The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Bordeaux Blend is a distinguished red wine from the Pessac-Léognan sub-region of Bordeaux, France. Produced by La Mission Haut-Brion, this wine is crafted from a blend of 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17.7% Cabernet Franc. The wine's production involved a relatively long picking period, from September 5th to October 5th, with only 42% of the harvest making it into the grand vin.
James Suckling awarded this vintage an impressive 98 points, praising its "classy mouth-feel and length" and describing it as having a "texture of fine silk and finesse." He notes the presence of "blackcurrants, lead pencil and crushed stone at the end," emphasizing the wine's layered and textured finish (jamessuckling.com, April 2024).
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, through Yohan Castaing, gave it a score of 96 points. Castaing highlighted the wine's "aromas of ripe red fruits, dark wild berries, spring flowers, burning embers and lilac," and described it as "rich and concentrated," with a dense core of fruit supported by firm tannins (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, April 2024).
Vinous reviewer Neal Martin rated it 95 points, noting its "brightness and verve" with a "wonderful bouquet" of red and black fruit. He found the wine "amazingly well-focused" and suggested it would drink earlier than the 2022 vintage (Vinous, April 2024).
Jane Anson awarded it 96 points, describing it as "savoury, concentrated, full of lift and vibrancy," with "powdery chalky tannins" and layers of "lush ripe red and black fruits" (janeanson.com, April 2024).
Decanter praised the wine with a 97-point score, commending its "generously scented nose" and "lovely high aromatics." They noted the wine's structure and tannins, describing it as "serious, but in no way austere," and "polished and sophisticated" (Decanter, April 2024).
Jeff Leve gave it 97 points, highlighting the "vibrancy to the fruits" and the "depth, length, and volume" of the wine. He emphasized its "easy-going elegance" and balanced nature (TheWineCellarInsider.com, April 2024).
Jeb Dunnuck awarded the wine a perfect 100 points, calling it "one of the finest wines in the vintage." He praised its "remarkable purity," "full-bodied richness," and "fine-grained, sweet tannins," describing the balance and opulence as "something to behold" (jebdunnuck.com, May 2024).
Lastly, The Wine Independent's Lisa Perrotti-Brown gave it 98 points, noting its "deep garnet-purple color" and "full-bodied palate." She highlighted the "ripe, opulent black fruit and exotic spices layers," with a finish of "epic length" (The Wine Independent, May 2024).
Overall, the 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion is a highly acclaimed vintage, noted for its elegance, depth, and refined structure.