Mystery wine evening (@Private location): *** only for my memory, no detailed note or rating *** Glass: Spiegelau Definition Bordeaux Tasted double blind. Very fresh and fine beautiful nose. Silky texture, wonderful fruit. Elegance an balance, very long. Great!
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Beautiful. Group of 5 and bottle was polished clean in all of about 20 minutes. Decanted for sediment. Captivating dark ruby coloured. Hints of decline but very drinkable and easily another decade in it. It’s 10am the morning after and I can still feel the finish.
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Decanted 3.5 hours which was needed to smoothen the wine…really good and charming bottle that offers smoke, touch of mint, Blackcurrent, elegant Black berries, gravel, cigar ash and sweet Tobacco…both in bouquet and palate…Do I like it…YES! But compared to HB90 it does not offer the same aristocratic firework of notes and coherence. But still really good
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Brought to dinner at Crown Shy. Cork in great condition, just a short decant. Initially very soft and plush but started to pick up more body and structure with time. Fully mature with beautiful blackberry jam flavors and signature smoke and cigarbox. This is a perennial favorite of mine and I've had multiple bottles over the past 5-10 years. I think it is now starting to crest and needs to be consumed over the next 5 years, although it will always vary bottle by bottle.
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Dinner at Foliage (San Francisco): Lovely nose with super classic Bordeaux profile of tobacco, forest, cedar, cassis, underwood, and some floral notes. The palate is very elegant with similar notes plus dark cherries and some smokiness towards the long finish. Amazing wine that's very balanced, complex, and elegant. I don't think it will improve from here, but will certainly hold for a long time.
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Dinner with Herwig (Foliage, SF): High intensity aromatics, mature fruit, graphite; palate is full bodied, showing a touch of alcohol but otherwise well balanced, tons of bell pepper, some black pepper; long finish. Very nice finish, really nice aromatics, and this will continue to age really well. 93-94
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A softer and more elegant version of La Mission Haut-Brion, the 1990 is a sheer delight. Marvelous texture, lingering. Gently smoky and dark fruity. At peak.
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Wow !!! Un grand moment de dégustation avec cette bouteille absolument magique....Robe encore relativement jeune.Bouquet sensationnel de complexité et d'intensité: fruits noirs (cassis,myrtille),cèdre,un vrai côté fumé avec de l'olive noire,bois de santal...C'est réellement enivrant on ne s'en lasse pas....La bouche offre une longue caresse langoureuse qui est interminable,et tout cela avec des arômes différents ici c'est le tabac et la réglisse qui dominent le palais.Carrément envoûtant longueur magnifique....Et tous les dégustateurs renommés affirment que le 89 est largement supérieur faut pas demander....Un très,très grand moment où l'on savoure pleinement un nectar tel que celui là !!!!!!
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Had this along with a 90 Cheval Blanc, and 99 La Mouline, as we had special friends over for dinner…..needless to say they were all great in their own way. We drank this last, and perhaps the comparison reminded me how singular LMHB can be, exuding all kinds of cigar and gravel notes perfectly intertwined with the raspberry and dark cherry flavors. Fantastic
The high expectations completely fulfilled. Dream bottle. Aromatic on the dark, fine spicy side, dark fruit, leather, very best cigars. Superbly structured, best acidity and fine-grained tannins, with great inner power on the palate. Aged superbly, now has wonderful balance and aromatically is an archetype of a fine Grave wine. Bottles in this condition can play at least at the same level for another 10-15 years.
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A celebration with friends (Home): Similarly full mid garnet as the HB alongside, and equally rich, open and giving from the off. Decanted 3hrs and kept cool. A lovely pairing with the HB, very similar in character, the LMHB showing a touch more richness, the HB a little more aristocratic elegance. Long, rich and inviting. Neck and neck with the HB, and a step up from a very good but ultimately less exciting bottle of the 89 in January. Blackcurrant, tobacco, just quintessential Graves. *****
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Certainly 1990 has a strong signature of plush ripeness and layered power and that is definitely the case here. This wine is voluminous in the mouth with a velvet texture sent from the gods. Yet terroir-specific flavors are there with great smoky black fruit and sweet tobacco flowing over the tongue. The finish is like cashmere with great notes of dark spices and campfire embers. Wow!
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Smooth and layered with smoky dark fruits and real depth and subtle power. I usually prefer this to the '90 Haut Brion drunk alongside but not on this night. At Commanderie Candidate's dinner at the University Club, NYC.
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KYD #2.3 (Møntnergade): Plenty of black currant fruit combined with a lovely complexity. Forest floor, mushrooms, tobacco and lovely perfume of black currant leaves. Absolutely loved it! 97-98p.
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Spring Break Mini-Mondo Tasting (Deerfield Beach, FL): Flight #2 - single blind tasted next to the '90 Haut Brion. The '90 La Mission was hands down WOTN. This was the fourth time I've had this vintage of La Mission and this ranks up there as one of the best bottles I've of the four bottles. Near perfection. A wine made for kings, queens, & nobility. This has the stuffing that some of the best Bordeaux contain in the 1990 vintage. So great!
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A great bottles of this that has reached maturity with a superb depth of faded dark fruits and tons of tertiary flavors and aromas. The texture is layered, silky and fine and this is now all about the fabulous expression of "tobacco road" on the long and incredibly complex finish. Hard to even explain how unique and delicious this wine is and it bested the '90 Haut Brion tonight in my opinion. Peaking but plenty of life ahead. 96+
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Singing from the moment it was opened. Notes of bacon, blackberry, tobacco. Lush and full yet with a backbone of fine tannins. Very lingering and balanced.
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More flattering and hedonistic than the 1989, the 1990 La Mission has a gorgeous scorched earth entry into a lux palate; the most sybaritic La Mission but I would not list decadence and hedonism as La Mission’s most endearing traits.
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54th Birthday dinner; 7/19/2022-7/21/2022 (Tschernihovsky 6 restaurant): Drunk next to its sibling, the 1990 Haut Brion, and this time outclassed by it. Expressive nose of blackberry, bacon fat, violets. On the palate quite powerful, even edgy, with finer but pronounced tannins. Could have used longer decanting as it improved in the glass, and yet never reached the finesse and balance of the HB. Still, in its own right an excellent wine. Still some years ahead of it.
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Jeez, I think this wine is getting younger! It is everything I expect, just needs a long decant! Its dark, dark cherry, with black soil, iron, and stones, and myriad baking spices. It seemed to grow in the glass. Great wine to be sure!
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1989 V 1990 Bordeaux at Wine Watch. The star of the night amongst a generally underwhelming group of wines. This was elegant with notes of tobacco and leather and a long finish: lovely wine.
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48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): Haut Brion vs Mission HB vs La Tour HB. Winner and overall the best wine of the 1990 tasting as a whole was the spectacular Mission (98 pts) full of telltale Pessac tobacco and truffles. Layered, intense, sharp, creamy and vivid, long, superbly complete. The HB (95 pts) showed younger and less complex but my guess is that it should get to the level of the Mission with more air and/or age. The La Tour HB (91 pts) was good but with less in every category and it didn’t show enough finesse.
TN: Not overly expressive nose with dark fruit, minerality, smoke. On the palate it shows lots of structure, freshness, still slightly angular tannins but balanced by a nice creaminess. Medium complexity with fresh dark fruit, herbs, minerality, smoke and not yet much tertiary aromas. Overall quite nice but without anything exceptional. 91 pts. For more it would need more finesse and complexity.
Decanting: Quick double decant two+ hours prior to the tasting to remove sediment. Maybe 2, 3 hours in the decanter would have helped to make things smoother.
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Advanced for the year, it is an almost overwhelming experience. The nose is sheer perfection and easily warrants a perfect 100 points, and it is one of those unique wines you could just inhale all night and walk away on a high. Blackcurrant, plum, violet and roasted tobacco are the prominent aromas. The fruit is ripe on the palate but with a rigid tannic spine that is exquisitely balanced. The finish is excellent and lengthy and no residual imbalance. Surprisingly already displaying secondary characteristics, this is way ahead of the 1982 and 1986 in its development. Unlike many of its siblings from 1990 this is really ready to go and is a very special wine.
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Very dark, dense. Huge nose of what at first I thought was Brett...but later appears to be intense floral notes, tobacco, herbs, cedar. Very rich on the palate with great fruit. Tannins are pretty soft. Lovely wine.
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A wine I have consistently loved and now think may be better than the more celebrated 89. The nose is a knockout…absolutely stunning aromas of cigar, graphite, earth, and purple fruits, with a similar flavor profile and a softened structure (always important how the tannins project with LMHB, and here they’re harmonious). Drinks in some ways like an aged Dujac in that the secondary characteristics dominate the dark cherry and plum fruit. 100 point bouquet, and 97 for the flavors
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This wine never disappoints. Beautiful smokey nose with loads of graphite. Blackberries with gorgeous notes of secondary development. Still so lively. Fine grained tannins give this a very nice structure. Delicious.
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1990 Champagne / Bordeaux / N Rhone (London): A great wine but to me on this occasion it did get a bit "lost". Side by side HB90 I preferred the 1st growth. LMHB had a bit of bret, which doesn't disturb me hugely, but this bottle simply showed less precision and detail compared to HB90.
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Amazingly complex. Prime time drinking for this nicely aged and tertiary Bordeaux. Upon open, nose was exhilarating - then 30 min later, even more sensual classic LMHB aromas as we allowed the bottle to gain air. Immediately a bit of stewed plums and also a touch of bitterness, but gone in 30 minutes. Smoky, embers, tobacco leaf, mushrooms; all with a base of moderate red fruit and the finish was extreme. Drank over a couple days, vacuumed, and fell part about hour 6-8. Just an incredible experience.
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Pretty tight at first, eventually opening after two hours in a decanter with bitter chocolate, Graves earth, stone more than cassis fruit, tobacco, and violets. Structured yet seemingly mid weighted and graceful, with a sense of depth and power that is beautifully proportioned, conveying power without any heaviness. There is sap and breath on the palate with harmony. More gravel, bitter chocolate, and tobacco leaf on the palate. Ripe fruit plays beautifully with the savory and earthy notes. Finishes long. Drinking at peak after a couple hours in the decanter, and the last glass at four hours being the best by a stretch, with terrific perfume, an expansive palate presence, but mostly a sense of harmony and effortless balance.
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Drinking in its prime time window, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, smoky and packed with notes of campfire embers, tar, tobacco leaf, cherries and red currants. Refined, earthy, complex and long, with a smoky, tobacco leaf, herb, earth and red fruit finish, this is ready to go.
This needed decanting, and even after a few hours showed a very concentrated linear classic nose of dark fruits. Delicious with good tannic structure, and incredible length. On this afternoon, it outperformed the 89 La Mission!
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Impeccable cap. At first, great fright, the mouth was unbalanced, alcoholic with a monstrous finish while the mouth was absent subscribers. 4 hours of ventilation did him the greatest good.
On the nose, we are on classy Bordeaux in full possession of its means: spicy, cocoa, with tobacco and leather. The palate is dense, on grilled meat. It's bloody and smoky, very opulent with a silky feel. The balance is perfect although the acidity is low which gives the wine a warm and cocoa flavor and consequently a little lack of energy if I quibble. But the whole remains deep, racy and complex. The finish is concentrated, it explodes on chocolate aromas to finish on a very nice length.
Excellent! In my opinion, it lacks a bit of going in terms of tension to be great, but everything is there. My Burgundian side, no doubt.
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Right on point with recent bottles. The 1990 LMHB is an eye popping wine that is elegant and deeply nuanced. Precise cassis, blackberry,, black cherry, tobacco. gravel, brick and smoke.
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It’s been a couple years since I’ve tasted the 90 LMHB and my feeling is it’s actually gaining momentum in its majestic ascent. All the classic and mesmerizing aromatics of warm gravel, hot bricks, smoked bbq and camphor are on full display. On the palate the wine is velvety textured and opulent with great layers of complexity and brilliant balance of power and elegance. Tasted side-by-side with 90 HB.
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During a "Covid Stuck in Singapore" 14.July French National day lunch. Holy cow, 30 years old and very masculine. Commanding tannins and wild forest floor. Complex, long finish.
