Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc 2013

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Blanc 2013

Tasting notes: The nose is enormously complex, showing subtle hints of white flowers, pineapple, lemon, and very ripe, juicy white peaches. The wine starts out with considerable acidity, and is almost tangy. This freshness gives the wine a linear structure that opens up to become much bigger and more voluptuous.

The weather: 2013 was a veritable obstacle course for winegrowers. For a start, a rainy spring upset flowering, causing coulure and millerandage. Fungal diseases were nevertheless largely contained. Summer was warm and dry, although a heavy rainstorm in July with strong winds reduced the potential crop. The harvest took place later than usual, with alternating periods of sun and rain. Very rigorous sorting (both manual and with an optical sorting machine) meant that only fruit in good condition was retained. The weather conditions throughout the growing season led to a small crop, but modern winemaking techniques and close, expert attention guaranteed the quality of the wines.