2002 Laville Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
Greenish gold. Big and bold with some green, racy, waxy Sémillon notes on the nose. Very green fruits and very lively. Fine, dense and quite mineral. Dry finish. At the moment more severe than Haut-Brion Blanc but obviously extremely youthful – much more youthful than any other white wine from Pessac-Léognan. Will need more time than Haut-Brion Blanc. Sémillon dominates and just 17% of the blend is Sauvignon Blanc. (JR)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(83% semillon and 17% sauvignon, nearly exactly the opposite blend as the 2002 Haut-Brion Blanc) Pale yellow color. Reticent but nuanced aromas of lemon, apricot, wet stone, flowers, mint and resiny, oily high tones; seemed to go into a shell in the glass. Tightly wound, minerally and citric; distinctly clenched owing to its firm spine of acidity. Youthfully tough today, perhaps due to its combination of high acidity and high alcohol (13.8%), but long on the finish.
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.