2014 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, Blanc, Pessac-Leognan

So much lemon, pineapple and green-papaya aromas here. Stones and salt block, too. Full-bodied, dense and layered with a creamy and layered mouthfeel. Powerful and agile at the same time. Exceptional. Rivals the 100-point 2011 La Mission. Drink if you can find it!

The 2014 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc is a Sémillon-dominated cuvée in 2014 and incorporates 28% Sauvignon Blanc, all brought up in barrel. It offers a rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied style as well as a sensational sense of minerality and rockiness on both the nose and palate. Meyer lemons, green herbs, citrus, wood smoke, and mint are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty is perfectly balanced and layered, with integrated acidity and a great finish.

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has really blossomed since I tasted it from barrel. A brilliant, mesmerizing wine, the 2014 exudes personality and class. Lemon confit, white flowers, slate and orchard fruit give the wine its chiseled, expressive personality. Above all else, though, the 2014 is a wine that speaks to balance. There is quite a bit of ripeness and texture, but also vibrant acidity to keep things in check. The blend is 72 % Sémillon and 28 % Sauvignon.

Gorgeous and savoury. A complex array of citrus and stone fruits, with fresh lemon then lemon curd richness; the 72% Semillon (higher than normal) really shows. Beautiful minerality with savoury herbs lifting stone fruits; firm and elegant. Impressive, clever winemaking, showing great acidity and length.

The 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc does not quite possess the same clinical delineation of some of the best dry whites in the flight. But it seems to address that with aeration and offers some lovely lemon rind, grapefruit and chalk scents. The palate is well balanced, underpinned by a fine line of acidity, quite brisk and taut with a persistent finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. - vinous.com, March 2018

The 2014 La Mission Haut Brion Blanc has a surprisingly strict bouquet that needed coaxing from the glass, eventually offering scents of Cornice pear, jasmine and honeysuckle. This is very subtle and clearly will need a few years in bottle, just like Laville Haut Brion demanded. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, a cheeky pinch of lemongrass enlivening the senses on the entry, quite a feral La Mission Haut Brion Blanc with the Sémillon fully in control on the lightly honeyed, spicy finish. It is a great La Mission Haut Brion, although I remain convinced that the 2014 Haut Brion Blanc has the class this year.