Wines with Age

wines

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

Saturated ruby-red. Pure, highly perfumed aromas of black cherry, currant, plum, minerals, tobacco, leather and fresh herbs. Very ripe, suave and spicy; at once subtle and gripping. Lovely cabernet character dominating today. Very firm, long finish is youthful but not hard-edged. Showing extremely well.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Château Calon-Ségur) Along with the 2001, the 1996 vintage at Calon-Ségur is one of my favorite from the merlot-centric era at the estate, probably because the vintage favored cabernet sauvignon so clearly in the Médoc and a bit more of this grape was included in the blend at Calon in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, vibrant and youthfully precise, wafting from the glass in a mix of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, dark soil tones, a touch of curry and a gentle framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively tangy, with a fine core of fruit, currently a quite tightly-knit personality, well-integrated tannins and very, very good length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. This is going to be a lovely wine in another eight to ten years’ time and should prove to be quite long-lived. I love to imagine what the current team at Calon would have done with a vintage such as 1996 today! (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGThe 1996 may not be as profound as I had predicted from cask, but it is an exceptional wine. Dark ruby-colored, with a complex nose of dried herbs, Asian spices, and black cherry jam intermixed with cassis, it possesses outstanding purity, and considerable tannin in the finish. This classic, medium to full-bodied, traditionally made wine improves dramatically with airing, suggesting it will have a very long life. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2028.Robert Parker | 92 RPFully mature and drinking wonderfully well, the 1996 Château Calon Ségur has a classic nose of green tobacco, cedarwood, currants, and sous bois. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a wonderful sense of purity, polished tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. This is classic, focused, old school yet pure, balanced Bordeaux goodness. It has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDCurrant and fresh herbs. Full- to medium-bodied, with plum flavors and a medium finish.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Christian Moueix gave the celebratory name Hosanna to Château Certan Guiraud after he purchased it in 1999. He has now made his mark on the property, combining elegance and power. The style of the property seems to hone in on structure and tannins, but the fruit, dense and black, is also there. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis sexy, lush, complex, perfumed Pomerol exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color as well as a knock-out nose of black fruits intermixed with menthol, saddle leather, licorice, and minerals. It is fleshy, silky, and voluptuous in its elegant, feminine style. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RP

A sleeper of the vintage, this debut effort under the omnipresent management of Jean-Luc Thunevin boasts a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a sweet, chocolatey, blackberry and currant-scented nose, low acidity, a fat, luscious texture, and a heady finish. It is a hedonistic St.-Emilion fruit bomb to drink over the next 6-8 years.Robert Parker | 88-90 RP

An earthy red with dried meat and ripe fruit. Full body and smoky character with mushroom and smoked-tea undertones. Chewy finish still. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine has a very youthful color and seems to be close to full maturity, without the density of the 1998, or its successor, the perfect 2000. It has abundant foresty notes, plenty of spice box, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, some background toasty oak, medium to full body and sweet tannin. A very delicious wine, it offers a complex and fragrant style. It should be drunk over the next 12-15 yearsRobert Parker | 92 RPThe 1999 Pavie shows very similarly to another ex-château bottle encountered a few months earlier. It has an attractive bouquet that has mellowed in recent years, notes of bacon fat and mint infusing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, red fruit, a touch of hung game and a tarry finish that does not convey the same level of freshness and delineation as the 1998 and 2000 do nowadays. A seductive Pavie, though less turbocharged than subsequent vintages. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMA relatively forgotten year sandwiched between the great ’98 (for the Right Bank) and ’00, this is gentle, with mulled plum and red currant fruit supported with light cedar and alder notes. Mature, with dried tobacco and a flash of earth through the finish. Not in the league of the other wines in this flight, but, notably, it doesn’t feel as if this wine was overdone; rather, it’s an accurate expression of the vintage.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2020. 1,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2005 Rieussec is a blend of 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle picked between 23 September and 27 October. It has a fabulous bouquet that is mineral-rich and tensile. The palate repeats its performance from last year: focused, tense, laden with botrytis-rich fruit with a crystalline and sorbet-fresh finish that seals the deal. One of the best releases from the estate in recent years. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 97 RP-NMShows enticing aromas of toffee, cream, dried apricot and caramel. Full-bodied, very sweet and thick, with honey and caramel flavors. Long and rich, oozing with sweet, ripe fruit, this is like liquid candy. Best after 2016.Wine Spectator | 96 WSYou get both apricots and honeyed botrytis aromas that are followed through by a dry core, very full-bodied with richness, the sweetness of the yellow jam fruits, apricots and mangoes gliding over the palate. Delicious, and certainly ageworthy.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFull yellow-gold. Expressive aromas of pineapple, coconut, sweet vanillin oak and spices. Then wonderfully thick, fat and sweet, with the exotic coconut character carrying through in the mouth. Finishes saline and powerful, with palate-staining flavors of pineapple, coconut and spicy oak. Conveys a strong impression of solidity.Vinous Media | 93 VMWhat a balance in this wine, notes of apple pie, honey, and spiced lemons. Full-bodied and sweet, with a bright acidity and dried citrus with honey and orange marmalade. 140 grams of residual sugar, but very fresh still. Beautiful now, but wait to pull the cork in 2012.James Suckling | 93 JS

