LeDomduVin: La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2009

Château La Mission Haut-Brion 

Pessac-Léognan 2009

Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of Bordeaux's most prestigious wine estates in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It is one of my favorite Bordeaux wines, along with Château Haut-Brion.

Founded in the sixteenth century, the estate has a long wine-growing history. It was named after the Lazarist missionaries who lived there in the seventeenth century.

Since 1983, the estate has belonged to the Dillon family, which also owns the neighboring Château Haut-Brion.

While both properties share similarities in terroir and wine style, Haut-Brion is often described as masculine (rich, powerful, layered, and structured), while La Mission is regarded as feminine (elegant, refined, complex, and textured).

The vineyard covers about 29.2 hectares and is located on the road to Pessac in the southwestern suburb of Bordeaux.

Although surrounded by busy roads and residential areas, it still benefits from an exceptional terroir marked by gravelly soils and a favorable microclimate that enhances the unique quality of its wines.

La Mission Haut-Brion produces both red and white wines. The vineyard spans 25.44 hectares planted with red grapes (48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot Noir, 11% Cabernet Franc) and 3.74 hectares of white grapes (63% Sémillon, 37% Sauvignon).

While its whites have gained some notoriety, Château La Mission Haut-Brion is celebrated for its exceptional red wine, often compared to the Premiers Grands Crus Classés of the Médoc. The estate also produces a second wine, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion.

The wines of La Mission Haut-Brion delight wine lovers and collectors. They are renowned for their elegance, complexity, and ageing potential.

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan 2009

In my 33 years as a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I have been lucky enough to open countless bottles of La Mission Haut-Brion (and probably even more Haut-Brion) and have rarely been disappointed. In fact, this vintage, 2009, once again, exceeded my expectations.

Beyond its dark color, right at opening, it offers attractive aromas of ripe dark berries and fruits mingling earthy, smoky, and floral notes. The palate is ripe, dense, ample, rich, complex, layered, yet suave, refined, and elegant. It is finely textured and structured, generously expanding from the attack and coating through the mid-palate to the seamless finish. It is a magnificent wine!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2016 (again)

Chateau Haut-Brion Grand Cru Pessac-Leognan 2016

It is sentimental between Chateau Haut-Brion and me.

I first tasted Haut-Brion in 1994. It was a 1986 vintage, and I fell in love that day.

I was lucky to work in a “Relais et Chateaux” located in Talence, bordering Pessac. Most of the wines on the list were from the appellations “Graves” and “Pessac-Leognan.” We also had a few vintages of Haut-Brion.

Then, one day, a customer brought a magnum of Haut-Brion 1959. The wine was magnificent. It was an epiphany. I was 21 years old and had never tasted such an incredible wine.

Later, in September 1996, my Sommelier Promotion was invited to spend a week at the Chateau to participate in the harvest. It was an incredible memory!

We were even given a bottle of Haut-Brion 1993 (or was it 1994? My memory is failing me) as a present for our contribution from Mr Jean-Bernard Delmas. And I can proudly say that I have harvested some of the 1996 vintage.

Since then, my love for Haut-Brion has never ceased to grow. I visited the Chateau many times in the early to mid-2000s. In my 33-year career as a Sommelier/wine Buyer, I have always had Haut-Brion on all my wine lists (and shelves when I worked in retail).

I have been lucky enough to open countless amounts of this wine over the years, from the 1945 vintage to 2018 for the most recent vintage, and pretty much everything in between.

I have repeatedly said that Chateau Haut-Brion is my favorite Bordeaux wine, and this 2016 vintage confirms it again!

The last time I tried the 2016 vintage was in October last year, and it was beautiful! And 10 months later, it is still a masterpiece.

Haut-Brion 2016 offers plenty of gorgeous red and black berry and fruit aromas, refreshing acidity, outstanding balance, excellent structure, a long finish, and a good grip of integrated tannins that will mellow down with time. Its freshness and richness enhance its soft and silky texture. It is sophisticated, focused, elegant, and racy. What a wine!

