I have a thing about well aged La Mission. I love the combination of dark fruit with flavors of cedar and tobacco. But on the night, this wine had more aromatics and showed aged fruit dominated by the expected notes of earth, cedar, leather and tobacco. It is well-balanced and ends in a medium to long finish, but it is also more mature than other bottles I have had. And to make matters worse, the Gemello stole its limelight, by being more Graves than the Graves itself. 93 points.

Very good medium red. Redcurrant, plum and tobacco aromas show a somewhat cool, primary quality. Dense and still rather youthfully tight in the mouth; offers a supple texture but comes across as distinctly less sweet than these other vintages of La Mission. Tannins are lively and harmonious, but the finish shows the dry edge that characterizes the 1975 vintage. Still developing. Drink now through 2030.