To bring out the best in a bottle of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a few precautions are in order. The wine benefits from being opened and decanted between one and three hours before serving for recent vintages, allowing the tannins to soften and the bouquet to fully unfold. The ideal serving temperature is between 16 and 18°C. At the table, this great red from Pessac-Léognan finds its natural pairing with noble red meats — roasted milk-fed lamb, rib of beef, veal fillet — as well as with preparations featuring truffle or mushrooms. Hard, aged cheeses, such as a well-matured Comté, also make a harmonious match with the complexity of the wine.