This is so creamy, almost milky in feel, with toasted coconut and cashew notes giving way to sweet peach, apricot and glazed pear flavors that glide along, while ginger, green tea, lychee and kumquat flavors extend through the finish. Shows terrific range and definition. Feels like it’s just starting to open, and is in no rush. Drink now through 2035. 2,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSTasted blind at the 10-Year On Tasting in Sauternes. The 2005 Château de Fargues has a rich and intense bouquet with layers of honey, dried peach, beeswax and acacia that soar from the glass. The palate is powerful and authoritative: intense botrytis-rich honeyed fruit with compelling mineralité underneath. It fans out in glorious fashion – a stunning de Fargues that is now beginning to show its talents. As I remarked a couple of years ago, just afford it a couple more years so that it can fully absorb the vestiges of oak.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThe nose is sumptuous but still conspicuously oaky, though the oak doesn’t suppress the lovely apricot fruit. Indeed it confers aromatic elegance. Very sweet and intense on the palate, this is creamy and concentrated, with excellent purity of fruit, but a lively acidity, which gives the wine its finesse. Well balanced. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DECMedium yellow. Exotic, high-toned apricot, spices and flowers on the nose, complemented by coconutty, toasty oak. Very sweet and unctuous, with exotic, nobly rotten flavors of pineapple, apricot and coconut and an impression of elevated alcohol. Not quite as racy, fruity or structured as the 2007; conveys an impression of softer acidity, and yet this maintains a light touch. Finishes with suggestions of vanilla and marzipan.Vinous Media | 92 VMNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

