Chateau Chapelle de la Mission 2018

SKU
CLMP201810 UCAU
  • Robert Parker: 91/100 "Wonderful freshness."
  • Decanter: 92/100 "Gorgeously finessed blueberries and blackberries are fresh and full of juice."
  • James Suckling: 93/100 "A solid second wine from La Mission with currants, blackberries and hints of fresh tobacco."
  • 1 or more bottles
    $210.00
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  • Robert Parker's
    91 points
  • Decanter
    92 points
  • James Suckling
    93 points

Editors notes

The 2018 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 40.8% Merlot, 51.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.6% Cabernet Franc, harvested September 10 to October 2.

Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with ready-for-business scents of baked blueberries, raspberry compote and warm blackcurrants with touches of fungi, yeast extract, menthol and espresso plus a fragrant waft of red roses. Full-bodied, the palate has wonderful freshness lifting the black and red fruit preserves, framed by beautifully rounded tannins and finishing on a savory note.

- Robert Parker

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Blueberry
    • Boysenberry
    • Herbal
  • Palate
    • Blue Fruits
    • Cassis
    • Graphite

Food Pairings

  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

    91
    "The 2018 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 40.8% Merlot, 51.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.6% Cabernet Franc, harvested September 10 to October 2. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with ready-for-business scents of baked blueberries, raspberry compote and warm blackcurrants with touches of fungi, yeast extract, menthol and espresso plus a fragrant waft of red roses. Full-bodied, the palate has wonderful freshness lifting the black and red fruit preserves, framed by beautifully rounded tannins and finishing on a savory note"
  • Decanter

    92
    "Gorgeously finessed blueberries and blackberries are fresh and full of juice. Not for the first time tasting these 2018s, there's the feeling that this is a 2009 but with a little more freshness. Luxurious and silky, it's perhaps a little atypical but easy to love. 3.96pH. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040"
  • James Suckling

    93
    "A solid second wine from La Mission with currants, blackberries and hints of fresh tobacco. Oyster shell as well. Full-bodied with firm and chewy yet fine-grained tannins. Driven and long."

Other vintages

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Locations

France

Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.

Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.

Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)

The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.

The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.

Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.

Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.

Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.

Pessac-Leognan

Pessac-Léognan is a small Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and subregion within the Graves AOC in Bordeaux, France. It includes one Premier Cru from the 1855 classification, as well as all of the Cru Classé properties within the Graves classification. (This classification, established in 1959, is a list based on pricing, renown, and quality – judged by tasting. Overall, 16 classified châteaux fall under the Graves classification for their red wines, their white wines, or both, and all sit within Pessac-Léognan.) The terroir in this AOC benefits from the area’s gravel soils as well as the moderating effect of the Garonne River. Pessac-Léognan has a reputation for both high-quality red and white wines, producing significantly more reds than whites. The exceptional white wines are usually blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. They are typically barrel-fermented and -aged, with many age-worthy for 10 years or more. On the nose, you’ll find pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon, and grapefruit alongside vanilla and clove notes from the oak influence. On the palate, these whites are dry and full-bodied. Pessac-Léognan reds have aromas of red berry, violet, earth, and spice, alongside mineral, nutty, and smoky notes.

About the brand Chateau la Mission Haut-Brion

The wines of Château La Mission Haut-Brion owe their success to the singularity of their terroir. The producer harvests the grapes by hand according to their ripeness, then sorts and destalks them. The fruit goes into vats during which the temperature gradually increases to initiate grape fermentation. The château makes both exceptional red and wine wines. The reds are complex, full-bodied, and rich, with the blend adapting according to the vintage. Château La Mission Haut-Brion blanc (formerly, Château Laville Haut-Brion) is a dry white wine for the initiated. It boasts the distinct characteristics of a Graves Sémillon grown on these esteemed terroirs. The 29-hectare vineyard spans land in both Talence and Pessac and sits just a few kilometres southwest of Bordeaux’s city centre. It falls under the Pessac-Léognan appellation, in the northern part of the Graves winegrowing area. The property lies opposite Château Haut-Brion and shares that renowned château’s exceptional gravelly soils. This soil sits on a unique subsoil of clay, sand, limestone, and shelly sand. Most of the vineyard plantings are red grape varieties – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc – with just more than 4 hectares dedicated to the white varieties Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

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