1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Laville) Blanc

Tangy and dense and introvert and, most unusually in this line-up, this wine tastes as though it still has quite a bit to give. Smoky and sweet and pungent and exciting. This seems at its ideal stage of evolution cf the 1993. Great, racy stuff. (JR)

Magnum. Big, bold, apparently Sauvignon-dominated nose – despite its 80% Semillon component. Round and silky on the palate with very good acid. Satin textured, but not that long. Definitely teenage at the moment. (JR)

The 1998 Laville-Haut-Brion (94-97) is a sensationally powerful wine with the texture of a grand cru Burgundy and the complexity afforded by the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. (No tasting note was provided in Issue 128. We have instead included the text of the tasting note from Issue 122)