Mission Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2014

Vinous

95

par Neal Martin le 02/04/2024

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion offers bright and vivid scents that immediately captivate the olfactory scenes: black fruit, cedar, pencil box and light, minty aromas. It's much better than its First Growth neighbor. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very harmonious, and has lovely depth with a gentle grip. This is a sophisticated and entrancing 2014, one of my favorites in Bordeaux. Highly recommended. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

98

par Jane Anson le 01/02/2024

This is a briliant vintage for both wines of the Haut-Brion stable at the time, I remember them standing out during En Primeur, and wow this is still delivering, right up there at the top of the lineup. Fleshy and finessed, measured, gourmet, grilled raspberry and red cherry, edges of sweeter damson, even creme de cassis, with tobacco, slate, saffran and turmeric adding layers to sink into. Great length and is full of fragrance. Knockout. Jean-Philippe Delmas estate director, Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director.

Vinous

96

par Neal Martin le 28/03/2018

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion has a sophisticated, very detailed bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and graphite. This is very focused and yet at the same time quite controlled and discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, cedar and touches of allspice. I love the depth of this wine and the gentle grip towards the finish. It knows not to push too hard in this growing season and that results in a very classy wine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jeb DUNNUCK

95

par Jeb Dunnuck le 30/11/2017

The 2014 Château La Mission Haut Brion is slightly more elegant and pretty compared to the richer, slightly more masculine Haut Brion. A blend of 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, it shows a kiss of red fruits in its core of darker currants, smoke tobacco, scorched earth, vanilla bean, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, fine tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a downright classy La Mission that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+.

Wine Advocate

95

par Neal Martin le 31/03/2017

The 2014 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October and raised in 55% new oak. It has retained that engagingly fresh and vibrant bouquet, the bashful nature that it showed in barrel replaced by a more outgoing personality. This is an exquisite bouquet with pure black fruit, cold stone, a touch of black olive and later a suggestion of boysenberry preserve. The palate is still structured and considering that a majority is Merlot, quite masculine. There remains some new oak to be fully assimilated, although there is clearly the fruit to soak that up. It comes more alive on the second half with a lovely spiciness and impressive persistence. It will have more to give down the line and the strictness implies that this La Mission Haut Brion should be afforded a decade in the cellar before it will show what it can do.

Jamessuckling.com

96

par James Suckling le 16/02/2017

The typicity of La Mission is really here. Aromas of iodine, oyster shell, currants and orange peel are evident. Full-bodied, tight and tannic with a muscular and toned texture that holds the wine down at the moment, but it’s waiting to release its joy and true nature. Fine-grained. Give it until 2023.

Wine Spectator

94

par James Molesworth le 08/02/2017

Fleshy and very compact, with layers of dark fig, black currant paste and blackberry reduction still sorting themselves out. Sports a serious spine of tar while a well-roasted apple wood element forms the backdrop on the dense finish. The range and density set this apart. Should be rather long-lived for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,300 cases made.

Vinous

95

par Antonio Galloni le 06/02/2017

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion is dark, powerful and authoritative from the very first impression. A dark, beguiling wine, it boasts serious richness and concentration. Savory herbs, tobacco, menthol, licorice and a host of dark fruit infuse this deep, intense La Mission. The 2014 is not a huge wine, but it does have exceptional balance. This is a very strong showing. The blend is 54 % Merlot, 45 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 % Cabernet Franc. 95+

Le Point

17

par Jacques Dupont le 21/05/2015

Réglissé, cerise noire, bouche ample, large, généreux, puissant, très épicé, chaleureux. 

