2023 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

65.3% Sauvignon Blanc, 34.7% Sémillon. Cask sample.

Atypical given the dominance of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Surprisingly restrained aromatically. Misses a bit of mid-palate presence. Bit of an enigma at the moment. Will have to see how it develops.

Drink 2026 - 2032

The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a very soft-textured white, its lovely floral and mineral notes very much front and center. Gentle touches of pear, jasmine, white pepper and mint lift from the glass in a wine that impresses with its understatement and class. Aeration fills out the mid-palate as the Sémillon begins to reveal its breadth.

Drink 2026 - 2038

Offering up generous amounts of lemon oil, spices and ripe orchard fruits with a touch of spring flowers, the 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and broad, with a rich, aromatic palate. It concludes with an ethereal, powerful finish that carries elegant white fruit notes. It's a blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Sémillon.

Drink 2025 - 2045

The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is driven by the Sauvignon Blanc 65%) on the nose: Granny Smith apples, kiwi fruit, slate and light spicy aromas. There’s very fine delineation, but I err toward the more nuanced Haut-Brion Blanc. The palate is lively on the entry with a touch of white pepper, very good tension and ample energy. Conference pear mixes with melon and grassy notes toward the finish. This will provide immediate pleasure over the next 20 years, though Haut-Brion Blanc has the intellectual heft.

Drink 2027 - 2052

A blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Semillon, the white La Mission Haut-Brion 2023 has a pH of 3.2. It races out with ready-to-go notes of fresh grapefruit, lime blossoms, and fresh pineapple giving way to wafts of fragrant mandarin peel, beeswax, and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound and elegantly styled, with beautiful tension and a mineral-laced finish.

Drink 2027 - 2034

More Sauvignon Blanc-dominated, the 2023 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is 65.3% Sauvignon and 34.7% Semillon. It has a very pure, crisp, medium-bodied style as well as beautiful citrus, lemon, and honeysuckle-driven aromatics, with just hint of background minty herbs. It's not massive by any means, but it has the supple, ripe fruit of the vintage paired with vibrant acidity.

A creamy, round texture with ripe yet fresh aromas and flavors, showing apples, pears and hints of peaches. Medium- to full-bodied, polished and satisfying. 65.3% sauvignon blanc and 34.7% semillon.

Red roses, powdery chalky tannins, grip and lift, this is savoury, concentrated, full of lift and vibrancy, with layers of lush ripe red and black fruits, with the inky stamp of the Cabernet in the vintage, and the caressing tannins that La Mission does so well. Harvest started early and finished late, through to October 5.

Drink 2025 - 2040