This has really burst into life over the last 12 months, and my second bottle during that period. It nows to lives up to all the initial plaudits on release. For myself, it is the best pre millennial Pichon Baron, just pipping the 1990. The nose is deeply aromatic, but tertiary, with blackcurrant, plum, and beef blood, with violet wafts. The palate probably has further integration, but already is silky, but with a tannic bite. The finish does not quite match the rest of the experience, but it is nitpicking. Half an hour in the decanter is sufficient to lose any initial funk.
Evolved colour, oak quite pronounced on the nose. Impressive and generous but this bottle lacked a little energy and finesse despite still having generous layers of brambly fruit.
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Deep ruby/garnet core, narrow rim. Hsowing rich dark fruit, cedar. Medium/full, again rich blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, soft tannins, fresh acids, some savoury notes on the long finish. Excellent
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1989 Bordeaux Horizontal - London (Piccolino, Exchange Square): Very profound wine here. Nose is rich, fruit cakey and long. There is real controlled power here. Palate has brooding, dark fruits with a suggestions of high quality roasting juices. Savoury and very more-ish. With air some hints of sweetness on the nose. My third favourite and the table's second favourite wine of the night.
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III. 3 bottles Christmas Eve from family cellar. Tasted all to make sure consistent and acceptable to serve. PnP. Excellent but unexpectedly preferred the 76 Ridge Monte Bello the following night. Greatly enjoyed. No formal tasting notes.
Opened but aerated in bottle for two hours rather than in decanter, perhaps a mistake? Dark ruby red, very slight bricking to the body of the wine but hardly any sign of its 34 year age. On the nose beautifully mature claret spanning perfumed cassis, sweet tobacco, some pencil lead, black currants, some roasted meat. Lovely on the palate though felt more medium bodied than full. Compared to previous bottles, acidity a little flat mid palate but still there, finishes long with notes of mocha. Delicious in my book and next bottle I wi decant before drinking.
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Tasted blind, double-decanted. Ripe extracted fruit of black currant, cassis and black cherry. Tertiary notes of earth and mushrooms and some iodine minerality. Soft texture, amazing balance and a firm structure with a lingering leathery finish. Palate with plenty of fresh, sweet fruit along with fine tertiary aromas a just a touch of Williams. To date still the best Pichon Baron I’ve tasted, currently drinking at absolute peak and with probably still decades to go. Only 2016 or 2018 seem to have the potential to live up to this.
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Nose of roasted meat, black berry, hint of raspberry, saddle leather, lead pencil, and forest floor, same on the palate, the wine opened nicely and improved on the nose as the evening went on, mouth filling fruit, smooth, at its best, big body, typical Pichon Baron, very tasty, and a long, flavorful finish and lovely aftertaste.
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90 Rating initially as tasted surprisingly over mature since last bottle 2 years ago which was sensational . Bit tired on first pour an hour didn’t help much brief leap into life when smacked with beef, but squealed to a limp ending shortly after.
Then… came back an hour or two later so I could hammer a nail into the coffin but…. it was singing with a salty tang. Dark juicy and delicious. What a great surprise. Wonderful. Phew.
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Earth & leather as expected but still quite tight, narrow, young. Stayed tightly wound throughout 4+ hours of being opened, 1+ hr in the glass. Hard to say – tightest wine of the 1989 horizontal.
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Nose of tar, cedar and damp basement; totally resolved; smooth lean semi-sweet berry and mocha; drank slowly over 3 days; smooth long and creamy at 3rd day; outstanding.
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14th of 24, opened an hour then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, since superb last bottle in Jan 21, this bottle very tertiary with fruit flavours in decline, wonderful structure, fine length and complexity as ever but also disjointed and slightly odd as if missing an important component, not obviously flawed, needs watching and this bottle showing downside risk so need to look at another bottle in near term. Usually strong VF, this merely F (17.5).
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Just as good as the bottle we had two weeks ago. Aged very well, good fruits, light smoke and cinnamon little tannin beyond what is necessary to hold the core of flavors together.
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PnP. Wooooow this nose is insane. Great bottle. Ripe red and black fruit, damp soil, vanilla, leather, cigar, with a touch of green. Very Bordeaux terroir driven. Med- body, med acid, med tannin. This is brilliant. Showing hardly any age at this point. It’s remarkable how well it’s holding up. Drinks no and for the next 10+ years.
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Wonderful deep ruby red color in the glass. Vibrant fruit aroma mingled with minerals and tobacco.Probably at a peak but anticipate a long plateau based on how fulsome this was.
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Youthful looking dark ruby. Very expressive aromas of black small fruits, cedar, dark florals, cocoa and mint on the nose. The palate shows sappy black fruits laced with graphite, a touch of savory brown sauce, good acidity, gentle grip and a very long fruit filled and cedar scented finish. Superb!
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Love this one - very close to the near-to-perfect 1990 vintage, but still a runner-up;-). 2h decant to enter the pleasuredome of fruity notes, well integrated and harmonizing acids and tannins with a very long finish. Fantastic - just fantastic. It is just shy the 99 points and I believe it is far from having reached its peak. Happy to have some additional bottles in my cellar and looking forward to enjoy these in the coming decade(s?). We enjoyed this bottle alongside the 1989 Lynch Bages and there was a huge and noticeable gap between these two - and both are great. While LB is close to its end, I believe the 89 PB has still a theoretical long life span (but too delicious to wait too long).
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Good but not great bottle. Very soft and tannins resolved but fruit very restrained and wine almost feeling tired or over the hill. Hope just a bad bottle or night for me
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Excellent cork given the age; decanted to remove sediment. Classic Pauillac off the nose. Cedar, tobacco, graphite and a hint of pencil lead. Blackcurrant, plum are evident. I was surprised by how fresh the wine was, seamless sweet tannins and an incredible finish that validates why Pauillac wines are mesmerizing. The earthiness is profound and with time in glass the terroir hits you in a way that is hard to describe.
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Huge fennel seed, burnt orange rind nose initially, becoming plum. The cedar is there with gravel, and liquorice. Just an amazingly pungent and complex nose! More red berry in the mouth with a long minty herbal finish - rich but very fresh. Not heavy, very perfumes and outstanding. Such outstanding smooth tannins too. High acidity - amazing wine with food. Best ever Baron, easily. 98pts
Purchased as futures and stored in cellar from delivery. Cork crumbled, but no seepage. Needs a decant for the sediment. Once open the nose is classic Pauillac. Just stellar. Fruit has dropped leaving the wine a bit acidic. It won't get any better and has begun to downslope. Not as glorious as five years ago. We'll be drinking the remaining bottles.
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Nose upon opening was fantastic. Decanted for an hour and maybe didn’t need it. Great color, good palate feel and very good. I have had better btls. Drink.
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An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium ruby in the glass with no bricking. Strangely for a wine of this age there is just a little reduction present. The nose is quite focused on the deep fruit initially, over time grudgingly showing more secondary character. Aromas are of blueberry, blackberry, smoky mineral, vitamin tablet, pencil lead, graphite, violet, and a touch of celery seed. The palate enters on deep rich fruit with medium plus tannin and medium acid, overall leaving quite a dense and meaty impression. The finish shows just a little alcohol and is a tad clipped by the structure. This was not my favorite in this flight, largely feeling like a black hole, just the same as last time tasted. This time around we were fortunately able to follow it over 24 hours when it did finally turn the corner and show a little more complexity, but even then well behind the other wines in the flight.
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After 5 years of agonising whether this is a legendary wine or not, and being underwhelmed, at last a bottle which reminds me of why I fell in love with this half a decade ago. This is a behemoth of a wine, and the best pre millennial vintage, with only the 1990 coming close. Possessing an mature aromatic nose, it is deep and complex with blackcurrant, plum and chocolate with floral wafts of violet. The tannin is sweet on the palate with great depth and complexity. Potentially a relatively shorter finish prevents an even higher rating, but it is nit picking. Bottle variation is not an issue with the wine, but just a matter of development. I have a case and half of this in pristine condition, and ironically this bottle was from a couple of very tattered purchases bought below market value. Possibly a lesson; if you are on the wrong side of 60 treat them mean drink them younger! 97+
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Just gorgeous. Massive yet graceful. Over the course of more than three hours, the wine kept evolving in the glass, with blueberries, lead pencil, chocolate, mint, cigars, black plums, coffee, cedar, smoky ashes, and rich caramel, all doing a complex dance together, followed by an extraordinary rich and lingering aftertaste. All of the elements feel elegantly in balance with each other. A very comfortable 96 points. The cork was in remarkably good condition. If this bottle is typical, there's no hurry at all for this one--it should stay stunning for another decade and probably longer. [Tasted from the Jancis Robinson glass.]
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Plenty of life in this "youngster". Based on notes here I did not decant but opened 1 hour before drinking. it was the 1st bottle of the night before 2 CA cab sav giants from 2007 and 2010. it was right there with them on satisfaction level. It had a serious dirt/musty nose upon opening but faded to a desirable aroma quickly. Still has notes of tobacco and chocolate and had an absolutely silky-smooth mouth feel and continued to develop over the 1 hour of drinking as the finish got longer with each sip. Going to give it 2 hours on the next one. It should get to 2040 easy.
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A slightly more integrated bottle than the last, this started a little musty. Dense and dark, with a profile of dark cocoa and blackcurrant. Weighty, polished, with more power than the 89 HB or 90 Margaux, but not as much finesse as either. Dark cigar wrapper with the slightest hint of pepper. Great wine, always shows up.
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Beautifully aged, fully matured. Opulent nose, of mature dark berries, tobacco and fine leather. Medium bodied, elegant, perfectly balanced in the mouth, with generous sweet aromas of caramel, tobacco, cocoa, licorice. A long, phenolic finish. A real treat.
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While this is undoubtedly a nice wine it definitely lacks the intensity and complexity for outstanding. Very deep ruby to the rim. The aroma is a most pleasant blend of blackberry, cassis and quite a bit of blueberry. Medium body. The tannins have totally melted such that the texture is actually too smooth and soft, especially for a Pauillac from a splendid vintage. This is a crowd pleaser but the snobby cognoscenti might turn up their nose after the first pleasant sip.
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My last bottle. Double decanted and back into the bottle, then served from the bottle several hours later. Black. Cassis, dark fruits and oak on the nose. Full bodied, rich, dark fruits and initially (on retasting not so much) complex in the palate, with low acidity and a flattering flavor profile. This needs more time or a lot more air. At 33 years old. This is an excellent to outstanding wine, but it is not showing its best tonight - judgment reserved. Served alongside three wines (at least the latter two of which are showing better now - but that may not be the case with more air/time): the 1989 Cos, the 1990 La Conseillante and the 1990 L'Evangile, at Bill's Bordeaux Dinner. Willl revisit the small sample that I took home this or tomorrow evening. ADDENDUM: Day 2, in glass for another hour. Ruby. Oak on the nose. Rich dark fruits. Lacking the minerality that was evident in the Pomerols last night but very delicious. Still, I initially thought this would be a 96+ pointer. Maybe at age 40. (93+).
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Pre-1996 Blind Napa vs Bordeaux (Ducru, Heitz, Abreu, Cos d'Estournel, Cask 23 & more) (Charlotte, NC): 3 hour double decant; served at room temperature (all other wines served with a slight chill). Heat on the nose followed by raspberry aromas. Garnet in color. Rich, dark fruit on the palate with a very pure expression. Drank like a richly textured modern Napa Cabernet with a hint of rustic notes. Commented that when we come back to this wine in a few hours it will probably be a far superior wine which was confirmed. Definitely give this wine a very long decant. This wine on the initial tasting was delicious but on the later tasting was spectacular. One vote for Wine of the Night.
7 guesses for Napa, 1 for Bordeaux. My guess: ‘89 Pichon Baron
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Deep, rich, fresh and weighty. Compared to the 90' Pichon Baron, which I've had a few times recently, the 89' is a bit more shy and structured at this stage and benefits from some time in the decanter. Still, this is drinking beautifully.
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Nose: smoke, cedar, pepper, violet, star anise, plum Notes: the 1989 Baron delivers a rather St Julien kind of nose at this moment and I would say right now this is not very Baron like. The bottle is ex-chateau and is still very dark in color so its safe to say the condition is excellent . I had quite some Pichon Baron 1989 before and in the last 6 months I tasted this wine twice and it is quite different from what I had before. The wine is closed up and feels like it's not delivering what it should. This is the interesting thing about wines, the ups and downs and timing of drinking is quite crucial. Although I would continue to remain faithful on the potential this wine has to offer in the future but it's simply not at a great spot right now. It is not ready and we will have to resample it again in at least 5 years time. Drink: 2028+ Rating: 90 +
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A perfect bottle of this which remains youthful and lifted with a gorgeously smooth texture and great depth. There are layered flavors of subdued black fruits along with classic Pauillac notes of gravel pit and graphite minerals. The finish is refined and vigorous with beautiful dark spice notes. Clearly picked at the right time as it avoids any of the "green" of the vintage. A superb wine with decades of life left. 95+
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This is still a beast after 3 hours in the glass. Highly recommend a 3 plus hour decant. Darker fruit up front that leads to a well balanced wine with a nice finish. This is in or near its prime with at least another 20 years of prime drinking. Revisit 2028.
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A private dinner at a friend's (Warmond, NL): Deep and spicy, glossy and polished, profound and rich Pauillac, velvety and rich, big and weighty, marvellous bouquet, warm and meaty, firm tannins, long and spicy finish.
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Rough on opening, like a grumpy old man. Gave it an hour and it was everything a top Bordeaux should be, a nose of dark plum, cherry, and cigar smoke, a deep full body with more cassis and cedar. As the night went on the tannins softened and everything came together for a wonderfully balanced finish.
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Once again stellar. This has all the characteristics of great paulliac black currant, cigar box, pencil shavings. Aging beautifully. The only thing keeping this from a higher score would be slightly deeper concentration. Otherwise a perfect wine for me. Gained weight and blossomed with air. Drank over the course of five hours and just got better and better.
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Opened and decanted two hours before dinner. This wine continued to get better throughout the evening. This bottle was still surprisingly fresh and retained many primary aromas and flavors after 33 years. A balanced, medium-bodied Pauillac with cedar, dark red fruits and softening tannins. In a great spot now but may get a bit better over the next few years.
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Nose: smoke, spices, graphite, chocolate Notes: quite a disappointment today. I used to drink one of these every one or two years but unfortunately this one is not performing so well. Supposedly from ex-chateau I'm not sure why this is a bit muted and perhaps a little tired. Although I'm not impressed with this particular bottle today but I feel there's still plenty of life in this bottle and should last for another 12-13 years. Drink: Now-2035 Rating: 89 pts
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A beautiful wine with spine and verve, yet age has softened this into something elegant and mature. This has graphite, mint, blue fruit, and charcoal on the nose. The smooth entry is driven by graphite. As you get to the mid palate, you get richness from a blueberry compote note and mint, and lots of tertiary flavor, including mesquite, banana leaf, and leather. This had power and delicacy. This will develop for a good while, likely with more of that mesquite and mint coming through with more time.
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Opened with my younger brother as he is from 1989. 1hr decant. A bit of sediment. Nose with blackcurrants, plums, cigar. Medium to full-bodied with powdery tannins. Low-acid profile. Very elegant now
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I had an odd experience with this bottle. It ended up being very good and like previous bottles. However, in the past I only decanted this wine for one to one and a half hours.....and that was fine. Comments from other tasters back that up. However, this time I decanted for about two and a half hours. The first sips were awful. After another half hour plus, the experience reached what I had expected from past experiences. I have no way of knowing if this is a one-off experience or not.
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More than 2 years since my last bottle this is evolving at a glacial pace. Deep ruby color, hardly any signs of aging which is incredible for a 33 year old. Decanted and aerated for an hour then drank over 90 minutes. Nose of perfumed cassis, olive tapenade, dark berries, coffee powder and pencil lead. On the palate superb structure, balance, some secondary notes, amazing acidity signalling a long life ahead. Finishes with very fine velvety tannins and a touch of mocha. Tremendous. 6 bottles left!
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Thought we were having this with steak but were too full for the steak so we ended up just drinking the bottle over the course of 5 hours. Lots of tertiary aromas. Beautiful velvety tannis that are fully integrated. All the notes are there. Lovely wine and don’t agree with the comments about last leg and drink up. Not there yet at all.
Unknown provenance. Decanted for 30 minutes and followed for several hours. Bricky opaque garnet. Initial nose of horse poop and volatile elements transitioning to currant, soy, hyacinth, earth. Layers of buoyant red plum, blackberry, and deeply-pitched, satisfying currant cut with holiday cake and a bit of sauvage. Pliant tannin and elegant acidity. Longer finish of light grip, echoing deep red fruit, earth, and tobacco. This became a thing of beauty.
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Powerful and elegant. Perfect balance and humming right now. Bottle in perfect condition. This wine is just fantastic! Earth Cedar tabaco leaf blackberries…all the elements essential to great Paulliac are here. So much depth it just keeps you wanting more after every sip. No question this has a long life in the tank and will age into greatness as the tertiary flavors evolve. Wow!
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Continues to drink well. Feeling like this bottle is quite further along from the last time I had this, indicating it is starting to enter a tertiary and final stage of its life. I don’t think this will fall off the cliff in the next 3-5 years, but it will get more disjointed from here. Drink now.
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A private dinner with friends (Amsterdam): On great form. Warm and spicy, rich but classical Pauillac, ripe cassis and nutty evolution, lovely stuffing and balance, gravelly finesse, plummy and slightly port-like finish.
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This has hit its stride but still needs a few hours of aeration to blow off some rougher edges. Also time in the glass really transforms it; I initially was convinced that this had suffered some heat damage before it settled. Its profile is becoming more pronounced as it ages with blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco dominant with some floral notes. The palate is robust with tannin and reminds that you are drinking a Paulliac albeit with a decent merlot contribution. I agree with a fellow reviewer that there is lightness front to mid palate, but everything creeps back in giving wonderful depth and now an excellent finish which had been falling short to date. Not my best bottle of this but still excellent, this is still in development and should stay here for the next two decades. With the right bottle this could merit another couple of points.
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PNP, should have decanted. Red fruits, cedar, tobacco leaf on the nose. Cleaner with less funk than the 96 Lalande. The palate is medium weight, red fruited with a silky soft texture. Delicious.
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4 Rosé Unicorns & 6 Mature Bordeauxs: Five red Bordeauxs from 1978 to 1998 + one Sauternes 2001. All tasted double blind. Winner - by a margin - was the L’Evangile 1982 (98 pts). Best bottle so far, this showed a lot of intensity and substance combined with a perfect precision. The Pichon Baron 1989 is a quintessential Pauillac in its prime. The complete package. Complex, precise, super harmonious. The Pontet Canet 1996 (95 pts) showed surprisingly layered and seductive. The 1998 Ducru Beaucaillou (94 pts) showed the typical earthy, mineral and herbal profile but had some alcohol notes and showed overall more modern and ripe than today’s DBs. The Gruaud Larose 1978 (92 pts) had a nice fruit core with lots of tertiary aromas wrapped around it but compared to the others was lacking definition and complexity. The Dosiy Daene 2001 (96 pts) is another stunning 2001 Sauternes with a perfect balance of sweetness and freshness.
TN: Expressive nose with lots of Pauillac minerality and dark sweet cassis fruit. Very inviting and precise with some tertiary aromas completing the picture. A little hole on the attack but then the wine gains weight through the mid palate and finish with very sexy, sweet and pure fruit, even some floral aromas lots of creaminess combined with freshness and lots of minerality, smoke, herbal and earthy notes. Mature, ripe tannins and superb acidity balance. Quite complete and sexy but not yet at its peak as there is not yet the full array of tertiary aromas prominently featured. Anyway, already great to drink today and easily 96+ pts.
Decanting: I would decant this for 1-2 hours minimum.
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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Wines Enjoyed at John Kapon's 50th Birthday Bash (The Pool - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. I have had very mixed experiences with this wi e through the years, but tonight’s magnum was amongst the best. Lots of rich black fruit, lots of spice, lots of structure, with everything in proportion.
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Brad's btl tonight w/Vincent's fabulous 9 course dinner with 12 close wine buddies at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis marking my retirement in days. Semi opaque ruby garnet red. Beautifully resolved soulful elegant & aromatic signature Paulliac from one of my personal top 10 BDX producers. Captivating aromas of cigar box, dark fruit & forest floor along with equally inviting dark fruit, lead pencil, cassis and mineral flavors. In a very nice place right now w/ plenty of life ahead and further upside. A burgundy lovers BDX.
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Craig's Retirement Party (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Unsure about the prep here, but it did get some decant time. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Absolutely beautiful; the nose glows with dried forest floor, an amazing sweet fruit perfume of cassis and blackberry, incense and leather. The palate is full bodied and caressing; layers of gorgeous dark fruits, dried moss, incense, leather, pencil, and long, long finish. This is drinking fantastic with a youthful core that is going to age gracefully and glacially. Thanks Brad!. 96+ to 97pts.
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Cherry skins, higher acid, bit simple, dry tannins, seems younger but it was '89! Not a big fan but, and this came in last place blind. The '89's lagged behind the other vintages although I liked some of them just fine. DD Bordeaux 1989-2000 Lawson's Steakhouse
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Part of a small Bordeaux 20+ years of age line-up. The Pichon Baron 89 is a show-stopper. Ripe and refined black berry and plum fruit, floral complexity, some iodine and only a fine layer of aging notes. A full-bodied, juicy and perfectly integrated palate to die for, with lots of fruit, sweetness, only at the margin a bit of leather and a nice, long finish.
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This wine is still a baby. Bursting with black cherry fruit with leather, graphite, and earthy flavors, excellent structure, deeply layered with a singular focus, long finish. Easily stood up the a great 1998 Latour and delicious but not a full-bodied 1996 Mouton.
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I am fortunate to taste this gem at least once a year, and it consistently delivers an incredible Pauillac experience. Loaded with cedar, lit cigar, tobacco leaf, peppery spice, herbs, currants and blackberry, this wine remains perfectly perched on the precipice of balance and power. Everything about this is just great!
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Definitely a good bottle, but maybe lost in the crowd. Both the 89 Lynch and 89 Lalande were better this night. Lots of layered depth kept me going back to see where it would go though. Only disappointed in comparison.
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Same dissappointing stewed fruit as the prior bottle. Compelling spicy notes of paprika and cocoa with hints of graphite make it still high quality but not what it could / should be.
Dense black cherry in color, no signs of fading or age after 2-hour decant. A rainbow of aromas and flavors, settling into blackberry, leather, red and black licorice and a touch of cedar. Drinking beautifully right now.
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Nose of rusty bucket and dried rose petals. Savory meat notes, pencil lead and clay minerality with dried cherry floating underneath. A bit on the downhill side, but still structured and a great food wine.
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89/90 Bordeaux @ Hawksmoor (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): Beautiful sanguine ruby, slightly prunes element to the nose. A touch maderised? A little pinched on the palate too. Something not quite right here. Maybe low level TCA rather than oxidised? Stripped anyway. Shame, as this can be an absolute beauty. On this showing *** / 88
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Drank next to 89 Haut Brion, and the contrast was interesting. Th HB looking and tasting very age appropriate while the PB looked and tasted at least 10 years younger. the development of the HB plus its notable presence of Merlot/Cab Franc made it more alluring, but this has the edge in depth and power. It poured deep purple, with classic cab Sauvignon notes of leather coffee and dark fruits. This and the 1990 are massive wines that are built to last
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Nose: Blackberry, boysenberry, rose, ash, and gravel. Bit of pencil coming in as it decants. Palate: Classic approach with dark blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and mineral notes. Beautiful moderate weight and perfume. Finish: lengthy and well delineated finish fans out with black and red fruit, cedar, pencil and stone notes.
Excellent. But for me the weight of the 90 notches it slightly ahead. Both gorgeous.
Great bottle with a long life ahead. Not a great note but popped open at the restaurant and was tightly coiled. Opened up nicely over 90 minutes. I didnt rush it and took over a half bottle home. On day 2 it was still roaring with no oxidation. Plenty of fruit still there and well balanced.
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In such a great place ... if you give it air. A bit brutal out of the gate, strong tobacco, cedar etc. this blew off after about an hour, and on hour two it really started to sing, beautiful cassis, lovely pure fruit medium body, gorgeous old school Bordeaux. Will go for another 10-20 years but so good now.
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The 1989 Pichon Baron is drinking beautifully today, offering up aromas of ripe cassis, plums, cuban cigar, loamy soil, black truffles and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with powdery tannins and an ample core of fruit, it's ripe and rather dramatic; indeed, if the wine has a defect, it's an excess of ripness and richness, to the extent that I tend to think it's at peak today, and that even if it's still as good in another decade, there's not much to be gained from waiting.
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Really started to sing after 3h decant. Blackberry, mint, baking spices, graphite, forest floor. High acidity to start that softened over the decant. Very nice, balanced tannins.
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4 Bordeaux-1989 Vintage+ 2 Rose Champagnes (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of roasted meat, black berry, hint of raspberry, saddle leather, lead pencil, and forest floor, same on the palate, the nose improved over the next 2 hours, big body, mouth filling fruit, concentrated, typical Pichon Baron, very tasty, and a long, long, long finish, Photo uploaded, My #2 tied of 4.
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Upon decanting, the nose is quite tight. But what a big, beautiful palate, unfolding, filling the mouth with aromas of fresh ash, pencil, blackberry, and cold tea. With time, the nose fills out, densely fruited if somewhat monolithic and cultivating a slightly minty character. This is a more primary example than prior experiences from different lots (this is the first bottle of an OWC), but we’ll see soon if a second bottle is consistent with that impression.
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Very dense and still somewhat closed after a 3 hour decant. Tar and black licorice with cassis and menthol. Very fine tannins. Good underlying acidity. Great potential if it would just open up. Feels like it needs another 5-10 years. Pristine cork and level.
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Medium ruby, just a bit of sediment. A bit austere but well balanced, drinking very well for my taste but in no danger of going over the hill soon. Very fine wine and last bottle.
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Had the '89 against the '90. While we did prefer the 1990 (despite this not being the best bottle I've ever had), the '89 was very solid. Appearance is quite young, like many 89s, but with a wonderful tertiary nose. Less fruit, leaving it on the classic but more astringent side, but with good balance nonetheless. Finish rather short. We kept half the bottle but it was not much different on day 2
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DNR since we should have decanted longer. Decanted for 30 minutes and drank 2 glasses over following hour and a half. Cedar was all I noticed. Came off as one dimensional. Recommend not less than 2 hours, maybe 3? Felt this has many years ahead of it, maybe a decade. Cork in excellent shape, 1/2 soaked. Ah-so used.
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13th of 24, opened 2 hours decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, previous notes very fine or better - deep ruby, surprisingly little development on rim; well integrated cassis, bramble, tobacco, some graphite and earth, notable spice and hard to place other note bit like a combination of beetroot, cinnamon with a touch of lavender perhaps, complex and classy though; fullish, long, persistent, excellent concentration and drive, velvet, well integrated and balanced, youthful vigour. VF (18.5)..........the middle of a glorious trio of vintages for PB, whilst 88 is usually the runner-up, 90 often is the winner, but not in my last head to head at a dinner party in 2014 when 89 was preferred albeit marginally.
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What a gorgeous wine this is! I used a pressure device to pull the cork which came out beautifully. Still a deep garnet color with only a hint of orange on rim. Wonderful Bordeaux bouquet of cedar, blackberry and damp earth. One hour decant showed the wine is ready for immediate enjoyment. The blackberry fruit and some tobacco are seamlessly integrated with the smooth tannin and alcohol. Beautiful finish and as it turned out we consumed over 72 hours with no good just the gorgeous wine. Bravo to Pichon Baron! I have two more and am looking forward to the next bottle.
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It has been 16 years since I've last had a bottle of this wine. I bought three bottles back in '97 and have been patiently waiting for them to mature. But patience wears thin and I recently bought another seven at auction. This is one of the latter. Excellent condition with a mid neck fill and pristine cork, suggesting these have been well cellared. Opened and double decanted around 5pm, and drank over several hours beginning around 6:30. Considering the high expectations I had for this wine (elevated perhaps by the sentimentality associated with it, since this was the wine we had at the dinner where I proposed to my wife), this was slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent wine, velvety smooth and opulent, showcasing cassis and cigar leaf, with a very long smooth finish, but I find it a bit one-dimensional, and almost too polished. In fairness, this was consumed outdoors on a sub 40° evening by the fire, while conversing with friends, so not ideal conditions. I didn't really contemplate it in the way I would if drank over dinner. That said, I will give the next bottle more air I think.
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Superb in every way, this is a stellar example of Pauillac. Full-bodied, powerful, a bit reserved and yet regal, the wine is long, rich, and intense with a gorgeous combination of cedar, cigar wrapper, earth, spice and ripe, juicy currants. Drink this now, or in a decade.
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This has improved since yesterday, adding tar and espresso notes in the nose and not showing much if any brett. Most of the improvement has come in the mouth: it is silkier, the tannins are chewier, and the flavors show more black fruits and coffee-liquer. More enjoyable overall, with a better, smoother finish. Guess I should have decanted. Today: 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
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Somewhat disappointing considering my high expectations for this wine. Dark ruby, browning at the rim. The nose initially showed a bit of brett, but it mostly blew off after 45 minutes (BTW, this was popped and poured). Nose has faint notes of butternut, blackberry, forest floor, bark and tea, but is more than anything nondescript. Ditto in the mouth, with suggestions of plum, medicine and menthol. Give it points for longevity, and hopefully, exposure to air will liven this up, but for now, an hour after opening, this is one of the worst '89s I have had. 4-10-14-6: 84/100.
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M&PD Zoom Tasting: Bordeaux (Zoom): Immediately this shows some oxidized notes with soy. Cedar as well. The palate is surprisingly young, powerful and tannic. Spicy with mint and a hint of green. Sadly I think this bottle was either not right, or it suffered from the decanting and travel. I am calling it flawed.
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Double decanted for an hour, deep ruby with no brick, classic, left bank Bordeaux with dark fruit, leather & a touch of tobacco, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding & at peak, no rush
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FWSG 1989 Bordeaux Left Bank horizontal tasting. Drank in Grassl 1855. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of menthol, green bell pepeprs, red capsicums, blackcurrant leaf, dark soil earth. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, integrated resolved high tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, smooth cassis, acceptably spicy bell peppers and capsicums, lovely moist dark soil earth, green menthol, hints of polished dark leather. Long finish. Very good quality. Menthol dominant. Such a fine aged Bordeaux. Enjoyment on the palate.
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3rd and 4th bottle of a case with good ullage. The wine is way passed its prime with awkward components in the taste that are highly unpleasant: like raw cubes of bouillon. Without a doubt the least pleasant Baron I have ever tasted from 1982-2000 so far. I was hoping the 3rd bottle was off but then the 4th was no better. Nothing recognizable as corked or anything like that but it had some strong senses of different herbs or seasonings that you would find the grocery as cheap seasonings of a dish. Highly unpleasant.
Great showing, rich cassis fruit framed by supple tannins and moderate acids, some leather and cigar smoke. Long ferric finish. Young but totally delicious. A-
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Decanted briefly but recommend two hours for it to open up and flesh out. Pichon Baron was the first Bordeaux I fell in love with many years ago when it was inexpensive. This example shows the liquid saddle leather and earth that typify the wine. After two hours the flavors fill the palate and the acid comes out to balance the earth. Tannins are supple but firm. Just drinking spectacularly. I don't know if I've had a better example of this wine.
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Still has room to evolve but truly outstanding. Dark ruby red with hardly any bricking. Decanted and drank over two hours. Pure nose of evolved left bank aromas of noble cassis, cigar box, spice, dark red fruits and gravel. Beautiful solid structure mid palate, long finish, with tannins fully coated by the beautiful cassis dominated fruit.
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Just an incredible bottle Opened to celebrate my 31 wedding anniversary Nice nose mostly earthy Incredibly smooth just glides through your mouth with earthy black cherry and leather Long finish All very subtle and delicious
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Came here thinking I would alert aficionados about this wine, only to discover that there is impressive agreement that this is a great wine. Just consumed the 11th bottle of a case purchased at release and stored properly. Unbelievably, at age 31 this wine gets scores from me that continue to improve. Past bottles have rated 95 or 96 in my private notes, but this bottle was just a knockout. I felt I had to publish the news.
Wow! What a GREAT bottle of wine. Cork felt soft as usual with this wine and vintage, but came out intact with careful use of ah-so. Cork looked good, and a whiff raised the suspicion that this bottle was something special. Beautiful garnet color, looked young. Bouquet powerful, rich, complex, indescribable. After a sip the wine coated the entire glass for about a minute before any legs appeared. Decanted one hour before pairing it with filet mignon. Knockout flavor profile dominated by black cherry. Robust, with smooth tannins covered by delicious fruit producing that mouth feel of a mature great Bordeaux wine. Balance, perfect. The finish, interminable. Savored the last of it with Port Salut cheese. Was this experience mainly bottle variation? Possibly, but I will have to save that last bottle for a couple of years. Also, if bottle variation is coming into play here then I wish others who possess this wine bonne chance! Those who come across a bottle such as this are fortunate indeed. This bottle shows the heights that Pichon Baron '89 can achieve. Kudos to the estate.
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This is signature, flawless bordeaux. Its cool pencil lead and graphite overtones float over the top of the wine to create a knockout earthy bouquet that reveals the wine from the onset. To me, the bouquet is the most intoxicating and the palate is rather resolved and sweet with sneaky back end tannins that re-enter and grow into a warm satisfying finish. Between this and the 1990, its a matter of preference with this being more sweet and fruit balanced, while maintaining its distinct Bordeaux traits. From memory, I recall the 1990 being more structured. The 1989 is now lacking the length to score higher for me, but its still a delicious wine that is oh so freaking French! Drink
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Wow another 10 days go, another bottle of this magical wine. See previous note. Mature quintessential Pauillac, hardly any bricking, very complex and fulfilling. As well hedonistic. A true beauty. 9 bottles left!
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From a well stored bottle with fill into the neck. Exceeded expectations. An outstaning wine, actually preferred to memories of the '90 (usually I prefer '90 Bordeaux to '89 Bordeaux, but the '89s are really coming around). After a 2-hour decant, classic nose of earth, currant, dark cherry, licorice, tobacco and slight hint of leather and camphor. Fruit still very much alive, with tannins resolved following the decant. Velvety 30-second finish with licorice notes especially lingering. In its prime drinking window, but no rush, either.
My 3rd time to try this wine. Served alongside 89 Malescot. This bottle had been opened about 6 hours prior and poured out of a few times. Consumed in a Grassl 1855
Possibly my best experience with this wine as this bottle was the most youthful by a long shot. Left me with the impression it had just been pulled from a cold cellar in France. In the glass, this had no bricking and honestly appeared like a 10 year old wine, rather than 30. Concentrated black cherry liquor, tobacco, and a dollop of bell pepper were on the forefront. The structure on this wine is just flawless, with round tannins and integrated alcohol. One of the greats in this vintage, and a treat to follow it a little further. Well stored bottles surely have decades to go!
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Very sharp garnet color; not bricking. Deep and full. Nose is red fruit driven and lively for its age. Cherry and strawberry followed by a little of the musk of the old wine scent. The wine is heavy with black pepper, black currant, and black cherry on the palate. Ride red cherry as well. Youthful in it’s showing. Really delicious with silky tannins that give it a mouthfeel if a well matured, excellent wine.
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Outstanding wine! Lovely dark garnet color, no bricking. Tons of fruit, amazing for a wine of this age. Lovely, vibrant black fruit, cassis and black pepper. Roast meat, umami. So impressive!!
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Wow haven't had this wine in a while. Opened and decanted, waited for 90 minutes then drank over an hour with ribeye steak. Pristine bottle, cork barely soaked, ruby red with slight bricking throughout the wine. Very viscous reminiscent of 1er Grand Crus. Nose of amazing cassis, tobacco leaves, black currants, olive tapenade, crushed rocks and cigar box. On the palate very impressive akin to a first growth, gripping power, complexity and finnesse, amazing structure to the wine mid palate, and a long creamy cassis coated by some bitter chocolate and velvety tannins. What a treat. Finally coming of age but built to last at least another 20 years. Next bottle the PB 1990 which I haven't had in many years, just to compare.
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Similar experience to my March 8th note. This is delicious and totally in the zone. It has time left but why wait? The grip might soften and it might slightly improve over the next 5+ years, but it’s perfect with a grilled steak right now. Enjoy.
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Deep and dark, I often think this wine is underappreciated. Arguably half of the bottle was even better after being recorked and consumed 18 hours later.
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Grilled lamb was a great pairing. Also had the 1959 vintage. This was excellent but not as complex as the older vintage. Not to imply faint praise, a very good well structured wine with plenty of flavor and pleasing aromas of woods, jasmine and chocolate.
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With chateaubriand asparagus and fondant potatoes. This is serious Bordeaux in a perfect place right now. All the fruit has melded into the other elements to create a comfortable man cave of leather and tobacco and earthy elements with some chocolate covered stewed prunes. A little reserved somehow, but not because it needs time, maybe this Bottle was on a downward slope even. Excellent mature bordeaux with no unpleasant elements and perfect integration, but drink up!
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Deep red. nose of cassis, cedar, leather, smoke and hints of mint chocolate that progressively increase in intensity with aeration. Full bodied blackberries, minerals
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Wow this has rounded into shape. When i bought a bunch of 89s and 90s 20+ years ago the 89 quickly fell behind because of its untamed tannic character that I crossed my fingers would resolve itself. I left most of my bottles untouched and tonight this was cranking.
It took 30 minutes to really open up, the nose is not quite as expressive as the fantastic flavors which brim with a subtle energy and slow burn of blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, cigar, and spice. There’s still a little heat in the finish which prevents a higher score but this is delicious drinking, and a must to drink side by side with the 90, because each is a great expression of vineyard and vintage
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13% ABV. Deep ruby red. Intoxicating nose of cassis, cedar, leather, violets, smoke and hints of mint chocolate that progressively increase in intensity with aeration. Full bodied on the palate and crammed with blackberries, red plum, mineral and graphite. Very long on the finish, with late-arriving minerals and fine-grained tannin that wash over the palate like mini-tsunami. This quintessential Pauillac is firing on all cylinders, and is squarely in its drinking window. I have been incredibly fortunate to consume the 1989 Pichon Baron at least a dozen times, and while most bottles have been excellent to outstanding, this one is certainly in the very top tier, and is reference-point material. In a word: fabulous! 97.
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Earthy, with a nice core of black fruit in the nose. Seemingly very tight upon opening. A you big menthol, tobacco, and iron emerge. On the palate, this is silky smooth with a solid frame of tannin and bright acid. The fruit is still there and all of the structural elements are holding this together well. Looking forward to this opening up. Drink now and over the next 10-15 years.
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Youthful bottle that was very tight on opening and took an hour until it started to show its stuff. Blackberry liqueur, cedar, cassis, nose of rosemary. I have to be honest I was hoping for more but this bottle was perfectly preserved and was maybe not quite fully ready to go, because what I had last night drank like something that was still a decade away from being fully mature.
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Souper Bordeaux/Napa Valley (Chez François G.): Nez plus discret, un peu récalcitrant, qu'il faut aller chercher! Bouche dense et profonde, plus dense que le 1990, un peu moins fraiche. Il y a un côté sombre et profond dans ce vin, moins charmeur que le 90, mais dodu, savoureux, un brin confit, avec une grande longueur. Encore bien jeune, mais imposant, pas encore à maturité. Grand vin. 95-96 pts
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Pichon Baron vertical 1982-2009 (Local wine club): Started out with an enticing nose of sweet figs and tobacco. Someone mentioned this reminded more of a Calicab with some age on the nose and I wouldn't disagree. Dry taste with a certain sweetness, good fruit, cedar and pencils. Very elegant and very good balance. Best to start with but it faded much quicker than other vintages which instead grew in size.
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Bordeaux 1989 - 30years on in large formats (Luzern): The nose here was riper than the GPL next to it, probably picked later. The palate was savory with forest aromas, savory palate and good mid mouth fill. Good for sure but not among the best tonight.
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Needed a couple hour decant to finally open, and it was delicious when it did. Classic flint and smoke notes. Still quite youthful—especially when compared to the wines 8-11yrs older. Seems like it still may be 5-10yrs from peak compared to those.
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Top 89 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Mid to full ruby. Garnet rim. Dense nose, blackcurrant with a trademark hint of mocha richness. Some spice too. Nicely rich attack, and quite expansive on the palate. Not quite as long. Exotic in a slightly subdued way.****
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Slight bricking. Leather, barnyard, and a hint of caramel on the nose. Didn't show as well as expected probably due to the lack of an extended decant.
Structure still very much present but the wine remained closed over the course of 3 hours with tertiary characteristics only peeking out every now and then. Dark fruit, soft tannins, more medium-bodied than expected, medium-long finish. 92+ on this showing but likely to resolve further.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened about 45 minutes before service. A deep garnet core, with some bricking at the rim. An expressive bouquet, with notes of ripe plums, cassis, black truffle, roasted fennel, cigar box and forest floor. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a velvety texture, god depth + layers of flavor, and great precision and length.
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Dark ruby-blueish and transparent. Light hints of copper on the rim. The bouquet offered mature fruit, pepper, maybe wet wood (but in the background), powerful and becoming increasingly more accessible over time. On the pallet, a strong development over time. Dried plumb, tobacco, some dark chocolate (increasing as pepper decreased in the development in the glass), vanilla and pepper times. Very nice balance and acidity; very fresh as well with a sense of velvet. A powerful 30 year young wine. Beautiful experience!
(ps: the cork had completely disintegrated from the top to the last 2 mm. A concern, but all came out well).
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Lovely lovely Pichon Baron and amongst my favorite 89s. Evolved and complex nose of creamy cassis, blackberries and dark red fruits intermixed with sweet spices and toffee. Deep ruby red color with bricking around the edges but the wine looks 10 years younger at least. Medium to full bodied, complex palate finishing long and velvety on notes of dark or bitter chocolate. So happy I still have a case of it!
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A far cry from a bottle that we consumed several months ago; with tired aromas and flavors. No signs of heat damage or poor storage, but this bottle was past its best.
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All were good and consistent but with their own highlights and minuscule cons that can actually be attributes depending on the situation.
The 1989 tasted very young when first uncorked and poured. It’s differential was higher acidity, but it gave the wine its structure to go with food. Sweet tannins that were chewy. Long finish and highly recommended.
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This seems a little tighter from last year, and it is something I've seen recently in some left bank 1989s. It is still a spectacular wine, but seems a little further from peaking than previously thought. It is very approachable with extended aeration, (this time 10 hours in an open decanter,) and is a wonderful example of an old school left bank Bordeaux approaching its 30th birthday. It is classic in its nose and palate full of blackcurrant, plum, and old leather with some background floral hints. The depth and complexity of the wine are spectacular but as noted on previous occasions, the finish is not overly lengthy but well balanced. This can be fully enjoyed now, but it essentially now needs another 3 years or so to allow it to fully mature. Apart from the finish, I could see it eventually giving the Lynch Bages a run for its money for left bank wine of the vintage.
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My birthday celebration, 2019 edition: Same bottle as Salil. A very nice example of a mature pauillac with tertiary elements combined with dark fruits. Still, for the price and history of this Chateaux, I expected a lot more.
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Nice showing. Dark fruited with lots of cedar and graphite on the nose, impressive power and complexity apparent though this feels a touch burly and still rather firm at this age - there's some grainy tannin lingering on the back end and I wonder whether it'll fully resolve with more time. Even then it's an excellent wine with roast chicken, though given the price I'm not sure this merits the upcharge over the '88 which I like just as much at 2/3rds the price.
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Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron: 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The seventh blind wine happened to be the 1989 Pichon-Baron. I had guessed it to be the 98 but I was wrong. Very youthful colors were misleading. A simple 30-year-old medium body Bordeaux which offered little complexity and balance with only cherry notes making it through. I was expecting a more concentrated wine. Not the best showing for this usually remarkable wine. Drink by 2030.
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Beautiful bouquet of graphite and lead pencil, smoke, earth, leather, the quintessence of Pauillac. Silky, seamless, resolved, with brightness and a grippy finish still showing structure. Just serious, class-in-a-glass, one of my favorites. Ready but has a long life left to enjoy as well.
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Much, much better than my previous bottle. Cork was in good shape with a low neck fill. Decanted and consumed over 3 hours with steak dinner. Delicious and drinking VERY well! 30 years old and going strong!
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What an amazing wine! The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; this bottle was purchased as a future and had perfect provenance. Opened an hour before service and consumed over the course of dinner at Vetri. A dark ruby core, turning towards garnet at the rim. An expressive bouquet, with ethereal notes of ripe plums, cassis, black truffle, roasted fennel, cigar box and sois bous. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a velvety texture, astounding depth + layers of flavor, and great precision and length. Perfect harmony; everything is in such wonderful balance. This bottle, which has been stored in ideal conditions, is drinking perfectly right now and should stay at this peak for at least 10 years.
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At 30 years of age, this is a rock star Pauillac! It combines power, refinement, polished tannins, ripe, juicy, bright fruit, tobacco, cedar and cigar box notes that hit you with their full-force. The wine is rich and mouth-filling. The tannins are soft, polished and long, there is freshness and purity of fruit in the finish that hangs with you for close to 50 seconds. This could get a bit better, or not. So if your bottles are in great shape, drink it now and over the next 12-15 years for maximum enjoyment, before it begins its gentle decline.
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Charity dinner (Washington, DC): Gorgeous stuff! Plenty of fruit on the nose and palate, still built well with a dusty structure and fresh acidity. The fruit is laced with complex tobacco, spice cabinet, leather, earth. In a really good place, with the fruit and non-fruit elements in good alignment. I'd love to retaste this beaut in six years or so, though, to see those tertiary notes start coming out more.
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Everything is there for greatness, but the wine is still mostly fruit. Needs more time time to bring out those tertiary elements. Pristine bottle bought on release.
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From a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a red/purple center with light red rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed mocha, blackberries, beets, anise, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was refined and balanced which was a surprise given the fairly dramatic nose. It had light rounded tannins, light acidity, and very good length. However, there was still an angular element to it.
This wine needed a lot (6+ hours) of time in the decanter. It had sneaky length and fine-grained acidity. It will likely be better with 10+ years in the cellar.
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Pichon Baron and more (Dino's Grotto, DC): Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drank over 4 hours. Dark red to rim, nose was less forward than a few years ago, but showed dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Medium bodied, not as full or as focused as before, good balance, moderate complexity, medium finish. Very good to excellent, this didn’t live up to expectations. Fading or just a below-par bottle? One left in the cellar, will make a note to open it relatively soon.
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Decanted for 30 mins before serving. Some sweet blackcurrant, tobacco, and herbs on the nose. Palate was sweet with softened tannins. Soft and alluring. Not a blockbuster wine or extremely complex but drinking exceptionally well now. Nice one.
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Popped and followed for three hours. Immediate nose of black currant, blackberry, cassis, cedar, and earth. Palate was disjointed for the first two hours but finally came around revealing layers of buoyant red currant fruit, sauvage beef blood, leather, and earth. Nice acidity and filed off tannin, leading to a long finish of mulberry, red plum, schist, and sweet grip. Last sips were best. Healthy decant recommended.
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Lovely cassis and forest floor nose. As it opened up the dark berry palate with excellent acidity and modest tannins kept evolving into a richer more rounded mouthful. Lengthy finish. Good to the last drop.
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Shared with friends and much of what I wrote in '16 is still true. Loved drinking and smelling this wine. We both kept sniffing our empty glasses after it was all gone and just lovely. Once agiain, this is why we cellar these wines. Yum
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Classic nose, currants Smokey cedar and leather. Light weight palate, perfectly balanced with a lovely muted red fruited profile. Perhaps a tad diluted, maybe this was over cropped, but other than that this wine has a great flavor profile and is in peak form.
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Beautifully aged, fully matured. Opulent nose, of mature dark berries, tobacco and fine leather. Medium bodied, elegant, perfectly bslanced in the mouth, with generous sweet aromas of caramel, tobacco, cocoa, licorice. A long, mentholic phenolic finish. A real treat.
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This bottle was absolutely on point. Probably my WOTN in an excellent field. I favor to pop and pour wines with much age, although this is one where an 30 minute decant might have helped.
Mild bricking at the meniscus but less than I would have expected. The nose is ebullient, showing fig, raisin, cassis, tobacco, and leather. The palate glides, but the presence of pasty purple fruit and sweet pepper. Tannins are nearly resolved, but there is still enough structure and fruit for me to imagine that this wine might go another 25 years. Just an amazing example of classic claret.
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I really love this wine. This was perfectly stored since purchasing around 1992. Cork looked as though it was a four year old wine. Wine took about two hour decant to begin waking up. Typical Paulliac with cedar and pencil shavings, but still seems very young. Tannins were resolved after a lengthy decant. The wine did begin to go backwards after about four hours of being open...which tells me it has plenty of life remaining.
