this estate. I can now rubber-stamp that statement. (NM)