2000 La Mission Haut Brion
By Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
2000 La Mission Haut Brion from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
The turn of the millennium heralded a wine that would resonate with collectors and connoisseurs alike: the 2000 La Mission Haut Brion from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. This vintage, embraced by an illustrious lineage, stands proudly among the paragons of Pessac-Leognan, deftly showcasing the masterstroke of weather, terroir, and winemaking genuineness that distinguishes it from its forebears and successors.
A Vintage Captured in a Glass
The year 2000 bestowed upon Bordeaux a harmonious conjunction of conditions that when nature’s generosity meets human artistry, yields enchantment in viticulture. The 2000 La Mission Haut Brion, cradled in a temperate growing season accented by opportune warm days and cool nights, emerged as a testament to this alchemy. As fine wine investors are well aware, such vintages carry an intrinsic value that transcends mere scarcity.
Nuance and Structure: A Symphony of Sensation
In the glass, this vintage exudes an appraisal-worthy depth of colour—a dense garnet core shadowed with age's tinge of terracotta at the rim. A constellation of aromas greets the nose: smoke-laced leather, truffle-infused game, and a fleeting suggestion of baptismal graphite. These scents pave the way to a palate performance period-specific in its orchestration—ripe cassis mingles with mature plum and tobacco nuances, underpinned by a tenacious tannic structure ensuring exceptional longevity.
Imbibing the 2000 La Mission Haut Brion unravels layer upon intricate layer; it is akin to perusing a labyrinth where each twist turns toward a deeper disclosure of flavour and finesse. This bottle not merely pours a beverage—it narrates a story wrought from Bordeaux earth.
To indulge in this wine is to participate in an extraordinary vinous heritage. For those engaging in fine wine investment, securing bottles or cases of the 2000 La Mission Haut Brion from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion amounts to more than mere acquisition—it is partaking in an iconic chapter of the Bordeaux narrative.
Market price (SGD)
$8,500.00
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
254.5
Scores and tasting notes
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate's most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #189
Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. This is backward on the nose, dense black fruits, smoke, a touch of mushroom with a slight reductive scent in the background. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins, not quite as refined as the Ausone 2000 (tasted blind alongside), good weight, rather brutish and tannic towards the finish, although it is a question of time rather than intrinsic quality. I think this is a fantastic La Mission that is just coming out of its shell and will shine in several years. Drink 2016-2045. Tasted March 2010.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Sep 2010
This is tight and beautiful, with a firm tannin structure and a beautiful silky texture. Full and concentrated, with a destiny. In the glass it keeps evolving, notes of iodine, spices, cedar, and earth tempt the senses. This still needs some time to come together. Don’t touch it until 2015.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, May 1st 2012