Wine Ratings

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There is no question that Leoville Poyferre was not making wines at the level of quality they have since 1990. That said, the 1982 is a great wine, no doubt because of the vintage rather than the winemaking at that time. A brilliant effort, it boasts a dense purple color as well as a sweet, flowery bouquet revealing plenty of creme de cassis, plum, and cherry notes, stunning concentration, a boatload of power, sweet tannins (the sweetest and easiest to taste among the St.-Juliens), and a long finish. Although close to full maturity, it has at least 20-25 years of life remaining. Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 1982 Léoville Poyferré has long been one of my favorite Saint-Julien wines, and this does not disappoint. Dark in color, it has a gorgeous bouquet of mulberry, raspberry, melted tar and rose petal aromas, and a little exoticism courtesy of a dab of fig. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and quite dense black fruit that merges with blue fruit in the latter half. There is fine backbone to this Saint-Julien, which reveals cedar and graphite toward the fresh, convincing finish. Bottles are just reaching their peak, while large formats will last many more years. Tasted blind at "Xmas" lunch in London.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Leoville-Poyferré) The 1982 vintage at Château Leoville-Poyferré has always been one of the reference point vintages for this property during its last stage of classical wines, prior to Michel Rolland being invited in to consult here in the 1990s. The wine showed beautifully at our recent ’82 St. Julien tasting, offering up impressive soil signature on both the nose and palate and plenty of the vintage’s superb fruit tones. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a fine blend of red and black cherries, cigar ash, a complex and classy base of soil tones, well done toasty new oak and a lovely touch of spice in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and focused, with a fine core, impressive transparency, melting tannins and excellent balance on the very long and suave finish. A lovely wine. (Drink between 2018-2050).John Gilman | 94 JGLike inhaling a much-loved leather jacket the morning after a cigar-soaked evening. Perhaps the 1983 vintage is showing just a whisker better at the moment, but this has that generosity of spirit that you expect in a 1982 wine. Dried herbs, leather, cigar box, with the cassis and raspberry notes now fully turned into bramble and hedgerow — similarly the colour has changed around the edges. Probably a yield of 60hl/h, as both 1982 and 1983 were extremely abundant vintages. This was re-corked in 2014. Drinking Window 2018 - 2025.Decanter | 92 DECA gorgeous wine, and still holding back. A beautiful, perfumed red, with cherry, floral aromas. Full-bodied, very velvety, with a lot of fruit and a lovely structure. Will improve.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

