The best Haut Brion 1988 I've had. Others have been quite flat, this had some of the intensity and lift I expect from Haut Brion. Deep rich dark fruits, tar and some vanilla and leather. Beginning to dry but still great fruit. Elegant. Mid bodied. Long and complex. Drinking now, will last for many years.
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8 decades tasting. One of the best wines was Haut Brion. No decant. Dark red. No sign of age. Tobacco, walnut, dark fruit. Beguiling aromatics. Not too much. Just right. Acidity perfectly integrated Strong and ripe tannins. Good structure. There was a sip left in the bottle which I consumed two days later. Still strong. More voluptious. A bit fuller. A notch better than l‘ Arrosee 1966.
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Haut Brion really crushed the 1980s. The 1988 might be one of the tops for the vintage. 1988, sometimes, can be a little too green and bell peppery for me. This wine is far from that. It has the HB signature deep, dark, red velvet. There are red and black cherries, with gobs of soil, dark, loamy, soil, the kind one finds in the mountains. The greenness from the vintage shows here as dog fennel and mown fields of mixed grasses, which is perfectly acceptable to me. I gather mineral traits, and plenty of holiday spice. It’s amazing how I perceive texture from this bottle; I think, ‘Only HB has that texture!’ I get the gravel, baking spice, and dark soil of LMHB, but with the added velvet texture. It’s truly terrific.
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"Off" Vintages from Elite Producers: (Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, etc) (Charlotte, NC): Opened at 5pm and decanted for one hour. Back in the bottle until dinner at 6:30pm when cork was removed and slo-ox until serving at ~7:30pm. Beautifully expressive nose – red and black fruits with a hint of rusticity. Confirmed on the palate with a great balance between structure and complexity – dark fruits, truffle, and soft leather. For this flight it had a more youthful intensity that was only surprising because of how youthful the 1981s drank. Excellent length finish, an A+ wine that was my WOTN until retasting hours later when both the Petrus and Margaux reached absolutely sublime levels.
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Aromatically the wine is less about fruit than it is about that "Haut Brion classic nose" of smoked barbecue meat. Very much a Haut-Brion. This vintage is fully ready right now and maybe even past its best drinking window. I love older wine. I love their unique aromatic notes and flavors unavailable in the food world. This does not let down. Finish is soft with very mild tannins.
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In my cellar since release. Decanted about an hour before tasting. I think I should have given it more time but was too busy. Bright garnet color that shows little to no bricking. That said the wine was better than the pro scores given in the past. This was a bit smoky with game meat notes, herbs, cassis, plum and menthol. Mid-weight and velvety texture, tart on the finish, but very long. Well paired to sous vide and seared beef. I think this would have deepened and broadened with more aeration like previous bottles.
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Medium garnet, medium plus acid and medium plus aged ripe tannins, immediately hits your nose with smoke, tobacco, leather, cigar box. On the palate there is still red fruit leaning towards cherries and sour cherries, tomato leaf, vanilla, clove and nutmeg. Nice, long finish.
Delicious wine no doubt with strong personality, I'm not sure if this 35 year old wine can continue to develop better in the bottle so if you have one it's time crack it open.
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2.5 years since last bottle. This is entering its prime drinking window. Tannins resolved and a generous full bodied wine. Slightly less complex and focused next to a 97 petrus. This still requires about 90 min in the decanter. Should drink well for another 5-10 years. I don’t see this as long lived as 82, 86, 89 or 90.
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Prominent feature of the pessac graphite/gravel, which is beautiful. Fruit is still young and with a good amount of structure. Drinking nicely now with a long life ahead.
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The smoky bouquet is the best part. Typical Haut-Brion. This vintage is fully ready and while obviously not a blockbuster like the ‘89 or ‘90 it’s enjoyable to drink despite the slightly hollow mid palate. Moderately advanced color. Tannins are fairly soft and unobtrusive. I can’t see it improving from here so don’t wait.
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Significantly outperforming expectations, with the signature cigar ash and smoke notes present in spades, complemented by forest floor and saline aspects before giving way to an admittedly drying finish. Dinged a few points for the lack of fruit, but still an impressive showing.
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Chris’s 1st Growth Series — Haut Brion (La Trompette, London): Mid ruby. Nicely dense. A florality to the top notes here. Lovely attack, but a very clear vintage character grip and dryness on the finish, though this does soften with air and food. Quite light and airy on the mid palate. Attractive in a lighter frame. Up there with the better bottles of 88 HB, but the threads are starting to wear. ***1/2
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Double decanted 4 hours before serving. Dark red core, not much lightening. Nice nose of smoke, cassis, but seemed closed compared to the cornucopia of other Haut Brion and La Missions tasted that night. Medium full body, good balance, not much complexity. If served on its own I’d say it’s excellent and still too young, but compared to all the others I’m wondering if it has the stuffing to really blossom and have to rate it very good in context.
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This is my kind of Bordeaux, with an expressive and stimulating bouquet of dried dark fruits, roasted fennel, black truffle, earth and cigar box. Medium bodied, with classic structure, velvety texture, excellent precision and focus, layers of flavor, and a long, savory, refreshing finish. Double decanted an hour before dinner.
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Smelled so young with punching black fruits, and didn’t had any tertiary in the nose despite it’s age. Feeling was kinda same in mouth, blackberries, leather and cigar box
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(CDV) Au premier abord, nous étions séduit: ce fumé, cette race, ce nez ténébreux, ah le grand bordeaux puissant, solaire, tertiaire! Mais à mesure qu'il prenait l'air (non carafé pourtant) le boisé prenait les devant et la matière s'annonçait de plus en plus asséchante: une déception. Vu son age, et les autres avis sur CT, peut-être un probleme de bouteille? A 1000 lieues du 89 en tout cas...
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This wine has actually gotten better with age. The last couple bottles didn’t impress me but this one knocked y socks off. One left and am going to hold it for a few more years
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An excellent bottle of this showing HB's gruff side in the style of the vintage. Delicious and penetrating dark red fruits with plenty of grippy acidity and lots of crunchy power and complexity on the finish with notes of char, tobacco and smoky gravel. Not the most subtle or elegant vintage of HB but I rather like the rough and tumble intensity. Pretty much ready.
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Popped and poured; a spur of the moment decision, ideally would have double decanted an hour in advance. Deep carnet core, turning to blood red at the rim. A classic bouquet of scorched earth, dried plums, tobacco; hints of black truffle and crushed stones. Medium bodied, with great balance, precision, and depth; very “classic” style, with the ‘88 vintage character shining through. Heavenly stuff!
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Decanted for 3+ hours, lots of residue, need to have it filtered. Visual: Dark trending toward brownish. Nose: Cassis, hearth, truffle, leather, hint of pepper, smoke. Taste: Soft, tender, full, round and well balanced. Really enjoyed. Should have had it decanted for an extra hour as it gained as dinner was extending.
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[Blind] Bloody. Spicy. Red Cedar. A pine resin sort of bitter sweetness about the youthful black and red fruit that suggests a fresh example or an older wine. Interesting comparison here as I had a '90 in September and an '89 in December, and although this is great and clearly underrated value, 'this 88 doesn't match either of those two vintages in terms of complexity or expression. 93 - 94.
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Drinking beautifully and interesting to compare with the Ducru of the same vintage. Both were delicious but as you would expect, very different. Open for a few hours and double decanted, then consumed over two more. If I were drinking this ‘alone’ I would have decanted and taken a whole day to drink, as it was still opening up during our final sips. That said, it was still accessible and interesting. The nose was almost floral and delicate, with a hint spice and savory herbs. On the palate, black fruit and subtle spice, so smooth and well integrated. An underrated vintage.
Deep ruby core with a light garnet edge. This wine has a youthful core of black fruit on the nose with a hedonistic blend of vanilla and wet earth notes. On the palate it is structured and energetic. Silky with grip on the back end. Wow. Drink now or hold for another 15+ years.
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2.5 hour decant which is still needed. Everything you would expect with very nice balance and finish. Reminded me of a little more robust and heavier 1994. This is in its prime and next time i will decant for 4 hours. No rush to drink these.
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Medium garnet. Nose resembling that of Chinese herbs, and burnt twigs, and a bit of dried cranberry and meat. Some kick of tannins, while silky and a dried flower sense, and with smoked meats, then some cherry. Minute-long finish. Great!
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Double decanted two hours before dinner; fill was perfect and the cork pristine. Haut Brion Vertical 1985, 1988, 1995. For me, this is a perfect wine. I readily acknowledge that my preferences lean very much towards the "classic" style of Bordeaux, so those with a taste for Parker or Leve fruit bombs will probably not like this as much as I did! A deep and lively garnet with just a hint of bricking at the rim. Heavenly and complex bouquet, with notes of earth, truffle, cedary dark fruits, tobacco, leather and flowers. Medium bodied, with incredible delineation, great focus and depth, ripe, silky tannins, and a long and savory finish. Heavenly stuff, and by far my favorite of the 1995, 1988, and 1985 that we consumed. All 4 bottles came from my Cellar, Chaine dinner at June BYOB.
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In my cellar since release. Decanted at 5pm and tasted from 7:30-9:30pm. This was the wine of the night for me among wines from each of my kids’ birth years (first time we were all together in more than a year...including a 2006 Joseph Leitz Riesling, 2004 Ch. Montelena Chard, 1982 Lafite and 1984 Silver Oak Alexander. Much more interesting on the nose and the palate with a killer finish and lots of life left. Curious how the pro’s all seem to have denigrated this wine yet on this evening it soared. The color was a bright medium garnet with no bricking to speak of...just pristine looking. The nose was fragrant, floral, fruity and earthy with a lovely slightly cooked bacon aroma. The palate still had good acidity was rich and chewy, yet had a smooth velvety texture. There was plum, cassis and leather on the palate along with the bacon note and little oak influenced flavors. The finish was very long and layered. Really amazingly balanced, vibrant and bright for a 32+ year old wine.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; double decanted about 2 hours before service. A deep garnet with no amber. A classic and extroverted bouquet, offering up notes of earth, cigar box, plums, black truffle and hints of leather. Medium bodied, savory character, with great depth and balance. Long and complex finish.
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This 31 years old is in the very best spot now, reminds me of 1975, cassis, leather, tobacco, well balance, round and delicious, surprisingly elegant at this stage. Truly Classic !! 93-94/100
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Kuki'o Wine Trip 2019; 9/22/2019-9/28/2019 (Champagne & Bordeaux): Aromas are classic older Haut-Brion with red cedar cigar box and red wood spice. Maturing red and black berry with intriguing smoke and wood detail. Palate is totally resolved and moderately sweet. Far preferred this to the ‘88 Margaux alongside.
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Champagne, Riesling, and Bordeaux with Skippy (Chicago, IL): The nose on this bottle feels a little dumb, but you can also tell there's a lot of ripe fruit and earthiness hidden there. It needs time to emerge (and a quick revisit at the end of the evening seemed to indicate that this may have needed more air than it got). The palate is more expressive than the nose this time, with lots of concentrated fruit and plenty of structure. That famous minerality is on display on the finish here. Needs lots more time -- I think there's enough fruit to age alongside the structure on this wine.
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Holiday dinner at the French Embassy, Washington D.C. (French Embassy): Tasted after the 1978 LMHB, this comes across as downright infanticide. I am half joking. You have to love the substance here, very youthful and even tight. It opens up nicely over time, and this time, we held on to the glasses for the remaining 90 minutes of the dinner. There is a bit more weight to the Haut Brion 88 when compared to the LMHB 78, but also acidity that keeps it taut. The fruit is more obvious here, with ripe plum and some dark cherry notions, but tertiary aspects are coming to the fore: touches of fresh earth, a bit of leather and some tobacco, too. I would say hold on to you Haut Brion 1988 for a few more years, but it ain't no crime to open one today. Fine length!
