One of the top ten wines of the vintage, the glorious 1978 is a candidate for "the" wine of the vintage. Seemingly fully mature (it is more evolved than the 1975), it exhibits a dark garnet color with little lightening at the edge as well as a classic La Mission bouquet of truffles, charcoal, scorched earth, black currants, plums, figs and crushed rocks. A sweet, medium to full-bodied entry on the palate reveals totally resolved tannins, adequate acidity and uncanny richness, complexity, texture and length. This surprisingly dense, concentrated, velvety La Mission-Haut-Brion displays all the complexity of this great terroir. At the peak of its evolutionary track, it is in no danger of falling apart, but prudence suggests drinking it over the next 15-20 years.