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Nearly peaking, but still with room for improvement, this is an exceptional wine. It is a perfect example of old school Bordeaux at its best, with a nose full of old leather, blackcurrent, and black cherry, with the merest hint of violet. Big tannins remind you that you are drinking a left bank Bordeaux, but it is exquisitely balanced with ripe fruit. The palate is multi-layered, with a profound depth, and a finish that is in complete harmony. Perhaps the length of the finish does not quite match everything else, but it is still 30 seconds plus, and it is just nit picking. It continued to develop in the glass over the evening, and was decanted for 10 hours. This should still improve over the next couple of years, but don't hesitate to start enjoying this now. At the moment it is just pipping the 1990. 97+
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Charleston Offlineorama IV; 9/27/2018-10/1/2018 (Charleston, NC (various locations)): 5th/11 wines tasted. Nose of old library and leather baseball gloves - just what I love to smell in older BDX. This is mature and lovely on the palate with soft/supple red fruit, cedar pencil shavings and leather, leather, leather. Really nice and complete - in a great drinking window.
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Classic Bordeaux at its peak, but with many years to go. Text book nose of currents, cedar and musty aromas. Very rich, almost new world-style, great mouthfeel, great mid-palate, nice tannins, very long finish. One of the best 89s from my experience, ahead of all first growths except HB.
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Well no formal notes as this was the "backup" to an 85' Lafite going out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. So the Lafite didn't disappoint and was awesome after double decant and hour in decanter at dinner. It was bit tight and disjointed on open so went ahead double decanted the Pichon-Longueville for sediment then back in bottle. Had a glass of it and shared one with our sommelier friend at dinner. Very much enjoyed by all but it was kinda late. Next night was still very good. Only wished I'd been able to enjoy it all on its own. Still very memorable wine :-)
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Agree with most reviewers here: very distinguished, noble, and worthy of its price; fully mature with width and depth of flavor; the color is totally vibrant, deep, with no signs of aging. Absolutely ready to drink and be enjoyed tremendously. Very long aftertaste of sheer pleasure.
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Someone treated us to this at fight night. Exceptional, tannins fully integrated, fruit still really fresh, incredibly long finish, with all of the nuance you'd expect of a 30 year old Bordeaux.
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Classic Pauillac aromas of dark fruits, cedar, leather on the nose. This wine is drinking very well, complex and mature. Velvety tannins, good balance and length. great value wine
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Integrated, balanced, with resolved tannins and still vigorous fruit. Really pretty, at a great place. Will probably freeze right here for at least 10 years. I don't think this "needs more time" at all, in the way I think of it. There's no sense that it's hiding some important elements, and no awkward youthful qualities about it. A great bottle of claret, which does exactly what you want it to.
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Popped and poured from the bottle. Black olive and herbs, pretty young mixed fruits, black cherry, anise, eculyptus. Lead pencil, ash, bright. Sweet subtle oak tannins. Long, chalky finish. Really pretty with a silky mouthfeel. One of the better wines we’ve had this year.
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Purchased from Vintage Wines who acquired it back from the original buyer on release. The cellar is very well preserved from was I was told. Beautiful from PNP. Seems like this is at its apex. Mildly complex, with notes of tobacco and fresh cedar. Lots of black pepper. After about an hour, the flavors started to mute and it was on the decline. Very fun and worth the ticket.
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Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): Beautiful and complex Pauillac bouquet is what I wrote down tasting this wine blind. Ripe dark berries like cassis and blackberries, graphite and beautiful smoke and oak. On the palet a beautiful wine with a lot of sweet spices, ripe dark berries, leather, autumn forest, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Full bodied and concentrated, very beautiful wine with still a future of several years.
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Cork took some work to get off but this was drinking beautifuly. Decanted for an hour- definite leather, red licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate- hint of fruit. Perfectly integrated- hint of tannin if any. Finish smooth and medium in length. Drink now. So good.
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Hard to rate for me as I have limited experience with aged Bordeaux. However this was clearly in a very sweet spot, with plenty of grace on the midpalate, cigar box and yet some fruit hanging around. Comes in for a very soft landing, which for me was the most memorable thing about the wine.
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Another beautiful bottle of 1989 Baron, the oldest bottle by 11 years in an amazing flight of mostly right bank and Napa. This wine is absolutely in the pocket right now, everything is in the right place. This wine might get more interesting with time but no way will it get tastier. The tannins have completely melted. What a treat.
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Wonderful on opening and still great two days later! This is one of the most delicious clarets I have drunk in many years. Ready now, probably still great many years from now.
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A guy who owns a popular store in my neighborhood said when the consensus is that you're five stars, it's impossible to get your 500th Yelp review. After a while, people no longer need to share your qualities; they're just assumed. Different for wine, right? It keeps changing and evolving, So hello TN 500.
Opened for a couple of friends at our housewarming. Really wonderful, exactly the experience you'd want from cracking a 30 year old left bank Bordeaux. Ready without a decant, and terrific for the next couple of hours. The aeromatics were slightly muted compared to previous bottles but then again we were already pretty toasted by the time this came out. You know how occasionally you wonder if you're insane to spend all this time thinking about wine, and then every once in a while, a bottle shows up that confirms that yes, you are insane but it doesn't matter because for that night, you've brought company with you? That's this bottle. Enjoy yours.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Enjoyable Bordeaux that has good dark fruit and a nice finish. Good with food as well as on its own. Just past its peak in my opinion, but enjoyable. A-
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Expected, frankly, to be over the hill. Almost no brick, great lead pencil/graphite/leather nose. An absolutely classic, perfectly made "old" Bordeaux. Everything in perfect balance, not fruit lacking, but definitely pre-Parker world of wine. Even more surprising, it was still wonderful the second day. If only they still made them like this, and when they do, if we could afford them!
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Nose of mint, saddle leather, black berry, bell pepper, and black cherry, same on the palate, big body, at 29 years old, this wine is showing very well, elegant, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, a slight hint of tannin on the long finish, lovely aftertaste, at its best with lots of life ahead.
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Dark gold colored capsule. Beautiful nose of peanut brittle and aged smoky cassis. Really fills the mouth like only aged Bdx can do and this is silky and round in texture and the tannins are seamless now. Flavors of dark leathers, aged dark fruits and that nutty quality of aged Bdx that PB really shows so well. The finish is balanced with a nice bit of fresh acidity and complex notes of black cherry, road tar and and ye nuts!
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Upfront aromas of strawberry and raspberry with notes of minty eucalyptus, black soil and rocky gravel. Tannins are flattened by time in bottle, though it still shows vibrancy and youth. The color has stayed without much fade and the fruit is lively. Beautiful elegant wine without any sharp edges.
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Another winning bottle. Dark ruby with no bricking. Nose of blackberry, dark cherries, earth and slight smokiness. Significant primary fruit, predominantly dark cherries and blackberries, with cassis, tar, hints of menthol, licorice and blood orange; assertive, well-integrated tannins, full, smooth mouthfeel and long blackberry finish with some earth and leather. Fresh and drinks younger than its age. Very well-made, mature Pauillac in its prime drinking window. This and the 1990 have been consistently excellent.
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Decanted for a couple of hrs then back in the bottle to take to dinner last night at The Winemakers Table. Still deep ruby with no brick, classic, left bank Bordeaux with dark fruit, leather & a touch of tobacco, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious & still a long life ahead
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Bordeaux BYOB #12: beautifully mature wine at the peak of it's powers. Classic Bordeaux style, complex and multilayered nose with cedar, tobacco, grass, red currant, pencil lead and hints of creme caramel. Still virile fruit, elegant, fine tuned, pleasant smooth tannins, nice acidity, steely structure. Slightly dry finish. Just beautiful, Bordeaux as it should be! 94p, votes 5
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One never knows with old bottles. This one was purchased on release and properly stored since then.
Things got off to a rocky start with a crumbly cork that took a bit of finesse to remove. The wine was then strained and decanted and served. Too scared to decant an almost thirty year old wine for an extended period of time.
The wine is pale ruby in appearance.
Pronounced and evolved nose of cassis, leather, vanilla, smoke and spice. The aromas actually intensified over the two hours the wine was opened. Even thought the wine is obviously mature, there was no fatigue at all on the nose. Still very fresh and vibrant.
Medium bodied on the palate with sweet and well integrated tannins and still enough acidity to keep the wine fresh.
Lots of flavour intensity- still some black fruit , but mostly leather, spice, vanilla, tobacco and forest floor. As with the aromas, the flavours are obviously mature but not tired.
The finish is definitely long. Just a wonderful bottle that has stood the test of time. Based on this bottle, well stored examples should keep for another decade- but why wait!
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Muted nose on opening, and palate didn't give much more away. Gradually came round after several hours in the decanter, but overall not nearly as outstanding as previous bottles.
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Still needing a lengthy decant time, it still has lots of room for evolvement. A wonderfully deep nose of blackcurrent and dark cherry gives off heady aromas. The fruit is dominant on the palate whilst balanced by robust tannin. The depth is tremendous, but on this tasting I found the finish a little clipped. Even at 13.5% alcohol content, this is a wine for decades but fabulous now as long as it is well aerated, and probably with the 1990 the best Pichon Baron drinking at present.
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Annual Christmas Dinner at La Folie (La Folie San Francisco): Christmas Dinner at La Folie. Great wine, sat in a decanter during the first 2 courses (90 minutes). Dark purple no bricking at all. Lots of forest floor on the nose. Long finish will easily go 5-10 more years. One bottle left. A Christmas treat.
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Let's try a real-time tasting tonight. I'm at Smith & Wollensky Manhattan. Sommelier Chris has just decanted the nectar. It'll sit til I finish my martini. One short pour resides in the glass, waiting... The nose in the glass is vague right now. More as the evening develops... 15 minutes pass. The nose in the glass is starting to present. In the decanter it is muted, but redolent beneath the surface, threatening a breakout. ... First taste. From the short glass long since poured. First observation: depth and density.
A more generous glass is poured after the initial tasting-pour. The nose of this is far more ample: a sweet cave.
First taste from the fuller glass is a mouthful! Sensations and flavors on the front and back of the mouth. Very full. Firing on all fronts!
Another taste. I'm losing the ability to process and convey the richness and complexity. The initial flavors and after-flavors. The wine is more intelligent than I can keep up with...
So when the genius of the wine supersedes the intelligence of the drinker, what recourse? We wade into the stream, expectantly, and will ourselves to be carried along ...
Still incredibly tannic along with being complicatedly flavorful.
Late in the evening. Dinner cleared. The bouquet is milky, creamy. The wine is seminally related to the land...
So, the final note is the wine finishes milky: I mean rich, diffuse, subject to a million interpretations. A treasure trove of sense impressions....
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Layers of raspberry, blueberry, flint, anise and Asian spice. Some dried fruits with a hint of sage. Mouth coating, bright and youthful. Reminds us of the smell of Lafite Good spice. Amber edges give away the true age of this deceptively young 28 yr old beauty. Drinking great and seems to have more years to come.
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From a well-cellared bottle kindly provided by J.P., this 28-year-old Pauillac proved to be an ethereal beauty. Deep garnet, it has a complex core of dark plum fruit, accented with leather, allspice, cocoa, cigar box, earth and almonds. Medium-bodied at this point and with no rough edges, it delivers its flavors in a milieu of soft residual tannins, seamless alcohol and fully integrated oak. Dense on the mid-palate and finishing very long, this fully mature wine is absolutely spectactular. There is enough residual fruit here to allow it to remain on plateau for many more years. Drink now-2030.
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Very nice! Medium ruby with garnet edges. Nose of leather, florals, cherry and strawberry. Significant primary fruit, predominantly dark cherries and blackberries, hints of menthol and orange, with assertive, well-integrated tannins, full, smooth mouthfeel and long blackberry finish with some gravel and cedar. Drinks younger than its age. Very well-made, mature Pauillac in its prime drinking window.
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Good but disappointing relative to the hype. Decanted and consumed over four hours. Very dark with a garnet rim. Initially showing a VERY interesting nose: pencil shavings with an undercurrent (not currAnt!) of plum pudding. With air the nose moved form pencil shavings to full-on graphite, or maybe slate.
Initially the palate showed great promise as well: gentle tannins very well balanced with pert red fruit and a long finish. Within an hour or so, though, it became sweeter, with cherry notes - almost like a Brunello! The complexity went away, though, and we were left with a very pleasant - but not nearly pleasant enough to warrant the price - wine.
I have one more bottle so I would welcome suggestions if there is a better way to enjoy this wine that will demonstrate the high praise it has been receiving.
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Beautiful aged Bdx nose of grilled nuts, warm gravel and dark maserated plums. So thick and silky on the palate with incredible flavors of softened black fruits, grilled nuts and liquid graphite. A really earthy wine with a real essence of silky aged Bdx fruit and classic graphite and gravel flavors. The finish is soft and so complex and elegant with amazing dark Indian spices. This has turned into a tremendous vintage for this great terroir. 95+
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Absolutely beautiful wine!! Didn't know the score before I drank this, but it took me by surprise. The freshness, the depth of fruit and flavors, amazing.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy dark core with crimson rim; nose shows rust, tobacco, dark fruit, leather, bell pepper, red currants; some sour fruit on the palate, higher acid for Cabernet, loamy, leather, lighter on fruit, resolved feel to it, some edginess to the tannin; people torn between CA and Bordeaux, I was in Oakville '91, this bottle just didn't have the pedigree this wine normally shows.
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What a difference a year makes. This has started firing on all cylinders and I can only concur with some of the plaudits being awarded to this wine. With a nose full of blackcurrent, dark cherry, and leather, it is velvety on the palate with perfect balance. It is opulent in the mouth with the fruit in total harmony with firm but sweet tannins, and completed with a glorious finish which seems to go on forever. It just kept improving in the glass over a couple of hours and I think this is still going to continue to improve, but no reason not to enjoy now.
Everything you were hoping for in aged Bordeaux and then some.... But looking at the wine in the glass, there is no way I would think this was closing in on 30 years of age! Deep ruby red with zero visual signs of age. Beautiful nose of cassis, antique furinture store, and damp earth. On the palate, plush with beautiful velvety tannins and layers upon layers of flavors. I pNp'd this and followed over 5 hours and this just unfolded beautifully over that time period. Cassis, blackcurrant, leather, tobacco, tar, charcoal, cinammon, and some herbal notes. Perfect balance, low/moderate acidity which makes the wine come across a bit dense / dialed up but there is nothing out of place. Could this get even better from here? For well stored bottles, absolutely...I'm sure in another 5+ years this will be absolutely rocking... No need to wait if you have a few, but this left a lasting impression. 98+ pts for me based on today + future potential
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With such high hopes for this wine, I was probably bound to be a bit disappointed upon tasting my first bottle. The cork was fine, but the wine seems to be browning fairly significantly, but it still has good viscosity. Opened yesterday, it really took its time to reveal its bouquet. Even now, sports primarily brown and black fruit aromas, with coffee, prune, and shoe polish. Tannins pretty much fully resolved, the wine is full-bodied and rich, but again on the earthier side, with an absence of charm. I can't really say I am impressed given all of the great reviews I have read about this wine. Too bad, and hopefully just a "bad" bottle. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
This wine just keeps getting better and better. The tannins have really become quite silky. Concentrated, round, long, deep and complex, the wine feels like each berry has been polished with velvet. There is more than enough layers of fruit here to keep any taster busy. The wine continued improving in the glass for hours. This has morphed into a true classic example of a great, fully mature Pauillac that is well worth the money asked today.
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Hard to think this wine is 28 years old, really. Its color barely hints its age. After about an hour of being opened, BOOM! Beautiful beautiful nose, palate feel with tanins well integrated. Coffee, ripe red fruits, flowers and tobacco. This wine has much life ahead.
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Beautiful wine it's been years since my last bottle and here I go with 3 bottles in the space of a week. Deep ruby color, not a lot of bricking given this wine is almost 30! Nose of cassis, raspberry, old leather couch, typical mature Bordeaux nose. On the palate rich entry, coats the mid palate with dark red fruits, great structure, backbone and acidity this wine is flying and close to peak maturity. Medium to full bodied otherwise I would score it higher, tannins still there so the wine benefits from at least an hour of air in the decanter. Finishes soft, velvety with a touch of dark chocolate. Excellent.
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About as good as it gets. The nose was out of this world. On the palate the wine took time to open up. 2+ hour decant. I could feel the wine breathing in the glass with each sip tasting different than the last. Cherry, forest floor, pencil shavings, and that lovely vegetal note you get from the cab sauv. Awesome stuff.
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WCW Six: Tasted three times, from two 750 bottles, over three hours. Slightly opaque garnet with light to moderate bricking. This stole the show, along with the 1982 Calon Segur, in a flight that included several highly regarded and higher rated wines. Open for business from the outset, and while Pauillac essences emanated from the glass (cassis, gravel, pencil shavings, peppers, pipe tobacco, worn saddle leather, and funk), so did elements often associated with Graves (scorched earth and smoke), Tuscan Sangiovese (smokehouse, cured meats, dust, fennel, and weathered clay) and Barolo (tar, menthol, and phenols). In a (hyphenated) word, head-spinning! The wine tastes like it smells, Bordeaux funk, gravel cassis, Graves smoke, Tuscan smokehouse, and Barolo tar showing prominently, with the other afore named elements, and still others, coming forward in inflection changing layers. Exceptionally well framed and in perfect harmony with its substance. The back reveals fine tannins that transition to a complex finish that does not quit. Both bottles appeared to be squarely in their drinking window, and though I firmly believe in 'great bottles' I would not recommend holding either of these bottles beyond ten years from today. Incredible wine! 97-98.
Poured into a decanter, and left for 5 hours in a 55 degree cellar, then consumed over a 2 hour dinner. Complex nose showing black fruits, cedar, camphor and tobacco leaf. The palate was austere/polished and tasted of somewhat rigid/clenched black fruit with fine grained but hard tannins. This wine never really opened up and to my taste at this stage of its evolution (28 years from vintage) comes across as lacking depth, layers of fruit and sex appeal.
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Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Dark core, garnet rim; chocolate, larger scaled, good nobility, damp earth, slightly weedy, cedar, red currant, green pepper, monolithic, not yet delineated, softer acid, cherry finish, fleshier, chocolate covered cherries, slight mineral; called '90 VCC, still quite young and not blowing Pauillac; 94+.
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Bordeaux dinner at Ripple with live rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Incredible youthful example. Youthful classic Pauillac nose displaying intense cassis, roasted fruit, ink, floral cabernet note, lead pencil, coffee and tobacco. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense cassis, silky and polished, very refine tannins and a long intense cassis driven finish. This particular bottle is still a baby. Drinking beautifully with the opulent cassis fruit.
Fit for a wine loving Groundhog: Bordeaux back to 1970, by way of a 1982 trio (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Some participants were saying that this was the best wine so far of the evening. It was impressive indeed, and I really liked it. But it seems to be still in a "towering Pauillac" phase, just a touch rigid and in need of more time to permit the tannins to better integrate, in my opinion. It is as if the structure were just slightly hiding the fruit. I recall tasting this side-by-side nearly 10 years ago with the Comtesse 1989, and the latter showed more evident fruit and tertiary nuances. Well, now the Baron has not moved much, at least based on this bottle, probably very well stored. In any case, upward score potential to be sure.
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Rather muscular and brooding. Intense notes of cigar ash, tobacco, wet earth and leather with a back drop of dark fruit. By no means showing poorly, but felt this could have benefited from some more time sideways.
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From half bottle. Takes some time to open out, but this is superb, showing an array of savoury earth, graphite, cedar wood, and higher toned herbal and woodsy notes framing a core of rich dark berried fruit. It still feels quite youthful with plenty of fine grained tannin still lingering on the back end, but it's already quite a compelling wine to follow that I imagine will only get better with more time.
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Dinner with John, Chris, Liz and Bud; 1/5/2017-1/6/2017 (Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): AT the age of 28, this is showing very little evolution! The fruit quality is outstanding and fully matches the serious oak handling. Cedar, pencil, very ripe cassis notes. This is modern and plush, but one can find the exquisite tannic structure lurking underneath. This is a classic expression of 1989 on the left bank and will continue to age to grace over the next few decades in a cool cellar. Stunning.
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A beautiful bottle that belies its age. Quite dark still, meaty and cedar notes, some sweet blackcurrant on the palate, with a long finish. For me, this is the perfect claret.
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Drank after a bottle purchased that had been known to be poorly stored. Threw that one out and tried this. Doing nicely. Subtle, balanced flavors with big nose. Never opened up quite the way I expected, so lower score, but still very balanced and pleasant to drink.
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Came first, followed by 95 and 96 Haut Brion. The PB won - or rather, we all won, and nothing lost. The PB was remarkable- its got decades left, and what it would take to score it perfect is not clear to me. But as I have said in the past, if perfection exists, I need to make room for it. For those of you who needed to get a 100 on a test, I will give this a 99. For those of you for whom a 96 was near as good as you needed, I say scores don't mean much at this point.
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Decanted 2 Hours. Deep leather color on initial pour & color held strong. Vibrant full nose w/strong legs. Medium body of blackberry & soft leather w/medium backbone. Did not hold as long in the mouth as I had hoped for the age. A very good wine.
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1992 & Older Napa Cabs - Blind - With a Few Ringers (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, no bricking. PNP, drank 1 glass blind over 75 minutes. This blind flight contained the '92 Laurel Glen, '92 Montelena, and this '89 Pichon Baron ringer. This was very tight and not showing much. The wood was still casting a big shadow and the fruit on the nose was not playful. After about an hour some of the wood shroud was being shed and the earth and perfume was starting to reveal itself, along with a core of red fruits, pencil lead, and leather. There was a bit of a green edge that finally gave way too. Getting stronger as we got to the last sips. Unfortunately, like so many 89's this really needed a healthy dose of air to get it going. We just didn't have 6 hours to see it peak, but its true colors finally showed in the end. Number two wine in the flight.
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Diesem "Degustations Erlebnis zufolge entwickelt der Wein sehr langsam seine Aromatik in vollem Umfang! d.h. erst nach 12 - 18 Std. nach dem Öffnen kommt seine ganze Muskelkraft zum Vorschein
Erster Eindruck direkt nach dem Öffnen:
verhalten, muskulär, geschmack nach typischer Paulliac Aromatik Orgel Klaviatur .. nur noch sehr eindimensional sagen wir in einer Oktave - wo das Ganze Spiel über die gesamte Klaviatur gehen könnte im beaten Fall 100 Töne hundert Punkte... Geschcmack nach apfel, sehr trocken, Leber (Wurst) ..
am nächsten Morgen (12 Std. später) leichet Süße, langer Abgang, nicht mehr so trocken immense größere Aromatik.. zwei Oktaven im Bilde der Klaviatur/ Orgel ... Noble,kraftvoll jetzt schon 92 Punkte !°
Ein Wein mit Potenzial !° und der gefragten Geduld. typisch "Klassischem Paulliac ?!
Ein Wein für den es nach guter alter Schule einfach eine Passion, ein "Leiden" SChaft zu pflegen gilt ..
á la Votre Lebensgefühl .. vive le Bordeaux
90- 92 / von 100
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Great depth, still needs another 5 years to soften. An impressive showing. The 1990 tonight was 95 pts and more resolved this evening. Both are great wines. A great match with venison with braised red cabbage.
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Toujours aussi impressionnant! Plus on le hume, moins on s'habitue à une telle grandeur. Le boire, c'est écouter de la poésie lyrique, c'est participer à une pièce d'un opéra de Verdi.
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This just keeps getting better, year after year. This could be the best showing yet. Silky, refined, long, complex and concentrated. The wine is packed with its tobacco, cedar, smoke, cassis and spicy characteristics. This is a very complete experience.
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Amazing wine that is truly going to be legendary. 1hr decanted and the nose is glowing with ripe red fruit. The Taste has a true sense of blackberries, caramel, tabbaco, and lavender. This wine is ready today but will truly grow and further evolve over the next 7-10yrs. It's just a notch behind its older brother the 1990 but time will tell. They are both wines that any collector must have in there cellars.
Drank my last for bottles with family at Thanksgiving. What a truly wonderful wine. It is the exact reason to have a cellar to keep these wines until they fully evolve. Wonderful hints of tobacco, plumb and forest fruits. Tannins all completely evolved with fruit backward. Dense color and lovely alcohol level. A lovely silky but not overly long finish. For those of you who still have some, a real treat awaits you but I would not wait too long as it will not get any better than this. My only regret is that I don't have another case!!
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What a wine. Creamy red and black cherry, redcurrant, sweet creamy red fruit, good acidity. Tobacco and wild mushrooms coming through on secondary palate. Has it all.
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One hour decant. Nose of dark fruit, lots of it, leather and hints of tobacco. Entry is silky, more fruit, cassis and long peppery finish. A perception of softness as well as density without anything overwhelming. Great balance, a bit of soft tannin and some acid. Wonderful wine in a perfect stage of mid-life development.
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Decanted. Clear deep garnet-blood red, slightly dull. A bit more reticent than the 1990 tasted alongside. Notes of red currants, boysenberries, and their liqueurs. The least impressive of five vintages tonight -- the others being 2010, 2000, 1996, and 1990. Perhaps an off bottle?
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This bottle is pretty tight and not showing as much on the nose or palate as the last bottle tasted but it's still fresh and vigorous in a vin de garde style. Silky and smooth texture with dark flavors of smoky black fruits along with notes of tar and graphite. The finish is still fairly tannic with firm acidity and nice complexity underneath with more minerals and dark spices. This particular bottle, which was decanted for 1 hour, needs more time. 93+
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Audouzed 8 hours. Dark red to rim, great forward nose of dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Full-bodied, great balance, modedate complexity, long finish. Outstanding, should drink wee for many years. Outstanding.
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First from the Widow Grosjean collection. Bottle, capsule, cork, fill in good shape. First taste and glass good, balanced and complex. Second night under pump still good, but not as much. Not sure what to make of it all.
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Very typical Pauillac in style. Nose was full of cedar and cigar box. It had a slight funk to it upon opening but that faded. I decanted the bottle and used distilled water to clean out the bottle and then decanted back into the bottle. There was a lot of fine sediment in the bottom but it washed out nicely. I let it breathe in the bottle for 2 - 3 hours and we had it with lamb chops along side 1995 Latour. By then the PB had started really showing its' stuff. Very velvety in the mouth with a slight hint of sweetness on the finish. Most of the table felt that it outshines the Latour at this stage, but it was obvious the Latour will be something special in the future. I think the PB will continue to shine for another 10 years.
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Aromas of ripe berry fruits compete on the palate with tobacco steely tannins before ending with a lingering finish. I do think that this is still evolving and could get even better.
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This textbook Pauillac is showing great today. The tobacco, blackberry, earth, cedar and cigar box aromas really pop. Full bodied, concentrated, rich and long, the wine lingers and builds. If you have a bottle, this is a great time to taste it.
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Deep red with no lightening at the rim. Powerful aromas of cedar, pipe tobacco, and freshly picked blackberries nearly jump out of the glass. In the mouth, full-bodied and very complex, with copious cassis notes intermixed with liquid minerals, bitter chocolate and hints of underbrush. Finishes very long, with lots of fine-grained tannin that grip the palate for what seems like an eternity. This remarkable wine only got better and better over the 3+ hours, and there is no doubt in my mind that the 1989 Pichon Baron will still be going strong in two decades! This exceptional bottle is in the same qualitative league as the 1989 Lynch Bages and Montrose -- high praise indeed. Fabulous stuff! 97.
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Similar comments as from 2 years ago. In a great drinking window. Decanted for 1+ hours......that was fine. No reason to keep looking at this one in the cellar.....enjoy it.
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Dark purple, perfect fill. Aromas of dark cherry, cedar, chocolate and earth. On the palate a nice combination of sweet and tart. Long finish. A few more of these Bordeaux in their sweet spot might make a Bordeaux drinker out of me yet!
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. This takes about an hour to hit its stride. Dark red to rim, effusive nose of dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Full-bodied, great balance, starting to show some real complexity, long finish. Outstanding and should stay there for many years. May reach even greater heights with more age if you love tertiary sweet complexity.
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Color still great. Big nose. Cassis, dark cherry dominate. Maybe a whiff of oak there too. Beautiful, classic Bordeaux. Dry cherry and raspberry fruit, cedar. Palate lingers a long time. Drinking really well.
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Tasters Guild International; New York City Guild (NYC): Drank at NYS Tasters Guild 1989 Bordeaux tasting, and was my personal WOTN. Dark red/purple in glass. By far, the youngest wine of the nite in appearance. Very aromatic nose with aromas of sweet fruit, pencil shavings and cedar. On the palate, plenty of black fruit, lead pencil, a lovely spiciness. Hints of leather and cigar box & tobacco, and damp earth. Wonderfully fresh, youthful and vibrant, still with fairly grippy tannins. Great concentration, a wonderful fleshiness and extremely long. Just a fabulous wine, that remains so youthful that it's hard to believe this wine is 27 years old. It's in a great drinking spot at the moment and hard to imagine it getting any better than it is right now. Delicious!
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Still a very youthful wine and could use more time to soften and develop. Full-bodied, tannic with youthful dark cassis fruit. Tonight, I did not find this to be as charming or elegant as the 86 Lalande.
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Double decanted the SO'd for a few hrs, took awhile to open up, ruby with brick edges, red fruit with no tobacco (surprise?), soft tannins, med. finish; tired or slightly off bottle, drink up.
Totally misjudged this baby! With more time it both opened up beautifully & put on more weight. Clearly this met my original expectations & is no rush to drink (need to find more!)
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Dark garnet / brick appearance. Intoxicating nose of red and black fruit, cedar, lead pencil, pencil shavings and cloves. On the palate, pure silk. Drinking in its prime window. Enjoy!
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This took 30-60 minutes to open and round out and then smooth as silk with velvety tannin Fruit is not as sweet and full as a 90, but this wine has great class and clearly years to go. Not sure if it's worth current tariffs, but a lovely wine. 93-94
This wine is in a real sweet spot right now. Upon opening the bottle, there are evident red fruits in the air. Supple mouth feel with a seamless finish. I need more.
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Nose of sweet, dark cassis and dark chocolate. Palate is bright and savory with red fruit notes, graphite, and fine tannins. Finish is medium - long with just a hint of dryness. Outstanding wine but a little behind the 1990
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Unfortunately slightly corked, just a hint of cardboard on the nose, a little musty and minty. The palate was confusing because it showed a richness that you don't get with corked wine. Very complex flavor profile, that was marred by the off-putting nose.
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From an excellent looking bottle with a low neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center with a touch of orange at the rim. The medium intensity nose put forth black fruits, powdered mocha, anise, caramel, and a touch of forest floor.
While this wine was pretty darn good at the start, it slowly got better and better with air. The wine was rich and ripe but also had a round and fine-grained texture. The tannin was pretty well integrated and gave a rounded impression. However, underneath the fruit there was a firmness that suggested additional cellaring would be meritorious.
This wine appears to be just coming into its drinking window for my taste. While I will appreciate the additional complexity time will bring, others may weigh the current charms of power and fruitiness higher than I do. This was best after 7 hours of air. Thus, I expect an additional point or two will be warranted after another 10 years of cellaring.
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Quintessential older Bordeaux, at a near perfect place right now, didn't see it getting better and better, and maybe it really hasn't changed - so hard to bring impressions from year to year together. Whatever the case, this is a memorable, attention getting, conversation halting wine. A real argument that we all should be given a wine cellar by someone at an age when we otherwise can't afford it, so we have wines like this when they are at their best
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1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston, IL): Dark ruby color. Gorgeous aromatics are just singing with pencil lead, tobacco, cigar box, red fruit and dark chocolate. Wow, sensational palate with fresh, bright chocolaty fruit made complex with herbs, tobacco and earth notes. Still has chewy tannin. Less primary than a 1990 tasted side-by-side, but I preferred the depth and complexity of the 1989.
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Still so young. Ripe dark fruit, damp dark earth, pencil shavings and a shade of dry tobacco. Still a bit of not unappealing greenness to this wine that is beginning to transition into white pepper and spice. Shows in the nose as light white pepper currently, and on the palate as a touch of basil. Smooth in the mouth with fine tannins. Consumed with venison. 2 hour decant. 93+
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deep colour. rich muscular mineral fruit, loads of depth. Huge power , held in by the structure, fruit and power in balance. Superb wine Paired with 1989 Pichon Lalande
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Decanted for around 2 hours. Terrifically dense and youthful color. Magnificent complex nose of damp earth, soy sauce, black tea and leather. Not a really powerful bouquet, but it's fascinating and ever-changing. Nice and concentrated in the mouth, with pleasant tannin and a marvellously long peppery finish.
Perhaps overall it just lacks a tiny bit of balance; the nose is wonderful but lacks a little power compared to the taste.
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Compared to the 1990 slightly more evolved in colour and less bright. On the nose quite vegetal and smudgy. Not much fruit on the palate, much more evolved than the 1990, a bit unbalanced with some astringency towards the finish. Improved a little over the course of the tasting, but my first thought was that it might have been slightly faulty. Certainly not a great bottle. Some tasters in our group liked it much more.
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No decant and thus improved significantly over the course of one hour in the glass. White pepper, hints of tar, dark fruit. Darker spices including black pepper on the palate with air time. Smooth on the palate, this wine remains in a great zone of drinkability. Very well paired with short rib and strip. Healthy bottles should improve further with time. 93+
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Very dark and slightly austere with a rock solid core of minerality with notes of blackberry, flinty gravel, and green bell pepper. Decanting for 2-3 hours highly recommended.
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Decanted 1.5 hours, perfect fill, cork clean and intact. Fine clear colour, lighter at rim. No browning or bricking. Lovely nose of fruit and acidity -- Julia detected acetone. A hint of menthol. Autumn fruits on entry, but somewhat bland -- smooth, mellow, pleasant, but not arresting. Definitely not a wine for food. Later, on its own, better, indeed much better; but still not deserving of a stellar rating. Most agreeable, beautifully balanced and at its peak now, but it just doesn't have enough personality, bite or real length to deserve the plaudits it has received from some critics. Not quite in the same league as '89 Lynch-Bages. Nevertheless, a lovely bottle to linger over.
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Food: French - Mandarin Bar & Grill Duration: 2 hours Condition: perfect, decanted Nose: violet, blackberry jam, licorice, spices, pepper Notes: very smooth palate, I believe this is one of the best Pichon Baron ever made and the wine is at its prime drinking window. The jammy nose is rich and gives a lot of expressions to the wine. I liked it very much. Drink now-2030.
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Double decanted about two and a half hours ahead of drinking. Nicely rich. Blackcurrrant, cedar and warm spice. Palate consistent with nose. Lots here but just slightly outshone by the 90. Very harmonious and complete though, and showing very well indeed. ****1/2
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Ripe dark fruit but with a chalkiness and dryness despite its richness. 1 hour decant which was not enough. Improved over 2 hrs in the glass, taking on notes of bell pepper, black pepper and light coal dust. Increasingly silky mouthcoating with this wine. Wonderful wine to put with food given darkness but also current approachability. 93+
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Out of magnum. Started out slowly, decanted for an hr. Deep color, great nose, built some density, chewy, wonderful with steak and Happy Bday to our son 8/1/1989. He said it is the best btl I have served him from his birth year and he is right.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours before first sip. floral scent rose blackcurrant cherry leather fruity and complex, balanced with smooth sweet silky tannins. This wine shows finnese and elegance in the same time.. sublime with a long finish.. Really-really good
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Very dark red with a just a trace of lightening around the edge. Consumed over 4 hours, the Pichon Baron is still youthful, both visually and aromatically. Black raspberry liqueur, lead pencil, walnut oil and hints of spices are ever-present in this powerful, full-bodied Pauillac. With some time, subtle notes of leather and pipe tobacco can be discerned, but this bottle is still quite primary. Finishes very long, with big tannins that only subside about a minute later. While certainly pleasurable now, well-stored bottles will continue to improve for at least a decade, and I suspect will reward patience in spades. A strong contender for Pauillac of the vintage.
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A Hedonistic Night of Burgs, Bordeaux, and CDP at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark purple red color. I'm not sure whether this got some air or not, i was thinking about 2 hours. This was such a treat to drink next to the '89 Larose and offered quite the contrast. The Pichon Baron was fantastic, hedonistic, and amazingly youthful in its display of black currant, black raspberry, and blackberry fruits layered with a sweetness and graphite kick. The last bottle I had was corked so this was wonderful to have again - thanks Steve! The Larose by contrast was lighter and elegant and more mature. Both wines were splendid and ultimately, the PB may become even better over the next 10 years. I don't want to have to pick between the two, i'll just drink them both. The PB is easily a 50 year wine and one I will make a point to follow over the next 25 years! 95(+)pts.
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Had this at Fortaleza do Guincho in Portugal for my birthday. We started with 96 DP Oenotheque and moved on to the 89 Baron. Stunning, there is no other way to describe it. Unfortunately or fortunately the sommelier and I know each other but he didn't realize I had confidence in him and he waited to open until we arrived. So our first taste was only after 30 minutes decanted. At that point it was starting to express dark fruit, balance, but some residual tannins and acidity. 15 minutes later in the glass this wine was singing and it held up over a 2.5 hour dinner. I'm neither sophisticated or knowledgeable enough to use all the winespeak everyone uses but I can speak this...one of the finest Bordeaux I have EVERY tasted and want to start my treasure hunt today for whatever is lurking in shops and cellars :-).
Poupouuiii !!! On dirait qu'il a 10 ans de moins. Il peut encore attendre mais là, il est déjà TOPISSIME ! Mélange harmonieux de fruits et de cuir. Excellent, surtout après 1h.
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Magnum et bouchon en parfaite condition. Acheté en primeurs. Into neck. Passé en carafe 3 heures avant de déguster durant 2 heures. Grenat foncé avec nuances orangées. Nez sur des arômes de fruits noirs, de prunes, puis sur des arômes plus floraux. En bouche, le vin se présente avec une belle matière, beaucoup de corps, de la richesse. La trame acide est fine mais présente ce qui rend le vin très digeste. Il n'est pas le plus complexe mais offre beaucoup de plaisir. Les tanins sont totalement fondus dans une longue finale. À boire sur les 10 prochaines années.
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See previous notes. This is absolutely ageless; the closest to perfect Baron ever, and that is saying a lot for such an illustrious chateau. An endless finish and still so much of a salient dark berry edge. Legendary. Drink now-.
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This was a difficult wine to figure...very different than the '90 and '96 in the same flight. I felt this was a bit disjointed and paled in comparison to the '90. It did however have an extremely savory, sous bois component on the palate that I normally associate with burgundy. Quite a long finish.
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The wine was still in good shape. Nice bouquet, Bordeaux flavor profile and finish. This wine should have a long life. I don't drink Bordeaux often, but enjoyed drinking this.
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Super Bowl 2015 (Roswell, GA): Garnet core with bright lighter ruby rim; pencil lead, wet earth, red and black currant, mushroom, cow pie, leather, very Pauillac; silky texture with caressing tannin, broad and expansive, raisin, red currant, chocolate; very good bottle, still youthful.
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Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Initially showed an attractive developed nose with bloody meat, tobacco, earth, underlying black fruit. However quickly developed an add soy sauce edge which became more and more noticeable, particularly on the nose. Very odd. NR.
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Notes consistent with bottle from last week, although this bottle performed slightly better. Decanted for 1.5 hours and then consumed over the course of an hour. The presence of white pepper on the nose after decanting was more evident in this bottle. Paired well with red deer.
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Chateau Pichon Baron vertical 1989-2010 (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Subtle notes of truffle and cigar box mingle to make this wine utterly seductive and smooth. Participants went back and forth between this and the 1990, but even Pichon Baron wine director Jean Rene Matignon, who prefers the 1989 today, says that the 1990 is on a slower evolutionary track and will last “much longer” than the 1989. At least based on this tasting. The 1989 paired very well with the utterly delicious rack of lamb served with parsnip acorn squash and tasty kale chips.
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Chateau Pichon Baron Vertical with Jean-Rene Matignon (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Beautiful mature Pauillac nose, cassis, plum, lead pencil, a hint of green via wet tobacco, flowers and earth. Good concentration, cook silky palate, mineral, nicely integrated tannins and long finish. This is a classic claret that is at the first stage of maturity. Lovely showing.
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Dark cherry, blackberry, licorice, light floral notes, with a faint hint of white pepper and something darker behind that (allspice?). Drinking well at this point in its life. Smooth tannins. Breadth of flavors not quite matched by their depth, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. Continuously evolved over several hours with no signs of fading. This wine clearly still has some time.
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very pretty deep red with bricking on the rim. Needed about an hour in the decanter to coax the nose out. As others have mentioned the nose continued to evolve over the next couple of hours. classy red fruit, cassis, wet stone and some menthol were standouts for me. Soft round tannins are still present and the wine paired nicely with grilled Prime Strip. Dried red berries with leather and earth on the palate. Really nice wine drinking in its window. I have another bottle and will be hard pressed to hold off on it.
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Opened at dinner with my wife at Canlis in Seattle; brought from my cellar. Given the age I decided to not have it decanted for long. The cork and capsule looked good, but there was a wiff of TCA at open, so I thought we were in trouble. A quick taste showed some good qualities, but a meaty and funky earthy note as well. So, the sommelier decanted it and we let it rest for 15 minutes and then the nose was clean. Now the nose was mostly dark fruit, almost a bit simple. The color was very dark, perhaps getting a bit bricky at the edges. The flavor was really yummy- black currant and well integrated tannins, perhaps a bit muted for the first glass. Over the next hour it opened up more, showing brighter notes of cedar, tobacco, leather, and some tiny green notes. Just what a great well balanced and mature Bordeaux should be.
I took about 1/3 of the bottle home and stored it upright in the refrigerator overnight in the bottle with the original cork. The following evening I let it come up to temperature and drank the remainder. By this time a lot of those secondary notes seemed muted or gone. Still a great flavor, but not as distinct.
So, I would say drink it now if you have it- I have trouble imagining it getting better, and it shows some signs that it is reaching the end of its plateau. I've got one left and won't keep it around for too long!
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PnP and drank over 3 hours, during which the nose continually evolved...first dominated by earthiness, the wine then gave rise to emerging cassis, spices, and violet. After an hour or so, there were distinct scents of menthol and chocolate. Just the nose alone made drinking this wine enjoyable. Lush and silky on the palate, with a nice 45 second finish. Round tannins that are well-integrated. While obviously in its drinking window, this wine still appears somewhat young and has several years to go. Still nicely concentrated. A strong effort.
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My third time with this and like the prior occasions, a very charcoal and blood driven wine. But this bottle showed more of an angular funk and fluctuated in and out a bit more than the two past examples.
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From 750ml. VTS fill. Stood bottle for weeks, opened and slow ox for an hour, then decanted for another 30+ mins. Dark crimson color, no bricking. Gray, burning embers on the nose and very dark fruit and burnt cedar on the palate - a very graphite profile throughout. This showed incredibly youthfully - almost surprisingly so. Very open and expressive shortly after the decant, then it dried and receded a touch. This showed a very different profile for me than a similar bottle did a year ago. My drinking mates this time are tough graders, I thought this was excellent! Still no rush to open these. 92-93 right now.
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This wine had an interesting evolution where after about an hour open it showed a charcoal/beef character with gorgeous black fruit, plum, leather and a mushroomy/earth note in the mid palate. After an hour or so it tightened and began to show squid ink on the nose with more ash and very dark fruit.
Amazing how young this wine showed. Awesome! Thank you NortonNose.
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Very youthful in its appearance. Barnyard, lead pencil and black fruits on the nose. Gorgeously hedonistic on the palate. A deep, thick wine with gorgeous complexity and length. While it's lovely now, it will benefit from another few years in the bottle.
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No notes taken, but this was really nice. Classic Baron nose. Great on the palate, but still showing plenty of tannin. Drinking well now, but could get even better with additional time in the bottle.
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This was clicking on all cylinders and in a beautiful place. Classic BDX squarely in its drinking window with no signs of going over the hill. We pulled the cork about 2 hours before drinking and just let it slow ox. Btl was in great shape with high fill. Tobacco, chocolate, mineral everything you'd ever want from BDX. Color was dark ruby like a 6yr old wine.
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Popped the cork several hours before drinking. Cork was in pristine condition, great ullage. The wine showed beautifully upon opening. Left open and un-decanted. Poured into decanter few hours later, just before dinner. This is a lovely wine--soft, silky, balanced, medium weight, good structure, soft tannins. Black fruits, cedar, lead pencil on the nose. Quite classic. Went beautifully with a rare char-grilled aged rib-eye. The only thing holding me back from a score in the high 90s was the muted fruit--less vibrant than I remember it. I hope this will get better, but absolutely nothing wrong with drinking it now after a good long decant.
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Over the past few years, this has really started to kick into high gear. The wall of fruit and tannin has softened and developed, offering a long wave of rich, deep, concentrated, earthy fruits. At 25 years of age, you can enjoy this now, or wait another decade and it's only going to get better.
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Similar to last note this drank well out of the bottle, but improved with about 30 minutes of air. Really nice Bordeaux that is in a great spot and shows well with and without food. Shows good concentration, but also nice balance, and just a touch short of great. A-.
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Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT): Tasted after being opened for 24 hours. Like the Dunn served with it, this was still quite youthful looking. Unlike the Dunn, this was not very giving. Not much on the nose and (surprisingly) soft on the palate. Still enjoyable, but not nearly as good as its reputation. Unrepresentative bottle?
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A bit disappointing after the praise I've heard for this wine. It's somewhat stern, powerful and tannic with savoury cedar, tobacco and earthy flavours framing a core of dark fruit, but comes across a touch charmless with a lot of tannin still lingering on the back end. With some time in the decanter it opens out and becomes more fragrant and silky textured, but I don't find this as exciting or elegant as the '89 PLL.
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Just popped the cork, came out in 3 pieces. Decanted through cheese cloth and poured back in the bottle. First taste I thought I was drinking a wine 10 years younger, amazing freshness. The tannins are fairly reconciled but still slightly gripping. I'm only 15 minutes into this wine and really looking forward to see where it goes. Primary notes of tobacco, leather and dark fruit but no secondary notes ....yet. More to come.
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Was a bit skeptical at first, but thought airing it would benefit the wine. It did taste much better after decanting, but it was clearly an older wine, as the fruit was there though not very strong. But it had lovely secondary characteristics showing: tobacco, leather, some earth, mocha, a bit of anise on the finish. Supple tannins, good acidity made this quite smooth to drink. While it may not be something you'd drink on its own, it was simply outstanding w/food (roast lamb in our case).
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Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color. 2hr decant. This one was disappointing, popping the cork revealed a beautiful perfume out of the bottle. Unfortunately after a 2hr decant the cork taint become apparent. Not a nasty one, but bad enough. You could swirl it off the nose and think maybe...but the palate was always the same. You could see the stylings of a great wine here. This will have to be revisited.
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1989 Dinner (Ad Hoc): Drank over 3 hours. In a great lineup of 89s, this stood out. Great freshness on the nose with lovely black fruit, tobacco and leather. Rich and deep on the palate with nice structure. Evident, but not obtrusive tannin on the finish. This has a long way to go.
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fabulous wine after 1 hr decant, drank over 3 hr dinner. dark purple color. softened tannins, medium to full body, milk/dark chocolate and coffee notes, some minerality, lower acid than expected, came across as fairly ripe and modern, no signs of fading at the end of dinner. drink now or over next 10 yrs.
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My wow wine of the week. A classic bouquet of Pauillac characteristics both on the nose and palate. Slight bricking, fruit now in secondary stages, great acidity. Very long finish. Gots lots of time left. Still 8 bottles settling in the cellar - lucky me.
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Fine depth of color. A touch of volatility and fried onion mar the nose, even after 6 hours in the decanter. Continued unbalanced heat and passing tannins on the palate, with sweet fruit through the finish. Overall still decent enough, but a very sub-par showing.
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With Beef Tenderloin, Mashed potatoes with leaks and pancetta, roasted carrots, second wine of the night following Ridge Monte Bello 2008. Reasonable color, starting to brick at rim, but a bit lifeless. Nose was cabernet, but overlaid with a odd smell - I thought it dusty, others a bit funky, but not corked. Nose followed to palate, a bit unbalanced. I think I held this wine too long, my fault but this bottle was certainly on the down-slope.
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Flawless. Well integrated fruit (boysenberry and dark cherry), minerality and tobacco. Terrific structure. Fabulous now but could last for years to come.
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Closed and tannic at first. Good exemplar. I either did not let it breath long enough or the fruit is starting to go. Less balanced than I like. Went very well with our meal of meat loaf, roasted potatoes and broccoli. Simple meal, complex wine. Still very very good. Do not wait.
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World Wine Symposium 2013 - Kevin and Kelly's excellent adventure; 11/6/2013-11/14/2013 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): A small pour with some sediment. Nevertheless, this is a classic Pauillac, lead pencil, cassis, black fruits, floral, a hint of tobacco and earth. Dark sweet fruits, silky palate, cool overall impression and nicely integrated tannins. Not as big and hedonistic as the 90 but expressive nose and more classic. This is a lovely claret that is at the first stage of maturity.