"The harvest lasted 16 days from the 16th September," proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned about the 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Medium brick colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notes of Black Forest cake, preserved plums and mincemeat pie with hints of cigar box, star anise, eucalyptus and espresso plus wafts of roasted nuts and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, generous and opulent, the palate has beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of youthful fruit, finishing with epically long-lasting layers of preserved black fruits and exotic spices.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe finest bottle I’ve had of this wine (which came from the estate), the 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou continues to drink brilliantly and is a magical Saint-Julien. Still healthy ruby hued with a mature yet insanely complex bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, cedary herbs, graphite, tobacco, and forest floor, it’s powerful yet seamless on the palate, with resolved tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. This is mature Bordeaux in all its glory. Drink bottles any time over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou) The 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou remains one of the very finest wines of the vintage on the Left Bank and it is just now starting to blossom properly and hit on all cylinders. The bouquet is pure and displays First Growth depth and complexity, soaring from the glass in a fine constellation of sweet cassis and dark berries, a very complex base of gravelly soil tones, Cuban cigar wrapper, gentle smokiness and a deftly turned base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with stellar focus and balance, still a touch of ripe tannin perking up the backend and a very, very long, refined and complex finish. This is a great, great vintage of Ducru that may one day rival the near perfection of the 1961. (Drink between 2018-2075).John Gilman | 97 JGThis is a wine that I had forgotten about. It shows beautiful sweet tobacco, flowers, and currants on the nose. It’s full body, silky with fine tannins. It’s ready and pretty. Served from imperial bottle.James Suckling | 93 JSThis Ducru ’82 has always been a beauty. Dark ruby in color, with a slight amber edge. Very fresh and floral, with loads of berry and rose character. Medium-bodied, with a good balance of soft tannins and a caressing finish.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This wine shows fabulous aromas of stones and flowers with dried fruits and spices. It’s subtle yet full with ultra-fine tannins and a gorgeous, long finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 97 JSA consistently spectacular 1982, this wine provided sumptuous drinking the first 5-6 years after bottling. Since the late eighties the wine has become more structured without losing any of its power, fat, or concentration. It is capable of lasting at least another decade, although I will not quibble with any readers who can no longer defer their gratification. The dense color reveals no amber. Young, primary aromas of black fruits, toasty oak, crushed stones, and flowers dominate the wine’s moderately intense nose. Thick, rich, full-bodied, and multi-dimensional, this is unquestionably the most concentrated Canon I have ever tasted. This large-scaled, super-rich, sweet wine is one of the rare Canons that possesses more depth of fruit than tannin. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2018. Last tasted, 12/02Robert Parker | 94 RP(Château Canon) The 1982 vintage of Château Canon continues to drink beautifully and is really one of the more flamboyant vintages I have ever tasted from the property. The superb bouquet jumps from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, menthol, a hint of nutskin, a beautifully complex base of limestone soil tones, woodsmoke and a touch of toasty oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and very sappy at the core, with excellent focus and grip, melting tannins and a very long, voluptuous and classy finish. A complete, very complex and utterly marvelous Canon. (Drink between 2018-2050).John Gilman | 94 JGShows mint, black tea, [i]sous-bois[n] and sandalwood notes that are distinctive and alluring. Long and refined on the finish, with supple black cherry and boysenberry fruit gliding throughout. Wins mostly on aroma, but there’s still sneaky depth and length here. Lovely.—Non-blind Canon vertical (December 2016). Drink now through 2022.Wine Spectator | 93 WSUnfortunately, the magnum of 1982 Canon poured at dinner was not showing well, though another bottle tasted in Bordeaux attests a decent Saint-Émilion in a period when the estate was long overdue investment. Fully-mature, the nose does not possess the vigour of say, the 1982 Figeac, though there are pleasant hung gamey notes and a scent of a Tuscan delicatessen. The palate has a nice mouthfeel, quite fleshy with tobacco and leather-tinged red fruit; the finish is still quite rustic but with charm in spades. A fine Canon, though not top-flight, and bottles should be drunk soon.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A massive wine that is clearly of first-growth quality in this vintage, the 1982 Gruaud Larose remains a youngster. A broodingly dense, thick, unctuously textured, inky/plum/garnet/purple color offers up scents of beef blood, steak tartare, cassis, herbs, tobacco, and underbrush. One of the most concentrated wines of the vintage (as well as one of the most concentrated Bordeaux’s I have ever tasted), it is a huge, full-bodied, weighty, rich wine whose tannins are getting silkier and silkier. It appears set for another 30-40 years of life. This behemoth is a singularly profound example of Gruaud Larose that continues to justify its legendary status. Anticipated maturity: now-2050.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 1982 Gruaud Larose has long been one of my favourite Saint Julien wines from that vintage. From magnum, the exquisite bouquet of black fruit, leather and hints of game and antique bureau is fully mature yet vigorous and so joyful. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins that have melted in recent years. Here, there is more red than black fruit, suffused with tobacco, sage and cedar notes, impressive in terms of grip and fanning out gloriously towards the finish. Bottles with sound provenance are à point and will continue to give pleasure for another 20, perhaps 30 years. Tasted at the Lafaurie-Peyraguey vertical in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 95 VMOne of the best wines ever made at this estate. Dense ruby color with a slight amber edge. Intense grape, berry and raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins and a long, ripe fruit and mineral aftertaste.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Gruaud-Larose) The 1982 Gruaud-Larose is just starting blossom at age thirty and is a lovely example of the vintage. The deep and complex bouquet offers up a black fruity mélange of cassis, a bit of spiced meat, cigar ash, dark soil tones, a touch of petroleum jelly, nutskins and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and just coming out of its adolescent phase, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe tannins and lovely length and grip on the modestly tannic and impressively tangy finish. For purists, there is a touch of brettanomyces here that they may find off-putting, but it is quite modest and I have no problem with this level of brett in a wine. (Drink between 2015-2065).John Gilman | 93 JG

This wine appears to be on steroids. The color is a dense opaque purple. The bouquet offers up notes of chocolate, espresso beans, smoke, iron, earth, and copious quantities of black jammy fruit. Thick, intense, succulent, full-bodied, and powerful, it remains 7-8 years away from full maturity. It should last 30+ years. An amazing accomplishment, the 1982 La Tour-Haut-Brion is the last profound wine produced at this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030. A legendary effort!Robert Parker | 99 RPA subtle yet rich wine. Dark red, with an inky center and an amber edge. Beautiful cigar-box, berry and cherry aromas. Full-bodied and very ripe, with sweet fruit and wonderful autumnal flavors. Long, with silky texture.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now. —Wine Spectator | 94 WSSaturated red-ruby. Slowly developing, highly expressive aromas of cooked plum, leather, tobacco, road tar and earth. Then silky and lush in the mouth, with compelling fat and texture. Remains just this side of roasted, thanks to sound acids and a medicinal note of menthol. Thick and impressive wine, finishing firm and gripping, with solid, ripe tannins. Serious juice.Vinous Media | 91 VM

This was tasted from magnum as it is the only format I have left in the cellar. Some noticeable bricking and amber at the edge are followed by stunning aromatics of loamy soil, underbrush, kirsch, and oak as well as floral undertones. There are no hard edges to be found in this silky wine, just plush notes of jammy black cherries, plums, figs, earth, and spice. Broad and full-bodied with fully melted tannins, good minerality, and a long finish, this is one of the finest l’Arrosees ever made. It has been mature for at least a decade, but shows no signs of falling apart. It will keep for at least another decade. Release price:($140.00/case)Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 1982 L’Arrosée has a youthful bouquet with fireside hearth and roasted chestnut aromas. It’s a little rustic yet utterly charming. The palate is medium-bodied and quite confit-like, with fine tannins and raspberry, sage and cedar notes toward the finish. Judging by this bottle, I would drink this Saint-Émilion sooner rather than later. Tasted at the WIMPS X-mas lunch at La Trompette.Vinous Media | 91 VMYou’ve got to like this juicy 1982. Seriously young color, with chocolate, cherry, berry and earth character. Medium-bodied, with a silky, fine finish. Caressing.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

