CHÂTEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION BLANC
2023 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
65.3 Sauvignon Blanc, 34.7 Semillon: 46.3% new oak: 13.9% alc The heat spikes affected the Semillon most in 2022, so the percentage of the two varietal protagonists in this vintage is flipped. This makes for a slightly lighter, brittle and more linear wine with a flirty perfume and a flick-knife palate. Of course, the familiar La Mission DNA brings gravitas and restraint, but do not lower your guard too much because each sip leaves you stinging with excitement. In addition to the whiplash palate, a colossal lick of acidity on the finish screams at you to slow down! While there are familiar notes of almond croissant and River Café lemon tart, even these Sirens must be ignored for a good few years to allow the electrical storm on the finish to crackle to a stop. Rating: 18.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2024)
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Zesty, focused, bright and vivid, white flowers, gorgeous texture and aromatics, pulls you forward through the palate, structured and with great ageing ability. Delicious vintage of this wine. 40% new oak. Harvest from August 21 through to September 5 for the 2.5ha of white wines. A test with shade cloths to mitigate heat spikes is underway at the estate, will be fascinating to watch the progress. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a very soft-textured white, its lovely floral and mineral notes very much front and center. Gentle touches of pear, jasmine, white pepper and mint lift from the glass in a wine that impresses with its understatement and class. Aeration fills out the mid-palate as the Sémillon begins to reveal its breadth. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The blend here is 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc with 347% Semillon, the third time Sauvignon Blanc has come to dominate the blend in recent years, not the norm as the vineyard is dominated by Semillon. The picking of the Sauvignon came at the end of one of the year’s mini-heatwaves, and on tasting the fruit was felt to lack some balance, hence more went into the second wine. A lively expression on the nose, with scents of lemon peel, chamomile, crushed chalk and pine needle, all very classic. After that nose the palate is just as lively as I had hoped, with a delicious sense of direction, carrying plentiful lemon, pear and melon fruits, but with a bright and breezy acidity to keep it moving along. Long and charged, this is a delicious, minerally, chalky white. Top work! The alcohol is 13.9%. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is driven by the Sauvignon Blanc (65%) on the nose: Granny Smith apples, kiwi fruit, slate and light spicy aromas. There’s very fine delineation, but I err toward the more nuanced Haut-Brion Blanc. The palate is lively on the entry with a touch of white pepper, very good tension and ample energy. Conference pear mixes with melon and grassy notes toward the finish. This will provide immediate pleasure over the next 20 years, though Haut-Brion Blanc has the intellectual heft. Drinking range: 2027 - 2052 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)
Offering up generous amounts of lemon oil, spices and ripe orchard fruits with a touch of spring flowers, the 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and broad, with a rich, aromatic palate. It concludes with an ethereal, powerful finish that carries elegant white fruit notes. It's a blend of 65.3% Sauvignon Blanc and 34.7% Sémillon. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 93-95 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)
A creamy, round texture with ripe yet fresh aromas and flavors, showing apples, pears and hints of peaches. Medium- to full-bodied, polished and satisfying. 65.3% sauvignon blanc and 34.7% semillon. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château la Mission Haut Brion
Surrounded by the urban sprawl of Bordeaux, facing each other across the street are Châteaus Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. In the 16th Century Arnaut de Roustaing, who had bought what is today La Mission, married Marie de Pontac, sister of Haut Brion owner Jean de Pontac, but, despite being immediate neighbours, this is as close as the two estates got to common history until the modern era. The "Haut Brion" portion of the name appears to, simply, to be a little commercial plagiarisation of the sort that Haut Brion has suffered more than most. Arnaut's grand-daughter left the estate to the Congregation of the Mission in 1654, who built a small chapel in the vineyards called Notre Dame de la Mission. Church ownership seems to have been good for La Mission Haut Brion and the fame of the wines grew. Cardinal Richelieu appears to have been a fan. But Chuch ownership could not survive the French Revolution and the various private owners that followed oversaw a fall in quality and reputation. The modern history, and revival of La Mission Haut Brion, dates from 1919 when Frédéric Woltner bought the estate. Together with his sons, he revitalised La Mission, installing the, then, cutting edge technology of temperature-controlled fermentation and restructuring the vineyards. The next generation of Woltners, however, fell into discord and sold La Mission Haut Brion to Domaine Clarence Dillon SA, owners of Château Haut Brion in 1983, bringing the two neighbours under the same ownership. Since then, La Mission Haut Brion has grown considerably in reputation and ranks among the best château, not only in Pessac-Léognan, but in Bordeaux as a whole. There are 21ha of vines, planted to 45% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the balance being Cabernet Franc. Red wines are aged in 100% new oak for just under 2 years. If remembering the differences between Haut Brion proper and La Mission Haut Brion wasn't enough, the two estates are also responsible for a confusing array of other "Haut Brions". The Woltner family were bequeathed Château La Tour Haut Brion in 1933 and this was produced as seperate wine by La Mission until the 2005 vintage, since when the grapes from La Tour Haut Brion have been used in the blend for La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion, La Mission's second wine. The Woltners also purchased the near-by property of Château Laville Haut Brion and produced a very successful white wine there. This has now been re-named Château la Mission Haut Brion Blanc. Châteaus Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion also produce a joint white second wine called La Clarté de Haut Brion.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.