Château La Mission Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 1995

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 31/08/2012

This vintage is aging at a glacial pace and the tannins are currently more significant than their counterbalancing components of fruit and glycerin. While the word “potential” seems to be the most positive descriptor for this vintage, there are some nagging doubts about whether all the tannins will melt away and the fruit will hold. As in most 1995s, the color remains a healthy dark plum/purple. One of the bigger wines of the vintage, the ripe, powerful Merlot component has buttressed the Cabernet elements, giving the wine plenty of body, tannin and La Mission’s classic asphalt, cassis, blackberry, smoky barbecue, meaty notes intermixed with a hint of hot rocks. The 1995 is still a young wine and I am beginning to wonder if this vintage overall will resemble 1975 rather than something with more charm? Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035?. (95+ points)

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

par Robert Parker le 01/01/2003

Emerging from a very backward state, the 1995 La Mission has a dense ruby/purple color to the rim. Its nose of smoke, sweet charred earth intermixed with black currant and blueberry as well as mineral is beginning to gain intensity. In the mouth this structured, muscular, medium to full-bodied wine has impressive levels of concentration, extract, and tannin. The wine is still very youthful, and not even an adolescent in terms of its development, but quite long in the mouth and extremely promising. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. Last tasted, 9/02.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

par Robert Parker le 01/09/1998

When tasted in March, 1996, I was not convinced the 1995 La Mission was better than the exceptional 1994, but an additional nine months of cask aging has unleashed the wine's more powerful, richer, riper, sweeter fruit, as well as its more glycerin-endowed, fuller-bodied personality. The dark saturated purple color is followed by aromas of sweet, earthy fruit, but the wine has not yet taken on the additional smoky, tobacco, roasted herb complexity of a great Graves. With low acidity and chewy, full-bodied flavors, this intense 1995 appears to be a top-class La Mission-Haut-Brion, not far off the mark established by the profound 1989 and superb 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2020. Last tasted 11/97

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

par Robert Parker le 28/02/1998

The 1995 La Mission-Haut-Brion was tight and closed when I tasted it, not revealing as much fragrance or forwardness as it did on the multiple occasions I tasted it from cask. But don't worry, the wine is obviously high-class, exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color, and a reticent but promising nose of roasted herbs, sweet, peppery, spicy fruit, medium to full body, and admirable power, depth, and richness. As outstanding as it is, readers should not expect the 1995 to tower qualitatively over vintages such as 1994. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

par James Suckling le 31/01/1998

Textbook red from this appellation, with plum, blackberry and hints of fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, with lovely smoke, berry and cherry flavors. Very velvety. Best after 2001.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/1996

The 1995 opens in the glass, but it lacks the profound concentration and expressiveness found in the greatest vintages of this wine. The healthy dark ruby/purple color is followed by toasty, lead pencil, roasted herb, and black fruit aromas. Medium-bodied, with average concentration, this is a round, rich, well-made, but for now, excellent to outstanding rather unequivocally exceptional example of La Mission-Haut-Brion. Its low acidity suggests it will drink well in its youth, much like the 1994. It has 12-15 years of aging potential.