1985 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 1x750ml

Vinous 93

The La Mission Haut-Brion 1985 is a vintage that I have tracked over the last couple of decades. It has a mellow bouquet of red cherries, tobacco, sage and hints of dried blood and terra-cotta – quintessentially 1985 Pessac-Leognan – and reveals light leathery scents with time. The voluminous palate is one of the fleshiest that La Mission produced that decade, and the most pliant, featuring gamy red fruit. It s just a tad diffuse toward the finish, which used to be strict and linear. Clearly a point, this is a lovely, easygoing La Mission Haut-Brion. Tasted at a private dinner in Hong Kong. [Neal Martin, 16/09/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2021-2038

Robert Parker 92

As this wine sat in the glass aerating, I began having some doubts about whether it merited a low-90s point score. I think it does, but the fact that it deteriorated more quickly than some of its siblings (even those from more challenging vintages) gave me pause. Nevertheless, I have to assume that most people will decant all of these wines (as I did) and consume them within an hour of opening. On that basis, this 1985 is clearly a low-90 point wine. The problem is that for the most part, 1985 does not have that extra level of concentration possessed by the great vintages. However, it offers a softness to go along with the fragility of the wines as most 1985s, including this La Mission-Haut-Brion, are fully mature. A dark plum/garnet color reveals a pinkish lightening at the edge, and the bouquet reveals plenty of smoke, camphor, charcoal, graphite, sweet kirsch and blacker fruit aromas intermixed with meaty, sauteed mushroom, cedar and spicy notes. The lovely aromatics are followed by flavors that do not quite match the intensity of the bouquet, a sign of a fully mature wine. This medium-bodied effort has plenty of glycerin, low acidity and not a trace of tannin. While not terribly generous, it is a soft, round, charming, delicious, very good La Mission, but not a great one. Drink it over the next decade. [Robert Parker, 01/08/2012]

Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022