Cheers! Sante!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Nice line-up again - Clinet 2010, Margaux 1982 and La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

Nice line-up again - Clinet 2010, Margaux 1982 and La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

The other day, I opened, prepared, and served these 3 great wines:

Chateau Clinet Pomerol 2010

It has a deep, dark, ruby color. The nose is packed with ripe black and red fruit aromas mingling with earthy, spicy notes. The palate is generous, rich, and ample, with blackberry, redcurrant, and coffee flavors with earthy and oaky nuances. Despite its low acidity, slight roughness, present yet integrated tannins, and medium-long finish, it is an enjoyable example of this solar vintage. Although approachable now, it might benefit from a few more years in the cellar. Overall, it is a very nice wine.

Chateau Margaux Margaux 1982

One of the guests brought this bottle. And I was really pleased as 82 Bordeaux are rare nowadays. Surprisingly, it had another two capsules. At first, I feared I was a fake, so I inspected the label. Then, I removed the second capsule and processed to remove the cork, which was as soft as butter and broke despite being extremely cautious and using a double blade (shame I did not have my Durand). The bottom part fell into the bottle. It also had many sediments, so I had to decant it. Per my experience and knowledge, the capsule, cork, and label were all real. It was not a counterfeit. This bottle must have been capsuled with two capsules at the Chateau, as it occurred occasionally in the 80s (I have seen it on other Bordeaux wines).

This Margaux 82 displayed an advanced, bright, light brownish color. The beautiful, delicate, fresh, youthful nose filled the air with secondary and tertiary aromas of red cherry, leather, tobacco, licorice, and underbrush mingling with floral and oaky scents. The palate was delicate, finely chiseled, refined, elegant, and beautifully balanced, with a long finish. Magnificent wine!

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2016

Too young, but what an incredible wine. Fresh, rich, concentrated, focused, racy & complex. Gorgeous! 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Haut-Brion 2016

Haut-Brion 2016, what else? 

If you have been following me for a while, you've surely realized that I'm a bit biased when it comes to Haut-Brion. 

What can I say? It is my favourite wine, after all. 

And I'm always the first to say that Haut-Brion should be open for a while. Especially so young. As it is a wine that opens up and gains in complexity with time. 

Rewarding the most patients of us with an array of enticing earthy aromas and flavours, structure and texture, elegance, balance and sophistication, heavenly delivered with grace and power and expanding to the seamless finish. 

And yet, I was not patient enough to wait for this gem to reach its optimum taste and age. 

The 2016 Haut-Brion is a masterpiece with gorgeous fruits, refreshing acidity, great balance, excellent structure, a long finish and a good grip of integrated tannins that will mellow down with time. 

Decanted about 1 hour before serving, it showed wonderfully. Yet, it will have benefited from a few more hours to really display its full potential. 

In my 32-year career as a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I have never been disappointed by Haut-Brion, and this 2016 is no exception to the rule. 

It is delightful now, yet it obviously has the potential to age a decade or two in the cellar. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

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LeDomduVin: Château Haut-Bailly 2010

Chateau Haut-Bailly 2010

3 bottles opened recently while working on a luxurious yacht. 

Over the last 2 years, I opened quite a few bottles of this wine in this vintage, and I must say I never get tired of it. I love it. 

Thank you, Véronique and your team. I have been buying, selling, opening, tasting, serving and drinking Haut-Bailly, for the past 30 years, and it is getting better and better. 

Tasting the delicious Chateau Haut Bailly Grand Cru Classé Pessac Leognan 2010 on a luxury yacht always adds a “je ne sais quoi” of smoothness and sophistication to the wine. 😉😁👍🍷

These 3 bottles of Haut-Bailly 2010 were delicious, rich, layered, complex, balanced, voluptuous, generous and long. Loved it. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

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LeDomduVin: "Envie d’Hiver", or the illusion of Instagram pictures, and Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2008

 

"Envie d’Hiver", 

or the illusion of Instagram pictures, 

and Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2008

Winter in Hong Kong can be gloomy and depressing, cold, and usually covered by a thick, immovable blanket of grey clouds. So, I thought it to be amusing to start this post with a catchy French title "Envie d'Hiver", which translates as "longing for winter", while I actually feel the total opposite.

