1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

Clearly better on the nose than the palate, aromatically you find a display of tobaccos, cigar box, smoke, cedar, green leafy herbs, cedar, and red currants. Full-bodied, powerful, and intense, the wine remains firm with a rustic edge to the tannins from start to finish. This is probably a modern-day example of 1928. At least that's my guess. I would really like to find out one day.

3,192 Views   Tasted Dec 6, 2021

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I do not get the reverence this wine holds with many collectors. Perhaps it's that it was at one time scored 100 Pts by Parker. But I am not seeing it. Powerful, big, concentrated and still tannic at over 40 years of age, I suppose that is saying something. But the tannins are hard, rustic, firm and a bit drying. The nose and its power are the best parts of the wine. Either lay this down for another 10-20 years, decant 4-6 hours, or, unless this is your style of wine, sell it.

Young, but not immature, this is what old school, classic Bordeaux is all about. The tannins are still there, but there is a wealth of fruit that fills your mouth and palate. Stylistically, it is a very beefy, masculine, tannic wine with a hard spine. It's amazing to think that at close to 40 years of age, another 5 years are going to add the wine, but if the bottle is well stored, those 5 more years will make this even better. Kind of makes you feel sorry for anyone buying this as a future.

This is a very good wine. But it's not one of the best wines from La Misison Haut Brion. The nose, with its smoke, truffle, tobacco, cigar box, dark cherry and spicy aroma primes your pump. But the tough, stern, austere nature of the wine on your palate lacks the same charm as the nose. Perhaps this is a classic Bordeaux lovers dream. It's a good wine. I can see the quality. But the style is not for everyone. I have a few bottles remaining. Perhaps I'll pop another when the wine hits 50.

La Mission Haut Brion An array of ripe and overripe fruits, smoke, truffle, cedar, forest floor, jam and cigar box scents capture your attention. Full bodied, powerful and still tannic, the wine offers a wall of fruit, but the equally powerful, rustic tannins gives the wine a masculine, brawny, personality that will not go away regardless of how much age the wine receives. Perhaps this is a modern day version of 1928 Bordeaux and the wine needs another 30 years in the bottle. But who has that much patience or time?

1975 La Mission Haut Brion opens with a hint of volatile acidity along with smoke, forest floor, earth, dark cherry, cassis and cedar wood aromas. Huge is an apt descriptor. The levels of tannin that remain are troubling. There is no doubting the quality of the wine. But the levels of tannin and their rustic personality detract from what would otherwise be a sensational tasting experience. 96 Pts

1975 La Mission Haut Brion remains a brute. Very powerful, concentrated, but tannic, showing an old school, toughness to the character. With more air, the wine opened, revealing a tarry, tobacco and spice filled nose. Very concentrated, tannic and intense. At close to 35 years of age, it demands another decade of bottle age before it becomes civilized. I pity the people who bought this on release hoping they could drink it while either they or the wine were young. 95 Pts

If you’re looking for elegance, don’t stop here. But if you want to experience a packed and stacked bottle of old school Bordeaux, with an austere style, you came to the right place. The wine is filled with deep, layers of fruit that take over every nook and cranny of your palate. Tobacco, earth, wet forest aromas with olives, herbs and the smell of a hot brick oven need to be experienced to believed. This is a huge, tannic, masculine, concentrated and extracted style of wine.