Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2010

It has lost none of its subtle, floral aromatics, built like a rock, juicy, dense, full and long, rich and crisp, long, a monumental wine that can and should age forever. It replaces elegance with muscle, but consistently and without any makeup. The price is unvarnished as well: almost 600 euros per bottle.

Intense and engaging. Despite showing lots of heft and tarry grip, the singed apple wood and alder notes are well-defined in this red, accentuating a core of roasted fig, blackberry coulis and macerated red and black currant fruit. The long, bramble-edged finish sports showy ganache and Lapsang souchong tea notes, while the structure refuses to yield until everything has finally played out. Muscular and vivacious. Best from 2019 through 2040. 5,100 cases made.

Luxurious, rich and ripe on the palate, the nose shows fragrant violet notes, silky tannins and supple oak, pointing to many years of drinking pleasure ahead. A very dry year, 2010 was the driest since 1949 between April and late September. The vines were dehydrated and concentrated, but very cool nights encouraged freshness and the accumulation of anthocyanins in the grapes. Despite the lack of rainfall, and the initially monolithic character of many 2010s, La Mission has matured beautifully.

Even though the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion was poured at the château, Jean-Philippe Delmas had to call for a second bottle as the first was clearly out of sorts. That second is magnificent. Brilliant delineation and almost overwhelming in intensity on the nose, with layers of black fruit, pencil lead, and a strong marine influence with hints of Japanese nori. The palate has a wonderful backbone and more precision than Haut-Brion, with a persistent, captivating finish. It will need time. Tasted at the château.

Smoke, oak, and hot earth scents open to a packed and stacked wine, filled with ripe tannin, fresh, long, pure, sweet black raspberries that linger on your palate for at least 40 seconds. Structured to age, the wine demands at least 15 years before delivering its charms. This is showing much better in bottle than it did in barrel. With luck, this trend will continue.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Somewhat restrained, subtle plum fruit, dark berries, a hint of cassis, a touch of fine wood savouriness in the background, a hint of nougat and caramel. Juicy, pronounced in fruit and delicate on the palate, powerful but not lush, perfect tannins, mineral and persistent, chocolatey tone and fine dark berry fruit on the finish, great length, huge future potential. Brilliant.

The 2010 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the final 1% Cabernet Franc, raised in plenty of new oak. It's an absolutely classic 2010 with its deep, muscular, powerful style and has a smorgasbord-like array of smoky black fruits, cedar pencil shavings, roasted meats, licorice, and an undeniable sense of almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. Sensationally rich on the palate, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered, opulent mouthfeel, integrated, sweet tannins, a beautiful mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that defines all great wines. Hitting 15.1% alcohol, it makes a mockery of all the anti-alcohol crowd and is still youthful, with a lively, vibrant freshness that keeps this light on its feet. It needs at least 2 hours in a decanter if drinking any time soon, and while clearly offering incredible pleasure, it's not yet fully mature. I would give bottles another 4-5 years, and it will evolve gracefully over the following half a century.

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, yield: 43 hl/ha. Medium-dark garnet with purple highlights. Delicate bouquet with noble restraint, fine woods, dark chocolate and subtle tobacco nuances, a touch of elderberry. Black plum, licorice, immensely extract-rich, extremely deep and black-fruited – never has a Mission barrel sample been so elegant and refined! It will nonetheless require plenty of time to reveal its true greatness. “The great paradox of the 2010 vintage is that, in terms of grape sugar levels, tannin quantity, and alcohol, we have yet another record-breaking year. With the Mission we reached 15% vol. alcohol without having to complain about a monster,” noted Jean-Philippe Delmas during our visit.

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. 43 hl/ha. Medium-dark garnet with violet highlights at the core and a ruby sheen at the rim. Delicate bouquet: while La Chapelle opens right from the start, La Mission shows almost noble restraint on the nose—precious woods, dark chocolate, and fine tobacco nuances, with a touch of elderberry as the underlying fruit. Never has a Mission as a barrel sample been so elegant and finely structured: black plums, licorice; only on the second pass does the enormous extract assert itself on the palate, remaining extremely deep and black-berried through to the finish. This Mission also demonstrates that it will show a defensive character for a long time and will need plenty of time to reveal its true greatness. And those without this patience should look to faster, older Missions. “The great paradox of this vintage is that we again have a year of records—for sugar content, tannins, and alcohol. We landed at 15% ABV, without having to complain about monsters,” remarked Jean-Philippe Délmas during our visit.

(37% Merlot, 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc) Deep, dense, concentrated bouquet, black berries, tobacco, fine woods, mocha, truffle, currants. Dense, powerful, multi-layered, velvety palate with plush, full fruit, plenty of fine tannins, concentrated aromatics, very long, full finish with plenty of attractive afterflavors. 19/20 2018 - 2040

Vibrates with life, still barely unfurling at 14 years old, with evident muscular construction to the tannic frame. A little subdued on the first nose, quickly opening to show notes of black pepper, cinnamon and black truffle alongside liquorice, baked raspberries and blueberry fruits, concentrated, vivid and sculpted, architectural as all the best 2010s are. Drawn out finish, riven with spiced cocoa beans and pulses of fresh acidity, and the drumbeat of interest is going to keep playing for decades. 75% new oak for ageing, harvest September 8 to October 8.

A highly delicate nose with pure fruit, floral and spicy nuances, a palate of restrained power, exceptional tannin grain, and superb tension and freshness. Exquisitely refined despite its volume and power, it is crafted, like the 2009, to stand the test of time.

A great, complex nose, delicate and subtle. The palate is highly perfumed, tasty, meltingly smooth, graceful and deep, with a touch of firmness on the finish. What an aroma!

A beautifully dense, ripe wine, its intense acidity balanced by an opulent structure and gorgeous fruits. The texture is smooth and velvety, while never losing sight of the powerful structure. This elegant and powerful wine will age for many years.