2016 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac)

The La Mission Haut Brion 2016 Blanc is a blend of 62.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 37.3% Sémillon picked from 5-13 September. It has a crisp bouquet with kiwi, grapefruit and cold stone aromas, although it does not convey the vigor or complexity of the 2015, due to the lower proportion of Sémillon. The palate is well balanced with a pleasant texture; there is orange zest, lime, a touch of stem ginger and a very satisfying, quite persistent finish. It is a well-made La Mission Haut Brion Blanc that should give 10-20 years of drinking pleasure. 91-93 points

They have the weight of expectation here, of course, with this wine known to be one of the greatest whites in Bordeaux, and you can feel the battle against the summer drought. It`s still stunning though, riven with rich citrus, white pepper and soft grilled almonds, and it grips the sides of your mouth, keeping up the pace. This is the first time since it changed its name from Laville Haut-Brion where there is more Sauvignon Blanc than Sémi llon, chosen because it helped to capture the freshness. 30% of the production went into this, 40% to Clarté, and a full 30% into Clarendelle. The blend is 62.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 37.3% Sémillon aged in 37% new oak. 94 points

`It was a challenge to preserve freshness in the whites in 2016,` according to Jean-Philippe Delmas, but he certainly succeeded here. This is a focused, taut, pithy, Sauvignon-led white, with subtle oak, thrilling minerality and grapefruit and gooseberry notes. Drink 2020-30. 95 points