The 1998 La Mission Haut Brion is the standout of the Nineties. It shows more purity and exuberance than the 1996, featuring some sumptuous scents of black cherries, black olive, freshly rolled tobacco and hints of gravel, all wonderfully defined and quite precocious. The palate is likewise sweet and ripe, offering pliant tannins and layers of blackberry, blood orange, blueberry and tobacco. It tightens up toward the finish as if to say, I'm in for the long haul. Give it a couple of hours' decanting, or cellar it for longer if you wish. (NM) - VM
VM96二月 2020