I'm not a winter person, except maybe when in the mountains, skiing and having a good time, (which I have not done in a long time), and thus, I cannot wait for winter to be over already. In fact, I'm like a "Marmotte". I could hibernate for 3 months straight to escape winter and wake up with spring, no problem.

The only good thing about winter, despite the magical sight of snow, the fireplace's heat, and hot chocolate, is the craving for comfy, earthy, fulfilling, and utterly satisfying food and wine, to warm up your body and brighten up your mood.

And the great thing about food and wine is that they both bring people together, and enhance conversations, with smiles and laughter, resulting in happy moments and good memories. That's why I love working with wine and love my job, as opening a bottle is always a good excuse to meet people and share a moment.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to meet Florian (@donvolnay) and Melanie (a young intern in his company), two sympathetic and ambitious young wine lovers, who brought this bottle of Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2008, one of my favorite Bordeaux, making our meeting even more enjoyable.

After enjoying each other's company, while drinking a glass of this succulent wine, they left the rest of the bottle with me to bring it home.

 

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac Leognan 2008

Average Market Price HKD 2,150 ( Euros 256 / USD 274)

Respectively on the nose and palate, the wine boasted aromas and flavors of plum, dark fruits, licorice, earth, and graphite, with light oaky nuances. The palate is forward, opened, generous, and layered with ripe dark fruits and earthy tones, friendly even if somewhat a bit austere, yet nicely balanced between the fruit, the acidity, and the present and firm yet integrated tannins, bringing both structure and texture. Agreeably coating the palate thru the lingering finish. What a lovely wine!

It was very much appreciated and drank beautifully. Thank you, Florian.

In fact, I must say that, from recent experiences, it seems that many 2008 vintage Bordeaux are opening and drinking beautifully now.  

In confidence, I will say that it is normal, (in my opinion), for both, Chateau Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, as they are not wines to drink in their youth, as they usually take about 15 years minimum to open and start to fully express themselves and continue to defy time for decades with their great aging potentials. I love them both.          

 

So, what does "the illusion of Instagram pictures" has to do with it?

Well, I wanted to take a picture for my IG account, but the bottle with the glass alone seemed boring. 

So, I added the cans of Cassoulet (one of my favorite winter comfy foods). That's all I had on hand to make the picture more interesting and appealing. Yet, I must say that is definitely not the best food-wine pairing, as something heartier from the Southwest of France, like a Cahors (Malbec) or a Madiran (Tannat), would have been a much better pairing with the Cassoulet and its "Saucisses de Toulouse".   

I also added the book to create a dark, cozy background, set the ambiance, and enhance the wine. Except that, (and I’m sure the connoisseur noticed it), "Grand Cru" (by Remington Norman) is about Burgundy Grand Crus, and thus has nothing to do with Bordeaux. 

Yet, the book title "Grand Cru" was an "echo" (a "wink" or a "metaphor" if you prefer) to "La Mission Haut-Brion", which is often considered as the "6th" "Premier Grand Cru Classé", and/or, often referred to as a "Grand Cru Classé", while it is a "Cru Classé de Graves".

And that's how, very often, Instagram pictures are set up with things that are not related and/or have nothing to do with each other, but seem to fit together, creating the perfect illusion of a good picture with items that are related and belong with each other, while the reality is otherwise.      

However, look at this picture again. The wine + the cans + the book make for a comfy and somewhat sophisticated illusion of a wintery ambiance, doesn't it? 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Château Haut-Bergey 2005

Chateau Haut-Bergey Pessac-Leognan 2005

Opened tonight, just because 😁👍🍷

Soft, warm, inviting nose with ripe dark fruits aromas mingling with fresh eucalyptus and menthol notes and earthy nuances. The palate is also soft, warm, ample, generous, silky, cozy, and comfortable, balanced with similar flavors as in the nose, lingering through the long and pleasant finish. The taste is very characteristic of the warm vintage 2005, yet with enough freshness, balance, texture, and structure to make it really pleasurable. Love it. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

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