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Medium to deep tawny, light and pleasant aroma. Medium body. More red fruit taste but balance. Smooth tannin. Long and smooth aftertaste. Better serve slightly chilled.
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Very dark color and lovely nose of smoky dark fruits. Somewhat monolithic and not showing a whole lot but there are nice hints of tobacco and dark spices with a firm, structured finish. Not sure if this wine will still blossom with more time or just never find it's footing and it really suffered at the same table as the '89 & '90.
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Took 20 mins to open up, but when it did: wow! Still fragrant and floral on the nose, but predominantly leather and tobacco. On the palate, the tannins have pretty much fallen away so it’s more gentlemanly, with similar flavours as the nose, perhaps with some mushroom. It’s holding up well but drink up for something special. The acidity is still firm so maybe could last longer but to be honest, I wouldn’t chance it.
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Haut is one of my favorite wines, it’s my go to when treating novice wine drinkers, it is so distinctive and mesmerizing! This one is better every time I try. We all enjoyed it, still has plenty of time.
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From a half bottle. Very much still together. With a couple hours of air, the wine improved and stayed vigorous. The nose is on the austere side for Haut Brion, with underbrush, leafy tobacco, and dried black fruit. Very elegant no doubt. Medium bodied and smooth on the palate, it is an easy wine to drink. The Lafite 1988 I had from a full bottle recently was superior with more verve and intrigue but this HB is certainly one of the bigger successes from the vintage. A full bottle I had 5 years ago was more typical of Haut Brion with a larger amount of tobacco on the noise but these bottles were clearly cut from the same stone.
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Semiblind Haut Brion Tasting (Guido's Cellar): Sehr spannende semiblinde Haut Brion – Probe in sehr geselliger Runde mit tollem Gastgeber und einer sehr leckeren Forellen-Tarte. Alle Flaschen wurden zwischen 0,5-3 Stunden doppelt dekantiert. Was die Treffgenauigkeit der Jahrgänge betraf, ist noch deutlich Luft nach oben. Interessant war, dass die Differenz in den Bewertungen (6 Trinker) bei fast allen Weinen maximal im 2-Punkte-Bereich lagen. Es wurde eine Flasche nach der anderen getrunken. Keine Flights. Keine fehlerhaften Weine.
Für mich der drittbeste Wein des Abends. Fabelhafte dichte Nase nach schwarzer Johannisbeere, dazu eine leicht ätherische Note nach Eukalyptus. Später kommen Erdbeere, Brombeere und Bleistiftspitze dazu. Im Abgang noch Kaffee und Teer bei dunkler Farbe. Er gewinnt mit der Zeit. Habe auf 1996 getippt. 95P
Overall and for me 3rd place
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My wine, yet my surprise of the night. The most elegant ‘88 Bordeaux I’ve tasted, with black cherry fruit, leather, cedar, and gravelly rocks. Tannin in background, seamless and long. A-
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Double decanted then let bottle sit for 12 hours. This was a lovely showing with vivid gravel and herb aromatics, red/black fruit that is silky and tannins that are fully resolved. Perfume of minerals and cassis kept getting better. Seemed more elegant and forward than the more tightly wound 88 La Mission that was tasted side by side.
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A glorious nose. Cassis and some stony fruit, florals, graves earth and some pencil. Terrific perfume. On the palate, this is focused in an '88 character sense, but has breadth and a suppleness that compliments the precision. Graceful and regal. This is finesse and subtle depth contrasting the power of the LMHB. This just has something special and a sense of effortlessness to the wine. It may sound like nonsense to some, but Haut Brion and many of the great wines just seem to have a sense of ease and harmony. The whole is a greater than the sum of its parts. This bottle has that. I love this wine. At peak. 95
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Dinner at Friends (Hong Kong): Decanted for 4 hours then served over the next hour. Very faded label but high neck fill and an impressively perfect cork. Nose is alluring but still very tight. The palate was absolutely divine - linear, black fruit then bang! you disappear into reveries like Alice down the rabbit hole. Superb. Heady and with a soft and very long reverberence. This has many years ahead of it to unfurl further. 95+
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Not as good as the previous none (see note), but the cork was completely soaked and seriously falling apart in tiny bits as a result, so the nose was definitely compromised.
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Weekend of food and wine; 4/13/2017-4/16/2017 (Las Vegas): Very mature, fades relatively quick. We did a short decant at the beginning but was shared so consumed rather quick. Classic aged Bordeaux nose, leather, pencil shavings, and cassis. Palate was balanced, fully resolved tannin and very silky smooth texture.
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A generous gift after our MT party from Dave D. Popped and poured. Fully mature, dominated by secondary notes on the nose and palate: mushrooms, well worn leather and old cigar box. Elegant. Beautifully balanced. A wonderful experience of a mature Bordeaux.
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This is a Bordeaux for Burgundy drinkers. It is all about the fabulous nose. The wine wants to get where it needs to be, but there is a strictness to its personality and some dryness in the tannins that take over on the palate. 3 hours of decanting did not help. This is perfect for tasters bemoaning the classic taste of Bordeaux, but it really was not a lot of fun to taste.
The best nose of all three wines, very reluctant, in the palate leather, cedar and cigarbox, always with nice black currant escort, a lot of acidity and saltieness
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Château Haut-Brion Vertical (Bouley): Relatively green and concentrated on the nose, but paired alongside the '90 and '89. Concentrated red cedar on top of blackberry and black currant. Brooding. Good. Big and structured palate, mature black fruit. Pleasurable drinking right now. Lacks the degree of complexity of the '90 and '89.
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OK, there was more to this wine but that was my first impression with one sip. Vibrant red with some bricking; sweet fruit (berry and plum), earth, cedar, iodine; medium body with similar flavors and lots of acidity. Elegant and wonderful. Thanks ShaneT.
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It certainly a very well made and lovely tasting wine. But this one didn't have the extra gear or level of complexity. Reading the notes below I wonder if it had a different label if the scores wouldn't be 3 -4 pts lower.
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This wine was double decanted a few hours prior to dinner. It poured a dark ruby and did not have as much bricking as I would have expected for a wine that is 28 years old. The nose was shockingly primary. My first reaction was Luden's Cherry Cough Drops, which is strange because that is often associated with young California wines, almost in an insulting way (depending on who says it). To me, the description emphasizes how young this wine is drinking. Over the course of the evening, the cherry notes fell more into balance as some cedar, cigar, and leather notes emerged. However, given the age, the intensity of these notes was more subdued than expected. I really enjoyed this wine. Over the course of the evening it really came into balance and offered plenty of enjoyable primary and secondary characteristics. However, the wine puzzles me. Where will it go from here? Is it still young with a long life ahead of it? If so, how long? If not, why does it retain such a primary initial presentation? Those are questions for someone smarter than me. I am simply happy to sit back and enjoy.
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Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: What a pity, the wine was slightly corked. Nevertheless a short description. Still firm dark fruits, full bodied and good acidity and tannin. A well structured wine. I really hope there will be an opportunity between now and 2020 to taste a flawless bottle.
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LPV Oslo 09/15. Young color, red on the darker side of the spectrum but with no excess. Nose is strikingly primary, high fruit intensity with signs of complexity starting to appear. No unripe signature, rather the opposite. Palate reveals the class of the wine, great balance, good weight, nice sweet touch but lots of energy and a nice lift towards the end. Tannins are present but completely integrated. This might become excellent with more time but is extremely pleasurable at this stage.
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Opened 6 hours then decanted 1 hour before drinking. Deep garnet colour with just a hint of amber. This wine was powerfully tertiary on the nose with damp leaves, mushrooms, cigar all evident. Noticeably acidic but with plenty of delicious offsetting roundness in the mouth. Mushroom and fragrant damp forest tertiary flavours accompanied by cassis and black fruits which were quite modest by the standards of some HB vintages. Altogether a delicious, but not great, HB which will keep for several years yet.
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A jammy and plummy wine with its grave earthy note. This is over its peak. The secondary note was very dominant yet the depth was not steep enough. A pleasant old bordeaux but drink asap.
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Old Wine Offline; 9/26/2014-9/27/2014 (The Room Off the Patio at Ruth's Chris, and My House): Near the end of an evening of older Bordeaux, this wine seemed almost jammy and primary, with fresh red fruit and tannins clamping through the finish. Yet the balance here is superb, with fresh acidity and no heat. Excellent wine, drinkable now or will reward further cellaring.
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Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): Tough, tart and minerally wine, very classic Claret. Some may find it lean. Those who hold 10-30 years may have a somewhat more welcoming wine, although I suspect that it will always be an old-schoolmaster-type of wine. I like it.
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Chateau Haut-Brion Vertical (Litteraturhuset, Oslo): Careful nose, not showing a lot. Some red fruits, but a bit green? Plenty of tobacco and black soil. A bit thin and hollow for me. Suggested by some that this needed more time. Not my favorite.
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Bordeaux 1988 Horizontal Tasting: Tasted blind: Still quite deep in color. Nose of red berries, tobacco and leather. Youthful, powerful, tannic and very elegant. A superb wine and very enjoyable to drink. My best Haut Brion 88 so far. Drink now over the next 10-15 years.
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Agree with Jeff Leves note on this wine. From a perfect bottle, initially very tight and so decanted for 2.5hrs (about right). In the glass the aromas were initially some damp fur but with air the classic tobacco, cedar and leather notes of Haut Brion, albeit less expressive or intense than other vintages from the 80s. Lovely rich mouthfeel and surprisingly concentrated in the glass.... But really lacks complexity in the mouth, and there is a green and drying tannic finish which just makes me wonder how well this will actually age. Drank the whole bottle over about 2hrs but it didn't improve further. I'm not sure there will be much upside here from further cellaring, although I hope to be wrong. Drink to 2020? I love Haut Brion but this is a disappointing vintage for me.
Monopole 1st Growth Tasting: This is showing a little age, but is still beautiful, showing pine sappy notes with dried herbs and leaves, underbrush, but also cherry notes and hints of blackberry and red currants. Elegant, with fine resolving tannins and a long, tangy finish. This was a big change of pace from the stellar mid-90's wines prior to this, but still lovely elegant, and expressive. I would say this is mature now and will hold for quite some time.
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Is it you, or is it me? Hard to say as I'm not yet sure if it was the wine, or the specific bottle. With effort, wet earth, cocoa, smoke, black plums and dark cherry scents are there. But the wine is a bit dry and shows some greeness in the finish. This is still young, but the style of the tannins might become more of an issue as the wine ages.
Medium red orange rim; amazingly, but still strawberry nose combined with caramel, slightly smoked; very sweet and round, quite spiced; nice subtle long aftertaste, caramel
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This wine concluded a line-up of 10 left bank 1988 bordeaux reds and it was unfortunately quite a disappointment. Although not obviously faulty or flawed I don't think it was a very good bottle. Pretty dark in colour still. Very musty, funky nose, smokey. Ripe fruit on the palate, earthy, fresh, slightly drying but fine and elegant tannins, dense. Not very long and also hardly any depth, nor complexity. No rating for this one given the doubts about the bottle, would have been 88 pts max.
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Well, not so easy to describe. It was my first bottle 0,75 L from this vintage. As I read here from other persons, I thought it is may be not necessary to decant or to open too long before drinking. But I think I had a perfect bottle and my advice is to decant and open in minimum 2 hours before. Beginning 2 hours after decanting the wine became wonderful, but still not fully matured tannins and still with reserves for 5 or more years. The medium length finish is ending on notes of black cherry and black plum. At the beginning it was pure green vegetable , like young wines .