(Château La Lagune (Haut Médoc)) Though La Lagune is listed as a wine from the Haut Médoc, I have always thought of it as really a wine from Margaux, as it lies just outside of the communal boundary there and stylistically, shares much with the wines of Margaux. The 1982 vintage of La Lagune remains the very finest year I have ever tasted from this consistently outstanding property. Today the wine is drinking at its apogee, but still has decades and decades of life ahead of it, with the superb bouquet offering up scents of black cherries, cassis, French roast, cigar ash, some gently roasted fruit elements, dark soil and a touch of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and absolutely velvety on the attack, with a sappy core, lovely focus and grip and a long, meltingly tannic and opulent finish. (Drink between 2016-2040).John Gilman | 94 JGUnquestionably the greatest La Lagune until the 2005 was conceived, the 1982 exhibits a dense ruby/purple-tinged color along with a big, sweet bouquet of black cherries, licorice, smoky toast, and forest floor, a plush, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and sweet tannin. It is close to full maturity, and should keep for another decade. Robert Parker | 92 RPVery dark garnet-red, with an inky center. Ripe berry and tobacco aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with tobacco, raspberry and light toasted oak flavors. Silky finish. Outstanding, if not quite as impressive as I anticipated.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

I loved this bottle of 1982 Cos d’Estournel, and it was easily the best bottle I’ve had of this wine, which has always shown slightly tired and over the hill for me. It shows classic, even youthful notes of lead pencil, currants and saddle leather, was full-bodied, had beautiful depth of fruit, and a great, great finish, all pointing to a fully mature yet grand Saint Estephe. Drink up.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a silky finish. It appears to have hit full maturity, but it can easily be held in a cold cellar for another 10+ years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 1982 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. I have always fallen for the aromatics of this 1982: roasted chestnut and a touch of aniseed that combines effortlessly with the melted red berry fruit, touches of tar developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, perhaps not quite as extravagant as it showed a few years ago, but there is genuine depth and grip here. There is that lovely savory, lightly spiced finish and a very persistent aftertaste that is thoroughly enjoyable after 36 years. This is a wonderful 1982 that will give pleasure for many more years. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 95 VMBuilt for aging. Very dark ruby in color, with a garnet rim. Dried flower and berry aromas. Full-bodied and very solid, with masses of fruit and tannins. Still has plenty of time to go.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Smoky, floral and fabulous. Violet-edged, this stands out over the 1982 for its complexity of aromatics and flavours. Brambled blackberry notes meld with soft leather and liquorice, all perfectly finessed. Harvest 28 September until 13 October, around one week later than the 1982. A touch of Petit Verdot finishes up the blend. Peter Sichel, who was making the wine at the time, was convinced straight after harvest that the 1982 was better than the 1983. ’He was right,’ says Thomas Duroux today. Certainly sugar levels were a touch higher than the previous year, and the fruit character generous from the earliest years. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045.Decanter | 100 DECThis wine goes from strength to strength, and is certainly a candidate for “wine of the vintage.” It has surpassed even Chateau Margaux in recent tastings. The color is an opaque plum/purple. The wine has a fabulously complex nose of smoked duck, white flowers, cedar, Asian spice, creme de cassis, melted licorice, and espresso. Super-concentrated, very powerful, full-bodied, and huge, this is undeniably, one of the biggest, most concentrated, and powerful Palmers made in the last 40 years. The wines has thrown off the rugged tannins that were so prominent during its first 10-15 years of life and has become increasingly seamless and compelling. Potentially this wine remains the most extraordinary Palmer after the 1961. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, 10/02.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis is one of the all-time greatest Palmers for its complexity and finesse. Intense aromas of smoked meats and dark fruits plus hints of tobacco meet a silky, almost buttery texture of great yet beautiful concentration that combines in superb balance with a plateful of fruit and still mouthwatering acidity. The tannins are round and fat, and the finish is long and mesmerizing. This is crying out to be drunk now, yet the persistent acidity should provide for at least another 10 years of possible cellaring.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 1983 Palmer is also fully mature yet has plenty of fruit, length, and a seamless, elegant personality that’s truly magical. Black currants, forest floor, spice-box and tobacco notes all emerge from this silky, refined beauty that still has terrific mid-palate density and awesome length. It’s not going to get any better but should easily keep for another 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD(Château Palmer (Margaux) served from magnum) This particular magnum was served with dinner after a full afternoon spent tasting through Klaus-Peter Keller’s brilliant range of 2018ers, so it was just icing on the cake! This is another legendary vintage at Palmer and it always lives up to its exalted reputation, with this magnum absolutely singing on both the nose and palate. The bouquet soars from the glass in a refined blend of mulberries, black cherries, cigar wrapper, summer truffles, a beautiful base of gravelly soil tones, violets and a touch of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and sappy at the core, with seamless balance, perfect focus and grip and a very, very long, vibrant and utterly suave finish. This is starting to really show the classic Palmer velvety texture on the palate, but out of magnum, this is synthesized to a beautifully refined structural chassis that gives the wine outstanding backend lift. Great juice. (Drink between 2019-2075).John Gilman | 96 JGAn outstanding Palmer, firm and solid, with great dark color and fresh plum aromas and flavors with a hint of new wood. Drinkable now, but better after 1996.--The Bordeaux 50.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

