La Mission Haut Brion 1988

Firm, masculine and tannic with plenty of earth, truffle, asphalt and volcanic characteristics, this burly La Mission-Haut-Brion is bordering on being monolithic/foursquare. It reveals good body as well as plenty of tannin, adequate acidity, a dark plum/garnet color, and classic La Mission terroir characteristics of smoke, scorched earth, spice, roasted meats and camphor. Neither big nor wimpish, it, like many wines of this vintage, appears to be aging nicely. While fully mature, it displays enough youthful characteristics, from its tannin to its vibrant, moderately intense fruit, to suggest it will hold up for another two decades.

Ferociously hard from cask, the 1988 La Mission is now exhibiting an attractive opulence and gobs of fruit. It has turned out to be a beautifully made, deep, full-bodied, concentrated, rich, well-structured wine that will last for 15-20 years. It is a bigger, deeper, yet softer, more concentrated wine than its neighbor, Haut-Brion. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2012. Last tasted, 6/93.