From 750ml. Fill 0.5in below cork. Opened 45 mins prior to serving, no decant needed. Served at the St Geran in Mauritius. Colour was dark brick, muddy red, slightly clear edges. Not glossy, but evenly coloured. Typical Pessac. On the nose the initial impression was lots of cherry, sour cherry and tobacco. As it opened up in the glass the wine found its feet and there was more tobacco leaf, cedar, earth, red fruit and a whiff of tar. The palate was again very Pessac. Lots of leather, tobacco leaf, some game, red fruit, cherry and dried herbs. This bottle had beautiful balacing acidity, completely integrated tannins and a long, long finish. The flavours swirled around for a long time in the mouth. Impressive and entrancing.
This is a lovely Haut-Brion. This is no blockbuster Pauillac-style red but instead you have excellent, aged, savoury, Claret encapsulated in a single bottle. All the hard edges of the 1988 vintage have been replaced by an exceptionally balanced and rounded wine. This was my best bottle of the case so far and is drinking very well. As this bottle had travelled I didn't decant, and it was great to let the flavours unfurl in the glass. And the wine does need air to show at its best. A very memorable bottle.
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Finally..... the wine has entered into the drinking window. This bottle is much better than the previous 3 from the same case. Very typical Graces and Haut Brion nose. Much better fruits, earthy together with well integrated tannins. Don't wait!!
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This impressed right out of the gate. Pecan, cedar box, perfume, leather on the nose. Very complex and each time you go back to the glass its showing differently but never falling apart or fading over a two hour span. Texturally smooth and classy. At 25 this is so fresh. Long, long, long finish with lots of tobacco notes. Stunning and good for another 5 to 7 years.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988 Horizontal (Boneta): Shy at first but opened up with air. Licorice and beautiful red fruits dominate with hints of rocky earth. A bit darker fruits on the palate with excellent acidity and balanced tannins. A ‘gravelly’ profile if that makes any sense. My only concern was some greenness on the finish and how that will affect the wines ability to age further. Overall I found this to be quite classic although there seemed to be bottle variation around the tables as other glass I smelt had some off putting aromas. Excellent.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux: 1988 Horizontal (Boneta Restaurant - Vancouver, BC): There was an interesting vitamin note at first on the nose but this dissipated with some time in the glass. Aromas of rich candied red cherry, tobacco, charred oak, and dark dried fruits on the nose. Lots of red cherry on the palate, along with black plum, graphite, cedar, anise, and a fair bit of leafy mint. Great acid, with a medium length finish ending on notes of black cherry and black plum. This was interesting, and perhaps not a completely sound bottle, but the vitamin was off putting at first for me. Although it mostly blew off, it didn't completely shake it. Plenty of structure, yet a touch thin on the palate and a fair bit of leafiness. This was good, but I was expecting more. Very good+
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Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Wonderful, fully mature nose of tobacco, leather, smoke, eartb and dark fruit. The palate match with emphasis on sweeter fruit amidst the tobacco and leather. Best part was the full and creamy texture. Long lingering finish. One of the best 1988s I have had.
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Deep opaque purple-red colour....and the merest hint of translucence. WOW!.....nose of slightly stinky, enormous profound undescribable depths, damp earth, lots of deep, black and red fruits. Palate is absolutely beautiful.....elegant, lean but with a huge depth of plum fruit, fresh dates and fresh prunes. Powdered but still firm tannins. Wonderful resonant depth and a huge lingering finish that stirs the cortex of the cerebellum. Touching on profundity. Tellingly, the last glass was the best. This has improved incredibly since I last drank it nearly seven years ago. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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Purchased on release and stored in temp controlled cellar since. Pristine fill and cork. Decanted for 1hour and consumed over another 2 hours, with a glass left for the next day.
Dark red core, lightening at rim. Cherry, cassis, dusty earthiness, blood and iron on the nose keeps getting better and more complex over an hour or two. Medium body with flavors following the nose, great balance with tannins mostly resolved and nice freshness from the fruit/acid tension accompanied by increasing complexity over time. Smooth medium-long finish. No fading the next day. Should continue to drink well for another decade or two. Outstanding.
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HB night for my wife's birthday (HB 88, LMHB 88, HB Blanc 97, Bahans HB 03). Not drinking as well as the LMHB 88 initially but it overtook its sibling as it spends more time in the glass. Was a bit worried at the beginning, as it was very closed and lack of fruits. LMHB seems to be a better bottle in the same vintage, but with a cheaper price tag.
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From 750ml. Notes very consistent with last bottle. Condition also very good. Perhaps a touch more dried blood on the nose and more herbs and smoke on the palate. The second bottle reinforces my opinion that this wine shows best after at least 3 hours in the decanter. Great wine and very long and complex.
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From 750ml. Condition was good, with a firm cork on opening. Fill high. Decanted and served an hour after opening at Pied a Terre restaurant in London. Colour was dark red with lovely, deep core but not overly bright. Nose was classic cedar, earthiness, strong tobacco leaf. Intensely Pessac and aromatic. Palate was beautifully integrated and ripe with tons more tobacco leaf notes, mushroom, earthiness and cherry. The tannins were incredibly well integrated and the finsh was very, very long. As the wine opened up in the decanter it became more intense and impressive. The secondary notes all continued to develop over the next 2 hours, without upsetting the freshness and balance. Always the sign of a great wine. By comparison, the '89 Ducru we were drinking alongside it began to oxidise and fall apart.
This is a lovely Haut-Brion and a great '88. It was still very much intact, lively and savoury at 24 years of age and has plenty of life left in it. This will keep going for at least 10 more years and may well integrate and improve further. A great wine from an underrated vintage. Really very good, classic, refreshing Claret.
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this one was a bit disappointing to me. a bit lean in the mouth and surprisingly charmless for an Haut Brion. i see others had a better experience so maybe an off bottle even though well stored and in excellent condition. what can you do, c'est la vie
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1988 Haut Brion greets you with tobacco, smoke, stone, cassis, earth spice aromas. Elegant, smooth, soft and open, this mature wine ends with smoky, cassis and cherry flavors.
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Bring what you want blind @ELY (Ely wine bar, Dublin): Tasted blind and it showed me why I like Bordeaux (every once in a while I forget and then something like this needs to come along). Very dense, chalk, nice berries, still seems very young and in great shape. Beautiful balance and nice density from start to finish. This was great!
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Dark fruit on the nose with some good background spice and earthy aromas. Lean black fruit from the start through the middle, then lots of structure also with good earthy elements and some interesting and charming funk. Finishes with good spice and lean black fruit again. Others liked this much more than I did today.
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Aromas of dark sweet fruit with forest floor and damp earth. Impressive dark red fruits in very well balanced package of spice, earth, and well integrated mineral features. Actually came accross much younger then vintage as rich fruit and smooth rich mouthfell and long spiced finish was so pleasing. In a very good place. A real outperformer for the vintage. I noticed the pulled cork seemed like new, spongy and came out clean with tight fit. Not soaked through. Branded correctly. This wine still has a long life, but lely at plateau. As other bullish comments indicate, this may be the wine of the vintage in Bordeaux.
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Unlike my criticism of the 1989 Latour we drank on the same night (see tasting note), this time I think the price of £200 is justified.
Decanted at 7pm. Poured at 8.45. Drank over one hour with rib of beef and all the trimmings. The nose sang in the glass (not literally obviously, but I heard something) - black fruit, cedar, smokey bacon, dark chocolate, lightly toasted oak, a touch of mint and sweet polished leather. The acidity and tannins were in perfect harmony with a mid-palate of blackcurrant, mint and eucalyptus. The finish was long - lingering for well over 45 seconds. It may have gone on longer, but I had to interrupt every mouthful with a forkful of rare beef and Bearnaise sauce (delicious), so I will never know.
This wine is in a great place right now. Drink ‘em if you got ‘em!
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Wine-Pages Dublin Offline (Ely CHQ, Dublin, Ireland): This was my first time having a First Growth, I was really looking forward to it, however I had three other flights before this one, (1 Champagne flight, 1 White and 1 Red Burgundy Flight). I struggled a little to differentiate between the '89 Cos and this. Maybe next time on it's own I might have more time to enjoy.
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The wine is better than the one I last drank 3 years ago. Medium red and body. Good nose of cedar and black fruits, with a bit of coco. A bit too oaky though. The tannins are much softer than 3 years ago.
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Nose dominated by cedar, tobacco, oak and cassis. Palate is rich and full of mature red fruit of cassis, kirsch and red cherry. Wow, I kept rubbing my forehead with each taste. An epiphany of why these wines are so special. I know realize that I drankmany of mine way too young.
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1988 Haut Brion is a traditional style of Haut Brion. Cassis, spice, earth, smoke, mushroom and tobacco notes open the perfume. Full bodied and filled with ripe, juicy cassis, the wine lacks the polish and ripeness found in the top vintages. 93 Pts
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Peddling for Pebbles 2 (The Ledbury): My second glass of this in two months thanks to Keith, and this one is showing more strongly than the previous bottle. Classic Graves cedar and tobacco nose. Lovely intensity on the nose. Classic dry claret. Opens up a bit over a couple of hours and needs another five years or so. Fragrant and elegant. ***1/2(*)
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Keith's 2010 Blind Challenge 2 (28-50, London): OK, so proof that context and external clues are everything in this 'blind tasting' game. Nailed this as 88 HB before it was poured in to my glass from the bottle shape and our host's recent purchasing history. Full garnet, nicely smokey with a touch of spice and a Graves tobacco element. Really complex and interesting nose. Palate quite restrained initially, but with a range of flavours. Finishes a little short to start but it's starting to lengthen and I guess it would fatten out further with an hour or so of decant time. I like this more than most it seems. Genuine complexity and interest but it doesn't shout. ***(*)
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Super complex on the nose: palate never quite manages to deliver the incredible scents of cigar bxses, violets and red fruits, but this is still a serious First Growth worthy of the title.
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Decanted for only 15 minutes before beginning to drink; would benefit from 60+. After an hour began to open up materially. Classic Haut Brion from a somewhat asutere year. Tannic backbone has softened but remains front and center, beautiful ruby but not bricking, earthy complex nose with cigar box dimensions. Seems yonger than it is more like 93 or 94. Not as obvious complex as the 82 or as rich as the 89.
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This was a surprise. Drank with 82 Lafite, 93 Haut Brion, 95 Branaire, 86 Gruard Larose, 93 Lafite and 78 Las Cases and it was my favorite. Classic infinitely complex nose, fill your mouth finish with soft but still present tannins and a long long finish. A wine to savor.
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Still dark red, seems very young ('Audozed' 6 hours, then decanted). Nose of cedar and earth, some red fruits. A balanced palate, tannins still prominent, over time hints of tertiary notes emerge, but overall a delicious, balanced claret, not huge, but sharply delineated and delicious now, suspect will last some time
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Compared to the '88 Latour, this had more depth and was more wild and penetrating. Dark on the nose, super concentrated with strong pine/eucalyptus aromas. Powerful and opulent on the palate, lead pencil , cedar, cigar box and a beautiful wild streak of dark fruits running through it. This is just a baby, but unmistakably bordeaux. I like this.
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5th Annual Big Bottle Party (Jeff's House, Warren, NJ): From DM - When decanted there was a beautiful smell of fresh rose petals on nose. The palate was really tight but good balance. When served quite a few hours later the nose was still going strong and the palate had opened more to reveal dark fruits and some tar. Still young and could have used more air time.
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From 375ml. Hadn't had this wine for a while. Tight, austere, and you wish for just some more fruit. But for some reason very likable notwithstanding those attributes. I doubt this will change or evolve very fast - it is what it is.
