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Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a Cru Classé de Graves, separated from Haut-Brion only by a narrow road – and qualitatively at First-Growth level. Since 1983 Domaine Clarence Dillon has produced a dense, structured yet floral and graceful wine of great ageing ability here. Secure the Grand Vin, the second wine La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion or the rare white wine La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc.
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Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a Cru Classé de Graves (red and white) in the Pessac-Léognan appellation on the left bank of the Gironde – separated from Haut-Brion by nothing more than a narrow road. On 30.7 hectares it produces a dense, structured yet gracefully floral wine that stands entirely on a par with its famous neighbour. The estate has been owned since 1983 by Domaine Clarence Dillon under Prince Robert de Luxembourg; it is managed by Jean-Philippe Delmas. The Grand Vin is complemented by La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion and the rare white wine La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc.
The history of La Mission has been linked to Haut-Brion since 1540: it was then that the Bordeaux merchant Arnaud de Lestonnac acquired the Arregedhuys plot – the nucleus of the estate – and that same year married Marie, sister of Jean de Pontac, who had become owner of Haut-Brion seven years earlier. It was not until 1983 that Joan Dillon, Duchesse de Mouchy, acquired La Mission (together with La Tour Haut-Brion and Laville Haut-Brion) from the Woltner family. The estate, once owned by Lazarist monks, was carefully restored; Prince Robert de Luxembourg now heads the house, while Jean-Philippe Delmas manages the estates.
La Mission Haut-Brion is a Cru Classé de Graves in both red and white. It is absent from the 1855 classification only because that ranking did not consider estates outside the Médoc – in terms of quality, many critics rank La Mission at First Growth level.
The soils are somewhat less gravel-dominant than at Haut-Brion, with more streaks of sandy gravel and limestone – although gravel is still abundant. This nuance gives the wine its own signature: often more floral and graceful than its neighbour, yet at the same time dense and structured.
The vineyard is planted with 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.8% Merlot and 10.4% Cabernet Franc – a classically balanced ratio of Cabernet and Merlot. In the white wine, Sémillon dominates at around 70 percent (63 percent in the vineyard), with the proportion recently reduced slightly.
La Mission was a pioneer of cellar technology: in the 1920s, Henri Woltner was the first in Bordeaux to install glass-lined steel tanks for better temperature control; today, more advanced stainless-steel tanks with automatic pump-over are used. The white wine harvest is especially labour-intensive, carried out plot by plot and row by row over several passes – in 2013, harvesting one hectare of white grapes took 417 hours, compared with 179 hours for the red.
The Grand Vin Château La Mission Haut-Brion accounts for around 40 percent of production, while the second wine La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion makes up around 60 percent. The white wine La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (formerly Laville Haut-Brion, renamed from 2009) is a much sought-after rarity at around 600 cases; the second white wine La Clarté de Haut-Brion combines grapes from both La Mission and Haut-Brion. A small portion of the must also goes into the Clarendelle label.
La Mission is dense and structured, with intense blackberry and dark fruit aromas and serious tannins that ensure ageing potential – much like its sister estate Haut-Brion, though often with more floral aromatics and a particular grace. Its character differs from Haut-Brion’s, yet it shares that estate’s extraordinary spectrum of subtle, distinctive aromas.
Outstanding recent vintages include 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020. Among the more mature vintages, 1982, 1989 and 2000 are especially worthwhile, along with 1975, 1995 and 2005; the 1989 is considered one of the greatest Bordeaux of the 20th century.
In great vintages, the Grand Vin ages for forty years and more, and needs at least ten to fifteen years to reach its peak. La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is at its best after eight to twelve years, while the Blanc ages for fifteen years or longer.
European Wine-Searcher prices for current vintages (retail prices incl. VAT, indicative):
La Mission Haut-Brion offers First Growth-level quality at a fraction of the price of its sister estate Haut-Brion.
An entry point into the style is offered by La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion. For collectors, the Grand Vin in great vintages is the strategic position – a dense, long-lived Graves at First Growth level, ideally from secure provenance.
Who owns Château La Mission Haut-Brion? The estate has been owned since 1983 by Domaine Clarence Dillon (as is Haut-Brion), under Prince Robert de Luxembourg. It is managed by Jean-Philippe Delmas.
What classification level does La Mission Haut-Brion hold? La Mission is a Cru Classé de Graves in red and white. It is absent from the 1855 classification only because that ranking did not consider estates outside the Médoc.
What is the composition of the Grand Vin? The vineyard is planted with 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.8% Merlot and 10.4% Cabernet Franc – a balanced Cabernet-Merlot ratio.
What are the second wine and white wine called? The second wine is La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, and the white wine is La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (formerly Laville Haut-Brion).
How does La Mission differ from Haut-Brion? La Mission lies directly opposite Haut-Brion, on soils that are somewhat less gravel-dominant. The wine is often more floral and graceful, yet at the same time dense and structured – a distinctive signature at a comparable level.
What does a bottle of La Mission Haut-Brion cost? Current vintages of the Grand Vin sell on the European market for around 250 to 450 euros, with mature top vintages considerably higher. La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion starts at around 90 euros.
La Mission Haut-Brion demonstrates that a Cru Classé de Graves can compete on equal footing with the First Growths. Linked to Haut-Brion for almost 500 years, technically pioneering, and run without compromise under Domaine Clarence Dillon, the estate ranks among the greatest wines of the left bank.
