1962 La Mission Haut Brion Blanc

The 1962 Laville Haut-Brion is a rare dry white Bordeaux that I had only encountered once before. This bottle replicated that awe-inspiring performance. Still sporting that faded straw color; the 1962 has an exquisitely defined bouquet with wet wool, desiccated orange peel and that trait of damp straw that I observed before. And likewise, with aeration it appears to blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity that cuts through what feels like a thick, waxy texture. The 1962 is very concentrated, with notes of lemon curd, frangipane, bitter lemon and nettle soup, and just a little VA towards the finish. Yet you cannot deny the harmony, the panache of this superb Laville-Haut-Brion that might be just considering its downward slide. Tasted at a white Bordeaux-themed private dinner in London.