Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988
Tasted Friday, October 23, 2015 by Zweder with 838 views
Introduction
Every participant brought one or two Bordeaux 1988 wine(s). We knew which 1988’s were there. The sommelier tasted the wines and decided the order in which the wines were poured blind one at a time. So all wines were tasted blind.
NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve 92 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Focused and yeasty bouquet with citrus, crustacean and minerals. On the palate very tight and focused with firm citrus and good minerals. Tasting this blind I thought there was some similarity with Krug (Which I don’t taste often enough…) Beautiful bubble.
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2005 Kistler Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Ripe yellow fruits and a firm dose of oak in the bouquet. On the palate beautiful yellow fruits, full bodied, a firm dose of oak, some nutty flavors and slightly reductive. Good acidity. Very mature and still a really beautiful wine. No score.
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1988 Château Margaux 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Extraordinary experience. Not because the wine was so extremely beautiful , but because it tasted still extremely youthful. In the bouquet there were dark and red forest fruits and a touch of barnyard. On the palate dark and red forest fruits as well, some spiciness and green bell pepper. The tannin is still firm and a bit drying with a lot of bitterness in the finish. Overall a still youthful wine and not really refined, but certainly more than ok. If I owned any I would wait until 2020 at least to see if more finesse would appear. Tonight I (blind) scored the wine 91 – 92, which is mediocre for a first growth.
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1988 Château Cheval Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Mature bouquet with cassis, beautiful oak and some pleasant barnyard flavors. On the palate a slightly sweet start with chocolate and earthy flavors, good acidity, some ok bell pepper, a bit rustic, and tannin with still enough bite for some future. Not extremely refined, but mature and ready now, although I wonder if it might improve a bit with some more ageing…. could well be…. Anyway 92 for tonight.
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1988 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful bouquet with mature cassis, beautiful oak and a firm amount of pleasant barnyard. On the palate extracted with some sweetness in the start, dark forest fruits, very luxurious oak, a bit rustic, firm acidity, some bell pepper and tannin with still a good bite. Overall a luxurious and complex wine with a lot of finesse and some slightly sharp edges. Tonight I scored the wine 94 – 95, but I will put 94 in CT for tonight. Eventually, with a few more years of ageing, 95 might prove to be more correct.
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1988 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Luxurious and mature bouquet with dark and some red forest fruits, cigar box, coffee and some graphite. On the palate dark and red forest fruits, sweet spices, graphite and some ok bell pepper. Beautifully fresh acidity and soft tannin with still a good bite. Exclusive wine with still several years of future. Until 2019?. 93+ for tonight.
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1988 Tertre Rôteboeuf 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Mild and interesting bouquet with cassis, iodine, sweet licorice, julienne and some barnyard flavors. On the palate a concentrated wine with chocolate, red and dark berries, herbs and spices, good acidity and drying tannin with a firm amount of bitterness. The bouquet is complex and great, but on the palate the wine disappoints a bit. Overall I scored it 91.
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1988 Château Clinet 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
In the bouquet chocolate and sweet licorice as well as beautiful autumn flavors. On the palate dark forest fruits, chocolate again, good acidity and soft, slightly drying tannin. Overall a beautifully mature and round, full bodied wine.
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1988 Château Rausan-Ségla 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
In the bouquet dark and red forest fruits as well as some good oaky flavors. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, firm acidity and mature tannin. Not extremely concentrated and showing some age. The wine is fully mature now and still beautiful, but not any reason to wait any longer.
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1988 Château Latour Grand Vin 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
In the bouquet dark forest fruits and graphite. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, some bell pepper, firm acidity and still slightly sticky tannin. A bit drying and a firm amount of bitterness in the finish. I was not extremely impressed. Maybe the wine needs a few more years of ageing? I (blind) scored it 90 – 91 for tonight.
