No doubt this vintage of La Mission-Haut-Brion was probably overlooked once the highly publicized 1982 vintage was conceived, but this wine has always been, in my opinion, one of the stars of the vintage. It showed extremely well with a big, rich, berry, smoky-scented bouquet, medium-bodied, alcoholic, deep flavors, huge fruit, and a long finish.

1981 La Mission Haut Brion offers tobacco, truffle, earth and smoky cassis scents, Soft, supple and fully mature, the wine finishes with light black cherry and cassis flavors. This will not improve. Drink up. Tasted Dec 2010

The 1981 exhibits a more youthful purple hue to its dark plum color than any vintage back to 1970. Somewhat narrowly constructed for a La Mission-Haut-Brion, it reveals plenty of incense, blueberry, black currant and crushed rock notes intertwined with a restrained, smoky character. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh and crisp with good concentration as well as a surprising youthfulness. However, the vintage’s deficiencies – a lack of heat and maturity – show up in the wine’s modest power and concentration. The 1981 does not possess the great richness, depth and intensity of the finest vintages, but it is still an outstanding effort that has aged extremely well. It could hold up for another two decades, but there is no point in deferring gratification.

The 1981 La Mission Haut-Brion is a commendable wine for the vintage. Showing quite a lot of bricking, it has a well-defined, comparatively simple nose of sous-bois and tobacco. The palate features earthy black fruit, and though shallower than the 1982, it’s balanced with a fine bead of acidity and good precision toward the neat and tidy finish. Sure, the growing season set the limits, but this continues to drink well. Just don't approach it with lofty expectations. Tasted at a private dinner in Hong Kong.

Dark ruby nuanced colour. I tasted this blind and thought it was really very mature, bone dry, transparent and light – almost austere. Not that intense with notes of graphite. I did think it was a Pessac-Léognan and clearly not from a particularly ripe vintage. The vintage was chosen because it was the year of our marriage. This wine was not flattered by being served blind next to Cheval Blanc 1981. (JR)