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Firm, lean and structured with rich, ripe concentrated cassis, currant and plum fruit that's polished and full-bodied, finishing with vanilla and plum. The tannins are in proportion, finishing firm and dry.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Seductively rich and supple with layers of elegant plum, cherry and currant flavors that are beautifully defined before the tannins kick in on the finish. The notes linger on and on. Best from 1998 through 2009. Wine Spectator | 97 WSDark ruby/purple with some pink at the rim, this wine has a super bouquet of sweet, toasty new oak, plums, black currants, licorice, and cedar. The wine is concentrated on the palate, rich and powerful, yet atypically soft and fleshy for a 1986. While this wine should age well for another two decades, it has matured faster than many of the 1986 Pauillacs. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 3/00.Robert M. Parker, Jr. | 90 RP

The 1986 is finally emerging from the dormant stage that many of the wines from this vintage (especially the Medocs) have been going through. It is a full-bodied, still backward wine that will appeal to classicists and old line traditionalists given its firm structure and austere tannins. Nevertheless, the color is a healthy deep garnet and the wine exhibits wonderful freshness along with notes of underbrush, damp earth, black currants, cedar and new saddle leather. Well-balanced with good depth, medium to full body, and a tannic (although not excessively so) finish, this may not be the most finesse-styled, elegant Lynch Bages ever produced, but it is an interesting Pauillac that will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring. While it may never hit the peaks achieved by great Lynch Bages vintages, it will be one of those rare wines that will last 40+ years.Robert Parker | 94 RP5.3 g/l total acidity; 13.1% alcohol): Garnet-tinged dark ruby-red. Black fruits, candied red cherry, licorice, minerals, cedar and iron on the complex, still-reticent nose. Then more approachable on the palate, displaying a lovely restrained sweetness to the blackberry and blueberry fruit and excellent lift and clarity from lively acidity and solid underlying minerality. The finish features noble, fine-grained tannins and subtle persistence. An unusually accessible 1986 but very typical of the fleshy Lynch-Bages personality, this boasts lovely concentration and sneaky depth. Very well done.Vinous Media | 93 VMDark in color, with intense aromas of ripe black cherry, cedar and light herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm tannins and a medium finish. A bit lean today, but there’s lots going on here.--Lynch-Bages non-blind vertical. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Complex aromas of dark chocolate, currant and cigar box. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a mouthpuckering finish. Still very concentrated and chewy. Finishes with loads of ripe fruits, tobacco and cedar. Big and juicy wine. Give it a couple of years still.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2010. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the big surprises is how delicious this wine has turned out. It is a beautiful, classic claret. Dark ruby-colored with purple hues, it reveals aromas of dried herbs, smoke, leather, grilled meats, and copious black cherry and currant fruit. Medium-bodied, powerful, rich, and surprisingly evolved, this vintage has hit its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for another 10-12 years.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe 1988 Lynch Bages is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, plus 2% Petit Verdot that was picked at the beginning of October. It has a clean fresh bouquet with ample pure blackberry and raspberry notes, touches of graphite and tobacco, vibrant and very satisfying. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, crisp acidity, a little meatiness and cedar creeping in towards the finish and long and fresh from start to finish. This is a fine Lynch Bages from a period when Jean-Michel Cazes seemed to do no wrong. This would be one of my picks from the vintage given its market price. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Very fresh still with a licorice and floral character that turned to sweet tobacco and plums. Full and silky, with ripe and fine tannins. Wonderful to drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS

Aromas of iodine, pipe tobacco and red fruits follow through to a full body, with soft and silky tannins and intense flavors of tar, berry, and licorice. Beautiful texture too. Long and seductive. Really excellent.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 11,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA gorgeous wine and one of the vintage’s most successful efforts, Pape Clement’s dark plum/purple-colored 1988 has a nose of roasted herbs, sweet tobacco smoke, red as well as black currants, and scorched earth. The wine still has a deep ruby color, with only a hint of lightening at the rim. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with sweet but high tannin and a lot of smoke, earth, and asphalt notes. This is a chewy, very complex, aromatic, and authoritatively flavorful wine that has reached its plateau of maturity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2014. Last tasted, 4/02.Robert Parker | 92 RP

