LA CHAPELLE DE LA MISSION

The 2020 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is rich, dense and so inviting, right from the very first taste. Ripe red purplish/berry fruit, rose petal, spice and gravel all meld together in the glass, but what impresses most about La Chappelle is its exceptional balance. Aromatics, fruit and structure are all so well-balanced. The 2020 is an especially fine La Chappelle. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 91-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

Black cherries, currants, tobacco, and leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2020 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion. and it's medium to full-bodied, with a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just a big, rich, yet concentrated vibe that's very much in the style of the vintage. It's going to have two decades of longevity. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage. The texture is rich and taut at first, then softens in the glass, with a charge of freshness that keeps the momentum and the energy high. Not many wines that rival the 2010 and 2016s, but here it very much does - exuberant with chocolate and cracked pepper but pulls back at the right moment. Harvests from 7th to 29th September. I love it. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

55.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44.7% Merlot Dark purplish crimson. Subtle, saline nose. Really gets the saliva flowing. The tannins are not the supplest – slightly sandy-textured – but the fruit is very dense and correct with real life to it. Medium weight with great balance. Racy wine with good drive – though you'll have to wait awhile for the tannins to recede. Drinking range: 2027 - 2041 Rating: 16.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

The nose is far more open and floral than I expected and while I am aware one cannot smell texture, there is a kindly, open, silky nature to the perfume. The palate follows up this cordial theme with a generous, open and expressive flavour and it already seems well integrated and balanced. The tannins are feisty, as always, but they are more than compensated but the open and gregarious fruit notes on the mid-palate. There is discreet tension here and this brings a refreshing nature to the finish, but there is nothing dry or closed about the experience and this makes it one of the most forward La Chapelles in recent years. Rating: 17.5/20 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2021)