(Château Pichon-Lalande) While I have been a big fan of the 1985 vintage in Bordeaux for many years and have written quite a bit about these wines in recent times, I had not tasted a bottle of the 1985 Pichon-Lalande since I cannot remember when. I sold this wine right out of the blocks in my merchant days and always liked it well enough, but in my formative years, I found it a bit too “weedy” and did not end up cellaring it for my own collection. I think this was the only vintage of Pichon-Lalande I did not buy for my cellar in that era, as I started laying in the wines with the 1981 vintage and bought them every year (even the 1984 and 1987) up through the 1989, before my buying habits (and my more limited cellar budget in those days) turned towards Burgundy. But, I skipped the 1985 and that was too bad, as the wine has aged quite beautifully and is now drinking with great style and grace. The bouquet is a superb blend of cassis, dark berries, coffee, cigar wrapper, a dollop of fresh herbs, gravel, black tea and toasty oak. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and beautifully complex, with a good core of fruit, lovely soil signature, melted tannins and fine length and grip on the very classy finish. This is not a powerful vintage of Pichon, but it is an utterly complete one! (Drink between 2019-2045).John Gilman | 93 JGQuite ripe, with flavors of plum cake, warm pain d’épices, mint, Christmas pudding and fruitcake embedded in mulled currant and fig fruit. Offers a long, coffee-tinged finish, alluring ripeness and an easy structure.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2025.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAn intensely fragrant bouquet of weedy cassis fruit, toasted bread, and smoke is evolved and developed. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and smooth, with flavors of jammy black fruits and herbs. The finish is lush and silky. This wine has not yet begun to close up and I am beginning to doubt whether it will. A seductive-styled Pichon Lalande, it should drink well for another 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 91 RP

A beautiful L’Evangile and one of the vintage’s top successes, the color still retains a very dense ruby/purple with only a bit of lightening at the edge. A classic nose of liquid intermixed with black raspberries., blackberries, licorice, and a hint of truffle jumps from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, very concentrated, well-balanced, sweet, authoritatively powerful yet at the same time elegant wine. It has reached full maturity , where it should rest for some time to come. Anticipated maturity: Now-2017. Last tasted, 11/02.Robert Parker | 95 RPDeep red. Multidimensional nose melds red berry liqueur, milk chocolate, underbrush, truffle and smoke; seemed to shut down in the glass. Lush, silky and sweet, with sneaky ripe acidity giving the flavors clarity and penetration. Still a bit youthfully tight on the back end, but vinous and long. Drink now through 2015.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Château l’Evangile) The 1985 l’Evangile has long had a stellar reputation, as this was the first vintage at the estate after its purchase by Lafite-Rothschild, and this most recent bottle at our October tasting showed beautifully. The deep, pure and flamboyant nose jumps from the glass in a blend of roasted plums, black cherries, mocha, herb tones, a dollop of cigar smoke and plenty of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave and velvety on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, melting tannins and excellent length and grip on the focused and very classy finish. A lovely vintage of l’Evangile that is making good on the considerable promise of its youth, but is certainly a bit more polished in style than the wines made here prior to the sale to Lafite. (Drink between 2014-2035)John Gilman | 93 JGRich yet elegant with very deep, concentrated black currant and herb flavors and smoky tannins; long-term potential.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThere is a delicious greenness to this wine with green tea and green coffee bean. Hints of plum, too. Some herb and smoke. Medium body, soft and easy. Old style Bordeaux. Needs drinking.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 1986 is the most tannic, as well as the largest-framed Pichon-Lalande in over three decades. Whether it will ultimately eclipse the 1982 is doubtful, but it will be longer-lived. Dark ruby/purple, with a tight yet profound bouquet of cedar, blackcurrants, spicy oak, and minerals, this full-bodied, deeply concentrated, exceptionally well-balanced wine is, atypically, too brawny and big to drink young. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2015 Last tasted, 6/93.Tasted 7 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 1986 Pichon-Lalande has long been one of the standout wines of the decade, and served blind, this suggests that it might have the 1982 in its sights. In many ways, it is the twin brother of the Cabernet-driven 1996. It bolts out of the stable doors with intense blackberry and cedar aromas – pure Cabernet – and reveals touches of mint with time. The palate is medium-bodied and thankfully less obdurate than a decade ago; the tannins have mellowed in recent years and secondary notes of sage and graphite are now more expressive. I once described the 1986 as "broad-shouldered." It remains just that, but it has learned some grace and manners. This is a clear high point for the estate. Tasted blind at lunch at The Glasshouse in London.Vinous Media | 95 VMJuicy, fleshy and showy, with warm plum sauce, melted black licorice, espresso, cocoa powder and black currant confiture notes all melded together, yet clearly defined. The smoldering, tobacco-fueled finish expands steadily with air. A wine of power and range that is just hitting its stride.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMarvellous old Bordeaux with delicate cassis, graphite, and faded violet nuances. A legendary wine for this estate, equal to the 1982 but ageing better. Drinking Window 2014 - 2020.Decanter | 95 DEC(Château Pichon-Lalande) Three years have passed since I last drank a bottle of the 1986 Pichon-Lalande and time seems to have not touched this wine at all since that time! This remains one of the most structured great vintages of this property that I have ever tasted, and though its ultimate quality is assured, it is still not yet ready to drink at age thirty-three! The bouquet is superb and starting to blossom nicely, offering up a refined blend of cassis, black cherries, currant leaf, dark soil tones, coffee, cigar smoke and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full and rock solid at the core, with lovely detail and delineation, still a firm spine of well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and lovely length and grip on the nascently complex, but superb finish. I have loved this wine’s potential since I first tasted it all the way back in 1988, but it is still in climbing mode and deserves further bottle age to allow the tannins to start to really fall away. Like the 1996 Pichon, the balance here remains impeccable and one simply will have to wait a bit longer for the tannins to finally start to fall away. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 94+ JG