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A beautiful melange of blackberry and raspberry and toasted sourdough for the nose. The eye saw a deep rich ruby hue. The tongue found at first astringency (aspirin), tart melon and noticeable tannins. However, as the dinner progressed the tannins mellowed and a lovely and vibrant undertone of fruit came forward. The finnish was medium to long and interesting. This is a first growth from an unremarkable year. This is a wine at or near its peak. This is a wine that is enjoyable and provides some joy. This is a wine that is way overpriced nevertheless.
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A wonderful wine, but had with the '90 Margaux, which it could not stand up to. It lacks the depth and complexity of the Margaux. I bit tannic on the finish, consistent with the vintage. Perhaps with some time, it will even get better, but would wonder if there is enough fruit for that to happen...Still a wonderful wine...
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Even though the '88 vintage produced sturdy, tannic wines, this wine displayed impeccable balance and harmony. Just a tad less depth and complexity, when compared to better vintages. Haut-Brion is rapidly becoming my favorite first growth.
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There is no denying the class & elegance of this wine . While not a vintage of note it was still a very enjoyable bottle of wine . I opened & decanted for sediment just before leaving for the restaurant , put it back into the bottle and of we went . A slightly orangeish hue to the wine upon being poured , but ready for business quite quickly . Smoke , leather , olives and a very nice finish . A very delicate wine that as I said before shows it's elegance . Except for the presence of bricking I would guess this stills has years of life ahead of it . There is still quitea bit of tannic backbone
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Cooking Gals Wine Night - Grand Cru tasting (Andre and Nicki's house, La Visenet, France): This wine was excellent!!! Color was very dark with no signs of brown. This wine should be fine for another 20 years. Smell was very slightly smokey with an "inky" taste. Wine has a distinctive flavor. Vineyard is located in the southern suburbs of the city of Bordeaux. One of the best wines I have tasted.
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Smoky aromatics, cassis, tobacco and fresh ground spices, full bodied, concentrated with hints of underripeness that appears in the otherwise, stylish finish, this is a good but not great Haut Brion.
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Opened from my cellar at West Palm Wines in Tampa, along with a 99 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques from Maume, which was just OK, and an 86 Cos d'Estournel provided by Jim, which was phenomenal! Marvelous, marvelous showing from this most regal of First Growths. Still needs a little time to hit its peak, but it's certainly not too far off now. Deep purple color with almost no brick at the rim. Amazing nose dominated by freshly roasted espresso beans, leather, truffles, sweet earth, and an olive note. With time, elements of fresh plums also began to emerge. Wonderful fruit on the palate, along with some of the highest acidity that I've ever encountered in any wine, but without being out of balance in any way. Slightly grainy tannins on the finish. Give it 5-10 more years, and you'll have a near-perfect masterpiece with that trademark HB elegance. Apparently considered the WOTV along with Margaux, and it's certainly easy to see why. Bravo!!!
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Colour light brick rim with a dark core. The nose is classic Haut Brion, wet stone tobacco coffee mineral. In the mouth the wine has good balance which still has some tannin to be integrated. On the finish is a bit flat but the wine is still enjoyable but not a great Haut Brion.
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A 92-point Robert Parker wine. Drunk at a 1988 Horizontal Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Petrus, Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong which also featured Ch. Troplong-Mondot, Ch. Vieux Certan, Ch. Mouton Rothschild, Ch. Angelus and Ch. Rieussec. Generally viewed as the poor cousin of the 1989, which scored 100 Robert Parker points. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, although you'd be hard-pressed to identify it. This is stunning, aloof, steely, lots of fruit combined with a touch of wonderful restraint and austerity. An ascetic wine which to me captures and magnifies the essential characteristic of the 1988 vintage. Incredible structure and finesse. It seems near to full development until you let it linger in the glass and wonder where it might go in the future. Clearly is good for decades to come. Stupendous. However, on the night I still marginally preferred the Mouton Rothschild '88 despite its thinner, more austere style but compensated for by its unique multi-dimensionality. This evening's tasting came down to an impossible choice between the fruit, structure and richness of the Haut-Brion and the incredible, but fleeting, multi-dimensionality of the Mouton-Rothschild '88.
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Opened by Mark. Darker in color than I would have expected. Expansive nose of smoke, plum, dark fruit. The palate is seamless, silky and carries the fruit through a lengthy finish. A wonderful bottle, again thanks to Mark for his incredible generosity.
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The Mexicans taste 1980s Bordeaux ('88 Haut Brion, '82 Cos, '82 Canon, '82 Leoville Poyferre, '86 Pichon Baron) (Hermosillo, Mexico): I am not as big of a fan of Haut Brion as Gusbo is. My experience with Haut Brion is very, very limited, which may explain it. I also think that my stylistic preference towards fuller bodied, Cabernet dominated, more tannic Northern Medoc Bordeaux plays a role. This wine was medium bodied, pleasant and enjoyable, but for me, lacked the aromatic complexity that is supposed to make up for the trade off for less extract, less body and lesser intensity vs more fuller bodied wines. It has no flaws, but it has no uumph for me. I may chnage my mind once I dink an 1989 or 1990, but until then, I call it as I taste it.
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Decanted for 2+ hours. Color - very dark ruby red. At first this wine emerges with roasted coffee, vanilla spice, bell pepper, tobacco, leather, cedar. Then come the fruits - loads of blackberries, cherries, strawberries, currant. Thrilling tannins make the fruits to shine in harmonic, plush, mouthfilling 50+ seconds finish. It makes you scream when the bottle is about to end - "Give me more of this stuff!!!". Still very young, this wine promises to score 2-3 more points in 5-10 years to come. Awesome Haut-Brion!
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Interesting comparison to the ‘85. Clearly Graves. Definite family resemblance to the much more flamboyant older sibling. Reserved. Less concentrated than the ‘85. Classy in a cool, elegant way. Not a great Haut-Brion but very “typique.” Good match with roasted venison.
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Haut Brion verticle with the West Michigan Offliners, Herb Blair's bottle. Garnet. Smoke, tobaco and spice on the nose. Medium bodied with a short but pleasent finish. Decanted 2 hours prior and drank over the following hour. Not showing and signs of decline but the tannins will out live what little fruit the wine has. Probably would show better on its own but paled next to the competition.
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Tasted 10/04 Very nice, but acid a little high, so at first appears unbalanced. Opens up nicely with Haut Brion flavor. Probably will improve with more time
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Tasted unblinded at Region restaurant. Bottle provided by Steve Schreiner. Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean nose, showing a complex bouquet of leather, black fruit, damp earth, clove and black tea. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, ample ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish.
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Dark red. Jammy on the nose. Also vanilla spice. Stupendous in the mouth. Concentrated and powerful, yet complex, classy and elegant. Superb structure. This wine is packed with dense, ripe fruit. The nuances keep popping up, and the aftertaste is long and balanced. A great wine.
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Coffee, licorice, cassis and herbal notes filled the air. Full bodied, lush, rich and tannic. Cassis and blackberry with spicy tones are easy to find in the finish. Needs another decade of sleep.
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($300) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Slightly darker than the Cheval Blanc. Nose of tar, violets and fruit. Perhaps some earthy minerals. Ripe, moderate acids, medium-full bodied, elegant.
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3/30/2024 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The best Haut Brion 1988 I've had. Others have been quite flat, this had some of the intensity and lift I expect from Haut Brion. Deep rich dark fruits, tar and some vanilla and leather. Beginning to dry but still great fruit. Elegant. Mid bodied. Long and complex. Drinking now, will last for many years.
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12/31/2023 - sempervinum Likes this wine: 95 Points
8 decades tasting. One of the best wines was Haut Brion. No decant. Dark red. No sign of age. Tobacco, walnut, dark fruit. Beguiling aromatics. Not too much. Just right. Acidity perfectly integrated Strong and ripe tannins. Good structure. There was a sip left in the bottle which I consumed two days later. Still strong. More voluptious. A bit fuller. A notch better than l‘ Arrosee 1966.
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12/25/2023 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 95 Points
Haut Brion really crushed the 1980s. The 1988 might be one of the tops for the vintage. 1988, sometimes, can be a little too green and bell peppery for me. This wine is far from that. It has the HB signature deep, dark, red velvet. There are red and black cherries, with gobs of soil, dark, loamy, soil, the kind one finds in the mountains. The greenness from the vintage shows here as dog fennel and mown fields of mixed grasses, which is perfectly acceptable to me. I gather mineral traits, and plenty of holiday spice. It’s amazing how I perceive texture from this bottle; I think, ‘Only HB has that texture!’ I get the gravel, baking spice, and dark soil of LMHB, but with the added velvet texture. It’s truly terrific.
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11/28/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
blind
More tertiary aromas than fruit, refreshing acidity. Balanced. Close to his peak. Good drinking window. 94
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11/2/2023 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
"Off" Vintages from Elite Producers: (Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, etc) (Charlotte, NC): Opened at 5pm and decanted for one hour. Back in the bottle until dinner at 6:30pm when cork was removed and slo-ox until serving at ~7:30pm.
Beautifully expressive nose – red and black fruits with a hint of rusticity. Confirmed on the palate with a great balance between structure and complexity – dark fruits, truffle, and soft leather. For this flight it had a more youthful intensity that was only surprising because of how youthful the 1981s drank. Excellent length finish, an A+ wine that was my WOTN until retasting hours later when both the Petrus and Margaux reached absolutely sublime levels.
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9/3/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aromatically the wine is less about fruit than it is about that "Haut Brion classic nose" of smoked barbecue meat. Very much a Haut-Brion. This vintage is fully ready right now and maybe even past its best drinking window. I love older wine. I love their unique aromatic notes and flavors unavailable in the food world. This does not let down. Finish is soft with very mild tannins.
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7/5/2023 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
In my cellar since release. Decanted about an hour before tasting. I think I should have given it more time but was too busy. Bright garnet color that shows little to no bricking. That said the wine was better than the pro scores given in the past. This was a bit smoky with game meat notes, herbs, cassis, plum and menthol. Mid-weight and velvety texture, tart on the finish, but very long. Well paired to sous vide and seared beef. I think this would have deepened and broadened with more aeration like previous bottles.
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6/16/2023 - bookert wrote: 91 Points
Not much primary fruit left in this bottle. Mostly secondary characteristics and slight leafy texture. Classic bdx.
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5/15/2023 - siewguowei wrote: 93 Points
Medium garnet, medium plus acid and medium plus aged ripe tannins, immediately hits your nose with smoke, tobacco, leather, cigar box. On the palate there is still red fruit leaning towards cherries and sour cherries, tomato leaf, vanilla, clove and nutmeg. Nice, long finish.
Delicious wine no doubt with strong personality, I'm not sure if this 35 year old wine can continue to develop better in the bottle so if you have one it's time crack it open.
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3/31/2023 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at 67
Another beauty, no signs of fading
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11/10/2022 - jacobg wrote: 93 Points
Wait
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10/27/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
2.5 years since last bottle. This is entering its prime drinking window. Tannins resolved and a generous full bodied wine. Slightly less complex and focused next to a 97 petrus. This still requires about 90 min in the decanter. Should drink well for another 5-10 years. I don’t see this as long lived as 82, 86, 89 or 90.
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9/24/2022 - bbq_grandcru Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prominent feature of the pessac graphite/gravel, which is beautiful. Fruit is still young and with a good amount of structure. Drinking nicely now with a long life ahead.
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6/20/2022 - Caciolo wrote:
Excellent . No decant needed.
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5/28/2022 - henrijanssen wrote: 100 Points
leer tabak rook cederhout cassis pruim prachtig 2001 ipv
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4/30/2022 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
The smoky bouquet is the best part. Typical Haut-Brion. This vintage is fully ready and while obviously not a blockbuster like the ‘89 or ‘90 it’s enjoyable to drink despite the slightly hollow mid palate. Moderately advanced color. Tannins are fairly soft and unobtrusive. I can’t see it improving from here so don’t wait.