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From 750ml. Neck fill. Stood bottle overnight, opened and decanted for an hour. The wine took all of that hour to rev up but then showed beautifully. Dark crimson color, no bricking. Classic dark fruit and cedar on both the nose and palate - everything you've come to expect from PB. Why wait to drink? Yet zero rush - wonderful when you can't miss!
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Opens with aromas of dark fruit, cedar, and robustness. Seamlessly flows into similar flavors with complimentary oakiness. A beautiful wine to be sure. Generously opened by Red Guy in a blue state at an offline.
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Dinner in Orlando (K Restaurant - Orlando, FL): Served a bit cool at first, this took some time to open. The nose was dark and had that Pauillac nose of cedar, char, and graphite. Really lovely, and deep nose that continued to expand and deepen with time. The palate was woodsy and dark - soft touch of oak, nice dark fruits, some red floral notes and some subtle meatiness. This was very young...and I think we joked that it was sourced from Rudy K. Would have liked to follow this over 5+ hours.
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Classic territory for me. Took a minute to open up, but when it did, it showed well. Dark fruit and plenty of grilling herbs. Deserves to be WS WOTY. For me, fully mature.
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Drank magnificently out of the Imperial over two evenings. Much better the second evening but no slouch on the first. Real old school claret. Proper Job!
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A Tale of Two Cabernet Blends (Bedrock Bar & Grill, Pan Pac Suites): A damn good wine. Served blind side-by-side with a 2001 Cullen Diana Madeleine from Margaret River, Australia, I was amazed at how much better this was compared to its (already very good) new world counterpart. It had a lovely Pauillac nose, with damp earth and tobacco, fragrant cassis notes, a hint of capsicum and a little dash of toasty spice. Really alluring. The wine had already been sitting in the decanter for some two-and-a-half hours when I got to it, and its palate, like so many 1989s now, was soft, round and plush on the attack; all cossetted in fine, silky tannins, yet also brimming with a youthful energy and lively acidity that sprung through its lovely cassis notes. There was certainly a touch of yummy, voluptuous sweetness from the warm vintage, yet it was still glowing with a lovely purity. On the midpalate, the cassis fruit was met by some lovely ripe plum and prune accents, with a shadow of musuclar tannins in the background that gave the them a satisfying chewiness. These then ceded way to a lovely ring of spice at the finish. Absolutely delicious. It was not super-long at the end, but like all other parts of the wine, the back-palate was blessed with a nice energy and strength. This was truly a wine of character, and really enjoyable at this point of its evolution, but with the chops to age effrotlessly for many, many more years.
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By coincidence, I was lucky enough to taste and compare 1989 Pichon Baron and 1990 Pichon Baron from perfect bottles, two different times over a two week period, with consistent results.
While the 1990 is rich, luscious, opulent, refined, concentrated and drinking perfectly today, the 1989 was firm, tannic, more structured and did not become truly civilized until it was decanted for at least three hours. After 3 hours, the wine began to blossom, lose its tannic edge and while it remained classic (in all the right ways) the long, fresh, cassis filled finish seemed to go on and on. The 1990 will age for at least another 15-20 years, but the 1989 could improve for another 30-40 years.
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This has so many interesting flavors going on that you almost overlook how young and structured it still is after all these years -- but there is actually quite a lot of tannic muscle here, which seems to make this built for the very long term or at the very least built for a big steak, which was fortunately what we were eating. It has a fragrant cedary aroma but not the sort that just resembles wood shavings or lead pencils; instead it's almost like half wood and half something in the mealy/grainy family. Having had the 2000 recently, this is an interesting comparison because it is much more red-fruited in complexion, and also much less slick in texture, maybe because the tannins have a tougher grip on this one. But even that serious level of structure doesn't constrict the scale on the palate. This not only has a lot going on, but an expansive canvas on which to show it.
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Getting to its prime drinking period, although still a bit shy of it. Took a while to open, but once it did, it blossomed. Fruit now into secondary stages, but bright enough to say I'm still coming into my own. Very long finish.
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Surprised how delicious this wine tasted and how comparable the 89 is to the 90. Never experienced the depth of this vintage before in previous bottles. Full-bodied, inky purple and prefectly ripe and luxuriously rich, the nose wafted juicy plums, blackberry and cassis with pleasant wood forest, fall wood fires, a classically fine Bordeaux balanced from here to Pauillac, textured with exquisite extract, on this evening on par with my memory of the fabled 1990.
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A perfect bottle of this wine - I just removed the $30 price tag from when I purchased it God knows how long ago. Thick, solid color with no fading. Beautiful nose of this vineyard with charcoal graphite and hints of coffee and blackberries. On the palate this wine is finally starting to open up and there is a great, regal thickness of texture followed by tons of deep black fruit. The finish is wowza with very complex flavors of Asian spices, charcoal-graphite minerals and bitter coffee/chocolate. When one finds the right bottle of this (because there is a lot of variation in their '89), it is rewarding the time in the cellar and turning into a fine, large-scaled Pauillac. 95+
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Classic example of why we own red Bordeaux and look at them for years before drinking them. Dark fruit and a little earthy. Decanted for about 1 and a half hours. Did not feel it needed more. Three bottles consumed from 2009 through 2011 were superb, but seemed to offer improvement with more time. This bottle was spectacular, but did not seem it will improve a lot. The pro reviewer drink window says it is good until 2027. I am taking 5 years off of that back year for my purposes. I know this is a little out of step with concensus, but it is how I see it.
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Always a contender with the 1990 which is readier to drink with the 1989 still needing a bit of time to reach full maturity. WOTN for my taste in an 8 vintage vertical tasting that comprised the 82,89,90,95,98,2000,2004,2005. A true beauty.
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This wine is in an excellent place, an untamed behemoth most of its life the powerful tannic structure is giving way and allowing the sweet succulent fruit to come forward.
The 89 has always been about massive dark black fruit, earth and tannin and if this bottle is an indication the hard edges are smoothing out, revealing an inner core of sweetness. It feels like it's in the very early stages of hitting its plateau where the fruit still has a touch of baby fat.
It's not quite as opulent as the 1990, and i'd even venture to say not quite as powerful - but it is very close.
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A very good example of Pichon, with trademark cassis and pencil lead nose, loads of lush blackcurrant on the tongue, with an ample second wave of creamy vanilla and blackberry, then a long, luxuriant finish. Powerful, a steel fist in a velvet glove, but not rustic at all. My only reserves are that there isn't quite the complexity of Pichon-Comtesse 89, so not exactly good value at the current auction price. Mine was in perfect condition, the level just below the cork: if yours are in a similar state, they can wait another ten to twenty years, possibly improving further.
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This bottle was ready. Opening smell of fruit, cedar. Taste of pencil lead with a long smooth creamy slightly vanilla finish. Tannins still noticeable after opening, but lighter after several hours in the decanter.
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A medium dark garnet body; some browning at the rim. Elegant and complex aromas of blackberry, black currant, cherry, earth, cedar, some tobacco, herbs (basil, clove) and an array of pleasant spices. Seems Pauillac-like and wonderful. Similar flavors, along with a touch dark chocolate. Rich, powerful and elegant in the mouth. The tannins are much more resolved than when I last tasted the wine in January 2004. But, the tannins are still slightly apparent, i.e., causing a very slight acidic sting on the tongue. It seems to be just entering the beginning phase of its maturity plateau. The wine has lots more time left to be appreciated, but it’s readily appreciable at this point. A long and somewhat lingering finish. Note: the wine has been cellared at 56 degrees from its “Futures” delivery. Score 93-94.
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Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru Restaurant - Chicago IL): Briefly decanted before serving. Great perfume and spice to start, accompanied by exciting black fruit aromas. Dense plum flavors but not very forward or forthcoming. More tannic than expected, also rather compact, possibly shut down? Although i haven't had this wine in several years, the flavors weren't as interesting as I recall from before.
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Just to throw in an amateur voice here: though a lot of reviewers with fine tastes drink superior stuff, this is the best bottle (as in most distinguished) of wine I've ever had. I fretted about even owning it. I worried about whether it was happy or if it was going to turn on me, sensing my inadequacy. Also: would I be able to understand what I was tasting. I decanted it for two hours before having a taste and it was wonderful. I'd say it was light and subtle and restrained compared to the Cal cabs and whatnot I've really appreciated. My friend I drank it with -- also a stranger to this realm -- noted how long the taste lasted, how it changed over the hours we had it, its lightness, the spiciness that crept up about 30 seconds into each sip. There was a small amount left the next day (look, it happens, apologies) and it was pretty flat. Really educational experience and easily the best wine I've yet had.
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Quite brilliant. Decanted for two hours, and then opened up even further. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last but drinking at peak. Bravo!
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Brittannia Group (Hix Mayfair): extraordinary colour. Almost black. Deep classic Pauillac nose big wine with fine grained tannins. Explosive on palate but not all knitted together yet. Still needs time to show its best
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Bordeaux 1989 left bank (with a bonus VCC): Looks very young, certainly when compared to others in this line up. Delicious nose, with clean fruit, touches of cedar, plenty of power coming through. Impressive mouth feel, biting grip, with slick tannins and nice texture. Very balanced. Overshadowed slightly by the Lalande, but equally very good too. My no.4 of the night. Great wine.
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Dinner at Jack's House: Popped and poured and drank over 3 hours. This was the wine in the best place right now of the four '89s we drank tonight. On the nose there is an immediate soy/teriyaki quality and a giant hit of cassis. On the palate, holy crap, in your face cassis dominates with a really structured support from red currant and a little cherry and sweet plum. It still has vibrant acidity and wonderful clove and Indian spices. As the evening progresses it just gets busier and busier with tremendous structure supporting all of the fruit. A great bottle.
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Pichon Baron & Lalande (The Medlar, London): Significantly darker than the previous flight. Dark ruby now. Ripe plush fruit on the nose, quite dense. Blackcurrant and slightly wet clay nose. An 89 I think. Quite rich and full and expressive on the palate with some good restraining tannin and acidity still that gives it a slightly drying finish. 89 Baron. In a halfwayhouse between rich, ripe fruit and mellow middle age. A slightly uncoordinated teenager. Needs longer now to resettle and resolve. ***(*1/2)
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A lot of good descriptive notes below of what is clearly an "outstanding" wine... for me the wine showed some of the 89 characteristics I never have particularly liked in that the fruit is a little red and a little ripe (the 90 I had of this last week was more of the crunchy black currant... the 89 was more just barely overripe raspberry), the acids a little soft, and the finish a little firm/hard. I spent a fair amount of time with the wine and it did improve as the night progressed. Drink or hold based on your personal preferences... it has plenty of life left.
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Cellared since release. Perfect fill and cork. Decanted and drunk over 2 hours. Dark red core, lightening but no bricking at rim. Intense forward nose of red fruits and plums, cedar, earth, tobacco and a hint of caramel. Full body, ripe red fruits layered with nice complex earthiness, almost creamy palate feel, great balance, resolved tannins, long finish, at peak and expected to stay there for many years. Outstanding, verging on extraordinary.
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A beautifully structured wine, with subtle and complex fruit flavors, a bit of lead pencil, nice long finish. Tannins are all resolved by now, has the prospect of many more years as a fine example of a sophisticated Bordeaux. With Boeuf Bourguignon, a marvelous match.
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Flamboyant and quite brilliant. Solid structure, and built to last. Decanted for two hours, and then opened up even further. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last but drinking at peak.
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Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew does 1989 Bordeaux (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): This wine was really difficult to assess……it was very closed. If I was having this blind, I would have that it was maybe a 2005 or 2001? It just seemed closed and very primary. EIther this was stored in a very cold cellar or it is just going through a closed phase as it did not give anything really.
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Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): The bottle we had was, in my opinion, completely closed all night, it was really ungiving. Some crushed rock, oak. Still fully structured and firm on the palate. As per what was tasted it just seemed like this wine is not yet close to ready for prime time, though other notes seem to disagree with this assertion, so I'm uncertain of what is happening here. Based on this bottle I'd guess this could be very nice in 5 - 8 years.
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Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Received the same treatment as the other wines in this flight; decanted approximately 2 hours in bottle, followed over the course of dinner. Deep purple in the glass. This wine was rather perplexing after the string of good luck we'd had tonight. To me, this wine was the definition of brooding; you could tell there is a lot of underlying substance here, but this was still quite primary and overall, very tight. Although rather reticent, the nose did eventually give way to notes of dark fruits, blueberry, graphite, with a touch of vanilla and cedar. On the palate, again, quite tough to evaluate at the moment, as this seemed to still be quite hard and tannic, but still showing notes of dark fruits, spice, pencil lead and a touch of earthiness on the moderate finish. I'm not sure if this was a representative bottle, as if someone had told me this wine was 5-10 years old, I'd certainly believe them. Overall, strangely un-evolved, and a bit of a disappointing way to close out the wines tonight.
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Another great 1989; another great Pichon Baron. Compared to Pichon Baron 1990 this has more elegance and nuance. It's less powerful but it wins on the side of the detail. Very pretty nose with lots of black fruits mixed in with several tertiary notes of chocolate, dark wood, earth and smoke. Medium to full-body, with nice minerality and acidity. Tannins well solved and integrated. A real beauty!
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2008 Meursault Les Perrières (Neil's): Deep crimson core with a bit of bricking. Aromas of red fruit, herbs, licorice and plum. Black fruit, currant and plum flavors on the palate, with a relatively long finish. A slight hollowness on the midpalate prevents a higher score.
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Rousseau, Pichon Baron and a few others at Bacon Fest 2012. (The Jaouen's.): Another double blind wine in aluminum foil. This one was a bit easier than the Rousseau with the intense tobacco and earth components, along with the more red than black fruit, screaming Pauillac to me. I guess a '96 Paullaic and that was because while the wine showed some age, it was still pretty fresh and the tannins were still wearing shit kickers. After the wine was revealed, I was a little surprised as every other bottle I've had has shown an easier disposition with much higher fruit levels. I believe the wine was popped and poured, so that may explain the showing. A-.
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Tight and reticent initially; after 2 hours developed nice opulence with blackberry and coffee; noticeable tannins and some heat on the back but paired so well with steak and potatoes.
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Everyone seemed to like this bottle, but I thought it was a touch watery upon hitting the palate... if not for that, I would have graded 93. Nose was open, and length was good. Beginning to get tertiary aromas as well. Was served alongside a 1989 Pichon Comtesse.
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9th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Medicinal, thick, not wholly clean and brutally tannic. Seems to be left bank claret, but not of the quality that Keith would bring. Can't believe it's Pichon Baron 89 - nothing like how I remember it.
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Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. Deep and dense, dark ruby. Classic left bank claret. Mineral and blackcurrant. Enough richness here for it to be 89, but it's quite tight and muscyular still. Maybe LLC? A tad dense and tannic still. Revealed as PB - gosh, not nearly as sexy or opulent as the last one of these. **(*1/2) on this showing.
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Drank as part of a 1989 Bordeaux horizontal with La Fleur de Gay, Angelus and Palmer. This one was by far the biggest of the 4 wines having a very ripe concentrated character normally found in Australian or North African wines, very unlike a typical Bordeaux from this (Pauillac) or any other region. Still it was an impressive wine.
50+5+12+17+8=92
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A more rustic and even a little tired compared to other '89 Baron's I've sampled in the past. Still excellent expression of left bank Bordeaux. Driven by old leather saddle, rustic bramble berries and raspberries, touch of smoke and some green bell pepper. Came across a little stemmy for me, but I liked how it played with the food. Not too much fruit and some light stewed red vegetation was a nice surprise when drinking Marcassin and Aubert alongside. Still super young. Kenny and I thought this was easily 90's Bordeaux. Clearly a long life still ahead.
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Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Dyp rød/rødbrun med lett bruning i kanten. Flott, fruktdreven nese med et lett preg av vanilje og solbær. Mørk inngang. Saftig, men noe hard fruktkjerne fremdeles. Tett og mørk. Milde tanniner. Trenger tid.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988, 1989, 1990 Red Bordeaux (CinCin Restaurant): Ruby red with hints of browning near the rim. While the ’88 showed great maturity, this showed great youthfulness, but like the ’88, this showed classic Bordeaux notes of tobacco, cedar, hints of bell pepper, cassis and dark cherries. There’s a wonderful richness to the nose that lifted by an elegant perfume note. There’s just a hint of funk on the nose that gives you some idea this is a 23 year old wine, but that’s the only indication you get. In the mouth this is big, powerful and rich with loads of fruit backed by a classic tannic spine. This shows remarkable elegance despite its powerful and tannic profile. This is the most structured wine of the flight loads of firm tannins and bright acidity. This is the most youthful wine of the night and in need of 5-10 years. Outstanding. 94+
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Powerful, tannic, structured and classic, with a cedar, tobacco, crème de cassis, blackberry, truffle, earth and forest floor perfume, there is a lot going on in this Pichon Baron. However, it could use a few more years to soften and develop.
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The bottle was perfect. Storage had been great and when opened the cork levels had barely gone past the first the second "L" in Longueville. A wonderful bouquet emanated from the bottle and the wine was left to decant for 90 minutes. A great nose of dark fruits , licourice and the taste was great with a long finish. The wine has a lot of tanins and will definetey continue to hold well for a few more yers before reaching its full potential.
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Outstanding, first growth quality. As Latour bows out of the en primeurs Pichon is a nice consolation. This wine has another 5 years at least to reach it's peak and in my view will outshine the excellent 1990. Great nose of black fruits, graphite, leather, again reminiscent of right bank. Covers palate on entry, full bodied, blackberries, currants, some earthiness that was not as evident in previous tastings, and a long long finish. Blackish crimson color, crimson rim although barely any signs of aging, requires two hours in decanter and a full bodied complex and multi layered wine.
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Part of a dinner at Bouley pairing 79, La Mission and HB, 82 Barton and Las Cases, 93, Palmer and Margaux and 89 Pichons
The Lalande is at its peak, perfectly balanced, rich rich and delectable and was winning out of the gate. The Baron seemed stiff,even after 4 hours of air, but as I finished them, it had the edge
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/7/2012 (Casa Red Guy, San Diego): Tasted blind. Clear dark garnet-blood color. Gorgeous bouquet of red plums, cherries, berries, rose petals, cedar, spice. Ripe, rich, generous, beautifully balanced. I guessed "mature Cali cab" -- take that as a compliment, Bordeaux! My #1 and group's FIRST PLACE (tie) in this flight.
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Familiar scents of cedar, cassis, tobacco, cassis, blackberry, earth and cigar box, led me to Pauillac. Big, dense tannic and masculine, the wine has developed a bit of firmness in its personality. It’s in a drink or hold stage. I’d probably give it a few more years, hoping it will soften.
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Cork broke apart - cassis, roasting blackberry and blueberry streamed out on the pour of a 1 hour decant. First sip; the real deal - a bit of barnyard on the nose is immediately dominated by dark fruit, wet stone, saddle leather and fresh tobacco. The tannins are resolved and sweet and hold the layers of dark fruits, cassis, graphite and light earth together. While giving a very satisfying mouthfeel and good length today, this has many years remaining.
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Double decanted for about an hour. While not showing any signs of fading and the tannins well in check, I felt the wine was a bit more austere than a great one should be.
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Really like this wine - It has density, complexity, perfume, structure, finish and keeps getting better in the glass, a complete wine. Flavour wise it has typical bordeaux taste including dry leaves, smoke meat, mint, dark chocolate, blue berry, black currants and toasted vanilla. Its complexity certainly enhanced by the secondary notes like cassis, cinnamon & many other earthy note, plus touch of savoury & spice notes. Everything is integrated nicely - perfectly weighted, layered and the mellowed fine, silky tannins supported the wine really well too. This wine is approaching its peak now and drinking beautifully with some decanting to wake it up a little bit, and I believe it should last at least 10 more years in the bottle, and might even get better!
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New year gathering at G's house: Alcohol :: 13% Decanted for 60mins. Dark garnet. This is a top class Baron, 22yrs old but still youthful, with purity and clarity. The highly intense and complex aromas soared from the glass with blackcurrant, blackberry, pencil shaving, smoke, graphite, dark chocolate, mint and cedar, oh, so fragrance! Can the palate match up? Definitely. Massive concentration and richness here, but well delineated with great harmony and freshness. It hit the palate with great intensity but also with care, as the structured and tannin is well polished and refine. The finished is intense, detail and complex that last close to a min. This wine will continue to evolve in the bottle for at least 7-10yrs and at least last for another decade or two. 94-95+
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Fantastic. Opened at 2:00 pm and left opened in the bottle until 6:00 then decanted. Started drinking at about 7:30 pm. Perfectly integrated tannins, round, rich mouthfeel, tobacco, dark fruit and spice on the nose and the palette. Got better and better throughout the evening. Last glass was a heartbreaker - because there was no more! Great stuff.
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Let breathe for 4 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks incredibly well now
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89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: My second time with this wine recently and quite like the first. Oaky, ashen, very much a beef-blood sort of wine. I like this, but it's a bit lean on the palate and I think that it would benefit from the company of a meal more than the company of the 1990!
4+
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Pichon Baron Vertical (01, 00, 98, 95, 90, 89, 88, 86, 82, 66): Another wow. This is a big, structured, powerful wine. The nose is dominated by black fruit and tobacco. Maybe a touch stern at this moment, but most enjoyable. Showing pure power on the palate. It's packed with dark fruit that has great flavor intensity that expands nicely across the palate, but there's just so much structure to balance out that fruit. Has a long, lingering finish. Both delicious and satisfying. In an early drinking window, but likely to improve in the cellar for at least a few more years. For this flight, if the '88 is too little, and the '90 is too much, then this is the one that is just right.
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Lovely 89! I decided to open it at the last minute before tossing together a rack of lamb dinner for myself and my wife. I let it stand on end for about 45 minutes and decanted in to a large, flat bottom decanter for maximum surface area. The wine sat in there for about an hour as I cooked. First nose after an hour was very tight, like another poster stated, pencil lead. Swirling in my glass, the second nose showed signs of excellence! After another 30 minutes this wine started to really open up and it's lovely! Complex nose of spices, currents and cassis with a decent amount of fruit for a claret, maybe due to it's young age. I have to disagree with other posters who are saying this wine is ready now. I think in another five to ten years, we will be raving about this 89. This wine has so much life left in it and I look forward to visiting it again.
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Just an amazing bottle of wine! 2 hours after opening shined like a rock star!. Gorgeous nose, balance and full of the big rich flavors you'd expect. The finish is where this baby rocked. Lasted for several minutes...A true gem from amongst gems!
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Let breathe for 4 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks incredibly well now and should last very long
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See previous note, decanter 2 hours, this wine still has room to go. WOTN versus 1990. Great nose, full bodied, almost viscous, dense wine with earth, brambles, spices, crushed stones, fully reflected on the palate. Outstanding.
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Ken & Penny's dinner (Nino's Cozinha): rich and ripe notes of dark plums, smoke, cassis. a great claret at its peak now, but not hugely exciting for me.
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Pretty nose of black cherry, smoke, dark chocolate. Palate is rich well balanced shows noce core of dark fruits with good initial structe that smooths out nicely. Almost new world in fruit with old world structure. Cab dominates, but merlot adds smoothness. In nice window, seems about 10 years younger than vintage. Drinking well with nice forward red fruits dominating.
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First two bottles from ex-chateau case in 1 week. This wine has a lot more potential but what a treat. 1 - 2 hour decant. The nose is exotic to say the least, more reminiscent of right bank than it is of left. Blackberries, plums, spices, graphite, sweet tobacco and leather. Deep crimson color, slight signs of ageing when pouring, beautiful fresh and lush entry on the palate, fruit explosion mid-palate with cassis, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco and moccha flavors finely balanced together, resolved tannins, full bodied, and a great finish. Can't help but thinking that this wine can continue to evolve and improve for another 10 - 15 years and I hope my stocks last.
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Now we're talking! And I love what it has to say. The deep ruby color looks great in the glass. Cedar, cassis, tobacco, truffles and spice get your senses going. Deeply concentrated with layer upon layer of rich, ripe Cabernet and blackberry glide over your palate. This wine perfectly combines power with elegance. Still young, as good as it is, it's going to get even better over the next several years
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Opaque purple color. Very fruit forward nose of crushed blackberry, cassis & hint of ground pepper. The taste was a little more subdued compared to the nose... forest floor, cassis, truffle & saddle leather. I was a little disappointed with this bottle compared to the bottle we had in July. Perhaps it was bottle variation and/or storage at some point in its life.
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1989 Bordeaux First Growth and Super Second Tasting.: Lead pencil nose gave way to a ripe, dense and opulent palate. Dark chocolate notes predominate. Its superbly structured; some in our group felt this (along with the 89 Montrose) was Parker-rized. I disagreed; this was a superb effort in a ripe year- nothing near over-extraction about this wine.. Incidentally, it had just enough acids to give it a good lift.
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appearance - 10; beautiful, dark red, no hints of brown or oxidation, nice legs. cork was in pristine condition. straight from my cellar. nose - classic bordeaux; saddle leather; some dark druit taste - fruit; nice acidity; not too hot or too much alcohol; nice contrast to the nose; had it with a braised lamb and lamb chop which made the wine sweeter in the mouth finish - fantastic; soft tanins; long,long finish; elegant; graceful wine overall 95 - at its peak but could probably last 5 to 10 more years but why wait? tanins dont need more time; the mouthful still has fruit; the nose has funk but not the kind that concerns you. enjoyable and really a fantatstic, elegant wine
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Let breathe for 4.5 hours. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks so easy that is it gone before you know it. Perfect with the frilled filet in coffee rub. Probably time to buy another case based on progression. This could last a very long time
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From 750. Great cork. Deep robe, bricking at the edge. Great fruit quality on the nose with nice pencil and a pronounced mineral edge/beef blood to it; smokey. Minor floral and horse notes with time in decanter. Excellent nose, evolves. The palate doesn't quite follow through - a little angular and a little radishy. Still, excellent.
5 for the nose; overall, 4.5/5
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Quite nice deep purple fruit, sweet tobacco leaf, and smoke on the nose. A bold, thicker, creamy palate suggests a much younger wine (as did the color), and many in the group thought that there was a merlot characteristic to the wine. Quite nice, and a favorite among some.
Color: deep dark, purple concentrated, but not cloudy.
Nose: blackberry, saddle leather, hint of chocolate and a bit of crushed stone.
Taste: beautiful mixture of black fruit, cassis, black currant, bit of chocolate and crushed stone. very long finish.
This PB is fully mature, but I would be in no hurry to drink up the stock. I introduced a little air about 3 hours before dinner by removing the cork and replacing it. We decanted 10 mins before beginning to taste. This is an outstanding wine.
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Powerful nose of blackkcurrent with hints of pepper and menthol.There is ripeness, but also a lot of freshness from the minerality. The mouth is rich and complex, with confit and mature blackberry, and black cherries balanced by graphite and hints of cigarbox. Ripeness and maturity are perfect. A great paillac with perfectly mature fruits, but no overripeness. Finale is long and pleasing. courtoisy of Benoit at 8 1/2
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Decanted for four hours then poured back into the bottle. Dark amber coloured. Deeply concentrated dark and smoky fruits; currants, cassis, smoke, dried leather, tobacco and earth. Some unresolved tannins, suggesting it will become even more smooth with time. Outstanding!
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The nose had aromas of bell peppers, dark cherries, and dusty earth. After a couple of hours, the pepper aromas faded and some brett came forward. The palate had tart bing cherry and raspberry flavors with notes of leather and earth. The finish gained in length as the evening went on. Initially the finish was a little clipped, but after a couple of hours, it was medium-long. While the longer finish was nice, I enjoyed the flavors that were evident in the wine earlier in the evening...
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Expected more from this wine. Dark colored with nose that opened up as the night went on, dark berries, leather and cocoa. Palate consistent with some of the recent TN's the fruit was muted with graphite and some chocolate; a rather short finish. Clearly needed more cellar time.
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Really 88, but I guess I have to give it the benefit of the doubt. Tasted at the Acker auction at Ai Fiori, so it wasn't decanted. But much more closed than the one I had two years ago. So far, I have either completely lost my taste for Bordeaux from these "big" vintages, or I just don't like '89s AT ALL! No, not even Haut-Brion. Call me a philistine.
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Drank alongside the 99 Pichon Baron and many other Bordeaux. Dark black brooding fruit, mint, tobacco white pepper, leather and mocha on the nose. Really jumped out of the glass and a little different note hit me each time I sniffed. Lovely pure blackberry fruit on the attack with lots of tar, asphalt and pronounced but not overwhelming tannins and a long, powerful finish. This is just entering its drinking window. #2 WOTN for me and the group and definitely the Yang to the 78 Lalande’s Yin – both beautiful but very different.
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Evening of (mostly) French (Vancouver, BC): Popped the cork and let slow-ox for 6 hours. Expressive nose of dark plum, cherry, cigar leaf, black tea, tar, barnyard, and black pepper. Fantastic palate, showing tons of plum, chocolate, cigar box, black cherry, and tar. Dry yet sweet, with layers and layers of spice that evolve as it rolls over the tongue. Fine, dusty tannins compliment the unbelievably long finish that eventually ends with cherry and clove notes. An outstanding bottle of Bordeaux that has many years of life ahead of it.
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Vibrant concentrated crimson colour with a little fade at the rim; Lots of primary cassis on the nose with notes of sous bois, tar, a hint of spice, soy and some red fruits also; tannins well integrated on palate. Very polished and smooth - a little close and backward. Fruit not giving right now. Good but needs time.
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San Antonio Wine Geeks - The Gathering without Steves (or how we found Lafite) (The Monterey): Only 2 sips of this, but was a completely thrilling taste. Big, muscular, with cassis, flint, cedar and spice with a lengthy complex finish. While the Lafite was subtle and feminine, this was muscular and firing on all cylinders. I need to find some of this. Wish I could enjoy my own glass. 94+
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Decanted 2hrs+, drank over 3hrs, lots of graphite with hints of violets and cedar. Great balance on the palate with of course graphite, red plum, mushroom, earth and cedar, very smooth almost soft finish. This drinking quite well now and should hold for several more years, but why wait!
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Popped and poured. Great nose of tobacco, mushroom and currants. Classic body showing very youthful tannins and a nice core of acidity to balance the rich flavors. Outstanding.
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Beautiful, elegant, soft black cherry fruit with slight smoke, cassis, and dry pencil lead flavors, tannins still ample but softened, terrific structure, long finish
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Let breathe for 2.5 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks so easy that is it gone before you know it. This will last for a long long time and I hope to be drinking it.
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just great, the best Bordeaux I've ever drunk, didn't give it enough air, my mistake, otherwise it would have finished even 1 or 2 points higher up, really improved in the glass, a lot of substance left, so no hurry to drink this
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Really a strange wiff of ether at first which blew off, thank God. This wine tastes a bit younger and stiffer alongside the open-knit '90 tasted next to it but it ultimately may be the more structured, serious wine. It is clearly dense and quite refined with a deep core of black fruit and lovely hints of tobacco and roasted nuts and it really needed time to breathe and open up. Ultimately, a great bottle of Bordeaux but I continue to think this is a long-term ager that needs more time.
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diep rood, donker, dierlijke neus, leer, animaal, donker fruit, kersen, boersheid, in de smaak is de wijn stevig, met veel substantie, diepgang, drinkt mooi weg, heeft een robuuste elegantie, zoete indrukken, verliest later wel wat aan kracht, nu mooi drinkbaar
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Had this with a nice steak cooked in the fireplace over wood embers. While 20 years is not that old for a good Bordeaux, it nevertheless had that unmistakable delicate subtlety of older wines, with a still very pleasant and present fruit. Cooled down a bit, it started producing light shivers and a very long finish. Speaking of long finishes, we ended the meal (after cheese and Flaccianello 1997) with a few sips of Glenfiddich 30 year-old whisky; wow, that has a finish that will never end!
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Decanted about an hour prior to pouring, this wine showed exceptionally well from beginning to finish. The aromatics shows a complex blend of pencil shaving, black currant, tobacco, earth and coffee notes that are mature and detailed. Both the bouquet and palate still hold much in reserved with some subdued youthfulness in the back ground. The color is maturing dark ruby. It is correct for the wine age. The medium/full bodied palate shows outstanding balance and a lengthy finish were tannins and acidity remain present. This is at or around its peak but should continue to drink well for at least the next 5 to 10 years.
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1989 Pichon Baron is filled with ripe plums, cassis, Asian spice, licorice, earth, coffee, truffle and forest floor aromas. This full bodied, intense, concentrated wine is powerful. With round tannins and multiple layers of ripe, juicy cassis, this wine offers a text book Pauillac experience. While not in the lush style of the 90, this is wine Bordeaux lovers should have in their cellars. It's still young and it's only going to get better with age. 95 Pts
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As red as Santa's trousers on a dark, moonless night (hey, it's Christmastime!) with very slight bricking along the edges. Medium to full body with a velvety mouth feel. Red raspberries, violets and green pepper on the nose. Sweet red berries and vanilla on the palate, with a hint of red meat. Tannins are well integrated, but still evident. Should continue to age well, but completely accessible now.
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2010 Duck Dinner (Peter Pratt's Inn): Another wine that vied for my WOTN, this was flat out impressive. Still a baby too, very young tasting, a bit tight at first. As it opened it burst-ed with black fruit, tobacco leaf, fresh roasted coffee beans. A very dark, deep and complex wine that stirred the senses. Delicious.
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Probably too early for this. Tasted quite young & took a while to open up. Last glass, two hours after opening, was still a bit tight. I expect this to be better in 5+ years, so I will try to hold off.
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Loose cork with light seepage; some issues with fungus and irititable tatse/nose; geting by that it is smooth and nicley textured with fruits and soft sweep tannins.
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Deep, dark purple with a smokey, leather backbone balancing delicious fruits. Decanted and aired for 1/2 hour before going to restaurant. Optimum time to breathe is at least 90 minutes. Smooth and delicious. incredible with meat
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Beautiful wine. All the flavors, chocolate-cedar-licorice, were there in perfect balance...a joy to drink. This is still a very young wine. Decanted two hours before drinking and it needed it.
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Cork 3/4 filled with wine, and clear seepage inside the capsule (none noticeable on the bottle). Clearly not as good as other bottles of this I've had, and it is possibly due to heat damage so i will pass on giving this a rating. Amlmost cough syrupy / medicinal, with very noticeable alcohol. Still some pretty dark cassis fruit and underbrush so you can see the underlying material is there. Too bad. NR
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Big, bold, balanced delicious! Excellent wine - much better than when I tried it last about 3 yersa ago - much more in balace and drinking great though prob has a long life ahead. Lots of black fruit, ceder, leather and earthy complexity. Next time will decant and let it open up for a while - my guess is it will do even better.
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Decanted for sediment and to open it up a little bit, drank immediately. What a sexy wine. Leather, rubber, beautiful violets, cedar and sweet pure blackberry fruit. Elegantly textured with fully resolved sweet tannins and loads of sweet white pepper tinged blackberry fruit. Long pure finish. A delight to drink.
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Unlike the last several bottles, this one wasn't showing as much flambuoyance, although it was still quite brilliant. Solid structure, and built to last. Decanted for three hours, and then opened up after a further two. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last a very long time.
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Slight mature orange rim, initial nose of licorice, menthol, leather and dark fruit. After 2+ hours gradually turned into very nice and high quality cigar/tobacco. Very ripe fruit, full body and great to drink now.
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Decanted for two hours, using a funnel. Deep, rich and opaque in colour. A truly mesmerizing garnet. Very youthful looking and the bottle was in perfect condition; with a fill that was well into the neck. Outstanding provenance. Baked raisin, tobacco pipe, sassafras, blackberry and leather. Very '89 Pauliac and is honestly on the same echelon as the '89 Mouton. There is so much life ahead, the palate is as youthful as the appearance. Stunning and ageless. There's a mellifluous and smooth palate where the layers are forthcoming. The finish is very long and the tannins have velvet and silky qualities in unison. A top three left bank Bordeaux for myself, from my favorite vintage of the '80's. Ostentatious, voluptuous and regal. Classy Bordeaux and a must-have for any collection. There is truly a long life ahead and I can't envision an end - in my lifetime. Drink now - .
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Opened and served right away. This bottle seems slightly tired. Still excellent, but wasn't youthful like the previous bottle. Notes of leather, tobacco and hints of greenness and just a tad of charred cherries. Resolved tannins, medium acidity and body with a medium length finish. Mellow and soft in the mouth. Excellent.
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Terrific wine, as always. Opened up nicely after 30 minutes in glass. Can go a ways yet, but is balanced and beautiful. Paired well with lamb chops. Wish I had many more.....
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Pichon: Baron vs. Comtesse: I don't think this bottle performed well for whatever reason. Too bad as this can be a great wine. Ruby/purple in color. the nose has tobacco, bell pepper but lacks much fruit. It is complex to drink and even has slight tannins. No detectable TCA, but its possible. For whatever reason, at 21 years, this bottle just didn't have it. It just drank too old. I liked the wine and this was more a case of being disappointed when it was unveiled than a truly bad wine.
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Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. This wine had a very complex nose. I enjoyed the roasted coffee aromas here, but I was so seduced by the 01 Dominus in this flight that I just didn’t pay as much attention to the Pichon Baron as I should have while it was blind. The leather and hint of greenness were probably detractors for me in the context of a Cali Cult Cab tasting, so I didn’t rank this high in the flight. This was still an obviously well made wine that was very enjoyable and seemed like a much younger wine that it actually turned out to be.
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Wine Tasting #1: Considering how much acclaim this wine receives it was surprisingly unmemorable given the company it was in. Hopefully I'll get to try it again, but on this occasion it was overshadowed.
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What an absolutely amazing nose. The kind of nose you remember for years. Unreal, scents rising feet about the glass, tobacco, leather, cedar, fruit. In a word, classic. The palate was enjoyable also (not quite up to the nose level). Fruit was still very alive, tangy red fruits in fact, with much of the scents from the nose following onto the palate. Great, great wine, years to go, but if you have it, drink it and you will enjoy!
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Chelsea's Third Annual Birthday Wine Tasting (Lancaster, PA): My #4, the group's #4. This changed quite a bit in the glass, I thought, going from slightly vegetal to a rich and plush feel. Very much enjoyed this, but it tasted much different to me than the 1990 vintage of the same wine I was lucky enough to drink about a month ago.
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Dark red. Dark fruit, black currant, and a slight greenness that made me think of Cabernet Franc. Only a hint of Bordeaux funk and great structure and a long finish. Youthful. Excellent.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - March 2010 (Vancouver, BC): After bringing a corked bottle of this to the last lunch, I was eager to bring a good bottle this time...and a good bottle it was. Coop guessed cab franc after a few sniffs and I can see why. Greenish nose with cedar, cassis, leather and dark fruits. Has a bit of funk indicating some age but overall coming across very youthful for a 21 year old wine. On the palate darker fruits with tobacco and leather. Still a ton of structure. Based on this bottle which was clearly stored in a cold cellar, this needs 5 years at least before prime time drinking. Outstanding. 93+
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Pichon Baron re-emerged in the late 80's as a top wine in Medoc, and a bargain at that. (My cost for this wine is $33) The wine is still fruity and youthful, drinking easy and beautifully. I'd wait a few more years if you have the patience, expecting more complexity and a tad more elegance.
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Pichon vs Pichon NYC (New York, United States): Much less expressive than Lalande. But more foreboding and powerful on the palate. My first impression was not as positive - the nose was not as expressive - but time in glass gave this wine time to open.There is brooding power here that screams Pauillac: and you have to love it, if you like Pauillac.
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First Offline of the Decade (Boca Raton, FL): A very reserved Bordeaux that features elegance. It is surprisingly light bodied and the finish is shorter than expected. It did pick up some weight about an hour after it was opened (this was not decanted as we ran out of decanters). It displayed a lovely complex and balanced palate, just in a somewhat muted way. An academic wine rather than a hedonistic one.
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Moderately dark purple color still. Hardly any bricking at all. Muted of dark fruit with some slight lead pencil. Palate similar to nose, with some black licorice and leather. Great smooth round mouthfeel. Very well balanced. This wine still really needs a bit more time. Try again in 2 or 3 more years - are you happy Kev?
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christmas day with prime rib...ran out of wines i had decanted...so popped and decanted for sediment (a lot of fine...dark purple) then drank immediately..color is still dark purple/red... wow what a nose...dark fruit...cassis...ceder...cigar box... more on the palate with a long smooth finish...as it opened...it got better and better..but unfortunately...we all drank it up rather quickly...it was that time of the evening and the port awaited..the other wines were an ‘89’ lynch and an ‘89 montrose..but the baron blew them away...dinner started with a ‘90 bolli grand anee..still fresh.. lots of bubbles..dark yellow color...yeast...almond...brioche...this too was slurped down quickly..too quickly...but yummm happy holidays all!!
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This wine is still drinking well although the fruit was a little subdued. Work very well with Beef Tenderloin. I would drink my remaining two bottles in the next year.
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Something just wasn't right about this--mixed coloring on the capsule foil among several of the bottles all acquired from different venues. The cork pulled out too easy given its age too. Menthol is the most memorable characteristic of the this wine tonight and somewhat of a disjointed finish. The wine seemed to lack a sweetness from its fruit. The wine was at it best when pared with cheese but other than that I feel like I have some scoring skew given what it was.
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popped and poured out of 375mL; drank over the following 3 hours. Dark garnet. gorgeous nose of cassis, dark, black fruits, earth and spice. just smells like a great pauillac. still quite tannic, but there is great balance between the tannins, acidity, and underlying material. long, long finish. always a great performer.
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Decanted and drank over the course of an hour. Intense dark fruit aromas from the moment the wine began to be poured into the decanter. In the glass, ripe dark currant and berry with lots of damp earth and tobacco with worn leather and graphite. Huge fruit forward palate with lots of great texture and length. Seductive damp earth flavors on the palate as well. The finish goes on and on. A beautiful showing for this wine.
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The nose is dominated by red and small black confit fruits, mostly raspberry and black currant. There are also flavours of cerise a l'eau de vie with also hints of plum, truffle pepper and tobacco. The mouth is completely in line with the nose. Tanins are soft and round but definitely not weak. The ripeness of the fruits is not ovewhelming since the wine, despite a low acidity, is beautifully balanced by mineral character. There is definitely some Bordeaux magic there.
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This bottle was classic Pauillac on the nose, lead pencil, graphite, leather and a little saddle soap. Palate did not have much fruit, but lots of dark-toned flavors of tar, anise, pepper and charcoal. Some plum and coffee grinds on the finish as expected. The balance on this bottle was great.
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Fantastic nose, black fruit, cedar and spice. Nice balance on the palate, with equal parts volume, tannin and complexity. Long finish. Still very young and primary, this wine has a ways to go before being mature.
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Phil's MONUMENTAL 33rd Birthday Wine Tasting (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): From a magnum. Didn't show nearly as well as the magnum opened a few weeks back. Lush black cherries and leather. Long dark liquer finish. Charred wood. Balanced perisistent finish showing some heat. Many layers. Not as opulent of a mouth feel as previous bottle.
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A Weekend of Excess; 7/24/2009-7/25/2009 (Chicago/Northbrook, IL): From magnum. Firm red and black fruits with sweet cedar and graphite. Asian spice. Perhaps just a bit closed judging from the magnum had a couple months ago. Very youthful and tannic. Outstanding wine.
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Birthday Weekend; 7/23/2009-7/25/2009 (Chicagoland): From magnum. Dark fruits and tarry notes. Pretty red/black cherry. Very firm, almost closed down. Tannic, big wine. Not particularly accessable, but very good elements.
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After the corked bottle last night (even worse the next morning), I decided to tempt fate again with the second bottle from the same case. What a difference a bottle makes. Double decanted in the morning, served from bottle with dinner. Tar, smoke, cinnamon and menthol on the nose, more like a northern Rhone. On the palate, green spice, licorice, currants, leather, blackberry and plum. This was a big-bodied wine with lots of tannins and acidity. It drank very young and I am glad I opened it in the morning. One of the better showings of this wine that I have had.
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The dark ruby color looks great in the glass. Cedar, cassis, tobacco, truffles, and spice get your senses going. Deeply concentrated and full bodied with layer upon layer of rich, ripe cabernet and blackberry that glides over your palate. This wine perfectly combines power with elegance.
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From magnum. Still very youthful and dark - needs significant time. Ripe cassis notes and flashy styling for Pichon Baron. Grainy tannins. Full-bodied. Very good.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Outstanding wine. Enjoyed from a magnum!! Keith just decided to pop and pour this gem around the table til it was gone -- and BOY was it singing!! Incredible deep ruby color. Showing classic creme de cassis, leather, menthol and minerals. The menthol was outstanding and fresh. The palate showed an endless array of dark cherries, raspberries and cassis. Leather, lilacs and more mehthol were also prevalent. The finish lasted over a minute and showed perfect balance. Tannins still had plenty of life. The acidity was laser focused. This will go another decade with ease. Fantastic experience. Thank you Keith.
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mooi rood met een bruine verkleuring, prima kurk, geur is mooi vol met rijpheid, kersenfruit, pruimen, donkere tonen, cederhout, getoaste indruk, smaak is licht romig en met mooi mondgevoel, vloeiend en met concentratie, wijn is nog heel levend en aanwezig, diepgang met mooi balans en heel vriendelijk, kan nog wel jaren mee
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UK Wine Pages Pichon Baron Offline (The Alba, London): Beefy, dark fruited, deep, savoury nose. Cassis fruit on the palate, deep, intense, savoury but sweet too, if still quite firm, very long. Lovely, my WOTN. *****
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Pichon Baron Offline (UK Wine Forum) (Alba restaurant, London): Fabulously rich, opulent nose. Follows through to the attack; rich, rounded, spicy. Really lovely. Richer and riper than a Leoville B tasted recently. Nose becoming beef tea and then reminiscent of the 96. Fleshy, dense finish. Stunning. *****
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Rick's Wedding Reception: Seems way too young still. Almost primal aromas of deep black currant and a lack of teriary notes. Perfectly balanced wine that shows off its fruit, and structure, and virtually screams to be cellared another 10 years. Some tobacco and gravel, this is dominated by its masculine fruit profile. Reminds me a little of the Leoville Barton house style. Very very good wine. Needs time.
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Once again, all plums. Tannins were weaker on this bottle than usual and wine felt tart. The plums were sour, not sweet. The '90 last night was much better.
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Another wonderful bottle of this great wine. This wine is in perfect balance, with fully resolved tannins and good fruit remaining after 20 years. So glad I have more of these. Note: Decanted for an hour, the wine faded a bit after a hour or so in the glass. This particular bottle was at peak maturity, and showed best upon opening.
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Again a deep ruby in color. Beautiful fruit and structure here. Very large scaeld yet poised. Cassis, baking chocolate, graphite, and flowers on the nose. Very full and very well balanced. Deep and dark, and still primary, with an almost meaty feel to it. Dense and brooding still. Much to give in the fututre. 96+ pts.
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This is a very good wine but we were disappointed for the price and ratings. Nose was great with barnyard, smoke and leather. It had a cherry, raspberry finish. We had decanted for 3 hours. Tannins werer soft; we just expected a little more "oomph" We will try drinking the next bottle with less decanting time.
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Very dark youngster. Flowery scent wit dark berries on the nose. Not a classic Bordeaux, maybe too muscular. Sweet taste with chocolate and ink. A good wine, but I expected more of it.
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a night at michael (michael, winnetka IL): nose: classic 89 nose that is almost california ripe, but holds back just a slight bit. Huge and balanced tones of red cherries, red and black currants, leather, pencil lead, sweeter tones of cranberries, and a good bit of tobacco. Great depth, but isn't really hitting its stride yet
taste: fairly resolved tannins, but feeling very youthful with bold and rich tones of red and black currants, cedar, tobacco, leather, red cherries, and some sweet tones of cranberries.
overall: this wasrighton the cusp for me, but it didn't kick it fully into that next gear. It just seemed so young and could easily last for a very long time in the right cellar conditions. Full bodied with a ripe profile for bordeaux, this is a very unique wine that shows off what Pichon Baron does well
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Casual dinner at Michael (WINNETKA IL): Very nice showing. Very Dark in color almost black. Still very young. We argued just how young. Some people thought it was right in the sweet spot and I thought it had decades to go. Nice nose of pipe tobacco, leather, dirt, pencil, forest floor and autumn leaves. In the mouth the wine was still young but very smooth that tasted like cherries in a cigar box. I think this is a tad more elegant than the 1990. The finish was long and amazing with a pipe tobacco and cigar box flavor that didn’t want to leave your mouth. Great Bordeaux!
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Took a very long time to open, with a rather mute nose and quiet palate, but the wine opened up finally 3 hours in to reveal cedar, currant, grippy tannins, a nice finish. I suspect less-than-optimal storage, but the greatness of the wine managed to shine through in the end.
