Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1978

JAMES SUCKLING: "I am blown away by the intense iodine and dark fruits and roses on the nose. Full-bodied with very clear and bright fruit. Stoney. Superb quality."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "One of the top ten wines of the vintage, the glorious 1978 is a candidate for “the” wine of the vintage. Seemingly fully mature (it is more evolved than the 1975), it exhibits a dark garnet color with little lightening at the edge as well as a classic La Mission bouquet of truffles, charcoal, scorched earth, black currants, plums, figs and crushed rocks. A sweet, medium to full-bodied entry on the palate reveals totally resolved tannins, adequate acidity and uncanny richness, complexity, texture and length. This surprisingly dense, concentrated, velvety La Mission-Haut-Brion displays all the complexity of this great terroir. At the peak of its evolutionary track, it is in no danger of falling apart, but prudence suggests drinking it over the next 15-20 years."

FALSTAFF: "Oktober 1998: Dunkles Rubingranat, mit fast schwarzem Kern, klassische Nougatwürze, tiefes, saftiges Beerenaroma, am Gaumen süß, reife balancierte Tannine, ein Genusswein mit Potenzial, große Länge, hat noch viel vor sich."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Fine boned and sleek. Rich and fresh. Long and energetic."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A classic Graves red, with all the aromas and flavors you could ever want. Deep ruby in color, with earthy tobacco aromas. Has full-bodied, earthy flavors, full tannins and a well-focused finish. Drink in 1994 to '96.--La Mission-Haut-Brion vertical."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This was what classic Bordeaux is about, with all its leafy notes, cedar wood, cassis and spicy red fruits. But the tannins are tough, almost austere and the tartness, coupled with the greenery in the finish detract from the wonderful, aromatics and length."