Chateau La Mission Haut Brion - Chateau La Mission Haut Brion blanc 2014

JAMES SUCKLING: "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!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "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 WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This wine begins with lemon, lime, a few stems of Easter lily and some wet, weathered limestone and that’s just the warm up. It’s the refreshing acidity and the finish of complex, green apple that really sets this wine apart And just when it seems too good to go on for much longer there is a citrus jolt of concentrated fruit and freshness, which really allows it all to percolate and fall into place. The wine was made from a blend of 84% Semillon and 16% Sauvignon Blanc, reaching 14.75% alcohol with a pH of 3.13."

WINE SPECTATOR: "An intriguing flash of mint gives way quickly to white peach, tangerine, dried pineapple and singed macadamia nut notes. Rich, but a bitter orange hint streaks through the finish, imparting terrific cut. Still youthfully raw, but there's more than enough energy and depth here for aging. Best from 2022 through 2032. 625 cases made."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."