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1997, 1996 and 1995 Bordeaux (May 1998)

Excellent deep ruby color. Primary aromas of dark berries, cherry, shoe polish and smoky oak. Supple, rich and textured, but not as pliant or layered as the ’97 due to slightly edgy acids. Finishes with well-distributed, dusty tannins that will require a few years to soften.

Mission Complete: La Mission Haut-Brion 1928–2011 (Sep 2021)

The 1970 La Mission Haut-Brion has been inconsistent from bottle to bottle. Evolved in colour, the nose is austere and lacks fruit intensity, rather charmless. The palate is marked by hard tannins and it feels a little hollow towards the finish. It is a mystery why the 1970 is not the calibre of the 1966…

Mission Complete: La Mission Haut-Brion 1928–2011 (Sep 2021)

Apart from a couple of impressive bottles at the turn of the millennium, the 1986 La Mission Haut-Brion has always left me wanting more. Deep in color, it has a static, black-olive-tinged nose that requires more delineation and lacks a bit of charm – as does the palate, which is sinewy and dense, yet missing…

A Century of Bordeaux: The Twos (Sep 2022)

The 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion is very similar to the one tasted in Hong Kong. Quite exotic on the nose, much more than Haut-Brion. There is that signature eucalyptus touch on the nose mixed with plenty of black fruit, though it lacks the pedigree of the First Growth. The palate is powerful with pliant tannins,…

Mission Complete: La Mission Haut-Brion 1928–2011 (Sep 2021)

The 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have tasted several times. This bottle has a gorgeous, eucalyptus-tinged bouquet of black fruit plus hints of clove and bay leaf; a light marine scent emerges with aeration. The palate has a ripe pastille-like quality, dark cherries commingling with blackberry and cranberry. A lovely saline…

1982 Bordeaux, 20 Years On (Jul 2002)

Good full medium red. Exotic yet lively aromas of roasted plum, marzipan and grilled nuts. Wonderfully dense but sappy, with grip of steel. Finishes powerfully tannic and extremely long, still with a touch of youthful austerity. A very impressive showing. Drink 2005 to 2025. (My second bottle was equally impressive but came across as even…