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Still with a dark red color with some slight signs of age. This has a solid nose - but not there with the best of them. It was relatively open from the start, and over two hours it was pretty constant throughout. A very nice bordeaux that is classic and great with food, but a step short in fruit, concentration, and complexity of the best of them. Drinking well now and no reason to hold further, but should stay for some time. A-
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A lovely ballanced wine. Nice red fruit, good transition, nice secondary characteristics with a polished medium body. Nothing in this wine *wowed* me -- but there was everything I love about classic aged bordeaux.
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Terrific elegant wine. While ready to go, this will go quite a distance yet and there is no rush. Fairly large in structure, generous nose, a great match with the short ribs and steak that most of us had at the restaurant. Lovely wine--wish we had tons.
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Popped and decanted for an hour. Dark crimson with no discernable bricking. Powerful nose that filled the room, expressing cedar, eucalyptus, forest floor, currants, and plum. Medium-bodied but packed palate of blackcurrant, gooseberry, eucalyptus again, moca, and leather. Balance was impeccable, with veiled power coexistent with elegance and integrated tannins. Long, berry-filled finish with grip at the end. Absolutely stunning wine, still early in its prime years.
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Opened at 5, ready to drink right out of the bottle, but did benefit from some air time. I have had this bottle about a dozen times with various results from 98 pts to 85 pts. My last few bottles had been less enjoyable and from a retail source, while this bottle was from a 12 bottle OWC that I recently bought at auction. While not the best bottle, this one was still very enjoyable. This bottle was all plums from color to nose to palate. No graphite, lead pencil, leather or blackberry, just plums. Given that I was still recovering from NYE, a simple one-dimensional bottle was what I really needed anyways. It was clearly not as good at the '90 Baron Frank brought for NYE.
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An incredible bottle. The rim barely hinted at its nearly 20 year age, dark crimson at the core. Lots of character on the nose that could only be Pauillac. Lush, harmonious and exceptionally long with a mix of dark berries, earth, leather and some pencil shavings to round it out.
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Dark purple core with red ruby at the rim. Blueberry upon opening settling in to a restrained cedar bouquet with hints of blueberry and tobacco. This has a full palate that is sweet, integrated and more expressive than the bouquet with an added complex minerality. Nice, long albeit warm finish with tannins stimulating the front of the tongue. [95-96]
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Decanted for about 1 hour. Much less impressive nose than that of an '82 Cos with which this was consumed but very balanced wine with lots of years left. Cassis and pencil lead and lots of backbone for further aging.
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The second time in a week for a taste off of sorts, this time two '89's: in this corner the Pichon Baron and the other an '89 Barbaresco Sori Paitin. The Baron was a strong contender, which though decanted continued to improve with every whiff and sip over the course of an hour. Classic notes of cassis, graphite, and cedar, the tannins were a little harsh at first but smoothed considerably with air time. More feminine than I would have expected in depth and intensity, I might have guessed Margaux. Still, in excellent condition with a substantial future ahead. But at the end, the Paitin emerged the victor.
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This was an oustanding bottle of wine. Rich, with hints of licorice and mint. The fruit and tannins were perfectly balanced. It doesn't get much better than this!
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Wow this vintage begot the 1990, my favorite Pichon Baron and one of my favorite wines. This redwood of a wine is hugely rich, concentrated, and textured. Deep purple and carefully crafted aromas of cassis and chocolate this woodsy oak wine is gargantuan, but not the voluptuous beauty that the 1990 is and not the glory of nor the reason for fine wine.
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Very good with substantial improvement after an hour. Up against 1989 Montrose and came in a close second. Blueberry and red fruits. Plenty of grip. In prime drinking window now, which will last at least 5 more years.
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decanted 45 min--Dark ruby red; elegant nose of graphite, pipe tobacco and hints of floral notes; very smooth on the palate- great combination of liveliness and concentration- not like the modern heavily extracted types, rich cab fruit, dark plum, dark choc, maybe a touch of soy;very integrated long finish. great example of what Bdx can do-given the right juice and enough time. At it's peak- no rush. will last a long time
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Deep violet in color and concentrated on the palate, solid and unyeilding in its weight in the mouth. The core of fruit blends perfectly with the tannins. Yes, it may reward still more time in the cellar, but it's exceptional right now.
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Initially quite reserved (out of the bottle), but opened up beautifully after 60-90 minutes. Classic profile, a touch thinner than expected - a good lunchtime bdx!
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Chateau Lay): Bricking - definitely an older wine. Notes of cedar, red frit and tobacco, but oh no - this has a mild cork taint too. Thin and watery on the palate, with a more pronounced TCA quality than on the nose. Still, some dried herbs and red fruit show through.
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Brought to a new favorite BYO. Initially closed and musty. Took about 15 minutes in a decanter to blow off. Opened up progressively over the course of an hour and continued to improve until the last sip. Classic Pauillac aromas and flavors, especially lead pencil, cedar, tobacco and some cassis-like fruit. Not especially deep or refined, it still was a stately drink and a perfect accompaniment to lamb tournedos on a bed of mixed mushrooms. Can do another 7-10 years standing on its head. I left the last glass for the chef, who deserved it.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Nose of cooked cherries and cassis. Flavours of dark cherries, smoked meat and leather. Firm tannins. Not quite as memorable as my last bottle but still outstanding. This could still use more time but is very good now. Drink now and for another 10+ years.
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No decant, but let it breath in the glass about an hour. Youthful plummy purple, a little bricking. Nose is a bit muted and fairly simple, with cherries, some earth and tobacco. Palate follows, with red fruits, a little leather and tobacco, with soft tannins kicking in on the midpalate through the finish. Smooth, with nicely balanced mouthfeel and decent finish. Nothing not to like here, but not that compelling either, especially for the price. 5+12+16+7.
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Had this in a vertical with the 89/90/95/96/98/00/02/03. Absolutely mindblowing! It's true what they say even though it's hard to believe it - this one is still too young. However, who says we cannot enjoy it anyway. Will turn out in the three-digit area, for sure. One of the best - if not the best - Bordeaux I have ever had.
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Tasted April 25, 2008 at an offline. No formal notes. Not rated because this wine was served last, was too warm and not decanted when it probably needed it because it was closed compared to previous bottles.
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Brought by Gentleman Farmer to the champagne and bdx dinner at Sweets and Savories. This was the last of the dry reds served, and I don't remember it that well (big surprise). I recall thinking it a wine of class and high quality that needed more time. I can't say I assigned it a score last night, so my rating is a little arbitrary.
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Tasted with little "air time" after opening. Deep purplish red; nose of red fruit with tobacco and spicy leather notes; full bodied, lush textured, then a tsunami of drying tannins which inflict pain, nearly overshadowing the long, powerful follow-through. Next day, remaining half bottle with only cork stoppering: really nice and open, beautiful depth of fruit and balanced out. If this is what almost 20 year old Bord has to offer, it is no loss that recent (now every) "vintage of the century" is priced outside my reach. Can only hope to live long enough to drink what's already in the cellar.
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Opened in conjunciton with '82 Montrose and '90 Conseillante and this wine's color was years younger than the other 2. Very enticing nose of graphite and blackberries. A layered mid-palete finishing with good lenght. Dense, chewy and vicious. Everyone thought this had a "new world" feel to it especially relative to the other two bottles. Overall very charming. Decanted for 1.5 hours and this wine could use some more air still. This wine still has a lot of life ahead of it.
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Drunk at the Oak, decanted for approx 2 hours...dark color, no real lightening around the edges. cigar/tobacco and spice nose, with a touch or dark fruits...in the mouth a very full texture and still young primary flavor to it. red fruits, some pencil and spice box, moved well from front of mouth to middle and back, very smooth and very long. a very nice drink that feels like it is still developing and has a fairly long life ahead of it
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Big, beefy and structured as well as more tannic, this is a very impressive wine. Boat loads of spicy cassis and ripe blackberries greet your nose. The stellar levels of concentration found in this perfectly balanced wine make it a treat for your intellect and senses. This is classic and classy Pauillac that will continue to improve for years.
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1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: Very tight nose. Some cherry and blackberry. Was served cool and opened up some as the wine warmed in the glass. Firm tannins and lots of fruit. A really nice wine, needs time though.
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Very tempting mature bouquet. Spices, leather, chocolate and ripe cassis. Tasting it blind I was surprised it was a Pauillac. So soft, so friendly. No signs of lead pencil. But really sophisticated and beautiful.
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Purchased a few years ago for $139. When first poured, it semelled like wet tobacco and there was "fear of cork" in the air. However, it blew off with air and exhibited a classic mature claret profile. Very smooth and polished. Fruit is not as prominent as it was five years ago and I liked it a lot better then. But still a profound Bordeaux. Drink now through 2015.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Lovely lovely nose favour of flowers, ciger box, butter, coffee. On palate, it is well intregrated with ciger, butter, bitter and coffee favourite. Fruit is a bit hidden at the beginning, it is different style from Lafite. After 1 hour, it is opened up a lot more, nose of lovely smell keep increasing, and taste too, maybe it needs more time on palate. I still cannot find a lot of fruits coming out, but the coffee, cigar and bitter smell is well intregrated. Cost EUR350 a bottle in Hong Kong, it is good wine itself, but price is just too high for 2nd Growth.
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My 40th and some notes...Bordeaux, CdP, Quilceda, etc. (Seattle): Really muscular and tannic, but with a beautifully exotic nose of tea leaves and black currant. Pretty impenetrable. Clearly a big, rich wine that isn’t yet showing all of its fruit. In retrospect, I’d give this a longer decant (or more time in the cellar).
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Drank at Cru in NYC - Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of vegetables, sweet and dirty all at once. Asparagus and broccoli. Also notes of cinnamon, cherries and cotton candy. Very complex and intriguing. On the palate, so silky and smooth and extremely complex. 2 minute plus finish. Tongue numbing flavours of cherries, both ripe and sour. After a few minutes flavours of smoke, leather, apricot and some smoky wood also came through. Nose evolving throughout the bottle giving more fruit and vegetables; cassis and mushroom very obvious. Subtle, powerful and youthful. This will live for a long time further but is so delicious now. 94+
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Tasted May 19, 2007 at and offline. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, graphite and black cherries. Flavors of black berries, currants and cassis. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold. NOTE: second time I’ve had this wine in the past month and this bottle wasn’t showing quite as well as the first bottle. For what it’s worth.
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Tasted April 13, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted for sediment right before serving. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, leather, roasted meat and Kirsch. Flavors of cassis, sweet berries and chewy red currants. Medium acidity and tannins, full bodied. Needs more time in bottle in my opinion.
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Offline with Jonathan Dinh (Seattle, WA): This is also such a solid example of Pauillac. Loads of cassis on the dusky nose. Almost impenetrable on the palate. Dark and brooding with some coffee. Just classic, young Bordeaux. Very un-evolved, young, grippy and vibrant. Really, let 'em rest but what a terrific baby of a wine with lots of upside.
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Served with a roast leg of lamb! Opened to a mild nose and did not decant. The bottle did not throw off much sediment. A deep garnet color with just a hint of orange around th edge. This is a powerful, almost brooding wine that shows what a mature Bordeaux achieves. Flavors of black currants, blackberries, cassis, covered with some leather, tobacco, chocolate, layered with tannins that have smoothed out but still have a grip. A super wine and there is no need to rush and drink the balance!
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Beautiful juice! More elegant compared to the Lynch Bages 89. Has everything you expect in a good Pauillac; black currants, soft lead pencil, tobacco, etc. Full bodied and good tannin.
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Dark ruby color. Heady aromas. Intense dark currant flavors. Entering early maturity. I think perfect, but would go another 15+ years. Consumed at the Alain Passard dinner, Manresa. The wine of the evening. The chefs Kinch?Passard agreed.
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Youthful color and really still needs time. Did not decant. Did not find the stink others here describe; just pure fruit and early secondaries. Needs time, but it's a pleasure already.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): Reticent, a bit spicy, intense and soaring on the nose. Holy crap, this is crazily flamboyant but also incredibly tannic and punishing. A glorious wine, but this is really tight with 5 hours of decanting. I would either decant a lot more (8+ hours) or a lot less.
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Bordeaux on the Hudson (Peter Pratt's Inn): This wine had an interesting horse-y nose that, while a little off-putting at first, settled down to reveal nice layers of smoky cassis, lead and tobacco. Where the 1990 was opulent in the mouth, this was somewhat angular (I circled a big "backward" in my notes). The tight core of fruit was unquestionably ready for drinking but for the tannic power that restrained it. There will be those that adore this wine for its structure and power, but I don't think it's near ready to be fully enjoyed. A very nice wine nonetheless.
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This is so hard to rate! We had it together with a 1982 Lalande... to state it mildly: in direct comparison this wine lost big time! No wonder you might say, but I was really impressed about how superior the Lalande was. Right after opening I tried some sips without the Lalande already in memory. It seemed to be a very classic, well made Bordeaux that has a long time ahead. Maybe 91 points. There is nothing to hurry when it comes to this wine. But again: I can't really give a detailed rating.
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Rode kleur donker, neus is erg uitbundig met mooie rijpe tonen van donker rood fruit, cassis en mooi houtgebruik, leer tabak, zeer kenmerkend voor Pauillac, met kracht diepgang en toch ook verleidelijk, zachte rijpe tannines en een lange mooie afdronk
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Lampreia with the Klarman's. Textbook Pauillac. A huge nose of tobacco, iron, cassis and flowers is followed by a hammer of a palate. Masculine, brawny and powerful, this screams Cabernet. There is a sweet core of fruit, but the exterior is loaded with structure, earth and tobacco. Yum!
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Deep ruby color. Beautifully austere 'masculine' nose of blackcurrant, blackberry, pencil lead and toasty spice. On the palate it is silky and very dry with a touch of residual tannin. (From magnum).
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Decanted for sediment only, and poured back into bottle. Tasted 3-1/2 hours later.
Large amounts of stink on the nose, covering the fruit. On the palate, full-bodied but very backwards, with blackberries, cassis, hints of blueberry, and lots of earthiness. Long finish, but quite dry tannins. Not a good showing for this bottle compared to the one a year and a half ago, but still reaches outstanding.
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Massive inky wine with soaring classic aromas. Very lush and full-flavored with perfect ripeness and tons of weight. Finish goes on an on. Terrific stuff. Needed over an hour of decanting to open up.
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HDH Pre-Auction Tasting Highlights (Chicago IL): Wine tasting. Great black fruit aromas, still vibrant and young. Lots of spice on palate works well with the rich fruit flavors. Wonderful structure and balance, this is a really top notch 1989. Hold to 2010 or later.
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Drank this without decanting at all, and I wasn't sorry. Wonderfully complex nose, rare beef, dates, and a hint of barnyard. Fantastic on the palate. Wonderful cassis and spices. Finishes pretty long. Great tannic structure. Excellent acidity. I really enjoyed this wine.
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Slight bricking but still looking very young. Just entering its plateau of maturity, loads of classic Pauillac fruit with the beginnings of secondaries and still a good bit of tannin to resolve. Huge, long, and very enjoyable. A great wine finally beginning to show its stuff.
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Tasted with 4 other 1982s and 1989s...was the best of the evening. Still dark color, classic bordeaux lead pencil nose. Intense fruit, but extraordinarily well-balanced with soft but clearly evident tannins. Complex in the mouth with classic blueberry, cassis. Was a hit.
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Vintage Pairs Offline (Caldesi, London): Minerally-talcy cassis nose (cabernet dominated?), but there's plenty of blackberry and plummy fruit too. Soft and integrated on the palate. Nicely complex with lots of layers. An interesting wine with good character. Very Good Indeed.
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Dinner at Jeff and Marya Samuelson's: A big, structured, powerful wine. Quite a contrast to the two Haut Brion. The nose is dominated by stern black fruit, beef, and cigar box. Less one-dimensional on the nose than the Lynch Bages, but somewhat reserved. Pure structure in the mouth. You can detect some fruit, and know it is present, but the taste is really dominated by the structure at this point in its development. This was great to taste now, but should be something spectacular with additional time in the bottle.
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Redish Purple color, showing signs of maturity. Great nose. Medium to full bodied. Good structure, very smooth. Tannins have all mellowed leaving layers of flavors.
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very tight after opening. notes of berries, meat and loads of black licorice. velvety in the mouth but very few flavor to be had. long finish, and I mean long, so I would guess that this should fill out nicely. after 4 hours decanting, the aromas became much richer and deeper with beefy, berry flavors, but I still think this wine is a bit young (despite the tinge of orange in the color). put just under 1/2 the bottle into a 375ml to have w/dinner tomorrow. for now, ***1/2
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Offline chez Dan Bailey (London): Consistently beautiful. Textbook blackcurrant, pencil lead and cedar, with fat tannins and rich, velvety fruit on the palate. Long finish. Yummy.
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This powerful, elegant Bordeaux offeres an intoxicating perfume of cassis, smoke, earth, black raspberries, coffee and spices. This full bodied, richly concentrated wine coated your palate with layers of fabulous, deep, rich, fruit. The wine had it all, attack, beautiful mid-palate and lengthy finish.
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Textbook Paulliac. Boat loads of cassis, earth, dark fruit and tobacco fill your glass. At 17 years old, it’s still very young. Fresh, plush, long and round in style, this is only going to get better.
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After a long day photo shot in eastern California, I was ready to relax with a grilled NY Strip and something from Bordeaux. This happened to be one of the first bottle I pulled and that was that. Very impressive density, this is a dark ruby red wine that is almost opaque. Nose of roasted dark red fruit, cassis, spice, tobacco leaf, charcoal, a roasted fruit characteristic. Initially, medium weight in the mouth, it didn’t follow the lead that the nose presented with a short finish. but I was really impressed as to how much the wine filled out over many hours. It was cearly tasting it's best at hours 3-4.
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WS New York Wine Experience 'Wines of the Year' Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Deep red/purple crimson. Wonderful aroma of blackcurrant fruit, briar, and graphite. Still tight black fruit with some spiciness and tannin on the finish. Lots of great fruit here, but still could use more time! Opened up a bit more in the glass...
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Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): Oh baby, what a wine. A nose of violet, melted chocolate, a touch of horse and a touch of VA. This is a rich wine showing a touch of alcohol. Some stalkiness on the palate but in a good way. Primary, black fruit, loaded with graphite, a relative baby.
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Lunch at the Williams residence (Kent, England): This was the best bottle of this from my cellar to date. Dark ruby and still purple at the edges. Notes of cedar, blackcurrant, cigar box and leather on the nose. Beautifully structured, with cassis, minerals tightly wound up in a silky texture, supplanted by fine powdery tannins and a long finish. Superb.
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Birthday wines (Tendido Cero, London): This bottle was better than the one I brought to the Gary Margol offline (or perhaps it's just the Screagle, Harlan and HSS that made that bottle look bad). Decanted for 90 minutes, put back in the bottle and consumed 2 hours later. Oodles of ripe dark fruit, coffee, tobacco and a touch or thyme on the nose. On the palate it is powerful yet elegant, with gripping dry tannins, savoury notes intermingled with prunes, black cherries and blackcurrants. Long finish. Excellent.
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Gary Margol Offline (Bentley Hotel London): Ruby rim, slightly over oaky (spicy vanilla) nose. I found a slight rawness to the tannin, and a dusty finish. I was much less enamoured with this wine that others, perhaps I didnt give it long enough in the glass.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): The 1989 Baron is always a stunning wine, and this was a fine example. Taut, elegant, loaded with mineral and cedar on this nose, this is simply awesome and pure. The palate continues in this vein with fresh acidity, cranberry, loads of liquefied minerals, very tight yet impeccably balanced, opening gorgeously. I successfully guessed Baron on this one. Group average 95.6 points.
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TN: OFFline: Pichon Baron VS. Pichon Lalande 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000 (NYC): Of the 2 wines - this had a slight edge to me. It tasted better today but I thought that the Pichon Lalande could be better tomorrow. The Baron was open for business. It tasted delicious and was brawney, muscular, ripe, with plenty of extraction. Tobacco and lead pencil and lushed out tannins. A nice wine.
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Great Bordeaux! Rich, elegant, with perfect balance. Drinking quite well. It was great the first two nights it was opened, but was gone by the third night, so don’t hold too long. A real delight.
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Darkest ruby red. On the nose, quite reticent aromas of cassis and other dark fruit, with some faint kirsch and spice notes that made me think of a southern Rhone varietal. In the mouth, quite impressive mouth feel--great concentration, if still nearly 100% closed. None of the classic aged Bordeaux notes there yet, this wine seems almost unevolved. Massive wine with considerable potential, showing up on the brooding finish, but when will it come around?
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Classic Pauillac. Having erred on the wrong side before on older Bdx, I decanted but did not let this air. So at first I was a bit dissapointed as the wine was still at cellar temp and the wine very muted. A mouth full of pencil shavings. But after an hour this baby was doing an aria. Like that SNL skit about Antonio Banderas: Too sexy!, Too sexy! All secondary, with forest floor and mineral this wine is best drunk without peers.
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Dinner with Ross and Ali (Seattle, WA, USA): The nose screams of minerals with cassis, black fruit and a subtle floral component. Over time this moves to tobacco and cedar. The palate screams of brawny Cabernet, yet the tannins are silky. This is really a mouthful of mineral and tobacco and is still fairly closed. With time this does show more and more sweet fruit and a juicy palate as it finally opens. The finish is dusty, earthy and grippy showing lots of graphite. This is clearly still pretty closed, and even with four hours of air and a big steak, this needs more time to unfold.
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Dinner with the Britton's (Seattle, WA, USA): The nose shows loads of cedar with a background of mint, tobacco, tar and some floral notes. The palate is thick, dense and chewy with ample structure, yet the wine is exceptionally balanced. I am surprised at how primary this is. It delivers a mouthful of earth and cassis with a black, dark, brooding personality. A delicious young Bordeaux with a decade ahead to round into form.
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great chocolate, mocha nose, rich, ready, fairly full-bodied, but Lynch overtakes it after opening for an hour in the glass, might need a few more years
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What an amazing wine. I don't think my last bottle will be around in twelve months' time. Deep black in color. Hints of leather, cassis, earth...layer upon layer. Sweet fruit, med tannin. Wow! I wouldn't have guessed this wine to be 15 years old, but more like 3 to 5. My wine of the year.
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Consumed unblinded at Ken Johnson's home with beef tenderloin. Bottle provided by Ken Johnson. Bright disc. Deep-to-opaque garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing an intense, lovely bouquet of kirsch, licorice, minerals and damp earth. Full-bodied and silky-textured on the palate, with low acidity, ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Beautiful now, but will likely further improve with additional cellar time.
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Starts with wonderful nose showing lots of plum and other dark ripe fruit. Spice and fruit start out on palate, followed by sense of leather, vanilla and some cassis near finish. Good smoky character throughout. All well balanced and integrated today. Moderate length.
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Dark red with slight browning at the rim. Scents of minerals and vitamin pills. Dense and complex in the mouth. Quite tight and un-yielding at present. Sweet in taste, well sctructured and quite elegant. Long aftertaste. This wine was very closed, but obviously packed. My guess was Lynch Bages.
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Patrick Halstead's "Boxed wine vs. aged Bordeaux" tasting (Bellevue, WA, USA): Tasted single blind and guessed incorrectly as the 1997 Falesco Montiano. The nose on this is exotic and floral with a stern, black character on the palate and loads of structure. I was upset that I missed this one, as this was the one of the few wines which I had tasted before.
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A heavenly night of Pichon!!! (Seattle, WA, USA): A nose of sweet cedar, tobacco, and earth. Oh my, this is deeply layered, dark and brooding, but with time in the glass the bottle sweetness is emerging. The finish on this was initially tight and somewhat clipped, but the wine quickly opens up in the glass. This wine still has 10 years ahead of it to resolve tannins.
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Another dark red wine. Initially this wine (and the next one - the two appeared as a flight) was served way too hot. The temperatures outside made it almost impossible to serve the wines at the correct temperature. After having resides in the freezer for about 20 minutes, notes of forest floor appeared. What had first seemed like a 96 California cabernet, turned into a real beauty of a wine - somewhat strong and perhaps overly powerful, but very classy.
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Sampled at a the 2002 Wine Spectator Wine Experience in Las Vegas at a seminar of '89 and '00 "Super Second" Growths, moderated by James Suckling. 75% C/S, 20% Merlot, 5% PV. A past winner of WS "Wine of the Year", this was my favorite wine of the tasting. Gorgeous balance and texture, with concentrated fruits and floral notes that slowly fan out toward a lengthy finish. Still improving. Really complex. Last spring ('02) in London, this wine won a blind tasting of '89 Bordeaux (including the 1st growths) that Suckling participated in.
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Dark red, again. Some plums on the nose, as well as dark fruits and leather. Fairly forth-coming and accessible. But again lacking style and charm. And a semi-short finish that, it has to be said, was balanced and quite focused. Maybe a bit tough, this wine.
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Huge color. Equally huge spicy nose. Only medium concentration though and lacks breed and sophistication. But it could develop into something more interesting.
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This will be one TN for Pichon Baron 1988, 1989 and 1990 (tasted blind, not knowing the chateau, but knowing it were these three vintages.) All three wines were full bodied, round, complex and a good dose of soft oak. Soft and creamy fruit. The 1988 has a good dose of fairly soft tannin. The 1990 has a little more bitterness and liquorice. The 1989 is the most full bodied, juicy and complex.
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At home at dinner (pizza). An incredibly dark ruby color. Black and opaque. Amazing. Big, dark, chewy, roasted fruit in the nose. Wow! It is amazing and DENSE. Even more concentrated and intense on the palate. Big, tannic, chewy and dense, but with a TON of fruit. Tremendous potential. Yowza! 5-10-17-9: 91/100.
Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Opaque ruby/purple with red rim. Nose closed, with moderate currants, oak, vanilla and plum. Loads of supple tannins. Good fruit on palate. Big extract, good balance. Will require a substantial amount of time.
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4/21/2024 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
This has really burst into life over the last 12 months, and my second bottle during that period. It nows to lives up to all the initial plaudits on release. For myself, it is the best pre millennial Pichon Baron, just pipping the 1990. The nose is deeply aromatic, but tertiary, with blackcurrant, plum, and beef blood, with violet wafts. The palate probably has further integration, but already is silky, but with a tannic bite. The finish does not quite match the rest of the experience, but it is nitpicking. Half an hour in the decanter is sufficient to lose any initial funk.
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4/11/2024 - Chimer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Evolved colour, oak quite pronounced on the nose. Impressive and generous but this bottle lacked a little energy and finesse despite still having generous layers of brambly fruit.
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2/22/2024 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby/garnet core, narrow rim. Hsowing rich dark fruit, cedar. Medium/full, again rich blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, soft tannins, fresh acids, some savoury notes on the long finish. Excellent
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2/22/2024 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 95 Points
1989 Bordeaux Horizontal - London (Piccolino, Exchange Square): Very profound wine here. Nose is rich, fruit cakey and long. There is real controlled power here. Palate has brooding, dark fruits with a suggestions of high quality roasting juices. Savoury and very more-ish. With air some hints of sweetness on the nose. My third favourite and the table's second favourite wine of the night.
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2/13/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Savory blackberry; textured with complexity; length.
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1/20/2024 - TahoeSki wrote:
III. 3 bottles Christmas Eve from family cellar. Tasted all to make sure consistent and acceptable to serve. PnP. Excellent but unexpectedly preferred the 76 Ridge Monte Bello the following night. Greatly enjoyed. No formal tasting notes.
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1/14/2024 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened but aerated in bottle for two hours rather than in decanter, perhaps a mistake? Dark ruby red, very slight bricking to the body of the wine but hardly any sign of its 34 year age. On the nose beautifully mature claret spanning perfumed cassis, sweet tobacco, some pencil lead, black currants, some roasted meat. Lovely on the palate though felt more medium bodied than full. Compared to previous bottles, acidity a little flat mid palate but still there, finishes long with notes of mocha. Delicious in my book and next bottle I wi decant before drinking.
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1/13/2024 - sirpat00 wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind, double-decanted. Ripe extracted fruit of black currant, cassis and black cherry. Tertiary notes of earth and mushrooms and some iodine minerality. Soft texture, amazing balance and a firm structure with a lingering leathery finish. Palate with plenty of fresh, sweet fruit along with fine tertiary aromas a just a touch of Williams. To date still the best Pichon Baron I’ve tasted, currently drinking at absolute peak and with probably still decades to go. Only 2016 or 2018 seem to have the potential to live up to this.
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1/11/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose of roasted meat, black berry, hint of raspberry, saddle leather, lead pencil, and forest floor, same on the palate, the wine opened nicely and improved on the nose as the evening went on, mouth filling fruit, smooth, at its best, big body, typical Pichon Baron, very tasty, and a long, flavorful finish and lovely aftertaste.
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1/8/2024 - jmoon wrote: 95 Points
90 Rating initially as tasted surprisingly over mature since last bottle 2 years ago which was sensational . Bit tired on first pour an hour didn’t help much brief leap into life when smacked with beef, but squealed to a limp ending shortly after.
Then… came back an hour or two later so I could hammer a nail into the coffin but…. it was singing with a salty tang. Dark juicy and delicious. What a great surprise. Wonderful. Phew.
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12/20/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Austere with lean elegant berry and cedar; long balanced finish.
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12/3/2023 - 831900_ Likes this wine:
Earth & leather as expected but still quite tight, narrow, young. Stayed tightly wound throughout 4+ hours of being opened, 1+ hr in the glass. Hard to say – tightest wine of the 1989 horizontal.
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12/1/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nose of tar, cedar and damp basement; totally resolved; smooth lean semi-sweet berry and mocha; drank slowly over 3 days; smooth long and creamy at 3rd day; outstanding.
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11/18/2023 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
14th of 24, opened an hour then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, since superb last bottle in Jan 21, this bottle very tertiary with fruit flavours in decline, wonderful structure, fine length and complexity as ever but also disjointed and slightly odd as if missing an important component, not obviously flawed, needs watching and this bottle showing downside risk so need to look at another bottle in near term. Usually strong VF, this merely F (17.5).
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11/6/2023 - doug374 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just as good as the bottle we had two weeks ago. Aged very well, good fruits, light smoke and cinnamon little tannin beyond what is necessary to hold the core of flavors together.
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10/29/2023 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
PnP.
Wooooow this nose is insane. Great bottle.
Ripe red and black fruit, damp soil, vanilla, leather, cigar, with a touch of green. Very Bordeaux terroir driven.
Med- body, med acid, med tannin.
This is brilliant. Showing hardly any age at this point. It’s remarkable how well it’s holding up. Drinks no and for the next 10+ years.
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10/26/2023 - doug374 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful deep ruby red color in the glass. Vibrant fruit aroma mingled with minerals and tobacco.Probably at a peak but anticipate a long plateau based on how fulsome this was.
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10/16/2023 - devraj Likes this wine: 95 Points
Youthful looking dark ruby. Very expressive aromas of black small fruits, cedar, dark florals, cocoa and mint on the nose. The palate shows sappy black fruits laced with graphite, a touch of savory brown sauce, good acidity, gentle grip and a very long fruit filled and cedar scented finish. Superb!
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10/12/2023 - luHar1423 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Love this one - very close to the near-to-perfect 1990 vintage, but still a runner-up;-).
2h decant to enter the pleasuredome of fruity notes, well integrated and harmonizing acids and tannins with a very long finish. Fantastic - just fantastic.
It is just shy the 99 points and I believe it is far from having reached its peak. Happy to have some additional bottles in my cellar and looking forward to enjoy these in the coming decade(s?).
We enjoyed this bottle alongside the 1989 Lynch Bages and there was a huge and noticeable gap between these two - and both are great. While LB is close to its end, I believe the 89 PB has still a theoretical long life span (but too delicious to wait too long).
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9/26/2023 - Mr T wrote:
Good but not great bottle. Very soft and tannins resolved but fruit very restrained and wine almost feeling tired or over the hill. Hope just a bad bottle or night for me
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9/23/2023 - Eric wrote:
Jason's birthday and old Bordeaux (Newcastle, WA): A cedar explosion but also somewhat oxidative. Doesn't seem a great example sadly.
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8/31/2023 - rpatel99 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent cork given the age; decanted to remove sediment. Classic Pauillac off the nose. Cedar, tobacco, graphite and a hint of pencil lead. Blackcurrant, plum are evident. I was surprised by how fresh the wine was, seamless sweet tannins and an incredible finish that validates why Pauillac wines are mesmerizing. The earthiness is profound and with time in glass the terroir hits you in a way that is hard to describe.
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8/30/2023 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 98 Points
Huge fennel seed, burnt orange rind nose initially, becoming plum. The cedar is there with gravel, and liquorice. Just an amazingly pungent and complex nose! More red berry in the mouth with a long minty herbal finish - rich but very fresh. Not heavy, very perfumes and outstanding. Such outstanding smooth tannins too. High acidity - amazing wine with food. Best ever Baron, easily. 98pts
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8/19/2023 - t-sama Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purchased as futures and stored in cellar from delivery. Cork crumbled, but no seepage. Needs a decant for the sediment. Once open the nose is classic Pauillac. Just stellar. Fruit has dropped leaving the wine a bit acidic. It won't get any better and has begun to downslope. Not as glorious as five years ago. We'll be drinking the remaining bottles.
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8/12/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose upon opening was fantastic. Decanted for an hour and maybe didn’t need it. Great color, good palate feel and very good. I have had better btls. Drink.
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7/1/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium ruby in the glass with no bricking. Strangely for a wine of this age there is just a little reduction present. The nose is quite focused on the deep fruit initially, over time grudgingly showing more secondary character. Aromas are of blueberry, blackberry, smoky mineral, vitamin tablet, pencil lead, graphite, violet, and a touch of celery seed. The palate enters on deep rich fruit with medium plus tannin and medium acid, overall leaving quite a dense and meaty impression. The finish shows just a little alcohol and is a tad clipped by the structure. This was not my favorite in this flight, largely feeling like a black hole, just the same as last time tasted. This time around we were fortunately able to follow it over 24 hours when it did finally turn the corner and show a little more complexity, but even then well behind the other wines in the flight.
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7/1/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
After 5 years of agonising whether this is a legendary wine or not, and being underwhelmed, at last a bottle which reminds me of why I fell in love with this half a decade ago. This is a behemoth of a wine, and the best pre millennial vintage, with only the 1990 coming close. Possessing an mature aromatic nose, it is deep and complex with blackcurrant, plum and chocolate with floral wafts of violet. The tannin is sweet on the palate with great depth and complexity. Potentially a relatively shorter finish prevents an even higher rating, but it is nit picking. Bottle variation is not an issue with the wine, but just a matter of development. I have a case and half of this in pristine condition, and ironically this bottle was from a couple of very tattered purchases bought below market value. Possibly a lesson; if you are on the wrong side of 60 treat them mean drink them younger! 97+
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5/23/2023 - SpenceP wrote: 96 Points
Just gorgeous. Massive yet graceful. Over the course of more than three hours, the wine kept evolving in the glass, with blueberries, lead pencil, chocolate, mint, cigars, black plums, coffee, cedar, smoky ashes, and rich caramel, all doing a complex dance together, followed by an extraordinary rich and lingering aftertaste. All of the elements feel elegantly in balance with each other. A very comfortable 96 points. The cork was in remarkably good condition. If this bottle is typical, there's no hurry at all for this one--it should stay stunning for another decade and probably longer. [Tasted from the Jancis Robinson glass.]
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5/19/2023 - Snacks2013 wrote: 91 Points
Plenty of life in this "youngster". Based on notes here I did not decant but opened 1 hour before drinking. it was the 1st bottle of the night before 2 CA cab sav giants from 2007 and 2010. it was right there with them on satisfaction level. It had a serious dirt/musty nose upon opening but faded to a desirable aroma quickly. Still has notes of tobacco and chocolate and had an absolutely silky-smooth mouth feel and continued to develop over the 1 hour of drinking as the finish got longer with each sip. Going to give it 2 hours on the next one. It should get to 2040 easy.
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4/21/2023 - MariusA Likes this wine: 97 Points
High fill level and perfect cork. Very little signs of age. Forest floor nose and dried flowers. Smooth as silk. Absolutely spectacular bottle.
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4/21/2023 - jviz wrote: 96 Points
A slightly more integrated bottle than the last, this started a little musty. Dense and dark, with a profile of dark cocoa and blackcurrant. Weighty, polished, with more power than the 89 HB or 90 Margaux, but not as much finesse as either. Dark cigar wrapper with the slightest hint of pepper. Great wine, always shows up.
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4/19/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 98 Points
Outstanding; the best 89; silky and elegant; smooth velvety earthy-sweet blackberry; long smooth finish.
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4/15/2023 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully aged, fully matured. Opulent nose, of mature dark berries, tobacco and fine leather. Medium bodied, elegant, perfectly balanced in the mouth, with generous sweet aromas of caramel, tobacco, cocoa, licorice. A long, phenolic finish. A real treat.
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4/14/2023 - Mario17 wrote: flawed
Dégustation Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Bouchon, corked.
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3/22/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Cedar and earth; light blackberry; elegant finish.
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3/4/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
While this is undoubtedly a nice wine it definitely lacks the intensity and complexity for outstanding. Very deep ruby to the rim. The aroma is a most pleasant blend of blackberry, cassis and quite a bit of blueberry. Medium body. The tannins have totally melted such that the texture is actually too smooth and soft, especially for a Pauillac from a splendid vintage. This is a crowd pleaser but the snobby cognoscenti might turn up their nose after the first pleasant sip.
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2/22/2023 - D_RICH wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle. Double decanted and back into the bottle, then served from the bottle several hours later. Black. Cassis, dark fruits and oak on the nose. Full bodied, rich, dark fruits and initially (on retasting not so much) complex in the palate, with low acidity and a flattering flavor profile. This needs more time or a lot more air. At 33 years old. This is an excellent to outstanding wine, but it is not showing its best tonight - judgment reserved. Served alongside three wines (at least the latter two of which are showing better now - but that may not be the case with more air/time): the 1989 Cos, the 1990 La Conseillante and the 1990 L'Evangile, at Bill's Bordeaux Dinner. Willl revisit the small sample that I took home this or tomorrow evening. ADDENDUM: Day 2, in glass for another hour. Ruby. Oak on the nose. Rich dark fruits. Lacking the minerality that was evident in the Pomerols last night but very delicious. Still, I initially thought this would be a 96+ pointer. Maybe at age 40. (93+).
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2/22/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
LB flavor profile, good nose, right time to drink with our birthyear son. Drink or hold.
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2/21/2023 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
Pre-1996 Blind Napa vs Bordeaux (Ducru, Heitz, Abreu, Cos d'Estournel, Cask 23 & more) (Charlotte, NC): 3 hour double decant; served at room temperature (all other wines served with a slight chill). Heat on the nose followed by raspberry aromas. Garnet in color. Rich, dark fruit on the palate with a very pure expression. Drank like a richly textured modern Napa Cabernet with a hint of rustic notes. Commented that when we come back to this wine in a few hours it will probably be a far superior wine which was confirmed. Definitely give this wine a very long decant. This wine on the initial tasting was delicious but on the later tasting was spectacular. One vote for Wine of the Night.
7 guesses for Napa, 1 for Bordeaux. My guess: ‘89 Pichon Baron
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2/20/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep, rich, fresh and weighty. Compared to the 90' Pichon Baron, which I've had a few times recently, the 89' is a bit more shy and structured at this stage and benefits from some time in the decanter. Still, this is drinking beautifully.
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2/2/2023 - TWSA wrote: 90 Points
Nose: smoke, cedar, pepper, violet, star anise, plum
Notes: the 1989 Baron delivers a rather St Julien kind of nose at this moment and I would say right now this is not very Baron like. The bottle is ex-chateau and is still very dark in color so its safe to say the condition is excellent . I had quite some Pichon Baron 1989 before and in the last 6 months I tasted this wine twice and it is quite different from what I had before. The wine is closed up and feels like it's not delivering what it should. This is the interesting thing about wines, the ups and downs and timing of drinking is quite crucial. Although I would continue to remain faithful on the potential this wine has to offer in the future but it's simply not at a great spot right now. It is not ready and we will have to resample it again in at least 5 years time.
Drink: 2028+
Rating: 90 +
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1/28/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A perfect bottle of this which remains youthful and lifted with a gorgeously smooth texture and great depth. There are layered flavors of subdued black fruits along with classic Pauillac notes of gravel pit and graphite minerals. The finish is refined and vigorous with beautiful dark spice notes. Clearly picked at the right time as it avoids any of the "green" of the vintage. A superb wine with decades of life left. 95+
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1/15/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
This is still a beast after 3 hours in the glass. Highly recommend a 3 plus hour decant. Darker fruit up front that leads to a well balanced wine with a nice finish. This is in or near its prime with at least another 20 years of prime drinking. Revisit 2028.
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1/14/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
A private dinner at a friend's (Warmond, NL): Deep and spicy, glossy and polished, profound and rich Pauillac, velvety and rich, big and weighty, marvellous bouquet, warm and meaty, firm tannins, long and spicy finish.
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1/2/2023 - mrkoors Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rough on opening, like a grumpy old man. Gave it an hour and it was everything a top Bordeaux should be, a nose of dark plum, cherry, and cigar smoke, a deep full body with more cassis and cedar. As the night went on the tannins softened and everything came together for a wonderfully balanced finish.
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12/11/2022 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Once again stellar. This has all the characteristics of great paulliac black currant, cigar box, pencil shavings. Aging beautifully. The only thing keeping this from a higher score would be slightly deeper concentration. Otherwise a perfect wine for me. Gained weight and blossomed with air. Drank over the course of five hours and just got better and better.
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12/1/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cedar; earth; blackberry; balanced; sweet; coarse; long velvety finish.
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11/21/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Earth and cedar; blackberry; balanced; elegant finish.
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11/12/2022 - Terroir59 wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted two hours before dinner. This wine continued to get better throughout the evening. This bottle was still surprisingly fresh and retained many primary aromas and flavors after 33 years. A balanced, medium-bodied Pauillac with cedar, dark red fruits and softening tannins. In a great spot now but may get a bit better over the next few years.
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10/27/2022 - TWSA wrote: 89 Points
Nose: smoke, spices, graphite, chocolate
Notes: quite a disappointment today. I used to drink one of these every one or two years but unfortunately this one is not performing so well. Supposedly from ex-chateau I'm not sure why this is a bit muted and perhaps a little tired. Although I'm not impressed with this particular bottle today but I feel there's still plenty of life in this bottle and should last for another 12-13 years.
Drink: Now-2035
Rating: 89 pts
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10/27/2022 - DaleW wrote:
Round, voluptuous, cassis and black cherry, leather,lush texture. B+/A-
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10/8/2022 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful wine with spine and verve, yet age has softened this into something elegant and mature. This has graphite, mint, blue fruit, and charcoal on the nose. The smooth entry is driven by graphite. As you get to the mid palate, you get richness from a blueberry compote note and mint, and lots of tertiary flavor, including mesquite, banana leaf, and leather. This had power and delicacy. This will develop for a good while, likely with more of that mesquite and mint coming through with more time.
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9/17/2022 - RED AND BLACK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened with my younger brother as he is from 1989. 1hr decant. A bit of sediment. Nose with blackcurrants, plums, cigar. Medium to full-bodied with powdery tannins. Low-acid profile. Very elegant now
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8/20/2022 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
I had an odd experience with this bottle. It ended up being very good and like previous bottles. However, in the past I only decanted this wine for one to one and a half hours.....and that was fine. Comments from other tasters back that up. However, this time I decanted for about two and a half hours. The first sips were awful. After another half hour plus, the experience reached what I had expected from past experiences. I have no way of knowing if this is a one-off experience or not.
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8/17/2022 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
More than 2 years since my last bottle this is evolving at a glacial pace. Deep ruby color, hardly any signs of aging which is incredible for a 33 year old. Decanted and aerated for an hour then drank over 90 minutes. Nose of perfumed cassis, olive tapenade, dark berries, coffee powder and pencil lead. On the palate superb structure, balance, some secondary notes, amazing acidity signalling a long life ahead. Finishes with very fine velvety tannins and a touch of mocha. Tremendous. 6 bottles left!
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7/24/2022 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Thought we were having this with steak but were too full for the steak so we ended up just drinking the bottle over the course of 5 hours. Lots of tertiary aromas. Beautiful velvety tannis that are fully integrated. All the notes are there. Lovely wine and don’t agree with the comments about last leg and drink up. Not there yet at all.
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7/17/2022 - grafstrb wrote:
More tertiary than primary, and on its downslope. Very good, but disappointing, given my expectations.
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6/5/2022 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 98 Points
Stellar read last note.
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5/21/2022 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Unknown provenance. Decanted for 30 minutes and followed for several hours. Bricky opaque garnet. Initial nose of horse poop and volatile elements transitioning to currant, soy, hyacinth, earth. Layers of buoyant red plum, blackberry, and deeply-pitched, satisfying currant cut with holiday cake and a bit of sauvage. Pliant tannin and elegant acidity. Longer finish of light grip, echoing deep red fruit, earth, and tobacco. This became a thing of beauty.
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5/13/2022 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 98 Points
Powerful and elegant. Perfect balance and humming right now. Bottle in perfect condition. This wine is just fantastic! Earth Cedar tabaco leaf blackberries…all the elements essential to great Paulliac are here. So much depth it just keeps you wanting more after every sip. No question this has a long life in the tank and will age into greatness as the tertiary flavors evolve. Wow!
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3/30/2022 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Continues to drink well.
Feeling like this bottle is quite further along from the last time I had this, indicating it is starting to enter a tertiary and final stage of its life. I don’t think this will fall off the cliff in the next 3-5 years, but it will get more disjointed from here. Drink now.
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2/27/2022 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
A private dinner with friends (Amsterdam): On great form. Warm and spicy, rich but classical Pauillac, ripe cassis and nutty evolution, lovely stuffing and balance, gravelly finesse, plummy and slightly port-like finish.
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2/23/2022 - Malarky997 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulous. Lots of fruit. Great finish
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2/13/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has hit its stride but still needs a few hours of aeration to blow off some rougher edges. Also time in the glass really transforms it; I initially was convinced that this had suffered some heat damage before it settled. Its profile is becoming more pronounced as it ages with blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco dominant with some floral notes. The palate is robust with tannin and reminds that you are drinking a Paulliac albeit with a decent merlot contribution. I agree with a fellow reviewer that there is lightness front to mid palate, but everything creeps back in giving wonderful depth and now an excellent finish which had been falling short to date. Not my best bottle of this but still excellent, this is still in development and should stay here for the next two decades. With the right bottle this could merit another couple of points.
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12/31/2021 - llink wrote: 94 Points
PNP, should have decanted. Red fruits, cedar, tobacco leaf on the nose. Cleaner with less funk than the 96 Lalande. The palate is medium weight, red fruited with a silky soft texture. Delicious.
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11/22/2021 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
4 Rosé Unicorns & 6 Mature Bordeauxs: Five red Bordeauxs from 1978 to 1998 + one Sauternes 2001. All tasted double blind. Winner - by a margin - was the L’Evangile 1982 (98 pts). Best bottle so far, this showed a lot of intensity and substance combined with a perfect precision. The Pichon Baron 1989 is a quintessential Pauillac in its prime. The complete package. Complex, precise, super harmonious. The Pontet Canet 1996 (95 pts) showed surprisingly layered and seductive. The 1998 Ducru Beaucaillou (94 pts) showed the typical earthy, mineral and herbal profile but had some alcohol notes and showed overall more modern and ripe than today’s DBs. The Gruaud Larose 1978 (92 pts) had a nice fruit core with lots of tertiary aromas wrapped around it but compared to the others was lacking definition and complexity. The Dosiy Daene 2001 (96 pts) is another stunning 2001 Sauternes with a perfect balance of sweetness and freshness.
TN: Expressive nose with lots of Pauillac minerality and dark sweet cassis fruit. Very inviting and precise with some tertiary aromas completing the picture. A little hole on the attack but then the wine gains weight through the mid palate and finish with very sexy, sweet and pure fruit, even some floral aromas lots of creaminess combined with freshness and lots of minerality, smoke, herbal and earthy notes. Mature, ripe tannins and superb acidity balance. Quite complete and sexy but not yet at its peak as there is not yet the full array of tertiary aromas prominently featured. Anyway, already great to drink today and easily 96+ pts.
Decanting: I would decant this for 1-2 hours minimum.
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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11/20/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wines Enjoyed at John Kapon's 50th Birthday Bash (The Pool - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. I have had very mixed experiences with this wi e through the years, but tonight’s magnum was amongst the best. Lots of rich black fruit, lots of spice, lots of structure, with everything in proportion.
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11/17/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Brad's btl tonight w/Vincent's fabulous 9 course dinner with 12 close wine buddies at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis marking my retirement in days. Semi opaque ruby garnet red. Beautifully resolved soulful elegant & aromatic signature Paulliac from one of my personal top 10 BDX producers. Captivating aromas of cigar box, dark fruit & forest floor along with equally inviting dark fruit, lead pencil, cassis and mineral flavors. In a very nice place right now w/ plenty of life ahead and further upside. A burgundy lovers BDX.