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4/14/2022 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Significantly outperforming expectations, with the signature cigar ash and smoke notes present in spades, complemented by forest floor and saline aspects before giving way to an admittedly drying finish. Dinged a few points for the lack of fruit, but still an impressive showing.
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3/17/2022 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Chris’s 1st Growth Series — Haut Brion (La Trompette, London): Mid ruby. Nicely dense. A florality to the top notes here. Lovely attack, but a very clear vintage character grip and dryness on the finish, though this does soften with air and food. Quite light and airy on the mid palate. Attractive in a lighter frame. Up there with the better bottles of 88 HB, but the threads are starting to wear. ***1/2
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3/12/2022 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Double decanted 4 hours before serving. Dark red core, not much lightening. Nice nose of smoke, cassis, but seemed closed compared to the cornucopia of other Haut Brion and La Missions tasted that night. Medium full body, good balance, not much complexity. If served on its own I’d say it’s excellent and still too young, but compared to all the others I’m wondering if it has the stuffing to really blossom and have to rate it very good in context.
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12/28/2021 - tbabes wrote: 98 Points
This is my kind of Bordeaux, with an expressive and stimulating bouquet of dried dark fruits, roasted fennel, black truffle, earth and cigar box. Medium bodied, with classic structure, velvety texture, excellent precision and focus, layers of flavor, and a long, savory, refreshing finish. Double decanted an hour before dinner.
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12/25/2021 - SebChau wrote:
Smelled so young with punching black fruits, and didn’t had any tertiary in the nose despite it’s age. Feeling was kinda same in mouth, blackberries, leather and cigar box
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12/16/2021 - Raage wrote:
(CDV)
Au premier abord, nous étions séduit: ce fumé, cette race, ce nez ténébreux, ah le grand bordeaux puissant, solaire, tertiaire!
Mais à mesure qu'il prenait l'air (non carafé pourtant) le boisé prenait les devant et la matière s'annonçait de plus en plus asséchante: une déception.
Vu son age, et les autres avis sur CT, peut-être un probleme de bouteille?
A 1000 lieues du 89 en tout cas...
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12/8/2021 - JeffreySFell wrote:
This wine has actually gotten better with age. The last couple bottles didn’t impress me but this one knocked y socks off. One left and am going to hold it for a few more years
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7/23/2021 - Wine Buergler Likes this wine: 100 Points
Absolutely perfect. Right. Now.
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6/13/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
An excellent bottle of this showing HB's gruff side in the style of the vintage. Delicious and penetrating dark red fruits with plenty of grippy acidity and lots of crunchy power and complexity on the finish with notes of char, tobacco and smoky gravel. Not the most subtle or elegant vintage of HB but I rather like the rough and tumble intensity. Pretty much ready.
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5/16/2021 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Popped and poured; a spur of the moment decision, ideally would have double decanted an hour in advance. Deep carnet core, turning to blood red at the rim. A classic bouquet of scorched earth, dried plums, tobacco; hints of black truffle and crushed stones. Medium bodied, with great balance, precision, and depth; very “classic” style, with the ‘88 vintage character shining through. Heavenly stuff!
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4/2/2021 - FChagnon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 3+ hours, lots of residue, need to have it filtered.
Visual: Dark trending toward brownish.
Nose: Cassis, hearth, truffle, leather, hint of pepper, smoke.
Taste: Soft, tender, full, round and well balanced.
Really enjoyed. Should have had it decanted for an extra hour as it gained as dinner was extending.
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1/15/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
[Blind] Bloody. Spicy. Red Cedar. A pine resin sort of bitter sweetness about the youthful black and red fruit that suggests a fresh example or an older wine. Interesting comparison here as I had a '90 in September and an '89 in December, and although this is great and clearly underrated value, 'this 88 doesn't match either of those two vintages in terms of complexity or expression. 93 - 94.
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11/13/2020 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully and interesting to compare with the Ducru of the same vintage. Both were delicious but as you would expect, very different. Open for a few hours and double decanted, then consumed over two more. If I were drinking this ‘alone’ I would have decanted and taken a whole day to drink, as it was still opening up during our final sips.
That said, it was still accessible and interesting. The nose was almost floral and delicate, with a hint spice and savory herbs. On the palate, black fruit and subtle spice, so smooth and well integrated. An underrated vintage.
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10/18/2020 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Deep ruby core with a light garnet edge.
This wine has a youthful core of black fruit on the nose with a hedonistic blend of vanilla and wet earth notes. On the palate it is structured and energetic. Silky with grip on the back end. Wow. Drink now or hold for another 15+ years.
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4/26/2020 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
2.5 hour decant which is still needed. Everything you would expect with very nice balance and finish. Reminded me of a little more robust and heavier 1994. This is in its prime and next time i will decant for 4 hours. No rush to drink these.
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4/18/2020 - BradE wrote:
Simply a beautiful bottle, and bittersweet, as it's my last. A lovely wine, that is in a great space.
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3/17/2020 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium garnet. Nose resembling that of Chinese herbs, and burnt twigs, and a bit of dried cranberry and meat. Some kick of tannins, while silky and a dried flower sense, and with smoked meats, then some cherry. Minute-long finish. Great!
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2/9/2020 - tbabes wrote: 100 Points
Double decanted two hours before dinner; fill was perfect and the cork pristine. Haut Brion Vertical 1985, 1988, 1995. For me, this is a perfect wine. I readily acknowledge that my preferences lean very much towards the "classic" style of Bordeaux, so those with a taste for Parker or Leve fruit bombs will probably not like this as much as I did! A deep and lively garnet with just a hint of bricking at the rim. Heavenly and complex bouquet, with notes of earth, truffle, cedary dark fruits, tobacco, leather and flowers. Medium bodied, with incredible delineation, great focus and depth, ripe, silky tannins, and a long and savory finish. Heavenly stuff, and by far my favorite of the 1995, 1988, and 1985 that we consumed. All 4 bottles came from my Cellar, Chaine dinner at June BYOB.
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2/8/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
In my cellar since release. Decanted at 5pm and tasted from 7:30-9:30pm. This was the wine of the night for me among wines from each of my kids’ birth years (first time we were all together in more than a year...including a 2006 Joseph Leitz Riesling, 2004 Ch. Montelena Chard, 1982 Lafite and 1984 Silver Oak Alexander. Much more interesting on the nose and the palate with a killer finish and lots of life left. Curious how the pro’s all seem to have denigrated this wine yet on this evening it soared. The color was a bright medium garnet with no bricking to speak of...just pristine looking. The nose was fragrant, floral, fruity and earthy with a lovely slightly cooked bacon aroma. The palate still had good acidity was rich and chewy, yet had a smooth velvety texture. There was plum, cassis and leather on the palate along with the bacon note and little oak influenced flavors. The finish was very long and layered. Really amazingly balanced, vibrant and bright for a 32+ year old wine.
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1/9/2020 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; double decanted about 2 hours before service. A deep garnet with no amber. A classic and extroverted bouquet, offering up notes of earth, cigar box, plums, black truffle and hints of leather. Medium bodied, savory character, with great depth and balance. Long and complex finish.
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12/19/2019 - noppakit s. Likes this wine: 93 Points
This 31 years old is in the very best spot now, reminds me of 1975, cassis, leather, tobacco, well balance, round and delicious, surprisingly elegant at this stage.
Truly Classic !!
93-94/100
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9/27/2019 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Kuki'o Wine Trip 2019; 9/22/2019-9/28/2019 (Champagne & Bordeaux): Aromas are classic older Haut-Brion with red cedar cigar box and red wood spice. Maturing red and black berry with intriguing smoke and wood detail. Palate is totally resolved and moderately sweet. Far preferred this to the ‘88 Margaux alongside.
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6/24/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Champagne, Riesling, and Bordeaux with Skippy (Chicago, IL): The nose on this bottle feels a little dumb, but you can also tell there's a lot of ripe fruit and earthiness hidden there. It needs time to emerge (and a quick revisit at the end of the evening seemed to indicate that this may have needed more air than it got). The palate is more expressive than the nose this time, with lots of concentrated fruit and plenty of structure. That famous minerality is on display on the finish here. Needs lots more time -- I think there's enough fruit to age alongside the structure on this wine.
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1/11/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Holiday dinner at the French Embassy, Washington D.C. (French Embassy): Tasted after the 1978 LMHB, this comes across as downright infanticide. I am half joking. You have to love the substance here, very youthful and even tight. It opens up nicely over time, and this time, we held on to the glasses for the remaining 90 minutes of the dinner. There is a bit more weight to the Haut Brion 88 when compared to the LMHB 78, but also acidity that keeps it taut. The fruit is more obvious here, with ripe plum and some dark cherry notions, but tertiary aspects are coming to the fore: touches of fresh earth, a bit of leather and some tobacco, too. I would say hold on to you Haut Brion 1988 for a few more years, but it ain't no crime to open one today. Fine length!
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12/16/2018 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
elegant but quiet wine - not as expressive as an earlier bottle that was from a large format.
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11/16/2018 - Lype Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very good package of light cherry flavours and elegance.
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10/19/2018 - Ralph_ wrote: 94 Points
Semesterprobe Bordeaux 1988; 10/19/2018-10/21/2018 (Lamm Hebsack Remshalden): Magnum
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9/21/2018 - Jchen01854 wrote:
Medium to deep tawny, light and pleasant aroma. Medium body. More red fruit taste but balance. Smooth tannin. Long and smooth aftertaste.
Better serve slightly chilled.
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6/15/2018 - dream wrote: 90 Points
Very dark color and lovely nose of smoky dark fruits. Somewhat monolithic and not showing a whole lot but there are nice hints of tobacco and dark spices with a firm, structured finish. Not sure if this wine will still blossom with more time or just never find it's footing and it really suffered at the same table as the '89 & '90.
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6/2/2018 - W!neNot? Likes this wine: 96 Points
Took 20 mins to open up, but when it did: wow! Still fragrant and floral on the nose, but predominantly leather and tobacco. On the palate, the tannins have pretty much fallen away so it’s more gentlemanly, with similar flavours as the nose, perhaps with some mushroom. It’s holding up well but drink up for something special. The acidity is still firm so maybe could last longer but to be honest, I wouldn’t chance it.
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5/3/2018 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Haut is one of my favorite wines, it’s my go to when treating novice wine drinkers, it is so distinctive and mesmerizing! This one is better every time I try. We all enjoyed it, still has plenty of time.
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12/31/2017 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Happy New Years!
From a half bottle. Very much still together. With a couple hours of air, the wine improved and stayed vigorous. The nose is on the austere side for Haut Brion, with underbrush, leafy tobacco, and dried black fruit. Very elegant no doubt. Medium bodied and smooth on the palate, it is an easy wine to drink. The Lafite 1988 I had from a full bottle recently was superior with more verve and intrigue but this HB is certainly one of the bigger successes from the vintage. A full bottle I had 5 years ago was more typical of Haut Brion with a larger amount of tobacco on the noise but these bottles were clearly cut from the same stone.
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12/12/2017 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
From Jero - wow explosive aromas, deep, truffles, archetypical HB
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10/29/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Semiblind Haut Brion Tasting (Guido's Cellar): Sehr spannende semiblinde Haut Brion – Probe in sehr geselliger Runde mit tollem Gastgeber und einer sehr leckeren Forellen-Tarte. Alle Flaschen wurden zwischen 0,5-3 Stunden doppelt dekantiert. Was die Treffgenauigkeit der Jahrgänge betraf, ist noch deutlich Luft nach oben. Interessant war, dass die Differenz in den Bewertungen (6 Trinker) bei fast allen Weinen maximal im 2-Punkte-Bereich lagen. Es wurde eine Flasche nach der anderen getrunken. Keine Flights. Keine fehlerhaften Weine.