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I completely agree with the 95 + ratings. This is an excellent bottle of wine. The 82 is my favorite, the 89 a close second. The 1990 is preferred to the 98 or 2000 at this time in age for me. Above are the vintages I have tried thus far. Note I haven't had a bottle pre dating 82.
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Single Blind 1990 Bordeaux (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): An enchanting nose that is so complex with mature plum, herb, spice and a distinct band-aid note (that is not for everyone). The palate is rich and just beams with complex layers of fruit, tobacco, earth and more. Long, long finish. Guessed LMHB.
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1990 Bordeaux Dinner (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Single blind at 1990 Bordeaux dinner. Was this a flawed/ tired bottle? Not nearly as tired as the first bottle that was opened and clearly heat damaged, but this also came across as tired and past its peak. I haven't had this wine in almost five years, but I expected more based on prior experience.
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Once again a stunning performance from this wine which remains young but definitely in its drinking window with a good decant (3 hours). It seems to combine the best of both left and right banks in this vintage with great cut and precision but also a voluptuousness and richness that is beguiling. Very layered and fine as it caresses the palate and the finish is so satisfying and complex with notes of Asian spices and scorched earth. At Gramercy Tavern.
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The 1990 La Mission Haut Brion is serious business with a tremendously intense but supremely elegant nose of raspberry, woodsmoke, mineral, and allspice, subtly accented by tobacco and capsicum. Potent, big palate with lots of poise. Totally complete with a gorgeously floral (red rose) finish - what's not to love? 96-97
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Nose: loaded with cherry, raspberry, pie spice, tobacco and baked brick. Deep and nuanced nose at this stage that captivates. Palate: layered and deep with cherry, blackberry, tea, mineral, tobacco and the smoke/brick/clay notes of pessac. Glorious. Finish: resonant floral and red fruited.
WOTN for me.
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A nearly perfect perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. Purchased a case on release and in my cellar since. It should easily last for 5 or more years. Ric
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Drank from 375ml. Initial impression was... this is good but tastes old. There was initially a lot of funk, but after 15 minutes it blew off and what was left was quite lovely — huge improvement with a little bit of air. Ripe fruit, silky texture, slightly heavy and rich viscosity, definitely a lot going on here. Fully mature as far as I’m concerned, but there is still nice structure on the finish so I expect this has many good years ahead of it.
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Tasted with 1989 Lynch Bages, also a perfect wine, and with '03 Harlan, younger but also great. A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years. Ric
Decanted for 90 mins before serving. Tobacco, smoke, cigar, leaf, and sweet currant. Very silky and elegant on the palate. Effortless and light on its feet. Superb.
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Textbook example of LMHB showing off its tobacco, cigar wrapper, leaf, smoke, cherry, cedar and tar aromatics at the drop of the hat. It is concentrated, full and offers ample depth, but there is a slight rusticity to the tannins that takes away from the tobacco-tinged, red fruit finish just a little bit. Still, this is a gorgeous wine that is showing just great today.
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Wow, this bottle really fired tonight showing deep and concentrated flavors of black fruits, coal dust and char. Quite rich, velvety and flamboyant in the style of the vintage with a deliciously complex finish with notes of minerals and exotic spices. Just a fabulous Bordeaux for current and future drinking.
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Pausing for the Cause 2019 (Chicago, IL): Lots and lots of black fruit and graphite here, with a slight bit of smokiness. The nose here is just incredibly complex; sadly it's a fair amount better than the palate, which seems to pick up a slight hint of pruney overmaturity and sweetness. Nonetheless, there's enough very compelling material to be able to overlook that slightly jammy quality, but it definitely gets in the way of elevating this bottle to the top echelons of Bordeaux.
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Where's the 'I love it' button? Dark, earthy, perfectly evolved aromas and tannins. Prime drinking window. Focused. Powerful palate with great length. Could probably age longer, but why wait? This delivers the whole package.
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Another lost Friday afternoon gathering – 88 DRCs, 90 Bordeauxs, Raveneaus, Dauvissats and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Intense nose displaying concentrated black fruit, cassis, crushed blueberries, black cherry, licorice, a hint of green, tobacco, cedar, lead pencil and scorched earth. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense sweet black fruit, unctuous, bright acidity, good mineral, the tannins are mostly masked by the concentrated fruit and a long intense black fruit driven finish with a hint of scorched earth at the end. Although it seems to be cellared ideally, there is a hint of band aid/brett. However, it is not terribly bothersome. Excellent showing.
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Huge, complex perfume on this one, with deep black currant, humidor-level cigar smoke, warm gravel, old leather, blackberry jam, and old cedar chest. Big, dark-fruited, and well-balanced with a nice mineral profile on the palate, and plenty of polished tannin for structure on a slightly grippy finish. This was everything you’d want out of a fabulous Bordeaux experience, and the only reason I’d keep any points in reserve is that I think it can go a shade higher once those tannins soften a bit more. Really superb, and it topped a flight that included the 1990 Beausejour and the 1982 Haut Brion.
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A very good and mature bottle of this great wine which showed so much terroir. Great flavors of smoky dark fruits and warm gravel. Such a silky-fine texture and with a feeling of liquid graphite flowing across the tongue. Finishes with supple tannins and complex mineral notes. Not the most complex La Miss ever made but it's simply gorgeous to drink.
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Now this is what I want. Gravelly minerality on the nose while drinking sweet asphalt and hot rocks on the palate. It really feels nice to drink a classic Bordeaux which gives these non-fruit flavors that one wants. That said, there was enough dark rich prune/plum flavor to serve as the subwoofer to the magic of the minerals and rocks. I had the 1990 haut Brion 3 weeks later in Paris and I must say, I prefer the la mission right now (although the haut Brion has a shade more fruit and weight but not the full on openness of the nose).
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Classic bdx and graves nose - oh my this is Smokey mineraly gravel. Dark fruits. Blackberries and black currant Tobacco. Sharp minerals. Very intense. Opulent but not heavy at all. Some violet florals. Smokey and young on the palate Good acid. Dark Fruit and super savory and mineraly. I Like the nose better. The palate is quiet and not as explosive. Finish is dark and violets and gravel. Some sweetness on Finish. Very interesting and well made. Still didn’t move me but others loved it. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/20 = 16-17.5/20.
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100 Points A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years. Ric
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A side by side of 1990 Haut Brion and 1990 La Mission Haut Brion. Both bottles in perfect shape. Both were showing more development than I've experienced to date, and at age 29 are finally starting to show their age. I preferred the Haut Brion, but both were outstanding, and the table was split.
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drank with the 90 Montrose, both have been consistently great wines, and neither disappointed. the Montrose perhaps a touch darker, this leaned a bit more toward blue & dark cherry fruits, with earthy, clove, chestnut accents. great aromatics and strong from the entry, to an expansive mid palate and a long finish. so good
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La Mission Haut Brion with Jean-Philippe Delmas (Vaucluse Townhouse, New York): A perennial favorite of mine, and this was a crowd pleaser tonight. I had originally scored this 100 points until I was confronted with the 1961 which took perfection to a new level! The 1990 has a spectacular nose of saddle leather and smoke. Layers of complexity go on and on on the ultra-long finish. This is impeccably balanced.
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2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Softer color, more clarity with almost brick rim; porcini bomb on the nose, leather, a touch of horse, olive, incense, complex Bordeaux quite different from the last wine- seemed older than the '89 Dominus; sexy palate, great mid with lovely earth and mineral, late delicious fruit, no green, lithe and elegant still exhibiting a youthfulness; liked the '89 LMHB call but due to elegance called '89 Palmer; WOTN.
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Magnifique! High fill et bouchon à peine imbibé. Ouvert durant 90 minutes, puis carafé 30 minutes et dégusté pendant 90 minutes. Couleur grenat moyen avec reflets orangés. Le nez est bien typique, sur des arômes d’âtre froid, de boite à cigares, de tabac et aussi de sous-bois. La bouche est tout en rondeur, en suavité et complexité, bien soulignée par une belle trame acide qui donne au vin de la distinction. Les tanins sont superbement intégrés et la finale s’étire longuement. A boire sans se presser.
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Red currant liquor and cigar start the 1990 La Mission off on the right foot but, at least this particular bottle, is marred by some advanced notes I'll aspirationally attribute to the bottle rather than the wine. Stewed fruit on the palate.
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This bottle showed quite backward at first but then opened in the glass to show superb silky power along with flavors of sweet tar and smoky gravel. Finishes with great lift and complexity showing notes of tobacco, charcoal and dark chocolate. I love this wine and it will only get more complex over the next 20+ years. 95+ At Daniel game dinner.
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Slow oxed for 8 hours before serving. Initially, it was overshadowed by the 82 older brother. At the end of the dinner, it fleshed out the berry fruit, truffle, cinnamon and earthiness. The sweetness of the fruit showed the ripe vintage character. Enjoyed this in the last 30 mins. Slightly preferred this over 2002.
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Russk. Justin's Wizards Tasting at The Ritz Key Biscayne. My wine of the flight and one of my wine of the night. We had the 1989 and the 1990 vintage. Both were my favorite and their respective flights, over and above the Montrose, the Lynch bages and P ichon Barons of the same vintage. 92+ pts.
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Double decanted and served next to 1998 La Miss. The 1990 was much more evolved and gave off a much bigger nose, but was, to me a slight let down on the palate. While it had plenty of what you expect in a great Graves, there was too much band aid for my taste - and it did not blow off, it got stronger.
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A little bit better on the nose, with its blend of tobacco, cigar wrapper, cedar, forest notes and dark red, smoky fruits. The wine is concentrated, long and intense, but at least with this bottle, the tannins are a bit rough. Still, that is only a minor quibble, as this is showing great with just an hour or so of air. You can drink this over the next 2-3 decades.
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A great bottle of this that still seems fairly young and could probably have used more than the 2-hour decant it received. Really voluminous and silky in texture with great Graves flavors of smoky graphite, warm road-tar, blackish fruits and dark spices. Finishes sooo smooth and complex with notes of minerals and exotic spice. Just glorious and still with plenty of upside. 97+
beautiful wine, needed an hour in the decanter to open up, but worth the wait. Lots of plums, chocolate and truffle, touch of mint, which is a little unusual but adds interest. Broad, long finish driven by a lovely mineral spine. Very much reminds me of the superb La Fleur Petrus from the same vintage. Close to peak drinking, although if I only had one bottle, I would wait another 5 years. 96pts 2020-2040
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From a half bottle in virtually perfect condition.
This was a shower, not a grower. Right from the get go, a big nose of smoke, tobacco, forest floor, and black fruit. Very very typical La Mission. Vastly superior to the 1989 half bottle earlier this year. Perhaps the 89 is still not fully ready. From full bottle the 1989 is clearly a grower, getting better with hours of air.
The palate was tremendously intense but light as air with an incredible finish that lasted beyond even a bit of food. Wow! I told my father in-law who has been here for months that this is the best wine I've served him and I hope I may match or surpass it over the next few months.
This evolved slightly with air but not enough to warrant a higher score. I wouldn't decant or leave it out too long. I was going to sniff a glass all night long but decided to drink up. This was decidedly better than a half bottle I had 8 years ago.
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Clear, pretty, reflective red with a bit of sediment. Nose of strong Band-Aid with garlic funk and a mixed red and black fruits. This is delicious - notes of aforesaid Band-Aid, raspberry, umami. Thin-bodied and really tasty.
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Argh! Drunk too young. Tasted in a small private event with '98 Trotanoy, '97 Hillside Select and 2000 Quilceda Creek, the La Mission simply kept improving, with the last sip the best. Sigh. Ruby with a nose of tobacco, gunflint and red fruits, closed to start but nevertheless tasty. As the evening wore on it began to open up, but still infanticide. I can see 98 points or better with more time.
