2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is the distinguished second wine of the legendary Château La Mission Haut-Brion, offering a refined glimpse into one of Bordeaux’s most storied estates. The 2023 vintage continues the château’s hallmark style: profound yet approachable, with exquisite balance between ripe fruit, structured tannins, and smoky, mineral complexity. Crafted from the same historic terroir as the grand vin, it brings a taste of Pessac-Léognan grandeur at a more accessible level.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2023 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion shows a deep, vibrant ruby colour with youthful purple hues at the rim, signalling both concentration and freshness. The nose opens with layers of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and dark cherry, intertwined with notes of graphite, cedar, tobacco leaf, and a gentle smokiness that is so characteristic of the great gravel terroirs of Graves. Subtle hints of violet, cocoa, and warm spices emerge with air, adding complexity and elegance. On the palate, this wine is medium to full-bodied, with a velvety core of ripe black fruits supported by fine but firm tannins and a lively, elongated acidity. Flavours of cassis, black cherry, and blackberry are wrapped in savoury nuances of pencil shavings, earthy minerality, and a touch of cigar box and mocha from careful oak aging. The finish is long, precise, and mouth-watering, suggesting excellent harmony between fruit, structure, and freshness. While already pleasurable in its youth for those who enjoy vigorous, fruit-driven Bordeaux, the 2023 vintage has the balance and backbone to evolve gracefully over 8–15 years, gaining further complexity and softness with cellaring.

Production
La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is sourced from the same exceptional gravel and sand-clay soils that have made Pessac-Léognan one of Bordeaux’s most revered appellations. These deep gravel beds, resting over a mix of clay and sand, provide superb drainage and encourage vine roots to delve deep, yielding naturally low quantities of intensely flavoured fruit. The blend typically centres on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Cabernet Franc (and occasionally a touch of Petit Verdot), all harvested by hand in small crates to preserve berry integrity. In the cellar, grapes undergo rigorous sorting before temperature-controlled fermentation in traditional vats. The wine is then matured in French oak barrels (a portion new, the rest one- and two-year-old) to build texture and complexity without overwhelming the purity of the fruit, resulting in a polished, classically styled Bordeaux red.

Food & Serving
This wine’s refined structure and savoury depth make it a superb partner for classic French cuisine and richly flavoured dishes. Think roast lamb with herbs, grilled or braised beef, duck breast, or veal with truffle jus, as well as game birds, mushroom-based dishes, and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Gruyère. It also works beautifully with hearty vegetable dishes featuring lentils, roasted root vegetables, or charred aubergine. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression. Younger bottles (within the first 5–7 years) will benefit from 1–2 hours in a decanter to soften the tannins and allow the bouquet to open, while more mature bottles may require only gentle decanting to remove any sediment.

Producer
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, located in the northern Graves subregion now known as Pessac-Léognan, is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious estates and a historical counterpart to its famous neighbour, Château Haut-Brion. With origins dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries and a long stewardship by the Lazarist missionaries, the estate built a reputation for producing powerful, deeply complex wines long before the modern classification systems. Since becoming part of the Domaine Clarence Dillon family of properties, La Mission Haut-Brion has benefited from meticulous investment in vineyard management and winemaking, consistently ranking among the top wines of Bordeaux. La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, its second wine, was created to showcase the estate’s style with earlier-drinking charm, and it has itself become a benchmark for quality and character in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

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