Winemaker Notes
Sought-after by wine lovers all over the world, Cha^teau La Mission Haut-Brion white wine is extremely rare (500 to 600 cases). Containing an average 85% Se´millon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Muscadelle, this voluptuous wine is rich and concentrated with a wonderfully long finish. Previously known as Cha^teau Laville Haut-Brion, Cha^teau La Mission Haut-Brion is a wine for the initiated. It is unique: when young, it has the characteristics of a great Gewurztraminer. Over time, it takes on the amber color of a great Sauternes wine. This dry white wine expresses all the attributes of a Graves sweet wine, specific to the Se´millon grown on these famous terroirs.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
For me this is the wine of the vintage. Both of the whites in the Haut-Brion stable are exceptionally well sculpted and finessed, but this has the aromatic edge. It has a powerful, intense concentration of flavours, hemmed in by slate walls that make you slow down and inch your way through the palate - and I am more than happy to go as slow as possible. The cool nights over the summer have been very kind to these grapes; they are in full control, with luscious, creamy citrus, passion fruit, nectarine, white pear and touches of lemongrass. It's persistent and mouthwatering, an absolute testament to what white Bordeaux can achieve. 40% new oak.
Barrel Sample: 98-100 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 23.8% Sauvignon Blanc and 76.2% Sémillon, the 2017 Blanc takes its time uncoiling from its tightly wound state, slowly revealing nuances of lemon tart, lime blossoms, green mango and jasmine with touches of cedar chest and sea spray. Medium-bodied, the palate has a beautifully expressed, quiet intensity, featuring loads of subtle mineral and citrus layers, finishing long and chalky. Beautiful.
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Wine Enthusiast
This rich, open wine has both acidity and impressively ripe white and yellow-fruit flavors. The creaminess creates a sense of richness underlined by the wood aging. This is a balanced wine, already well integrated and likely to age well. Drink from 2024.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and racy at the same time, with a broad range of Key lime, white peach, yellow apple, verbena and meringue notes all woven together seamlessly, backed by a citrus oil accent on the lengthy, straw- and brioche-tinged finish. The finish shows terrific cut and drive despite the obvious richness. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2023 through 2040.
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James Suckling
Candied lemon with sliced apples, pears and stones with some lemon-grass and bay-leaf notes. Full-bodied, creamy and textured with a tight and focused palate that goes on for minutes. Shows great length and beauty. Very tight. Needs at least five years to open. Better after 2025.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc is a winner and has a racy, concentrated, age-worthy vibe that's going to benefit from bottle age. Tart peach, pineapple, white flowers, and a terrific minerality all flow to a medium-bodied, elegant, concentrated white that's flawlessly balanced. It shows the elegant, tight, yet classic style of the vintage. Rating: 94+
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.