Château La Mission Haut-Brion’s 2021 red wine received 96 points from Wine Advocate, 95 points from James Suckling and 95 points from Decanter, confirming a well-received vintage from one of Pessac-Léognan’s most consistently praised and historically significant classified Graves estates. As a Cru Classé de Graves under the same Dillon family ownership as Château Haut-Brion and managed by the same technical team under Jean-Philippe Delmas, La Mission Haut-Brion brings a winemaking philosophy of exceptional precision and a terroir whose deep gravel soils on a south-facing plateau have produced wines of first-growth quality in the finest vintages across nearly a century of production. The 2021 Bordeaux red wine vintage was challenging and variable, with frost and mildew requiring exceptional vineyard management, but La Mission Haut-Brion’s biodynamic farming, experienced team and exceptional terroir placement produced one of the vintage’s most consistent and well-regarded Pessac-Léognan expressions.

William Kelley at Wine Advocate highlighted La Mission Haut-Brion as one of his vintage highlights for 2021 alongside Haut-Brion, Margaux, Lafleur and other first-tier estates, confirming the wine’s exceptional quality relative to the general vintage assessment. The wine is produced from a blend of approximately 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot with Cabernet Franc, reflecting the estate’s characteristic house blend that provides both the structure and concentration of Pauillac-influenced Cabernet Sauvignon and the aromatic richness and approachability of the Merlot component that has always distinguished La Mission from its more austerely Cabernet-dominant left-bank peers.

La Mission Haut-Brion 2021, at 95-96 points across three approved publications, represents an outstanding acquisition from one of Bordeaux’s most celebrated estates at a vintage that allows earlier accessibility than the very greatest La Mission years. For collectors who follow the estate comprehensively and for those who seek La Mission character and quality in a more approachable and earlier-drinking format, the 2021 is a reliable and authentic expression of this great Pessac-Léognan estate.

Deep ruby with a refined and precise nose of blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, dried herb, tobacco and the distinctive smoky-mineral depth of Pessac-Léognan’s finest terroir. Full-bodied with well-structured tannins, excellent natural acidity and a long, precise, mineral finish that reflects both the 2021 vintage’s classical character and the estate’s exceptional house standards. Best from 2026 through 2048.