Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2009 is a powerful, deeply concentrated Pessac-Léognan from a famously warm vintage. The estate itself compares it with its celebrated 2000, with even more concentration.
About This Wine
2009 was hot and dry, and harvest at La Mission ran from 9 September to 5 October. The blend is close to equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a small share of Cabernet Franc, and the wine reached very high natural alcohol for the estate. Critics compared it to the celebrated 2000, with extra density, and it received several perfect or near-perfect scores. It is starting to open but has decades ahead.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Blackberry and blueberry liqueur, cassis, truffle, scorched earth, smoke and violet
- Palate: Full-bodied and velvety, with dense black fruit, espresso, liquorice and sweet, ripe tannins
- Finish: Warm and drawn out, with graphite, tobacco and savoury, gravelly notes
Serving & Food
Decant for two to three hours and serve at 17 to 18°C in a large Bordeaux glass. Drinking now, best to about 2060. Try it with grilled rib of beef, braised oxtail, or roast pigeon.
How to Enjoy
Collectors of great Graves vintages and big dinners where a rich, mature-leaning Bordeaux is wanted.
Product Details
Producer: Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Country: France
Appellation: Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
Classification: Cru Classé de Graves
Style: Red Bordeaux blend
Vintage: 2009
Grape Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in near-equal parts, with Cabernet Franc
Volume: 750mL
About the Château
La Mission Haut-Brion lies in Talence, across the road from Château Haut-Brion. Its name recalls the Lazarist priests of the Congregation of the Mission, who owned it from the 17th century until the French Revolution. After more than half a century with the Woltner family, it was bought in 1983 by Domaine Clarence Dillon, owners of Haut-Brion, and is today run by Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
The vineyard sits on deep gravel over clay and sand, within the suburbs of Bordeaux, where warmth from the city helps ripening. The red is classified in the Graves classification. It is made in a richer, more robust style than its neighbour, usually from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with some Cabernet Franc.