In the glass
Aroma: ripe peach, honeyed lime, sappy herbs, chalk, white flowers
Palate: white peach, mineral salinity, grapefruit zest, lanolin, toasted hazelnuts
Originally sold as Laville Haut-Brion until 2009, this is among the most complex dry whites of Bordeaux. Semillon richness and Sauvignon Blanc freshness fuse with 100% new oak to produce a wine of extraordinary mineral precision and creamy depth.
What it pairs with
-
Grilled Dover sole with lemon butter
Delicate white fish and citrus butter find partners in the wine's limey freshness and creamy mineral texture. -
Scallops with cauliflower cream
Sweet scallop and the nutty sweetness of cauliflower resonate with the wine's hazelnut and peach notes. -
Poulet de Bresse roasted with cream and tarragon
Cream sauce and herbal tarragon complement the wine's lanolin texture and sappy herb character. -
Soft-shell crab tempura
The wine's high acidity and citrus notes cut through the oil of tempura while sweet crab flesh mirrors stone-fruit richness.
History
Produced at the estate since 1927 under the name Laville Haut-Brion (named after a small adjacent property), the white wine was renamed Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc from the 2009 vintage onward when the Laville name was retired. Annual production is under 1,000 cases, making it one of the rarest Graves whites in existence.
- 1927 — White wine first produced at the estate, sold as Laville Haut-Brion
- 2009 — Renamed Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc; Laville Haut-Brion name retired
Facts
- Producer
- Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion
- Grapes
- Semillon (65%), Sauvignon Blanc (35%)
- Classification
- Cru Classe de Graves (white); Pessac-Leognan AOC
- Oak
- 100% new French oak; barrel-fermented; 13 to 16 months aging; no malolactic fermentation
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Production
- 9,600 bottles
- Price
- EUR 550-750 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5-20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1927
Scores
- Wine Advocate 98 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
- Wine Advocate 97 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)