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Some strange CT notes on this wine. I love the 90 Haut Brion and find it shows fantastically well (mouthfeel) without too much air. Not the case here. At all. From a pristine bottle from my cellar this was (esp for a 90) very inaccessable. Massive waves of tobacco on the nose, some rich red fruit and lots of earth notes... but other than that it was tight and shut. Even after sitting in a decanter for 5hrs. Drank the rest 2 days later and it was starting to open but only just. Right now not a patch on the 90 HB (I rated 97-98pts) and needs to be left until 2030! I recently enjoyed the 75 LMHB which is finally in a great spot and wonder if this will be a better version (similar profile but with more aromatic potential). Tentative 96pts now, but potential for 97-98pts in time. HOLD. Drink 2030-2050
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Tasted against the '90 Haut Brion and to me the two wines couldn't be more different and LMHB was the easy winner but the table was split down the middle in that regard. A seamless wine that's just about fully mature but will clearly hold at this level for quite some time. Very layered with flavors of black fruits, licorice and dark minerals. This possesses a much better middle than the HB even if that wine show a bit more complexity on the finish. Just stunning juice.
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If you like a good, aged, Cuban Cigar, you came to the right place. With gobs of smoke, tar, cigar ash and tobacco leaf, the earthy, deep, dark, red berries really shine through. Powerful, yet refined, there is depth, length, complexity and character. Good now, and better in 10-20 years, if the bottle has been well stored.
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The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind, guessed late 80s top pauillac. This is the definition of a great fully mature top growth left bank. Herby notes, light smoky feel, cedar, dark fruited and with that first floor finish. Soft but very much present and alive. The tannin is silky and the fruit mild but the wine is in tune and just delivers an amazing experience . 96 and drink now
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Château La Mission Haut-Brion vertical tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): This continues to be one of my favorite vintages from LMHB. The nose is just so fresh and exotic. There are all of the typical elements, with dark fruits, smoke, tobacco, spice, espresso, and fresh violets. Vibrant and fresh on the palate. Almost stunning balance, yet this wine still shows so young. A long finish that highlights its impressive complexity.
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La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): This was the most puzzling and disappointing vintage of LMHB in the vertical (1961 - 2004) but many others were much more impressed than I. To me, it was closed and even short, with only moderate concentration. Not bad and not spoiled or off, just modest and suprisingly weak. Since it should have been so much more, either I just missed it or some were overly impressed with the label. For sure I need to try it again before dismissing it.
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A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years. Ric
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brief note. color showing bricking on edges. this seemed a little medicinal, and came of a bit tart and lean with both acid and tannin structure. I think that this was a nice mature wine served just after a significantly richer younger seeming wine. alone my sense is that would be wonderful.
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1990 Bordeaux Blind: Highlights: Good smoke and ashy earth on the nose, but missing the obvious spicee of the Haut-Brion. Lots of farmy rusticity and medium-high brett on top of sweeter currant fruit. Quite savoury. Also showing a little more development than the first wines (Leoville Poyferre, Calon Segur, Palmer). Didn't compare to the bottle of Haut-Brion tonight.
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Achim's Magnum Tasting 2016 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): much too young, it is like drinking a five year old Bordeaux, the cassis notes are overlayed at this stage,I think it is much more fun to drink it from regular bottle, the same level as HB 1989 in the same flight, will last at least the next 30 years
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Cork was perfect. Barely any staining up the cork and a nearly new appearance from the top. Aromas of leather and blackberry began uncoiling right on the pop.
Nose: Gorgeous florals lead the wine with cedar, smoke, creosote and warm brick that are classically pessac. Layered in are gorgeous black cherry, roasted strawberry, leather and blackberry notes. This evolved a lot over a 6-hour sitting from decant to finish. Nose described as powdery is correct, as it is so finely perfumed and detailed. What a pleasure. Palate: Stacked and layered palate with Gorgeous red/black fruit, vanilla bean, graphite, minerals and smokey cherry notes. Complex and layered yet slow to evolve. This has a long way to go and a lot to offer. Finish: Over 60 seconds on the finish with more blackberry, black cherry, smoke and cedar notes.
Not much more you could ask for from this La Mission. 96+ as this has room to improve, and given more development of the fruit and integration of some components I can see this reaching the 99pt level the critics claim. I'll revisit in 10-years.
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My second time around with this absolutely lovely wine. I first had this in 2012 at a rather generous tasting (shall we say, I enjoyed repeated samples). It has hardly budged since that time. This remains a very special vintage for La Mission in that it expresses the classic La Mission profile (cigar, roast brick) with very elegant wild flower notes. The rare combination of the rustic and the urbane makes for such an engaging, lively drink. Once you add in the fact that the olfactory texture seems to be powdery and soft, you've really got a wine that you don't see every day. The fruit here is still as succulent, young, and dark as it was a few years ago. The balance is exquisite and the wine just slips down. But the ultimate metric of truly fine wine - how quickly the hand reaches for the next glass - it satisfied here. This is a wine that can clearly be enjoyed now but which has the legs to run a long race. One hopes that such wines continue to be made indefinitely.
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Drank at Coach Insignia. Cork broke coming out. Decanted 30 min, improved over the next 2 hours, probably needed 2+ hours decant. Nose was nice but weak, palate came around nicely after some air.
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7th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - again stunning, showed more tobacco and minerality than May bottle, also demonstrated concentration against very fine HB 95 on same night. VF+ (19).
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This particular bottle had a very tight cork and I wonder if it contributed to how young it is drinking. A big, more structured wine than I remember with classic flavors of road tar, smoky gravel and black fruits. A voluptuous, almost creamy texture fills the mouth and the finish is very intense with notes of dark spices and a hint of menthol. Really needed several hours to open up. A simply stunning, utterly complex Bordeaux even if this bottle was on the structured side. 96+
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6th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - as last June's note, just edged HB 90 but behind outstanding HB 89, more dimension to the fruit, but the HB 90 was perhaps purer and more refined, interesting, scope to improve further! VF+ (19).
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This is a super wine. I loved its tar, smoke, tobacco, cigar box and cassis nose. Full bodied, concentrated and lusty on the palate, the long, potent finish with all its fresh, tobacco, cassis and cherry infused charms really sticks with you. At 26, this is drinking in a great place and well stored bottles should get even better over the next few years!
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Black currant, ripe black cherry, liqueur hints and cigarbox with lots of concentration and powerful structure. Very long finish has really good mineral textures.
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Drank at 67 Even with this age it is much more richer and fruitier than the Haut Brion. Very fresh and young. Looking at the tasting notes there is a lot of bottle variation.
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I was really excited to try this wine, more so than the 1988 Haut-Brion. However, on the day in question, the 1988 Haut-Brion came out on top. We double decanted this a few hours ahead of dinner. Unlike the Haut-Brion, this did not present any primary characteristics initially. There was bricking around the edges. The nose offered up some ash, currant, cassis, cheese rind, bell pepper, gravel mushroom, cedar, mint and pencil shavings. This is basically textbook secondary Bordeaux. The wine was very fresh and lively on the palate despite its age. It did not evolve much further over the night, but did not need to. This was a good wine from start to finish. I think that it has some time left, but it is in a very good place now.
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1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. Wow! A spectacular nose with stunning complexity, vibrant fruit and perfectly integrated tannins. Drinking perfectly right now. For me the WOTN.
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JP Morgan WineBeserkers Dinner (Bar Agricola, San Francisco): Aromatic nose with cheese rind, green bell pepper but well integrated; palate is full bodied, integrated but slightly bitter tannins, medium alcohol well integrated, strong notes of pyrazines, definitely some Brett; medium-long finish. This is a very nice wine with character but it depends too heavily on Brett and pyrazines which are good at low levels but can be a crutch at higher concentrations. At this level I expect better. 91-93
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Marred by a bretty nose, which softened with time but only by a small margin. This perfectly filled bottle tasted 10 years younger and not completely ready. Should have given it a super long decant. Couldn't have cared less by the people drinking it at the table tonight, a small glass was saved, the brett subsided significantly the next day, now it carried a more aromatic profile infused with a hint of dirty socks, fruit became sweeter, tannins softened…
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If you like refined power, intensity, complexity and a nose that haunts you with its cigar box, smoke, blackberry, cassis, campfire, tobacco and cedar character, you will be more than happy. If you're also looking for concentration, length, freshness and earthy sensations on the palate, with a finish that really delivers, you're definitely going to love this wine! It's ready for prime time drinking too.
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Third time is a charm... This is the best this wine has ever shown. The nose alone is phenomenal as I could smell it all night long. This is indeed a noble wine made for kings and queens. An almost perfect balance of fruit and old world stuffing. Sweet Virginia tobacco, fine Italian leather, cedar, crushed gravel, and fine minerality. Long... Very Long smooth finish. An outstanding wine, which edged out some stiff competition for WOTN double blinded.
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Seth's 40th Blowout (Cumming, GA): Crimson core showing good clarity (made sure to stand this and the '83 Dujac upright for several days and carefully decant which I believe helped the wines immensely), lighter brick rim; ashtray, tobacco, sour plum, red currant, blue cheese, gravel, mushroom, loam, nose is screaming good and expressive, brick dust, clay, sweaty and sweet?, green pepper; nice caressing quality to the tannin, medicinal, red cough syrup, long, very noble, resolved tannin yet good structure left in the tank, great acid freshness, focused, so complete; just puts a smile on your face, could smell all day but the palate is fantastic too; caught it at about the perfect moment.
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Textbook bottle. Tasted blind there was no question of where we were at. It was either HB or LMHB. Mushrooms, loamy earth, cedar, tobacco, and wonderfully pungent blue cheese. The wine was rich and sumptuous without being heavy. Fruit was very ripe without being overripe. A wine in perfect balance and harmony. It has been on this steady plateau of maturity for the last several years and no sign of it dropping off anytime soon. Incredible now and for the next two decades. WOTN (This bottle consumed alongside 1990 Margaux, 1982 Gruaud Larose, 1995 Mouton, 1986 Haut Brion, 1983 Clos De La Roche)
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Perfection in a glass...classic nose of tobacco and wet earth..on the palate plenty of black cherry, leather and cigarbox...long finish..silky tannins..drinking well but will age gracefully...decanted for 2-3 hours and enjoyed with filet and a red wine demi reduction..need I say more?
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Dracks sida vid sida med 1986, 2001 och 2008. Underbar frukt med både svarta vinbär och körsbär, piptobak, ceder och höstskog. Fantastisk koncentrerad frukt, silkiga eleganta tanniner, cigarrtobak och otroligt långt slut med ren frukt.
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For me this was a profound wine. Absolutely superb! Aromas of tobacco, leather, cedar and chocolate. On the palate, dark fruit, plums, black currants and again chocolate. Lush mouth feel, not much acid, high glycerin and long finish. Just simply magnificent wine.
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Showing its correct age, with a light, ruby tone, the nose is pure cassis, cigar box, tobacco, mint, cherry pipe tobacco and wet forest aromas. On the palate, the wine is smoky, concentrated with a strong tobacco essence, silky smooth tannins, and a fresh, clean, long, pure cherry and cassis finish. This was really showing great with just 15 minutes in the decanter. If you have a bottle, pop a cork, you'll be happy you did.
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Another wonderful wine that I have been fortunate enough to taste numerous times thanks to the generosity of R&D. Popped and poured along with the '90 Montrose. Every bit as good as the last time I had this, opening with aromas of black fruit and plum with those great scorched earth and iodine notes. Full-bodied and balanced, with softened tannins and flavors of black fruit, iron, tobacco and beef blood. Long and powerful through the finish. Develops notes of wet tobacco, herbs, and bay leaf along with the iodine and burning ember notes. Drink now through 2025+ if this bottle is representative. A great wine- thank you R&D.
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Opened by R&D at Anvil for Allred's birthday. Tasted alongside a 1990 Montrose, and I literally could not split them, even knowing what was in each glass. Again, the pairing with the lamb brought this to life. On its own, not so much. Mrs. TLV liked it significantly more than I did.
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5th of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and fill, previous notes very fine or better, except for one slightly flawed bottle - deepish, slightly dusty garnet, some lightening on rim; enthralling bouquet of road tar, black chocolate, mulberry, tobacco and cedar, hot wet earth; medium full, very long and persistent, balanced, grip, energetic fruit covering mostly resolved fine grain tannins, still improving, on a par with the prem crus in this vintage with Margaux by a short head currently the most compelling. Very fine plus (19/20).
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A classic Graves nose, blackberry, smoky and earthy. Solid body, ripe and soft tannin. The wine still has ageing potential and easily age for another 10-15 years.