Freshly picked blackberries turn into minty dark chocolate and oozing caramel with domineering eucalyptus on the nose. It becomes yet more complex on the palate thanks to layers upon layers of spices and sage plus fat and rounded tannins. There’s a long finish with a bitter aftertaste, suggesting this could do with another 10 years or more of bottle aging. This is a Mouton I found massive at the time, then elegant and slightly austere years later, but today true to its former glory. Like the amazing 1947, it should not be forgotten.James Suckling | 98 JSAn extremely early year for the property, with harvest from 6-25 September. One to savour, it has the signature smoked, toasted glamour of Mouton, with cappuccino, crushed bilberry and blackberries, pliable tannins, and a drawn-out finish that gets better and better in the glass. The label, by the way, featured Georg Baselitz, a German painter, to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.Decanter | 97 DECShows so much ripe and decadent fruit on the nose, from dried berries and raisin to strawberry and sultana. There is a nutty, cedar undertone as well. Very complex and full-bodied, with lots of vanilla bean and ripe plum flavors. This is almost Burgundian in texture: so soft and so attractive, but then the Bordeaux tannins kick in at the end. What a wine. So much ahead in its life, but just coming around now.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(Château Mouton-Rothschild) This most recent bottle of the 1989 Château Mouton-Rothschild, was by quite some margin, the finest I have tasted, and it is hard not to be persuaded that the wine is only now really starting to come fully into its own. As I have mentioned in the past, this is from the era when Mouton used a lot of very heavily-toasted oak in its wine, but the ’89 vintage provided plenty of depth of fruit to carry the generous serving of new oak and the two are beautifully synthesized today. The bouquet is deep, complex and strikingly attractive, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of cassis, black cherries, Cuban cigar wrapper, a nice touch of Mouton spices starting to emerge, the aforementioned toasty new oak and, with air, just a touch of fresh herb tones that are very, very attractive. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still new oaky in personality, with an excellent core of fruit, melting tannins and excellent focus and grip on the very long and very classy finish. As one of the tasters around the table dubbed this wine, “the best vintage from Mouton’s coffee oak period.” The 1989 Mouton is a far more impressive wine today than it was ten years ago and, though I would have liked it better with less toasty oak, its future seems to be excellent. (Drink between 2019-2060)John Gilman | 95 JGTasted from magnum and presented by Baron Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the 1989 Château Mouton-Rothschild might not reach the ethereal heights of the 1982 or 1986, but it is certainly a lovely Claret. It has an attractive, slightly leafy bouquet armed with cedar and pencil lead. There is less fruit concentration than I expected, resolutely classic, slightly austere Bordeaux. The palate follows suit. What it lacks in substance it compensates with in balance and personality. This is an understated Mouton-Rothschild that is probably at its peak, although I envisage this offering another two decades of pleasure. Whilst this showing did not replicate some glorious bottles in the past, it remains a very fine Claret that may not be inclined to improve any further. Tasted February 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMThe 1989 Mouton-Rothschild is a vintage that I have always had a lot of time for. Now at 30 years of age, it has quite a potent bouquet of blackberries, raspberry coulis, cedar and mint that feels opulent but youthful. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and quite succulent in mouthfeel, featuring generous wild strawberry mixed with cedar and tobacco. There is a sense of swagger about this Mouton-Rothschild and it feels very persistent on the surprisingly dense finish. Very fine. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030. Last tasted 11/94.Robert Parker | 100 RPWe are in perfectly-aged claret territory here, the most beautiful impression of a wine at its plateau. It’s perfectly ready to drink and is still generous, with a long life ahead of it. Its spicy notes, touches of pencil lead and still-concentrated cassis combine with menthol, buttery leather and that classic Médoc saline, mineral-edged flourish - this is the height of well-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040.Decanter | 100 DECThe 1986 Lafite-Rothschild is a great wine although over several recent encounters it is never a convincing "perfect" wine. This mirrors the bottle I tasted at the property in 2016: blackberry and graphite on the nose, gawky at first, but coalescing with time. The palate is well balanced with firm tannins, strong graphite scents unfolding with time, superb energy if not delivering quite the finesse and precision that the very best Lafite-Rothschild will bestow. This is a wine that benefits from long decanting, say five or six hours, though it never quite reaches the ethereal heights that it could have done. Tasted at the International Business & Wine First Growth Dinner at the Four Seasons.Vinous Media | 96 VMA firm, young wine. Dark ruby color. Intense aromas of blackberry and mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Still needs time.--Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2003.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Still stubbornly backward, yet beginning to budge from its pre-adolescent stage, this dense, murky ruby/purple-colored wine offers up notes of graphite, sweet caramel, black cherry jam, cassis, and minerals. The nose takes some coaxing, and the decanting of 2-4 hours prior to service is highly recommended. For such a low acid wine, it is huge, well-delineated, extremely concentrated, and surprisingly fresh. Perhaps because I lean more toward the hedonistic view of wine than the late Michel Delon, I have always preferred this to the 1986, but the truth is that any lover of classic Medoc should have both vintages in their cellar. This wine has monstrous levels of glycerin, extract, and density, but still seems very youthful, and tastes more like a 7 to 8-year-old Bordeaux than one that is past its twentieth birthday. A monumental effort. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Last tasted, 9/02.Robert Parker | 100 RPTasted at the domaine, the 1982 Leoville Las Cases is just about pure perfection, and while certainly mature, it has plenty of life ahead of it. Thrilling notes of blackcurrants, kirsch, tobacco leaf, cedar box, menthol, and exotic spices all emerge from this seamless, powerful yet magically elegant Leoville Las Cases. Opening up in the glass, with a smoky, singular character, it’s an incredible wine from this terroir that has an almost Latour-like regal quality. It should continue drinking well for another 10-15 years and I’m sure will keep even longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDIt’s impossible, I know, to believe that a St-Julien might not be perfectly ready to drink at this ripe old age, but here we are, face to face with the conundrum that is Léoville Las Cases. You’ll be happy to hear I had the 1981 Léoville recently and it was actually open, soft and ready to go. This 1982 is still a little stubborn on first opening, but gets better and better in the glass, with sweet brambly ripe fruits, and rippling tannins that are almost honeyed at this stage. Classic, dense, mineral minty touches on the finish, great persistency and a way still ahead of it. Michel Delon, father of today’s owner, was in charge at this point (and until 2000) and the cellar master Bruno Rolland remembers that they were working in shorts at night in the vat house because even after harvest the temperature was not dropping below 20 degrees at night. They were the first estate in St Julien to start harvesting in 1982 by the way, on September 13. Petit Verdot 5% finishes the blend. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECA racy, classy, silky wine. Inky-ruby color. Black cherry, mineral and wet earth aromas. Medium-bodied, with very silky tannins and a long, superfine finish. Has always been excellent.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2000.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Leoville Las Cases) The 1982 Leoville Las Cases is a very nice and youthful wine, but I have always been under the impression that this wine was made in the cellar, rather than the vineyard, and will never really attain the level of greatness that is attributed to it elsewhere. The wine is certainly deep and concentrated in personality, offering up a still quite primary bouquet of cassis, black cherries, cigar ash, a touch of mint and plenty of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, quite extracted in profile and still fairly tannic, with a good core, fine focus and grip and very good, but not great length on the youthful finish. Maybe this will eventually become the complex wine of its considerable reputation, but I am skeptical, and rather expect the ’82 Las Cases to always trade on its power, but never develop the complexity of the truly great wines of this vintage. Call it good, not great. (Drink between 2023-2075).John Gilman | 93 JGSadly, it is not a great night for Bordeaux. The 1982 Léoville Las Cases is powerful but also incredibly compact, with little appeal or mid-palate depth. This is a very stubborn wine, even within the context of Las Cases.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

