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Chateau La Mission Haut Brion and its Bordeaux wine vineyards became famous when Arnaut de Lastonnac and the sister of Jean de Pontac were married. In 1607, the estate changed hands. It was inherited by Ms. Olive de Lestonnac. Olive de Lestonnac eventually bequeathed the property to the Congregation of the Mission. This is where the Bordeaux wine estate earned its current moniker. This gift was not popular with other members of the family. In 1664, Catherine de Mullet made the gift official. At that point in time, the Bordeaux estate of La Mission Haut Brion became the property of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1698, a small chapel was built in the vineyards. This chapel was known as Notre Dame de La Mission. 15 years later, in 1713, the official chateau was built on the property. The estate remained the hands of the Roman Catholic Church until it was repossessed during the French revolution and later sold at a public auction.
In 1815, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion became the property of its first American owner, the Chiapelle family. At the time, the family was already involved in the Bordeaux wine trade. In fact, they knew about the business as they had managed a myriad of different estates including Chateau Cos dEstournel . The Chiapelle’s left an important mark on the Bordeaux wine estate. This remains almost untouched today. They designed and built the famous gates that guard the historic Pessac Leognan property.
Interestingly, even though La Mission Haut Brion was selling its Bordeaux wine for as much, if not more than the Second Growths , the property was not included in the 1855 Classification . In fact, Chateau Haut Brion was the only wine from Pessac Leognan included in the 1855 Classification. The Woltner family remained the owners of La Mission Haut Brion until 1983, when the estate was purchased by Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owner of neighboring, Chateau Haut Brion.
ROBERT PARKER 100 points
Tasted 11 Times With Consistent Notes. It is interesting to note that many 1959s, much like the 1982s, were maligned for lacking both acidity and aging potential. How does one explain the fact that many 1959s are less evolved, as well as richer, fresher, and more complete than many 1961s? For example, as great as the 1961 La Mission is, the 1959 is a richer, deeper-colored, more concentrated and powerful wine. It needs at least 3-5 more years of cellaring to reach its plateau of maturity. Spicy and super-concentrated, with a dense, plummy/purple color, this young, broodingly backward, formidably-endowed wine should be at its best before the end of the century and drink well for the first 20-25 years of the next millennium. Wine Advocate.October, 1994
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