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wet deep forest woodsy, overripe black berry, wet leaf compost, perfect acidity, delicious lovely full mouth, a classic Bordeaux presentation For the fun of it i peeked: Parker gave it a 99 in a 2012 tasting, and among many other things mentioned hot brick and slightly higher alcohol ...which we'd refine as 'hot old brick' and agree on the nose as we noticed some elevated alcohol apparently due to the warm 1990 season enjoy!
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The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor and barnyard. It tastes like cherry, light toast, black pepper and tobacco. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Quite evolved in colour, this is showing wonderful evolution on the nose, too: leather, spices, dark fruit, liquorice, cedar, woodsmoke, graphite. On the palate superb texture, fresh with lots of vibrant fruit, great mouthfeel, spicy, energetic, lively. The finish is intense and very long. Still good grip, but drinking well. Will keep for a long time and might improve over next couple of years. A superb wine. 96-97+
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The aromas remind me of a campfire, with its myriad of burning wood and smoke filled scents that are made even better by the cherry liqueur, truffle, cassis and barbecue notes. Full bodied, dense and rich, this youthful, powerful wine can age for decades.
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EWS -- Wild game and wilder wines dinner: Aromas of pencil shavings and aged cedar. Brownish in color, the wine tastes of a classy mature bordeaux, with notes of earth, mushrooms, dark cherry and wine cask, long in the body with a great underlying balance. The ragout sauce accented the sweetness of cherries in this wine -- a nice pairing overall. A wine for bordeaux lovers.
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A truly great experience - so perfectly developed with such high intensity and complexity. Showing dried fruit, raisins, meat and burnt out bonfire. It is still backed with acidic backbone giving perfect balance.
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1990 Bordeaux Tasting (Kevin's (Minneapolis)): Outstanding and long life ahead. Walnuts, chestnuts, black licorice, gravel, tobacco and red currants. Super concentrated and LONG finish. Good acidity and decanted about 2 hours. Hold or enjoy over the next two decades.
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Big Bordeaux VIII : 1990 (Kevin's house): Per the host, Slow-O for 2hrs and decanted for 2hr and 15 minutes; drank a small glass over about an hour. There's a little more anise here than I would like, and it is surprisingly big and tannic at this age. Nonetheless, it is a very nice Bordeaux with the typical cedar, leather, tobacco, earth, yada yada yada. Quite nice but frankly I was hoping it would be even better.
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Big Bordeaux VIII: 1990 Retrospective with Montrose, LMHB, PB, LP, and more (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color. Slow-O for 2hrs and decanted for 2hr and 15 minutes; drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. This was the biggest and tightest on opening and perhaps could have benefited from an even longer decant. It strikes me as very young in its evolution. The nose is more brooding with leather, black licorice, tobacco, tar, blackberry, blueberry, brambly black fruits, dry earth. The palate is powerful and deeply concentrated, full bodied and chewy, layered, blackberry, currants, blackberry liqueur, firm tannins, graphite, copious anise and wood spices that leads into a long finish. This was quite different from everything else. Group #2 WOTN, 95pts(+?)
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Dinner in Normandale (Normandale, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand): Spectacular wine in full maturity. Textbook Graves tobacco and earth character. Impeccable toasted oak with refined cassis and high class leather notes. Medium body with perfect balance and a superb finish. This was clearly the most complex and a point wine in a flight that included the 1990 Chateau Montrose and 1991 Shafer Hillside Select.
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Dinner @ Librije: impression based on three bottles served that evening, which were amazingly consistent. Some barnyard and typical tobacco on the nose, dark ripe fruit in the mouth. Just a great mature bodeaux that is drinking just perfect right now. Will hold for a good number of years to come but why wait.
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Leiden visits Librije tasting: Silky black fruit nose, some graphite, fresh. Taste full bodied, black fruit, medium acidity, tannins integrated. Velvety, completely mature, balanced, complex. My wine of the night, one of the best Bordeaux wines I have tasted.
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Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), mineral, cedar and lead pencil. The body is full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Luis's wine.
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1990 Bordeaux Horizontal: Celllar, mushroom - and the cork became more evident after a while. Bummer. Beneath is a fresh wine with even some complexity forcing its way through the musty odors.
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opened at the end of the evening on a whim by Duane, with minimal aeration, this rinks up there with the most funky barnyard stinky wines I have ever smelled. in the mouth - cherry, smoky, and funky. wow. complex.
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Now, we're talking my language. I like where this conversation is and I love where this conversation is going!!! This is powerful, yet refined. The nose hits you where it counts with its potent smoke, cigar box, ash, black plum, blackberry, earth and tobacco profile. Dense, thick and concentrated, everything is in balance ending with a long, intense, expansive finish. Drink this now, or age it for decades. What a wine!
If you cannot afford the 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, buy this wine. It's not that different in quality.
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At a tasting we put on for our Couples Cru of 17 present, of eight 1990 Bordeaux (Angelus, Figeac, Beausejour Duffau, La Mission Haut-Brion, Leoville Barton, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages, Montrose). All wines purchased on release and aged in my cellar. This has been my favorite Bordeaux and it was my favorite at this tasting, but only one other person also ranked it first. Very pronounced typical complex aromas of cedar, tobacco and cassis. Medium-full body, still with plenty of fruit, and perfectly balanced with acid and tannin. Sweet lingering aftertaste. This may not have garnered as many votes since it was not as big as Montrose, Lynch Bages, or Beausejour, but it had an elegance and complexity above the others. Perfect now, but should hold another few years. Ric
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Simply the best wine I have ever been fortunate enough to taste. Had it at a dinner on 11/2/2013 at the Four Seasons in Atlanta. From the moment I first decanted this wine (was fortunate enough to decant 6 bottles and all were very similar) this wine was amazing. The tannins have begun to settle and the fruit was shining through...although you could tell this was still a baby and would certainly be drinking strong for another 15 or more years. The only frustrating part was the thought that it is over $1,000 a bottle. Glad I was able to taste several different bottles.
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HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Such an enticing nose of tobacco leaf, smoke, and mature fruit. Lush and exotic palate, layered, with a finish that wouldn't leave the palate. Utterly compelling and a highlight of the night and would have been my wine of the night until the '90 Haut-Brion A+
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crazy smoke and earth start off the nose but over the night peanut and cedar and hay with a background of dark berry. The palate was smooth generous with cassis note. I was so taken with this on popping the cork, I chose not to decant but let it audoze until dinner (seared ribeye). It was classic. One of the best wines this year for me
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Despite a few hours of decanting, this LMHB was tightly wound and offered only a modicum of smokey/gravelly notes. The 1990 vintage did however show through, with a hint of alcohol on the palate. I am interested in tasting this wine again after another decade-plus of aging, as it is still too young for my tastes.
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Lunch with Rob. Another wonderful bottle. Fully open on the nose and palate. Incredibly, soft, smooth mature bordeaux. Sweet earth, smooth, coffee and weedy tobacco. The palate matched and was full, silky with dark fruit and a minty hint every now and then. Long perfectly balanced finish.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2000 Grand Cru Red Burgundy (Rich & Dana's): Dark color with aromas of truffles, dark fruit, leather, plum and cigar box. Flavors of tar, leather, black fruit, red currants and scorched earth; amazing balance from the attack through the finish. Impressively long finish.
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1990 La Mission Haut Brion is an exciting wine. The moment your nose meets the perfume, you know something special is going on. Potent aromatics of tobacco, earth, cedar, hot stones, coconut, blackberry, cassis, tar and spice are easy to find. In the mouth, the wine feels lush, elegant and yet powerful. Balanced and in harmony, this beautiful Bordeaux wine has a long, bright future to look forward to. 97 Pts
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End of year dinner; Break out the good stuff- Alto Adige, Rhone, Bordeaux, Barolo, Loire and Port. (Amali.): Far more times than not, I've had the '90 in the company of the '89 and the '90 is always beat down by its bruiser of a brother. On its own like tonight, however, it's able to shine and you can see that it's a stellar wine in its own right. This bottle has a wonderful softness and harmony to it. It's full of rich, black bruit, wonderful Graves earthy notes and tobacco that persist and linger on the palate as effortlessly and gracefully as a skater across the ice. Perhaps a touch low in acidity, but it's still a nicely balanced wine. It just comes across as more friendly. Drinking beautifully now, but there's no hurry here whatsoever. A.
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This is a knockout wine and distinguished itself next to a beautiful 1990 Montrose. The HB's have the most distinguished terroir that we both love. Smoke, silk and gravel.
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A perfect bottle of this wine which is open-knit, basically fully mature and very expressive of the terroir. On the nose there is a wonderful smell of sweet earth, tobacco and smoky gravel. On the palate, the wine is so smooth and silky with wonderful flavors of black plums, tobacco and road tar. The tannins are very supple and the wine finishes soft and complex with notes of smoke and minerals. Yum!
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Right after popping the cork, this MHB90 was ready for business. Intoxicating nose with gravel, pencil lead, tobacco, flint, minerals and black and red fruit (strawberry). Sweet secondary notes of autumn earth and mushrooms. Full and juicy on the palate with good freshness and well integrated tannins. Seems fully mature but will continue to be at this level for many years. An utterly enjoyable wine, representing for me the essence of mature high class Bordeaux, combining the characteristics of the classic Bordeaux style with the achievements of modern winemaking. P.S. next evening second half of the bottle. Still going very strong, no oxidation, fresh herbs and spices and cinnamon-notes emerge now.
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Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew does 1989 Bordeaux (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): Adding in the 1990s to this tasting was a really interesting exercise…not only were the wines spectacular..but it really helped give the participant and view of the key differences between 89 and 90. The 90s were more lush, riper and more fruit forward. The nose showed lush blackcurrants, smoke, flowers, minerals and a subtle medicinal note. The palate was a touch tight but showed pure fruit and oozed class…..blackfruit, spice, earth, leather and cedar all transitioned to a very long and complex finish.
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Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): Shows a bit more ripeness than the '89 served next to it, also just a bit less complex. Still maintains it's strong sense of crushed rocks and minerals. The lushness is attractive, however, with nice plum notes. This leads to a structured palate leaving more room for development in my opinion. Just starting to poke through and become ready for prime time.
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Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Popped and poured, followed in the glass for the course of the evening. Showing a touch more brick in the glass than the 1989s. The character of the vintage shows up immediately, with riper fruit aromas of blackberries, roasted figs, licorice, smoke, gravel, dried tobacco, brine, and exhibiting more tertiary characteristics than its older brethren, with notes of decomposing leaves, leather and earth. On the palate, this is luxuriously textured, with massive amounts of glycerin, showing slightly less acid than the 1989s. The finish here shows great length, rounded out by flavours of dark fruits, red cherries, smoke, herbs, mineral and a touch of game. Another exceptional wine, but while slightly more integrated and developed, lacks the precision and purity of the 1989s.
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Drank over 4 hours. Did not decant. Wonderful fully mature nose of weedy tobacco, wet earth, dark fruit and plenty of spice. The palate matched and was full and round in the mouth with a nice freshness and gripping texture. Long finish that lingered for more than a minute. Always a thrill to have wines like this.
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Bordeaux 1990 plus some extra's (@ VadM): This is a great wine in a perfect drinking stage. Luxurious and rustic bouquet with cassis, graphite and perfect oak which provides cedar, smoke, tobacco etc. On the palate mouth filling with beautifully soft and integrated tannin, black fruits and rustic impressions again. Classical wine with all the elements you expect of a great Bordeaux and that is what this is. This bottle is at its perfect peak right now and will probably stay on this level for another 5 years, but no reason at all to wait any longer.
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@ 1990 Bordeaux proeverij, restaurant Vis aan de Markt. Blind geproefd. Donkerrood, enigzins dakpankleur aan de rand. Overweldigende, boerse neus, met rundvlees, natte bosgrond, tabak, bramen, cassis, chocolade, kruiden en cederhout. Enorme concentratie, geen enkele sprake van ouderdomszuren. Perfect geintegreerde tannines, enorm zacht in de mond. Lange afdronk. Mijn leven als wijndrinker heeft vanaf dit moment geen zin meer!
