Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2016

Professional Ratings

• 97 Jeb Dunnuck
  Ranking with the top 3-4 whites in the vintage, the 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is Sauvignon-dominated in 2016 and is 62.7% Sauvignon and 37.3% Sémillon. Vibrant and racy, with beautiful tension and purity, it offers a classic perfume of tart apples, dried herbs, lemon curd, and a liquid rock-like minerality that develops with time in the glass. The buzzwords here are vibrant, bright, tight, and great.
• 96 James Suckling
  Although this has great freshness, candied-lemon and complex dried herb character, it also has a rich and waxy side, plus a touch of vanilla. Rich and powerful with a lot more structure than most Pessac-Léognan whites. It also has wonderful tension and drive that’s rooted in the vibrant acidity, but supported by the mineral and lemon-zest notes. A blend of 62.7 per cent sauvignon blanc and 37.3 per cent semillon. Better from 2021.
• 94 Decanter
  Rising vertically through the palate, it has lift, juiciness, savouriness, and a delicacy that matches the intensity of flavour beat for beat. There is richness and weight through the mid-palate, with almond touches, and I love the mouth-watering salinity on the finish, it’s just so moreish. Unusually there is a majority Sauvignon Blanc in 2016 as there were very high yields in the Sémillon that meant a touch of dilution, plus the heat of the summer meant they were grateful for the fresh kick of Sauvignon Blanc.
• 94 Wine Spectator
  This is both bold and bright, with a flood of white peach, lemon cream, Jonagold apple, honeysuckle and verbena notes streaming through, all stitched with a fine quinine thread and caressed by a suave hint of shortbread on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2032.
• 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The La Mission Haut Brion 2016 Blanc is a blend of 62.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 37.3% Sémillon picked from 5-13 September. It has a crisp bouquet with kiwi, grapefruit and cold stone aromas, although it does not convey the vigor or complexity of the 2015, due to the lower proportion of Sémillon. The palate is well balanced with a pleasant texture; there is orange zest, lime, a touch of stem ginger and a very satisfying, quite persistent finish. It is a well-made La Mission Haut Brion Blanc that should give 10-20 years of drinking pleasure.
  Barrel Sample: 91-93 Points
• 93 Wine Enthusiast
  This wine is is rich in oak tones that are accompanied by tangy citrus and minerality. The richness and the structure will allow this wine to age further, certainly for the medium term.