Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V.

Exploring the beauty of Bordeaux 1989. That was the original plan.
Turned out to be a legendary tasting, which is still unsurpassed in my archives so far.
Contained my first 20/20 wine ever. And until now (6-4-2012) still the only one.
I remain very, very thankful to Peter and all the other participants.

Due to the sheer size of the tasting I could only cut myself down to brief impressions and scores.
All wines tasted blind, except where noted.

• 1990 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  This is a regal champagne. Supersoft and carressing mousse, hint of oxidation, rising dough, hazelnuts and candied citrusfruit. Marvelous. Drink now. 18.5-19/20

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A core of wines from Bordeaux 1989, interlaced with other cellar gems.

• 1989 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Graceful, iron, bread crust, mocca, ceder. Little fruit left. 17/20

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• 1989 Château Giscours 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Still some reserve left, quite dense, good length, cigar smoke, red currants. 17/20

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• 1989 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Spicy, good fruit and concentration, but drying in the aftertaste, not convincing. Slightly disjointed. 15/20

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• 1989 Château Talbot Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Corked.

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• 1985 Château Mouton Rothschild 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Spicy wood in the nose, comforting and attractive. Wonderful tannines, round, supple, lascivious. Very distinguished and charming. Magnificent. 18.5/20

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• 1985 Château Cos d'Estournel 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Modest nose, slightly foursquare on the palate. But typical and affable. Cigarbox, ceder, red fruit. 17/20

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• 1988 Château Léoville Barton 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Reticent. Licquor-like too. Cooked veggies, opens a little moldy but, after aeration, young and somewhat candy-like fruit merges out of the glass. 16.5/20

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• 1988 Château Léoville Las Cases 86 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Earth. Candy shop, slightly lean. Good, not great. 15.5/20

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• 1988 Château Palmer Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Corked.

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• 1988 Château Lafite Rothschild 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Beautiful red fruit, quite austere on the palate. Tannic. Seems backward and young. Could improve with some more cellar time. 17.5/20

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• 1989 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  This is all about classic, traditional Left bank Bordeaux. Iodine, licorice, cigars and spicebox, black fruit. Very robust and complex. Stupendous, brilliant wine. 19/20

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• 1990 Château Chasse-Spleen 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc

  Very primary in fruit. Elegant and graceful, very complex. Not a blockbuster, but a classical beauty. Seems to have some additional potential. What a surprise! 18.5/20

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• 1989 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Mocca, caramel, some cabbage too. Wonderfully ripe and lush. A point, but drink soon. 17/20

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• 1989 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Superfresh and elegant. Good focus, well delineated. Red fruit, classical bordeaux nuances of maturity. Great. 18/20

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• 1986 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Nose isn't giving a lot, but the palate is very showy, charming. Even sexy and lascivious. Wonderful purity of fruit. Yum. 18/20

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• 1989 Château Pavie 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Spicy and berbal, lavas, pepper. Graceful, not powerful. Slightly lean and drying towards the finish. 16/20

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• 1989 Château de Fieuzal 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Calm, peaceful, like cigar smoke. Extremely long and balanced, yet not very expressive. Elegant wine. 17.5/20

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• 1995 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L'Ermita 86 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Tobacco, cabbage, volatile? Syrupy palate, lacking balance. A kind of boorish, actually. 15.5/20

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• 1989 Château Lynch-Bages 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Interesting sniffer. Both seductive and sinewy. Dried porcini, blueberries, cigarbox, hint of sulphur. 17.5/20

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• 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Dirty laundry, very tannic. Awkward. Off-bottle, or dump phase? 15/20

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• 1989 Château Pape Clément 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Velvety mouthfeel, caramel-n-cream, milky chocolate, tasty herbaceousness. A faint hint of oxidation, which didn't bother me. Lovely. 18/20

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• 1989 Château Haut-Brion 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Incredibly subtle and nuanced. Complexity is immeasurable. Neverending finish. Words fail to do describe this vinous experience. 19.5/20

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• 1989 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Strikingly fresh, bright and elegant wine. Very complex, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, ash, earth, cranberries and cassis. Fantastic stuff. 18.5/20

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• 1989 Château Lafite Rothschild 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Text book Pauillac. Horse stable, saddle leather, pencil shavings, cassis and forest floor. A muscular and masculine Lafite. Grandiose! 19/20

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• 1993 Château Le Pin 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (non blind) Bouquet almost literally leaps out of the glass. Very charming and seductive. Mixed spices, macreated red and black fruit. Very intense and concentrated, rather extracted. But unbelievably well-done for this vintage. Judicious and precise use of oak. Wow. 18.5/20

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• 1989 Pétrus 100 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (non blind) Chocolate, figs, cuban cigars, apple syrup, creme de cassis, macerated black berries, fresh ground coffee, I could go on and on...
  Never tasted tannines this fine, this noble.
  First (and only) wine ever to make my neck hair raise, and (almost) made me cry.
  Cannot imagine a better wine than this one. A life-altering experience.
  Here I go: 20/20

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Two dry whites to cleanse the palate, two mature stickies with foie, two grandiose Chateauneufs (which I didn't score, just drank and enjoyed...) and two respectable stickies at dessert.

