A blend of 65% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 24 September and 11 October, Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that they finished on a Sunday since the risk of botrytis was so high. The pH is 3.58 with 13.25% alcohol. The first sample at the beginning of primeur was not showing well, the second much better with blackberry, bay leaf and a seaweed scents that becomes increasingly intense. Overall the aromatic profile is not powerful but quite elegant, recalling some of the lighter vintages that I have tasted in the past. The palate is medium-bodied with noticeable acidity on the entry. There is a citric freshness here with lively red cherry and dark plum fruit laced with white pepper. It is a linear La Mission, perhaps missing the peacock’s tail on the finish but composed and refreshing in the mouth. Not a bad wine by a long stretch, but there are plenty of superior La Mission Haut-Brion wines produced in recent years. Tasted April 2014. 91-93 points

This unfolds on your palate with an oyster, raspberry and stone character. It slowly opens and builds. Chewy but polished. Reserved LMHB. 95-96 points