Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, 1976 Red Wine

Description

1976 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Overview:
A mature and characterful Graves from one of the warmest and driest Bordeaux vintages of the twentieth century, the 1976 Château La Mission Haut-Brion offers a fascinating expression of this legendary estate's traditional style. Renowned for combining power, smoky complexity and longevity, La Mission Haut-Brion has produced a wine that, after nearly fifty years of ageing, displays remarkable savoury depth and tertiary complexity.

Appearance:
Deep garnet in colour with brick-red highlights at the rim, showing graceful maturity and extensive bottle development.

Nose:
Deeply evolved and complex, revealing aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, leather, forest floor and dried dark fruits. Characteristic Graves notes of wood smoke, earth, ash and cigar box emerge prominently, while traces of blackcurrant and plum still linger beneath the mature bouquet.

Palate:
Soft, harmonious and fully mature, with tannins now fully resolved and integrated into a refined, elegant structure. Flavours of dried cassis, roasted herbs, spice and smoky earth unfold alongside notes of old leather and subtle minerality. The warmth of the vintage lends a rounded, approachable character, while the estate's inherent depth and balance remain evident throughout.

Finish:
Long, savoury and complex, lingering through tobacco, cedar, smoky earth and gentle spice.

Serving:
Best served at 16–18°C. Stand the bottle upright in advance to allow sediment to settle and decant carefully immediately before serving, avoiding excessive aeration.

About the Estate:
Château La Mission Haut-Brion is one of Bordeaux's most historic and revered estates, located in the Pessac-Léognan area of Graves. Long regarded as the equal of many First Growths, the estate is celebrated for producing deeply complex and age-worthy wines with distinctive smoky, earthy and mineral characteristics. Combining concentration, elegance and remarkable longevity, La Mission Haut-Brion remains one of the great names of Bordeaux.

Condition

Top Shoulder or Better
Good Labels - Provenance: stored in a top country house cellar