Für mich der drittbeste Wein des Abends. Fabelhafte dichte Nase nach schwarzer Johannisbeere, dazu eine leicht ätherische Note nach Eukalyptus. Später kommen Erdbeere, Brombeere und Bleistiftspitze dazu. Im Abgang noch Kaffee und Teer bei dunkler Farbe. Er gewinnt mit der Zeit. Habe auf 1996 getippt. 95P
Overall and for me 3rd place
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10/26/2017 - DaleW wrote:
My wine, yet my surprise of the night. The most elegant ‘88 Bordeaux I’ve tasted, with black cherry fruit, leather, cedar, and gravelly rocks. Tannin in background, seamless and long. A-
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10/7/2017 - rmodak wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted then let bottle sit for 12 hours. This was a lovely showing with vivid gravel and herb aromatics, red/black fruit that is silky and tannins that are fully resolved. Perfume of minerals and cassis kept getting better. Seemed more elegant and forward than the more tightly wound 88 La Mission that was tasted side by side.
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9/23/2017 - cct wrote: 95 Points
Served alongside the '88 LHMB
A glorious nose. Cassis and some stony fruit, florals, graves earth and some pencil. Terrific perfume. On the palate, this is focused in an '88 character sense, but has breadth and a suppleness that compliments the precision. Graceful and regal. This is finesse and subtle depth contrasting the power of the LMHB. This just has something special and a sense of effortlessness to the wine. It may sound like nonsense to some, but Haut Brion and many of the great wines just seem to have a sense of ease and harmony. The whole is a greater than the sum of its parts. This bottle has that. I love this wine. At peak. 95
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7/22/2017 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at Friends (Hong Kong): Decanted for 4 hours then served over the next hour. Very faded label but high neck fill and an impressively perfect cork. Nose is alluring but still very tight. The palate was absolutely divine - linear, black fruit then bang! you disappear into reveries like Alice down the rabbit hole. Superb. Heady and with a soft and very long reverberence. This has many years ahead of it to unfurl further. 95+
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6/13/2017 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at 67
This bottle was singing. Fully matured claret nose with a rich mouthfeel.
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5/18/2017 - thomasito2001 wrote: flawed
Not as good as the previous none (see note), but the cork was completely soaked and seriously falling apart in tiny bits as a result, so the nose was definitely compromised.
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4/15/2017 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 94 Points
Weekend of food and wine; 4/13/2017-4/16/2017 (Las Vegas): Very mature, fades relatively quick. We did a short decant at the beginning but was shared so consumed rather quick. Classic aged Bordeaux nose, leather, pencil shavings, and cassis. Palate was balanced, fully resolved tannin and very silky smooth texture.
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2/9/2017 - Ibetian wrote:
A generous gift after our MT party from Dave D. Popped and poured. Fully mature, dominated by secondary notes on the nose and palate: mushrooms, well worn leather and old cigar box. Elegant. Beautifully balanced. A wonderful experience of a mature Bordeaux.
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1/17/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 98 Points
Flannery Beef & Bordeaux (Kali Restaurant): Fantastic. Well balanced. Classic BDX structure and flavor.
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12/28/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
This is a Bordeaux for Burgundy drinkers. It is all about the fabulous nose. The wine wants to get where it needs to be, but there is a strictness to its personality and some dryness in the tannins that take over on the palate. 3 hours of decanting did not help. This is perfect for tasters bemoaning the classic taste of Bordeaux, but it really was not a lot of fun to taste.
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12/3/2016 - aquacongas wrote: 94 Points
Drank it side by side with Margaux 83 and HB 88
The best nose of all three wines, very reluctant, in the palate leather, cedar and cigarbox, always with nice black currant escort, a lot of acidity and saltieness
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11/3/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Château Haut-Brion Vertical (Bouley): Relatively green and concentrated on the nose, but paired alongside the '90 and '89. Concentrated red cedar on top of blackberry and black currant. Brooding. Good. Big and structured palate, mature black fruit. Pleasurable drinking right now. Lacks the degree of complexity of the '90 and '89.
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9/22/2016 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dirty and delicious. Drop the mic. Boom.
OK, there was more to this wine but that was my first impression with one sip. Vibrant red with some bricking; sweet fruit (berry and plum), earth, cedar, iodine; medium body with similar flavors and lots of acidity. Elegant and wonderful. Thanks ShaneT.
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5/12/2016 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 91 Points
It certainly a very well made and lovely tasting wine. But this one didn't have the extra gear or level of complexity. Reading the notes below I wonder if it had a different label if the scores wouldn't be 3 -4 pts lower.
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4/26/2016 - MarceloIdeses Likes this wine: 97 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Best moment to drink this vintage. Great vintage with really good price.
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2/9/2016 - JimmyGillingham wrote: 95 Points
This wine was double decanted a few hours prior to dinner. It poured a dark ruby and did not have as much bricking as I would have expected for a wine that is 28 years old. The nose was shockingly primary. My first reaction was Luden's Cherry Cough Drops, which is strange because that is often associated with young California wines, almost in an insulting way (depending on who says it). To me, the description emphasizes how young this wine is drinking. Over the course of the evening, the cherry notes fell more into balance as some cedar, cigar, and leather notes emerged. However, given the age, the intensity of these notes was more subdued than expected. I really enjoyed this wine. Over the course of the evening it really came into balance and offered plenty of enjoyable primary and secondary characteristics. However, the wine puzzles me. Where will it go from here? Is it still young with a long life ahead of it? If so, how long? If not, why does it retain such a primary initial presentation? Those are questions for someone smarter than me. I am simply happy to sit back and enjoy.
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10/23/2015 - Zweder wrote: flawed
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: What a pity, the wine was slightly corked. Nevertheless a short description. Still firm dark fruits, full bodied and good acidity and tannin. A well structured wine. I really hope there will be an opportunity between now and 2020 to taste a flawless bottle.
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10/13/2015 - thomasito2001 Likes this wine: 94 Points
LPV Oslo 09/15. Young color, red on the darker side of the spectrum but with no excess. Nose is strikingly primary, high fruit intensity with signs of complexity starting to appear. No unripe signature, rather the opposite. Palate reveals the class of the wine, great balance, good weight, nice sweet touch but lots of energy and a nice lift towards the end. Tannins are present but completely integrated. This might become excellent with more time but is extremely pleasurable at this stage.
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6/18/2015 - sj38 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 6 hours then decanted 1 hour before drinking. Deep garnet colour with just a hint of amber. This wine was powerfully tertiary on the nose with damp leaves, mushrooms, cigar all evident. Noticeably acidic but with plenty of delicious offsetting roundness in the mouth. Mushroom and fragrant damp forest tertiary flavours accompanied by cassis and black fruits which were quite modest by the standards of some HB vintages. Altogether a delicious, but not great, HB which will keep for several years yet.
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2/8/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
A jammy and plummy wine with its grave earthy note. This is over its peak. The secondary note was very dominant yet the depth was not steep enough. A pleasant old bordeaux but drink asap.
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9/26/2014 - petitblanc wrote: 93 Points
Old Wine Offline; 9/26/2014-9/27/2014 (The Room Off the Patio at Ruth's Chris, and My House): Near the end of an evening of older Bordeaux, this wine seemed almost jammy and primary, with fresh red fruit and tannins clamping through the finish. Yet the balance here is superb, with fresh acidity and no heat. Excellent wine, drinkable now or will reward further cellaring.
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9/11/2014 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): Tough, tart and minerally wine, very classic Claret. Some may find it lean. Those who hold 10-30 years may have a somewhat more welcoming wine, although I suspect that it will always be an old-schoolmaster-type of wine. I like it.
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9/11/2014 - EndreS wrote:
Chateau Haut-Brion Vertical (Litteraturhuset, Oslo): Careful nose, not showing a lot. Some red fruits, but a bit green? Plenty of tobacco and black soil. A bit thin and hollow for me. Suggested by some that this needed more time. Not my favorite.
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8/9/2014 - Ralph_ wrote: 90 Points
a very good old bordeaux. But the price-performance is bad....
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6/7/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1988 Horizontal Tasting: Tasted blind: Still quite deep in color. Nose of red berries, tobacco and leather. Youthful, powerful, tannic and very elegant. A superb wine and very enjoyable to drink. My best Haut Brion 88 so far. Drink now over the next 10-15 years.
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4/27/2014 - JulianSkeels Does not like this wine: 91 Points
Agree with Jeff Leves note on this wine. From a perfect bottle, initially very tight and so decanted for 2.5hrs (about right). In the glass the aromas were initially some damp fur but with air the classic tobacco, cedar and leather notes of Haut Brion, albeit less expressive or intense than other vintages from the 80s. Lovely rich mouthfeel and surprisingly concentrated in the glass.... But really lacks complexity in the mouth, and there is a green and drying tannic finish which just makes me wonder how well this will actually age. Drank the whole bottle over about 2hrs but it didn't improve further. I'm not sure there will be much upside here from further cellaring, although I hope to be wrong. Drink to 2020? I love Haut Brion but this is a disappointing vintage for me.
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4/26/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Monopole 1st Growth Tasting: This is showing a little age, but is still beautiful, showing pine sappy notes with dried herbs and leaves, underbrush, but also cherry notes and hints of blackberry and red currants. Elegant, with fine resolving tannins and a long, tangy finish. This was a big change of pace from the stellar mid-90's wines prior to this, but still lovely elegant, and expressive. I would say this is mature now and will hold for quite some time.
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4/4/2014 - mikeivankovich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant and smooth. Structure is holding up well.
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3/21/2014 - soyhead wrote:
nose - mesquite, mushroom
mouth - funky, sour cherry, mushroom
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1/24/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Is it you, or is it me? Hard to say as I'm not yet sure if it was the wine, or the specific bottle. With effort, wet earth, cocoa, smoke, black plums and dark cherry scents are there. But the wine is a bit dry and shows some greeness in the finish. This is still young, but the style of the tannins might become more of an issue as the wine ages.
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12/29/2013 - Texas Hodag Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose more muted than expected, as was the taste. Drinking very young. Still plenty of tannins. Loads of flavors but this bottle needed more time.
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12/21/2013 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium red orange rim; amazingly, but still strawberry nose combined with caramel, slightly smoked; very sweet and round, quite spiced; nice subtle long aftertaste, caramel
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11/28/2013 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brittannia Group (Hix Mayfair): Rich young colour. Complex weave fine tannins tight lovely ripe complex fresh and long v fine
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11/19/2013 - Papies wrote: flawed
1988 Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Dark, red with a lot of brownish tint. Off putting nose, oxidised, musty. Flawed unfortunately.
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11/19/2013 - rossi.wine wrote:
This wine concluded a line-up of 10 left bank 1988 bordeaux reds and it was unfortunately quite a disappointment. Although not obviously faulty or flawed I don't think it was a very good bottle. Pretty dark in colour still. Very musty, funky nose, smokey. Ripe fruit on the palate, earthy, fresh, slightly drying but fine and elegant tannins, dense. Not very long and also hardly any depth, nor complexity. No rating for this one given the doubts about the bottle, would have been 88 pts max.
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8/1/2013 - favorito Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well, not so easy to describe. It was my first bottle 0,75 L from this vintage. As I read here from other persons, I thought it is may be not necessary to decant or to open too long before drinking. But I think I had a perfect bottle and my advice is to decant and open in minimum 2 hours before.
Beginning 2 hours after decanting the wine became wonderful, but still not fully matured tannins and still with reserves for 5 or more years.
The medium length finish is ending on notes of black cherry and black plum. At the beginning it was pure green vegetable , like young wines .
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7/23/2013 - JamesTye Likes this wine: 96 Points
From 750ml. Fill 0.5in below cork. Opened 45 mins prior to serving, no decant needed. Served at the St Geran in Mauritius.