A great effort from Rauzan-Segla and one of the finest wines made at the estate in many a decade, this youthful, exhilarating effort still reveals a dense ruby/purple color with no signs of lightening. Tasting more like a 5 to 8-year-old wine than one that is already 16 years of age, this wine reluctantly offers up a nose of liquid minerals intermixed with tobacco, smoke, black currants, melted licorice, and hints of blueberry and compost. Very full-bodied but still exceptionally tannic in an intense, concentrated, very delineated style, this wine remains an infant in terms of its development. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2040. Last tasted, 3/02.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 1986 Château Rauzan-Ségla continues to deliver on all of its early promise and is one of the loveliest of the Left Bank wines of this vintage. This most recent bottle was getting close to its plateau, but still deserves at least a few more years to soften up a bit further. The bouquet is already gorgeous, jumping from the glass in a fine blend of black raspberries, cassis, cigar smoke, dark soil tones and a fine framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impeccably balanced, with a fine core of sweet black fruit, lovely soil signature, ripe, seamless tannins and a long, complex and focused finish. This is certainly approachable with half an hour in decanter right now, but just a little bit more patience will really let it blossom completely. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 93 JGThe 1986 Rauzan-Ségla is tasted from two bottles, the first showing a little oxidation. The second is similar to my note taken at my 30-Year On retrospective. Picked between 1 and 21 October, it is quite youthful at first, it clearly has more energy and focus, more cohesion than either the 1983 or 1990: blackberry, melted tar and smoke, hints of iris and violet emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, structured and dense like many 1986s but with a fine bead of acidity. This feels solid and almost Pauillac-like with huge insistent grip on the finish. Excellent, but one for those that enjoy traditional classic Claret. Tasted at the Rauzan-Ségla vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

This was a vintage that remained tight and closed for a long time. They are just starting to drink this at the chateau apparently, as Salin says it is their dinner wine right now. The salinity is coming through, giving a sappy grip through the mid palate, the effortless racy elegance of an older Cabernet Sauvignon with its truffles, smoked cedar, its grilled black fruits. Colour wise this is very much still intact, just a slight bricking at the edges. A lovely example of how you should never give up on wines from great estates – there will always be a moment when the terroir will out, as we saw on recent tastings of the 1975. The 1988 is certainly having one of those moments, and its long finessed finish should be savoured. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon.Decanter | 96 DECBroodingly backward and in need of considerable bottle age, the 1988 is a classic expression of Lafite. This deeply-colored wine exhibits the tell-tale Lafite bouquet of cedar, subtle herbs, dried pit fruits, minerals, and cassis. Extremely concentrated, with brilliantly focused flavors and huge tannins, this backward, yet impressively endowed Lafite-Rothschild may well turn out to be the wine of the vintage! Anticipated maturity: 2000-2035.Robert Parker | 94 RPTasted blind, the 1988 Lafite-Rothschild surprises everyone by surpassing both the 1989 and 1990. It has that unmistakable classic nose of pencil lead and cedar, less primary fruit than that aforementioned pair, yet greater precision, more focus and more class. The palate is both clean and precise with exquisite balance, fine tannins, cedar and tobacco infusing the black fruit with pencil lead notes becoming more accentuated towards the finish. It has been a while since I last tasted the 1988 and to be honest, I cannot remember it being this good. But now, of the three vintages that tailend the decade I would choose the 1988 Lafite-Rothschild. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the property.Vinous Media | 94 VMBeautiful and subtle on the nose, with mineral, berry, licorice and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a pretty balance of fruit and mint. Long and caressing. Real claret here. Everyone talks about 1989, but this is very close in quality.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now.Wine Spectator | 94 WSI always loved the 1988 and this is a pretty bottle with finesse and wonderful length, showing the uniqueness of Lafite. Medium body, ultra-fine tannins and a refined and polished finish. The subtle currant, tobacco and Spanish cedar shows through here. Perfect now.James Suckling | 94 JS