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A perfect bottle of this wine. Fabulous nose of sweet gravel, graphite minerals, grilled nuts and black scorched earth. Possesses a gorgeous silky ethereal texture with wonderful smoky earth and graphite flavors. Seemingly perfectly mature tonight and while not the most complex vintage of this great wine, it is so terroir-driven and hedonistic and just a joy to drink now.
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Had with lunch at the Napa Men's Lunch Club. Much more fruit than the 83' and much fuller and riper on the palate. Red fruit, herbs, and leather on the nose. Nice structure with mineral on the palate. Should provide great drinking for many more years.
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Plenty of browning in the color. What a gorgeous nose of warm bricks, charred earth, grilled nuts and black fruited perfume. This bottle is soft and ready with totally resolved tannins. It is a very terroir-driven La Miss with incredible flavors of charred/gravelly earth, decadent black fruits, cedar, tobacco and spices. Just pairs perfectly with bbq'd lamb. At this point, a lighter-bodied vintage of this wine but drinking so well tonight.
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35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): Deep crimson color. Tar, black currant, scorched earth, tobacco and red berry aromas. Balanced and well-integrated, with flavors of red and black fruit, leather, cigar box, tar and iodine. Finish lasts minutes. A stunning bottle. 97+ pts.
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Opened 2 hours prior to drinking. No decant. Nose was flowery and vibrant from opening. Cork in perfect condition (a little soft). No bricking yet at all. Very smooth - smokey, tobacco, nice light red fruit, very classic left bank. Very very nice bottle of wine. Lots of life left. Great (but not spectacular) experience.
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Super Bowl 2012 (Roswell, GA): Corked. Extremely disappointing. The palate wasn't terrible, though. It is hard to totally destroy a great wine like this.
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Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Nicely floral, also with aromas of cedar and cassis. Black currant and cherry flavors with a good earthy component along with lots of minerality and texture. In its peak drinking window, I don't see this getting any better.
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89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Fascinating tasting this with the '89. Yes, the mineral and baked brick aren't present in quite the same dimensions as the '89, but the '90 does offer some very, very pretty floral notes. All red fruit and flowers on the palate with refreshing acidity. Slightly more relaxed than the '89 and eminently drinkable. I love it.
5-
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the aromatics of this wine are through the roof....perhaps as good as any red wine you'll smell. There's notes black and red fruit mixed with an almost overwhelming amount of earthy characteristics - tar, gravel, forest. it is sensational and on smell alone would merit a 100 point score.
it's still deep ruby in appearance and at first the taste is a bit restrained, sweet but a touch soft after making such a statement aromatically. it took about 20 minutes to really get going and then go it did. Similar to the bouquet, the taste is tantalizing as is switches back and forth between mixed fruit notes and then earthy qualities. I'd sense raspberry and as I tried to hone in on that sensation it would disappear and present a tarry side which might then morph into something foresty. Impossible to pinpoint or narrowly define, it was more ethereal than blockbuster, and you can add another point or two to my rating if you crave that kind of intellectual flirtation
So why deduct the couple points? Not sure, but maybe after smelling it over and over again the bouquet reminds me what a high hurdle perfection is. This is also the first time I've tasted one of the elite 1990s and realized this vintage is more than 20 years old, there's a maturity occurring that perhaps I need to adjust for mentally, as this is a vintage I've been drinking from the start and it's no longer a brash youth.
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2011 Casual Session - 15 @ Bistro du Vin (Bistro du Vin): Alcohol :: 13% Very vibrant dark ruby with a little bit of brown rim. Decanted for 60mins and this only came around in another 30mins in the glass. Very classy and pure, quoted from the guest: classic claret and I'm with her. Pencil shaving, mint, cigar box, violet with a little bit of spice that framed the intense core of very sweet, pure blackcurrant essence that is highly complex and deep. This med-full bodied claret is ripe, expansive with layer and layered of complexity yet it is perfectly balance, well delineated and light on it's feet. So round and lush, this flirting with it's youthfulness. The silky, sweet tannin is well integrated and leads to the sweet, persistent long finish with depth and class. Pure seduction.
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Tobacco, stone, smoke, truffle, spice, cigar box and cassis aromas lead to a full bodied, concentrated wine that is powerful, rich, tannic and still youthful. Another 5-10 years will add a lot of complexity to the cassis, spice, mineral and licorice filled finish.
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From magnum, double decanted 4 hours. Simply staggering Graves typicity. Complex earth nose that reeks of lavender, violets and sun-warmed gravel. Rich and concentrated with layered complexity and fresh acidity. Great minerality and bite, finish long and complex with ultra fine grainy tannins. Has decades of life left in it. A real "wow" wine!
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Cambridge University / CellarTracker Dinner (Pembroke College, Cambridge): I am trying to work out whether this is the best wine I have ever had or merely the best Bordeaux. Slate and violets - an amazing nose of mature Graves, constantly evolving. Terroir terroir terroir. This has years in it yet - a fresh acidic streak keeping it fresh and balanced. My goodness. A long lingering finish. This is all about the nose at the moment - another 10 years will really push this wine into another level that is beyond my comprehension. Amazing. From magnum.
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This was my WOTN and it was side by side with a 90 LLC and 90 Vega Sicilia Unico. This wine has more complexity then the other two. I smelled and tasted the terrior and I was immediately reminded of other LMHB vintages. Big graphite on the nose, palate was complex and still had strong backbone , leading me to believe it will last for two more decades. More flavor than the 90 LLC. This wine will continue to improve, I would say it will hit peak in 7 to 10 years from now. Great wine! Loved it!!! I wish they could make perfume with the nose of this wine. Enveloped my nasal senses to the max. Amazing.
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I don't possess much context or experience with bdx or this property but I was told this wine is of high esteem. What I got from it was lots of cedar, tobacco leaf, spice and it didn't show its age in my opinion. There was something hard to identify in the aromatic, something I have found occasionally in some CdP based wines, a kind of burnt or scorched note. It kind of lurks in the background.
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i expected an excellent wine and it was even a bit better...full of all the characteristics that make LMHB so special. Great fruit and terroir, it's a good companion to the 1989 which is very high praise in my book. For me it is certainly better than the more heralded 2000, 1982 and 1975. While it's not cheap, it is a relative value if you love this property
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Finished 4th in a line up of six 1990 Left Bank: winner was Haut Brion, then Margaux, an ex-chateau Montrose, the La Mission, an auction bottle of Montrose, and Leoville Las Cases... all served blind. To me, the La Mission was the worst (pity, I brought it!). A little damp on the nose, it took a very long time to open up. It spent most of the evening backward relative to the others. My own favorite was the ex-Chateau Montrose.
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This bottle showed very young and lacked some of the complexity of previous bottles but the wine is still gorgeous with lovely "Graves" flavors and a softer, elegant texture. It is very much a terroir-driven vintage for La Miss as you can really taste the scorched earth on the finish. Great wine that kept improving and the last sip was the best.
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Haut Brion, LMHB at the Ledbury (Ledbury): Deep ruby with a touch of development at the rim. Surprisingly primary in character, intense aromas of black fruits, a touch of cedar, smoke. The oak is well integrated, tannins are silky and overall the wine feels relaxed, in balance and in a good place. A hint of green herb on the finish? V long, very fine with years of life ahead of it.
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Served blind at Chateau La Mission Haut Brion over dinner - The wine opened with spice, truffle, tobacco, cassis, earth, roasted blackberries and freshly baked berry pie aromatics. Voluptuous in style and filled with rich layers of cassis, this stunning example of La Mission Haut Brion ends with a long, dark berry and kirsch filled sensation.
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Stunning wine. Mature profile- tannins have softened but this still has structure, horsey, cedar, cigar box, and a finish that goes on forever. Absolutely wonderful & ready to go.
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An Evening of Bordeaux (The Anvil Club, East Dundee, IL): Garnet color. Iodine, red currant, tar and tobacco aromas; I could smell this all night. Wonderful balance. Flavors of red fruit and plum, leather and more iodine. Long, long finish. Drinking so very well now but has a long life ahead. 95-96+ pts.
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This had another gear than the other wines of the night. Deep nose that I could smell for days. Rich coffee,cigar box,smoked meats,saddle leather,plums,dark chocolate,black berries. Holy wow-dark fruits,licorice,salty-dried meats,rich rich tobacco,black currant,dark roast coffee. Explosive on the palate with tons of energy left. Wave after wave of flavor and depth.
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Keith's Birthday Dinner (Lula Cafe - Chicago, IL): Young wine that I thought would benefit from 10 more years of aging. That being said, it showed amazingly well. In my opinion, this was the most complex red Bordeaux of the night exhibiting dense red berry aromas with espresso, spice, and bacon fat components that kept evolving over the course of the night. Stunning.
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Celebrating my 30th birthday with 1990 Bordeaux (Lula Cafe, Chicago IL): nose: stunning as the wine just completely fills up the glass. This was all about finesse and elegance with waves of tones of fruitcake, cassis, smoke, cedar, leather, black currants, and some bits of peppery tones. Very complex and deep this nearly overwhelms on the nose, but seems to hold back just a slight bit
taste: refined and demure with elegant medium/full tones of fruitcake, cassis, cedar, leather, bits of potpurri, dark red cherries and all sorts of berry tones. Very good tannins still show off the youth of the wine as there is a bit of roughness on the palate still
overall: If this is what the 90 is like, I have to know what the 89 is like. This was an absolutely beautiful wine that dazzled on the nose and brought some real refinement on the palate. This seems like it does need another 5-10 years before it really hits its stride. I had decanted this for 3 hours or so and it still showed fairly young, but utterly amazing
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Quite primary with ripe raspberry and blackcurrant, ash and black pepper. Smooth, luscious palate. Great richness and intensity with balance coming from the excellent structure. Silky and pure, delicious.
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Opened 5 hours before. Great wine, intense, mature, soft (direction sweet as in Barolo) and very well balanced. Continues to develop in the glass . Strong on earth, truffle and white chocolate both on the palate as well as in the nose. Later more (over-ripe) fruits. Drink now -2030.
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Strong smell of burnt earth and even a little skunk on nose when opened. Took about 4 hours to come around. Nose turned to coffee, black licorice and smoke. Palate is tar, black licorice, burnt toast, blackberries and espresso. Will try to wait a few more years before opening another.
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When opened the nose was lovely, it had intensity and youth. The colour was deep ruby. On the palate, it was a bit flabby. This was drunk at a mini vertical with 89,82 and 75 - it did not stand up too well against the superlative wines from those fabulous vintages. We also had a La tour Haut Brion 75 - what a treat.
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With its smoke, tobacco, cassis, mineral and iron nose, this Bordeaux is a treat for the senses. This huge, youthful, concentrated wine is still filled with ripe tannins. Powerful, elegant, rich and supple, this regal style of wine ends with a long, pure, spicy, supple black fruit, filled finish. After two hours the wine continued softening and developing additional nuances.
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Offering a stunning, complex nose of tobacco, truffles, herbs, spice, cassis, blackberry and licorice. Very concentrated. The impressive levels of depth experienced on the palate are a pleasure to taste. Long, rich, opulent and pure, this Bordeaux wine ends with a long, pure, chocolate, cassis finish.
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From magnum, graciously supplied by Rich & Dana. Deeply colored, with a strong bouquet of dark fruit, iodine, tar, leather and blackberries and a subtle herbal undertone. Very well balanced, with flavors of dark fruit, terrific acidity, and a long, lasting finish dominated by earth, herbs and dark plum tones. A wonderful wine.
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Again youthfully dark and unevolved. On the nose, black anise, smoked gravel. Good texture, even if tight. Very Graves. Cassis, some smoke and good texture. A bit brash and full of adolescent energy. A ton held in reserve here, but tight and primal in spite of being opened the day before and decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking. A lot of promise here, but I would not open another for a decade (for my necro-palate) 93++
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Decanted for 2+ hours. Great violet color, fantastic nose of cedar, tobacco, black fruits. Wonderful on palate, silky tannins, spices, earth, black currant. Endless finish.
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This seemed to be in near perfect condition, with finely grained, silky smooth fruit; soft blackcurrant and cedary flavours; round, complete and long. Perhaps not the power of the very finest, but certainly among the most elegant of clarets.
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At ROSL: this is as classic as claret gets - coal and cedar fragrance on the nose, confirmed on the palate, fresh and with perfect balance, tannin present, but the wine is weightless and floats in the mouth. [Plus, one can drink this with dinner at ROSL for one third of the current retail price!]