Colour was dark brick, muddy red, slightly clear edges. Not glossy, but evenly coloured. Typical Pessac. On the nose the initial impression was lots of cherry, sour cherry and tobacco. As it opened up in the glass the wine found its feet and there was more tobacco leaf, cedar, earth, red fruit and a whiff of tar. The palate was again very Pessac. Lots of leather, tobacco leaf, some game, red fruit, cherry and dried herbs. This bottle had beautiful balacing acidity, completely integrated tannins and a long, long finish. The flavours swirled around for a long time in the mouth. Impressive and entrancing.
This is a lovely Haut-Brion. This is no blockbuster Pauillac-style red but instead you have excellent, aged, savoury, Claret encapsulated in a single bottle. All the hard edges of the 1988 vintage have been replaced by an exceptionally balanced and rounded wine. This was my best bottle of the case so far and is drinking very well. As this bottle had travelled I didn't decant, and it was great to let the flavours unfurl in the glass. And the wine does need air to show at its best. A very memorable bottle.
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6/14/2013 - emkc wrote: 94 Points
Finally..... the wine has entered into the drinking window. This bottle is much better than the previous 3 from the same case. Very typical Graces and Haut Brion nose. Much better fruits, earthy together with well integrated tannins. Don't wait!!
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5/16/2013 - Poisey Likes this wine: 95 Points
This impressed right out of the gate. Pecan, cedar box, perfume, leather on the nose. Very complex and each time you go back to the glass its showing differently but never falling apart or fading over a two hour span. Texturally smooth and classy. At 25 this is so fresh. Long, long, long finish with lots of tobacco notes. Stunning and good for another 5 to 7 years.
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4/8/2013 - godx wrote: 92 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988 Horizontal (Boneta): Shy at first but opened up with air. Licorice and beautiful red fruits dominate with hints of rocky earth. A bit darker fruits on the palate with excellent acidity and balanced tannins. A ‘gravelly’ profile if that makes any sense. My only concern was some greenness on the finish and how that will affect the wines ability to age further. Overall I found this to be quite classic although there seemed to be bottle variation around the tables as other glass I smelt had some off putting aromas. Excellent.
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4/8/2013 - MattTM wrote:
La Commanderie de Bordeaux: 1988 Horizontal (Boneta Restaurant - Vancouver, BC): There was an interesting vitamin note at first on the nose but this dissipated with some time in the glass. Aromas of rich candied red cherry, tobacco, charred oak, and dark dried fruits on the nose. Lots of red cherry on the palate, along with black plum, graphite, cedar, anise, and a fair bit of leafy mint. Great acid, with a medium length finish ending on notes of black cherry and black plum. This was interesting, and perhaps not a completely sound bottle, but the vitamin was off putting at first for me. Although it mostly blew off, it didn't completely shake it. Plenty of structure, yet a touch thin on the palate and a fair bit of leafiness. This was good, but I was expecting more. Very good+
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4/5/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Wonderful, fully mature nose of tobacco, leather, smoke, eartb and dark fruit. The palate match with emphasis on sweeter fruit amidst the tobacco and leather. Best part was the full and creamy texture. Long lingering finish. One of the best 1988s I have had.
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2/22/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Chú Xī (除夕) Dinner at Home for Chinese New Year (Our House, Hong Kong): Double-decanted the morning before serving over a dinner of classic Chinese New Year food especially prepared by Angela to share with our best friends.
Deep opaque purple-red colour....and the merest hint of translucence. WOW!.....nose of slightly stinky, enormous profound undescribable depths, damp earth, lots of deep, black and red fruits. Palate is absolutely beautiful.....elegant, lean but with a huge depth of plum fruit, fresh dates and fresh prunes. Powdered but still firm tannins. Wonderful resonant depth and a huge lingering finish that stirs the cortex of the cerebellum. Touching on profundity. Tellingly, the last glass was the best. This has improved incredibly since I last drank it nearly seven years ago. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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2/14/2013 - dbg wrote:
Purchased on release and stored in temp controlled cellar since. Pristine fill and cork. Decanted for 1hour and consumed over another 2 hours, with a glass left for the next day.
Dark red core, lightening at rim. Cherry, cassis, dusty earthiness, blood and iron on the nose keeps getting better and more complex over an hour or two. Medium body with flavors following the nose, great balance with tannins mostly resolved and nice freshness from the fruit/acid tension accompanied by increasing complexity over time. Smooth medium-long finish. No fading the next day. Should continue to drink well for another decade or two. Outstanding.
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6/29/2012 - emkc wrote: 93 Points
HB night for my wife's birthday (HB 88, LMHB 88, HB Blanc 97, Bahans HB 03). Not drinking as well as the LMHB 88 initially but it overtook its sibling as it spends more time in the glass. Was a bit worried at the beginning, as it was very closed and lack of fruits. LMHB seems to be a better bottle in the same vintage, but with a cheaper price tag.
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5/25/2012 - JamesTye wrote: 94 Points
From 750ml. Notes very consistent with last bottle. Condition also very good. Perhaps a touch more dried blood on the nose and more herbs and smoke on the palate. The second bottle reinforces my opinion that this wine shows best after at least 3 hours in the decanter. Great wine and very long and complex.
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5/18/2012 - JamesTye wrote: 94 Points
From 750ml. Condition was good, with a firm cork on opening. Fill high. Decanted and served an hour after opening at Pied a Terre restaurant in London. Colour was dark red with lovely, deep core but not overly bright. Nose was classic cedar, earthiness, strong tobacco leaf. Intensely Pessac and aromatic. Palate was beautifully integrated and ripe with tons more tobacco leaf notes, mushroom, earthiness and cherry. The tannins were incredibly well integrated and the finsh was very, very long. As the wine opened up in the decanter it became more intense and impressive. The secondary notes all continued to develop over the next 2 hours, without upsetting the freshness and balance. Always the sign of a great wine. By comparison, the '89 Ducru we were drinking alongside it began to oxidise and fall apart.
This is a lovely Haut-Brion and a great '88. It was still very much intact, lively and savoury at 24 years of age and has plenty of life left in it. This will keep going for at least 10 more years and may well integrate and improve further. A great wine from an underrated vintage. Really very good, classic, refreshing Claret.
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4/23/2012 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, but over the hill somewhat, losing fruit
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4/3/2012 - BradE wrote:
From 375. Tight, as 88's can be, but a wonderful half bottle.
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3/23/2012 - kr522 wrote: 87 Points
this one was a bit disappointing to me. a bit lean in the mouth and surprisingly charmless for an Haut Brion. i see others had a better experience so maybe an off bottle even though well stored and in excellent condition. what can you do, c'est la vie
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2/20/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
1988 Haut Brion greets you with tobacco, smoke, stone, cassis, earth spice aromas. Elegant, smooth, soft and open, this mature wine ends with smoky, cassis and cherry flavors.
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1/24/2012 - BradE wrote:
From 375. A beauty. Is it HB or 88? Don't know, but this is a terrific claret.
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12/13/2011 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bring what you want blind @ELY (Ely wine bar, Dublin): Tasted blind and it showed me why I like Bordeaux (every once in a while I forget and then something like this needs to come along). Very dense, chalk, nice berries, still seems very young and in great shape. Beautiful balance and nice density from start to finish. This was great!
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10/29/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Dark fruit on the nose with some good background spice and earthy aromas. Lean black fruit from the start through the middle, then lots of structure also with good earthy elements and some interesting and charming funk. Finishes with good spice and lean black fruit again. Others liked this much more than I did today.
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10/29/2011 - KenK wrote: 95 Points
Aromas of dark sweet fruit with forest floor and damp earth.
Impressive dark red fruits in very well balanced package of spice, earth, and well integrated mineral features.
Actually came accross much younger then vintage as rich fruit and smooth rich mouthfell and long spiced finish was so pleasing. In a very good place. A real outperformer for the vintage. I noticed the pulled cork seemed like new, spongy and came out clean with tight fit. Not soaked through. Branded correctly. This wine still has a long life, but lely at plateau. As other bullish comments indicate, this may be the wine of the vintage in Bordeaux.
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6/22/2011 - Rupert Degas wrote: 95 Points
Unlike my criticism of the 1989 Latour we drank on the same night (see tasting note), this time I think the price of £200 is justified.
Decanted at 7pm. Poured at 8.45. Drank over one hour with rib of beef and all the trimmings. The nose sang in the glass (not literally obviously, but I heard something) - black fruit, cedar, smokey bacon, dark chocolate, lightly toasted oak, a touch of mint and sweet polished leather. The acidity and tannins were in perfect harmony with a mid-palate of blackcurrant, mint and eucalyptus. The finish was long - lingering for well over 45 seconds. It may have gone on longer, but I had to interrupt every mouthful with a forkful of rare beef and Bearnaise sauce (delicious), so I will never know.
This wine is in a great place right now. Drink ‘em if you got ‘em!
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6/13/2011 - njm wrote:
complete wine, with dark chocolate, crushed blackberry, cedar and raspberry on the nose.
Read more: http://www.snooth.com/wine/chateau-haut-brion-pessac-leognan-1988/#ixzz1PC4yoGQf
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3/11/2011 - ctwomey wrote:
Wine-Pages Dublin Offline (Ely CHQ, Dublin, Ireland): This was my first time having a First Growth, I was really looking forward to it, however I had three other flights before this one, (1 Champagne flight, 1 White and 1 Red Burgundy Flight). I struggled a little to differentiate between the '89 Cos and this. Maybe next time on it's own I might have more time to enjoy.
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1/2/2011 - emkc wrote: 94 Points
The wine is better than the one I last drank 3 years ago. Medium red and body. Good nose of cedar and black fruits, with a bit of coco. A bit too oaky though. The tannins are much softer than 3 years ago.
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11/17/2010 - rpenn77 wrote: 93 Points
Classic Bordeaux nose, cedar and lead pencil. Cassis and smoke.
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11/7/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 98 Points
Nose dominated by cedar, tobacco, oak and cassis. Palate is rich and full of mature red fruit of cassis, kirsch and red cherry. Wow, I kept rubbing my forehead with each taste. An epiphany of why these wines are so special. I know realize that I drankmany of mine way too young.
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11/3/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
1988 Haut Brion is a traditional style of Haut Brion. Cassis, spice, earth, smoke, mushroom and tobacco notes open the perfume. Full bodied and filled with ripe, juicy cassis, the wine lacks the polish and ripeness found in the top vintages. 93 Pts
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10/22/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Peddling for Pebbles 2 (The Ledbury): My second glass of this in two months thanks to Keith, and this one is showing more strongly than the previous bottle. Classic Graves cedar and tobacco nose. Lovely intensity on the nose. Classic dry claret. Opens up a bit over a couple of hours and needs another five years or so. Fragrant and elegant. ***1/2(*)
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8/13/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Keith's 2010 Blind Challenge 2 (28-50, London): OK, so proof that context and external clues are everything in this 'blind tasting' game. Nailed this as 88 HB before it was poured in to my glass from the bottle shape and our host's recent purchasing history. Full garnet, nicely smokey with a touch of spice and a Graves tobacco element. Really complex and interesting nose. Palate quite restrained initially, but with a range of flavours. Finishes a little short to start but it's starting to lengthen and I guess it would fatten out further with an hour or so of decant time. I like this more than most it seems. Genuine complexity and interest but it doesn't shout. ***(*)
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7/28/2010 - jlgnml wrote:
BYOB Haut Brion 60 Year Perspective (Les Nomades Chicago): Fresh, crisp on the palate, deep color, great nose, tannin and elegance
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6/27/2010 - ubercuvee wrote:
Super complex on the nose: palate never quite manages to deliver the incredible scents of cigar bxses, violets and red fruits, but this is still a serious First Growth worthy of the title.