Berry, cherry and chocolate on the nose, with hints of spices. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a spicy, cedary, dark chocolate aftertaste. Very silky and caressing. Grabs your attention. Muscular for Cheval. Overlooked by many Cheval fans.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 12,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(40 h/h; 12.5% alcohol): Bright red. Very pure floral nose with enticing aromas of redcurrant, violet, minerals, licorice, lead pencil and coffee: very cabernet franc! Then linear, pure and juicy, with pristine flavors of red berries, dark plum, minerals and coffee. This midweight finishes clean and smoothly tannic, offering amazing balance and an impression of seamlessness on the long, very floral finish. As much as I like its pure aromas and flavors, I find this Cheval Blanc lacks a little density for an even higher score. This was an overall dry and cool year, with some rain present only in the first part of the year, which caused some mildew pressure. The dry conditions started at the end of July and never really let up; from July to September, there was less than two inches of rain. Flowering was late, taking place on June 10, and veraison on August 20. Harvested during the first ten days of October.Vinous Media | 92 VM

(Château Pichon-Lalande) 1988 is a vintage of good, but hardly remarkable ripeness, and in the context of all the other stellar vintages in this decade in Bordeaux, it stands out a bit stylistically. However, at least with the Pichon-Lalande, the 1988 is hardly a weak link and the wine is outstanding in its very classical styling and proportions. The bouquet offers up a lovely, cool fruit blend of cassis, dark berries, menthol, tobacco leaf, gravel, cigar smoke and a judicious foundation of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure and impeccably balanced, with a good solid core, melting tannins and fine focus and grip on the long, complex and very classy finish. This does not have the exotic topnotes of a sunnier vintage, but it has a lovely base of Pichon’s inimitable terroir and has no cause to apologize for anything! Fine, fine juice cut from an utterly classical cloth and a dramatically underrated vintage of Pichon-Lalande. (Drink between 2019-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGAromas of black olive, blackberry and currant. Complex and fascinating. Full-bodied, with soft and velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Pretty and satisfying.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSomewhat austere but very successful for the vintage, Pichon-Lalande’s 1988 has a dark garnet color and an intriguing nose of compost, earth, black currants, licorice, and weedy tobacco. The wine is medium-bodied with a sweet, relatively expansive mid-palate and slightly rugged tannins in the increasingly attenuated finish. This wine has reached full maturity and should be drunk over the next 5-10 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted, 5/02.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Iodine aromas, with tobacco, cedar and sea shells, and earth and ripe fruit underneath. Full-bodied, with slightly chewy tannins and a vanilla, berry and cherry aftertaste. Big and powerful still. I would give it a little more time to mellow. But an impressive wine for the vintage.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2010.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château La Mission Haut-Brion) The 1988 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a very strong example of the vintage, with the ’88 tendency to a slight leanness nicely complemented by the property’s inherently broad shoulders. The deep and mature nose wafts from the glass in a very complex constellation of sweet dark berries, black cherries, still a touch of medicinal Graves tones, summer truffles, a fine combination of Cuban cigar ash and wrapper, gentle meatiness, a complex base of gravelly soil notes, a bit of smoky new oak and just a hint of violet in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, still just a bit of backend tannin, good acids and fine focus and grip on the long and complex finish. This is one of the top 1988s that I have had a pleasure to taste and a very fine La Mission, even if it will always be just a touch sinewy by the rather robust standards of this outstanding estate. It is not quite as sweet in its fruit component (yet?) as the 1983 or 1981, but it may well get there, and if it does so, my score will be a tad conservative. (Drink between 2015-2040)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 1988 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have not encountered for ten years. Now at 30 years old it has a charming bouquet with scents of tobacco and cigar box infusing the black fruit, just as it did a decade ago. It is not powerful but undeniably very refined. The palate is medium-bodied with leafy black fruit infused with bay leaf, clove and black tea. Yes, it is a relatively austere La Mission compared to the succeeding two vintages, but there is a sense of effortlessness about this wine that makes you fall in love. Maybe not quite as vigorous as it was before, but you would still polish off a bottle in no time at all. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMFirm, masculine and tannic with plenty of earth, truffle, asphalt and volcanic characteristics, this burly La Mission-Haut-Brion is bordering on being monolithic/foursquare. It reveals good body as well as plenty of tannin, adequate acidity, a dark plum/garnet color, and classic La Mission terroir characteristics of smoke, scorched earth, spice, roasted meats and camphor. Neither big nor wimpish, it, like many wines of this vintage, appears to be aging nicely. While fully mature, it displays enough youthful characteristics, from its tannin to its vibrant, moderately intense fruit, to suggest it will hold up for another two decades.Robert Parker | 90 RP

