This wine has reached classic quality. It has all the hallmarks of a traditionalist Rioja, with a touch of funky flair. There’s dried black fruit, tobacco, liquorice root, and herbs, but also lively notes of plum skin, sarsaparilla, cola and fresh, ripe mulberry. This wine is stacked.

The color is bright and the aroma, while not that intense, is precise and extremely pleasing thanks to how clean and assorted it is. The bouquet has notes of blueberry, blackberry and juniper, all topped with a balsamic touch. The mouthfeel is extraordinarily soft, perhaps too much so, but fortunately this is balanced by a lively acidity. It is decidedly impossible not to like this wine.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider: "It was a close call picking a favorite here between LMHBB and HBB, but, perhaps the La Mission has just a bit more going here. The perfume is packed with honeysuckle, lemon rind, pomelo, white peaches and herbs, with a touch of spice cover all the bases. Full-bodied, rich, fleshy and deep, the wine fills your palate with wall of ripe, yellow and orange citrus, crushed rocks, mango and a dab of honey, with ample acidity to keep everything up-beat and fresh. Drink from 2025-2040." 97 Points

Discreet on the nose, notably not too many varietal notes from Sauvignon Blanc. Waxy , certain complexity, quite elegant. Round and full, with minimal acidity. Good finish with lees notion.

Ripe and fresh black fruits and plum predominate with chocolate notes and hints of tobacco leaf. It has a mineral character that highlights the smell of the earth, mixed with aromas of aromatic plants. Voluminous, full, and broad with very fine and noble tannins.

A field of violets in the background. Very fine spices, among which clove and freshly ground black pepper stand out. Subtle notes of cocoa and liquorice. An aromatic harmony that defines the great Cirsion.

The 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion was stunning from barrel, and now in bottle. It has a sublime bouquet of blackberries, briar and hints of dark chocolate and rose petals that gain intensity with aeration while maintaining ethereal delineation. It never steps on the accelerator too hard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still a veneer of new oak that will need to be assimilated over the coming years. This is a deep La Mission that caresses the mouth. Touches of graphite lingering on a finish that fans out gloriously. Is the 2016 up there with the 1955 or 1989? Nearly. Drink 2026-2066

"Violet and iris aromatics curling out of the glass, starting to reach their full expression at 20 years old. Beautifully finessed and elegant, with hints of black truffle, cloves and rich blackberry fruits, this is a vintage that showcases the best of Margaux. It took its time to reach this point but it has been worth the wait, and the wine just gets better and better over a few hours in the glass. Highlights the success of the partnership between owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos and director Paul Pontantallier, with this château delivering some of the most memorable wines of the turn of the century years in Bordeaux. (JA) " (7/2020) -Decanter (100 Points)

100 points - Jeb Dunnuck

100 points - James Suckling

99 points - Robert Parker

The Pym-Rae reveals a deep garnet-purple color and a slightly reticent, slowly emerging nose of freshly crushed blackcurrants, ripe blackberries and wild blueberries with suggestions of garrigue, red currant jelly, mossy tree bark and truffles plus wafts of bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper.

It immediately begins to impress with seductive aromatics of ripe black cherries and blackberries, which are woven together with exotic spices, tobacco, espresso, florals, gravel and savory nuances all taking shape in the glass.

A stunning wine, it possesses off the charts richness and tremendous depth that just builds with time in the glass. Inky dark fruit, plum, spice, licorice, menthol and crushed berries saturate the palate. 

The producer describes the wine as having a dark red color with a high layer. The nose is intense and features black fruit and cherry aromas, with a prominent plum scent and hints of sweet spices. The aroma also includes notes of earth and minerals. The wood used in aging is subtle and mostly hidden behind the spices. The taste is described as wide, powerful, and delicate, with a pleasant combination of sweetness and freshness. The tannins are smooth and the wine has a silky texture with notes of black plums, chocolate, and a hint of cigar box. The wine is said to be from an excellent vintage.

It is intense with fresh fruit of red profile, very delicate. A bouquet of floral notes and dine herbs. The wood is almost imperceptible, due to the use of semi-new oak barrels during the ageing. On nose is delicious, subtle and delicate, representing the freshness of a cold vintage.
Palate: Medium body, light and silky texture. Very fruity with very fresh red fruits. The tannins are very fine and fresh leaving a feeling of daintiness and softness.