Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting

A horizontal tasting with 30 Bordeaux from the 1989 vintage. The wines were double-decanted at 4 p.m. on the day of the tasting.

The top-10* out of the tasting were:

1. Château Haut Brion
2. Château La Mission Haut Brion
3. Château Montrose
4. Château Petrus
5. Château Margaux
6. Château Lafite Rothschild
7. Château Palmer
8. Château Latour
9. Château Lynch Bages
10. Château Mouton Rothschild

* Based on tasting notes of 16 participants

Average of the 16 tasters for the individual wines in the flight:

Latour à Pomérol = 90pts
Labégorce Cédé = 89pts
Figeac = 89pts
Trotanoy = 91pts
L'Arrosée = 90pts
Pavie = 88pts

• 1989 Château Latour à Pomerol 84 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Clear red but with brick at the edges. Herbs, Wermouth in the nose. Green notes with present acidity. All a bit short and simple. This wine is past its peak.

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• 1989 Château Figeac 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Light red. Metallic nose with hints of earth, mushroom. The wine has some power and a good structure. There is some fruit left, hints of raspberry. Good wine to drink now.

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• 1989 Château Labégorce-Zédé 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Nose of leather, tobacco. Still some fruit left, but all a bit short with a noticable acidity. At its peak, would drink now.

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• 1989 Château Trotanoy 86 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Ripe red with some brick at the edges. Nose of Wermouth, some herbal touches, earth and alcohol. The wine is very dry, with hints of malt and bitterness. All a bit short and one dimensional. I expected more. At its peak and to be drunk now.

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• 1989 Château L'Arrosée 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Herbal notes with hints of berries and leather. All was a bit dry, short and boring to me, but some of the other participants rated this wine above 90 and even up to 94. For me the wine is at its peak and should be drunk.

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• 1989 Château Pavie 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Oxidative and herbal notes, tobacco. Acidity is present. Despite some present and pleasant fruit, all is a bit short and simple. Past its peak.

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Average of the 16 tasters for the individual wines in the flight:

Pétrus = 95pts
Cheval Blanc = 94pts
Fleur Pétrus = 93pts
Conseillante = 92pts
L'Eglise Clinet = 91pts
Le Gay = 87pts

• 1989 Pétrus 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Tasted blind. Clear intensive red. Nose of licorice, coffee, raspberries, plums. The tannins are extremely smooth and well integrated. Again taste of raspberry , tobacco, coffee. Extemely long and elegant. Just a wonderful wine! This wine is still not fully mature and I guess it will benefit from a few more years of cellaring. So the 100pts are just a matter of time. Drink - 2035.

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• 1989 Château Cheval Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Intensive red. Nose of berries with mineralic notes. Very well integrated and smooth tannins. Raspberries, tobacco combined with a fresh acidity. This is an elegant wine with plenty of life ahead. Drink now - 2030

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• 1989 Château La Fleur-Pétrus 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Nose of Earl Grey with subtle mint flavors, plums and raspberries. Nice sweetness of red berries and again hints of mint that keeps the wine fresh. Elegant wine. Drink now - 2020.

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• 1989 Château La Conseillante Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This bottle seems to mature and does not match the expectations and descriptions of this wine. I suggest this was a bottle that was stored in a too warm cellar.

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• 1989 Château L'Eglise-Clinet Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This bottle seemed flawed with hints of TCA. A rating would not do justice.

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• 1989 Château Le Gay Pomerol Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This bottle seemed flawed with hints of TCA. A rating would not do justice.

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Average of the 16 tasters for the individual wines in the flight:

Palmer = 95pts
Grand Puy Lacoste = 92pts
Leoville Las Cases = 93pts
Domaine de Chevalier = 94pts
Léoville Barton = 93pts
Ch. Margaux = 96pts

• 1989 Château Palmer 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Clear intensive red. Nose of tobacco, leather with herbal notes. At the same time a nice sweetness of red berries, chocolate and coffee. This is a superb wine. Very elegant and well balanced. Drink now - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Intensive red. Nose of red currant and coffee. Bitter notes but nicely integrated dark fruit flavors (Cassis). Tannins are still present. Drink now - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Margaux 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Intensive red. Nose of graphite, berries with hints of leather. Tannins still present. Flavor of berries, chocolate. All elegant but a bit short. Others liked this wine much more than I did. Drink now - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Intensive red. Lactic nose, chocolate. Flavors of red berries. A bit bitter but all supported by the nice sweetness and well integrated tannins. The wine is long and deep but all is a bit one dimensional. No hurry to drink this wine. Drink - 2025.

