CHÂTEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION BLANC
2022 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
This is an extremely impressive white that has high levels of Sémillon in the blend this year, helped by old vines that resisted the heat well. Gorgeous construction and balance, with precision-cut citrus, bitter almond, slate, dill, white pepper spice, a juicy grip through the palate and noble bitterness bringing things to a close. Less 1st wine than last year - 20% less first wine with the same yield; 41% new oak barrels for ageing. Harvest August 17 to 23. Drinking range: 2023 - 2032 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Jun 2023)
* 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.
The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc contains much more Sémillon (72%) this year due to its quality according to Jean-Philippe Delmas. It has a perfumed bouquet with white peach, honeysuckle, red apple and light candle wax. Superb delineation. The palate is taut and linear, chalky in texture with good tension. It shows quite impressive weight, perhaps more than the Haut-Brion Blanc with a dab of ginger enlivening the finish. Superb. Drinking range: 2030 - 2060 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
72% Semillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc. 41.9% new oak. 14.3% alc In contrast to the other top-flight wines in this vintage, La Mission possesses much lower, deeper base notes of flavour, making it a more contemplative soul. There are pith, apple skin and green florals breaking up the mass of mid-palate flavours, but they don’t have the necessary energy to flip this wine from being a main course candidate into being a more multi-skilled white wine. Thoughtful, classy, dense and calm, this is an intense white with a more structured feel throughout, and despite the profound resonance, it is all kept in check with stunning acidity. Rating: 18.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
Jean-Philippe Masclef, the technical manager of the château, laconically states "the semillons made the grade…", and this indeed shows in the fact that this wine, which used to be called Laville Haut-Brion, has given them 72% of the blend this year. It is strikingly pure and calm with considerable presence on the palate without seeming either rich or powerful. The acidity is clearly low, yet the wine manages to seem fresh, helped by subtle flavours that evoke pale liquorice. Rating: 94-96 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
72% Sémillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc. Cask sample. Pale, translucent colour. Subtle stony-citrus aroma. Touch of sweetness on the mid palate, the fruit generous. Some freshness but the acidity does feel low. Lacks a bit of light and shade but should develop more complexity. (JL) Drinking range: 2026 - 2034 Rating: 16.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
So much oyster shell here with a chalk, stone character, as well as dried lemons and sliced white peaches and pears. It’s medium to full body with lovely fruit and a flavorful finish. Bitter lemon as well. 72% semillon and 28% sauvignon blanc. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Perhaps it's because of the drought-affected vintage, or it could be due to the fantastic terroir of La Mission Haut-Brion, but in any case, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is especially aromatically expressive, bursting with lively aromas of pear, linen, smoke, gunflint, lemon and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, crystalline and pure, it's tensile and seamless, with impressively vibrant acids and a saline finish. Rating: 94-96 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2023)
Château la Mission Haut Brion
Surrounded by the urban sprawl of Bordeaux, facing each other across the street are Châteaus Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. In the 16th Century Arnaut de Roustaing, who had bought what is today La Mission, married Marie de Pontac, sister of Haut Brion owner Jean de Pontac, but, despite being immediate neighbours, this is as close as the two estates got to common history until the modern era. The "Haut Brion" portion of the name appears to, simply, to be a little commercial plagiarisation of the sort that Haut Brion has suffered more than most. Arnaut's grand-daughter left the estate to the Congregation of the Mission in 1654, who built a small chapel in the vineyards called Notre Dame de la Mission. Church ownership seems to have been good for La Mission Haut Brion and the fame of the wines grew. Cardinal Richelieu appears to have been a fan. But Chuch ownership could not survive the French Revolution and the various private owners that followed oversaw a fall in quality and reputation. The modern history, and revival of La Mission Haut Brion, dates from 1919 when Frédéric Woltner bought the estate. Together with his sons, he revitalised La Mission, installing the, then, cutting edge technology of temperature-controlled fermentation and restructuring the vineyards. The next generation of Woltners, however, fell into discord and sold La Mission Haut Brion to Domaine Clarence Dillon SA, owners of Château Haut Brion in 1983, bringing the two neighbours under the same ownership. Since then, La Mission Haut Brion has grown considerably in reputation and ranks among the best château, not only in Pessac-Léognan, but in Bordeaux as a whole. There are 21ha of vines, planted to 45% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the balance being Cabernet Franc. Red wines are aged in 100% new oak for just under 2 years. If remembering the differences between Haut Brion proper and La Mission Haut Brion wasn't enough, the two estates are also responsible for a confusing array of other "Haut Brions". The Woltner family were bequeathed Château La Tour Haut Brion in 1933 and this was produced as seperate wine by La Mission until the 2005 vintage, since when the grapes from La Tour Haut Brion have been used in the blend for La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion, La Mission's second wine. The Woltners also purchased the near-by property of Château Laville Haut Brion and produced a very successful white wine there. This has now been re-named Château la Mission Haut Brion Blanc. Châteaus Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion also produce a joint white second wine called La Clarté de Haut Brion.
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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. 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 2026. 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.