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11/17/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Craig's Retirement Party (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Unsure about the prep here, but it did get some decant time. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. Absolutely beautiful; the nose glows with dried forest floor, an amazing sweet fruit perfume of cassis and blackberry, incense and leather. The palate is full bodied and caressing; layers of gorgeous dark fruits, dried moss, incense, leather, pencil, and long, long finish. This is drinking fantastic with a youthful core that is going to age gracefully and glacially. Thanks Brad!. 96+ to 97pts.
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11/16/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
Another strong showing, this example typically coal and truffle focused.
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11/8/2021 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Cherry skins, higher acid, bit simple, dry tannins, seems younger but it was '89! Not a big fan but, and this came in last place blind. The '89's lagged behind the other vintages although I liked some of them just fine. DD Bordeaux 1989-2000 Lawson's Steakhouse
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10/30/2021 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Part of a small Bordeaux 20+ years of age line-up. The Pichon Baron 89 is a show-stopper. Ripe and refined black berry and plum fruit, floral complexity, some iodine and only a fine layer of aging notes. A full-bodied, juicy and perfectly integrated palate to die for, with lots of fruit, sweetness, only at the margin a bit of leather and a nice, long finish.
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10/30/2021 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
This wine is still a baby. Bursting with black cherry fruit with leather, graphite, and earthy flavors, excellent structure, deeply layered with a singular focus, long finish. Easily stood up the a great 1998 Latour and delicious but not a full-bodied 1996 Mouton.
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10/23/2021 - curtr wrote:
I think I decanted too long this time(3 hours). OK showing, yet seemed a bit tired, not the intensity and character of my previous bottles.
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10/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
I am fortunate to taste this gem at least once a year, and it consistently delivers an incredible Pauillac experience. Loaded with cedar, lit cigar, tobacco leaf, peppery spice, herbs, currants and blackberry, this wine remains perfectly perched on the precipice of balance and power. Everything about this is just great!
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10/9/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Mid-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon Lunch (Mostly Double Blind) (Pixca - Highland Park IL): Double blind from magnum. Seemed almost a decade younger to me, this is dense, fresh and vibrant with great textures and power. Not as complex as some of the greatest of the 1989s these days, but still lots here, with further upside.
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10/7/2021 - Vicchangus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quintissential Pauillac. Graphite, tobacco, dark fruit, just in a perfect spot.
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10/2/2021 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Definitely a good bottle, but maybe lost in the crowd. Both the 89 Lynch and 89 Lalande were better this night. Lots of layered depth kept me going back to see where it would go though. Only disappointed in comparison.
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10/1/2021 - snaff wrote: 91 Points
Same dissappointing stewed fruit as the prior bottle. Compelling spicy notes of paprika and cocoa with hints of graphite make it still high quality but not what it could / should be.
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9/20/2021 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nice mature Bordeaux. Drink up!
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8/28/2021 - Winedad53 wrote: 95 Points
Dense black cherry in color, no signs of fading or age after 2-hour decant. A rainbow of aromas and flavors, settling into blackberry, leather, red and black licorice and a touch of cedar. Drinking beautifully right now.
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8/27/2021 - snaff wrote: 91 Points
Nose of rusty bucket and dried rose petals. Savory meat notes, pencil lead and clay minerality with dried cherry floating underneath. A bit on the downhill side, but still structured and a great food wine.
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8/23/2021 - SimonG wrote: flawed
89/90 Bordeaux @ Hawksmoor (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): Beautiful sanguine ruby, slightly prunes element to the nose. A touch maderised? A little pinched on the palate too. Something not quite right here. Maybe low level TCA rather than oxidised? Stripped anyway. Shame, as this can be an absolute beauty. On this showing *** / 88
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8/22/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
Similar to prior, but with more delineation - a bit more of everything. Superb. 97-98
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8/4/2021 - kr522 wrote: 94 Points
Drank next to 89 Haut Brion, and the contrast was interesting. Th HB looking and tasting very age appropriate while the PB looked and tasted at least 10 years younger. the development of the HB plus its notable presence of Merlot/Cab Franc made it more alluring, but this has the edge in depth and power. It poured deep purple, with classic cab Sauvignon notes of leather coffee and dark fruits. This and the 1990 are massive wines that are built to last
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7/24/2021 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 88 Points
Quite drinkable, but showing signs of advanced age. Tannins fully resolved, which made it taste a bit out of balance.
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7/10/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: Blackberry, boysenberry, rose, ash, and gravel. Bit of pencil coming in as it decants. Palate: Classic approach with dark blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and mineral notes. Beautiful moderate weight and perfume. Finish: lengthy and well delineated finish fans out with black and red fruit, cedar, pencil and stone notes.
Excellent. But for me the weight of the 90 notches it slightly ahead. Both gorgeous.
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6/20/2021 - g-man wrote: 95 Points
Great bottle with a long life ahead. Not a great note but popped open at the restaurant and was tightly coiled. Opened up nicely over 90 minutes. I didnt rush it and took over a half bottle home. On day 2 it was still roaring with no oxidation. Plenty of fruit still there and well balanced.
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5/25/2021 - WineCPA wrote: flawed
Baked due to poor storage by previous owner. Heartbreaking.
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5/14/2021 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Thursday Throwdown (Empire State South): Notes get fuzzy at this point...This was off a bit- some oxidation and soy/balsamic notes. Just wasn't great.
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5/11/2021 - jmoon Likes this wine: 96 Points
In such a great place ... if you give it air. A bit brutal out of the gate, strong tobacco, cedar etc. this blew off after about an hour, and on hour two it really started to sing, beautiful cassis, lovely pure fruit medium body, gorgeous old school Bordeaux. Will go for another 10-20 years but so good now.
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5/1/2021 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 1989 Pichon Baron is drinking beautifully today, offering up aromas of ripe cassis, plums, cuban cigar, loamy soil, black truffles and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with powdery tannins and an ample core of fruit, it's ripe and rather dramatic; indeed, if the wine has a defect, it's an excess of ripness and richness, to the extent that I tend to think it's at peak today, and that even if it's still as good in another decade, there's not much to be gained from waiting.
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4/25/2021 - HotelHarrington Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really started to sing after 3h decant. Blackberry, mint, baking spices, graphite, forest floor. High acidity to start that softened over the decant. Very nice, balanced tannins.
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4/14/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
4 Bordeaux-1989 Vintage+ 2 Rose Champagnes (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of roasted meat, black berry, hint of raspberry, saddle leather, lead pencil, and forest floor, same on the palate, the nose improved over the next 2 hours, big body, mouth filling fruit, concentrated, typical Pichon Baron, very tasty, and a long, long, long finish, Photo uploaded, My #2 tied of 4.
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3/16/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Upon decanting, the nose is quite tight. But what a big, beautiful palate, unfolding, filling the mouth with aromas of fresh ash, pencil, blackberry, and cold tea. With time, the nose fills out, densely fruited if somewhat monolithic and cultivating a slightly minty character. This is a more primary example than prior experiences from different lots (this is the first bottle of an OWC), but we’ll see soon if a second bottle is consistent with that impression.
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3/13/2021 - Haze78 wrote: flawed
Bad bottle, sad!
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3/7/2021 - empire80 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful wine, just so complete, still some dark fruit, cedar, gentle spice, just wow, beautiful with a slow cooked duck leg.
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2/26/2021 - Kim Gerner wrote: 93 Points
1986 vertical Bordeaux Grand cru Classé etc (19 wines) - Wine tasting dinner semi blind (Nordsjaelland): Less fruity than 1990, more savoury and more rustic, green pepper. 93+
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2/13/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 93 Points
Very dense and still somewhat closed after a 3 hour decant. Tar and black licorice with cassis and menthol. Very fine tannins. Good underlying acidity. Great potential if it would just open up. Feels like it needs another 5-10 years. Pristine cork and level.
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1/30/2021 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium ruby, just a bit of sediment. A bit austere but well balanced, drinking very well for my taste but in no danger of going over the hill soon. Very fine wine and last bottle.
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1/17/2021 - MrBrege wrote: 92 Points
Had the '89 against the '90. While we did prefer the 1990 (despite this not being the best bottle I've ever had), the '89 was very solid. Appearance is quite young, like many 89s, but with a wonderful tertiary nose. Less fruit, leaving it on the classic but more astringent side, but with good balance nonetheless. Finish rather short. We kept half the bottle but it was not much different on day 2
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1/11/2021 - TahoeSki wrote:
DNR since we should have decanted longer. Decanted for 30 minutes and drank 2 glasses over following hour and a half. Cedar was all I noticed. Came off as one dimensional. Recommend not less than 2 hours, maybe 3? Felt this has many years ahead of it, maybe a decade. Cork in excellent shape, 1/2 soaked. Ah-so used.
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1/8/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 96 Points
13th of 24, opened 2 hours decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, previous notes very fine or better - deep ruby, surprisingly little development on rim; well integrated cassis, bramble, tobacco, some graphite and earth, notable spice and hard to place other note bit like a combination of beetroot, cinnamon with a touch of lavender perhaps, complex and classy though; fullish, long, persistent, excellent concentration and drive, velvet, well integrated and balanced, youthful vigour. VF (18.5)..........the middle of a glorious trio of vintages for PB, whilst 88 is usually the runner-up, 90 often is the winner, but not in my last head to head at a dinner party in 2014 when 89 was preferred albeit marginally.
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1/4/2021 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a gorgeous wine this is! I used a pressure device to pull the cork which came out beautifully. Still a deep garnet color with only a hint of orange on rim. Wonderful Bordeaux bouquet of cedar, blackberry and damp earth. One hour decant showed the wine is ready for immediate enjoyment. The blackberry fruit and some tobacco are seamlessly integrated with the smooth tannin and alcohol. Beautiful finish and as it turned out we consumed over 72 hours with no good just the gorgeous wine. Bravo to Pichon Baron! I have two more and am looking forward to the next bottle.
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12/19/2020 - GrapeScott wrote: 94 Points
It has been 16 years since I've last had a bottle of this wine. I bought three bottles back in '97 and have been patiently waiting for them to mature. But patience wears thin and I recently bought another seven at auction. This is one of the latter. Excellent condition with a mid neck fill and pristine cork, suggesting these have been well cellared. Opened and double decanted around 5pm, and drank over several hours beginning around 6:30. Considering the high expectations I had for this wine (elevated perhaps by the sentimentality associated with it, since this was the wine we had at the dinner where I proposed to my wife), this was slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent wine, velvety smooth and opulent, showcasing cassis and cigar leaf, with a very long smooth finish, but I find it a bit one-dimensional, and almost too polished. In fairness, this was consumed outdoors on a sub 40° evening by the fire, while conversing with friends, so not ideal conditions. I didn't really contemplate it in the way I would if drank over dinner. That said, I will give the next bottle more air I think.
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11/25/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Superb in every way, this is a stellar example of Pauillac. Full-bodied, powerful, a bit reserved and yet regal, the wine is long, rich, and intense with a gorgeous combination of cedar, cigar wrapper, earth, spice and ripe, juicy currants. Drink this now, or in a decade.
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11/12/2020 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has improved since yesterday, adding tar and espresso notes in the nose and not showing much if any brett. Most of the improvement has come in the mouth: it is silkier, the tannins are chewier, and the flavors show more black fruits and coffee-liquer. More enjoyable overall, with a better, smoother finish. Guess I should have decanted. Today: 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
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11/11/2020 - MicklethePickle wrote: 84 Points
Somewhat disappointing considering my high expectations for this wine. Dark ruby, browning at the rim. The nose initially showed a bit of brett, but it mostly blew off after 45 minutes (BTW, this was popped and poured). Nose has faint notes of butternut, blackberry, forest floor, bark and tea, but is more than anything nondescript. Ditto in the mouth, with suggestions of plum, medicine and menthol. Give it points for longevity, and hopefully, exposure to air will liven this up, but for now, an hour after opening, this is one of the worst '89s I have had. 4-10-14-6: 84/100.
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10/28/2020 - Eric wrote: flawed
M&PD Zoom Tasting: Bordeaux (Zoom): Immediately this shows some oxidized notes with soy. Cedar as well. The palate is surprisingly young, powerful and tannic. Spicy with mint and a hint of green. Sadly I think this bottle was either not right, or it suffered from the decanting and travel. I am calling it flawed.
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10/27/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
As per previous notes. This has plenty of development ahead of it and I sure it will continue to improve.
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10/23/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Double decanted for an hour, deep ruby with no brick, classic, left bank Bordeaux with dark fruit, leather & a touch of tobacco, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding & at peak, no rush
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10/18/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 94 Points
FWSG 1989 Bordeaux Left Bank horizontal tasting. Drank in Grassl 1855.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of menthol, green bell pepeprs, red capsicums, blackcurrant leaf, dark soil earth. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, integrated resolved high tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, smooth cassis, acceptably spicy bell peppers and capsicums, lovely moist dark soil earth, green menthol, hints of polished dark leather. Long finish.
Very good quality. Menthol dominant. Such a fine aged Bordeaux. Enjoyment on the palate.
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10/14/2020 - Ozen Does not like this wine: 80 Points
3rd and 4th bottle of a case with good ullage. The wine is way passed its prime with awkward components in the taste that are highly unpleasant: like raw cubes of bouillon. Without a doubt the least pleasant Baron I have ever tasted from 1982-2000 so far. I was hoping the 3rd bottle was off but then the 4th was no better. Nothing recognizable as corked or anything like that but it had some strong senses of different herbs or seasonings that you would find the grocery as cheap seasonings of a dish. Highly unpleasant.
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10/2/2020 - DaleW wrote:
Great showing, rich cassis fruit framed by supple tannins and moderate acids, some leather and cigar smoke. Long ferric finish. Young but totally delicious. A-
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10/1/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted briefly but recommend two hours for it to open up and flesh out. Pichon Baron was the first Bordeaux I fell in love with many years ago when it was inexpensive. This example shows the liquid saddle leather and earth that typify the wine. After two hours the flavors fill the palate and the acid comes out to balance the earth. Tannins are supple but firm. Just drinking spectacularly. I don't know if I've had a better example of this wine.
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9/25/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still has room to evolve but truly outstanding. Dark ruby red with hardly any bricking. Decanted and drank over two hours. Pure nose of evolved left bank aromas of noble cassis, cigar box, spice, dark red fruits and gravel. Beautiful solid structure mid palate, long finish, with tannins fully coated by the beautiful cassis dominated fruit.
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9/23/2020 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just an incredible bottle
Opened to celebrate my 31 wedding anniversary
Nice nose mostly earthy
Incredibly smooth just glides through your mouth with earthy black cherry and leather
Long finish
All very subtle and delicious
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9/19/2020 - Percival Likes this wine: 99 Points
Came here thinking I would alert aficionados about this wine, only to discover that there is impressive agreement that this is a great wine. Just consumed the 11th bottle of a case purchased at release and stored properly. Unbelievably, at age 31 this wine gets scores from me that continue to improve. Past bottles have rated 95 or 96 in my private notes, but this bottle was just a knockout. I felt I had to publish the news.
Wow! What a GREAT bottle of wine. Cork felt soft as usual with this wine and vintage, but came out intact with careful use of ah-so. Cork looked good, and a whiff raised the suspicion that this bottle was something special. Beautiful garnet color, looked young. Bouquet powerful, rich, complex, indescribable. After a sip the wine coated the entire glass for about a minute before any legs appeared. Decanted one hour before pairing it with filet mignon.
Knockout flavor profile dominated by black cherry. Robust, with smooth tannins covered by delicious fruit producing that mouth feel of a mature great Bordeaux wine. Balance, perfect. The finish, interminable. Savored the last of it with Port Salut cheese. Was this experience mainly bottle variation? Possibly, but I will have to save that last bottle for a couple of years. Also, if bottle variation is coming into play here then I wish others who possess this wine bonne chance! Those who come across a bottle such as this are fortunate indeed. This bottle shows the heights that Pichon Baron '89 can achieve. Kudos to the estate.
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9/13/2020 - lifebreath wrote: 93 Points
Great again. Needs a solid hour decant. Has plenty of capacity for more age.
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8/21/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
This is signature, flawless bordeaux. Its cool pencil lead and graphite overtones float over the top of the wine to create a knockout earthy bouquet that reveals the wine from the onset. To me, the bouquet is the most intoxicating and the palate is rather resolved and sweet with sneaky back end tannins that re-enter and grow into a warm satisfying finish. Between this and the 1990, its a matter of preference with this being more sweet and fruit balanced, while maintaining its distinct Bordeaux traits. From memory, I recall the 1990 being more structured. The 1989 is now lacking the length to score higher for me, but its still a delicious wine that is oh so freaking French! Drink
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8/17/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow another 10 days go, another bottle of this magical wine. See previous note. Mature quintessential Pauillac, hardly any bricking, very complex and fulfilling. As well hedonistic. A true beauty. 9 bottles left!
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8/10/2020 - Vino_Veritas Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a well stored bottle with fill into the neck. Exceeded expectations. An outstaning wine, actually preferred to memories of the '90 (usually I prefer '90 Bordeaux to '89 Bordeaux, but the '89s are really coming around). After a 2-hour decant, classic nose of earth, currant, dark cherry, licorice, tobacco and slight hint of leather and camphor. Fruit still very much alive, with tannins resolved following the decant. Velvety 30-second finish with licorice notes especially lingering. In its prime drinking window, but no rush, either.
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8/9/2020 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
My 3rd time to try this wine. Served alongside 89 Malescot. This bottle had been opened about 6 hours prior and poured out of a few times. Consumed in a Grassl 1855
Possibly my best experience with this wine as this bottle was the most youthful by a long shot. Left me with the impression it had just been pulled from a cold cellar in France. In the glass, this had no bricking and honestly appeared like a 10 year old wine, rather than 30. Concentrated black cherry liquor, tobacco, and a dollop of bell pepper were on the forefront. The structure on this wine is just flawless, with round tannins and integrated alcohol. One of the greats in this vintage, and a treat to follow it a little further. Well stored bottles surely have decades to go!
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8/8/2020 - BrendanMcS wrote: 98 Points
Very sharp garnet color; not bricking. Deep and full. Nose is red fruit driven and lively for its age. Cherry and strawberry followed by a little of the musk of the old wine scent. The wine is heavy with black pepper, black currant, and black cherry on the palate. Ride red cherry as well. Youthful in it’s showing. Really delicious with silky tannins that give it a mouthfeel if a well matured, excellent wine.
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8/7/2020 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 98 Points
Outstanding wine! Lovely dark garnet color, no bricking. Tons of fruit, amazing for a wine of this age. Lovely, vibrant black fruit, cassis and black pepper. Roast meat, umami. So impressive!!
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8/4/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow haven't had this wine in a while. Opened and decanted, waited for 90 minutes then drank over an hour with ribeye steak. Pristine bottle, cork barely soaked, ruby red with slight bricking throughout the wine. Very viscous reminiscent of 1er Grand Crus. Nose of amazing cassis, tobacco leaves, black currants, olive tapenade, crushed rocks and cigar box. On the palate very impressive akin to a first growth, gripping power, complexity and finnesse, amazing structure to the wine mid palate, and a long creamy cassis coated by some bitter chocolate and velvety tannins. What a treat. Finally coming of age but built to last at least another 20 years. Next bottle the PB 1990 which I haven't had in many years, just to compare.
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8/1/2020 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Similar experience to my March 8th note.
This is delicious and totally in the zone. It has time left but why wait? The grip might soften and it might slightly improve over the next 5+ years, but it’s perfect with a grilled steak right now. Enjoy.
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7/13/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet cassis, cedar, dark cherry and smoke. Smooth and elegant palate. Lovely.
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7/2/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep and dark, I often think this wine is underappreciated. Arguably half of the bottle was even better after being recorked and consumed 18 hours later.
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6/26/2020 - doug374 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Grilled lamb was a great pairing. Also had the 1959 vintage. This was excellent but not as complex as the older vintage. Not to imply faint praise, a very good well structured wine with plenty of flavor and pleasing aromas of woods, jasmine and chocolate.
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6/5/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fairly resolved red fruit still with some tang. Moderated tannins, softened soil tones, well balanced. Still upside here, but drinking well
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5/30/2020 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
With chateaubriand asparagus and fondant potatoes. This is serious Bordeaux in a perfect place right now. All the fruit has melded into the other elements to create a comfortable man cave of leather and tobacco and earthy elements with some chocolate covered stewed prunes. A little reserved somehow, but not because it needs time, maybe this Bottle was on a downward slope even. Excellent mature bordeaux with no unpleasant elements and perfect integration, but drink up!
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5/28/2020 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep red. nose of cassis, cedar, leather, smoke and hints of mint chocolate that progressively increase in intensity with aeration. Full bodied blackberries, minerals
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3/13/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
I generally love this wine, but this was not quite there. I found it a little light on the palate. A shorter decant is possibly preferable
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3/9/2020 - kr522 wrote: 96 Points
Wow this has rounded into shape. When i bought a bunch of 89s and 90s 20+ years ago the 89 quickly fell behind because of its untamed tannic character that I crossed my fingers would resolve itself. I left most of my bottles untouched and tonight this was cranking.
It took 30 minutes to really open up, the nose is not quite as expressive as the fantastic flavors which brim with a subtle energy and slow burn of blackberry, plum, dark chocolate, cigar, and spice. There’s still a little heat in the finish which prevents a higher score but this is delicious drinking, and a must to drink side by side with the 90, because each is a great expression of vineyard and vintage
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3/9/2020 - J o e wrote: 97 Points
13% ABV. Deep ruby red. Intoxicating nose of cassis, cedar, leather, violets, smoke and hints of mint chocolate that progressively increase in intensity with aeration. Full bodied on the palate and crammed with blackberries, red plum, mineral and graphite. Very long on the finish, with late-arriving minerals and fine-grained tannin that wash over the palate like mini-tsunami. This quintessential Pauillac is firing on all cylinders, and is squarely in its drinking window. I have been incredibly fortunate to consume the 1989 Pichon Baron at least a dozen times, and while most bottles have been excellent to outstanding, this one is certainly in the very top tier, and is reference-point material. In a word: fabulous! 97.
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3/9/2020 - jsander Likes this wine: 97 Points
90 minute decant. Was smooth full of black fruits, amazing. Room but drinking very nicely.
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3/8/2020 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Earthy, with a nice core of black fruit in the nose. Seemingly very tight upon opening. A you big menthol, tobacco, and iron emerge.
On the palate, this is silky smooth with a solid frame of tannin and bright acid. The fruit is still there and all of the structural elements are holding this together well. Looking forward to this opening up. Drink now and over the next 10-15 years.
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2/13/2020 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 93 Points
Youthful bottle that was very tight on opening and took an hour until it started to show its stuff. Blackberry liqueur, cedar, cassis, nose of rosemary. I have to be honest I was hoping for more but this bottle was perfectly preserved and was maybe not quite fully ready to go, because what I had last night drank like something that was still a decade away from being fully mature.
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1/31/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Souper Bordeaux/Napa Valley (Chez François G.): Nez plus discret, un peu récalcitrant, qu'il faut aller chercher!
Bouche dense et profonde, plus dense que le 1990, un peu moins fraiche. Il y a un côté sombre et profond dans ce vin, moins charmeur que le 90, mais dodu, savoureux, un brin confit, avec une grande longueur. Encore bien jeune, mais imposant, pas encore à maturité. Grand vin. 95-96 pts
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1/3/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Chateau Baron Vertical ‘89-‘14 (Abigail’s Highland Park, IL): Dark color, browning rim, showing age and grace as it develop over the course of the evening.
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1/2/2020 - mariow wrote: 93 Points
perfect bottle into neck; dark red; nose of red peppers; solid fruit on the palate, good finish; still well alive; decanted for 90 minutes
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12/15/2019 - appel54 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tät kärna, rostbrun färg
Sura körsbär, läder, cigarr, svarta vinbär, fikon
Torrt, stramt, tanninrikt, medium+ längd, sötlakrits i avslutet,
Ett härligt vin med ålder utan att frukten är helt borta
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12/15/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pichon Baron vertical 1982-2009 (Local wine club): Started out with an enticing nose of sweet figs and tobacco. Someone mentioned this reminded more of a Calicab with some age on the nose and I wouldn't disagree. Dry taste with a certain sweetness, good fruit, cedar and pencils. Very elegant and very good balance. Best to start with but it faded much quicker than other vintages which instead grew in size.
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12/13/2019 - europat55 wrote: flawed
Pichon Lalande & Pichon Baron from 1982-1990 Vertical (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Completely oxidized and flawed.
My #10, Group's #10 (131 pts). Tasted Blind.
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12/6/2019 - Vmaster007 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, still in its youth, a few around the table thought it was from 2010 or 2000.
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11/26/2019 - Nanda wrote: flawed
corked ... ugh.
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11/24/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1989 - 30years on in large formats (Luzern): The nose here was riper than the GPL next to it, probably picked later. The palate was savory with forest aromas, savory palate and good mid mouth fill. Good for sure but not among the best tonight.
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11/21/2019 - MC wrote:
This bottle was slightly corked so NR.
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11/11/2019 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 97 Points
🏅 Rating 97/100 (4,7⭐)
Simply the best Pichon Baron I have ever tasted. True 1er Cru Classe (First Growth) level.
Powerful perfume that has immense breadth and depth. So much volume, it jumps out of the glass and fills the whole space.
Elegant aristocratic Cassis. Feels almost like top Burgundy. Silky well integrated tannins. Wine is so open and effortless.
Nose compliments the palate. Ideal balance. Endless finish.
At its very peak and will stay here for years to go.
---
Read my wine writing at stasmedvedev.lv
and follow me on Instagram
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11/9/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): More in my wheelhouse with the extra years over the 2000. This again though was a touch overshadowed by some of those late night monsters (also because Cab I like, but Syrah is a true love).
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11/9/2019 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama V; 11/7/2019-11/10/2019 (The Holy City): Soft tannins, smoke, cassis is more like red currant, and there is a bunch of bell pepper.
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11/3/2019 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Needed a couple hour decant to finally open, and it was delicious when it did. Classic flint and smoke notes. Still quite youthful—especially when compared to the wines 8-11yrs older. Seems like it still may be 5-10yrs from peak compared to those.
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10/13/2019 - mariow wrote: 91 Points
barnyard, little fruit, more green aromas; stayed rather closed even after 1.5 hrs decanted; a bit disappointing compared to previous bottles
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10/10/2019 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Top 89 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Mid to full ruby. Garnet rim. Dense nose, blackcurrant with a trademark hint of mocha richness. Some spice too. Nicely rich attack, and quite expansive on the palate. Not quite as long. Exotic in a slightly subdued way.****
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8/31/2019 - vinmarti Does not like this wine:
way past its prime. very slight flavor, no fruit flavor at all
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8/31/2019 - Isaac L wrote: 92 Points
Slight bricking. Leather, barnyard, and a hint of caramel on the nose. Didn't show as well as expected probably due to the lack of an extended decant.
Structure still very much present but the wine remained closed over the course of 3 hours with tertiary characteristics only peeking out every now and then. Dark fruit, soft tannins, more medium-bodied than expected, medium-long finish. 92+ on this showing but likely to resolve further.
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8/16/2019 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
a lot going on here and may well improve - keep!
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8/2/2019 - jpwines wrote: 93 Points
Drank with a 2004 Valdicava. This wine was favored. Soft Palette--cherries, lead pencil
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7/28/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Jordan's 1989 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): Corked.
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7/25/2019 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened about 45 minutes before service. A deep garnet core, with some bricking at the rim. An expressive bouquet, with notes of ripe plums, cassis, black truffle, roasted fennel, cigar box and forest floor. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a velvety texture, god depth + layers of flavor, and great precision and length.
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7/13/2019 - MichielH Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark ruby-blueish and transparent. Light hints of copper on the rim.
The bouquet offered mature fruit, pepper, maybe wet wood (but in the background), powerful and becoming increasingly more accessible over time.
On the pallet, a strong development over time. Dried plumb, tobacco, some dark chocolate (increasing as pepper decreased in the development in the glass), vanilla and pepper times. Very nice balance and acidity; very fresh as well with a sense of velvet.
A powerful 30 year young wine. Beautiful experience!
(ps: the cork had completely disintegrated from the top to the last 2 mm. A concern, but all came out well).
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6/26/2019 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lovely lovely Pichon Baron and amongst my favorite 89s. Evolved and complex nose of creamy cassis, blackberries and dark red fruits intermixed with sweet spices and toffee. Deep ruby red color with bricking around the edges but the wine looks 10 years younger at least. Medium to full bodied, complex palate finishing long and velvety on notes of dark or bitter chocolate. So happy I still have a case of it!
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5/27/2019 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
Dark, rich , crisp with a sharp short finish. No tertiary.
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5/17/2019 - tbabes wrote: 88 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A far cry from a bottle that we consumed several months ago; with tired aromas and flavors. No signs of heat damage or poor storage, but this bottle was past its best.
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5/6/2019 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine:
We had 1989, 1990 and 2003.
All were good and consistent but with their own highlights and minuscule cons that can actually be attributes depending on the situation.
The 1989 tasted very young when first uncorked and poured. It’s differential was higher acidity, but it gave the wine its structure to go with food. Sweet tannins that were chewy. Long finish and highly recommended.
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4/28/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This seems a little tighter from last year, and it is something I've seen recently in some left bank 1989s. It is still a spectacular wine, but seems a little further from peaking than previously thought. It is very approachable with extended aeration, (this time 10 hours in an open decanter,) and is a wonderful example of an old school left bank Bordeaux approaching its 30th birthday. It is classic in its nose and palate full of blackcurrant, plum, and old leather with some background floral hints. The depth and complexity of the wine are spectacular but as noted on previous occasions, the finish is not overly lengthy but well balanced. This can be fully enjoyed now, but it essentially now needs another 3 years or so to allow it to fully mature. Apart from the finish, I could see it eventually giving the Lynch Bages a run for its money for left bank wine of the vintage.
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4/13/2019 - prof b wrote: 90 Points
My birthday celebration, 2019 edition: Same bottle as Salil. A very nice example of a mature pauillac with tertiary elements combined with dark fruits. Still, for the price and history of this Chateaux, I expected a lot more.
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4/13/2019 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Nice showing. Dark fruited with lots of cedar and graphite on the nose, impressive power and complexity apparent though this feels a touch burly and still rather firm at this age - there's some grainy tannin lingering on the back end and I wonder whether it'll fully resolve with more time. Even then it's an excellent wine with roast chicken, though given the price I'm not sure this merits the upcharge over the '88 which I like just as much at 2/3rds the price.
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3/31/2019 - Ara Kafafian wrote: 90 Points
Attended a head to head blind tasting of Pichon-Baron VS. Pichon-Lalande. Vintages were as follows for the Pichon-Baron: 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1998, Pichon-Lalande offerings were 1985, 1986, 1988 & 1996. The seventh blind wine happened to be the 1989 Pichon-Baron. I had guessed it to be the 98 but I was wrong. Very youthful colors were misleading. A simple 30-year-old medium body Bordeaux which offered little complexity and balance with only cherry notes making it through. I was expecting a more concentrated wine. Not the best showing for this usually remarkable wine. Drink by 2030.
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3/30/2019 - blanquito wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful bouquet of graphite and lead pencil, smoke, earth, leather, the quintessence of Pauillac. Silky, seamless, resolved, with brightness and a grippy finish still showing structure. Just serious, class-in-a-glass, one of my favorites. Ready but has a long life left to enjoy as well.
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3/24/2019 - guido23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much, much better than my previous bottle. Cork was in good shape with a low neck fill. Decanted and consumed over 3 hours with steak dinner. Delicious and drinking VERY well! 30 years old and going strong!
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3/11/2019 - tbabes wrote: 99 Points
What an amazing wine! The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; this bottle was purchased as a future and had perfect provenance. Opened an hour before service and consumed over the course of dinner at Vetri. A dark ruby core, turning towards garnet at the rim. An expressive bouquet, with ethereal notes of ripe plums, cassis, black truffle, roasted fennel, cigar box and sois bous. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a velvety texture, astounding depth + layers of flavor, and great precision and length. Perfect harmony; everything is in such wonderful balance. This bottle, which has been stored in ideal conditions, is drinking perfectly right now and should stay at this peak for at least 10 years.
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3/10/2019 - mariow wrote: 92 Points
very smooth and pleasurable; lacks some complexity
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3/10/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
At 30 years of age, this is a rock star Pauillac! It combines power, refinement, polished tannins, ripe, juicy, bright fruit, tobacco, cedar and cigar box notes that hit you with their full-force. The wine is rich and mouth-filling. The tannins are soft, polished and long, there is freshness and purity of fruit in the finish that hangs with you for close to 50 seconds. This could get a bit better, or not. So if your bottles are in great shape, drink it now and over the next 12-15 years for maximum enjoyment, before it begins its gentle decline.
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2/28/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Charity dinner (Washington, DC): Gorgeous stuff! Plenty of fruit on the nose and palate, still built well with a dusty structure and fresh acidity. The fruit is laced with complex tobacco, spice cabinet, leather, earth. In a really good place, with the fruit and non-fruit elements in good alignment. I'd love to retaste this beaut in six years or so, though, to see those tertiary notes start coming out more.
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2/27/2019 - Moonie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Everything is there for greatness, but the wine is still mostly fruit. Needs more time time to bring out those tertiary elements. Pristine bottle bought on release.
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2/14/2019 - fclarity wrote: 93 Points
From a perfect looking bottle, this wine had a red/purple center with light red rims. The medium+ intensity nose showed mocha, blackberries, beets, anise, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was refined and balanced which was a surprise given the fairly dramatic nose. It had light rounded tannins, light acidity, and very good length. However, there was still an angular element to it.
This wine needed a lot (6+ hours) of time in the decanter. It had sneaky length and fine-grained acidity. It will likely be better with 10+ years in the cellar.
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2/9/2019 - dbg wrote:
Pichon Baron and more (Dino's Grotto, DC): Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drank over 4 hours. Dark red to rim, nose was less forward than a few years ago, but showed dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Medium bodied, not as full or as focused as before, good balance, moderate complexity, medium finish. Very good to excellent, this didn’t live up to expectations. Fading or just a below-par bottle? One left in the cellar, will make a note to open it relatively soon.
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1/19/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 mins before serving. Some sweet blackcurrant, tobacco, and herbs on the nose. Palate was sweet with softened tannins. Soft and alluring. Not a blockbuster wine or extremely complex but drinking exceptionally well now. Nice one.
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1/1/2019 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Popped and followed for three hours. Immediate nose of black currant, blackberry, cassis, cedar, and earth. Palate was disjointed for the first two hours but finally came around revealing layers of buoyant red currant fruit, sauvage beef blood, leather, and earth. Nice acidity and filed off tannin, leading to a long finish of mulberry, red plum, schist, and sweet grip. Last sips were best. Healthy decant recommended.
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12/26/2018 - VinVet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely cassis and forest floor nose. As it opened up the dark berry palate with excellent acidity and modest tannins kept evolving into a richer more rounded mouthful. Lengthy finish. Good to the last drop.
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11/19/2018 - Mr T wrote:
Shared with friends and much of what I wrote in '16 is still true. Loved drinking and smelling this wine. We both kept sniffing our empty glasses after it was all gone and just lovely. Once agiain, this is why we cellar these wines. Yum
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11/17/2018 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Classic nose, currants Smokey cedar and leather. Light weight palate, perfectly balanced with a lovely muted red fruited profile. Perhaps a tad diluted, maybe this was over cropped, but other than that this wine has a great flavor profile and is in peak form.
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11/16/2018 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautifully aged, fully matured. Opulent nose, of mature dark berries, tobacco and fine leather. Medium bodied, elegant, perfectly bslanced in the mouth, with generous sweet aromas of caramel, tobacco, cocoa, licorice. A long, mentholic phenolic finish. A real treat.
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11/5/2018 - signotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very nicely now and plenty of life ahead. For me, a notch down from the 1990 when tasting side-by-side
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11/4/2018 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
This bottle was absolutely on point. Probably my WOTN in an excellent field. I favor to pop and pour wines with much age, although this is one where an 30 minute decant might have helped.
Mild bricking at the meniscus but less than I would have expected. The nose is ebullient, showing fig, raisin, cassis, tobacco, and leather. The palate glides, but the presence of pasty purple fruit and sweet pepper. Tannins are nearly resolved, but there is still enough structure and fruit for me to imagine that this wine might go another 25 years. Just an amazing example of classic claret.
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11/2/2018 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful. Really singing. Vegetal - nose of mint, green bell pepper. Dirt. Fruit has receded a bit. Earthy as hell. Black currants.
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10/27/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 95 Points
I really love this wine. This was perfectly stored since purchasing around 1992. Cork looked as though it was a four year old wine. Wine took about two hour decant to begin waking up. Typical Paulliac with cedar and pencil shavings, but still seems very young. Tannins were resolved after a lengthy decant. The wine did begin to go backwards after about four hours of being open...which tells me it has plenty of life remaining.
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10/20/2018 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still looks youthful. Nice nose. Lavender, plum and black cherry. Soft palate. Medium body, good acidity. Drinking really nicely. 93-94
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10/7/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nearly peaking, but still with room for improvement, this is an exceptional wine. It is a perfect example of old school Bordeaux at its best, with a nose full of old leather, blackcurrent, and black cherry, with the merest hint of violet. Big tannins remind you that you are drinking a left bank Bordeaux, but it is exquisitely balanced with ripe fruit. The palate is multi-layered, with a profound depth, and a finish that is in complete harmony. Perhaps the length of the finish does not quite match everything else, but it is still 30 seconds plus, and it is just nit picking. It continued to develop in the glass over the evening, and was decanted for 10 hours. This should still improve over the next couple of years, but don't hesitate to start enjoying this now. At the moment it is just pipping the 1990. 97+
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9/28/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine: 94 Points
Charleston Offlineorama IV; 9/27/2018-10/1/2018 (Charleston, NC (various locations)): 5th/11 wines tasted. Nose of old library and leather baseball gloves - just what I love to smell in older BDX. This is mature and lovely on the palate with soft/supple red fruit, cedar pencil shavings and leather, leather, leather. Really nice and complete - in a great drinking window.
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9/28/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Charleston IV - Return of the Collectible; 9/27/2018-9/30/2018 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Yum yum. I love old Bordeaux and this was a great year and a great wine. So very bright. Herbal and leather notes. It's a great style. In a really wonderful spot right now, but doubt it's going anywhere any time soon.
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9/21/2018 - vintage52 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic Bordeaux at its peak, but with many years to go. Text book nose of currents, cedar and musty aromas. Very rich, almost new world-style, great mouthfeel, great mid-palate, nice tannins, very long finish. One of the best 89s from my experience, ahead of all first growths except HB.
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9/19/2018 - redmancge Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well no formal notes as this was the "backup" to an 85' Lafite going out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. So the Lafite didn't disappoint and was awesome after double decant and hour in decanter at dinner. It was bit tight and disjointed on open so went ahead double decanted the Pichon-Longueville for sediment then back in bottle. Had a glass of it and shared one with our sommelier friend at dinner. Very much enjoyed by all but it was kinda late. Next night was still very good. Only wished I'd been able to enjoy it all on its own. Still very memorable wine :-)
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9/17/2018 - dmitri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with most reviewers here: very distinguished, noble, and worthy of its price; fully mature with width and depth of flavor; the color is totally vibrant, deep, with no signs of aging. Absolutely ready to drink and be enjoyed tremendously. Very long aftertaste of sheer pleasure.
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9/16/2018 - JGinMO wrote: 94 Points
Someone treated us to this at fight night. Exceptional, tannins fully integrated, fruit still really fresh, incredibly long finish, with all of the nuance you'd expect of a 30 year old Bordeaux.
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9/11/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Casual (Mostly) Burg Dinner with Friends (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Rich and ripe black currant and plum. Very tasty, very good weight. More monolithic vs Lalande in next glass.
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9/6/2018 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
1989 Bordeaux at Piccolino (Piccolino, Exchange Square, London): Smoky dark fruit, touch of sesame. Medium/full, rich dark fruit, cedar, savoury on the good length finish. Excellent.
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9/6/2018 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
1989 Bordeaux @ Piccolino (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Very mute on the nose. Darker fruited. Richer. A touch of coffee. Not quite as lush or exciting as it can be. Plenty of interest but not the best bottle of this. ****
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9/4/2018 - mr_swirl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Pauillac aromas of dark fruits, cedar, leather on the nose. This wine is drinking very well, complex and mature. Velvety tannins, good balance and length. great value wine
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8/24/2018 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
Integrated, balanced, with resolved tannins and still vigorous fruit. Really pretty, at a great place. Will probably freeze right here for at least 10 years. I don't think this "needs more time" at all, in the way I think of it. There's no sense that it's hiding some important elements, and no awkward youthful qualities about it. A great bottle of claret, which does exactly what you want it to.
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8/5/2018 - MarkMich wrote: 92 Points
Not as good as my last bottle, 3 years ago. Solid just not blowing me away.
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7/29/2018 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 97 Points
Popped and poured from the bottle. Black olive and herbs, pretty young mixed fruits, black cherry, anise, eculyptus. Lead pencil, ash, bright. Sweet subtle oak tannins. Long, chalky finish. Really pretty with a silky mouthfeel. One of the better wines we’ve had this year.
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7/5/2018 - JEP007 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased from Vintage Wines who acquired it back from the original buyer on release. The cellar is very well preserved from was I was told. Beautiful from PNP. Seems like this is at its apex. Mildly complex, with notes of tobacco and fresh cedar. Lots of black pepper. After about an hour, the flavors started to mute and it was on the decline. Very fun and worth the ticket.
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6/16/2018 - Zweder Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): Beautiful and complex Pauillac bouquet is what I wrote down tasting this wine blind. Ripe dark berries like cassis and blackberries, graphite and beautiful smoke and oak. On the palet a beautiful wine with a lot of sweet spices, ripe dark berries, leather, autumn forest, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Full bodied and concentrated, very beautiful wine with still a future of several years.
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6/16/2018 - Wine Buergler Likes this wine: 100 Points
Cork took some work to get off but this was drinking beautifuly. Decanted for an hour- definite leather, red licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate- hint of fruit. Perfectly integrated- hint of tannin if any. Finish smooth and medium in length. Drink now. So good.
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5/19/2018 - canan wrote: 94 Points
BYO: Lovely sweet and plush cherry fruit with a touch of black and green pepper.
Very juicy and has a lot of fruit left. Beautiful wine! 94-95p
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5/19/2018 - jviz wrote: 96 Points
Hard to rate for me as I have limited experience with aged Bordeaux. However this was clearly in a very sweet spot, with plenty of grace on the midpalate, cigar box and yet some fruit hanging around. Comes in for a very soft landing, which for me was the most memorable thing about the wine.
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5/5/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 95 Points
My wife’s favorite wine. Beautiful paulliac that showed everything this wine should be. Cedar, tobacco, etc. decanted three hours prior to consuming.
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5/2/2018 - Purple Grillz Likes this wine: 98 Points
Another beautiful bottle of 1989 Baron, the oldest bottle by 11 years in an amazing flight of mostly right bank and Napa. This wine is absolutely in the pocket right now, everything is in the right place. This wine might get more interesting with time but no way will it get tastier. The tannins have completely melted. What a treat.
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4/30/2018 - PhN Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful on opening and still great two days later! This is one of the most delicious clarets I have drunk in many years. Ready now, probably still great many years from now.
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3/31/2018 - ledocq Likes this wine:
A guy who owns a popular store in my neighborhood said when the consensus is that you're five stars, it's impossible to get your 500th Yelp review. After a while, people no longer need to share your qualities; they're just assumed. Different for wine, right? It keeps changing and evolving, So hello TN 500.
Opened for a couple of friends at our housewarming. Really wonderful, exactly the experience you'd want from cracking a 30 year old left bank Bordeaux. Ready without a decant, and terrific for the next couple of hours. The aeromatics were slightly muted compared to previous bottles but then again we were already pretty toasted by the time this came out. You know how occasionally you wonder if you're insane to spend all this time thinking about wine, and then every once in a while, a bottle shows up that confirms that yes, you are insane but it doesn't matter because for that night, you've brought company with you? That's this bottle. Enjoy yours.
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3/30/2018 - MC wrote:
Decanted 30 minutes. Enjoyable Bordeaux that has good dark fruit and a nice finish. Good with food as well as on its own. Just past its peak in my opinion, but enjoyable. A-
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3/28/2018 - amred Likes this wine: 97 Points
Expected, frankly, to be over the hill. Almost no brick, great lead pencil/graphite/leather nose. An absolutely classic, perfectly made "old" Bordeaux. Everything in perfect balance, not fruit lacking, but definitely pre-Parker world of wine. Even more surprising, it was still wonderful the second day. If only they still made them like this, and when they do, if we could afford them!
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3/24/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of mint, saddle leather, black berry, bell pepper, and black cherry, same on the palate, big body, at 29 years old, this wine is showing very well, elegant, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, a slight hint of tannin on the long finish, lovely aftertaste, at its best with lots of life ahead.
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3/17/2018 - curtr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1.5 hrs. At peak drinking now. Amazing depth and character. No sign of fading. Recommend drinking over next 4 to 6 years.
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3/16/2018 - JOsgood wrote:
Classic BDX notes of pencil lead and forest floor. Liked the 90 better side-by-side.
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3/13/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark gold colored capsule. Beautiful nose of peanut brittle and aged smoky cassis. Really fills the mouth like only aged Bdx can do and this is silky and round in texture and the tannins are seamless now. Flavors of dark leathers, aged dark fruits and that nutty quality of aged Bdx that PB really shows so well. The finish is balanced with a nice bit of fresh acidity and complex notes of black cherry, road tar and and ye nuts!
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3/11/2018 - europat55 wrote: flawed
Flawed nose and palate.
My #10, Group's #10 (114 pts) in a Bordeaux '82/85/89/90 line-up. Tasted blind.
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3/10/2018 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Upfront aromas of strawberry and raspberry with notes of minty eucalyptus, black soil and rocky gravel. Tannins are flattened by time in bottle, though it still shows vibrancy and youth. The color has stayed without much fade and the fruit is lively. Beautiful elegant wine without any sharp edges.
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3/2/2018 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very earthy. Cassis. Hint of vanilla
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2/20/2018 - lifebreath wrote: 97 Points
Another winning bottle. Dark ruby with no bricking. Nose of blackberry, dark cherries, earth and slight smokiness. Significant primary fruit, predominantly dark cherries and blackberries, with cassis, tar, hints of menthol, licorice and blood orange; assertive, well-integrated tannins, full, smooth mouthfeel and long blackberry finish with some earth and leather. Fresh and drinks younger than its age. Very well-made, mature Pauillac in its prime drinking window. This and the 1990 have been consistently excellent.
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2/10/2018 - Mjladha wrote: flawed
Horrible bottle. Rotten.
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1/31/2018 - jmoon wrote: 94 Points
Very good as always... needs 2 hr decant
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1/27/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for a couple of hrs then back in the bottle to take to dinner last night at The Winemakers Table. Still deep ruby with no brick, classic, left bank Bordeaux with dark fruit, leather & a touch of tobacco, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious & still a long life ahead
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1/17/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux BYOB #12: beautifully mature wine at the peak of it's powers. Classic Bordeaux style, complex and multilayered nose with cedar, tobacco, grass, red currant, pencil lead and hints of creme caramel. Still virile fruit, elegant, fine tuned, pleasant smooth tannins, nice acidity, steely structure. Slightly dry finish. Just beautiful, Bordeaux as it should be! 94p, votes 5
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1/3/2018 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 96 Points
One never knows with old bottles. This one was purchased on release and properly stored since then.
Things got off to a rocky start with a crumbly cork that took a bit of finesse to remove. The wine was then strained and decanted and served. Too scared to decant an almost thirty year old wine for an extended period of time.
The wine is pale ruby in appearance.
Pronounced and evolved nose of cassis, leather, vanilla, smoke and spice. The aromas actually intensified over the two hours the wine was opened. Even thought the wine is obviously mature, there was no fatigue at all on the nose. Still very fresh and vibrant.
Medium bodied on the palate with sweet and well integrated tannins and still enough acidity to keep the wine fresh.
Lots of flavour intensity- still some black fruit , but mostly leather, spice, vanilla, tobacco and forest floor. As with the aromas, the flavours are obviously mature but not tired.
The finish is definitely long. Just a wonderful bottle that has stood the test of time. Based on this bottle, well stored examples should keep for another decade- but why wait!
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12/25/2017 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Muted nose on opening, and palate didn't give much more away. Gradually came round after several hours in the decanter, but overall not nearly as outstanding as previous bottles.
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12/18/2017 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Soft, elegant, cassis and very slight leather flavors, very ready to drink!
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12/17/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still needing a lengthy decant time, it still has lots of room for evolvement. A wonderfully deep nose of blackcurrent and dark cherry gives off heady aromas. The fruit is dominant on the palate whilst balanced by robust tannin. The depth is tremendous, but on this tasting I found the finish a little clipped. Even at 13.5% alcohol content, this is a wine for decades but fabulous now as long as it is well aerated, and probably with the 1990 the best Pichon Baron drinking at present.
