Château La Mission Haut Brion 1997
Château La Mission Haut Brion 1997 is a red Pessac-Léognan wine from Bordeaux, produced by Château La Mission Haut Brion, owned by Domaines Clarence Dillon and classified as a 1er GCC in 1855. It blends 48% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot, and 7% cabernet franc. Harvest took place from 3 to 25 September, following a September drought that facilitated picking despite heterogeneous ripeness; ageing involved 71% new oak barrels, and bottling took place in May 1999. The Wine Advocate awards it 87/100, with a drinking window from 2000 to 2012, and Wine Spectator gives 87/100, advising to wait until after 2002. Critics describe a structured profile with black fruits, tobacco, spices, minerality, and liquorice, underpinned by still-present tannins.
The bottle offered
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Packaging
- Original Wooden Case of 12
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Wine details
- Couleur
- Red
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Pessac Léognan
- Producteur / Domaine
- Château La Mission Haut Brion
- Millésime
- 1997
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Château La Mission Haut Brion
Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a Graves Cru Classé situated in Talence, within the Pessac-Léognan appellation, opposite Château Haut-Brion. Its 29.18-hectare vineyard, divided between red and white grape varieties, has been managed by Domaine Clarence Dillon since 1983. The estate takes its name from the Congregation of the Mission, or Lazarists, who administered it from the 17th century onwards.
- Owner
- Domaines Clarence Dillon
- Maître de chais
- Florence Forgas
- Surface (ha)
- 29.18 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- environ 60 000 à 70 000 bouteilles/an (grand vin rouge)
Histoire du domaine
The history of La Mission Haut-Brion dates back to the 16th century: Arnaut de Lestonnac is identified as the estate’s first owner in 1540. In 1664, Madame de Lestonnac bequeathed the property to the Lazarist priests of the Congregation of the Mission, from whom the estate took its name. They developed the vineyard and had the Notre-Dame d’Aubrion chapel built at the end of the 17th century. Confiscated during the French Revolution, the estate was sold as national property in 1792 to the Bordeaux businessman Martial-Victor Vaillant. It was acquired in 1821 by Célestin Coudrin-Chiapella, whose family, having come from Louisiana, continued to develop the estate throughout the 19th century. The château’s wines were awarded a gold medal at the Great Exhibition in London in 1862. Frédéric Woltner bought the estate in 1919; his son Henri then took over its management until his death in 1974, after which Francis Dewavrin took over. Domaine Clarence Dillon acquired Château La Mission Haut-Brion, along with the associated estates Laville Haut-Brion and La Tour Haut-Brion, in 1983. The vineyards of La Tour Haut-Brion were integrated into those of La Mission from the 2006 vintage onwards, whilst the wine from Laville Haut-Brion was renamed Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc from the 2009 vintage onwards. The estate is now owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon; Florence Forgas serves as cellar master there alongside technical director Jean-Philippe Masclef.
