This bottle of Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion was properly stored since shortly after release, had a good cork, and the fill was in the low neck.
Good medium color with a bit of age around the rim. Considerable cassis with a touch of leather and tobacco. Acidity a bit high. Perhaps just a hint of VA. Smooth. Holding well. A very good wine, but not the equal of the 70 Haut-Brion. Michael Broadbent found this wine had a bit too much acid and VA for his taste and rated it only as 2 out of 5 star. Clive Coates, although noting a little bit of VA, liked it better than Broadbent and rated it 17/20, but behind Haut-Brion at 18.5/20. I have noted that Broadbent is likely to object to high acidity before some other critics do. It also is possible that the bottles tasted by myself, Broadbent, and Coates differed somewhat, as is not unusual for a wine of this age.