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12/16/2017 - ledocq Likes this wine:
Drank waaaaaay too fast. So good.
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12/15/2017 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Annual Christmas Dinner at La Folie (La Folie San Francisco): Christmas Dinner at La Folie. Great wine, sat in a decanter during the first 2 courses (90 minutes). Dark purple no bricking at all. Lots of forest floor on the nose. Long finish will easily go 5-10 more years. One bottle left. A Christmas treat.
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12/13/2017 - Jmf17 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Let's try a real-time tasting tonight.
I'm at Smith & Wollensky Manhattan. Sommelier Chris has just decanted the nectar. It'll sit til I finish my martini.
One short pour resides in the glass, waiting... The nose in the glass is vague right now. More as the evening develops...
15 minutes pass. The nose in the glass is starting to present. In the decanter it is muted, but redolent beneath the surface, threatening a breakout.
...
First taste. From the short glass long since poured. First observation: depth and density.
A more generous glass is poured after the initial tasting-pour. The nose of this is far more ample: a sweet cave.
First taste from the fuller glass is a mouthful! Sensations and flavors on the front and back of the mouth. Very full. Firing on all fronts!
Another taste. I'm losing the ability to process and convey the richness and complexity. The initial flavors and after-flavors. The wine is more intelligent than I can keep up with...
So when the genius of the wine supersedes the intelligence of the drinker, what recourse? We wade into the stream, expectantly, and will ourselves to be carried along ...
Still incredibly tannic along with being complicatedly flavorful.
Late in the evening. Dinner cleared. The bouquet is milky, creamy. The wine is seminally related to the land...
So, the final note is the wine finishes milky: I mean rich, diffuse, subject to a million interpretations. A treasure trove of sense impressions....
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11/6/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Layers of raspberry, blueberry, flint, anise and Asian spice. Some dried fruits with a hint of sage. Mouth coating, bright and youthful. Reminds us of the smell of Lafite Good spice. Amber edges give away the true age of this deceptively young 28 yr old beauty. Drinking great and seems to have more years to come.
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10/29/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a well-cellared bottle kindly provided by J.P., this 28-year-old Pauillac proved to be an ethereal beauty. Deep garnet, it has a complex core of dark plum fruit, accented with leather, allspice, cocoa, cigar box, earth and almonds. Medium-bodied at this point and with no rough edges, it delivers its flavors in a milieu of soft residual tannins, seamless alcohol and fully integrated oak. Dense on the mid-palate and finishing very long, this fully mature wine is absolutely spectactular. There is enough residual fruit here to allow it to remain on plateau for many more years. Drink now-2030.
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10/21/2017 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium ruby with a bit of lightening at the edge. Mature but plenty of backbone. Cedar nose with a very long finish. Excellent.
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10/18/2017 - dkentaustin wrote:
To Pebble w the Boys
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8/21/2017 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at 67
Fully mature with a wonderful classic claret nose and palate. What is not to like?
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8/6/2017 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
From Widow Grosjean collection. Still holding out well. Lots going on and no sign of decline. Drink anytime.
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7/17/2017 - lifebreath Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very nice! Medium ruby with garnet edges. Nose of leather, florals, cherry and strawberry. Significant primary fruit, predominantly dark cherries and blackberries, hints of menthol and orange, with assertive, well-integrated tannins, full, smooth mouthfeel and long blackberry finish with some gravel and cedar. Drinks younger than its age. Very well-made, mature Pauillac in its prime drinking window.
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7/8/2017 - guido23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good but disappointing relative to the hype. Decanted and consumed over four hours. Very dark with a garnet rim. Initially showing a VERY interesting nose: pencil shavings with an undercurrent (not currAnt!) of plum pudding. With air the nose moved form pencil shavings to full-on graphite, or maybe slate.
Initially the palate showed great promise as well: gentle tannins very well balanced with pert red fruit and a long finish. Within an hour or so, though, it became sweeter, with cherry notes - almost like a Brunello! The complexity went away, though, and we were left with a very pleasant - but not nearly pleasant enough to warrant the price - wine.
I have one more bottle so I would welcome suggestions if there is a better way to enjoy this wine that will demonstrate the high praise it has been receiving.
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7/3/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful aged Bdx nose of grilled nuts, warm gravel and dark maserated plums. So thick and silky on the palate with incredible flavors of softened black fruits, grilled nuts and liquid graphite. A really earthy wine with a real essence of silky aged Bdx fruit and classic graphite and gravel flavors. The finish is soft and so complex and elegant with amazing dark Indian spices. This has turned into a tremendous vintage for this great terroir. 95+
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7/1/2017 - Aglenardi wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely beautiful wine!! Didn't know the score before I drank this, but it took me by surprise. The freshness, the depth of fruit and flavors, amazing.
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5/16/2017 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy dark core with crimson rim; nose shows rust, tobacco, dark fruit, leather, bell pepper, red currants; some sour fruit on the palate, higher acid for Cabernet, loamy, leather, lighter on fruit, resolved feel to it, some edginess to the tannin; people torn between CA and Bordeaux, I was in Oakville '91, this bottle just didn't have the pedigree this wine normally shows.
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5/7/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a difference a year makes. This has started firing on all cylinders and I can only concur with some of the plaudits being awarded to this wine. With a nose full of blackcurrent, dark cherry, and leather, it is velvety on the palate with perfect balance. It is opulent in the mouth with the fruit in total harmony with firm but sweet tannins, and completed with a glorious finish which seems to go on forever. It just kept improving in the glass over a couple of hours and I think this is still going to continue to improve, but no reason not to enjoy now.
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4/30/2017 - J_Smallwood Likes this wine: 98 Points
Everything you were hoping for in aged Bordeaux and then some.... But looking at the wine in the glass, there is no way I would think this was closing in on 30 years of age! Deep ruby red with zero visual signs of age. Beautiful nose of cassis, antique furinture store, and damp earth. On the palate, plush with beautiful velvety tannins and layers upon layers of flavors. I pNp'd this and followed over 5 hours and this just unfolded beautifully over that time period. Cassis, blackcurrant, leather, tobacco, tar, charcoal, cinammon, and some herbal notes. Perfect balance, low/moderate acidity which makes the wine come across a bit dense / dialed up but there is nothing out of place. Could this get even better from here? For well stored bottles, absolutely...I'm sure in another 5+ years this will be absolutely rocking... No need to wait if you have a few, but this left a lasting impression. 98+ pts for me based on today + future potential
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4/23/2017 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Same comments as in June, 2016. In a great drinking window. 1+ hour decant.....no need for more time. Very deep and dark.
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4/21/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
With such high hopes for this wine, I was probably bound to be a bit disappointed upon tasting my first bottle. The cork was fine, but the wine seems to be browning fairly significantly, but it still has good viscosity. Opened yesterday, it really took its time to reveal its bouquet. Even now, sports primarily brown and black fruit aromas, with coffee, prune, and shoe polish. Tannins pretty much fully resolved, the wine is full-bodied and rich, but again on the earthier side, with an absence of charm. I can't really say I am impressed given all of the great reviews I have read about this wine. Too bad, and hopefully just a "bad" bottle. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
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4/15/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This wine just keeps getting better and better. The tannins have really become quite silky. Concentrated, round, long, deep and complex, the wine feels like each berry has been polished with velvet. There is more than enough layers of fruit here to keep any taster busy. The wine continued improving in the glass for hours. This has morphed into a true classic example of a great, fully mature Pauillac that is well worth the money asked today.
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4/7/2017 - IvanKrazy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hard to think this wine is 28 years old, really. Its color barely hints its age. After about an hour of being opened, BOOM! Beautiful beautiful nose, palate feel with tanins well integrated. Coffee, ripe red fruits, flowers and tobacco. This wine has much life ahead.
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4/2/2017 - fine137 wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/20/2017 - the player wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful wine it's been years since my last bottle and here I go with 3 bottles in the space of a week. Deep ruby color, not a lot of bricking given this wine is almost 30! Nose of cassis, raspberry, old leather couch, typical mature Bordeaux nose. On the palate rich entry, coats the mid palate with dark red fruits, great structure, backbone and acidity this wine is flying and close to peak maturity. Medium to full bodied otherwise I would score it higher, tannins still there so the wine benefits from at least an hour of air in the decanter. Finishes soft, velvety with a touch of dark chocolate. Excellent.
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3/17/2017 - DRK III Likes this wine: 97 Points
About as good as it gets. The nose was out of this world. On the palate the wine took time to open up. 2+ hour decant. I could feel the wine breathing in the glass with each sip tasting different than the last. Cherry, forest floor, pencil shavings, and that lovely vegetal note you get from the cab sauv. Awesome stuff.
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3/6/2017 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
WCW Six: Tasted three times, from two 750 bottles, over three hours. Slightly opaque garnet with light to moderate bricking. This stole the show, along with the 1982 Calon Segur, in a flight that included several highly regarded and higher rated wines. Open for business from the outset, and while Pauillac essences emanated from the glass (cassis, gravel, pencil shavings, peppers, pipe tobacco, worn saddle leather, and funk), so did elements often associated with Graves (scorched earth and smoke), Tuscan Sangiovese (smokehouse, cured meats, dust, fennel, and weathered clay) and Barolo (tar, menthol, and phenols). In a (hyphenated) word, head-spinning! The wine tastes like it smells, Bordeaux funk, gravel cassis, Graves smoke, Tuscan smokehouse, and Barolo tar showing prominently, with the other afore named elements, and still others, coming forward in inflection changing layers. Exceptionally well framed and in perfect harmony with its substance. The back reveals fine tannins that transition to a complex finish that does not quit. Both bottles appeared to be squarely in their drinking window, and though I firmly believe in 'great bottles' I would not recommend holding either of these bottles beyond ten years from today. Incredible wine! 97-98.
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2/19/2017 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Poured into a decanter, and left for 5 hours in a 55 degree cellar, then consumed over a 2 hour dinner. Complex nose showing black fruits, cedar, camphor and tobacco leaf. The palate was austere/polished and tasted of somewhat rigid/clenched black fruit with fine grained but hard tannins. This wine never really opened up and to my taste at this stage of its evolution (28 years from vintage) comes across as lacking depth, layers of fruit and sex appeal.
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2/5/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Dark core, garnet rim; chocolate, larger scaled, good nobility, damp earth, slightly weedy, cedar, red currant, green pepper, monolithic, not yet delineated, softer acid, cherry finish, fleshier, chocolate covered cherries, slight mineral; called '90 VCC, still quite young and not blowing Pauillac; 94+.
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
A darker character than the '90. Sweet black currant, light coffee grounds, still notable wood and vanilla notes. Good acid across the palate. 91+
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2/3/2017 - manga wrote: 91 Points
Notes of mineral and iron. Slightly medicinal with elements of earth. Refreshing acidity with a medium long palate of iron ore.
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2/2/2017 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux dinner at Ripple with live rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Incredible youthful example. Youthful classic Pauillac nose displaying intense cassis, roasted fruit, ink, floral cabernet note, lead pencil, coffee and tobacco. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense cassis, silky and polished, very refine tannins and a long intense cassis driven finish. This particular bottle is still a baby. Drinking beautifully with the opulent cassis fruit.
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2/2/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fit for a wine loving Groundhog: Bordeaux back to 1970, by way of a 1982 trio (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Some participants were saying that this was the best wine so far of the evening. It was impressive indeed, and I really liked it. But it seems to be still in a "towering Pauillac" phase, just a touch rigid and in need of more time to permit the tannins to better integrate, in my opinion. It is as if the structure were just slightly hiding the fruit. I recall tasting this side-by-side nearly 10 years ago with the Comtesse 1989, and the latter showed more evident fruit and tertiary nuances. Well, now the Baron has not moved much, at least based on this bottle, probably very well stored. In any case, upward score potential to be sure.
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1/28/2017 - Kfirestone Likes this wine:
Rather muscular and brooding. Intense notes of cigar ash, tobacco, wet earth and leather with a back drop of dark fruit. By no means showing poorly, but felt this could have benefited from some more time sideways.
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1/26/2017 - salil wrote: 93 Points
From half bottle. Takes some time to open out, but this is superb, showing an array of savoury earth, graphite, cedar wood, and higher toned herbal and woodsy notes framing a core of rich dark berried fruit. It still feels quite youthful with plenty of fine grained tannin still lingering on the back end, but it's already quite a compelling wine to follow that I imagine will only get better with more time.
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1/20/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine hasn't moved much for a while. While good now, will be better in 10 years. Can handle almost any reasonable decant one throws at it. 93+
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1/6/2017 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with John, Chris, Liz and Bud; 1/5/2017-1/6/2017 (Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): AT the age of 28, this is showing very little evolution! The fruit quality is outstanding and fully matches the serious oak handling. Cedar, pencil, very ripe cassis notes. This is modern and plush, but one can find the exquisite tannic structure lurking underneath. This is a classic expression of 1989 on the left bank and will continue to age to grace over the next few decades in a cool cellar. Stunning.
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1/1/2017 - empire80 Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful bottle that belies its age. Quite dark still, meaty and cedar notes, some sweet blackcurrant on the palate, with a long finish. For me, this is the perfect claret.
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12/28/2016 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
Drank after a bottle purchased that had been known to be poorly stored. Threw that one out and tried this. Doing nicely. Subtle, balanced flavors with big nose. Never opened up quite the way I expected, so lower score, but still very balanced and pleasant to drink.
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12/28/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
Came first, followed by 95 and 96 Haut Brion. The PB won - or rather, we all won, and nothing lost. The PB was remarkable- its got decades left, and what it would take to score it perfect is not clear to me. But as I have said in the past, if perfection exists, I need to make room for it. For those of you who needed to get a 100 on a test, I will give this a 99. For those of you for whom a 96 was near as good as you needed, I say scores don't mean much at this point.
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12/25/2016 - casaallora Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2 Hours. Deep leather color on initial pour & color held strong. Vibrant full nose w/strong legs. Medium body of blackberry & soft leather w/medium backbone. Did not hold as long in the mouth as I had hoped for the age. A very good wine.
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12/18/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
1992 & Older Napa Cabs - Blind - With a Few Ringers (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, no bricking. PNP, drank 1 glass blind over 75 minutes. This blind flight contained the '92 Laurel Glen, '92 Montelena, and this '89 Pichon Baron ringer. This was very tight and not showing much. The wood was still casting a big shadow and the fruit on the nose was not playful. After about an hour some of the wood shroud was being shed and the earth and perfume was starting to reveal itself, along with a core of red fruits, pencil lead, and leather. There was a bit of a green edge that finally gave way too. Getting stronger as we got to the last sips. Unfortunately, like so many 89's this really needed a healthy dose of air to get it going. We just didn't have 6 hours to see it peak, but its true colors finally showed in the end. Number two wine in the flight.
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12/10/2016 - GlöckliWein wrote: 91 Points
ein typischer "Männer - Pauillac " Wein.
Diesem "Degustations Erlebnis zufolge
entwickelt der Wein sehr langsam seine Aromatik in vollem Umfang!
d.h. erst nach 12 - 18 Std. nach dem Öffnen kommt seine
ganze Muskelkraft zum Vorschein
Erster Eindruck direkt nach dem Öffnen:
verhalten, muskulär, geschmack nach typischer Paulliac Aromatik Orgel
Klaviatur .. nur noch sehr eindimensional sagen wir in einer Oktave - wo das Ganze Spiel über die gesamte Klaviatur gehen könnte im beaten Fall 100 Töne hundert Punkte...
Geschcmack nach apfel, sehr trocken, Leber (Wurst) ..
am nächsten Morgen (12 Std. später)
leichet Süße, langer Abgang, nicht mehr so trocken
immense größere Aromatik.. zwei Oktaven im Bilde der Klaviatur/ Orgel ... Noble,kraftvoll jetzt schon 92 Punkte !°
Ein Wein mit Potenzial !°
und der gefragten Geduld. typisch "Klassischem Paulliac ?!
Ein Wein für den es nach guter alter Schule
einfach eine Passion, ein "Leiden" SChaft zu pflegen gilt ..
á la Votre Lebensgefühl .. vive le Bordeaux
90- 92 / von 100
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12/8/2016 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great depth, still needs another 5 years to soften. An impressive showing. The 1990 tonight was 95 pts and more resolved this evening. Both are great wines. A great match with venison with braised red cabbage.
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12/1/2016 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 94 Points
Toujours aussi impressionnant! Plus on le hume, moins on s'habitue à une telle grandeur. Le boire, c'est écouter de la poésie lyrique, c'est participer à une pièce d'un opéra de Verdi.
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11/26/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This just keeps getting better, year after year. This could be the best showing yet. Silky, refined, long, complex and concentrated. The wine is packed with its tobacco, cedar, smoke, cassis and spicy characteristics. This is a very complete experience.
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11/25/2016 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 99 Points
Amazing wine that is truly going to be legendary. 1hr decanted and the nose is glowing with ripe red fruit. The Taste has a true sense of blackberries, caramel, tabbaco, and lavender. This wine is ready today but will truly grow and further evolve over the next 7-10yrs. It's just a notch behind its older brother the 1990 but time will tell. They are both wines that any collector must have in there cellars.
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11/25/2016 - Sievvy wrote: 97 Points
Drank my last for bottles with family at Thanksgiving. What a truly wonderful wine. It is the exact reason to have a cellar to keep these wines until they fully evolve. Wonderful hints of tobacco, plumb and forest fruits. Tannins all completely evolved with fruit backward. Dense color and lovely alcohol level. A lovely silky but not overly long finish. For those of you who still have some, a real treat awaits you but I would not wait too long as it will not get any better than this. My only regret is that I don't have another case!!
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11/12/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Heritage 2016 Blind Wine Tasting Challenge - BYO Dinner (Jean Georges Steakhouse - ARIA - Las Vegas NV): Corked.
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10/26/2016 - theeagle03 wrote: 99 Points
What a wine. Creamy red and black cherry, redcurrant, sweet creamy red fruit, good acidity. Tobacco and wild mushrooms coming through on secondary palate. Has it all.
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10/25/2016 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
One hour decant. Nose of dark fruit, lots of it, leather and hints of tobacco. Entry is silky, more fruit, cassis and long peppery finish. A perception of softness as well as density without anything overwhelming. Great balance, a bit of soft tannin and some acid. Wonderful wine in a perfect stage of mid-life development.
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10/15/2016 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
Decanted. Clear deep garnet-blood red, slightly dull. A bit more reticent than the 1990 tasted alongside. Notes of red currants, boysenberries, and their liqueurs. The least impressive of five vintages tonight -- the others being 2010, 2000, 1996, and 1990. Perhaps an off bottle?
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10/7/2016 - dream wrote: 93 Points
This bottle is pretty tight and not showing as much on the nose or palate as the last bottle tasted but it's still fresh and vigorous in a vin de garde style. Silky and smooth texture with dark flavors of smoky black fruits along with notes of tar and graphite. The finish is still fairly tannic with firm acidity and nice complexity underneath with more minerals and dark spices. This particular bottle, which was decanted for 1 hour, needs more time. 93+
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9/4/2016 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Audouzed 8 hours. Dark red to rim, great forward nose of dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Full-bodied, great balance, modedate complexity, long finish. Outstanding, should drink wee for many years. Outstanding.
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8/20/2016 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
First from the Widow Grosjean collection. Bottle, capsule, cork, fill in good shape. First taste and glass good, balanced and complex. Second night under pump still good, but not as much. Not sure what to make of it all.
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8/10/2016 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very typical Pauillac in style. Nose was full of cedar and cigar box. It had a slight funk to it upon opening but that faded. I decanted the bottle and used distilled water to clean out the bottle and then decanted back into the bottle. There was a lot of fine sediment in the bottom but it washed out nicely. I let it breathe in the bottle for 2 - 3 hours and we had it with lamb chops along side 1995 Latour. By then the PB had started really showing its' stuff. Very velvety in the mouth with a slight hint of sweetness on the finish. Most of the table felt that it outshines the Latour at this stage, but it was obvious the Latour will be something special in the future. I think the PB will continue to shine for another 10 years.
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8/7/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
Aromas of ripe berry fruits compete on the palate with tobacco steely tannins before ending with a lingering finish. I do think that this is still evolving and could get even better.
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7/15/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This textbook Pauillac is showing great today. The tobacco, blackberry, earth, cedar and cigar box aromas really pop. Full bodied, concentrated, rich and long, the wine lingers and builds. If you have a bottle, this is a great time to taste it.
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7/7/2016 - J o e wrote: 97 Points
Deep red with no lightening at the rim. Powerful aromas of cedar, pipe tobacco, and freshly picked blackberries nearly jump out of the glass. In the mouth, full-bodied and very complex, with copious cassis notes intermixed with liquid minerals, bitter chocolate and hints of underbrush. Finishes very long, with lots of fine-grained tannin that grip the palate for what seems like an eternity. This remarkable wine only got better and better over the 3+ hours, and there is no doubt in my mind that the 1989 Pichon Baron will still be going strong in two decades! This exceptional bottle is in the same qualitative league as the 1989 Lynch Bages and Montrose -- high praise indeed. Fabulous stuff! 97.
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6/30/2016 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar comments as from 2 years ago. In a great drinking window. Decanted for 1+ hours......that was fine. No reason to keep looking at this one in the cellar.....enjoy it.
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6/29/2016 - Mistress of Wine wrote:
Dark purple, perfect fill. Aromas of dark cherry, cedar, chocolate and earth. On the palate a nice combination of sweet and tart. Long finish. A few more of these Bordeaux in their sweet spot might make a Bordeaux drinker out of me yet!
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6/19/2016 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. This takes about an hour to hit its stride. Dark red to rim, effusive nose of dark fruits, pencil shavings and clean moist earth. Full-bodied, great balance, starting to show some real complexity, long finish. Outstanding and should stay there for many years. May reach even greater heights with more age if you love tertiary sweet complexity.
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6/19/2016 - empire80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and gentle spice, slightly earthy, fading fruit, long finish.
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6/1/2016 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark color, light body initially, sat in the glass and developed some body. Good flavor and good finish.
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5/14/2016 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color still great. Big nose. Cassis, dark cherry dominate. Maybe a whiff of oak there too. Beautiful, classic Bordeaux. Dry cherry and raspberry fruit, cedar. Palate lingers a long time. Drinking really well.
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5/12/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasters Guild International; New York City Guild (NYC): Drank at NYS Tasters Guild 1989 Bordeaux tasting, and was my personal WOTN. Dark red/purple in glass. By far, the youngest wine of the nite in appearance. Very aromatic nose with aromas of sweet fruit, pencil shavings and cedar. On the palate, plenty of black fruit, lead pencil, a lovely spiciness. Hints of leather and cigar box & tobacco, and damp earth. Wonderfully fresh, youthful and vibrant, still with fairly grippy tannins. Great concentration, a wonderful fleshiness and extremely long. Just a fabulous wine, that remains so youthful that it's hard to believe this wine is 27 years old. It's in a great drinking spot at the moment and hard to imagine it getting any better than it is right now. Delicious!
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4/19/2016 - Drankard wrote:
Still a very youthful wine and could use more time to soften and develop. Full-bodied, tannic with youthful dark cassis fruit. Tonight, I did not find this to be as charming or elegant as the 86 Lalande.
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4/16/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted the SO'd for a few hrs, took awhile to open up, ruby with brick edges, red fruit with no tobacco (surprise?), soft tannins, med. finish; tired or slightly off bottle, drink up.
Totally misjudged this baby! With more time it both opened up beautifully & put on more weight. Clearly this met my original expectations & is no rush to drink (need to find more!)
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3/26/2016 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Dark garnet / brick appearance. Intoxicating nose of red and black fruit, cedar, lead pencil, pencil shavings and cloves. On the palate, pure silk. Drinking in its prime window. Enjoy!
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3/21/2016 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at 67
Slightly more subdued than than the '90. Cassis, chocolate, tobacco and cedar on the nose with a smooth complex palate. Lovely.
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3/13/2016 - Mr T wrote:
This took 30-60 minutes to open and round out and then smooth as silk with velvety tannin
Fruit is not as sweet and full as a 90, but this wine has great class and clearly years to go. Not sure if it's worth current tariffs, but a lovely wine. 93-94
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3/1/2016 - MattLA Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is in a real sweet spot right now. Upon opening the bottle, there are evident red fruits in the air. Supple mouth feel with a seamless finish. I need more.
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3/1/2016 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Second half of 9/29/2015 Coravin bottle. Decanted 45 minutes. Better than before, but started fading after an hour. Maybe an odd bottle.
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2/22/2016 - signotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of sweet, dark cassis and dark chocolate. Palate is bright and savory with red fruit notes, graphite, and fine tannins. Finish is medium - long with just a hint of dryness. Outstanding wine but a little behind the 1990
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2/21/2016 - llink wrote: flawed
Unfortunately slightly corked, just a hint of cardboard on the nose, a little musty and minty. The palate was confusing because it showed a richness that you don't get with corked wine. Very complex flavor profile, that was marred by the off-putting nose.
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2/13/2016 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
From an excellent looking bottle with a low neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center with a touch of orange at the rim. The medium intensity nose put forth black fruits, powdered mocha, anise, caramel, and a touch of forest floor.
While this wine was pretty darn good at the start, it slowly got better and better with air. The wine was rich and ripe but also had a round and fine-grained texture. The tannin was pretty well integrated and gave a rounded impression. However, underneath the fruit there was a firmness that suggested additional cellaring would be meritorious.
This wine appears to be just coming into its drinking window for my taste. While I will appreciate the additional complexity time will bring, others may weigh the current charms of power and fruitiness higher than I do. This was best after 7 hours of air. Thus, I expect an additional point or two will be warranted after another 10 years of cellaring.
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2/3/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quintessential older Bordeaux, at a near perfect place right now, didn't see it getting better and better, and maybe it really hasn't changed - so hard to bring impressions from year to year together. Whatever the case, this is a memorable, attention getting, conversation halting wine. A real argument that we all should be given a wine cellar by someone at an age when we otherwise can't afford it, so we have wines like this when they are at their best
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 wrote: flawed
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. Corked
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1/17/2016 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston, IL): Dark ruby color. Gorgeous aromatics are just singing with pencil lead, tobacco, cigar box, red fruit and dark chocolate. Wow, sensational palate with fresh, bright chocolaty fruit made complex with herbs, tobacco and earth notes. Still has chewy tannin. Less primary than a 1990 tasted side-by-side, but I preferred the depth and complexity of the 1989.
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1/17/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): Mature and nicely balanced, with good ripeness and moderate spice. But less complexity than I recall from the many other times I've had this wine.
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1/6/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still so young. Ripe dark fruit, damp dark earth, pencil shavings and a shade of dry tobacco. Still a bit of not unappealing greenness to this wine that is beginning to transition into white pepper and spice. Shows in the nose as light white pepper currently, and on the palate as a touch of basil. Smooth in the mouth with fine tannins. Consumed with venison. 2 hour decant. 93+
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12/29/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 95 Points
deep colour. rich muscular mineral fruit, loads of depth. Huge power , held in by the structure, fruit and power in balance. Superb wine
Paired with 1989 Pichon Lalande
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12/28/2015 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for around 2 hours. Terrifically dense and youthful color. Magnificent complex nose of damp earth, soy sauce, black tea and leather. Not a really powerful bouquet, but it's fascinating and ever-changing. Nice and concentrated in the mouth, with pleasant tannin and a marvellously long peppery finish.
Perhaps overall it just lacks a tiny bit of balance; the nose is wonderful but lacks a little power compared to the taste.
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11/10/2015 - rossi.wine wrote:
Compared to the 1990 slightly more evolved in colour and less bright. On the nose quite vegetal and smudgy. Not much fruit on the palate, much more evolved than the 1990, a bit unbalanced with some astringency towards the finish. Improved a little over the course of the tasting, but my first thought was that it might have been slightly faulty. Certainly not a great bottle. Some tasters in our group liked it much more.
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10/24/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
No decant and thus improved significantly over the course of one hour in the glass. White pepper, hints of tar, dark fruit. Darker spices including black pepper on the palate with air time. Smooth on the palate, this wine remains in a great zone of drinkability. Very well paired with short rib and strip. Healthy bottles should improve further with time. 93+
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10/24/2015 - tinybubbles wrote: flawed
Two off bottles, one clearly corked, one less significantly tainted.
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10/18/2015 - D. Fulton wrote: 93 Points
Very dark and slightly austere with a rock solid core of minerality with notes of blackberry, flinty gravel, and green bell pepper. Decanting for 2-3 hours highly recommended.
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10/18/2015 - Remony wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours, perfect fill, cork clean and intact. Fine clear colour, lighter at rim. No browning or bricking. Lovely nose of fruit and acidity -- Julia detected acetone. A hint of menthol. Autumn fruits on entry, but somewhat bland -- smooth, mellow, pleasant, but not arresting. Definitely not a wine for food. Later, on its own, better, indeed much better; but still not deserving of a stellar rating. Most agreeable, beautifully balanced and at its peak now, but it just doesn't have enough personality, bite or real length to deserve the plaudits it has received from some critics. Not quite in the same league as '89 Lynch-Bages. Nevertheless, a lovely bottle to linger over.
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10/18/2015 - TWSA wrote: 95 Points
Food: French - Mandarin Bar & Grill
Duration: 2 hours
Condition: perfect, decanted
Nose: violet, blackberry jam, licorice, spices, pepper
Notes: very smooth palate, I believe this is one of the best Pichon Baron ever made and the wine is at its prime drinking window. The jammy nose is rich and gives a lot of expressions to the wine. I liked it very much. Drink now-2030.
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10/16/2015 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 97 Points
A great wine. Rich dark fruit, opaque, beautifully balanced, delicious. Aging very well, no sediment. Decanted for a hour before serving.
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9/29/2015 - King Julien wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 4 hours, maybe too long, seems to have faded away.
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9/26/2015 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted about two and a half hours ahead of drinking. Nicely rich. Blackcurrrant, cedar and warm spice. Palate consistent with nose. Lots here but just slightly outshone by the 90. Very harmonious and complete though, and showing very well indeed. ****1/2
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9/25/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another bt on 25Sep2015, same note, had many bts in the past, never disappoints.
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8/23/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe dark fruit but with a chalkiness and dryness despite its richness. 1 hour decant which was not enough. Improved over 2 hrs in the glass, taking on notes of bell pepper, black pepper and light coal dust. Increasingly silky mouthcoating with this wine. Wonderful wine to put with food given darkness but also current approachability. 93+
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8/21/2015 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cassis, licorice, and dark berries on the nose. Lovely balance with well integrated tannins. Medium-long finish.
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8/4/2015 - jmoore431 wrote: 98 Points
Great bottle; exotic, drippy dark fruit, black currant, meaty structure. Mouthful of complex fruit and spices, chocolate. Excellent!!
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8/1/2015 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
Out of magnum. Started out slowly, decanted for an hr. Deep color, great nose, built some density, chewy, wonderful with steak and Happy Bday to our son 8/1/1989. He said it is the best btl I have served him from his birth year and he is right.
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7/26/2015 - Aglenardi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours before first sip.
floral scent rose blackcurrant cherry leather fruity and complex, balanced with smooth sweet silky tannins. This wine shows finnese and elegance in the same time.. sublime with a long finish.. Really-really good
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7/23/2015 - J o e wrote: 95 Points
Very dark red with a just a trace of lightening around the edge. Consumed over 4 hours, the Pichon Baron is still youthful, both visually and aromatically. Black raspberry liqueur, lead pencil, walnut oil and hints of spices are ever-present in this powerful, full-bodied Pauillac. With some time, subtle notes of leather and pipe tobacco can be discerned, but this bottle is still quite primary. Finishes very long, with big tannins that only subside about a minute later. While certainly pleasurable now, well-stored bottles will continue to improve for at least a decade, and I suspect will reward patience in spades. A strong contender for Pauillac of the vintage.
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7/19/2015 - Biglama Likes this wine: 94 Points
klassiek, alles van wat je van een bordeaux verwacht, heel mooi
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7/16/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
A Hedonistic Night of Burgs, Bordeaux, and CDP at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): Very dark purple red color. I'm not sure whether this got some air or not, i was thinking about 2 hours. This was such a treat to drink next to the '89 Larose and offered quite the contrast. The Pichon Baron was fantastic, hedonistic, and amazingly youthful in its display of black currant, black raspberry, and blackberry fruits layered with a sweetness and graphite kick. The last bottle I had was corked so this was wonderful to have again - thanks Steve! The Larose by contrast was lighter and elegant and more mature. Both wines were splendid and ultimately, the PB may become even better over the next 10 years. I don't want to have to pick between the two, i'll just drink them both. The PB is easily a 50 year wine and one I will make a point to follow over the next 25 years! 95(+)pts.
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7/2/2015 - BillyT wrote: 96 Points
Had this at Fortaleza do Guincho in Portugal for my birthday. We started with 96 DP Oenotheque and moved on to the 89 Baron. Stunning, there is no other way to describe it. Unfortunately or fortunately the sommelier and I know each other but he didn't realize I had confidence in him and he waited to open until we arrived. So our first taste was only after 30 minutes decanted. At that point it was starting to express dark fruit, balance, but some residual tannins and acidity. 15 minutes later in the glass this wine was singing and it held up over a 2.5 hour dinner. I'm neither sophisticated or knowledgeable enough to use all the winespeak everyone uses but I can speak this...one of the finest Bordeaux I have EVERY tasted and want to start my treasure hunt today for whatever is lurking in shops and cellars :-).
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6/24/2015 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 95 Points
Poupouuiii !!! On dirait qu'il a 10 ans de moins. Il peut encore attendre mais là, il est déjà TOPISSIME ! Mélange harmonieux de fruits et de cuir. Excellent, surtout après 1h.
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5/30/2015 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnum et bouchon en parfaite condition. Acheté en primeurs. Into neck. Passé en carafe 3 heures avant de déguster durant 2 heures. Grenat foncé avec nuances orangées. Nez sur des arômes de fruits noirs, de prunes, puis sur des arômes plus floraux. En bouche, le vin se présente avec une belle matière, beaucoup de corps, de la richesse. La trame acide est fine mais présente ce qui rend le vin très digeste. Il n'est pas le plus complexe mais offre beaucoup de plaisir. Les tanins sont totalement fondus dans une longue finale.
À boire sur les 10 prochaines années.
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5/11/2015 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 98 Points
See previous notes. This is absolutely ageless; the closest to perfect Baron ever, and that is saying a lot for such an illustrious chateau. An endless finish and still so much of a salient dark berry edge. Legendary. Drink now-.
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4/18/2015 - joshbryer wrote:
This was a difficult wine to figure...very different than the '90 and '96 in the same flight. I felt this was a bit disjointed and paled in comparison to the '90. It did however have an extremely savory, sous bois component on the palate that I normally associate with burgundy. Quite a long finish.
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3/22/2015 - fine137 wrote: 95 Points
Still young, but oh so good with a 4 hour decant.
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2/15/2015 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine was still in good shape. Nice bouquet, Bordeaux flavor profile and finish. This wine should have a long life. I don't drink Bordeaux often, but enjoyed drinking this.
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2/1/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Super Bowl 2015 (Roswell, GA): Garnet core with bright lighter ruby rim; pencil lead, wet earth, red and black currant, mushroom, cow pie, leather, very Pauillac; silky texture with caressing tannin, broad and expansive, raisin, red currant, chocolate; very good bottle, still youthful.
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1/25/2015 - Paul D wrote: flawed
Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Initially showed an attractive developed nose with bloody meat, tobacco, earth, underlying black fruit. However quickly developed an add soy sauce edge which became more and more noticeable, particularly on the nose. Very odd. NR.
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1/24/2015 - mariow Likes this wine: 93 Points
plum red; medium nose; well balanced and smooth on the palate; great pleasure; decanted for one hour
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1/20/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes consistent with bottle from last week, although this bottle performed slightly better. Decanted for 1.5 hours and then consumed over the course of an hour. The presence of white pepper on the nose after decanting was more evident in this bottle. Paired well with red deer.
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1/19/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Chateau Pichon Baron vertical 1989-2010 (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Subtle notes of truffle and cigar box mingle to make this wine utterly seductive and smooth. Participants went back and forth between this and the 1990, but even Pichon Baron wine director Jean Rene Matignon, who prefers the 1989 today, says that the 1990 is on a slower evolutionary track and will last “much longer” than the 1989. At least based on this tasting. The 1989 paired very well with the utterly delicious rack of lamb served with parsnip acorn squash and tasty kale chips.
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1/19/2015 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Chateau Pichon Baron Vertical with Jean-Rene Matignon (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Beautiful mature Pauillac nose, cassis, plum, lead pencil, a hint of green via wet tobacco, flowers and earth. Good concentration, cook silky palate, mineral, nicely integrated tannins and long finish. This is a classic claret that is at the first stage of maturity. Lovely showing.
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1/16/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry, blackberry, licorice, light floral notes, with a faint hint of white pepper and something darker behind that (allspice?). Drinking well at this point in its life. Smooth tannins. Breadth of flavors not quite matched by their depth, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. Continuously evolved over several hours with no signs of fading. This wine clearly still has some time.
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1/11/2015 - MarkMich wrote: 94 Points
very pretty deep red with bricking on the rim. Needed about an hour in the decanter to coax the nose out. As others have mentioned the nose continued to evolve over the next couple of hours. classy red fruit, cassis, wet stone and some menthol were standouts for me. Soft round tannins are still present and the wine paired nicely with grilled Prime Strip. Dried red berries with leather and earth on the palate. Really nice wine drinking in its window. I have another bottle and will be hard pressed to hold off on it.
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12/23/2014 - politeskeptic wrote: flawed
Opened at dinner with my wife at Canlis in Seattle; brought from my cellar. Given the age I decided to not have it decanted for long. The cork and capsule looked good, but there was a wiff of TCA at open, so I thought we were in trouble. A quick taste showed some good qualities, but a meaty and funky earthy note as well. So, the sommelier decanted it and we let it rest for 15 minutes and then the nose was clean. Now the nose was mostly dark fruit, almost a bit simple. The color was very dark, perhaps getting a bit bricky at the edges. The flavor was really yummy- black currant and well integrated tannins, perhaps a bit muted for the first glass. Over the next hour it opened up more, showing brighter notes of cedar, tobacco, leather, and some tiny green notes. Just what a great well balanced and mature Bordeaux should be.
I took about 1/3 of the bottle home and stored it upright in the refrigerator overnight in the bottle with the original cork. The following evening I let it come up to temperature and drank the remainder. By this time a lot of those secondary notes seemed muted or gone. Still a great flavor, but not as distinct.
So, I would say drink it now if you have it- I have trouble imagining it getting better, and it shows some signs that it is reaching the end of its plateau. I've got one left and won't keep it around for too long!
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12/23/2014 - rjbr Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is amazing. Could easily last 10 more years.
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12/12/2014 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 95 Points
PnP and drank over 3 hours, during which the nose continually evolved...first dominated by earthiness, the wine then gave rise to emerging cassis, spices, and violet. After an hour or so, there were distinct scents of menthol and chocolate. Just the nose alone made drinking this wine enjoyable. Lush and silky on the palate, with a nice 45 second finish. Round tannins that are well-integrated. While obviously in its drinking window, this wine still appears somewhat young and has several years to go. Still nicely concentrated. A strong effort.
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11/10/2014 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
My third time with this and like the prior occasions, a very charcoal and blood driven wine. But this bottle showed more of an angular funk and fluctuated in and out a bit more than the two past examples.
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11/9/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 93 Points
From 750ml. VTS fill. Stood bottle for weeks, opened and slow ox for an hour, then decanted for another 30+ mins. Dark crimson color, no bricking. Gray, burning embers on the nose and very dark fruit and burnt cedar on the palate - a very graphite profile throughout. This showed incredibly youthfully - almost surprisingly so. Very open and expressive shortly after the decant, then it dried and receded a touch. This showed a very different profile for me than a similar bottle did a year ago. My drinking mates this time are tough graders, I thought this was excellent! Still no rush to open these. 92-93 right now.
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11/9/2014 - europat55 wrote: flawed
Weird nose that improved a bit with time in the glass (B+ --> B++). Balanced palate (B+/B++). Appears to be flawed...
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11/9/2014 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
This wine had an interesting evolution where after about an hour open it showed a charcoal/beef character with gorgeous black fruit, plum, leather and a mushroomy/earth note in the mid palate. After an hour or so it tightened and began to show squid ink on the nose with more ash and very dark fruit.
Amazing how young this wine showed. Awesome! Thank you NortonNose.
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11/2/2014 - andrewdodd86 wrote: flawed
Oxidized, dead, cork was soaked :(
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10/31/2014 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Very youthful in its appearance. Barnyard, lead pencil and black fruits on the nose. Gorgeously hedonistic on the palate. A deep, thick wine with gorgeous complexity and length. While it's lovely now, it will benefit from another few years in the bottle.
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10/24/2014 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
No notes taken, but this was really nice. Classic Baron nose. Great on the palate, but still showing plenty of tannin. Drinking well now, but could get even better with additional time in the bottle.
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10/15/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
This was clicking on all cylinders and in a beautiful place. Classic BDX squarely in its drinking window with no signs of going over the hill. We pulled the cork about 2 hours before drinking and just let it slow ox. Btl was in great shape with high fill. Tobacco, chocolate, mineral everything you'd ever want from BDX. Color was dark ruby like a 6yr old wine.
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9/6/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Much like another bottle of this same wine from a few nights ago, perhaps not quite as long, but tonight's bottle would have benefited from more air.
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9/4/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande / Pichon-Longueville Baron Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): I haven't had great luck with this wine the past few years, but tonight's was a winner. Lush and ripe with good balance of large scaled fruit and emerging evolution, packed with spice. Ok, not as enticing as the Pichon Lalande 1989 in the same flight, but close.
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8/25/2014 - KVM wrote: 91 Points
Dark, garnet edge. Nose is cassis, leather and licorice. Medium body, silky, no flaws. Very good today and another 5+ years.
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8/24/2014 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Popped the cork several hours before drinking. Cork was in pristine condition, great ullage. The wine showed beautifully upon opening. Left open and un-decanted. Poured into decanter few hours later, just before dinner. This is a lovely wine--soft, silky, balanced, medium weight, good structure, soft tannins. Black fruits, cedar, lead pencil on the nose. Quite classic. Went beautifully with a rare char-grilled aged rib-eye. The only thing holding me back from a score in the high 90s was the muted fruit--less vibrant than I remember it. I hope this will get better, but absolutely nothing wrong with drinking it now after a good long decant.
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7/26/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Over the past few years, this has really started to kick into high gear. The wall of fruit and tannin has softened and developed, offering a long wave of rich, deep, concentrated, earthy fruits. At 25 years of age, you can enjoy this now, or wait another decade and it's only going to get better.
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6/22/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Great 1980s Bordeaux Tasting and Dinner (Michael Restaurant - Winnetka IL): Stewed. Heat damaged? Both bottles from same source were apparently similarly afflicted.
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6/22/2014 - MC wrote:
Similar to last note this drank well out of the bottle, but improved with about 30 minutes of air. Really nice Bordeaux that is in a great spot and shows well with and without food. Shows good concentration, but also nice balance, and just a touch short of great. A-.
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5/21/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT): Tasted after being opened for 24 hours. Like the Dunn served with it, this was still quite youthful looking. Unlike the Dunn, this was not very giving. Not much on the nose and (surprisingly) soft on the palate. Still enjoyable, but not nearly as good as its reputation. Unrepresentative bottle?
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5/21/2014 - MikeZ Does not like this wine:
badly corked :(
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5/20/2014 - salil wrote: 91 Points
A bit disappointing after the praise I've heard for this wine. It's somewhat stern, powerful and tannic with savoury cedar, tobacco and earthy flavours framing a core of dark fruit, but comes across a touch charmless with a lot of tannin still lingering on the back end. With some time in the decanter it opens out and becomes more fragrant and silky textured, but I don't find this as exciting or elegant as the '89 PLL.
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5/18/2014 - amateurwino wrote:
Unfortunately, showed oxidation or heat damage on the nose. Palate not as affected, so this was drinkable but nonetheless, clearly off in some way.
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5/18/2014 - salil wrote: flawed
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition (Ben's (NYC)): Not a sound bottle. Showing some red fruit but dominated by maderized, oxidative notes.
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5/17/2014 - mwanasheria wrote: flawed
1989 in the Rheingau (Eltville, Rheingau, Germany): Badly corked.
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5/17/2014 - Monty_Vin Likes this wine:
Just popped the cork, came out in 3 pieces. Decanted through cheese cloth and poured back in the bottle. First taste I thought I was drinking a wine 10 years younger, amazing freshness. The tannins are fairly reconciled but still slightly gripping. I'm only 15 minutes into this wine and really looking forward to see where it goes. Primary notes of tobacco, leather and dark fruit but no secondary notes ....yet. More to come.
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4/25/2014 - MeToo wrote:
Was a bit skeptical at first, but thought airing it would benefit the wine. It did taste much better after decanting, but it was clearly an older wine, as the fruit was there though not very strong. But it had lovely secondary characteristics showing: tobacco, leather, some earth, mocha, a bit of anise on the finish. Supple tannins, good acidity made this quite smooth to drink. While it may not be something you'd drink on its own, it was simply outstanding w/food (roast lamb in our case).
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4/15/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Another fresh and youthful bottle. Quite good and will improve.
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4/13/2014 - galewskj wrote: flawed
Big Bordeaux VII (Kevin's house): Corked
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4/12/2014 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color. 2hr decant. This one was disappointing, popping the cork revealed a beautiful perfume out of the bottle. Unfortunately after a 2hr decant the cork taint become apparent. Not a nasty one, but bad enough. You could swirl it off the nose and think maybe...but the palate was always the same. You could see the stylings of a great wine here. This will have to be revisited.
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4/10/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
1989 Dinner (Ad Hoc): Drank over 3 hours. In a great lineup of 89s, this stood out. Great freshness on the nose with lovely black fruit, tobacco and leather. Rich and deep on the palate with nice structure. Evident, but not obtrusive tannin on the finish. This has a long way to go.
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4/1/2014 - bonedoc wrote: 96 Points
fabulous wine after 1 hr decant, drank over 3 hr dinner. dark purple color. softened tannins, medium to full body, milk/dark chocolate and coffee notes, some minerality, lower acid than expected, came across as fairly ripe and modern, no signs of fading at the end of dinner. drink now or over next 10 yrs.
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3/12/2014 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for about an hour, and that was fine. Classic and in a drinking prime.
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3/8/2014 - Edclr Likes this wine: 96 Points
My wow wine of the week. A classic bouquet of Pauillac characteristics both on the nose and palate. Slight bricking, fruit now in secondary stages, great acidity. Very long finish. Gots lots of time left. Still 8 bottles settling in the cellar - lucky me.
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2/27/2014 - Biglama Likes this wine: 94 Points
zo mooi geouderd, nog erg vitaal, klassieke tonen prima
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2/15/2014 - petitblanc wrote: 89 Points
Fine depth of color. A touch of volatility and fried onion mar the nose, even after 6 hours in the decanter. Continued unbalanced heat and passing tannins on the palate, with sweet fruit through the finish. Overall still decent enough, but a very sub-par showing.
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1/1/2014 - bjschmitt wrote: 86 Points
With Beef Tenderloin, Mashed potatoes with leaks and pancetta, roasted carrots, second wine of the night following Ridge Monte Bello 2008.
Reasonable color, starting to brick at rim, but a bit lifeless.
Nose was cabernet, but overlaid with a odd smell - I thought it dusty, others a bit funky, but not corked.
Nose followed to palate, a bit unbalanced.
I think I held this wine too long, my fault but this bottle was certainly on the down-slope.
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1/1/2014 - RAD2626 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent nose and legs. Lots of dark fruit. Elegant and smooth. Only concern was a slight green after bite.
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12/31/2013 - yenda wrote: 99 Points
Just great. Could not be better in my opinion. Excellent mature BDX.
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12/7/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Big, powerful wine with loads of life left.
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12/3/2013 - Val D'Orcia wrote: 99 Points
Flawless. Well integrated fruit (boysenberry and dark cherry), minerality and tobacco. Terrific structure. Fabulous now but could last for years to come.
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11/16/2013 - PhN Likes this wine: 91 Points
Closed and tannic at first. Good exemplar. I either did not let it breath long enough or the fruit is starting to go. Less balanced than I like. Went very well with our meal of meat loaf, roasted potatoes and broccoli. Simple meal, complex wine. Still very very good. Do not wait.
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11/9/2013 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
World Wine Symposium 2013 - Kevin and Kelly's excellent adventure; 11/6/2013-11/14/2013 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): A small pour with some sediment. Nevertheless, this is a classic Pauillac, lead pencil, cassis, black fruits, floral, a hint of tobacco and earth. Dark sweet fruits, silky palate, cool overall impression and nicely integrated tannins. Not as big and hedonistic as the 90 but expressive nose and more classic. This is a lovely claret that is at the first stage of maturity.
