Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2007 is the Grand Vin red from this Graves Grand Cru Classé estate in Pessac-Léognan, owned by Domaines Clarence Dillon. The wine stands out for its Cabernet-led blend—48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc (as reported by Jeff Leve)—a marked shift from the estate’s more Merlot-leaning norm and a clue to the wine’s tension and savory profile.
This is also a vintage that initially “got the cold shoulder by consumers,” yet the best tasters now place it among the year’s benchmarks. Neal Martin is especially strong, calling it “one of the wines of the vintage” (95 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate). In the same note he goes further, suggesting it may be “outclassing the gaff across the road,” and highlights an “ebullient bouquet” of “vivid dark berry, … warm gravel and undergrowth,” followed by a “medium-bodied” palate with “very fine tannin,” “crisp acidity,” and “superb tension on the finish.” Martin repeats the theme at Vinous (94 points), again emphasizing its “precise structure” and “superb tension.”
Other reviewers frame the 2007 as both expressive and firmly built. Jeff Leve (93 points) finds “smoky, earthy, burning campfire embers,” plus “wet forest floor,” black cherry and blackberry, noting that “most of the tannin [is] melted away, but not completely,” with a “fresh bite of juicy cassis and tobacco” on the close.
Jane Anson (93 points) adds useful detail: harvest ran September 13 to October 5, with 70% new oak for ageing. She notes “tannins… a touch austere” early, but says the “higher acidity levels” deliver a “satisfyingly savoury character” and “cool blue fruits,” alongside “sage and black pepper spice.” She also observes “a slight dip through the mid palate,” a reminder of the vintage’s constraints—though in strong bottles, the finish and freshness are the selling points.
