The 1999 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is less voluptuous and expansive than the Haut-Brion, but it brings a touch more finesse as well as precision. Fully mature and drinking at point, it has classic Pessac ripe red and black fruits as well as chalky minerality, spice, tobacco, and chocolaty earth-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this wonderfully balanced, elegant, silky 1999 is just a charming, satisfying wine to enjoy any time over the coming decade or more.

Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. This bottle is showing less bravura than the one at the La Mission vertical last May. It has a relative, light leafy bouquet with dried herbs, a touch of singed leather, some mint developing with aeration that I hitherto have not noticed. The palate is medium-bodied, grainy entry, nice purity on the entry, firm tannins – good backbone here with a touch of savoury fruit towards the finish that has been shaved of the persistency it exhibited before. Foursquare but very well defined. Excellent. Drink now-2025.

I am tempted to add another point. The wine has filled out over the past few years. Medium/full bodied, soft, ripe, dark red fruits with all the smoke, thyme, cigar wrapper, wet earth and forest floor required, this is really in a great place for current drinking. The bottle was popped about one early before consumption. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=1999&wine=Chateau%20La%20Mission%20Haut-Brion

Made in a lighter style, the fully mature 1999 reveals notes of beef blood, roasted herbs, black truffles, damp earth and black currants intermixed with hints of espresso and spice box. This medium-bodied, velvety textured, lush La Mission should hold nicely for a decade in a cold cellar. - Robert Parker