2009 La Mission, Lascombes

Girl of the tour, at Haut-Brion

21/06/10

This afternoon, Bobby de Luxe, sorry, Prince Robert de Luxembourg, gives us our first opportunity to offer a first growth-equivalent. The girl on the gate didn't want to let us in (even less after we took her picture), but perseverance paid off and in - eventually - we went. Boy, was it worth the wait. The Domaine Clarence Dillon wines are often difficult to judge accurately this young but in 2009 there's simply no denying their greatness. Unfortunately this fact hasn't escaped the proprietor, and La Mission Haut-Brion emerges at a price at which, at least, it should be available. If money really is no object, then this is a must-buy.

'La Mission Haut-Brion has made so many great wines over the last 100 years, it would be stupid to say the 2009 somehow exceeds this estate's great classics, such as 1929, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, or 2005. Certainly it will take its place in the pantheon of all the great La Mission Haut-Brions ever made. There are 6,000 cases of it, made from a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. The natural alcohol hit 14.7%, which far exceeds the perfect wines of 1982, 1989 and 1990. Opaque purple in color, with an extraordinary nose of blueberry liqueur intermixed with camphor, charcoal, hints of burning embers and truffles, and loads of black berry and black currant fruit, the wine has sublime concentration and purity, a finish that goes well past 60 seconds, and not a hard edge to be found in this sumptuous, almost over-the-top, full-bodied wine of enormous power and massive density and richness. An immortal effort, it should drink well for 50-100 years! 98-100 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com

This morning's only release was Lascombes, available, but give me Brane-Cantenac any day.

We're still working on (or awaiting refusals on) Haut-Bailly, Leoville-Barton, Lynch-Bages and Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and we haven't finished buying this afternoon's Leoville-Poyferre and Montrose.

View all 2009 Bordeaux en primeur