2009 Château La Mission Haut Brion

»A candidate for the wine of the vintage « (Robert M. Parker)

Wine Advocate (Robert M. Parker): 100 Punkte für den Jahrgang 2009″A candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2009 La Mission-Haut-Brion stood out as one of the most exceptional young wines I had ever tasted from barrel, and its greatness has been confirmed in the bottle. A remarkable effort from the Dillon family, this is another large-scaled La Mission that tips the scales at 15% alcohol. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (47% of each) and the rest Cabernet Franc, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a magnificent bouquet of truffles, scorched earth, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, subtle smoke and spring flowers. The wine’s remarkable concentration offers up an unctuous/viscous texture, a skyscraper-like mouthfeel, sweet, sumptuous, nearly over-the-top flavors and massive density. Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime La Mission-Haut-Brion, the 2009 will take its place alongside the many great wines made here since the early 1920s. The good news is that there are nearly 6,000 cases of the 2009. It should last for 50-75+ years. Given the wine’s unctuosity and sweetness of the tannin, I would have no problem drinking it in about 5-6 years.“

Weinwisser: 19/20 Punkte für den Jahrgang 2009″47 % Merlot, 47 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 % Cabernet Franc. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Das kompakte, reservierte Bouquet beginnt kühl, zeigt eine tolle Tiefe mit Trüffel, Zedern und feinen Rauchnoten, dann viel schwarze Beeren und getrocknete Heidelbeeren, insgesamt aber dominiert das Terroir die Frucht. Erhabener, mächtiger Gaumenauftritt, feine Muskeln umgeben einen geballten Körper der sich von der Aromatik her wieder fast nur im schwarzbeerigen Bereich abspielt, im massiv konzentrierten Finale dunkles Malz, Dörrbirnen, Korinthen. Ein grosser, machtvoller, klassischer Mission mit Potenzial für locker 40 Jahre.“

Wine Spectator: 96 Punkte für den Jahrgang 2009″This is forcefully rendered, with dark tar, espresso and chocolate up front, backed by dense layers of fig sauce, currant reduction and smoldering black tea leaves. There’s dense flesh and great drive on the finish, which has serious grip. Best from 2016 through 2035.“