Vinous

93-96

par Antonio Galloni le 11/05/2015

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion is magnificent. A dark, mysterious wine, the 2014 offers superb depth and intensity from the very first taste. The flavors are dark, bold and quite authoritative, but there is an element of sensuality laced throughout as well. Graphite, savory herbs, cherry jam, graphite and smoke add nuance to a huge, powerful finish supported by beams of salinity and energy. What a gorgeous wine this is. The blend is 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-95

par Jeff Leve le 05/05/2015

Fleshy, bright, exciting and sweet, this full-bodied, tannic, rich and structured wine delivers a multifaceted finish of cassis, tobacco and dark berry but demands at least a decade to rise to its riches. The wine was made from a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon with a pH of 3.67. 94-95 Pts

Wine Advocate

95-97

par Neal Martin le 30/04/2015

The Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2014 is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October raised in 55% new oak. It has a very fresh and precise bouquet, not one that marches out the barrack in confidence fashion, but rather unfolds piece-by-piece in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured and neatly placed opening: a little masculine for La Mission Haut-Brion at this stage, linear and focused, maintaining precision rather than aiming from power and roundness. This is a sophisticated La Mission Haut-Brion in the making, one that may actually surpass Haut-Brion as it is sometimes prone to do. The 2014 is a sterling success for Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team.

Jancis Robinson

17

par Jancis Robinson le 22/04/2015

52% of production. 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep crimson. At last something sumptuous from the Haut-Brion stable! (I have been tasting through the second wines and the Quintus.) Deep and really quite rich at first though then the acidity starts to come through on the end. This may be quite a severe La Mission. Dry finish and only medium bodied. It will need quite a time to develop enough weight and nuance to counteract the acid and tannin.  14.45%Drink 2027-2040 (17+)

Asian Palate

94

par Jeannie Cho Lee MW le 20/04/2015

A beautiful La Mission that is focused and pure with lifted flavors of cassis, plum, violets and cedar. Tannins are supple and there are layers of flavors that range from floral notes to spices, all lifted by fresh acidity. Despite being over 14% alcohol, there is no heaviness here. A wine that will be approachable fairly young - from 2020 onwards.

Decanter.com

18,5

par Jane Anson le 17/04/2015

Medium-bodied, fresh attack, dominated by late summer fruits, suggesting perfectly but not overly ripe, still great integrity to the fruit, a floating gossamer quality to the structure, the tannins are deceptively fine, they in fact hold the structure very tightly, feel it on the finish with its impression of blackberry and raspberry fruits being kept firmly in hold. A lovely wine, medium to long term but with great potential for pleasure. From a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.25%abv. Drink: 2025-2042 (95)

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

par James Suckling le 10/04/2015

Chewy and rich with blueberry, stone and mineral character. Full body, silky and intense tannins and a mineral berry aftertaste. A finely grained La Mission.

timatkin.com

98

par Tim Atkin MW le 07/04/2015

René Gabriel

19

par René Gabriel le 01/04/2015

54 % Merlot, 45 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 % Cabernet Franc. Sattes Purpur- Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Subtiles, komplexes Bouquet, oben sind ganz feine Kräuternuancen zu spüren, Minze, Thymian und Rosmarin, darunter schwarzbeerige Konturen, Schokolade, dunkle Edelhölzer, frische Nussschalen und Tabak. Im Gaumen fest, verlangend, maskulin, die Adstringenz deutet ein Potential von locker 50 Jahren an. Dies wird wiederum heissen, dass man diesen langlebigen Mission wohl erst in etwa 20 Jahren erstmals in seinem Höhepunkt antreffen wird. UngeduldigeWeinfreaks sollen hier gefälligst die Finger davon lassen! Damit die echten Mission-Liebhaber nicht zu kurz kommen. 19/20 2030 –  2065

Wine Enthusiast

96

par Roger Voss le 01/04/2015

95–97. Barrel Sample. Ripe and voluptuous, this is a beautiful wine. It has acidity and a degree of freshness, although the finely textured character and rich fruitiness are its true hallmarks. The tannins will certainly allow it to age well.   — R.V.  (3/30/2015)

Wine Spectator

93-96

par James Molesworth le 30/03/2015

This has the engaging rusticity of the estate, with a strong sappy and briary frame around a core of plum skin, dried staranise, licorice root and dark currant fruit. Solidly grippy through the finish, with a lingering tar edge and a bright pastisnote. Rather backward, but rock-solid.