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1990 La Mission Haut Brion is showing signs of positive evolution in the color and the nose. Truffle, forest floor, stones, spice, cassis and earth make up the perfume. If nature marketed a perfume, this would be it! Very powerful entry filled with dense, rich, layers of ripe, black fruit, olives, chocolate and bitter, black cherries. Very sweet and rich. As good as this is drinking today, it’s only going to get better. 96 Pts
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Needed a good hour open out of the cellar to show its colors. Perfect dark ruby color with the slightest fading on the edges. Gorgeous nose of sweet tobacco, road tar and scorched earth. Medium-bodied and very expressive with incredible Graves flavors that echo the nose. Finishes smoky and complex with this incredible graphite/expresso/road tar thing going on. Near peak now, this is a true expression of the terroir of this great vinyard as you can really taste the unique place this wine comes from.
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Glorious! Pefect claret color lighetning to the edge but no bricking. Complex mature aromas of ccedar and tobacco. Mature fruit flavors of cherry and red current with an overlay of fine herbs. A luxurious mouth feel with great midpalate concentration and perfect balance with a long sumptuous finish creating that elusive sweetness of a perfectly mature Bordeaux. Perfectly resolved tannis and remarkably little sediment thrown. A great wine at its peak. Near perfect and more satisfying than a Montrose 1990 that followed. Can last for many for years but why wait? Its hard to imaging that it may improve.
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Fantastic nose. On the palate it's perhaps a little one-dimensional, all gravel and blood. I'd like a little fruit for balance. Still quite good. I didn't decant this time, and it was at its best right out of the bottle. Judging by my last tasting note, right out of the bottle seems to be the way to drink this one now.
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This wine is drinking extremely well now. I can't imagine it getting much better but I've been fooled by La Mission before. Nose of sweet pipe tobacco, leather, tar, asian spices and black fruits. The palate follows the nose with a large-scaled entry of fruit followed by a long, mildly tannic finish. Without a doubt the fruit is there in spades. This wine lean toward the ripe end of the spectrum for La Mission. I don't get the sense of brooding power and reserve that the '89, for example, has. On its own this wine ranks as one of the great La Missions of recent time. Great stuff.
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Wine and Food Society of New York annual BYOB (Steve Hanson's Primehouse, NYC): Struts its stuff with flare and finesse, this full-bodied wine has a blackberry nose, a holiday English rich and sweet fruitcake aroma. The cedar and spice that is also found in Haut Brion make this a layered fruit delight that is chewey and cheerful.
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Double-decanted for 4 hours. Black color with the slightest browning. Gorgeous nose of sweet black fruit, slate and Graves charred earth. Wow, how sweet and smooth this wine is and its drinking far better now than the bigger, more structured '89 drunk with it. Medium-bodied with a silky texture with beautiful flavors of char, underbrush, black fruits and slate-minerals. Finishes smooth and complex. Absolutely beautiful Bordeaux to drink tonight.
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1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: A little barnyard. Some herbs. Nice fruit and weight on the palate with rich soft tannin. Some cedar and a nice smoky component. A great wine.
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This opened up pretty lean and tight with a dry edge but nonetheless was a textbook display of Graves with that smokey, roasted chicory thing. At first there was a faint whiff of something that was a little overripe to the point of rotten, but as this aired for a few hours that disappeared. The wine also gained sweetness and depth the longer we drank it (across about 3 hours), although I would never describe it as terribly lush or generous. Still, quite delicious.
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La Mission Haut Brion vertical (Jean Georges/Nougat, NYC): Rich, sweet, absolutely beautiful. Strong, intense, powerful. Some sweet tannins, rich glycerine and deep dark tar to hold it together. Could use some age, but drinking well now. Not as complex as some of the other wines of the evening, but really lovely. An extraordinary wine, my WOTN. A/A+
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LMHB Vertical (Jean Georges): A beautiful, beautiful wine. Classic Graves elements on the nose keep expanding and opening new doors with dark fruit, herbs, graphite and tobacco. It has a wonderful presence in the mouth with a perfect ripeness matched with silky tannin. Great acidity gives it a sneaky persistence on the finish. Seamless. The vintage is really hitting on all cylinders right now.
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Flowers, smoke, syrupy cassis and scents of hot stones grabbed your attention. Very rich and full bodied with a stellar mouth feel. The palate was caressed with flavors of over ripe black cherries, plums and other ripe dark fruits. This wine is what elegant Bordeaux is all about. The finish is long and pure. Great wine! It’s approachable, but requires 5-8 more years before hitting full maturity.
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HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Pale round red color. Haunting red fruit floral aroma - very nice. Again, almost haunting on the palate with coffee and red fruit notes that kind of disappear into the mouth and then return for a long spicy finish.
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Could easily be 100. Hard to say what would have made this wine "better." Enjoyed with our friends Sam and Christiana on their last night in town before moving to California. Made a special evening even more special.
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Chewy and seductive, rich and concentrated, this is an easy to drink wine that can last decades yet. Fruitcake and tobacco, spice and sweetness this is a super wine that delivers layers of pleasure. Hedonism Alert!
50+5+13+17+9=94
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Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #4 (Sammamish, WA): A sharp nose, again, very roasted, notes of coffee grind, unreal mineral, intense/sharp on the palate. Tannic, chunky, still a kick in the teeth, a young intense wine that gets a WOW from me!
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Decanted for about an hour. The color definitely shows the age with a nice red core that fades out to obvious bricking at the edges. The nose was not as strong as I would have expected but that classic old bordeaux nose was still there. The flavors were subtle,well integrated, and complex and the finish was soft and quite long. Still a bit of a tannic edge to it. It should hold up well for at least another 5 - 10 years.
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Decanted for one hour. Rich, seductive nose of dark red cherries and dark chocolate. Some unfortunately dusty tannins remained on the palate, but softened after only half an hour or so (after the hour of decanting). Again, a bit of nice dark fruit, with blood, iron-rich earth, and leather. Not a particularly long finish. After an hour or so the nuances seemed to drop out of the palate a bit.
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La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): A little advanced looking, ruby brick rim. Nose screams graphite, flinty minerals, soot and classy dried fruit. Calm and sedate on palate, spicy and balanced, tannins are still quite obvious, could do with perhaps 5 years more to really come together.
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This powerful, elegant, full bodied wine has an intense perfume of blackberry liqueur, spices and cigar box. Deep, rich and plush with amazing balance and character. Incredible, mouth feel and palate presence with a seamless finish. This is starting to come around, but it will easily continue evolving for 2-3 decades.
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It has been wayyyy too long since I had this wine. In its youth it had so much potential, it was pretty wide open, call it a 91 Dominus in the LMHB style. When I opened this wine, the first aromatics made me call a buddy-HURRY! Classic LMHB with a carmel twist, the roasted element from the 90 vintage coming into play, alternatively going from a burnt toffee, tar, minerals, a stinker in a great way. On the palate the wine had a wonderful burnt/leather cigar box character, but a healthy dose of tannins are still there (like the 90 Haut Brion that many think is drinking wonderfully now, I think like this more time will make it more complete). This wine was not quite the wine that evoked me to drink it that knocked me out last week, 82 La Tour Haut Brion, because that wine has more integrated tannins and more concentration. I MUST try the 89 soon so I can see how that wine is doing. This wine reminded me of the 82 at a similar age, but it has that roasted element of the 90 vintage.
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Tasting of seven Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, first place. Lovely bright, beet red color in the glass. Lovely, rich fruit on the nose with lots of tobacco and cedar, more of the same on the palate, very young tasting on the palate, medium/long finish. Terrific and impressive this night. Two pours.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 1990 & older Bordeaux (Seattle, WA, USA): Oh my! This shows roasted earth, espresso, minerals, and licorice. A simply gorgeous nose. On the palate this shows a huge whack of structure and was very closed, black and tight for quite a while, smacking of potential. However, over the course of 30 minutes this started to unfold and revealed a silky texture with purity and sweetness admist the earthy, roasted elements. This is so smooth, silk and stunningly long, amazing stuff that is still very young and just starting to unfold. It was head and shoulder above the rest of the flight. (1989 Palmer, 1981 LMHB)
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Thanksgiving dinner with Phil, Ruth and the boys. My goodness do I love Bordeaux. Compared to the 1993 Abreu poured beside it, this was far more brown with some distinct bricking at the edge. The nose was initially very 'sweaty' with a lot of barnyard, but it increasingly turned to tobacco, tar, licorice, and piercing floral aromatics. The nose became increasingly expressive with time in the decanter showing dominant tobacco and floral notes and an amazing 'fat' character, just so deep and full. Wow! On the palate there is cedar, tobacco and licorice, and with time this gets sweet and pure. This has incredible layering and a silky, enveloping texture. The finish is long and powerful with earthy and charcoal-driven character. Early on this was fairly tight, but with about three hours of decanting this really started to sing.
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Tasted in single-blind fashion at an '89/'90 Bordeaux dinner at El Bizcocho. Bottle provided by Rob Norberg (purchased from Ken Johnson's cellar). Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Mildly corked nose, allowing some black cherry, mineral and earth aromas to slide by. Full-bodied on the palate, with big ripe tannins, low acidity and black fruit-dominant flavors. Long, smooth finish. This bottle was certainly very drinkable, but there was no question of mild cork taint and it is therefore not possible to assign a score or drinking range. Served with farm raised Virginia lamb saddle (with tarbais bean ragout in lamb basil juice).
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Dark red with slight hint of browning at the rim. Deep, dense and dark" in taste. Like the slightly bitter, yet highly satisfying taste of a luxury chocolate. Superb width of structure and density of fruit. All the elements are superbly contained and displayed. A wine of superb detail of flavour, elegance and style - all followed by a long balanced finish.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 1990 Bordeaux (Woodinville, WA, USA): Group average of 92 points. This was my personal co-WOTN with the 1990 Sociando Mallet. I found this to be smokey, earthy, with cedar, lead pencil and beautiful complexity. The palate showed amazing depth, spice, and smokiness, all wrapped up in a dusty, silky exterior. The finish is beautiful and powerful at the same. Gorgeous bottle!
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A gorgeous nose of goose excrement, cedar, licorice, and meaty dark fruit joined incredibly sweetness on the palate. Excellent wine, but I would not have guessed it to be a Graves. Lots of life left, but you won’t hate yourself if you drink it now.
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ruby/purple - not too dense - was expecting more density. Toasty oakbut not nearly as flamboyant as the 1989 - needs time - coffee! In the mouth, very smooth and smokey. A bit diffuse - velvety tannins. Very good length - not a power house - coplex but need some time. Ultimately this is very classy - ripe and rich but seems like it lacks grip - nice but I would not rave.
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4/27/2024 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine:
Mystery wine evening (@Private location): *** only for my memory, no detailed note or rating ***
Glass: Spiegelau Definition Bordeaux
Tasted double blind. Very fresh and fine beautiful nose. Silky texture, wonderful fruit. Elegance an balance, very long. Great!
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3/8/2024 - AhSoNice1990 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful. Group of 5 and bottle was polished clean in all of about 20 minutes. Decanted for sediment. Captivating dark ruby coloured. Hints of decline but very drinkable and easily another decade in it. It’s 10am the morning after and I can still feel the finish.
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2/2/2024 - rnyrny79 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 3.5 hours which was needed to smoothen the wine…really good and charming bottle that offers smoke, touch of mint, Blackcurrent, elegant Black berries, gravel, cigar ash and sweet Tobacco…both in bouquet and palate…Do I like it…YES! But compared to HB90 it does not offer the same aristocratic firework of notes and coherence. But still really good
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1/26/2024 - Kemo Sabe wrote: flawed
An absolute bummer as there was heat damage along the way. I know what this bottle should be and it wasnt that. Drinkable but a let down.
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1/14/2024 - nywine68 wrote: 95 Points
Brought to dinner at Crown Shy. Cork in great condition, just a short decant. Initially very soft and plush but started to pick up more body and structure with time. Fully mature with beautiful blackberry jam flavors and signature smoke and cigarbox. This is a perennial favorite of mine and I've had multiple bottles over the past 5-10 years. I think it is now starting to crest and needs to be consumed over the next 5 years, although it will always vary bottle by bottle.