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10/26/2013 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
opened for 5 hours when poured and perfectly ready. delicious, rich, balanced dark fruits and soft tannins. Will last for a long time.
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10/19/2013 - Sedal Likes this wine: 98 Points
The body is Full. The wine finishes Long.
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10/18/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 750ml. Neck fill. Stood bottle overnight, opened and decanted for an hour. The wine took all of that hour to rev up but then showed beautifully. Dark crimson color, no bricking. Classic dark fruit and cedar on both the nose and palate - everything you've come to expect from PB. Why wait to drink? Yet zero rush - wonderful when you can't miss!
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9/14/2013 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opens with aromas of dark fruit, cedar, and robustness. Seamlessly flows into similar flavors with complimentary oakiness. A beautiful wine to be sure. Generously opened by Red Guy in a blue state at an offline.
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9/12/2013 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Dinner in Orlando (K Restaurant - Orlando, FL): Served a bit cool at first, this took some time to open. The nose was dark and had that Pauillac nose of cedar, char, and graphite. Really lovely, and deep nose that continued to expand and deepen with time. The palate was woodsy and dark - soft touch of oak, nice dark fruits, some red floral notes and some subtle meatiness. This was very young...and I think we joked that it was sourced from Rudy K. Would have liked to follow this over 5+ hours.
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9/3/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic territory for me. Took a minute to open up, but when it did, it showed well. Dark fruit and plenty of grilling herbs. Deserves to be WS WOTY. For me, fully mature.
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8/22/2013 - Woodcock wrote: 95 Points
Drank magnificently out of the Imperial over two evenings. Much better the second evening but no slouch on the first. Real old school claret. Proper Job!
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8/16/2013 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
A Tale of Two Cabernet Blends (Bedrock Bar & Grill, Pan Pac Suites): A damn good wine. Served blind side-by-side with a 2001 Cullen Diana Madeleine from Margaret River, Australia, I was amazed at how much better this was compared to its (already very good) new world counterpart. It had a lovely Pauillac nose, with damp earth and tobacco, fragrant cassis notes, a hint of capsicum and a little dash of toasty spice. Really alluring. The wine had already been sitting in the decanter for some two-and-a-half hours when I got to it, and its palate, like so many 1989s now, was soft, round and plush on the attack; all cossetted in fine, silky tannins, yet also brimming with a youthful energy and lively acidity that sprung through its lovely cassis notes. There was certainly a touch of yummy, voluptuous sweetness from the warm vintage, yet it was still glowing with a lovely purity. On the midpalate, the cassis fruit was met by some lovely ripe plum and prune accents, with a shadow of musuclar tannins in the background that gave the them a satisfying chewiness. These then ceded way to a lovely ring of spice at the finish. Absolutely delicious. It was not super-long at the end, but like all other parts of the wine, the back-palate was blessed with a nice energy and strength. This was truly a wine of character, and really enjoyable at this point of its evolution, but with the chops to age effrotlessly for many, many more years.
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8/16/2013 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
Aged leather , firm structure with supple stewed currants. Lovely at this age. Masculine but gentlemanly.
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7/22/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
This definitely needed some time to show its best. Enjoyed alongside the '89 Grand Puy Lacoste and the '89 Lynch Bages. Darn good line up!
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7/8/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
By coincidence, I was lucky enough to taste and compare 1989 Pichon Baron and 1990 Pichon Baron from perfect bottles, two different times over a two week period, with consistent results.
While the 1990 is rich, luscious, opulent, refined, concentrated and drinking perfectly today, the 1989 was firm, tannic, more structured and did not become truly civilized until it was decanted for at least three hours. After 3 hours, the wine began to blossom, lose its tannic edge and while it remained classic (in all the right ways) the long, fresh, cassis filled finish seemed to go on and on. The 1990 will age for at least another 15-20 years, but the 1989 could improve for another 30-40 years.
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6/3/2013 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has so many interesting flavors going on that you almost overlook how young and structured it still is after all these years -- but there is actually quite a lot of tannic muscle here, which seems to make this built for the very long term or at the very least built for a big steak, which was fortunately what we were eating. It has a fragrant cedary aroma but not the sort that just resembles wood shavings or lead pencils; instead it's almost like half wood and half something in the mealy/grainy family. Having had the 2000 recently, this is an interesting comparison because it is much more red-fruited in complexion, and also much less slick in texture, maybe because the tannins have a tougher grip on this one. But even that serious level of structure doesn't constrict the scale on the palate. This not only has a lot going on, but an expansive canvas on which to show it.
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5/23/2013 - Edclr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Getting to its prime drinking period, although still a bit shy of it. Took a while to open, but once it did, it blossomed. Fruit now into secondary stages, but bright enough to say I'm still coming into my own. Very long finish.
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5/14/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
DOUBLE BLIND 95+ DINNER @ DEERING BAY YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB (WINE CELLAR @ DEERING BAY YACH & COUNTRY CLUB, MIAMI, FL): Smoky chocolate, cassis aromas, with California like Oak notes. Pablo's wine
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5/7/2013 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Surprised how delicious this wine tasted and how comparable the 89 is to the 90. Never experienced the depth of this vintage before in previous bottles. Full-bodied, inky purple and prefectly ripe and luxuriously rich, the nose wafted juicy plums, blackberry and cassis with pleasant wood forest, fall wood fires, a classically fine Bordeaux balanced from here to Pauillac, textured with exquisite extract, on this evening on par with my memory of the fabled 1990.
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5/7/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A perfect bottle of this wine - I just removed the $30 price tag from when I purchased it God knows how long ago. Thick, solid color with no fading. Beautiful nose of this vineyard with charcoal graphite and hints of coffee and blackberries. On the palate this wine is finally starting to open up and there is a great, regal thickness of texture followed by tons of deep black fruit. The finish is wowza with very complex flavors of Asian spices, charcoal-graphite minerals and bitter coffee/chocolate. When one finds the right bottle of this (because there is a lot of variation in their '89), it is rewarding the time in the cellar and turning into a fine, large-scaled Pauillac. 95+
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4/25/2013 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 97 Points
Classic example of why we own red Bordeaux and look at them for years before drinking them. Dark fruit and a little earthy. Decanted for about 1 and a half hours. Did not feel it needed more. Three bottles consumed from 2009 through 2011 were superb, but seemed to offer improvement with more time. This bottle was spectacular, but did not seem it will improve a lot. The pro reviewer drink window says it is good until 2027. I am taking 5 years off of that back year for my purposes. I know this is a little out of step with concensus, but it is how I see it.
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4/19/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: flawed
Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting (Zurich): 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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4/6/2013 - curtr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Started with 4 hour decant. Kept improving in the glass. Became wine of the night. Great depth, has entered drinking plateau, amazing nose.
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3/27/2013 - Jack wrote: 96 Points
I've had some bottle variation on these but this was the best so far. It is in a good place and should continue to shine for a long time.
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3/1/2013 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Always a contender with the 1990 which is readier to drink with the 1989 still needing a bit of time to reach full maturity. WOTN for my taste in an 8 vintage vertical tasting that comprised the 82,89,90,95,98,2000,2004,2005. A true beauty.
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2/28/2013 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
This wine is in an excellent place, an untamed behemoth most of its life the powerful tannic structure is giving way and allowing the sweet succulent fruit to come forward.
The 89 has always been about massive dark black fruit, earth and tannin and if this bottle is an indication the hard edges are smoothing out, revealing an inner core of sweetness. It feels like it's in the very early stages of hitting its plateau where the fruit still has a touch of baby fat.
It's not quite as opulent as the 1990, and i'd even venture to say not quite as powerful - but it is very close.
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2/24/2013 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine:
A very good example of Pichon, with trademark cassis and pencil lead nose, loads of lush blackcurrant on the tongue, with an ample second wave of creamy vanilla and blackberry, then a long, luxuriant finish. Powerful, a steel fist in a velvet glove, but not rustic at all. My only reserves are that there isn't quite the complexity of Pichon-Comtesse 89, so not exactly good value at the current auction price. Mine was in perfect condition, the level just below the cork: if yours are in a similar state, they can wait another ten to twenty years, possibly improving further.
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2/23/2013 - barbicancrane wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was ready. Opening smell of fruit, cedar. Taste of pencil lead with a long smooth creamy slightly vanilla finish. Tannins still noticeable after opening, but lighter after several hours in the decanter.
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2/22/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
A medium dark garnet body; some browning at the rim. Elegant and complex aromas of blackberry, black currant, cherry, earth, cedar, some tobacco, herbs (basil, clove) and an array of pleasant spices. Seems Pauillac-like and wonderful. Similar flavors, along with a touch dark chocolate. Rich, powerful and elegant in the mouth. The tannins are much more resolved than when I last tasted the wine in January 2004. But, the tannins are still slightly apparent, i.e., causing a very slight acidic sting on the tongue. It seems to be just entering the beginning phase of its maturity plateau. The wine has lots more time left to be appreciated, but it’s readily appreciable at this point. A long and somewhat lingering finish. Note: the wine has been cellared at 56 degrees from its “Futures” delivery. Score 93-94.
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2/14/2013 - the player Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brilliant wine and finish, as per previous notes. Only seemed to fizzle towards the end after being 3 hours in decanter.
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2/2/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru Restaurant - Chicago IL): Briefly decanted before serving. Great perfume and spice to start, accompanied by exciting black fruit aromas. Dense plum flavors but not very forward or forthcoming. More tannic than expected, also rather compact, possibly shut down? Although i haven't had this wine in several years, the flavors weren't as interesting as I recall from before.
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2/2/2013 - petereminer wrote: 92 Points
Don't be afraid of this one. Let it breath for at least 2 hours. It opens up into a deep rich intense bordeaux. More years left
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1/30/2013 - ledocq wrote:
Just to throw in an amateur voice here: though a lot of reviewers with fine tastes drink superior stuff, this is the best bottle (as in most distinguished) of wine I've ever had. I fretted about even owning it. I worried about whether it was happy or if it was going to turn on me, sensing my inadequacy. Also: would I be able to understand what I was tasting. I decanted it for two hours before having a taste and it was wonderful. I'd say it was light and subtle and restrained compared to the Cal cabs and whatnot I've really appreciated. My friend I drank it with -- also a stranger to this realm -- noted how long the taste lasted, how it changed over the hours we had it, its lightness, the spiciness that crept up about 30 seconds into each sip. There was a small amount left the next day (look, it happens, apologies) and it was pretty flat. Really educational experience and easily the best wine I've yet had.
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1/22/2013 - cellar designer wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed with friends and a simple meal, A beautiful wine that is holding up well, a bit soft but still complex a.nd very enjoyable
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1/21/2013 - Bordeauxman wrote: 93 Points
no notes taken
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1/13/2013 - skoppel wrote: 91 Points
Chocolate, tar, licorice all evident on the palate. Drinking window now open. A little less power than I was expecting, hence the lower 90's score.
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1/5/2013 - Eisenglass Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Dull with restrained disjointed fruit. Not a happy bottle. Probably sulking like the wife.
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12/26/2012 - la turque Likes this wine: 96 Points
Quite brilliant. Decanted for two hours, and then opened up even further. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last but drinking at peak. Bravo!
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12/24/2012 - Tad GW Likes this wine: 92 Points
50+5+12+17+8=92
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12/14/2012 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
disjointed
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12/14/2012 - Zweder wrote:
Battle between Pichon Baron, Pichon Comtesse and Lynch Bages. 11 TOP Vintages from 1982 - 2009 (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands): It is a few years ago I tasted this wine, but this must be an off bottle. In the bouquet there are still dark fruits, but also some celery and reductive flavors. On the palate a lot of chocolate and old age impressions. Some sweetness as well. Pity, we had great expectations, but this bottle did not deliver. No score.
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11/29/2012 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brittannia Group (Hix Mayfair): extraordinary colour. Almost black. Deep classic Pauillac nose big wine with fine grained tannins. Explosive on palate but not all knitted together yet. Still needs time to show its best
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11/18/2012 - thewineoceros wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 1989 left bank (with a bonus VCC): Looks very young, certainly when compared to others in this line up. Delicious nose, with clean fruit, touches of cedar, plenty of power coming through. Impressive mouth feel, biting grip, with slick tannins and nice texture. Very balanced. Overshadowed slightly by the Lalande, but equally very good too. My no.4 of the night. Great wine.
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11/9/2012 - S1 wrote:
Dinner at Jack's House: Popped and poured and drank over 3 hours. This was the wine in the best place right now of the four '89s we drank tonight. On the nose there is an immediate soy/teriyaki quality and a giant hit of cassis. On the palate, holy crap, in your face cassis dominates with a really structured support from red currant and a little cherry and sweet plum. It still has vibrant acidity and wonderful clove and Indian spices. As the evening progresses it just gets busier and busier with tremendous structure supporting all of the fruit. A great bottle.
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11/3/2012 - godx wrote: flawed
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - Gala Dinner (Fairmont Pacific Rim): Something off with this bottle. Stewed fruits, warm palate, soft, more forward and advanced than any of my previous 6 bottles (all from the same source). Too bad as this is always a favorite of mine.
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11/1/2012 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Baron & Lalande (The Medlar, London): Significantly darker than the previous flight. Dark ruby now. Ripe plush fruit on the nose, quite dense. Blackcurrant and slightly wet clay nose. An 89 I think. Quite rich and full and expressive on the palate with some good restraining tannin and acidity still that gives it a slightly drying finish. 89 Baron. In a halfwayhouse between rich, ripe fruit and mellow middle age. A slightly uncoordinated teenager. Needs longer now to resettle and resolve. ***(*1/2)
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10/31/2012 - markjanes wrote: 92 Points
A lot of good descriptive notes below of what is clearly an "outstanding" wine... for me the wine showed some of the 89 characteristics I never have particularly liked in that the fruit is a little red and a little ripe (the 90 I had of this last week was more of the crunchy black currant... the 89 was more just barely overripe raspberry), the acids a little soft, and the finish a little firm/hard. I spent a fair amount of time with the wine and it did improve as the night progressed. Drink or hold based on your personal preferences... it has plenty of life left.
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10/28/2012 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Perfect fill and cork. Decanted and drunk over 2 hours. Dark red core, lightening but no bricking at rim. Intense forward nose of red fruits and plums, cedar, earth, tobacco and a hint of caramel. Full body, ripe red fruits layered with nice complex earthiness, almost creamy palate feel, great balance, resolved tannins, long finish, at peak and expected to stay there for many years. Outstanding, verging on extraordinary.
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10/13/2012 - wbq8f wrote: 93 Points
A beautifully structured wine, with subtle and complex fruit flavors, a bit of lead pencil, nice long finish. Tannins are all resolved by now, has the prospect of many more years as a fine example of a sophisticated Bordeaux. With Boeuf Bourguignon, a marvelous match.
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9/21/2012 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Flamboyant and quite brilliant. Solid structure, and built to last. Decanted for two hours, and then opened up even further. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last but drinking at peak.
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9/18/2012 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Rupert's 89 'Super Seconds' Offline (The Medlar, London): Single blind. Dark. Dark fruited. A touch of coffee and possibly mocha here. Lots going on here. Complex, sweet fruited, again, some coffee bean here. Baron? ****1/2
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9/16/2012 - mbwineguy wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes. Had an initial forest floor funky nose, but that blew off after time in the decanter.
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9/15/2012 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew does 1989 Bordeaux (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): This wine was really difficult to assess……it was very closed. If I was having this blind, I would have that it was maybe a 2005 or 2001? It just seemed closed and very primary. EIther this was stored in a very cold cellar or it is just going through a closed phase as it did not give anything really.
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9/15/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): The bottle we had was, in my opinion, completely closed all night, it was really ungiving. Some crushed rock, oak. Still fully structured and firm on the palate. As per what was tasted it just seemed like this wine is not yet close to ready for prime time, though other notes seem to disagree with this assertion, so I'm uncertain of what is happening here. Based on this bottle I'd guess this could be very nice in 5 - 8 years.
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9/15/2012 - alittle wrote: 90 Points
Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Received the same treatment as the other wines in this flight; decanted approximately 2 hours in bottle, followed over the course of dinner. Deep purple in the glass. This wine was rather perplexing after the string of good luck we'd had tonight. To me, this wine was the definition of brooding; you could tell there is a lot of underlying substance here, but this was still quite primary and overall, very tight. Although rather reticent, the nose did eventually give way to notes of dark fruits, blueberry, graphite, with a touch of vanilla and cedar. On the palate, again, quite tough to evaluate at the moment, as this seemed to still be quite hard and tannic, but still showing notes of dark fruits, spice, pencil lead and a touch of earthiness on the moderate finish. I'm not sure if this was a representative bottle, as if someone had told me this wine was 5-10 years old, I'd certainly believe them. Overall, strangely un-evolved, and a bit of a disappointing way to close out the wines tonight.
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9/3/2012 - Bordeauxman wrote: 93 Points
no notes taken... but very good
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8/20/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 93 Points
Another great 1989; another great Pichon Baron. Compared to Pichon Baron 1990 this has more elegance and nuance. It's less powerful but it wins on the side of the detail. Very pretty nose with lots of black fruits mixed in with several tertiary notes of chocolate, dark wood, earth and smoke. Medium to full-body, with nice minerality and acidity. Tannins well solved and integrated. A real beauty!
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8/12/2012 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2008 Meursault Les Perrières (Neil's): Deep crimson core with a bit of bricking. Aromas of red fruit, herbs, licorice and plum. Black fruit, currant and plum flavors on the palate, with a relatively long finish. A slight hollowness on the midpalate prevents a higher score.
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8/11/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
Rousseau, Pichon Baron and a few others at Bacon Fest 2012. (The Jaouen's.): Another double blind wine in aluminum foil. This one was a bit easier than the Rousseau with the intense tobacco and earth components, along with the more red than black fruit, screaming Pauillac to me. I guess a '96 Paullaic and that was because while the wine showed some age, it was still pretty fresh and the tannins were still wearing shit kickers. After the wine was revealed, I was a little surprised as every other bottle I've had has shown an easier disposition with much higher fruit levels. I believe the wine was popped and poured, so that may explain the showing. A-.
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8/4/2012 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
Tight and reticent initially; after 2 hours developed nice opulence with blackberry and coffee; noticeable tannins and some heat on the back but paired so well with steak and potatoes.
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6/30/2012 - paulst wrote: 94 Points
Mature with nice earthy rubber nose; well integrated tannins that are silky and sweet, but still present some astringency so give it more time.
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6/26/2012 - Dubie wrote: 90 Points
Everyone seemed to like this bottle, but I thought it was a touch watery upon hitting the palate... if not for that, I would have graded 93. Nose was open, and length was good. Beginning to get tertiary aromas as well. Was served alongside a 1989 Pichon Comtesse.
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6/17/2012 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): Much more expressive than last night. Notes of plum, iodine, red currants and herbs. Red fruit dominates the palate; long finsih with plum, red fruit and earth. 93-94 pts.
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6/16/2012 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): Aromas of red fruit and florals; forest floor. Nice balance, with plum, dark fruit and earth tones.
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6/15/2012 - Rupert wrote: 87 Points
9th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Medicinal, thick, not wholly clean and brutally tannic. Seems to be left bank claret, but not of the quality that Keith would bring. Can't believe it's Pichon Baron 89 - nothing like how I remember it.
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6/15/2012 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. Deep and dense, dark ruby. Classic left bank claret. Mineral and blackcurrant. Enough richness here for it to be 89, but it's quite tight and muscyular still. Maybe LLC? A tad dense and tannic still. Revealed as PB - gosh, not nearly as sexy or opulent as the last one of these. **(*1/2) on this showing.
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6/9/2012 - Tad GW wrote: 92 Points
Drank as part of a 1989 Bordeaux horizontal with La Fleur de Gay, Angelus and Palmer. This one was by far the biggest of the 4 wines having a very ripe concentrated character normally found in Australian or North African wines, very unlike a typical Bordeaux from this (Pauillac) or any other region. Still it was an impressive wine.
50+5+12+17+8=92
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6/8/2012 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
So rich, perfumed and elegant on the nose, Big on the palate and mouthcoating, sensual wine that is at once feminine and powerful - a wonder!
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6/2/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
A more rustic and even a little tired compared to other '89 Baron's I've sampled in the past.
Still excellent expression of left bank Bordeaux. Driven by old leather saddle, rustic bramble berries and raspberries, touch of smoke and some green bell pepper.
Came across a little stemmy for me, but I liked how it played with the food.
Not too much fruit and some light stewed red vegetation was a nice surprise when drinking Marcassin and Aubert alongside.
Still super young. Kenny and I thought this was easily 90's Bordeaux. Clearly a long life still ahead.
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6/1/2012 - -E- wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Dyp rød/rødbrun med lett bruning i kanten. Flott, fruktdreven nese med et lett preg av vanilje og solbær. Mørk inngang. Saftig, men noe hard fruktkjerne fremdeles. Tett og mørk. Milde tanniner. Trenger tid.
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6/1/2012 - LWI wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Fine deep fruit, decent complexity, some champignons, some burned notes, not the longest.
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5/28/2012 - godx wrote: 94 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988, 1989, 1990 Red Bordeaux (CinCin Restaurant): Ruby red with hints of browning near the rim. While the ’88 showed great maturity, this showed great youthfulness, but like the ’88, this showed classic Bordeaux notes of tobacco, cedar, hints of bell pepper, cassis and dark cherries. There’s a wonderful richness to the nose that lifted by an elegant perfume note. There’s just a hint of funk on the nose that gives you some idea this is a 23 year old wine, but that’s the only indication you get. In the mouth this is big, powerful and rich with loads of fruit backed by a classic tannic spine. This shows remarkable elegance despite its powerful and tannic profile. This is the most structured wine of the flight loads of firm tannins and bright acidity. This is the most youthful wine of the night and in need of 5-10 years. Outstanding. 94+
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5/28/2012 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Simple and overly fruity lacking acidity due to loose cork; nice soft velvety sweet tannins saved the day.
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5/24/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Double Blind Le Provencal, Wine Dinner; 5/23/2012-5/24/2012 (Le Provencal, Miracle Mile, Coral Gables,FL): - Garnet color with fast forming legs. It's balanced with a medium body. Bright texture with a long finish - Al's wine.
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5/11/2012 - jetfan wrote: 94 Points
Drinking wonderfully in its prime
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5/7/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Powerful, tannic, structured and classic, with a cedar, tobacco, crème de cassis, blackberry, truffle, earth and forest floor perfume, there is a lot going on in this Pichon Baron. However, it could use a few more years to soften and develop.
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4/27/2012 - dicehk wrote: 95 Points
The bottle was perfect. Storage had been great and when opened the cork levels had barely gone past the first the second "L" in Longueville. A wonderful bouquet emanated from the bottle and the wine was left to decant for 90 minutes. A great nose of dark fruits , licourice and the taste was great with a long finish. The wine has a lot of tanins and will definetey continue to hold well for a few more yers before reaching its full potential.
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4/20/2012 - the player wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding, first growth quality. As Latour bows out of the en primeurs Pichon is a nice consolation. This wine has another 5 years at least to reach it's peak and in my view will outshine the excellent 1990. Great nose of black fruits, graphite, leather, again reminiscent of right bank. Covers palate on entry, full bodied, blackberries, currants, some earthiness that was not as evident in previous tastings, and a long long finish. Blackish crimson color, crimson rim although barely any signs of aging, requires two hours in decanter and a full bodied complex and multi layered wine.
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4/18/2012 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Part of a dinner at Bouley pairing 79, La Mission and HB, 82 Barton and Las Cases, 93, Palmer and Margaux and 89 Pichons
The Lalande is at its peak, perfectly balanced, rich rich and delectable and was winning out of the gate. The Baron seemed stiff,even after 4 hours of air, but as I finished them, it had the edge
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4/7/2012 - Javachip wrote: 96 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/7/2012 (Casa Red Guy, San Diego): Tasted blind. Clear dark garnet-blood color. Gorgeous bouquet of red plums, cherries, berries, rose petals, cedar, spice. Ripe, rich, generous, beautifully balanced. I guessed "mature Cali cab" -- take that as a compliment, Bordeaux! My #1 and group's FIRST PLACE (tie) in this flight.
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3/27/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Familiar scents of cedar, cassis, tobacco, cassis, blackberry, earth and cigar box, led me to Pauillac. Big, dense tannic and masculine, the wine has developed a bit of firmness in its personality. It’s in a drink or hold stage. I’d probably give it a few more years, hoping it will soften.
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3/24/2012 - TJT wrote:
Gary Danko with the Pelos'. Still has it all.
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3/18/2012 - punter wrote: 94 Points
Cork broke apart - cassis, roasting blackberry and blueberry streamed out on the pour of a 1 hour decant. First sip; the real deal - a bit of barnyard on the nose is immediately dominated by dark fruit, wet stone, saddle leather and fresh tobacco. The tannins are resolved and sweet and hold the layers of dark fruits, cassis, graphite and light earth together. While giving a very satisfying mouthfeel and good length today, this has many years remaining.
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2/26/2012 - pkatz wrote: 89 Points
Double decanted for about an hour. While not showing any signs of fading and the tannins well in check, I felt the wine was a bit more austere than a great one should be.
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2/8/2012 - Vin Lover wrote: 95 Points
Really like this wine - It has density, complexity, perfume, structure, finish and keeps getting better in the glass, a complete wine. Flavour wise it has typical bordeaux taste including dry leaves, smoke meat, mint, dark chocolate, blue berry, black currants and toasted vanilla. Its complexity certainly enhanced by the secondary notes like cassis, cinnamon & many other earthy note, plus touch of savoury & spice notes. Everything is integrated nicely - perfectly weighted, layered and the mellowed fine, silky tannins supported the wine really well too. This wine is approaching its peak now and drinking beautifully with some decanting to wake it up a little bit, and I believe it should last at least 10 more years in the bottle, and might even get better!
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2/3/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 94 Points
New year gathering at G's house: Alcohol :: 13%
Decanted for 60mins. Dark garnet. This is a top class Baron, 22yrs old but still youthful, with purity and clarity. The highly intense and complex aromas soared from the glass with blackcurrant, blackberry, pencil shaving, smoke, graphite, dark chocolate, mint and cedar, oh, so fragrance! Can the palate match up? Definitely. Massive concentration and richness here, but well delineated with great harmony and freshness. It hit the palate with great intensity but also with care, as the structured and tannin is well polished and refine. The finished is intense, detail and complex that last close to a min. This wine will continue to evolve in the bottle for at least 7-10yrs and at least last for another decade or two. 94-95+
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1/29/2012 - mosborn wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic. Opened at 2:00 pm and left opened in the bottle until 6:00 then decanted. Started drinking at about 7:30 pm. Perfectly integrated tannins, round, rich mouthfeel, tobacco, dark fruit and spice on the nose and the palette. Got better and better throughout the evening. Last glass was a heartbreaker - because there was no more! Great stuff.
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1/27/2012 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Let breathe for 4 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks incredibly well now
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1/25/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: My second time with this wine recently and quite like the first. Oaky, ashen, very much a beef-blood sort of wine. I like this, but it's a bit lean on the palate and I think that it would benefit from the company of a meal more than the company of the 1990!
4+
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1/25/2012 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Pichon Baron Vertical (01, 00, 98, 95, 90, 89, 88, 86, 82, 66): Another wow. This is a big, structured, powerful wine. The nose is dominated by black fruit and tobacco. Maybe a touch stern at this moment, but most enjoyable. Showing pure power on the palate. It's packed with dark fruit that has great flavor intensity that expands nicely across the palate, but there's just so much structure to balance out that fruit. Has a long, lingering finish. Both delicious and satisfying. In an early drinking window, but likely to improve in the cellar for at least a few more years. For this flight, if the '88 is too little, and the '90 is too much, then this is the one that is just right.
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1/22/2012 - wendt wrote: 94 Points
Lovely 89! I decided to open it at the last minute before tossing together a rack of lamb dinner for myself and my wife. I let it stand on end for about 45 minutes and decanted in to a large, flat bottom decanter for maximum surface area. The wine sat in there for about an hour as I cooked. First nose after an hour was very tight, like another poster stated, pencil lead. Swirling in my glass, the second nose showed signs of excellence! After another 30 minutes this wine started to really open up and it's lovely! Complex nose of spices, currents and cassis with a decent amount of fruit for a claret, maybe due to it's young age. I have to disagree with other posters who are saying this wine is ready now. I think in another five to ten years, we will be raving about this 89. This wine has so much life left in it and I look forward to visiting it again.
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1/6/2012 - mjdixon wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as Lalande of same vintage
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1/1/2012 - 1961Vintage wrote: 95 Points
Just an amazing bottle of wine! 2 hours after opening shined like a rock star!. Gorgeous nose, balance and full of the big rich flavors you'd expect. The finish is where this baby rocked. Lasted for several minutes...A true gem from amongst gems!
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12/25/2011 - phornby wrote:
Somewhat lighter bottle than previous ones. Worked very well with the Beef Wellington after four hours open, but not the intensity I was expecting
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12/19/2011 - yenda wrote: 93 Points
excellent, 90s felt a touch better though
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12/16/2011 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Let breathe for 4 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks incredibly well now and should last very long
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12/15/2011 - the player wrote: 95 Points
See previous note, decanter 2 hours, this wine still has room to go. WOTN versus 1990. Great nose, full bodied, almost viscous, dense wine with earth, brambles, spices, crushed stones, fully reflected on the palate. Outstanding.
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12/7/2011 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
Exceptionally deep color huge fruit on the nose. After 2 hours in the glass still big favor
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11/5/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 93 Points
Ken & Penny's dinner (Nino's Cozinha): rich and ripe notes of dark plums, smoke, cassis. a great claret at its peak now, but not hugely exciting for me.
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11/5/2011 - KenK wrote: 95 Points
Pretty nose of black cherry, smoke, dark chocolate.
Palate is rich well balanced shows noce core of dark fruits with good initial structe that smooths out nicely.
Almost new world in fruit with old world structure. Cab dominates, but merlot adds smoothness. In nice window, seems about 10 years younger than vintage. Drinking well with nice forward red fruits dominating.
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10/30/2011 - the player wrote: 95 Points
First two bottles from ex-chateau case in 1 week. This wine has a lot more potential but what a treat. 1 - 2 hour decant. The nose is exotic to say the least, more reminiscent of right bank than it is of left. Blackberries, plums, spices, graphite, sweet tobacco and leather. Deep crimson color, slight signs of ageing when pouring, beautiful fresh and lush entry on the palate, fruit explosion mid-palate with cassis, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco and moccha flavors finely balanced together, resolved tannins, full bodied, and a great finish. Can't help but thinking that this wine can continue to evolve and improve for another 10 - 15 years and I hope my stocks last.
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10/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Now we're talking! And I love what it has to say. The deep ruby color looks great in the glass. Cedar, cassis, tobacco, truffles and spice get your senses going. Deeply concentrated with layer upon layer of rich, ripe Cabernet and blackberry glide over your palate. This wine perfectly combines power with elegance. Still young, as good as it is, it's going to get even better over the next several years
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9/18/2011 - Bordeauxman wrote: 90 Points
Opaque purple color. Very fruit forward nose of crushed blackberry, cassis & hint of ground pepper. The taste was a little more subdued compared to the nose... forest floor, cassis, truffle & saddle leather. I was a little disappointed with this bottle compared to the bottle we had in July. Perhaps it was bottle variation and/or storage at some point in its life.
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9/10/2011 - aof wrote: 94 Points
1989 Bordeaux First Growth and Super Second Tasting.: Lead pencil nose gave way to a ripe, dense and opulent palate. Dark chocolate notes predominate. Its superbly structured; some in our group felt this (along with the 89 Montrose) was Parker-rized. I disagreed; this was a superb effort in a ripe year- nothing near over-extraction about this wine.. Incidentally, it had just enough acids to give it a good lift.
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9/4/2011 - paulst wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful austere earthy blackberry with textured tannins; soft, elegant and round; smooth long textured finish.
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7/24/2011 - Dubie wrote: 90 Points
Probably bottle shocked from recent transportation, and still closed. A very powerful wine in the making but we opened it too early!
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7/24/2011 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 95 Points
appearance - 10; beautiful, dark red, no hints of brown or oxidation, nice legs. cork was in pristine condition. straight from my cellar.
nose - classic bordeaux; saddle leather; some dark druit
taste - fruit; nice acidity; not too hot or too much alcohol; nice contrast to the nose; had it with a braised lamb and lamb chop which made the wine sweeter in the mouth
finish - fantastic; soft tanins; long,long finish; elegant; graceful wine
overall 95 - at its peak but could probably last 5 to 10 more years but why wait? tanins dont need more time; the mouthful still has fruit; the nose has funk but not the kind that concerns you.
enjoyable and really a fantatstic, elegant wine
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7/23/2011 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Let breathe for 4.5 hours. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks so easy that is it gone before you know it. Perfect with the frilled filet in coffee rub. Probably time to buy another case based on progression. This could last a very long time
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7/23/2011 - englishman's claret wrote:
From 750. Great cork. Deep robe, bricking at the edge. Great fruit quality on the nose with nice pencil and a pronounced mineral edge/beef blood to it; smokey. Minor floral and horse notes with time in decanter. Excellent nose, evolves. The palate doesn't quite follow through - a little angular and a little radishy. Still, excellent.
5 for the nose; overall, 4.5/5
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7/10/2011 - Fateful Destiny Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite nice deep purple fruit, sweet tobacco leaf, and smoke on the nose. A bold, thicker, creamy palate suggests a much younger wine (as did the color), and many in the group thought that there was a merlot characteristic to the wine. Quite nice, and a favorite among some.
http://www.beyondthemargin.net/2011/07/global-standards-of-excellence-in-wine.html
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7/4/2011 - Bordeauxman wrote: 95 Points
Color: deep dark, purple concentrated, but not cloudy.
Nose: blackberry, saddle leather, hint of chocolate and a bit of crushed stone.
Taste: beautiful mixture of black fruit, cassis, black currant, bit of chocolate and crushed stone. very long finish.
This PB is fully mature, but I would be in no hurry to drink up the stock. I introduced a little air about 3 hours before dinner by removing the cork and replacing it. We decanted 10 mins before beginning to taste. This is an outstanding wine.
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6/24/2011 - sergiozy wrote: 95 Points
wet dirt on the nose great fruit stll leather taste
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6/22/2011 - jpijg wrote: 93 Points
Powerful nose of blackkcurrent with hints of pepper and menthol.There is ripeness, but also a lot of freshness from the minerality.
The mouth is rich and complex, with confit and mature blackberry, and black cherries balanced by graphite and hints of cigarbox. Ripeness and maturity are perfect. A great paillac with perfectly mature fruits, but no overripeness.
Finale is long and pleasing.
courtoisy of Benoit at 8 1/2
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6/19/2011 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
Leather and earth nose; pungent; saturated blackberry; sweet tannins.
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6/12/2011 - dmalcolm wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for four hours then poured back into the bottle. Dark amber coloured. Deeply concentrated dark and smoky fruits; currants, cassis, smoke, dried leather, tobacco and earth. Some unresolved tannins, suggesting it will become even more smooth with time. Outstanding!
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6/11/2011 - last chance wrote: 91 Points
The nose had aromas of bell peppers, dark cherries, and dusty earth. After a couple of hours, the pepper aromas faded and some brett came forward. The palate had tart bing cherry and raspberry flavors with notes of leather and earth. The finish gained in length as the evening went on. Initially the finish was a little clipped, but after a couple of hours, it was medium-long. While the longer finish was nice, I enjoyed the flavors that were evident in the wine earlier in the evening...
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5/20/2011 - redknife wrote: 90 Points
Expected more from this wine. Dark colored with nose that opened up as the night went on, dark berries, leather and cocoa. Palate consistent with some of the recent TN's the fruit was muted with graphite and some chocolate; a rather short finish. Clearly needed more cellar time.
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5/17/2011 - tooch wrote: flawed
Pichon Dinner - Lalande vs. Baron (Palena - Washington, DC): sadly, this was an off bottle.
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5/17/2011 - dcwino wrote:
Pichon Baron vs. Pichon Lalande @ Palena (Washington DC): Something not quite right, a hint of oxidative note at the end, muted fruit.
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5/5/2011 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this wine is still so young. The best Pichon Baron I've ever had. This really blew me away.
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4/27/2011 - jlgnml wrote: 96 Points
Les Degustateurs (SPROUT Chicago IL): Dark color, very substantial depth in the glass, prunes, lasting on the palate
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4/23/2011 - essconsults wrote:
Previous note should say I don't like '89s from the left bank, since many Pomerols I've tried have been quite good.
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4/23/2011 - essconsults wrote: 90 Points
Really 88, but I guess I have to give it the benefit of the doubt. Tasted at the Acker auction at Ai Fiori, so it wasn't decanted. But much more closed than the one I had two years ago. So far, I have either completely lost my taste for Bordeaux from these "big" vintages, or I just don't like '89s AT ALL! No, not even Haut-Brion. Call me a philistine.
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4/16/2011 - jreis wrote:
Drank alongside the 99 Pichon Baron and many other Bordeaux. Dark black brooding fruit, mint, tobacco white pepper, leather and mocha on the nose. Really jumped out of the glass and a little different note hit me each time I sniffed. Lovely pure blackberry fruit on the attack with lots of tar, asphalt and pronounced but not overwhelming tannins and a long, powerful finish. This is just entering its drinking window. #2 WOTN for me and the group and definitely the Yang to the 78 Lalande’s Yin – both beautiful but very different.
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4/10/2011 - chris_w wrote: 95 Points
Cherry and graphite with a very long finish. 2 hour decanting. This wine was still going strong. 'could go through 2020.
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4/9/2011 - MattTM wrote:
Evening of (mostly) French (Vancouver, BC): Popped the cork and let slow-ox for 6 hours. Expressive nose of dark plum, cherry, cigar leaf, black tea, tar, barnyard, and black pepper. Fantastic palate, showing tons of plum, chocolate, cigar box, black cherry, and tar. Dry yet sweet, with layers and layers of spice that evolve as it rolls over the tongue. Fine, dusty tannins compliment the unbelievably long finish that eventually ends with cherry and clove notes. An outstanding bottle of Bordeaux that has many years of life ahead of it.
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4/8/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 93 Points
Lunch with KH, Gary, Yum Ron, Uncle Seven and Eric (The Press Room): Dark and rich flavours of cassis and blackcurrants. Textbook Pauillac. Great balance.
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4/2/2011 - vespasian wrote: 90 Points
Vibrant concentrated crimson colour with a little fade at the rim; Lots of primary cassis on the nose with notes of sous bois, tar, a hint of spice, soy and some red fruits also; tannins well integrated on palate. Very polished and smooth - a little close and backward. Fruit not giving right now. Good but needs time.
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3/30/2011 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
San Antonio Wine Geeks - The Gathering without Steves (or how we found Lafite) (The Monterey): Only 2 sips of this, but was a completely thrilling taste. Big, muscular, with cassis, flint, cedar and spice with a lengthy complex finish. While the Lafite was subtle and feminine, this was muscular and firing on all cylinders. I need to find some of this. Wish I could enjoy my own glass. 94+
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3/5/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2hrs+, drank over 3hrs, lots of graphite with hints of violets and cedar. Great balance on the palate with of course graphite, red plum, mushroom, earth and cedar, very smooth almost soft finish. This drinking quite well now and should hold for several more years, but why wait!
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2/28/2011 - AtoZ wrote: 94 Points
Clasic Pauillac. Drinking great. Pencil shavings on the nose and palate.
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2/23/2011 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured. Great nose of tobacco, mushroom and currants. Classic body showing very youthful tannins and a nice core of acidity to balance the rich flavors. Outstanding.
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2/18/2011 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful, elegant, soft black cherry fruit with slight smoke, cassis, and dry pencil lead flavors, tannins still ample but softened, terrific structure, long finish
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2/12/2011 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Let breathe for 2.5 hours and decanted. Incredibly delicious, rich, huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas turn to smooth as silk nectar that goes on forever and drinks so easy that is it gone before you know it. This will last for a long long time and I hope to be drinking it.
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1/16/2011 - Kris G wrote: 95 Points
just great, the best Bordeaux I've ever drunk, didn't give it enough air, my mistake, otherwise it would have finished even 1 or 2 points higher up, really improved in the glass, a lot of substance left, so no hurry to drink this
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1/15/2011 - phornby wrote: 91 Points
Spectacular fully mature Bordeaux. Gave it four hours of air, perfect partnership with lamb shanks
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1/7/2011 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Really a strange wiff of ether at first which blew off, thank God. This wine tastes a bit younger and stiffer alongside the open-knit '90 tasted next to it but it ultimately may be the more structured, serious wine. It is clearly dense and quite refined with a deep core of black fruit and lovely hints of tobacco and roasted nuts and it really needed time to breathe and open up. Ultimately, a great bottle of Bordeaux but I continue to think this is a long-term ager that needs more time.
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12/27/2010 - Biglama wrote: 92 Points
diep rood, donker, dierlijke neus, leer, animaal, donker fruit, kersen, boersheid, in de smaak is de wijn stevig, met veel substantie, diepgang, drinkt mooi weg, heeft een robuuste elegantie, zoete indrukken, verliest later wel wat aan kracht, nu mooi drinkbaar
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12/25/2010 - spv wrote: 95 Points
We had this on Christmas night with a whole tenderloin. Completely approachable, very nice and abundant fruit, developed well over 2+ hours.
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12/22/2010 - ShiverSeeker wrote: 95 Points
Had this with a nice steak cooked in the fireplace over wood embers. While 20 years is not that old for a good Bordeaux, it nevertheless had that unmistakable delicate subtlety of older wines, with a still very pleasant and present fruit. Cooled down a bit, it started producing light shivers and a very long finish. Speaking of long finishes, we ended the meal (after cheese and Flaccianello 1997) with a few sips of Glenfiddich 30 year-old whisky; wow, that has a finish that will never end!
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12/21/2010 - sehill Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted about an hour prior to pouring, this wine showed exceptionally well from beginning to finish. The aromatics shows a complex blend of pencil shaving, black currant, tobacco, earth and coffee notes that are mature and detailed. Both the bouquet and palate still hold much in reserved with some subdued youthfulness in the back ground. The color is maturing dark ruby. It is correct for the wine age. The medium/full bodied palate shows outstanding balance and a lengthy finish were tannins and acidity remain present. This is at or around its peak but should continue to drink well for at least the next 5 to 10 years.
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12/12/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
1989 Pichon Baron is filled with ripe plums, cassis, Asian spice, licorice, earth, coffee, truffle and forest floor aromas. This full bodied, intense, concentrated wine is powerful. With round tannins and multiple layers of ripe, juicy cassis, this wine offers a text book Pauillac experience. While not in the lush style of the 90, this is wine Bordeaux lovers should have in their cellars. It's still young and it's only going to get better with age. 95 Pts
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12/12/2010 - Sailquik wrote: 95 Points
As red as Santa's trousers on a dark, moonless night (hey, it's Christmastime!) with very slight bricking along the edges. Medium to full body with a velvety mouth feel. Red raspberries, violets and green pepper on the nose. Sweet red berries and vanilla on the palate, with a hint of red meat. Tannins are well integrated, but still evident. Should continue to age well, but completely accessible now.
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12/11/2010 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Soft, sweet black cherry fruit, less leathery flavors than the 1989 Pichon-Lalande
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12/5/2010 - ChiefNose Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted at the Château i.e. a bottle stored in perfect conditions.
Light brown/reddish edge, nose of chocolates mature dark fruits; taste (of heaven) of lavender, blachberries & blueberries. A hint of a nice forest.
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11/11/2010 - Vinomarcus wrote: 94 Points
2010 Duck Dinner (Peter Pratt's Inn): Another wine that vied for my WOTN, this was flat out impressive. Still a baby too, very young tasting, a bit tight at first. As it opened it burst-ed with black fruit, tobacco leaf, fresh roasted coffee beans. A very dark, deep and complex wine that stirred the senses. Delicious.
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11/8/2010 - ml wrote:
Probably too early for this. Tasted quite young & took a while to open up. Last glass, two hours after opening, was still a bit tight. I expect this to be better in 5+ years, so I will try to hold off.
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11/2/2010 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Pichon Baron vertical Part I 1945-2009 (Institute of Directors, London): Ripe and full, but muted, a bit oxidative and faded I thought, despite the whack of tannin on the finish, and not a patch on previous bottles. Grew bovrilly in the glass. One or two present loved this.
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10/24/2010 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Loose cork with light seepage; some issues with fungus and irititable tatse/nose; geting by that it is smooth and nicley textured with fruits and soft sweep tannins.
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10/15/2010 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark purple with a smokey, leather backbone balancing delicious fruits. Decanted and aired for 1/2 hour before going to restaurant. Optimum time to breathe is at least 90 minutes. Smooth and delicious. incredible with meat
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10/10/2010 - WinoRick wrote: 93 Points
Ditto to Jack's notes. The wine opened up a little after a half hour and with the tenderloin.
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10/10/2010 - skoppel wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. All the flavors, chocolate-cedar-licorice, were there in perfect balance...a joy to drink. This is still a very young wine. Decanted two hours before drinking and it needed it.
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9/18/2010 - jlemerond wrote:
Cork 3/4 filled with wine, and clear seepage inside the capsule (none noticeable on the bottle). Clearly not as good as other bottles of this I've had, and it is possibly due to heat damage so i will pass on giving this a rating. Amlmost cough syrupy / medicinal, with very noticeable alcohol. Still some pretty dark cassis fruit and underbrush so you can see the underlying material is there. Too bad. NR
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9/12/2010 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Good but not great. Cork looked like it was bottled yesterday and there was very little sediment.
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9/6/2010 - uberoh wrote: 95 Points
Big, bold, balanced delicious! Excellent wine - much better than when I tried it last about 3 yersa ago - much more in balace and drinking great though prob has a long life ahead. Lots of black fruit, ceder, leather and earthy complexity. Next time will decant and let it open up for a while - my guess is it will do even better.
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9/2/2010 - jreis wrote:
Decanted for sediment and to open it up a little bit, drank immediately. What a sexy wine. Leather, rubber, beautiful violets, cedar and sweet pure blackberry fruit. Elegantly textured with fully resolved sweet tannins and loads of sweet white pepper tinged blackberry fruit. Long pure finish. A delight to drink.
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8/31/2010 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Unlike the last several bottles, this one wasn't showing as much flambuoyance, although it was still quite brilliant. Solid structure, and built to last. Decanted for three hours, and then opened up after a further two. Brilliant Pauillac qualities of deep rich fruit, cedar/ lead pencil, great acid / tannin / fruit balance. Will last a very long time.
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8/30/2010 - Pacalet wrote: 93 Points
Slight mature orange rim, initial nose of licorice, menthol, leather and dark fruit. After 2+ hours gradually turned into very nice and high quality cigar/tobacco. Very ripe fruit, full body and great to drink now.
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8/20/2010 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux North to South (My house): Lovely dark fruit, complex and long, fresh and at the same time powerful.
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8/14/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 98 Points
Decanted for two hours, using a funnel. Deep, rich and opaque in colour. A truly mesmerizing garnet. Very youthful looking and the bottle was in perfect condition; with a fill that was well into the neck. Outstanding provenance. Baked raisin, tobacco pipe, sassafras, blackberry and leather. Very '89 Pauliac and is honestly on the same echelon as the '89 Mouton. There is so much life ahead, the palate is as youthful as the appearance. Stunning and ageless. There's a mellifluous and smooth palate where the layers are forthcoming. The finish is very long and the tannins have velvet and silky qualities in unison. A top three left bank Bordeaux for myself, from my favorite vintage of the '80's. Ostentatious, voluptuous and regal. Classy Bordeaux and a must-have for any collection. There is truly a long life ahead and I can't envision an end - in my lifetime. Drink now - .
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7/20/2010 - paulst wrote: 96 Points
Initially flat but after 1/2 hr it provided earthy texture with some sweet blackberry and went on with sweet blackberry-cherry and complex structure.
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7/3/2010 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Opened and served right away. This bottle seems slightly tired. Still excellent, but wasn't youthful like the previous bottle. Notes of leather, tobacco and hints of greenness and just a tad of charred cherries. Resolved tannins, medium acidity and body with a medium length finish. Mellow and soft in the mouth. Excellent.
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6/11/2010 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Really good and ready to drink with very little air. Lost a little bit on night 2 but still good.
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6/10/2010 - Luvwine1 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific wine, as always. Opened up nicely after 30 minutes in glass. Can go a ways yet, but is balanced and beautiful. Paired well with lamb chops. Wish I had many more.....
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5/7/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
Pichon: Baron vs. Comtesse: I don't think this bottle performed well for whatever reason. Too bad as this can be a great wine. Ruby/purple in color. the nose has tobacco, bell pepper but lacks much fruit. It is complex to drink and even has slight tannins. No detectable TCA, but its possible. For whatever reason, at 21 years, this bottle just didn't have it. It just drank too old. I liked the wine and this was more a case of being disappointed when it was unveiled than a truly bad wine.