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

A little maderized with raised volatile acidity, but some tobacco and berry underneath. Turns fruity and even jammy.James Suckling | 90 JS

This brilliant wine is one of the best new breed Tuscan reds I have tasted. The color is a sensational black/purple and the nose offers gorgeously intense aromas of black plums, cassis, licorice, and spicy new oak. In the mouth, there is extraordinary opulence and richness, enough acidity to provide grip, and plenty of tannin lurking behind the cascade of fruit. The explosive finish goes on and on. Approachable, even delicious now, this splendid wine promises to get even better over the next 4-6 years and possibly last through the first decade of the next century. Impressive!Robert Parker | 93 RPA solid wine, with wonderful structure for aging, but still closed and not giving much at this stage. Dark-ruby color, with smoke, berry and cherry aromas and flavors. Loads of velvety tannins, full body and a long finish. Great, soft texture. Wait until at least 1997.--Super Tuscan retrospective. — JSWine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1988 Ornellaia (magnum) shows a touch more complexity and delineation than the 1985 in its layers of dark fruit, herbs, licorice, minerals and spices, with a surprising level of freshness and firmness. It is a beautiful Ornellaia with several years of fine drinking ahead. The 1988 Ornellaia is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc that spent 11 months in French oak, 40% new.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Dark ruby color. Decadent aromas of meat, figs and ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with a very good, compacted, fruity structure and a long, long, ripe fruit and earth finish. This is a seriously good bottle. Great value. Love it.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A prodigious offering, the 2001 Climens’ light medium bold color with a greenish hue is followed by ethereal aromas of tropical fruits (primarily pineapple), honeysuckle, and flowers. It is a medium-bodied wine of monumental richness, extraordinary precision/delineation, great purity, and moderate sweetness. The finish seemingly lasts forever. This monumental effort is the stuff of legends. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.Robert Parker | 100 RPLoads of orange peel and dried apricots on the nose here. Full-bodied, with a wild and exciting palate. Sweet yet racy. Electrifying. Great class and elegance. One of the best Climens I have tasted. Best after 2010. 1,955 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2001 Climens has a well-defined, complex bouquet of dried honey, peach skin, quince and a light beeswax scent. Tight at first, it only takes a few swirls of the glass to get going. The palate is where the action is: very intense and concentrated with layers of botrytized fruit, lightly spiced with tangy marmalade, quince and nectarine notes, merging into saffron and gingerbread toward the very engaging, persistent finish. This is a magnificent Barsac that is only beginning to show what it is capable of.Vinous Media | 96 VM

(Château Le Pin) Perhaps the greatest vintage ever of Le Pin, the 1989 has moved from its ostentatious and exotic youth into a more stately, but no less complex and compelling stage of developing maturity. The bouquet is deep and profound, with candied scents of mulberry, red currants, cocoa, tobacco, a bit of truffle, woodsmoke and vanillin oak exploding from the glass. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with great underlying structure, some ripe tannin, and great length and grip on the finish. This is clearly the most serious bottle of Le Pin that I have had the pleasure to taste. It is not yet at its apogee, but it is such a spectacular glass of wine today, that it would certainly be difficult to keep paws off. (Drink between 2005-2025)John Gilman | 97 JGA slightly firmer, more structured wine than the 1990, with similarly low acid but more noticeable tannin, the color remains a very healthy saturated ruby/purple. The nose needs more coaxing and offers up noted of coconut, roasted herbs, jus du viande, along with plenty of black currant and sweet cherry fruit with nicely integrated toasty oak. The wine has similarly high levels of glycerin to the 1990, but less accessibility, and more structure and possibly power. This is a remarkable wine, and certainly one of the great vintages for Le Pin. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2022. Last tasted, 12/01.Robert Parker | 96 RPTasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1989 Le Pin has always been a sensual wine, not as exotic as the 1982, perhaps a bit more "grown up". Here it has a luxuriant bouquet of black cherries, crème de cassis, terracotta tiles and clove. There is a patina of warmth still emanating from that warm summer. The palate is velvety smooth, voluptuous and decadent yet the acidity keeps everything in check. I noticed a wild mint note that I have not seen on previous bottles, building in the mouth towards a multi-faceted, caressing finish, like a loved one begging you not to leave. It is simply ridiculously pleasurable from start to finish.Vinous Media | 96 VMI like this better than the 1990. It shows loads of licorice and blackberry, with hints of cherry on the nose. Full and refined, with silky tannins and an elegant finish. Lovely. Still very young and bright. The acidity holds it in. Much better than I remember.--Le Pin non-blind vertical. Best after 2010.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 1998 Calon-Ségur, blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color with just a touch of brick and a very earthy/meaty nose with notions of new leather, smoked game, truffles, dusty soil, iron ore and mossy bark over a core of crème de cassis, preserved plums, spice cake and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of incense. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with spicy and earthy layers with velvety tannins, seamless freshness and great length. Give it 10 to 15+ more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

