Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 2012

One of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion shows off a vertical sense of structure along with imposing tannins and serious depth. The flavors are dark, bold and extremely vivid. Dark red cherry, smoke, grilled herbs, graphite and blackberry jam are some of the many notes that come alive on the finish. This brooding La Mission needs a few years to settle down after which it will offer spectacular drinking for several decades. In a word: magnificent!

The 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion has a very classy bouquet with cedar and graphite infused black fruit. It is not dissimilar to the 2012 Latour in many ways (in fact, nosing between my two glasses they are almost indistinguishable!) The palate is quite different though - quite precocious and fleshy on the entry, silky smooth with a caressing, irresistible finish, there is a sense of completeness here. Wonderful. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Pure and precise aromas of dark fruits and currants with hints of stones follow through to a full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Harmonious and very elegant. Better in 2017.

The 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion, which represents 41% of the total production, is a blend of 62% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lots of tobacco leaf, forest floor, underbrush and red as well as black fruit aromas jump from this aromatic, seductive, open-knit La Mission. Medium to full-bodied, round, generous, lush and flattering to taste, even at this young age, it is built along the stylistic lines of the 2001 or 1999. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.

Like its bigger sibling, the second wine, the 2012 La Chapelle de la Mission, was the result of a harvest that occurred between September 17 and October 9. Keep in mind that the micro-climate of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion is essentially within a highly developed suburb of Bordeaux.)

(62% merlot and 38% cabernet sauvignon; 40% of the total production went into the grand vin; 49 h/h): Moderately saturated ruby-red. Inky, medicinal aromas and flavors of fresh blackcurrant, black cherry, minerals and menthol. Typical youthful La Mission on the palate: classically dry and linear, in fact downright austere today. Finishes with building tannins and a lingering violet note. La Mission is often hard as nails at the Primeurs stage, and I've been wrong before in trying to discern just how much deep fruit it really has. Still, while I understand that this wine is very young yet, I'm not sure why it's so tough, considering all the merlot in the blend. I wondered about the yields, which seemed a little high for a grand vin, and technical director Jean-Philippe Masclef explained it was because of the lack of eclaircissage.