drink-now2007 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

With only 36% of the crop making it into the Grand Vin in 2007, there is 25% less of this wonderfully silky La Mission than in 2006. Made from a higher than normal 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot (the same as Haut-Brion) and 9% Cabernet Franc, it is wonderfully aromatic with exuberant yet elegant black cherry and dark chocolate on the nose. Beautifully-balanced, spicy plum and cassis fruit sits alongside coffee, tobacco and minerals on the palate, supported by fine, supple tannins. This remarkably intense, structured, feminine wine looks set to be one of the sleeping giants of 2007.