CHÂTEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION

2018 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

EN PRIMEUR

53% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. Distinctive dark fruit on the nose. Silky smooth black currant fruit is joined by the signature Pessac gravel. Dusty tannins build in the background. Structure, weight and concentration all balanced and in control. Remarkable wine. Drinking range: 2030 - 2055L&S (Apr 2019)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Still backward and knitted down, but this is an exceptional Mission Haut-Brion that is packed full of precisely-cut cassis and bilberry fruits, shot through with brighter, juicier redcurrant and raspberry notes. The flavours stretch out through the finish, gripping on, helped by a slate texture that becomes more apparent as the immediate hit of fruit and tannins softens. Floral perfume in evidence as it softens. Drinking range: 2026 - 2046 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Oct 2021)

The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is beautiful and expansive from the first taste. Dark cherry, mocha, herbs, licorice, rose petal and mint open effortlessly. All the elements are so well balanced. Although the 2018 is quite easy to appreciate at this stage, it also has terrific energy and more than enough verve to develop positively for several decades. Drinking range: 2026 - 2048 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion was double decanted and assessed after two hours, and the over the following 24 hours compared directly with – what else? – Haut-Brion. They were initially poured blind. This has retained a very perfumed and hedonistic bouquet of black fruit and pressed violets, and less of the graphite that I picked up out of barrel; touches of ash/fireside hearth develop with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, and quite structured, more so than the Haut-Brion. There is a brightness here that I really like. Vivid, animated and brimming with energy and still incredibly persistent on the finish. A fabulous La Mission Haut-Brion that deserves several years in bottle, and though I would not rank it alongside, say, the 1955 or 1989, it is a magnificent Pessac-Léognan. Drinking range: 2024 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)

Enticing aromas of currant, crushed stone, blueberry, lead pencil, iodine and graphite follow through to a full body with round, chewy tannins that are polished and powerful, yet balanced and beautiful. In the end, the tannins are compact and tight at the finish. But you want to drink it. Drinking range: 2027 - Rating: 98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

Tightly packed, with its core of steeped blackberry, black currant preserve and plum paste notes bristling to emerge fully but held in check for now by a swath of tar, warmed licorice and sweet tobacco. There's a great tug of earth through the finish but the fruit keeps the upper hand, even while closed, thanks to its finishing kick. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2021)

The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc that, like the La Chappelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, was harvested between September 10 and October 2. Straight up awesome notes of black raspberries, smoked earth, melted licorice, and tobacco all emerge from this deeply colored 2018, and it develops a beautiful violet and floral quality with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with subtle background oak and sweet tannins, it's one sexy yet also seamless 2018 that does everything right. Rating: 97-99 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)

Deepest crimson with very dark core. Intense, pure aromatic cassis and a hint of cassis leaf, though fully ripe. Smells very Cabernet. And the tannins are upright and structured but extremely lithe and supple. No thickness here. Agile. Just a little chewy on the finish. So seemingly approachable and full of energy. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 17.5+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)

The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc, harvested September 10 to October 2. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal a beguiling nose of earth and soft-spoken fruit, opening with wild blueberries, wet slate, pencil lead and fresh black cherries giving way to a serious core of blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and wild sage, and then exposing delicate wafts of rose hip tea and candied violets. Full-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound and super intense with amazing restraint and energy focused around very firm, exquisitely fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing incredibly long and fantastically multilayered. Extraordinary wine. Rating: 98-100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)

A tight and linear red with fantastic oyster-shell, iodine and crushed-stone character, complementing the currants and blackberries. Extremely long and fresh. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)

This is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc, picked between September 10th and October 2nd. It feels classically floral on the nose, with rose garden and violet scents, followed by the aromas of black plum skin and currants coming in behind. It feels beautifully textured, so complete, miles ahead of the Clarence Dillon second wines, textural and refined, with a beautifully broad presence of cherry and plum fruits, complicated by nuances of acacia, praline, toast and black bean, all wrapped around the midpalate's floral core. This is very complete, fine and elegantly understated, with svelte tannins, rich and broad, substantial and showing a peppery energy. Balanced, charming, fresh and long in the finish, this is a very fine La Mission. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)

While the wine is certainly structured, it has all the finesse and elegance that is associated with this estate. Beautiful berry flavors are packed with acidity but supported by generous tannins. This is impressive and obviously will age well. Rating: 96 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.