2016 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

The 2016 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a benchmark red from one of Bordeaux’s most revered estates, delivering power, precision and remarkable finesse in a truly great vintage. Crafted from a blend of 57.5% Merlot and 42.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it was harvested parcel by parcel between 19 September and 14 October—one of the château’s longest and most meticulous harvests. Widely hailed by critics and awarded 98–100 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, this is already considered one of the most beautiful La Mission Haut-Brion vintages ever produced.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion shows a deep, opaque garnet-purple colour, signaling both concentration and youthful intensity. The nose opens in layers with blackcurrant and black cherry compote, followed by notes of dark chocolate, violets, tobacco leaf, forest floor and a subtle hint of bergamot and graphite. With time in the glass, more savoury and mineral nuances emerge, underlining its Graves terroir. On the palate, this is a medium to full-bodied wine with exquisite precision and focus. The tannins are ultra-fine, silky and seamlessly integrated, carrying dense yet fresh flavours of ripe black fruits, plum, cocoa, cigar box and crushed stones. The acidity is vibrant, giving incredible lift and energy—every element feels infused with freshness. The finish is long, pure and tightly wound, promising decades of evolution. While already impressive in its youth, this 2016 has substantial aging potential; it will reward patience over 20–30+ years as the structure softens and the bouquet gains even greater complexity.

Production
Château La Mission Haut-Brion sits in Pessac-Léognan, in the historic Graves region of Bordeaux, where deep gravel soils mixed with clay and sand provide superb drainage and heat retention, ideal for ripening Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2016 growing season allowed for a long, slow maturation, and the team harvested parcel by parcel between 19 September and 14 October, waiting patiently for each individual block to reach perfect ripeness. After careful hand-picking and rigorous selection, the grapes were vinified in temperature-controlled vats, with gentle extraction to preserve finesse and aromatic purity. The wine was then aged in French oak barriques (a high proportion new), allowing the structure to knit together and the complex layers of fruit, spice and minerality to harmonise without overwhelming the character of the terroir.

Food & Serving
This 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion is an ideal partner for refined, flavourful dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, dry-aged ribeye or côte de boeuf, duck breast with a red wine reduction, or game birds like pigeon and pheasant. It also shines alongside earthy preparations—wild mushrooms, truffle-infused dishes and slow-braised beef or veal cheeks. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatics and balance. For current enjoyment, decant for 2–3 hours to open the bouquet and soften the tannins; in maturity, a shorter decant of around 30–60 minutes will be sufficient to let the wine express its full complexity.

Producer
Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious estates, located just across the road from its legendary sibling, Château Haut-Brion, in Pessac-Léognan. With roots dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries and a storied history that includes ownership by the Lazarist missionaries (from which it takes its name), La Mission Haut-Brion has long been revered for producing wines of remarkable depth, structure and longevity. Today, under the stewardship of Domaine Clarence Dillon and the Delmas family, the château is considered one of the crown jewels of Graves, consistently earning top scores and critical acclaim. Its wines are often mentioned in the same breath as the First Growths, cementing La Mission Haut-Brion’s status as a reference point for serious Bordeaux collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.

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