The Wine Palate über:
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Cru Classe
-- The Wine Palate: Opulent, Bold, Black Fruit, Earthy, Crushed/Wet Rocks, Cassis, Medium to Full bodied, Moderate Acidity, Subtle Oak, Velvety Texture, High Tannin, Ready to Drink. The 2005 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it slowly grows on the nose to offer earthy suggestions of damp soil, wild mushrooms, and crushed rocks, over a flamboyant core of warm cassis and fruitcake, plus a hint of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, with an electric backbone of energy and firm, ripe tannins supporting the generous fruit, it finishes with incredibly persistent earth and mineral layers. This evocative beauty is just entering its drinking window, yet has the stamina and stuffing to give a further 30 years+ of pleasure.