There is so much tobacco and red fruit on the nose of this wine. Exotic and decadent. Full-bodied, with a sleek and racy tannin structure and fresh acidity. Refreshing and clean, yet mature and wild. Still one of the big surprises of the vintage.—’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Beychevelle) I had not drunk a bottle of the 1989 vintage of Beychevelle in almost a decade and was very happy to find it is starting to open up beautifully and now offering a complex aromatic constellation of cassis, desiccated cherries, a touch of meatiness, gravelly soil tones, cigar ash, just a hint of chipotle pepper and a nicely discreet base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and quite tangy for the vintage, with fine focus and grip, a lovely core, modest tannins and a long, balanced and blossoming finish. Given how well Beychevelle ages, it is still relatively early days for the 1989 here, but the wine is now easing into its plateau of peak maturity and really starting to drink with generosity and breed. (Drink between 2018-2055)John Gilman | 92 JG

Very ripe and intense, delivering a leather and jam undertone and aromas of raisiny grape. Full-bodied, with soft and round tannins that have a cashmere texture. Flavors are of dried fruits, but also forest floor, leaves and autumnal things in general. A little meaty, but sweet fruit comes through. Needs drinking.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 8,700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1989 Clerc-Milon is a vintage that I have not tasted for 15 years. It offers more fruit than the 1989 d’Armailhac, displaying notes of black currant, melted tar and graphite, and just a little herbaceousness creeping in with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, dusky black fruit laced with Chinese tea, bay leaf and a touch of licorice. There is a richness emanating from the hot summer, and a slight lack of delineation toward the finish, but it also plenty of muscle and presence and an appealing hickory aftertaste. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe 1989 Clerc-Milon is a wonderfully hedonistic wine. It is deep ruby, with an intense, roasted, smoky bouquet of plums and currants. This full-bodied wine is packed with fruit, is chewy and opulent as well as very soft and alcoholic. In spite of the precocious impression, the tannin levels are high, similar in fact to the 1986. For the first time in my experience, I actually prefer the Clerc-Milon to Mouton-Rothschild! A great value. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 4/91.Robert Parker | 90 RP

I absolutely love the nose on this wine, with amazing aromas of currant, tar, spices and berries that jump out of the glass. Loads of flowers, too. So complex. Delivers a full-bodied palate, with racy tannins and lots of flavor, from tar to spices to leather. A little tight, and so enjoyable now, but better in a few years still.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 1989 Grand Puy-Lacoste is a vintage that is not seen so often these days, long overshadowed by the 1990. Now at 30 years of age, it has a lovely, elegant but intense bouquet of blackberry, black olive, cedar and a touch of mint, all beautifully defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and gentle grip, masculine and a little austere in style but not astringent. There is a light seaweed note toward the finish. This is an archetypal classic Pauillac. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 1989 Haut-Bailly is drinking beautifully, offering up aromas of dark berry fruit mingled with burning embers, spices and cedar box. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sumptuous, with a rich core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it’s a broad, supple wine of immense charm and character.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPGorgeous wine, so well crafted. Good dark-ruby color. Aromas of cherry, spice and cocoa. Full-bodied, firmly tannic and a long finish of fruit and tannins. Needs time to mellow.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 1989 Haut Bailly is a vintage that I have tasted several times, and one of my picks from the pre-Wilmers era despite some bottle variation. This is a good example, displaying quite a muted nose initially, but unfolding to reveal lovely sandalwood and sage aromas. It is much more rustic compared to the same wine nowadays, yet seductive. The palate of blackberry, black olives and cracked black pepper is quite harmonious, with satisfying depth, and after three decades, it continues to show commendable energy. While it lacks a little length, this remains a delightful Haut Bailly. Tasted at a private dinner in London.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Fabulous for a ’93. Montrose continues to make excellent wines regardless of the vintage. Rich and elegant tobacco, cherry, smoke, toasted oak character, medium to full body, fine tannins and long, flavorful finish. Better in 1998. 21,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

