Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The deep garnet colored 2009 La Mission Haut-Brion absolutely sings of warm red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries, liquid licorice, sassafras and espresso with hint of lilacs, pencil shavings and truffles. Full-bodied, rich, bold and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, the palate is completely packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by wonderfully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing epically long. Wow!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Powerful, full-bodied, youthful, mouth filling and packed to gills with layers of dark, red and black fruits, the wine is big. But it is also balanced, long, deep, regal and complex. Made from blending 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the finish does not seem to quit. The texture is equally dense and regal, with layer after layer of smoky, tobacco infused fruit. This is still a baby. Give it 10-15 more years and this will be a truly majestic wine."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Würzig-tabakig unterlegtes dunkles Waldbeerkonfit, ein Hauch von Velours und Valrhonaschokolade, frische Limettenzesten sind unterlegt, mineralischer Touch. Komplex, frische Kirschen, Brombeeren, feste, tragende Tannine, sehr gute Frische, rassiger Stil, Nuancen von Weichsel, dunkle Schokoladenuancen im Abgang, salziger Touch, sichereres Reifepotenzial, hat seine erste Trinkreife noch nicht erreicht. Am besten noch zwei, drei Jahre liegen lassen."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Dark, cool and sleek, this is a very sophisticated wine with great structure and polished tannins that's just beginning to give its best. The cassis and blackberry fruit is brightest on the long finish and that suggests this has great aging potential. Drink or hold."

WEINWISSER: "47 % Merlot, 47 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 % Cabernet Franc. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Das kompakte, reservierte Bouquet beginnt kühl, zeigt eine tolle Tiefe mit Trüffel, Zedern und feinen Rauchnoten, dann viel schwarze Beeren und getrocknete Heidelbeeren, insgesamt aber dominiert das Terroir die Frucht. Erhabener, mächtiger Gaumenauftritt, feine Muskeln umgeben einen geballten Körper der sich von der Aromatik her wieder fast nur im schwarzbeerigen Bereich abspielt, im massiv konzentrierten Finale dunkles Malz, Dörrbirnen, Korinthen. Ein grosser, machtvoller, klassischer Mission mit Potenzial für locker 40 Jahre."

DECANTER: "As with its sibling, Haut-Brion, you immediately get a sense of the generosity of the year here. It has a striking nose with touches of kirsch, black cherry, liquorice and dark chocolate, while the exoticism of 2009 is clear in the plush, ripe, fleshy and velvet-textured fruit. It's gourmet and well built, with plenty of life ahead of it. On the finish, a slate character does an excellent job of lifting everything up together, bringing a sense of balance and a welcome savoury bite. Exceptionally good."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Such a generous and ripe wine, with a dark core of tannins surrounded by opulent fruit. Black fruits, coffee, very concentrated flavors, a powerhouse of structure and richness. The warmth of the wine is palpable, as is the aging potential."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is forcefully rendered, with dark tar, espresso and chocolate up front, backed by dense layers of fig sauce, currant reduction and smoldering black tea leaves. There's dense flesh and great drive on the finish, which has serious grip. Best from 2016 through 2035. 6,000 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Still some blue in the crimson. Slightly cheesy nose. Then very polished and accomplished. Alcoholic heat is evident here. But it does taste as though an amazing amount of care has been lavished on it. It could already be enjoyed! Very slightly inky."