1989 was an early year, with flowering three weeks ahead of usual. Now at 30 years old, a floral aspect curls out of the glass, with touches of roses and peonies, followed on the palate by bilberries and blackberries, with a cigar smoke and eucalyptus finish. It’s still vigorous in its tannic structure, but it’s soft and supple enough to enjoy today. This bottle was recorked by hand at the winery last year, with five people checking every single one of the 5,000 bottles remaining at the chateau. The wines were topped up from magnums of the 1989. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend - a variety not used in the grand vin since 1996. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECVery ripe, with raisin and dried fruits on the nose. You can smell the sun-dried grapes. Full-bodied, delivering firm tannins and a very fresh palate. Long and flavorful, offering currant, berries and all sorts of dark fruits, but turns lightly earthy and floral. This is a thoroughly complex wine. Just starting to really open into the mature 20-year-old wine it is, but such a great life ahead of it. Muscular.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOne of the most youthful wines of the vintage, the 1989 Léoville Las Cases unwinds in the decanter and glass with aromas of blackcurrant and pencil shavings, framed by a discrete patina from its aging in oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and tightly wound, it’s impressively pure and vibrant, though it lacks the mid-palate plenitude of the vintage’s best wines, displaying a touch of tannic asperity on the finish. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to improve with further aging, though my sense is that the Cabernet Sauvignon might have been picked a little prematurely in this vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

This is an upper-ninety point La Conseillante that is very much in the style of the 1990. In comparing the two vintages, the 1989 has slightly more noticeable tannin and structure, but it is a perfumed, exotic, sweet, expansive, yummy wine that is hard to resist. These two wines represent La Conseillante’s quintessential smooth as silk style, which often leads consumers to believe the wines will not last. One of the unexplainable facts of Bordeaux wine drinking is that even the softer, delicious, up-front wines can age impeccably when well-stored. Owners of the 1989 La Conseillantes should not hesitate to enjoy them now, as well as over the next 20 years. Last tasted 11/96Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 1989 La Conseillante is one of the top performers in Pomerol and arguably now one of the best values. This bottle confirms that exuberance and joie-de-vivre on the nose, displaying the telltale crushed violets in bloom, with precious but controlled red and black fruit underneath. The palate is sumptuous from the start, presenting cashmere tannin and perhaps a little more glycerine in this bottle. The bravura finish leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Stunning, and it will remain on its plateau for many years. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London.Vinous Media | 97 VMOffers sweet, dried fruits on the nose, with plum jam and Turkish delight candies. Full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and loads of fruit. Chewy and Porty. Has turned so decadent and yummy over the years.—’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château la Conseillante) Early on in this wine’s evolution, I was not such a big fan of the 1989 La Conseillante, as I felt it was a bit over-sized for this supremely elegant property. My points of reference when this wine was released were the utterly svelte 1985, the very good 1983, the beautiful 1982, the equally superb 1981 and the classic 1970 vintage of La Conseillante, and in comparison to those wines, the 1989 seemed a departure for a more muscular style. Nearly thirty years down the road, I have a bit more experience and can see that the 1989 La Conseillante is simply a reflection of the personality of this vintage, rather than an overt effort to change the style at the property, and the elegance that this estate is so well known for is starting to emerge very nicely in this wine. The bouquet is beautiful and still fairly youthful, with more layers to unfold with further bottle age, but offering up notes of plum, black cherries, menthol, chocolate, a fine base of gravel and a generous, but balanced serving of toasty oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and velvety, with a good core, lovey length and grip, really lovely acids for the vintage and fine focus and balance on the long, refined and complex finish. Fine, fine juice that is now into its apogee, but has decades of life still ahead of it. (Drink between 2019-2060)John Gilman | 94+ JG

The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.Robert Parker | 99+ RPThe 1989 Lynch-Bages is one of Jean-Michel Cazes’s triumphs. At three decades, it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Blackberry and cedar soar from the glass just as they did from the bottle last year, and touches of graphite develop, all beautifully defined and focused. As I’ve proclaimed before, there is such energy and vigor here! The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, minty opening. The cedar element is a little stronger than the previous bottles that I have tasted, yet there is still that symmetry and focus. This particular bottle shows a touch more development on the finish compared to others encountered over the years, with great structure and grip, notes of tobacco and just a hint of morels surfacing on the aftertaste. A remarkable Lynch-Bages that is at its peak. As an aside, Jean-Michel Cazes mentioned that there are few bottles of the 1989 remaining in their reserves. A break-in during the 1990s saw robbers of good taste steal much of their stock. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château.Vinous Media | 96 VMDelivers so much blackberry, leather and dried fruits on the nose. Full-bodied, with ultrapolished tannins and a silky mouthfeel. The palate turns to leaves, cedar and dried berries on the finish, which goes on and on. This is still reserved for the vintage, suggesting a long life ahead. Just coming around now, but will improve many years ahead. I have always loved this Lynch.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 35,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSI have always been a big fan of this rich wine, with its currant and tropical fruit character on the nose and palate, and just a hint of toasted oak. It’s full-bodied, with wild fruit and tobacco character, and a roasted coffee bean aftertaste. This is a fabulous wine. Served from imperial bottle.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Lynch Bages) The 1989 Château Lynch Bages is starting to drink beautifully at the present time and has just about reached its apogee of peak maturity, but still has decades and decades of life ahead of it. The classic bouquet jumps from the glass in a sappy blend of sweet cassis, black cherries, new leather, cigar ash, dark soil and a touch of toasty, ever so slightly resinous new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core of fruit, very good soil signature, still a bit of backend tannin to carry it on into the future and impressive focus and grip on the long and complex finish. I would opt for giving this wine just a few more years to soften up just a touch more on the backend before starting to drink it with abandon. It is a top flight vintage of Lynch. (Drink between 2020-2050).John Gilman | 92 JG

