France · Bordeaux

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

La Mission Haut-Brion is the great rival to its neighbour Haut-Brion across the road in Pessac-Léognan, and many collectors consider it the superior wine in certain vintages. The estate was owned by the religious order of the Mission until the French Revolution, then passed through various hands before the Woltner family created its modern reputation in the mid-20th century. In 1983 the Dillon family — owners of Haut-Brion — acquired La Mission, creating one of the most remarkable double estates in all of Bordeaux. Both properties are now managed by Jean-Philippe Delmas. La Mission's 25-hectare vineyard sits on deep Günzian gravel, planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine is celebrated for its dark, brooding intensity: tobacco, smoked earth, iron, black fruits, and a distinctive petroleum-like mineral character that is immediately recognisable and intensely complex. Legendary vintages include 1955, 1959, 1961, 1975, 1982, 1989, and 2009. La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is made in tiny quantities from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and is considered among the finest white wines of Bordeaux. At auction, La Mission commands prices close to First Growth level, particularly for the greatest vintages.