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5/1/2010 - willthethrill wrote: 89 Points
Maybe Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is meant to smell like car tires that were recently set on fire. Nice smooth fruit on the other hand.
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4/10/2010 - last chance wrote: 92 Points
Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. This wine had a very complex nose. I enjoyed the roasted coffee aromas here, but I was so seduced by the 01 Dominus in this flight that I just didn’t pay as much attention to the Pichon Baron as I should have while it was blind. The leather and hint of greenness were probably detractors for me in the context of a Cali Cult Cab tasting, so I didn’t rank this high in the flight. This was still an obviously well made wine that was very enjoyable and seemed like a much younger wine that it actually turned out to be.
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3/29/2010 - johnwine wrote: 95 Points
This wine is a blockbuster and as Parker says will be improving over the next ten to fifteen years or more.
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3/27/2010 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Tasting #1: Considering how much acclaim this wine receives it was surprisingly unmemorable given the company it was in. Hopefully I'll get to try it again, but on this occasion it was overshadowed.
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3/20/2010 - cadamson wrote: 97 Points
What an absolutely amazing nose. The kind of nose you remember for years. Unreal, scents rising feet about the glass, tobacco, leather, cedar, fruit. In a word, classic. The palate was enjoyable also (not quite up to the nose level). Fruit was still very alive, tangy red fruits in fact, with much of the scents from the nose following onto the palate. Great, great wine, years to go, but if you have it, drink it and you will enjoy!
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3/13/2010 - TheBusiness724 wrote:
Chelsea's Third Annual Birthday Wine Tasting (Lancaster, PA): My #4, the group's #4. This changed quite a bit in the glass, I thought, going from slightly vegetal to a rich and plush feel. Very much enjoyed this, but it tasted much different to me than the 1990 vintage of the same wine I was lucky enough to drink about a month ago.
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3/7/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. Dark fruit, black currant, and a slight greenness that made me think of Cabernet Franc. Only a hint of Bordeaux funk and great structure and a long finish. Youthful. Excellent.
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3/5/2010 - godx wrote: 93 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - March 2010 (Vancouver, BC): After bringing a corked bottle of this to the last lunch, I was eager to bring a good bottle this time...and a good bottle it was. Coop guessed cab franc after a few sniffs and I can see why. Greenish nose with cedar, cassis, leather and dark fruits. Has a bit of funk indicating some age but overall coming across very youthful for a 21 year old wine. On the palate darker fruits with tobacco and leather. Still a ton of structure. Based on this bottle which was clearly stored in a cold cellar, this needs 5 years at least before prime time drinking. Outstanding. 93+
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2/28/2010 - WinoRick wrote: 94 Points
Pichon Baron re-emerged in the late 80's as a top wine in Medoc, and a bargain at that. (My cost for this wine is $33) The wine is still fruity and youthful, drinking easy and beautifully. I'd wait a few more years if you have the patience, expecting more complexity and a tad more elegance.
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2/26/2010 - vbgarcia wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic bottle, complex bouquet (leather, tabacco, truffe), very elegant, integrated silky tannins, long smooth finish.
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2/5/2010 - JJL wrote: 89 Points
Liquid leather. Still good body but missing the fruit it had earlier in life.
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1/22/2010 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Pichon vs Pichon NYC (New York, United States): Much less expressive than Lalande. But more foreboding and powerful on the palate. My first impression was not as positive - the nose was not as expressive - but time in glass gave this wine time to open.There is brooding power here that screams Pauillac: and you have to love it, if you like Pauillac.
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1/16/2010 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
First Offline of the Decade (Boca Raton, FL): A very reserved Bordeaux that features elegance. It is surprisingly light bodied and the finish is shorter than expected. It did pick up some weight about an hour after it was opened (this was not decanted as we ran out of decanters). It displayed a lovely complex and balanced palate, just in a somewhat muted way. An academic wine rather than a hedonistic one.
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12/31/2009 - lebo9968@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Moderately dark purple color still. Hardly any bricking at all. Muted of dark fruit with some slight lead pencil. Palate similar to nose, with some black licorice and leather. Great smooth round mouthfeel. Very well balanced. This wine still really needs a bit more time. Try again in 2 or 3 more years - are you happy Kev?
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12/26/2009 - moonmanvegas wrote: 97 Points
This bottle showed much better then the last.
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12/25/2009 - michaelgor wrote: 97 Points
christmas day with prime rib...ran out of wines i had decanted...so popped and decanted for sediment (a lot of fine...dark purple)
then drank immediately..color is still dark purple/red... wow what a nose...dark fruit...cassis...ceder...cigar box...
more on the palate with a long smooth finish...as it opened...it got better and better..but unfortunately...we
all drank it up rather quickly...it was that time of the evening and the port awaited..the other wines were an ‘89’ lynch
and an ‘89 montrose..but the baron blew them away...dinner started with a ‘90 bolli grand anee..still fresh..
lots of bubbles..dark yellow color...yeast...almond...brioche...this too was slurped down quickly..too quickly...but yummm
happy holidays all!!
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12/13/2009 - rwgray wrote: 91 Points
This wine is still drinking well although the fruit was a little subdued. Work very well with Beef Tenderloin. I would drink my remaining two bottles in the next year.
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12/5/2009 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Something just wasn't right about this--mixed coloring on the capsule foil among several of the bottles all acquired from different venues. The cork pulled out too easy given its age too. Menthol is the most memorable characteristic of the this wine tonight and somewhat of a disjointed finish. The wine seemed to lack a sweetness from its fruit. The wine was at it best when pared with cheese but other than that I feel like I have some scoring skew given what it was.
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12/5/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. TCA nose, not musty corked just pure TCA. Lots of fruit to go with the TCA but corked. Shame.
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12/4/2009 - godx wrote: flawed
Bill's Monthly Lunch - December 2009 (Vancouver, BC): corked.
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11/27/2009 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Loose wet cork but still in decent shape. Light blackberry.
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11/11/2009 - MRichman wrote:
1989 Bordeaux at 20 years (Morton's NYC): Strong, a bit sweet, and round. Softish with tobacco, leather. Fantastic. Drinking very well on the young side.
A
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10/29/2009 - jlemerond wrote: 94 Points
popped and poured out of 375mL; drank over the following 3 hours. Dark garnet. gorgeous nose of cassis, dark, black fruits, earth and spice. just smells like a great pauillac. still quite tannic, but there is great balance between the tannins, acidity, and underlying material. long, long finish. always a great performer.
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10/13/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Decanted and drank over the course of an hour. Intense dark fruit aromas from the moment the wine began to be poured into the decanter. In the glass, ripe dark currant and berry with lots of damp earth and tobacco with worn leather and graphite. Huge fruit forward palate with lots of great texture and length. Seductive damp earth flavors on the palate as well. The finish goes on and on. A beautiful showing for this wine.
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10/11/2009 - jpijg wrote: 95 Points
The nose is dominated by red and small black confit fruits, mostly raspberry and black currant. There are also flavours of cerise a l'eau de vie with also hints of plum, truffle pepper and tobacco. The mouth is completely in line with the nose. Tanins are soft and round but definitely not weak. The ripeness of the fruits is not ovewhelming since the wine, despite a low acidity, is beautifully balanced by mineral character. There is definitely some Bordeaux magic there.
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9/5/2009 - paulst wrote: 96 Points
Smooth soft blackberry well balanced with nice earth and long soft finish.
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8/9/2009 - JJL wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was classic Pauillac on the nose, lead pencil, graphite, leather and a little saddle soap. Palate did not have much fruit, but lots of dark-toned flavors of tar, anise, pepper and charcoal. Some plum and coffee grinds on the finish as expected. The balance on this bottle was great.
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8/7/2009 - llink wrote:
Fantastic nose, black fruit, cedar and spice. Nice balance on the palate, with equal parts volume, tannin and complexity. Long finish. Still very young and primary, this wine has a ways to go before being mature.
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7/25/2009 - zimmy07 wrote:
Phil's B-Day; 7/23/2009-7/25/2009 (Chicago): from magnum, leather, cedar and some spiced oak. Really complex and well balanced
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7/25/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Phil's MONUMENTAL 33rd Birthday Wine Tasting (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): From a magnum.
Didn't show nearly as well as the magnum opened a few weeks back.
Lush black cherries and leather. Long dark liquer finish. Charred wood.
Balanced perisistent finish showing some heat. Many layers. Not as opulent of a mouth feel as previous bottle.
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7/25/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
A Weekend of Excess; 7/24/2009-7/25/2009 (Chicago/Northbrook, IL): From magnum. Firm red and black fruits with sweet cedar and graphite. Asian spice. Perhaps just a bit closed judging from the magnum had a couple months ago. Very youthful and tannic. Outstanding wine.
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7/25/2009 - psmith wrote:
Birthday Weekend; 7/23/2009-7/25/2009 (Chicagoland): From magnum. Dark fruits and tarry notes. Pretty red/black cherry. Very firm, almost closed down. Tannic, big wine. Not particularly accessable, but very good elements.
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7/25/2009 - paulst wrote: 98 Points
Elegant blackberry soft sweet tannins.
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7/9/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
After the corked bottle last night (even worse the next morning), I decided to tempt fate again with the second bottle from the same case. What a difference a bottle makes. Double decanted in the morning, served from bottle with dinner. Tar, smoke, cinnamon and menthol on the nose, more like a northern Rhone. On the palate, green spice, licorice, currants, leather, blackberry and plum. This was a big-bodied wine with lots of tannins and acidity. It drank very young and I am glad I opened it in the morning. One of the better showings of this wine that I have had.
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7/9/2009 - JJL wrote: flawed
Corked.
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6/18/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The dark ruby color looks great in the glass. Cedar, cassis, tobacco, truffles, and spice get your senses going. Deeply concentrated and full bodied with layer upon layer of rich, ripe cabernet and blackberry that glides over your palate. This wine perfectly combines power with elegance.
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5/30/2009 - psmith wrote:
From magnum. Still very youthful and dark - needs significant time. Ripe cassis notes and flashy styling for Pichon Baron. Grainy tannins. Full-bodied. Very good.
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5/30/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 96 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Outstanding wine. Enjoyed from a magnum!! Keith just decided to pop and pour this gem around the table til it was gone -- and BOY was it singing!!
Incredible deep ruby color. Showing classic creme de cassis, leather, menthol and minerals. The menthol was outstanding and fresh.
The palate showed an endless array of dark cherries, raspberries and cassis. Leather, lilacs and more mehthol were also prevalent.
The finish lasted over a minute and showed perfect balance. Tannins still had plenty of life. The acidity was laser focused. This will go another decade with ease.
Fantastic experience. Thank you Keith.
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5/18/2009 - Biglama wrote: 93 Points
mooi rood met een bruine verkleuring, prima kurk, geur is mooi vol met rijpheid, kersenfruit, pruimen, donkere tonen, cederhout, getoaste indruk, smaak is licht romig en met mooi mondgevoel, vloeiend en met concentratie, wijn is nog heel levend en aanwezig, diepgang met mooi balans en heel vriendelijk, kan nog wel jaren mee
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5/15/2009 - Paul D wrote:
UK Wine Pages Pichon Baron Offline (The Alba, London): Beefy, dark fruited, deep, savoury nose. Cassis fruit on the palate, deep, intense, savoury but sweet too, if still quite firm, very long. Lovely, my WOTN. *****
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5/15/2009 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
UK Wine Pages Pichon Baron offline (Alba Restaurant, London): Very beefy, super rich, a big savoury wine, grippier than the '90, superb
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5/15/2009 - SimonG wrote:
Pichon Baron Offline (UK Wine Forum) (Alba restaurant, London): Fabulously rich, opulent nose. Follows through to the attack; rich, rounded, spicy. Really lovely. Richer and riper than a Leoville B tasted recently. Nose becoming beef tea and then reminiscent of the 96. Fleshy, dense finish. Stunning. *****
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5/2/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Rick's Wedding Reception: Seems way too young still. Almost primal aromas of deep black currant and a lack of teriary notes. Perfectly balanced wine that shows off its fruit, and structure, and virtually screams to be cellared another 10 years. Some tobacco and gravel, this is dominated by its masculine fruit profile. Reminds me a little of the Leoville Barton house style. Very very good wine. Needs time.
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4/26/2009 - JJL wrote: 90 Points
Once again, all plums. Tannins were weaker on this bottle than usual and wine felt tart. The plums were sour, not sweet. The '90 last night was much better.
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4/25/2009 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Three hours of air and still improved through the night.
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4/11/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 96 Points
Clive Coates Dinner (Brasserie Pavil, San Antonio, TX): Dark color. Very little fruit on the nose. Smells closed. Taste was not. WOW! Wonderful balance with big red fruit and hint of plum. Incredible finish!
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4/11/2009 - BFG wrote: 95 Points
Another wonderful bottle of this great wine. This wine is in perfect balance, with fully resolved tannins and good fruit remaining after 20 years. So glad I have more of these. Note: Decanted for an hour, the wine faded a bit after a hour or so in the glass. This particular bottle was at peak maturity, and showed best upon opening.
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4/9/2009 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Again a deep ruby in color. Beautiful fruit and structure here. Very large scaeld yet poised. Cassis, baking chocolate, graphite, and flowers on the nose. Very full and very well balanced. Deep and dark, and still primary, with an almost meaty feel to it. Dense and brooding still. Much to give in the fututre. 96+ pts.
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4/1/2009 - jpwines wrote: 91 Points
This is a very good wine but we were disappointed for the price and ratings. Nose was great with barnyard, smoke and leather. It had a cherry, raspberry finish. We had decanted for 3 hours. Tannins werer soft; we just expected a little more "oomph" We will try drinking the next bottle with less decanting time.
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2/26/2009 - tahava wrote: 92 Points
Very dark youngster. Flowery scent wit dark berries on the nose. Not a classic Bordeaux, maybe too muscular. Sweet taste with chocolate and ink. A good wine, but I expected more of it.
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2/3/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
a night at michael (michael, winnetka IL): nose: classic 89 nose that is almost california ripe, but holds back just a slight bit. Huge and balanced tones of red cherries, red and black currants, leather, pencil lead, sweeter tones of cranberries, and a good bit of tobacco. Great depth, but isn't really hitting its stride yet
taste: fairly resolved tannins, but feeling very youthful with bold and rich tones of red and black currants, cedar, tobacco, leather, red cherries, and some sweet tones of cranberries.
overall: this wasrighton the cusp for me, but it didn't kick it fully into that next gear. It just seemed so young and could easily last for a very long time in the right cellar conditions. Full bodied with a ripe profile for bordeaux, this is a very unique wine that shows off what Pichon Baron does well
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2/3/2009 - jordanj wrote: 95 Points
Casual dinner at Michael (WINNETKA IL): Very nice showing. Very Dark in color almost black. Still very young. We argued just how young. Some people thought it was right in the sweet spot and I thought it had decades to go. Nice nose of pipe tobacco, leather, dirt, pencil, forest floor and autumn leaves. In the mouth the wine was still young but very smooth that tasted like cherries in a cigar box. I think this is a tad more elegant than the 1990. The finish was long and amazing with a pipe tobacco and cigar box flavor that didn’t want to leave your mouth. Great Bordeaux!
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1/25/2009 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Took a very long time to open, with a rather mute nose and quiet palate, but the wine opened up finally 3 hours in to reveal cedar, currant, grippy tannins, a nice finish. I suspect less-than-optimal storage, but the greatness of the wine managed to shine through in the end.
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1/25/2009 - MC wrote:
Still with a dark red color with some slight signs of age. This has a solid nose - but not there with the best of them. It was relatively open from the start, and over two hours it was pretty constant throughout. A very nice bordeaux that is classic and great with food, but a step short in fruit, concentration, and complexity of the best of them. Drinking well now and no reason to hold further, but should stay for some time. A-
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1/11/2009 - Clemonster wrote: 92 Points
A lovely ballanced wine. Nice red fruit, good transition, nice secondary characteristics with a polished medium body. Nothing in this wine *wowed* me -- but there was everything I love about classic aged bordeaux.
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1/4/2009 - Luvwine1 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific elegant wine. While ready to go, this will go quite a distance yet and there is no rush. Fairly large in structure, generous nose, a great match with the short ribs and steak that most of us had at the restaurant. Lovely wine--wish we had tons.
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1/4/2009 - DougLee wrote: 96 Points
Popped and decanted for an hour. Dark crimson with no discernable bricking. Powerful nose that filled the room, expressing cedar, eucalyptus, forest floor, currants, and plum. Medium-bodied but packed palate of blackcurrant, gooseberry, eucalyptus again, moca, and leather. Balance was impeccable, with veiled power coexistent with elegance and integrated tannins. Long, berry-filled finish with grip at the end. Absolutely stunning wine, still early in its prime years.
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1/3/2009 - JJL wrote: 94 Points
Opened at 5, ready to drink right out of the bottle, but did benefit from some air time. I have had this bottle about a dozen times with various results from 98 pts to 85 pts. My last few bottles had been less enjoyable and from a retail source, while this bottle was from a 12 bottle OWC that I recently bought at auction. While not the best bottle, this one was still very enjoyable. This bottle was all plums from color to nose to palate. No graphite, lead pencil, leather or blackberry, just plums. Given that I was still recovering from NYE, a simple one-dimensional bottle was what I really needed anyways. It was clearly not as good at the '90 Baron Frank brought for NYE.
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1/2/2009 - ken-yyz wrote: 96 Points
An incredible bottle. The rim barely hinted at its nearly 20 year age, dark crimson at the core. Lots of character on the nose that could only be Pauillac. Lush, harmonious and exceptionally long with a mix of dark berries, earth, leather and some pencil shavings to round it out.
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12/15/2008 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
AWESOME! Beautiful cedar and lead pencil nose. Thick, rich on the palate. Seamlessly integrated. Beautiful.
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12/8/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: 96 Points
Dark purple core with red ruby at the rim. Blueberry upon opening settling in to a restrained cedar bouquet with hints of blueberry and tobacco. This has a full palate that is sweet, integrated and more expressive than the bouquet with an added complex minerality. Nice, long albeit warm finish with tannins stimulating the front of the tongue. [95-96]
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12/7/2008 - Rinaldo Piemonte wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for about 1 hour. Much less impressive nose than that of an '82 Cos with which this was consumed but very balanced wine with lots of years left. Cassis and pencil lead and lots of backbone for further aging.
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11/26/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 91 Points
The second time in a week for a taste off of sorts, this time two '89's: in this corner the Pichon Baron and the other an '89 Barbaresco Sori Paitin. The Baron was a strong contender, which though decanted continued to improve with every whiff and sip over the course of an hour. Classic notes of cassis, graphite, and cedar, the tannins were a little harsh at first but smoothed considerably with air time. More feminine than I would have expected in depth and intensity, I might have guessed Margaux. Still, in excellent condition with a substantial future ahead. But at the end, the Paitin emerged the victor.
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10/29/2008 - BFG wrote: 96 Points
This was an oustanding bottle of wine. Rich, with hints of licorice and mint. The fruit and tannins were perfectly balanced. It doesn't get much better than this!
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10/16/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 94 Points
Wow this vintage begot the 1990, my favorite Pichon Baron and one of my favorite wines. This redwood of a wine is hugely rich, concentrated, and textured. Deep purple and carefully crafted aromas of cassis and chocolate this woodsy oak wine is gargantuan, but not the voluptuous beauty that the 1990 is and not the glory of nor the reason for fine wine.
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10/12/2008 - paulst wrote: 99 Points
Elegant but also opulent earthy blackberry with finely textured sweet soft but crunchy tanins.
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10/11/2008 - RiedelBeagle wrote: 92 Points
Not nearly as interesting as the bottle I had two years ago. This one had some nice fruit, and a kind of gentle earthiness. Not particularly complex.
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9/21/2008 - alamoave wrote: 92 Points
Very good with substantial improvement after an hour. Up against 1989 Montrose and came in a close second. Blueberry and red fruits. Plenty of grip. In prime drinking window now, which will last at least 5 more years.
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9/17/2008 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful bouquet. Very ripe and juicy cassis. Same for the taste. Full bodied. Complex. A treat!
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8/8/2008 - vinojones wrote: 94 Points
decanted 45 min--Dark ruby red; elegant nose of graphite, pipe tobacco and hints of floral notes; very smooth on the palate- great combination of liveliness and concentration- not like the modern heavily extracted types, rich cab fruit, dark plum, dark choc, maybe a touch of soy;very integrated long finish. great example of what Bdx can do-given the right juice and enough time. At it's peak- no rush. will last a long time
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7/18/2008 - mnh wrote:
This bottle appears to be still good but past its prime
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7/17/2008 - Obpoet wrote: 96 Points
Deep violet in color and concentrated on the palate, solid and unyeilding in its weight in the mouth. The core of fruit blends perfectly with the tannins. Yes, it may reward still more time in the cellar, but it's exceptional right now.
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7/13/2008 - Jaco2112 wrote: 90 Points
Young and should improve.
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7/3/2008 - BradE wrote:
Initially quite reserved (out of the bottle), but opened up beautifully after 60-90 minutes. Classic profile, a touch thinner than expected - a good lunchtime bdx!
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6/22/2008 - AllRed wrote: flawed
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Chateau Lay): Bricking - definitely an older wine. Notes of cedar, red frit and tobacco, but oh no - this has a mild cork taint too. Thin and watery on the palate, with a more pronounced TCA quality than on the nose. Still, some dried herbs and red fruit show through.
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6/15/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 91 Points
Brought to a new favorite BYO. Initially closed and musty. Took about 15 minutes in a decanter to blow off. Opened up progressively over the course of an hour and continued to improve until the last sip. Classic Pauillac aromas and flavors, especially lead pencil, cedar, tobacco and some cassis-like fruit. Not especially deep or refined, it still was a stately drink and a perfect accompaniment to lamb tournedos on a bed of mixed mushrooms. Can do another 7-10 years standing on its head. I left the last glass for the chef, who deserved it.
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6/6/2008 - godx wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Nose of cooked cherries and cassis. Flavours of dark cherries, smoked meat and leather. Firm tannins. Not quite as memorable as my last bottle but still outstanding. This could still use more time but is very good now. Drink now and for another 10+ years.
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5/13/2008 - DLT wrote: 90 Points
No decant, but let it breath in the glass about an hour. Youthful plummy purple, a little bricking. Nose is a bit muted and fairly simple, with cherries, some earth and tobacco. Palate follows, with red fruits, a little leather and tobacco, with soft tannins kicking in on the midpalate through the finish. Smooth, with nicely balanced mouthfeel and decent finish. Nothing not to like here, but not that compelling either, especially for the price. 5+12+16+7.
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5/11/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
This one wasn't as good a previous bottles but still very enjoyable. Very soft, subtle fruit with good balance.
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5/5/2008 - Brnshj22 wrote: 96 Points
Had this in a vertical with the 89/90/95/96/98/00/02/03. Absolutely mindblowing! It's true what they say even though it's hard to believe it - this one is still too young. However, who says we cannot enjoy it anyway. Will turn out in the three-digit area, for sure. One of the best - if not the best - Bordeaux I have ever had.
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4/25/2008 - wineismylife wrote:
WIMLNR
Tasted April 25, 2008 at an offline. No formal notes. Not rated because this wine was served last, was too warm and not decanted when it probably needed it because it was closed compared to previous bottles.
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4/25/2008 - grossie wrote: 91 Points
Brought by Gentleman Farmer to the champagne and bdx dinner at Sweets and Savories. This was the last of the dry reds served, and I don't remember it that well (big surprise). I recall thinking it a wine of class and high quality that needed more time. I can't say I assigned it a score last night, so my rating is a little arbitrary.
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4/9/2008 - jmoore431 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted with little "air time" after opening. Deep purplish red; nose of red fruit with tobacco and spicy leather notes; full bodied, lush textured, then a tsunami of drying tannins which inflict pain, nearly overshadowing the long, powerful follow-through. Next day, remaining half bottle with only cork stoppering: really nice and open, beautiful depth of fruit and balanced out. If this is what almost 20 year old Bord has to offer, it is no loss that recent (now every) "vintage of the century" is priced outside my reach. Can only hope to live long enough to drink what's already in the cellar.
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3/15/2008 - cortoncharlie wrote: 94 Points
Opened in conjunciton with '82 Montrose and '90 Conseillante and this wine's color was years younger than the other 2. Very enticing nose of graphite and blackberries. A layered mid-palete finishing with good lenght. Dense, chewy and vicious. Everyone thought this had a "new world" feel to it especially relative to the other two bottles. Overall very charming. Decanted for 1.5 hours and this wine could use some more air still. This wine still has a lot of life ahead of it.
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3/9/2008 - reichken wrote: 95 Points
Drunk at the Oak, decanted for approx 2 hours...dark color, no real lightening around the edges. cigar/tobacco and spice nose, with a touch or dark fruits...in the mouth a very full texture and still young primary flavor to it. red fruits, some pencil and spice box, moved well from front of mouth to middle and back, very smooth and very long. a very nice drink that feels like it is still developing and has a fairly long life ahead of it
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2/23/2008 - rwgray wrote: 94 Points
Spectacular wine. Great bouquet. Wonderful balance. Perfect age but lots of life left.
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2/22/2008 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Nice nose; Great full body; Great subtle flavor blend
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2/10/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Big, beefy and structured as well as more tannic, this is a very impressive wine. Boat loads of spicy cassis and ripe blackberries greet your nose. The stellar levels of concentration found in this perfectly balanced wine make it a treat for your intellect and senses. This is classic and classy Pauillac that will continue to improve for years.
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1/25/2008 - kris.h wrote: 95 Points
1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: Very tight nose. Some cherry and blackberry. Was served cool and opened up some as the wine warmed in the glass. Firm tannins and lots of fruit. A really nice wine, needs time though.
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12/28/2007 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Very tempting mature bouquet. Spices, leather, chocolate and ripe cassis. Tasting it blind I was surprised it was a Pauillac. So soft, so friendly. No signs of lead pencil. But really sophisticated and beautiful.
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12/15/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 93 Points
Purchased a few years ago for $139. When first poured, it semelled like wet tobacco and there was "fear of cork" in the air. However, it blew off with air and exhibited a classic mature claret profile. Very smooth and polished. Fruit is not as prominent as it was five years ago and I liked it a lot better then. But still a profound Bordeaux. Drink now through 2015.
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12/8/2007 - bbcollie wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Lovely lovely nose favour of flowers, ciger box, butter, coffee. On palate, it is well intregrated with ciger, butter, bitter and coffee favourite. Fruit is a bit hidden at the beginning, it is different style from Lafite. After 1 hour, it is opened up a lot more, nose of lovely smell keep increasing, and taste too, maybe it needs more time on palate. I still cannot find a lot of fruits coming out, but the coffee, cigar and bitter smell is well intregrated. Cost EUR350 a bottle in Hong Kong, it is good wine itself, but price is just too high for 2nd Growth.
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10/27/2007 - Moorese wrote: 94 Points
My 40th and some notes...Bordeaux, CdP, Quilceda, etc. (Seattle): Really muscular and tannic, but with a beautifully exotic nose of tea leaves and black currant. Pretty impenetrable. Clearly a big, rich wine that isn’t yet showing all of its fruit. In retrospect, I’d give this a longer decant (or more time in the cellar).
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10/5/2007 - godx wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Cru in NYC - Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of vegetables, sweet and dirty all at once. Asparagus and broccoli. Also notes of cinnamon, cherries and cotton candy. Very complex and intriguing. On the palate, so silky and smooth and extremely complex. 2 minute plus finish. Tongue numbing flavours of cherries, both ripe and sour. After a few minutes flavours of smoke, leather, apricot and some smoky wood also came through. Nose evolving throughout the bottle giving more fruit and vegetables; cassis and mushroom very obvious. Subtle, powerful and youthful. This will live for a long time further but is so delicious now. 94+
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7/3/2007 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 96 Points
Younger than the Lalande, more power too! Beautiful rich nose, tighter but more potential.
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5/19/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92, WA95,WS98
Tasted May 19, 2007 at and offline. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, graphite and black cherries. Flavors of black berries, currants and cassis. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold. NOTE: second time I’ve had this wine in the past month and this bottle wasn’t showing quite as well as the first bottle. For what it’s worth.
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4/24/2007 - JasonD wrote:
Took this bottle to Tilth, decanted over an hour and drank over two. Was really starting to shine tobacco and blackberry with a great finish.
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4/13/2007 - futronic wrote: 95 Points
Philly Pre-Game Champagne and Bordeaux Dinner (Marigold Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA): Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of cedar, alcohol, cassis, and smoke. Medium-bodied, silky texture, with really nice dark fruit. Moderate finish, ~30s, with more dark fruit. Really stellar wine.
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4/13/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 95 Points
Champagne & Bordeaux Offline (Marigold in Philadelphia, PA): WIML95,WA95,WS98
Tasted April 13, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted for sediment right before serving. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, leather, roasted meat and Kirsch. Flavors of cassis, sweet berries and chewy red currants. Medium acidity and tannins, full bodied. Needs more time in bottle in my opinion.
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4/13/2007 - psmith wrote:
Really full-bodied and with a ripe, new-world feel. Dark fruits. Needs lots of time, a bit overdone for my tastes at this point.
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4/10/2007 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Offline with Jonathan Dinh (Seattle, WA): This is also such a solid example of Pauillac. Loads of cassis on the dusky nose. Almost impenetrable on the palate. Dark and brooding with some coffee. Just classic, young Bordeaux. Very un-evolved, young, grippy and vibrant. Really, let 'em rest but what a terrific baby of a wine with lots of upside.
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4/8/2007 - vinolovers wrote: 94 Points
Served with a roast leg of lamb! Opened to a mild nose and did not decant. The bottle did not throw off much sediment. A deep garnet color with just a hint of orange around th edge. This is a powerful, almost brooding wine that shows what a mature Bordeaux achieves. Flavors of black currants, blackberries, cassis, covered with some leather, tobacco, chocolate, layered with tannins that have smoothed out but still have a grip. A super wine and there is no need to rush and drink the balance!
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4/5/2007 - Myownscale wrote: 85 Points
Nose:
lighter on the nose, very little, wood, some floral, and vanilla
Palate:
more wood, vanilla, ML ferm. nice smooth and easy to drink
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4/1/2007 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful juice! More elegant compared to the Lynch Bages 89. Has everything you expect in a good Pauillac; black currants, soft lead pencil, tobacco, etc. Full bodied and good tannin.
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3/12/2007 - old tractor wrote: 97 Points
Dark ruby color. Heady aromas. Intense dark currant flavors. Entering early maturity. I think perfect, but would go another 15+ years. Consumed at the Alain Passard dinner, Manresa. The wine of the evening. The chefs Kinch?Passard agreed.
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2/25/2007 - JScott wrote: 94 Points
Youthful color and really still needs time. Did not decant. Did not find the stink others here describe; just pure fruit and early secondaries. Needs time, but it's a pleasure already.
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2/23/2007 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Pauillac (Seattle, WA): Reticent, a bit spicy, intense and soaring on the nose. Holy crap, this is crazily flamboyant but also incredibly tannic and punishing. A glorious wine, but this is really tight with 5 hours of decanting. I would either decant a lot more (8+ hours) or a lot less.
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1/28/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
Bordeaux on the Hudson (Peter Pratt's Inn): This wine had an interesting horse-y nose that, while a little off-putting at first, settled down to reveal nice layers of smoky cassis, lead and tobacco. Where the 1990 was opulent in the mouth, this was somewhat angular (I circled a big "backward" in my notes). The tight core of fruit was unquestionably ready for drinking but for the tannic power that restrained it. There will be those that adore this wine for its structure and power, but I don't think it's near ready to be fully enjoyed. A very nice wine nonetheless.
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1/27/2007 - trankin wrote:
Peter Pratt's Luguresque Offline - Italian Table (Peter Pratt's Inn - Yorktown Heights): Mature, lovely bordeaux.
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1/6/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 85 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V. (Netherlands): Dirty laundry, very tannic. Awkward. Off-bottle, or dump phase? 15/20
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12/31/2006 - Weinlakai wrote:
This is so hard to rate! We had it together with a 1982 Lalande... to state it mildly: in direct comparison this wine lost big time! No wonder you might say, but I was really impressed about how superior the Lalande was. Right after opening I tried some sips without the Lalande already in memory. It seemed to be a very classic, well made Bordeaux that has a long time ahead. Maybe 91 points. There is nothing to hurry when it comes to this wine. But again: I can't really give a detailed rating.
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12/26/2006 - Biglama wrote: 94 Points
Rode kleur donker, neus is erg uitbundig met mooie rijpe tonen van donker rood fruit, cassis en mooi houtgebruik, leer tabak, zeer kenmerkend voor Pauillac, met kracht diepgang en toch ook verleidelijk, zachte rijpe tannines en een lange mooie afdronk
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12/21/2006 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Lampreia with the Klarman's. Textbook Pauillac. A huge nose of tobacco, iron, cassis and flowers is followed by a hammer of a palate. Masculine, brawny and powerful, this screams Cabernet. There is a sweet core of fruit, but the exterior is loaded with structure, earth and tobacco. Yum!
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11/24/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby color. Beautifully austere 'masculine' nose of blackcurrant, blackberry, pencil lead and toasty spice. On the palate it is silky and very dry with a touch of residual tannin. (From magnum).
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11/11/2006 - SacredCow wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for sediment only, and poured back into bottle. Tasted 3-1/2 hours later.
Large amounts of stink on the nose, covering the fruit. On the palate, full-bodied but very backwards, with blackberries, cassis, hints of blueberry, and lots of earthiness. Long finish, but quite dry tannins. Not a good showing for this bottle compared to the one a year and a half ago, but still reaches outstanding.
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11/10/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Trip to Dallas - 89/90 Bordeaux and Older Cali Cabs; 11/7/2006-11/10/2006 (Dallas, Texas): Straight off there was something not right about this, a bit of hay barn, and dustyness. Tannins show a little tacky and the fruit unclean. Some kind of fault here, a real shame, this was drinkable, enjoyable even but not what it should be.
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10/15/2006 - navantis wrote: 90 Points
Slightly oxidized. Good, not great.
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10/8/2006 - cellarid wrote: 96 Points
Massive inky wine with soaring classic aromas. Very lush and full-flavored with perfect ripeness and tons of weight. Finish goes on an on. Terrific stuff. Needed over an hour of decanting to open up.
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10/6/2006 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
This puppy is back from a deep sleep and open for business!!! No sediment??
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9/30/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
HDH Pre-Auction Tasting Highlights (Chicago IL): Wine tasting. Great black fruit aromas, still vibrant and young. Lots of spice on palate works well with the rich fruit flavors. Wonderful structure and balance, this is a really top notch 1989. Hold to 2010 or later.
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9/7/2006 - RiedelBeagle wrote: 95 Points
Drank this without decanting at all, and I wasn't sorry. Wonderfully complex nose, rare beef, dates, and a hint of barnyard. Fantastic on the palate. Wonderful cassis and spices. Finishes pretty long. Great tannic structure. Excellent acidity. I really enjoyed this wine.
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8/25/2006 - Tree512 wrote: 96 Points
Slight bricking but still looking very young. Just entering its plateau of maturity, loads of classic Pauillac fruit with the beginnings of secondaries and still a good bit of tannin to resolve. Huge, long, and very enjoyable. A great wine finally beginning to show its stuff.
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7/28/2006 - amred wrote: 96 Points
Tasted with 4 other 1982s and 1989s...was the best of the evening. Still dark color, classic bordeaux lead pencil nose. Intense fruit, but extraordinarily well-balanced with soft but clearly evident tannins. Complex in the mouth with classic blueberry, cassis. Was a hit.
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7/15/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
Vintage Pairs Offline (Caldesi, London): Minerally-talcy cassis nose (cabernet dominated?), but there's plenty of blackberry and plummy fruit too. Soft and integrated on the palate. Nicely complex with lots of layers. An interesting wine with good character. Very Good Indeed.
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7/7/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at Jeff and Marya Samuelson's: A big, structured, powerful wine. Quite a contrast to the two Haut Brion. The nose is dominated by stern black fruit, beef, and cigar box. Less one-dimensional on the nose than the Lynch Bages, but somewhat reserved. Pure structure in the mouth. You can detect some fruit, and know it is present, but the taste is really dominated by the structure at this point in its development. This was great to taste now, but should be something spectacular with additional time in the bottle.
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6/30/2006 - KellyW wrote: 95 Points
Still showing very young. Classic Paulliac nose. Soft but sexy palate. Lots of spice.
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6/15/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Firing on all cylinders. This concentrated wine was chocked full of ripe, rich Cabernet fruit. The long clean, pure finish remained with you.
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6/5/2006 - mnh wrote:
Medium ruby. Expressive claret nose. Very ripe and beautifully developed.
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6/2/2006 - Gulelin wrote: 94 Points
Redish Purple color, showing signs of maturity. Great nose. Medium to full bodied. Good structure, very smooth. Tannins have all mellowed leaving layers of flavors.
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5/21/2006 - br wrote:
very tight after opening. notes of berries, meat and loads of black licorice. velvety in the mouth but very few flavor to be had. long finish, and I mean long, so I would guess that this should fill out nicely. after 4 hours decanting, the aromas became much richer and deeper with beefy, berry flavors, but I still think this wine is a bit young (despite the tinge of orange in the color). put just under 1/2 the bottle into a 375ml to have w/dinner tomorrow. for now, ***1/2
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4/30/2006 - Rani wrote: 95 Points
Offline chez Dan Bailey (London): Consistently beautiful. Textbook blackcurrant, pencil lead and cedar, with fat tannins and rich, velvety fruit on the palate. Long finish. Yummy.
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4/5/2006 - MRichman wrote:
RFG Dinner (David Wainwright event) (Triomphe, NYC): Very nice clean fruit. Full. Lean center.
B+
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3/1/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
This powerful, elegant Bordeaux offeres an intoxicating perfume of cassis, smoke, earth, black raspberries, coffee and spices. This full bodied, richly concentrated wine coated your palate with layers of fabulous, deep, rich, fruit. The wine had it all, attack, beautiful mid-palate and lengthy finish.
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2/27/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Still young, this larger-scaled wine offers layers of thick, ripe, black fruit, spices and cassis. Powerful and balanced.
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2/16/2006 - Eric wrote:
Leve does 1989 Bordeaux at Mélisse (Los Angeles, CA): Black fruit, graphite, some vanilla. Really nice depth. Probably the best of the flight.
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12/20/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Textbook Paulliac. Boat loads of cassis, earth, dark fruit and tobacco fill your glass. At 17 years old, it’s still very young. Fresh, plush, long and round in style, this is only going to get better.
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11/6/2005 - Mark wrote: 94 Points
After a long day photo shot in eastern California, I was ready to relax with a grilled NY Strip and something from Bordeaux. This happened to be one of the first bottle I pulled and that was that. Very impressive density, this is a dark ruby red wine that is almost opaque. Nose of roasted dark red fruit, cassis, spice, tobacco leaf, charcoal, a roasted fruit characteristic. Initially, medium weight in the mouth, it didn’t follow the lead that the nose presented with a short finish. but I was really impressed as to how much the wine filled out over many hours. It was cearly tasting it's best at hours 3-4.
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10/21/2005 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
WS New York Wine Experience 'Wines of the Year' Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Deep red/purple crimson. Wonderful aroma of blackcurrant fruit, briar, and graphite. Still tight black fruit with some spiciness and tannin on the finish. Lots of great fruit here, but still could use more time! Opened up a bit more in the glass...
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10/9/2005 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Tasting of 80's Bordeaux at Seattle Wine Storage (Seattle, WA): Oh baby, what a wine. A nose of violet, melted chocolate, a touch of horse and a touch of VA. This is a rich wine showing a touch of alcohol. Some stalkiness on the palate but in a good way. Primary, black fruit, loaded with graphite, a relative baby.
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9/18/2005 - Rani wrote: 96 Points
Lunch at the Williams residence (Kent, England): This was the best bottle of this from my cellar to date. Dark ruby and still purple at the edges. Notes of cedar, blackcurrant, cigar box and leather on the nose. Beautifully structured, with cassis, minerals tightly wound up in a silky texture, supplanted by fine powdery tannins and a long finish. Superb.
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7/22/2005 - Rani wrote: 95 Points
Birthday wines (Tendido Cero, London): This bottle was better than the one I brought to the Gary Margol offline (or perhaps it's just the Screagle, Harlan and HSS that made that bottle look bad). Decanted for 90 minutes, put back in the bottle and consumed 2 hours later. Oodles of ripe dark fruit, coffee, tobacco and a touch or thyme on the nose. On the palate it is powerful yet elegant, with gripping dry tannins, savoury notes intermingled with prunes, black cherries and blackcurrants. Long finish. Excellent.
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7/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 92 Points
Gary Margol Offline (Bentley Hotel London): Ruby rim, slightly over oaky (spicy vanilla) nose. I found a slight rawness to the tannin, and a dusty finish. I was much less enamoured with this wine that others, perhaps I didnt give it long enough in the glass.
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6/11/2005 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): The 1989 Baron is always a stunning wine, and this was a fine example. Taut, elegant, loaded with mineral and cedar on this nose, this is simply awesome and pure. The palate continues in this vein with fresh acidity, cranberry, loads of liquefied minerals, very tight yet impeccably balanced, opening gorgeously. I successfully guessed Baron on this one. Group average 95.6 points.
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4/21/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Pichon Baron vs Pichon Lalande (Triomphe Restaurant in NYC): Dense, , nice round fruit. Prune & cherry. Smooth with dark tar fruit. Pure and clean.
A-
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4/21/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 93 Points
TN: OFFline: Pichon Baron VS. Pichon Lalande 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000 (NYC): Of the 2 wines - this had a slight edge to me. It tasted better today but I thought that the Pichon Lalande could be better tomorrow. The Baron was open for business. It tasted delicious and was brawney, muscular, ripe, with plenty of extraction. Tobacco and lead pencil and lushed out tannins. A nice wine.
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3/26/2005 - bdenuyl wrote: 96 Points
Great Bordeaux! Rich, elegant, with perfect balance. Drinking quite well. It was great the first two nights it was opened, but was gone by the third night, so don’t hold too long. A real delight.
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1/22/2005 - CSteefel wrote:
Darkest ruby red. On the nose, quite reticent aromas of cassis and other dark fruit, with some faint kirsch and spice notes that made me think of a southern Rhone varietal. In the mouth, quite impressive mouth feel--great concentration, if still nearly 100% closed. None of the classic aged Bordeaux notes there yet, this wine seems almost unevolved. Massive wine with considerable potential, showing up on the brooding finish, but when will it come around?
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1/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Deep red ruby. Bright clean aromas of red fruit. Huge black fruit with nice sweetness and balance. 1/05
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1/1/2005 - KellyW wrote: 96 Points
Classic Pauillac. Having erred on the wrong side before on older Bdx, I decanted but did not let this air. So at first I was a bit dissapointed as the wine was still at cellar temp and the wine very muted. A mouth full of pencil shavings. But after an hour this baby was doing an aria. Like that SNL skit about Antonio Banderas: Too sexy!, Too sexy! All secondary, with forest floor and mineral this wine is best drunk without peers.
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12/19/2004 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Ross and Ali (Seattle, WA, USA): The nose screams of minerals with cassis, black fruit and a subtle floral component. Over time this moves to tobacco and cedar. The palate screams of brawny Cabernet, yet the tannins are silky. This is really a mouthful of mineral and tobacco and is still fairly closed. With time this does show more and more sweet fruit and a juicy palate as it finally opens. The finish is dusty, earthy and grippy showing lots of graphite. This is clearly still pretty closed, and even with four hours of air and a big steak, this needs more time to unfold.
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5/29/2004 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with the Britton's (Seattle, WA, USA): The nose shows loads of cedar with a background of mint, tobacco, tar and some floral notes. The palate is thick, dense and chewy with ample structure, yet the wine is exceptionally balanced. I am surprised at how primary this is. It delivers a mouthful of earth and cassis with a black, dark, brooding personality. A delicious young Bordeaux with a decade ahead to round into form.
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5/15/2004 - dbg wrote:
great chocolate, mocha nose, rich, ready, fairly full-bodied, but
Lynch overtakes it after opening for an hour in the glass, might
need a few more years
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4/20/2004 - RossM wrote: 95 Points
What an amazing wine. I don't think my last bottle will be around in twelve months' time. Deep black in color. Hints of leather, cassis, earth...layer upon layer. Sweet fruit, med tannin. Wow! I wouldn't have guessed this wine to be 15 years old, but more like 3 to 5. My wine of the year.
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3/27/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 94 Points
Consumed unblinded at Ken Johnson's home with beef tenderloin. Bottle provided by Ken Johnson. Bright disc. Deep-to-opaque garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing an intense, lovely bouquet of kirsch, licorice, minerals and damp earth. Full-bodied and silky-textured on the palate, with low acidity, ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Beautiful now, but will likely further improve with additional cellar time.
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1/4/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Starts with wonderful nose showing lots of plum and other dark ripe fruit. Spice and fruit start out on palate, followed by sense of leather, vanilla and some cassis near finish. Good smoky character throughout. All well balanced and integrated today. Moderate length.
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12/26/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 93 Points
Dark red with slight browning at the rim. Scents of minerals and vitamin pills. Dense and complex in the mouth. Quite tight and un-yielding at present. Sweet in taste, well sctructured and quite elegant. Long aftertaste. This wine was very closed, but obviously packed. My guess was Lynch Bages.
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12/5/2003 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Patrick Halstead's "Boxed wine vs. aged Bordeaux" tasting (Bellevue, WA, USA): Tasted single blind and guessed incorrectly as the 1997 Falesco Montiano. The nose on this is exotic and floral with a stern, black character on the palate and loads of structure. I was upset that I missed this one, as this was the one of the few wines which I had tasted before.
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9/19/2003 - Jason wrote: 95 Points
Nose of brett and forest floor. Lush, sweet black fruit and tobacco. Big tannic finish but strong fruit to match.
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9/19/2003 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
A heavenly night of Pichon!!! (Seattle, WA, USA): A nose of sweet cedar, tobacco, and earth. Oh my, this is deeply layered, dark and brooding, but with time in the glass the bottle sweetness is emerging. The finish on this was initially tight and somewhat clipped, but the wine quickly opens up in the glass. This wine still has 10 years ahead of it to resolve tannins.
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8/8/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 94 Points
Another dark red wine. Initially this wine (and the next one - the two appeared as a flight) was served way too hot. The temperatures outside made it almost impossible to serve the wines at the correct temperature. After having resides in the freezer for about 20 minutes, notes of forest floor appeared. What had first seemed like a 96 California cabernet, turned into a real beauty of a wine - somewhat strong and perhaps overly powerful, but very classy.
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10/20/2002 - otisabdul wrote: 97 Points
Sampled at a the 2002 Wine Spectator Wine Experience in Las Vegas at a seminar of '89 and '00 "Super Second" Growths, moderated by James Suckling. 75% C/S, 20% Merlot, 5% PV. A past winner of WS "Wine of the Year", this was my favorite wine of the tasting. Gorgeous balance and texture, with concentrated fruits and floral notes that slowly fan out toward a lengthy finish. Still improving. Really complex. Last spring ('02) in London, this wine won a blind tasting of '89 Bordeaux (including the 1st growths) that Suckling participated in.
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8/6/2002 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 92 Points
Dark red, again. Some plums on the nose, as well as dark fruits and leather. Fairly forth-coming and accessible. But again lacking style and charm. And a semi-short finish that, it has to be said, was balanced and quite focused. Maybe a bit tough, this wine.
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12/31/2001 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
ELEGANT WINE WHICH TOOK NEARLY 45 MINUTES TO OPEN UP INTO RICH BERRIES, LICORICE, AND PLUMS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. COMPLEX WINE WITH A LONG FINISH.
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3/1/1999 - mnh wrote:
Big yummy pauillac style. Typical for vintage. Will age well
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4/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Huge color. Equally huge spicy nose. Only medium concentration though and lacks breed and sophistication. But it could develop into something more interesting.
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2/23/1997 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
This will be one TN for Pichon Baron 1988, 1989 and 1990 (tasted blind, not knowing the chateau, but knowing it were these three vintages.) All three wines were full bodied, round, complex and a good dose of soft oak. Soft and creamy fruit. The 1988 has a good dose of fairly soft tannin. The 1990 has a little more bitterness and liquorice. The 1989 is the most full bodied, juicy and complex.
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4/1/1992 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
At home at dinner (pizza). An incredibly dark ruby color. Black and opaque. Amazing. Big, dark, chewy, roasted fruit in the nose. Wow! It is amazing and DENSE. Even more concentrated and intense on the palate. Big, tannic, chewy and dense, but with a TON of fruit. Tremendous potential. Yowza! 5-10-17-9: 91/100.
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3/25/1992 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Opaque ruby/purple with red rim. Nose closed, with moderate currants, oak, vanilla and plum. Loads of supple tannins. Good fruit on palate. Big extract, good balance. Will require a substantial amount of time.
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3/5/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
1989 Bordeaux Tasting (Prima, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Rich, sweet, young fruit, hints of earth and chocolate, big body, long finish.
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