• 2004 André Perret Condrieu Chery 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

  Snappy, fresh primary notes of fruit (apricots, peaches, raspberries, lychees) Very floral, creamy and unctuous. Like a 'Peche Melba', yet completely dry. Gorgeous. 18/20

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• 1983 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  Nuts..., all over the place. Macadamia's, hazelnuts, almond paste, pine kernels. Do I sense a kind of botrytis-like pepperiness? Very complex and surprising wine from a pristine bottle. 18.5/20

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• 1990 Château d'Yquem 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Apricot, orange zest, honey, resin. Faint hint of oxidation. Wonderful wine. 18/20

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• 1990 Château Rieussec 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Very, very sweet, oily and unctuous. Orange marmelade, interesting bitterness on the finish. Needs more time to level out the sweetness. 17.5/20

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• 2000 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  No notes. Just savouring.

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• 2000 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  No notes. Just savouring.

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• 1987 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano 87 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vin Santo di Montepulciano

  Roasted nuts, honey glazed pine apple, full-throttle sweetness reminded me of a Tokaj Aszú, but with less alcohol. Lacked some tension and excitement to rock my world. 16/20

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• 1999 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac Cuvée Madame 88 Points

  France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Monbazillac

  Mature, evolved colour. More freshness than the preceding Vin Santo, but still very, very sweet. Thought that this was developing quite fast, since I guessed "older Sauternes - average year". 16.5/20

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Unfortunately this flight of wines had some difficulty to impress.
They were all very good and in excellent shape, but none of them got scored extraordinary.
Palate fatigue? Inaccurate placing of the wines?

• 1988 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Bacon, cherries, kitchen herbs, lively acidity. Nice. 17/20

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• 1989 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Very pleasant wine, this has more stuffing and flesh than the preceding '88. 17-17.5/20

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• 1988 Gaja Langhe Darmagi 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Exotic, soft and sweet nose.Wonderful. But on the palate its rather hard and slightly green. Obstinate. Will this ever soften? 16/20

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• 1997 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  A lot of promise for the future, this will be a seductive and sexy glass of wine in 3 years time. Now, it's very backward and closed. 17/20

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• 2000 Castello dei Rampolla d'Alceo 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Boy, is this a bruiser.... Way to young, very austere and clenched like a fist. Lots of iron, ink and tannines. Appears to be in need of at least 10 years... 17/20 for now. Probably goes up a few notches in due time.

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• 1997 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Bouquet is already open, promising and inviting. Lovely Sangiovese fruit, wonderful edgy acidity. Very pretty. 17.5/20

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• 1997 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Penetrating acidity, rose petals, floral ladies' perfume, tar, ash, black cherries. Very nice. 17.5/20

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My first encounter with the top-notch wines of Spain, focussing on the heralded 2001 vintage.
I was very impressed by them...

• 2001 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero 89 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Plush red and black fruit, a tad volatile. Leather, meat and ink. Nice 17/20

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• 2001 Viñedos Lacalle y Laorden Rioja Viña el Pisón 92 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  Although the stature of this wine is very large, the texture seems quite classic and traditional, and I'm happy with that. Good freshness and poise. Lovely acidity, good future. Wonderful. 18/20

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• 2001 Bodegas Roda Rioja Cirsion 89 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Over-extracted, luscious, sweet, volatile acidity. Certainly a class act in its league and dressed to impress. Showy, not very charming. Didn't know how to score this... 17/20

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• 2001 Celler Marc Ripoll Sans Priorat Closa Batllet 89 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Very pretty and modern. Blackberries, nutty whiff in the bouquet, low acidity. Lovely wine, but could use a little more identity, personality. 17/20

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• 1994 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 92 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Mixed spice, black fruit, refreshing acidity, a lot more classic in texture compared to the preceding, more modern, Spanish wines. Young but excellent. 18/20

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• 2001 Bodegas Pintia Toro Pintia 90 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

  Big, fat, greasy tannines. Apparent sweetness in the entry. Slightly porty. Loads of promise. Hope this will develop well. 17.5/20

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• 2001 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia 94 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

  Colossal wine. Insane concentration, almost overdone. But somehow I extremely liked this wine. Would be happy to re-evaluate in 10 years time... 18.5/20

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• 2001 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Vall Llach 96 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  This is really super. It contains all the brutal power and concentration of the other top of the bill Spaniards in 2001. BUT...., there's some subtle elegance and grace peaking through the heavy velvety curtains. Finally, I picked up some refinement! 19/20

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• 2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant 94 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  And this is also magnificant. The average quality is incredibly high in this vintage in Spain. Soft, sultry, juicy. Gorgeous. 18.5/20

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• 2001 Clos Erasmus Priorat 96 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Breathtaking wine... Very harmonious and endless aftertaste. Aristocratic and impressive. Hinting at perfection. 19/20

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• 2001 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L'Ermita 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Very primal, sweet fruit. Tight at the moment, needs time to unfurl. Due to this slightly closed stage I'm not picking up enough complexity nor subtlety. But in this line-up there is a clear danger of getting spoiled... 18/20

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• 2001 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero 96 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Unbelievably soft and mellow for such a young and concentrated gem. Countless finish. Utter harmony. Perplexing and humbling experience. 19/20

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• 2001 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero P.S. 98 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Just when I thought I had tasted the 3 best wines of this vintage in Spain (Clos Erasmus, Vall Llach and Pingus), they were outshined by this marvellous gem of modern wine-making... Easily the best young wine I ever tasted.
  Expansive, wafting bouquet of blueberry pancakes. Perfect oak with the perfect toasting. Seductive palate with hints of coconut, vanilla, black cherries, mocca and caramel. Search and buy immediately. 19.5/20

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Personal WOTN: 1989 Pétrus
There were countless other wines to look out for, but probably the most feasible are: 1990 Chasse Spleen, Perret Condrieu, 2001 Aalto PS.