WTN: 2001 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan

After last week's disappointing St. Émilion mini-horizontal, Matt wrote "Seems like you opened some pretty mediocre wines. Want to drink better stuff? Open better wine! Don't blame the vintage." Though I hadn't blamed the vintage, that still left a bee in my bonnet, so it was just too much when David had a good experience with the 01 Clos du Marquis. Frustrated, I decided to rise to Matt's challenge and went to the cellar for something much more likely to come through. It didn't .

2001 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan 13.5%
Opened an hour before pouring but not decanted. Cork looks fine. Subdued nose of cassis and vanilla. Nothing else. In the mouth, first impression is of harsh acidity, followed by a hollow mid-palate and a slightly bitter finish. Tannins are quite vivid and the alcohol seems excessive, the components disjointed and out of balance. Glimmers of classy claret but tightly wound, perhaps this is all just extremely closed. In frustration, darker thoughts emerge: perhaps my case is counterfeit (though bought from a good store in the US) or sat on an airport tarmac under the sun! Bummer. Left half the bottle for tonight, perhaps it will improve.

Drunk while watching the fourth of Truffaut's Antoine Doinel movies, in which one of the character says (twice): "if your motivation is to settle a score, it can't be art."

Have you seen a doctor? Could you possibly have early anosmia? Your comment about harsh acidity makes me wonder. Do any foods taste unusual?

I opened a 2001 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion last week and thought even it was pretty spectacular; although, its nose was also heavy on the French Oak. But the vanilla tasted so good and pure that I forgave whatever mistake the winemaker might have made.

Have you seen a doctor?

Only for too much time spent on this message board.

Could you possibly have early anosmia? Your comment about harsh acidity makes me wonder.

Only if there's a specific 2001 Bordeaux anosmia, because other vintages, appelations and nationalities have all been perfectly fine of late.

Do any foods taste unusual?

Nope. Three different cheeses had with the wine were all fine, full of diverse and correct flavors.

I opened a 2001 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion last week and thought even it was pretty spectacular; although, its nose was also heavy on the French Oak. But the vanilla tasted so good and pure that I forgave whatever mistake the winemaker might have made.

That only adds to my bitterness. Hey, wait a minute, that's it! That explains the bitter taste at the end of the La Mission...

[David M. Bueker]

Gosh that sounds either totally shut down or very mild cork taint. I've had the 2001 La Mission & loved it in the past.

Ouch, I would have expected better. That said, I would think this is about the worst possible time to open a 2001 intended for long aging. My general rule of thumb for a "serious" Bordeaux in a good but not unusual vintage (i.e. not 1986 or 2005) is either within year or at most two of release, or at earliest 12 years after vintage. I plan on drinking my 2 bottles of Haut-Brion (I don't remember tasting LMHB) in probably 2021 and either 2026 or 2031 (anniversaries).

As to 2001 in general, I think a good but not great vintage (excepting Sauternes/Barsac, where it is truly outstanding). I'd give a slight edge to Graves and Libournais over the Medoc, but it's not like 1996 or 1998 where there's a clear division, it's more about individual wines. Only 2001s I'm interested in drinking now are satellite Right Bankers, lesser modern St Emilions, and maybe lesser Cru Bourgeois. I wouldn't expect much pleasure from bigger guns. I plan on holding Magdelaine, Trotanoy, Lagrange etc till 2015 before really investigating, unless I heard reputable reports of earlier good drinking.

Sorry for the LMHB, that's an expensive disappointment.

[David M. Bueker]

Clos du Marquis is drinking well, but it's a "lesser" wine in many (if not all) respects.

Because the vintage wasn't so strong, I thought I could risk a bottle now, but will hold on to the remaining for a few more years. Luckily this wasn't so expensive at the time of release, something like $60 per bottle.