This particular bottle of the 1966 La Mission was not marked by volatile acidity, as had been the case with the last bottle I tried of this wine and which I reported on back in the article on the ’66 clarets several years...
This particular bottle of the 1966 La Mission was not marked by volatile acidity, as had been the case with the last bottle I tried of this wine and which I reported on back in the article on the ’66 clarets several years ago. Consequently, it was a step up in quality and really proved to be a lovely example of the vintage, offering up a complex and very classic nose of cassis, chipotle pepper, dark berries, singed cigars, herb tones, a beautiful base of dark, La Mission soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully focused, with tangy acids, a fine core of fruit, melting tannins and great length and balance on the black fruity, soil-driven and ever so slightly, horsey finish. A lovely and fully mature vintage of La Mission.