Château La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan rouge 2025 - Grand Cru Classé (Primeurs)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

While awaiting new facilities—much like its larger counterpart, Haut-Brion—Mission continues to delight us with its velvety, wonderfully complex grand vin, a superb expression of Merlot grown on deep gravel soils (often accounting for more than 50% of the blend) and an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon that we dream of one day tasting on its own! The Sémillon-dominated white wine remains unrivaled in Bordeaux for its aromatic nobility and complexity.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Separated from Château Haut-Brion only by Route 250 and united with it since 1983 as part of the Clarence Dillon estates, this vineyard stands out for its history. This history is linked to the powerful de Lestonnac family until 1682, and then, until the Revolution, to the Lazarist Fathers of Saint-Vincent, who recognized the remarkable qualities of its gravelly terroir, now planted with 29 hectares of vines, including 3.6 hectares of white grapes.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

A blend of 58.3% Merlot, 38.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3.4% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 La Mission Haut-Brion reveals a refined bouquet of smoky blackcurrant, black berries, spices, and pencil shavings, enhanced by a subtle hint of new oak. Medium- to full-bodied, dense, and complex, it centers on a multidimensional fruit core supported by fine, velvety tannins, culminating in a long, fragrant, and precise finish. Combining depth and energy, it offers an expression of textured yet controlled power, with a genuine sense of freshness. The result is a particularly faithful and charming interpretation of La Mission, distinguished by its elegance and overall precision.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

The estate has a gravelly terroir, slightly richer than that of Haut-Brion, which lies directly across from it. If one were to define the distinctive character of this famous cru based on the vintages tasted, one would say that it bears a striking resemblance to Château Haut-Brion. It possesses the same qualities of suppleness and smoothness (which in no way prevent long and glorious aging in the bottle), as well as the same highly original smoky bouquet. Its profile on the palate, however, is quite different: softer, deeper as a young wine, and more charming, as it is easier to appreciate from its earliest years. With age, La Mission yields to Haut-Brion in terms of stylistic complexity and pure finesse, but surpasses its neighbor in the voluptuousness of its texture. As you can see, these two cousins, vinified by the same team and with the same exacting standards, are perfect reflections of their respective terroirs and grape variety selections.

Vinous

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

A blend dominated by Merlot (58.3%), with 38.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Cabernet Franc, 60% of which was aged in new French oak barrels, Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2025 features a dense ruby-purple color and a nose with juicy notes of black raspberries, blackcurrant, smoked tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, and violet. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it offers a pure, concentrated, and complex texture, well-defined tannins, as well as a beautiful overall balance and a lovely finish. This is a slightly more reserved and concentrated expression of this cuvée, but that is simply a reflection of the vintage, and this wine has everything going for it. I believe cellaring it will be to your advantage.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

What precision in this bouquet, with its many nuances, each as intricate as the next. Freshness is conveyed by notes of violets and a hint of raspberries, followed by spicy nuances. Smooth on the palate, the wine unfolds seamlessly, without any rough edges. Its soft tannins anchor the mid-palate and are supported by a refined structure that lends them strength through its freshness and liveliness. A savory and elegant wine with perfectly controlled power that it reveals gradually. On the finish, the wine displays a burst of energy that suggests it still has reserves, but it does not like to be rushed. And rightly so—it has plenty of time ahead of it! 2030–2060