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1/10/2024 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at Foliage (San Francisco): Lovely nose with super classic Bordeaux profile of tobacco, forest, cedar, cassis, underwood, and some floral notes. The palate is very elegant with similar notes plus dark cherries and some smokiness towards the long finish. Amazing wine that's very balanced, complex, and elegant. I don't think it will improve from here, but will certainly hold for a long time.
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1/10/2024 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Herwig (Foliage, SF): High intensity aromatics, mature fruit, graphite; palate is full bodied, showing a touch of alcohol but otherwise well balanced, tons of bell pepper, some black pepper; long finish. Very nice finish, really nice aromatics, and this will continue to age really well. 93-94
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12/23/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
A softer and more elegant version of La Mission Haut-Brion, the 1990 is a sheer delight. Marvelous texture, lingering. Gently smoky and dark fruity. At peak.
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12/10/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Needed 3 hours. Smooth. Round. Harmonious dark fruit, asphalt. Some sweetness came out. Lovely now.
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10/21/2023 - Dionysos55 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow !!! Un grand moment de dégustation avec cette bouteille absolument magique....Robe encore relativement jeune.Bouquet sensationnel de complexité et d'intensité: fruits noirs (cassis,myrtille),cèdre,un vrai côté fumé avec de l'olive noire,bois de santal...C'est réellement enivrant on ne s'en lasse pas....La bouche offre une longue caresse langoureuse qui est interminable,et tout cela avec des arômes différents ici c'est le tabac et la réglisse qui dominent le palais.Carrément envoûtant longueur magnifique....Et tous les dégustateurs renommés affirment que le 89 est largement supérieur faut pas demander....Un très,très grand moment où l'on savoure pleinement un nectar tel que celui là !!!!!!
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9/22/2023 - kr522 wrote: 98 Points
Had this along with a 90 Cheval Blanc, and 99 La Mouline, as we had special friends over for dinner…..needless to say they were all great in their own way. We drank this last, and perhaps the comparison reminded me how singular LMHB can be, exuding all kinds of cigar and gravel notes perfectly intertwined with the raspberry and dark cherry flavors. Fantastic
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9/21/2023 - Mansavage Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking Beautifully. 8/28/2023
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7/17/2023 - MQuentel@web.de Likes this wine: 97 Points
The high expectations completely fulfilled. Dream bottle. Aromatic on the dark, fine spicy side, dark fruit, leather, very best cigars. Superbly structured, best acidity and fine-grained tannins, with great inner power on the palate. Aged superbly, now has wonderful balance and aromatically is an archetype of a fine Grave wine. Bottles in this condition can play at least at the same level for another 10-15 years.
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6/17/2023 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
A celebration with friends (Home): Similarly full mid garnet as the HB alongside, and equally rich, open and giving from the off. Decanted 3hrs and kept cool. A lovely pairing with the HB, very similar in character, the LMHB showing a touch more richness, the HB a little more aristocratic elegance. Long, rich and inviting. Neck and neck with the HB, and a step up from a very good but ultimately less exciting bottle of the 89 in January. Blackcurrant, tobacco, just quintessential Graves. *****
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6/1/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Certainly 1990 has a strong signature of plush ripeness and layered power and that is definitely the case here. This wine is voluminous in the mouth with a velvet texture sent from the gods. Yet terroir-specific flavors are there with great smoky black fruit and sweet tobacco flowing over the tongue. The finish is like cashmere with great notes of dark spices and campfire embers. Wow!
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5/16/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth and layered with smoky dark fruits and real depth and subtle power. I usually prefer this to the '90 Haut Brion drunk alongside but not on this night. At Commanderie Candidate's dinner at the University Club, NYC.
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4/29/2023 - canan wrote: 97 Points
KYD #2.3 (Møntnergade): Plenty of black currant fruit combined with a lovely complexity. Forest floor, mushrooms, tobacco and lovely perfume of black currant leaves.
Absolutely loved it! 97-98p.
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4/5/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
Spring Break Mini-Mondo Tasting (Deerfield Beach, FL): Flight #2 - single blind tasted next to the '90 Haut Brion. The '90 La Mission was hands down WOTN. This was the fourth time I've had this vintage of La Mission and this ranks up there as one of the best bottles I've of the four bottles. Near perfection. A wine made for kings, queens, & nobility. This has the stuffing that some of the best Bordeaux contain in the 1990 vintage. So great!
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3/9/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great bottles of this that has reached maturity with a superb depth of faded dark fruits and tons of tertiary flavors and aromas. The texture is layered, silky and fine and this is now all about the fabulous expression of "tobacco road" on the long and incredibly complex finish. Hard to even explain how unique and delicious this wine is and it bested the '90 Haut Brion tonight in my opinion. Peaking but plenty of life ahead. 96+
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1/10/2023 - Le Monty wrote:
Drank NYE. I have always loved this wine and this bottle was no exception. Dark cherry, bacon, iron, tar, smoke and long finish. In a great spot.
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12/11/2022 - Rani Likes this wine: 96 Points
Singing from the moment it was opened. Notes of bacon, blackberry, tobacco. Lush and full yet with a backbone of fine tannins. Very lingering and balanced.
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10/20/2022 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
More flattering and hedonistic than the 1989, the 1990 La Mission has a gorgeous scorched earth entry into a lux palate; the most sybaritic La Mission but I would not list decadence and hedonism as La Mission’s most endearing traits.
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8/14/2022 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine:
Opened the second after the first was a bad bottle. It was true to form, terrific, Auction bottles…
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7/20/2022 - Rani Likes this wine: 95 Points
54th Birthday dinner; 7/19/2022-7/21/2022 (Tschernihovsky 6 restaurant): Drunk next to its sibling, the 1990 Haut Brion, and this time outclassed by it. Expressive nose of blackberry, bacon fat, violets. On the palate quite powerful, even edgy, with finer but pronounced tannins. Could have used longer decanting as it improved in the glass, and yet never reached the finesse and balance of the HB. Still, in its own right an excellent wine. Still some years ahead of it.
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7/13/2022 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 96 Points
Jeez, I think this wine is getting younger! It is everything I expect, just needs a long decant! Its dark, dark cherry, with black soil, iron, and stones, and myriad baking spices. It seemed to grow in the glass. Great wine to be sure!
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6/25/2022 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank in London
At a perfect window
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5/7/2022 - burlingtonm Likes this wine: 95 Points
1989 V 1990 Bordeaux at Wine Watch. The star of the night amongst a generally underwhelming group of wines. This was elegant with notes of tobacco and leather and a long finish: lovely wine.
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4/24/2022 - Cailles wrote: 98 Points
48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): Haut Brion vs Mission HB vs La Tour HB. Winner and overall the best wine of the 1990 tasting as a whole was the spectacular Mission (98 pts) full of telltale Pessac tobacco and truffles. Layered, intense, sharp, creamy and vivid, long, superbly complete. The HB (95 pts) showed younger and less complex but my guess is that it should get to the level of the Mission with more air and/or age. The La Tour HB (91 pts) was good but with less in every category and it didn’t show enough finesse.
TN: Not overly expressive nose with dark fruit, minerality, smoke. On the palate it shows lots of structure, freshness, still slightly angular tannins but balanced by a nice creaminess. Medium complexity with fresh dark fruit, herbs, minerality, smoke and not yet much tertiary aromas. Overall quite nice but without anything exceptional. 91 pts. For more it would need more finesse and complexity.
Decanting: Quick double decant two+ hours prior to the tasting to remove sediment. Maybe 2, 3 hours in the decanter would have helped to make things smoother.
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2/19/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 98 Points
Advanced for the year, it is an almost overwhelming experience. The nose is sheer perfection and easily warrants a perfect 100 points, and it is one of those unique wines you could just inhale all night and walk away on a high. Blackcurrant, plum, violet and roasted tobacco are the prominent aromas. The fruit is ripe on the palate but with a rigid tannic spine that is exquisitely balanced. The finish is excellent and lengthy and no residual imbalance. Surprisingly already displaying secondary characteristics, this is way ahead of the 1982 and 1986 in its development. Unlike many of its siblings from 1990 this is really ready to go and is a very special wine.
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2/13/2022 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Very dark, dense. Huge nose of what at first I thought was Brett...but later appears to be intense floral notes, tobacco, herbs, cedar. Very rich on the palate with great fruit. Tannins are pretty soft. Lovely wine.
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10/6/2021 - kr522 wrote: 98 Points
A wine I have consistently loved and now think may be better than the more celebrated 89. The nose is a knockout…absolutely stunning aromas of cigar, graphite, earth, and purple fruits, with a similar flavor profile and a softened structure (always important how the tannins project with LMHB, and here they’re harmonious). Drinks in some ways like an aged Dujac in that the secondary characteristics dominate the dark cherry and plum fruit. 100 point bouquet, and 97 for the flavors
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9/19/2021 - europat55 wrote: 96 Points
Nose: 97, Palate: 94
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9/19/2021 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
Nose: 96; Palate: 93-94
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9/16/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 98 Points
This wine never disappoints. Beautiful smokey nose with loads of graphite. Blackberries with gorgeous notes of secondary development. Still so lively. Fine grained tannins give this a very nice structure. Delicious.
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9/3/2021 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 96 Points
1990 Champagne / Bordeaux / N Rhone (London): A great wine but to me on this occasion it did get a bit "lost". Side by side HB90 I preferred the 1st growth. LMHB had a bit of bret, which doesn't disturb me hugely, but this bottle simply showed less precision and detail compared to HB90.
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8/30/2021 - novie1234 wrote: 97 Points
Amazingly complex. Prime time drinking for this nicely aged and tertiary Bordeaux. Upon open, nose was exhilarating - then 30 min later, even more sensual classic LMHB aromas as we allowed the bottle to gain air. Immediately a bit of stewed plums and also a touch of bitterness, but gone in 30 minutes. Smoky, embers, tobacco leaf, mushrooms; all with a base of moderate red fruit and the finish was extreme. Drank over a couple days, vacuumed, and fell part about hour 6-8. Just an incredible experience.
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8/20/2021 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Decanted and drunk over four hours.
Pretty tight at first, eventually opening after two hours in a decanter with bitter chocolate, Graves earth, stone more than cassis fruit, tobacco, and violets. Structured yet seemingly mid weighted and graceful, with a sense of depth and power that is beautifully proportioned, conveying power without any heaviness. There is sap and breath on the palate with harmony. More gravel, bitter chocolate, and tobacco leaf on the palate. Ripe fruit plays beautifully with the savory and earthy notes. Finishes long. Drinking at peak after a couple hours in the decanter, and the last glass at four hours being the best by a stretch, with terrific perfume, an expansive palate presence, but mostly a sense of harmony and effortless balance.
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6/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Drinking in its prime time window, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, smoky and packed with notes of campfire embers, tar, tobacco leaf, cherries and red currants. Refined, earthy, complex and long, with a smoky, tobacco leaf, herb, earth and red fruit finish, this is ready to go.
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5/1/2021 - Amateur12 wrote: 90 Points
Nothing to fault, but also nothing to really like. We were 4 tasting people and all agreed about that.
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3/25/2021 - Scaramanga Likes this wine: 97 Points
This needed decanting, and even after a few hours showed a very concentrated linear classic nose of dark fruits. Delicious with good tannic structure, and incredible length. On this afternoon, it outperformed the 89 La Mission!
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3/24/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Impeccable cap. At first, great fright, the mouth was unbalanced, alcoholic with a monstrous finish while the mouth was absent subscribers. 4 hours of ventilation did him the greatest good.
On the nose, we are on classy Bordeaux in full possession of its means: spicy, cocoa, with tobacco and leather.
The palate is dense, on grilled meat. It's bloody and smoky, very opulent with a silky feel. The balance is perfect although the acidity is low which gives the wine a warm and cocoa flavor and consequently a little lack of energy if I quibble. But the whole remains deep, racy and complex. The finish is concentrated, it explodes on chocolate aromas to finish on a very nice length.
Excellent! In my opinion, it lacks a bit of going in terms of tension to be great, but everything is there. My Burgundian side, no doubt.