This wine, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, is performing well after its July, 1998 bottling. It boasts an impressively saturated purple color, in addition to a backward yet intense nose of black plums, currants, licorice, and smoke. Following terrific fruit on the attack, the wine’s structure and tannin take over. There is plenty of sweet fruit, and the tannin is well-integrated, but the wine requires 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2028.Robert Parker | 91 RPGorgeous aromas of currant and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a medium finish. A little more bottle age will open it even more. Very pretty.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1998 Pontet Canet was made at a time when the property practiced green harvesting that began in 1994 but is not done today. “The changes were in the mind at this stage,” commented Jean-Michel Comme wryly. Initially it felt a little muddled on the nose but it gains focus with time. Eventually it offers straightforward blackberry, briary and cedar scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, plenty of cedar and mint-laced black fruit with a pleasant, quite lively and lightly spiced finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a commendable 1998 from the château before they really began to embrace biodynamics. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Amazing! The limestone soils of Ausone appear to have been the perfect foil for resisting the extreme heat and drought of June, July and August, 2003. This black/purple-colored effort boasts a glorious nose of violets, truffles, lead pencil shavings, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied with staggering concentration, a voluptuous texture, low acidity and well-integrated, melted tannins, this deep, multidimensional, profound Bordeaux is beginning to drink exceptionally well. It should continue to do so for another two decades or more.Robert Parker | 100 RPLoads of blackberry, plum and strawberry. Intense fruit. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and layers of everything. Wonderful balance and refinement. Closed up already. Very serious wine. Best after 2012. 1,375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFull ruby. Black raspberry, mocha, minerals, graphite and nutty oak on the superripe nose. Extravagantly rich and sweet in the mouth without coming off as heavy. This boasts extraordinary fruit intensity and verve (it’s hard to imagine cabernet franc better than this), and finishes with great palate-staining persistence. But this powerfully tannic wine may already be starting to shut down in the bottle. Like the 2005, it will need a decade of aging at a minimum, and possibly a lot longer.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

Bubbling over with crushed berries, currants and spices, with tobacco notes. Beautiful. Full-bodied, with gorgeously velvety tannins and a long finish of pretty fruit. This is a racy yet elegant Lafite. Classy. Best after 2010. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA brilliant offering and a candidate for wine of the vintage, this is classic Lafite that reminded me somewhat of the 1976, although the vintage conditions were completely different. This is a medium-weight, quintessentially elegant style of Lafite with notes of lead pencil shavings/graphite along with black currants, plums, and crushed rocks/mineral. Wonderfully pure, dense, with a deep ruby/purple color and loads of fruit, definition, and a long finish, this is a brilliant, elegant Lafite Rothschild that builds incrementally in the mouth and has more power and density than it initially seems. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.Robert Parker | 94 RPAnother Indian summer vintage (with useful northerly winds) that followed a difficult July and August. This has still-tight tannins and remains deep in colour, with just the very beginnings of whispering its age. After a few minutes in the glass, cigar notes curl up and out, followed by beautifully elegant, savoury-edged black fruit and tea leaf notes. This was extremely austere at first, but it’s now beginning to soften and is likely to develop similarly to the 1999, which makes it one to watch. Will reward further cellaring. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030Decanter | 93 DECBright, dark ruby-red. Subdued but pure aromas of currant, plum, minerals, graphite, and sexy, coconutty oak; showed a floral note with aeration. Extremely suave, fine-grained and concentrated, with a strong spine of acidity. Finishes firmly tannic, subtle and very long. This should develop slowly.Vinous Media | 92+ VM