La Mission Haut Brion 1999

Date: 2 October 2006 National Day Holiday
Venue: Lucky(Ho Choi) Restaurant, CRC Building

The La Mission was the second wine to be tasted in the evening. Dark vibrant ruby in colour with a ripe and complex nose. Floral bouquet with blackberry, chocolate and the faintest hint of smoke. The palate was medium-bodied with sweet fruit and smooth tannins. I prefer this to the more leathery Haut-Brion although some might consider the La Mission 1999 a bit too feminine. Compare this with the La Chapelle 1999 (second wine of La Mission) which was more smoky and leathery, with less fruit and body (refer to June 22 post). I think vineyards compensate for substandard grapes by adding timber, i.e. more time in new oak barrels, in an attempt to increase complexity and depth.

Rating: excellent