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5/1/2010 - davidny Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would benefit from 80+ when I opened it. After three hour began to open up materiall and when served with a "Gigot de 7 heures" was magic.
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5/1/2010 - JulienGraves wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for only 15 minutes before beginning to drink; would benefit from 60+. After an hour began to open up materially. Classic Haut Brion from a somewhat asutere year. Tannic backbone has softened but remains front and center, beautiful ruby but not bricking, earthy complex nose with cigar box dimensions. Seems yonger than it is more like 93 or 94. Not as obvious complex as the 82 or as rich as the 89.
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4/6/2010 - JulienGraves wrote: 99 Points
This was a surprise. Drank with 82 Lafite, 93 Haut Brion, 95 Branaire, 86 Gruard Larose, 93 Lafite and 78 Las Cases and it was my favorite. Classic infinitely complex nose, fill your mouth finish with soft but still present tannins and a long long finish. A wine to savor.
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4/5/2010 - Richard M wrote: 93 Points
Still dark red, seems very young ('Audozed' 6 hours, then decanted). Nose of cedar and earth, some red fruits. A balanced palate, tannins still prominent, over time hints of tertiary notes emerge, but overall a delicious, balanced claret, not huge, but sharply delineated and delicious now, suspect will last some time
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3/26/2010 - Chris Newport wrote:
Compared to the '88 Latour, this had more depth and was more wild and penetrating. Dark on the nose, super concentrated with strong pine/eucalyptus aromas. Powerful and opulent on the palate, lead pencil , cedar, cigar box and a beautiful wild streak of dark fruits running through it. This is just a baby, but unmistakably bordeaux. I like this.
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3/25/2010 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
PAWS Tasting (Tria Fermentation School): leather, cedar, and eucalyptus with a nice aged bdx mint note that i enjoyed. med(+) finish.
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3/3/2010 - BradE wrote:
From 375. I'm s sucker for 88's, and this was lovely, albeit a bit tight. Fruit was good, not great, but nonetheless a very enjoyable wine.
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2/13/2010 - JJL wrote: 92 Points
5th Annual Big Bottle Party (Jeff's House, Warren, NJ): From DM - When decanted there was a beautiful smell of fresh rose petals on nose. The palate was really tight but good balance. When served quite a few hours later the nose was still going strong and the palate had opened more to reveal dark fruits and some tar. Still young and could have used more air time.
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1/3/2010 - BradE wrote:
From 375. As previously described. Still a bit tight, but a nice little Sunday night wine.
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12/18/2009 - BradE wrote:
From 375ml. Hadn't had this wine for a while. Tight, austere, and you wish for just some more fruit. But for some reason very likable notwithstanding those attributes. I doubt this will change or evolve very fast - it is what it is.
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10/18/2009 - JulienGraves wrote: 96 Points
Coming into bloom after many austere years. Balanced, great color, elegant with great finese. Beginning to show heritage.
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9/20/2009 - Gringo wrote: 91 Points
A beautiful melange of blackberry and raspberry and toasted sourdough for the nose. The eye saw a deep rich ruby hue. The tongue found at first astringency (aspirin), tart melon and noticeable tannins. However, as the dinner progressed the tannins mellowed and a lovely and vibrant undertone of fruit came forward. The finnish was medium to long and interesting. This is a first growth from an unremarkable year. This is a wine at or near its peak. This is a wine that is enjoyable and provides some joy. This is a wine that is way overpriced nevertheless.
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12/25/2008 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
A wonderful wine, but had with the '90 Margaux, which it could not stand up to. It lacks the depth and complexity of the Margaux. I bit tannic on the finish, consistent with the vintage. Perhaps with some time, it will even get better, but would wonder if there is enough fruit for that to happen...Still a wonderful wine...
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12/20/2008 - aof wrote: 93 Points
Even though the '88 vintage produced sturdy, tannic wines, this wine displayed impeccable balance and harmony. Just a tad less depth and complexity, when compared to better vintages. Haut-Brion is rapidly becoming my favorite first growth.
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8/8/2008 - JDB wrote: 92 Points
There is no denying the class & elegance of this wine . While not a vintage of note it was still a very enjoyable bottle of wine . I opened & decanted for sediment just before leaving for the restaurant , put it back into the bottle and of we went . A slightly orangeish hue to the wine upon being poured , but ready for business quite quickly . Smoke , leather , olives and a very nice finish . A very delicate wine that as I said before shows it's elegance . Except for the presence of bricking I would guess this stills has years of life ahead of it . There is still quitea bit of tannic backbone
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4/26/2008 - the godfather wrote: 91 Points
classic haut brion nose but a bit thin and tannic, but still very enjoyable
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2/24/2008 - mr.krasnow wrote: 92 Points
This is a winner, berries and chocklate, full nose
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2/15/2008 - ricksmith wrote: 97 Points
Cooking Gals Wine Night - Grand Cru tasting (Andre and Nicki's house, La Visenet, France): This wine was excellent!!!
Color was very dark with no signs of brown. This wine should be fine for another 20 years.
Smell was very slightly smokey with an "inky" taste.
Wine has a distinctive flavor.
Vineyard is located in the southern suburbs of the city of Bordeaux.
One of the best wines I have tasted.
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11/2/2007 - Dawa wrote: 96 Points
This was just super.
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10/13/2007 - BradE wrote:
This bottle showed quite well. A good, not great wine.
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8/30/2007 - BradE wrote:
Very HB like. Not an earth shaking wine, but a high pedigree wine with typical HB attributes. Nice. 92 pts.
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8/15/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Smoky aromatics, cassis, tobacco and fresh ground spices, full bodied, concentrated with hints of underripeness that appears in the otherwise, stylish finish, this is a good but not great Haut Brion.
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8/4/2007 - TampaDan wrote: 95 Points
Opened from my cellar at West Palm Wines in Tampa, along with a 99 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques from Maume, which was just OK, and an 86 Cos d'Estournel provided by Jim, which was phenomenal! Marvelous, marvelous showing from this most regal of First Growths. Still needs a little time to hit its peak, but it's certainly not too far off now. Deep purple color with almost no brick at the rim. Amazing nose dominated by freshly roasted espresso beans, leather, truffles, sweet earth, and an olive note. With time, elements of fresh plums also began to emerge. Wonderful fruit on the palate, along with some of the highest acidity that I've ever encountered in any wine, but without being out of balance in any way. Slightly grainy tannins on the finish. Give it 5-10 more years, and you'll have a near-perfect masterpiece with that trademark HB elegance. Apparently considered the WOTV along with Margaux, and it's certainly easy to see why. Bravo!!!
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7/1/2007 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
Gourgeous, HB nose is always fantastic.
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3/7/2007 - LEOWINE wrote: 90 Points
Colour light brick rim with a dark core. The nose is classic Haut Brion, wet stone tobacco coffee mineral. In the mouth the wine has good balance which still has some tannin to be integrated. On the finish is a bit flat but the wine is still enjoyable but not a great Haut Brion.
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4/23/2006 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
A 92-point Robert Parker wine. Drunk at a 1988 Horizontal Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Petrus, Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong which also featured Ch. Troplong-Mondot, Ch. Vieux Certan, Ch. Mouton Rothschild, Ch. Angelus and Ch. Rieussec. Generally viewed as the poor cousin of the 1989, which scored 100 Robert Parker points. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, although you'd be hard-pressed to identify it. This is stunning, aloof, steely, lots of fruit combined with a touch of wonderful restraint and austerity. An ascetic wine which to me captures and magnifies the essential characteristic of the 1988 vintage. Incredible structure and finesse. It seems near to full development until you let it linger in the glass and wonder where it might go in the future. Clearly is good for decades to come. Stupendous. However, on the night I still marginally preferred the Mouton Rothschild '88 despite its thinner, more austere style but compensated for by its unique multi-dimensionality. This evening's tasting came down to an impossible choice between the fruit, structure and richness of the Haut-Brion and the incredible, but fleeting, multi-dimensionality of the Mouton-Rothschild '88.
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4/20/2006 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Mark. Darker in color than I would have expected. Expansive nose of smoke, plum, dark fruit. The palate is seamless, silky and carries the fruit through a lengthy finish. A wonderful bottle, again thanks to Mark for his incredible generosity.
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4/1/2006 - hcampana wrote: 90 Points
The Mexicans taste 1980s Bordeaux ('88 Haut Brion, '82 Cos, '82 Canon, '82 Leoville Poyferre, '86 Pichon Baron) (Hermosillo, Mexico): I am not as big of a fan of Haut Brion as Gusbo is. My experience with Haut Brion is very, very limited, which may explain it. I also think that my stylistic preference towards fuller bodied, Cabernet dominated, more tannic Northern Medoc Bordeaux plays a role. This wine was medium bodied, pleasant and enjoyable, but for me, lacked the aromatic complexity that is supposed to make up for the trade off for less extract, less body and lesser intensity vs more fuller bodied wines. It has no flaws, but it has no uumph for me. I may chnage my mind once I dink an 1989 or 1990, but until then, I call it as I taste it.
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3/20/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
The black fruit, tobacco and spice perfume was reticent and needed a lot of swirling to come out and play. Structured, tannic, needs time.
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1/15/2005 - MauriceE wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine, velvety, earthy, full-bodied, complex, very complete.
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12/24/2004 - archer752000 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours.
Color - very dark ruby red.
At first this wine emerges with roasted coffee,
vanilla spice, bell pepper, tobacco, leather, cedar.
Then come the fruits - loads of blackberries,
cherries, strawberries, currant.
Thrilling tannins make the fruits to shine in
harmonic, plush, mouthfilling 50+ seconds finish.
It makes you scream when the bottle is about to end
- "Give me more of this stuff!!!".
Still very young, this wine promises to score
2-3 more points in 5-10 years to come.
Awesome Haut-Brion!
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12/1/2004 - sdr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Interesting comparison to the ‘85. Clearly Graves. Definite family resemblance to the much more flamboyant older sibling. Reserved. Less concentrated than the ‘85. Classy in a cool, elegant way. Not a great Haut-Brion but very “typique.” Good match with roasted venison.
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11/4/2004 - cassetta wrote: 90 Points
Haut Brion verticle with the West Michigan Offliners, Herb Blair's bottle. Garnet. Smoke, tobaco and spice on the nose. Medium bodied with a short but pleasent finish. Decanted 2 hours prior and drank over the following hour. Not showing and signs of decline but the tannins will out live what little fruit the wine has. Probably would show better on its own but paled next to the competition.
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10/31/2004 - bdenuyl wrote: 92 Points
Tasted 10/04 Very nice, but acid a little high, so at first appears unbalanced. Opens up nicely with Haut Brion flavor. Probably will improve with more time
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12/18/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted unblinded at Region restaurant. Bottle provided by Steve Schreiner. Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean nose, showing a complex bouquet of leather, black fruit, damp earth, clove and black tea. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, ample ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish.
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12/14/2003 - Henman wrote:
N: light,pencil shavings,a little cassis.
P: good balance,silky,vibrant fruit.
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6/7/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 97 Points
Dark red. Jammy on the nose. Also vanilla spice. Stupendous in the mouth. Concentrated and powerful, yet complex, classy and elegant. Superb structure. This wine is packed with dense, ripe fruit. The nuances keep popping up, and the aftertaste is long and balanced. A great wine.
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2/18/2003 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Coffee, licorice, cassis and herbal notes filled the air. Full bodied, lush, rich and tannic. Cassis and blackberry with spicy tones are easy to find in the finish. Needs another decade of sleep.
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12/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($300) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Slightly darker than the Cheval Blanc. Nose of tar, violets and fruit. Perhaps some earthy minerals. Ripe, moderate acids, medium-full bodied, elegant.
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