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1992 Les Forts de Latour 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This wine showed extremely beautiful tonight! In the bouquet dark forest fruits like cassis, luxurious oak, smoke, cigar box, spices and graphite. On the palate great complexity and finesse with dark forest fruits, graphite, good acidity and beautifully mature tannin. Overall a silky and great wine of great finesse and elegance and at its perfect peak. In fact sad to say it outclassed the 1988 Latour itself we tasted just before this wine.
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1988 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
In the bouquet dark forest fruits, beautiful oak and a touch of pleasant barnyard. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, some graphite and chocolate, firm acidity and mature, soft tannin. Not extremely concentrated, but a beautiful and complex, elegant wine. Completely ready now.
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1988 Château La Fleur de Gay 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Beautiful bouquet with dark forest fruits, coffee, caramel, cinnamon, cigar box and luxurious oak. Almost like a good Pauillac. On the palate juicy dark berries, a touch of bell pepper, firm acidity and supple tannin. Beautiful and elegant wine. Fully mature wine and no extreme hurry to drink it.
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1988 Château Lafleur 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Although the bouquet is not extremely expressive there are roses, perfume and luxurious oak. On the palate dark forest fruits, graphite and some bell pepper. The acidity is a bit overwhelming and the tannin is good with still a good bite. The wine seems to be a little bit out of balance now. Does it require more ageing? Not sure. For tonight 91+?
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1988 Château Ausone 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
In the bouquet dark and red forest fruits, espresso, sweet spices and a bit vegetal. On the palate mainly red berries, some bell pepper, sweet spices, herbs, firm acidity and still good tannin. Still enough bite and a good structure. Can probably last for several more years, but will never be extremely great.
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1988 Château Palmer 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Beautiful bouquet with mainly red fruits, beautiful and perfectly integrated oak and cedar. On the palate juicy red and dark berries, cedar, graphite, some bell pepper and herbs. Juicy acidity and soft tannin. Fully mature now, no extreme hurry to drink it.
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1988 Château Mouton Rothschild 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Dark forest fruits and graphite as well as luxurious oak in the bouquet. On the palate still dark berries and graphite as well. A firm dose of good oak and firm acidity. The tannin is mild and soft. Beautiful and harmonious wine. Will stay alive for some more years. 93 - 94
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1988 Château Lafite Rothschild 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Luxurious and refined bouquet with dark forest fruits, cedar and cigar box. On the palate dark as well as red berries, dark chocolate and vanilla. Also firm acidity and a lot of still powerful tannin which is slightly drying. Overall very well balanced. Can probably last another decade. Beautiful wine. 94 - 95
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1988 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Beautiful and mature bouquet with dark forest fruits, some tea, flowers and luxurious oaky flavors. On the palate still a meaty wine with beautiful dark forest fruits, a pleasant touch of bell pepper, some chocolate, good acidity and mild, slightly drying tannin. This probably was the most harmonious wine of the night. Really beautiful and no real hurry drinking it.
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1988 Château Haut-Brion Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
What a pity, the wine was slightly corked. Nevertheless a short description. Still firm dark fruits, full bodied and good acidity and tannin. A well structured wine. I really hope there will be an opportunity between now and 2020 to taste a flawless bottle.
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1988 Château Gruaud Larose 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Not such a long note because the wine disappointed a bit. In both the bouquet as well as on the palate there were some common factors; a firm dose of beautiful oak and green (bell pepper) impressions. Firm acidity and slightly drying tannin with still some bite. Not as good as the previous times I tasted the wine.
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1988 Château Rieussec 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
In the bouquet apricots and orange peel and beautiful sweetness. On the palate apricots, ripe pineapple, some butterscotch and cinnamon. Beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness. Still at its peak and it can last at least until the end of this decade, probably longer.
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1988 Château d'Yquem 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
In the bouquet apricots, orange peel, tangerine and butterscotch. Same on the palate, ripe pineapple and honey as well. Beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness. Beautiful and complex wine, but to be completely honest; just a little bit more impressive than Rieussec 1988 which stood beside it.
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