2015 LA CHAPELLE DE LA MISSION PESSAC-LÉOGNAN - 6x75cl

Tasting Notes

• 

  Goedhuis, April 2016,
  Score: 91-93

  This wine’s deep ruby colour leads to a concentrated aroma of savoury, dark fruits. The 45% Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine a tightly knit, very fine tannic structure, which is harmoniously cross-laced with fresh acidity. A grippy blackcurrant finish with a leafy lift from the 25% Cabernet Franc match the rich ripeness of the 30% Merlot.

• 

  Neal Martin, April 2016,
  Score: 91-93

  The 2015 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 9 September until 1 October, harvested early to preserve the freshness of the Merlot and taking time to pick the Cabernet at optimal ripeness. The bouquet is tightly wound at the moment, but precise, revealing blackcurrant, cranberry and hints of marmalade scents with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite sturdy tannin on the entry that exert a firm grip, but there is more than enough fruit to back that all up. Touches of cedar and tobacco surface towards the second half and there is a sustained, chalky note on the finish that ensures that this a great deuxième vin.

• 

  Antonio Galloni, April 2016,
  Score: 87-89

  A deep, striking wine, the 2015 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is laced with captivating scents of graphite, smoke, cured meats, herbs, melted road tar, leather and violets. Equally rich and ample on the palate, the 2015 exudes intensity, with a pedigreed expression of fruit and enough depth to drink well for a dozen or more years. All of the signatures of site come through in this beautifully crafted second wine from La Mission Haut-Brion. With time in the glass, the 2015 acquires finesse and nuance. Tasted two times.

• 

  Robert Parker, Feb 2018,
  Score: 92/100

  Composed of 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium garnet-purple colored 2015 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion opens with an earthy nose of mossy bark, fragrant soil and fallen leaves over a core of red and black currants, bay leaves and menthol plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, it has compelling restraint and elegance with soft tannins and great freshness, finishing on a mineral note. Possessing the spirit and many of the signature hallmarks of its big brother, this second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion is certainly nothing to sneeze at! Lisa Perrotti Brown Score 92/100 Drink Dates 2020 - 2035

• 

  James Suckling, April 2016,
  Score: 94-95

  Very powerful and tannic yet salty and savory. Full body, dense and chewy yet polished and bright. Great second wine from La Mission. Only 30% merlot.

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  Decanter, April 2016,
  Score: 90

  Tension and spice but tannins need some time to soften up. Always a beautiful sense of effortless confidence in this wine, no exception here, though not quite up to 2009 or 2010. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 35% new oak; 34% of the total crop.

• 

  Matthew Jukes, April 2016,
  Score: 18++

  (45 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, 25 Cabernet Franc) | 35% new oak. | 14.6% alc. | 66 IPT. This is a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine and there is a lot more structure than in years gone by. This is the rich, heady, long-lived side of La Chapelle and it is wonderful to see. The genial, suave version can take a year off. The reason for the power is the fact that the Cabernet ripened fully, up around the 14% mark, which is much higher than found in the Médoc, and this has led to a rather unique wine. Long-lived, graphite and cassis-soaked and very serious, this is a wine to hunt down.

• 

  Tim Atkin, May 2016,
  Score: 93

  This is certainly a ripe second wine - the Merlot proportion was harvested at over 15% - but the quality of the terroir shines through, giving the blend balance, freshness and harmony. Sweet, plush and textured, but with tangy underlying acidity. Drink: 2022-30

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Producer

Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Owned by the Dillon family since 1983, La Mission Haut Brion is without doubt one of the mostexceptional wines of Bordeaux. Across the road from Haut Brion, it regularly competes with its moreillustrious older sibling and has even outperformed Haut Brion in certain vintages, such as 2006 when Wine Spectator suggests that it "could be the wine of the vintage".