2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion 2018 is the celebrated second wine of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, crafted with the same care and precision as the grand vin. This blend of 51.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40.8% Merlot and 7.6% Cabernet Franc offers a sophisticated, deeply classical expression of Pessac-Léognan. Drawing on a historic terroir shared with Château Haut-Brion, it delivers grand-cru pedigree in a more approachable, early-drinking style.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2018 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion shows a medium to deep garnet-purple hue, hinting at both youthful intensity and depth. The nose opens generously with vivid aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry, stewed black plum and a touch of brambly fruit, wrapped in notes of dark chocolate mint, pencil shavings, clove and a subtle suggestion of warm, scorched earth. On the palate, this is medium to full-bodied, packed with juicy black fruits that are concentrated yet perfectly balanced by fresh, vibrant acidity. The tannins are ripe, polished and rounded, giving a velvety texture that supports layers of blackcurrant, plum compote, cocoa, spice and a hint of graphite. The finish is long and gently spicy, with lingering notes of clove and earth. Enjoyable now with a short decant, it has the structure and balance to evolve beautifully for 12–18 years from vintage, gaining further complexity and tertiary nuances with time in bottle.

Production
The fruit for La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion comes from the gravelly terraces of Pessac-Léognan, just south of the city of Bordeaux. The vineyards, planted to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, sit on deep beds of gravel mixed with clay and sand, providing excellent drainage and promoting slow, even ripening, while the mild, temperate microclimate encourages concentration and finesse. All grapes are harvested by hand and rigorously sorted to ensure only the best berries make it into the blend. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete vats, allowing careful management of extraction and freshness. After vinification, the wine is aged for around 18 months in French oak barrels, a proportion of which are new, adding structure, aromatic complexity and fine-grained texture without overwhelming the purity of fruit.

Food & Serving
This 2018 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is a classic partner for refined, savoury dishes: think roast lamb with herbs, grilled ribeye, duck breast, game birds or veal in a red wine reduction. It also pairs beautifully with mushroom dishes, truffle risotto, and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or matured Gouda. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to reveal its full aromatic range. In its youth, a decant of 1–2 hours helps soften the tannins and open up the bouquet; as the wine matures, a shorter decant mainly for sediment management will be sufficient.

Producer
Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the great historic estates of Bordeaux, with origins reaching back to the 16th century. Located in the heart of Pessac-Léognan, its vineyards lie directly across the road from the legendary Château Haut-Brion, sharing the same prized gravel terroir that has long been associated with some of the finest wines of Graves. Over the centuries, La Mission Haut-Brion has built a reputation for producing deeply complex, long-lived reds that rival the region’s First Growths in quality and character. Recognized as a Cru Classé de Graves in the 1953 classification and now under the same ownership as Château Haut-Brion, the estate is widely regarded as a benchmark for Pessac-Léognan, uniting tradition, meticulous vineyard work and state-of-the-art winemaking. La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, its second wine, offers a more accessible but still profoundly serious expression of this illustrious property.

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