CRITIC REVIEWS
Jane Anson
Edges of grilled woodsmoke, this has character and depth, even edges of slate tannins that I have found in almost none of these wines. Soft and appealing, ready to drink, has charm and balance, and as with La Chapelle there is a sweetness to the raspberry fruit that is thoroughly appealing. One of the better choices in the vintage. 39% of production in this wine.
Neal Martin
The 2013 La Mission Haut Brion, a blend of 65% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a very pretty bouquet. It is not intense or powerful, as you would anticipate given the growing season, but it unfurls in the glass to reveal wild strawberry, raspberry and dried quince scents, augmented by dried orange peel and bay leaf scents. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin on the entry. This is fresh in the mouth, focused and in the context of the 2013 vintage, quite vivacious, full of energy, especially on the finish. While it might lack the depth, that Merlot lends it the fleshiness that lifts this La Mission Haut Brion above others.