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• 1989 Domaine de Chevalier 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  This surprise of the 1989 tasting. The wine has a clear red but still looks relatively youthful. Nose of herbs, berries and plum. It has very smooth tannins all supported by a wonderful sweetness. This is a very elegant wine and at this tasting definitely performed beyond expectations. Surprisingly youthful.
  
  Tasted the wine a few times in the past 2 years, and this is by far the best bottle of the Dd Chevalier 1989. Drink now - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Red berries in the nose. A bit dry with bitter notes. All a bit rustic and short. Not well balanced. Could be that this wine required more time in the decanter (decanted 3 hrs). Drink - 2020.

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Average of the 16 tasters for the individual wines in the flight:

Pichon Comtesse = 95pts
Mouton - Rothschild = 95pts
Latour = 95pts
Pichon Baron = 91pts
Lynch Bages = 95pts
Lafite - Rothschild = 96pts

• 1989 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Clear intensive red in color. Red berries, plums with hints of coffee in the nose. The wine is very elegant and long in the finish. Flavors of raspberries cover the well integrated tannins. This wine was the most elegant of the 1989 Pauillac flight. Wonderful. Drink now - 2025.

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• 1989 Château Lynch-Bages 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Deep red. Nose of leather, smoke and espresso with lots of berries and plums. Nice sweetness in the finish. All elegant but the only negative I felt is that the wine was a bit rustic. I feel here the potential for 1-2 additional points in 5 years of time. Wonderful Lynch Bages at par with the Premier Crus from the Medoc. Drink to 2030.

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• 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  I suggest the bottle on the 1989 tasting was stored too warm. It had Vermouth notes and was past its prime.
  
  As this bottle is not consistent with other tasting notes on this wine I suggest it was a bad bottle!

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• 1989 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Intensive red. Nose of leather, cassis, chocolate. The wine has a lot of power, the tannins are present with well integrated acidity. Not too much fruit left, so I am a bit worried that the wine may dry out. Drink now - 2025.

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• 1989 Château Mouton Rothschild 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Clear intensive red. Nose of Black Tea, Coffee and herbs with hints of dark berries and leather. The wine has nice notes of graphite and a wonderful fruit (blue berries, plum) and chocolate. All is very elegant and balanced. No hurry to drink this beauty. Drink - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Bright red, first signs of age on the edges. Nose of leather, tobacco, currant and licorice. The wine has power and a solid structure, yet is quite elegant. The tannins are present but well balanced with the fruit. Nice wine. Drink now - 2030.

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Average of the 16 tasters for the individual wines in the flight:

Cos d'Estournel = 93pts
Pape Clément = 91pts
Montrose = 96pts+
Haut Brion = 98pts
La Mission Haut Brion = 97pts

• 1989 Château Haut-Brion 100 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Dark intensive red. Herbs, light leather, tobacco box, and red berries in the nose. Still youthful fruity flavors. Taste of black tea, berries. Just a wonderful balance and the wine is extremely smooth and has a long finish. Has almost a Burgundian elegance to it. This is perfection. This wine is still young and has for sure a long life ahead. Drink - 2040.

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• 1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Tasted blind. Same flight with the Haut Brion.
  
  Dark red, showing some light brick at the rims. Mineralic nose, smoke, leather, exotic citrus flavors (kumquat). This wine has enormous power, is deep but very harmonic. The sweetness is supporting the power very well. Very exotic touches again. While the Haut Brion is about elegance this is about power. This wine still requires some more time. Just amazing. Drink 2018 - 2045

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• 1989 Château Pape Clément 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Wine was the most evolved in the flight. Brick color at the edges. Nose of iodine. Ripe flavors cover the acidity. All a bit rustic and simple. Drink now - 2020.

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• 1989 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Wow! what a wonderful wine the 1989 Montrose is. The nose shows signs of leather, earth with a combination of just red berries and plums. A wonderful sweetness makes this wine very elegant. It is long, complex and powerful. This is just great! Drink now - 2030.

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• 1989 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Deep red. Nose of coffee, herbs and dark berries. The acidity is nicely integrated. Beautiful balance between sweetness and bitterness. The wine has power and is long, but the tannins are still present. I would wait another 3-4 years until I try again. Drink 2015 - 2035.

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• 1989 Château Climens 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Nose of saffron, apricot, grapefruit. The wine has quite some acidity. Thick with lots of botrytis. Great wine with long life ahead. Drink - 2030

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The event was amazing and memorable for a long time to come. With so many wonderful wines and legends in one evening. The 1989s are definitely classic wines, a few of them legends, many great and good wines with only a few disappontments. If the price is right these wines are still to be sought as they represent classical claret and represent IMHO a much better value as many of the (overpriced) modern Bordeaux.