There can be no doubt that 1994 is generally a vintage to be forgotten for Bordeaux, particularly for the Left Bank. Incessant rain from mid-September caused huge problems in the vineyards and ultimately dilution in the wine. Though appellations such as Pomerol were spared the worst, I was surprised to find a wine from the Médoc so appealing from this year. It showed red spices such as cloves and dried mushrooms on the nose, leading to a medium body, firm tannins and a long finish. It was still pretty and fine, and you might describe it as real claret. I stumbled across it in London just before coming to Bordeaux, and later this afternoon I will be barrel tasting the 2014 release from Montrose. I’m sure it will be the better year ending in a four!James Suckling | 92 JSMontrose has been one of Bordeaux’s most consistently successful chateaux since 1989. An opaque purple color suggests a wine of considerable intensity. One of the most successful 1994s of the northern Medoc, the wine’s closed aromatics offer jammy black fruits, plums, spice, and earth. On the palate, there is impressive extract, purity, and copious amounts of sweet blackcurrant fruit nicely balanced by moderate yet ripe tannin. Medium-bodied, with excellent to outstanding concentration, this impressive Montrose should be close to full maturity with another 4-5 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020.Robert Parker | 91 RPBrooding, roasted nose is quite enticing; faint note of damp earth. Lush, sweet black fruit in the mouth; has a glyceral, mouthfilling texture. Lingering finish, with thoroughly ripe, even tannins. A lovely ’94.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 1994 Pichon-Baron is a much better wine than the previous three vintages. It has superior definition, for a start, offering scents of blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and pencil lead; a hint of black tea develops in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and quite fine tannin. The acidity lends freshness, and there is a pleasant sense of precision toward the graphite- and spice-tinged finish. Not bad at all - a success in the context of what is considered to be a mediocre growing season. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Another unbelievably rich, multidimensional, broad-shouldered wine, with slightly more elegance and less weight than the powerhouse 1996, this gorgeously proportioned, medium to full-bodied, fabulously ripe, rich, cassis-scented and flavored Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a beauty. It should be drinkable within 4-5 years, and keep for 25-30. This classic Pauillac is a worthy rival to the other-worldly 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025.Wow! What extraordinary wines Grand-Puy-Lacoste has produced in both 1995 and 1996. At present, I have a marginal preference for the blockbuster 1996, but I am not about to argue with anybody who prefers the 1995! Both are compelling wines.Robert Parker | 95 RPBeautiful aromas of currant, plum and spice. Full-bodied, with a wonderful concentration of fruit, yet silky, racy and beautiful. Hold back on this. Better than I remember.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDark ruby-red. Ripe, expressive nose combines cassis, roasted plum and coconut. Supple, very concentrated and large-scaled; actually rather backward today even if the terrific ripeness is clear to see. Quintessential firm Pauillac backbone is covered by flesh. Will rely more on its tongue-dusting tannins than its acidity to age in bottle. This wine firmed up noticeably during its second year in barrel.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

A beautiful wine, with layers of ripe fruit, berry, cedar, vanilla and light spice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Very, very classy stuff.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSomewhat closed and reticent after bottling, but still impressive, this 1995 possesses a dark ruby/purple color, as well as an oaky nose with classic scents of cassis, vanillin, cedar, and spice. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with softer tannin and more accessibility than the 1996, but not quite the packed and stacked effect on the palate, the 1995 is an outstanding textbook St.-Julien that will handsomely repay extended cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.Robert Parker | 91 RPVery good ruby-red. Currant, tobacco, game and roasted nuts on the expressive nose. Full, supple and sweetly oaky. Also wears its oak more gracefully. Very long on the finish, with ripe, tongue-coating tannins.Vinous Media | 91 VM

(Château Beychevelle) In an age of global warming, the 1996 vintage may have produced the last great Beychevelle under thirteen percent alcohol, as this wine tips the scales at a very, very civilized 12.8 percent. This is a deep, pure and very classic vintage of Beychevelle and it will take plenty of time to come around. The stunning nose offers up a beautiful mélange of roasted cherries, dark berries, cigar smoke, fresh herbs, coffee, gravelly soil tones that show a bit of iron inflection and a bit of remaining cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with a rock solid core of pure fruit, a great expression of terroir, ripe, moderate tannins, sound acids and outstanding length and grip on the still quite youthful finish. The 1996 Beychevelle offers up superb potential, but it will need at least another decade in the cellar to start to stir. (Drink between 2021-2075)John Gilman | 94 JG

The 1996 Clerc Milon was surprisingly closed on the nose, tightly wound at first but gently unfurling with scents of melted tar, desiccated orange peel and leather that are interwoven into the black fruit. I noticed a more pronounced tobacco scent developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more flesh than the 1996 d’Armailhac, spicy with cracked black pepper, Hoi Sin, bay leaf and Asian spice notes liberally sprinkled over the finish. Decant this for an hour before pouring folks.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM