Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2025

Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a renowned classed-growth estate in Pessac-Léognan, in the Graves district south of the city of Bordeaux, sister property to Château Haut-Brion under the Dillon family. The blend brings together Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sits on deep beds of gravel over clay and sand, soils that drain freely, store the day's heat and ripen Cabernet steadily, while giving the smoky, mineral signature for which the Graves is known. The wine ages eighteen months in 225-litre French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange knits the tannin and adds cedar and spice. The colour is deep ruby. The nose is classic and savoury, with smoky cassis, red currant and dark plum over tobacco, warm earth and a hint of cocoa. The palate is full-bodied and elegant, with firm but refined tannin, a mineral core and a long, savoury finish framed by oak. It has the balance to age for decades. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour or more ahead. Match it with roast lamb and game.