1982 Laville Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
The 1982 Laville-Haut-Brion Blanc followed the same routine as all the other vintages of this now defunct cru. It was poured. It didn't do much. I left it in my glass. Then after two hours, it started opening. Within three or four hours, you wanted to elope to a far off land, just you and this wine. It was actually very similar to the bottle I tasted back in 2010 at the La Mission vertical. Mirabelle, honeysuckle and white peach on the nose, with hints of candied pear, are all brilliantly defined. The palate is tensile and beautifully weighted yet weightless, thanks to the silver bead of acidity that delivers immense precision on the finish. It is a wine that demands that you pour it into a glass, sacrifice part of the bottle before it opens and then wait for a glacial unfolding to occur after the wine has been prudently double decanted. (I can only recommend decanting this for five to six hours.) One can only conclude that it is teasingly brilliant. Tasted May 2017. Jun 2017, www.robertparker.com
Critic scores
Neal Martin
About the producer
Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion – sister estate of Ch. Haut-Brion and part of the Clarence Dillon stable – is one of the greatest estates in all of Bordeaux. Based in Pessac-Léognan but not officially classified, it produces outstanding red and white wines.