One of the wines of the vintage, the 1989 Pichon-Longueville Baron is drinking beautifully today. Bursting from the glass with aromas of ripe blackcurrants, plums, Cuban cigar, loamy soil, black truffles and burning embers, it’s medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with powdery tannins and a concentrated core of fruit. Fleshy and dramatic, with a sumptuous, low-acid profile and a long, expansive finish, to my palate this is the one 1989 Pauillac that, on a good day, can rival the extraordinary 1989 Lynch Bages. While I tend to think it’s at its peak, every bottle I open from my cellar in Beaune seems to be better than the last.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London.Vinous Media | 95 VMWhat a nose here, from crushed mulberry to tanned leather to tar. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins that are soft and caressing, like cashmere. This is so tight and powerful still; it seems to be holding back. Be patient, because it will open with another five or six years of bottle age. Hard to wait. So why do it?--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Pichon-Baron) The 1989 vintage remains the single greatest wine I have ever tasted from Château Pichon-Baron, and this most recent bottle was flat out spectacular! I have liked this wine very well from the moment it was released, but never imagined it would rise to the level it is currently displaying, and it was clearly one of the great, great bargains of the 1989 vintage when it first came out. The bouquet is deep, pure and very, very promising, albeit still a tad on the young side, as it delivers a refined aromatic constellation of black cherries, plums, a touch of mocha, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with great focus and grip, moderate tannins and a long, nascently complex and impeccably balanced finish. I last drank this in the autumn of 2017 and it was still a few years away from fully blossoming, but it is one of the purest, most precise and promising 1989s to be found in the Médoc! Great juice. (Drink between 2021-2060)John Gilman | 95 JG

I am almost always in awe of Lafleur and this is one of the best. This is so subtle at first, but then the enchanting aromas of olive leaves, ivy, licorice, tar and treacle wash over you. In your mouth it’s as if you’re putting exquisite, dusty velvet inside; the tannins make this wine round, fat and encompassing. Perhaps most startling of all is the freshness retained over the years despite the intense, dense fruit. It allows not only for a chewy finish, but one that makes you want to drink more. This has reached a plateau now and is perfect for drinking, though its tightly-knit structure implies yet more potential cellaring. I’ve always been a believer in the 1989 vintage, and Lafleur is one of the best. Decant two hours in advance.James Suckling | 99 JSReally decadent and powerful, delivering dried fruit and grilled meat. Very Porty, featuring red licorice and prune on the nose. Velvety and rich, with a full palate and amazing fruit of aniseed and black licorice. It goes on and on. What freshness and beauty. Delicate fruit, chocolate and berries. This is just opening up now.—’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. —Wine Spectator | 98 WSTasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1989 Lafleur was perhaps the real surprise of a memorable evening of wine. What comes across on the nose is the detail, the precision with pure black fruit, crushed minerals, subtle floral scents and a palpable sense of energy. It evolves in the glass, later revealing smoke, Italian cured meats and a touch of bay leaf. The palate is simply crystalline with pitch perfect acidity, astonishing precision and laser-like focus that takes your breath away. I have never encountered a 1989 Lafleur with this detail and clarity, a wine that seems to improve every time I encounter it, which is regrettably once in a blue moon. Whilst I do not think the 1989 will surpass the 1982 Lafleur, my God, it is coming damn close.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 1989 Lafleur, tasted side by side with the 1990 on two occasions in 2002, plays it closer to the vest. The wine needs far more coaxing to produce the licorice, black cherry liqueur, earth, and truffle notes from the nose. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, tannic, backward, and very tightly knit, with mouth-searing levels of tannin and extremely high extract. The tannins are firmer, the fruit seemingly less sweet, but still extremely ripe, and the evolutionary process is far slower in the 1989 than the 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045. Last tasted, 8/02.Robert Parker | 95 RP

The 1989 Pavie-Macquin is so elegant and nuanced. Creamy and silky in the glass, with lovely aromatic presence, the 1989 is so expressive. Dried flowers, mint, dried cherry and cedar are all laced together in this very pretty Saint-Émilion. The 1989 is fully mature, but it is incredibly delicious. It is also, in my view, the best wine of Mme. Barre’s tenure, at least of those in this tasting.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGI have been extolling the virtues of these wines since the late eighties. Extremely old vines, organic farming, and some of the lowest yields in Bordeaux produce densely-colored, highly-extracted, exceptionally pure and elegant wines that possess a Burgundian-like texture and complexity. The 1989 continues to be one of that vintages "sleepers." The color remains a youthful ruby/purple. The bouquet offers copious quantities of black-raspberry and cassis fruit nicely touched by stony/mineral and floral scents. The spicy, vanillin component is subtle. This full-bodied, highly-extracted, elegant wine should reach full maturity in 2-3 years; it will last through the first 15 years of the next century.Robert Parker | 90 RPBalanced, elegant wine. Blackberry, floral and berry aromas follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with fine tannins and a fruity, caressing finish.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. — JSWine Spectator | 90 WS