2005 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

Inky dark in color, with its best days needing another decade or more in the cellar, what a wine! Thick, intense, dense, concentrated, powerful, and palate-staining, this is an other-worldly wine caught in its youth. The finish passes the 60-second mark and keeps on going in its seamless manner. Make no mistake, this is a future legendary LMHB that if you have the money, grab it. It is a wine for the ages. Drink from 2025-2080.

2,243 Views   Tasted Feb 4, 2024

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Perhaps more decanting would have helped. While still a beauty this was not quite as expressive or complex as other bottles. Still, it would be impossible not to find this wine seamless. It is concentrated, deep, long, luscious, rich and fresh. Primary, but obviously complex, if you can wait, and you should, give this until at least 2025, and you will be rewarded with a stellar drinking experience.

This is really far too young to open. Even with multiple hours of decanting, it remains youthful. That being said, it's stunning in every sense of the word. It's powerful, refined, intense, pure, silky and mouth fillingly dense. It has everything needed to rival and surpass the 1989 and that says a lot. Give it at least until it turns 20 however.

Stunning in every way, the wine perfectly balances intensity, incredible levels of concentration, power and purity. Mouth coating, palate staining and harmonious, this is a future legend. Still young, the tannins are so ripe, you can pop a cork now to experience the wine in its impressive youthful stage. Else you can wait decades for an incredible experience that will be hard to equal when this reaches maturity. That might take 15-20 years, but it’s going to be worth the wait.

Full bodied, concentrated and intense, the wine coats your mouth, palate and taste buds with fruit, freshness and flavor. Still young, this is all about the potential. In another 10-20 years, this will probably hit triple digits and be considered one of the wines of the vintage.

05 La Mission Haut Brion, unlike some years that are considered better for either Cabernet or Merlot, this special vintage was considered perfect for both varietals. Black, inky and opaque in color. This has one of the most compelling noses of any young wine I’ve ever smelt. Aromatics explode from the glass like an old school Playboy Bunny popping out of a cake! Incredible levels of sweet, ripe, jammy berries, licorice, black fruit, tar, exotic spices and liqueur of an amazing mélange of fruits are all over the place! Quivering in anticipation for my first sip of this supposed, mythical vintage of La Mission Haut Brion, it did not disappoint. The wine actually blows up your palate! This is pure decadence. One of the richest, most concentrated young wines I have had the privilege to taste. Your palate is coated with an endless stream of rich, ripe fruit that feels like every berry was hand polished before being crushed. This long finish was absolutely seamless. I wish I could last as long as this finish! When Bob retastes the vintage, this has to be a serious contender for a triple digit score. At first, I gave it 100, but upon reflection, decided it was not quite at the level of the profound 89, served at the same dinner. 99 Pts