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11/29/2020 - LB88 wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful mature Bordeaux, leather tobacco, dark chocolates ooze from this glass. Just refined tannins and drinking very well!
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11/28/2020 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Excellent Bordeaux - in its early drinking window.
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10/23/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
Right on point with recent bottles. The 1990 LMHB is an eye popping wine that is elegant and deeply nuanced. Precise cassis, blackberry,, black cherry, tobacco. gravel, brick and smoke.
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10/10/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Great complexity on the nose even at this stage. Young and energetic palate.
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9/28/2020 - La Flama Blanca Likes this wine: 96 Points
It’s been a couple years since I’ve tasted the 90 LMHB and my feeling is it’s actually gaining momentum in its majestic ascent. All the classic and mesmerizing aromatics of warm gravel, hot bricks, smoked bbq and camphor are on full display. On the palate the wine is velvety textured and opulent with great layers of complexity and brilliant balance of power and elegance. Tasted side-by-side with 90 HB.
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9/12/2020 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Leather, hay, licorice, needs a lot of air to fully develop but then gets more and more opulent, round and very long.
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7/14/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
During a "Covid Stuck in Singapore" 14.July French National day lunch. Holy cow, 30 years old and very masculine. Commanding tannins and wild forest floor. Complex, long finish.
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6/20/2020 - dbenglis Likes this wine: 96 Points
I completely agree with the 95 + ratings. This is an excellent bottle of wine. The 82 is my favorite, the 89 a close second. The 1990 is preferred to the 98 or 2000 at this time in age for me. Above are the vintages I have tried thus far. Note I haven't had a bottle pre dating 82.
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4/1/2020 - JHSP Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb Nose - and balanced and deep vibrant black fruit - brilliant balance and long finish - very nice and sweet spot
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3/11/2020 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Single Blind 1990 Bordeaux (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): An enchanting nose that is so complex with mature plum, herb, spice and a distinct band-aid note (that is not for everyone). The palate is rich and just beams with complex layers of fruit, tobacco, earth and more. Long, long finish. Guessed LMHB.
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3/11/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Clearly stewed and seemingly heat damaged. Fortunately, a second bottle was available.
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3/11/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote:
1990 Bordeaux Dinner (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Single blind at 1990 Bordeaux dinner. Was this a flawed/ tired bottle? Not nearly as tired as the first bottle that was opened and clearly heat damaged, but this also came across as tired and past its peak. I haven't had this wine in almost five years, but I expected more based on prior experience.
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3/4/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Once again a stunning performance from this wine which remains young but definitely in its drinking window with a good decant (3 hours). It seems to combine the best of both left and right banks in this vintage with great cut and precision but also a voluptuousness and richness that is beguiling. Very layered and fine as it caresses the palate and the finish is so satisfying and complex with notes of Asian spices and scorched earth. At Gramercy Tavern.
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2/15/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
The 1990 La Mission Haut Brion is serious business with a tremendously intense but supremely elegant nose of raspberry, woodsmoke, mineral, and allspice, subtly accented by tobacco and capsicum. Potent, big palate with lots of poise. Totally complete with a gorgeously floral (red rose) finish - what's not to love? 96-97
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2/13/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
Nose: loaded with cherry, raspberry, pie spice, tobacco and baked brick. Deep and nuanced nose at this stage that captivates. Palate: layered and deep with cherry, blackberry, tea, mineral, tobacco and the smoke/brick/clay notes of pessac. Glorious. Finish: resonant floral and red fruited.
WOTN for me.
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1/5/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
A nearly perfect perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. Purchased a case on release and in my cellar since. It should easily last for 5 or more years.
Ric
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1/4/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank from 375ml. Initial impression was... this is good but tastes old. There was initially a lot of funk, but after 15 minutes it blew off and what was left was quite lovely — huge improvement with a little bit of air. Ripe fruit, silky texture, slightly heavy and rich viscosity, definitely a lot going on here. Fully mature as far as I’m concerned, but there is still nice structure on the finish so I expect this has many good years ahead of it.
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12/15/2019 - Ex-Ray wrote: 100 Points
Tasted with 1989 Lynch Bages, also a perfect wine, and with '03 Harlan, younger but also great.
A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years.
Ric
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12/12/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 mins before serving. Tobacco, smoke, cigar, leaf, and sweet currant. Very silky and elegant on the palate. Effortless and light on its feet. Superb.
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12/6/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Textbook example of LMHB showing off its tobacco, cigar wrapper, leaf, smoke, cherry, cedar and tar aromatics at the drop of the hat. It is concentrated, full and offers ample depth, but there is a slight rusticity to the tannins that takes away from the tobacco-tinged, red fruit finish just a little bit. Still, this is a gorgeous wine that is showing just great today.
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12/1/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar and moss notes on the nose. Distinctive soup signature on the palate. A relatively good value.
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10/11/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow, this bottle really fired tonight showing deep and concentrated flavors of black fruits, coal dust and char. Quite rich, velvety and flamboyant in the style of the vintage with a deliciously complex finish with notes of minerals and exotic spices. Just a fabulous Bordeaux for current and future drinking.
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9/25/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
Best Bottle with Zachy's @FFF (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): blind, side by side with Angelus 1990, double decanted
Typical left bank Bx, still fresh, didn't reach his top yet. Amazing acidity and ripe firm Tannins. 98+
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9/23/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2019 (Chicago, IL): Lots and lots of black fruit and graphite here, with a slight bit of smokiness. The nose here is just incredibly complex; sadly it's a fair amount better than the palate, which seems to pick up a slight hint of pruney overmaturity and sweetness. Nonetheless, there's enough very compelling material to be able to overlook that slightly jammy quality, but it definitely gets in the way of elevating this bottle to the top echelons of Bordeaux.
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9/1/2019 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Where's the 'I love it' button? Dark, earthy, perfectly evolved aromas and tannins. Prime drinking window. Focused. Powerful palate with great length. Could probably age longer, but why wait? This delivers the whole package.
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8/2/2019 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Another lost Friday afternoon gathering – 88 DRCs, 90 Bordeauxs, Raveneaus, Dauvissats and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Intense nose displaying concentrated black fruit, cassis, crushed blueberries, black cherry, licorice, a hint of green, tobacco, cedar, lead pencil and scorched earth. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of intense sweet black fruit, unctuous, bright acidity, good mineral, the tannins are mostly masked by the concentrated fruit and a long intense black fruit driven finish with a hint of scorched earth at the end. Although it seems to be cellared ideally, there is a hint of band aid/brett. However, it is not terribly bothersome. Excellent showing.
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8/2/2019 - Billigan Likes this wine: 97 Points
Huge, complex perfume on this one, with deep black currant, humidor-level cigar smoke, warm gravel, old leather, blackberry jam, and old cedar chest. Big, dark-fruited, and well-balanced with a nice mineral profile on the palate, and plenty of polished tannin for structure on a slightly grippy finish. This was everything you’d want out of a fabulous Bordeaux experience, and the only reason I’d keep any points in reserve is that I think it can go a shade higher once those tannins soften a bit more. Really superb, and it topped a flight that included the 1990 Beausejour and the 1982 Haut Brion.
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7/26/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A very good and mature bottle of this great wine which showed so much terroir. Great flavors of smoky dark fruits and warm gravel. Such a silky-fine texture and with a feeling of liquid graphite flowing across the tongue. Finishes with supple tannins and complex mineral notes. Not the most complex La Miss ever made but it's simply gorgeous to drink.
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7/18/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bordeaux Night in the Santa Ynez Valley (An Anonymous Winery's Gorgeous Cellar Table): Came off as fully mature, perhaps a bit advanced but that may be harsh. Quite light-bodied and smooth, with notes of graphite, ash, smoked meats and some ripe red and black fruit. Lacked that Graves earthiness.
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6/21/2019 - Trent Walker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Now this is what I want. Gravelly minerality on the nose while drinking sweet asphalt and hot rocks on the palate. It really feels nice to drink a classic Bordeaux which gives these non-fruit flavors that one wants. That said, there was enough dark rich prune/plum flavor to serve as the subwoofer to the magic of the minerals and rocks. I had the 1990 haut Brion 3 weeks later in Paris and I must say, I prefer the la mission right now (although the haut Brion has a shade more fruit and weight but not the full on openness of the nose).
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6/21/2019 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic bdx and graves nose - oh my this is Smokey mineraly gravel. Dark fruits. Blackberries and black currant Tobacco. Sharp minerals. Very intense. Opulent but not heavy at all. Some violet florals. Smokey and young on the palate Good acid. Dark Fruit and super savory and mineraly. I Like the nose better. The palate is quiet and not as explosive. Finish is dark and violets and gravel. Some sweetness on Finish. Very interesting and well made. Still didn’t move me but others loved it. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/20 = 16-17.5/20.
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6/14/2019 - phol wrote: 97 Points
Cedar tobacco leather forest-floor and a hint of barnyard there are still some tannins left after 29 years. Bordeaux perfection lovely
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3/29/2019 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
100 Points
A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years.
Ric
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3/6/2019 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Haut Brion vs La Mission Haut Brion dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Incredibly intense nose and concentrated palate. Although very youthful, showing telltale signs of LMHB, strong tobacco, ash, smoked meat, lead pencil, flower dust and etc. Although incredibly concentrated, the dominant fruit expression is red. I slightly prefer the sensual palate expression of the 90 HB.
Dominant Fruit: Red currant and cherry.
Balance: 9
Expressiveness: 10
Complexity: 9
Ripeness: 10
Purity: 8
Intensity: 10
Silkiness: 9
Precision: 8
Tannins: 7
Acidity: 8
Concentration: 10
Maturity: 6
Modern (Oak): 0
Over ripeness: 0
Condition: 10
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2/17/2019 - BradE wrote:
A side by side of 1990 Haut Brion and 1990 La Mission Haut Brion. Both bottles in perfect shape. Both were showing more development than I've experienced to date, and at age 29 are finally starting to show their age. I preferred the Haut Brion, but both were outstanding, and the table was split.
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2/8/2019 - kr522 wrote: 97 Points
drank with the 90 Montrose, both have been consistently great wines, and neither disappointed. the Montrose perhaps a touch darker, this leaned a bit more toward blue & dark cherry fruits, with earthy, clove, chestnut accents. great aromatics and strong from the entry, to an expansive mid palate and a long finish. so good
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2/5/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 99 Points
La Mission Haut Brion with Jean-Philippe Delmas (Vaucluse Townhouse, New York): A perennial favorite of mine, and this was a crowd pleaser tonight. I had originally scored this 100 points until I was confronted with the 1961 which took perfection to a new level! The 1990 has a spectacular nose of saddle leather and smoke. Layers of complexity go on and on on the ultra-long finish. This is impeccably balanced.
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1/1/2019 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 97 Points
2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Softer color, more clarity with almost brick rim; porcini bomb on the nose, leather, a touch of horse, olive, incense, complex Bordeaux quite different from the last wine- seemed older than the '89 Dominus; sexy palate, great mid with lovely earth and mineral, late delicious fruit, no green, lithe and elegant still exhibiting a youthfulness; liked the '89 LMHB call but due to elegance called '89 Palmer; WOTN.
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12/26/2018 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Magnifique! High fill et bouchon à peine imbibé.
Ouvert durant 90 minutes, puis carafé 30 minutes et dégusté pendant 90 minutes. Couleur grenat moyen avec reflets orangés. Le nez est bien typique, sur des arômes d’âtre froid, de boite à cigares, de tabac et aussi de sous-bois.
La bouche est tout en rondeur, en suavité et complexité, bien soulignée par une belle trame acide qui donne au vin de la distinction.
Les tanins sont superbement intégrés et la finale s’étire longuement.
A boire sans se presser.
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12/24/2018 - rlove wrote:
Red currant liquor and cigar start the 1990 La Mission off on the right foot but, at least this particular bottle, is marred by some advanced notes I'll aspirationally attribute to the bottle rather than the wine. Stewed fruit on the palate.
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12/22/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle showed quite backward at first but then opened in the glass to show superb silky power along with flavors of sweet tar and smoky gravel. Finishes with great lift and complexity showing notes of tobacco, charcoal and dark chocolate. I love this wine and it will only get more complex over the next 20+ years. 95+ At Daniel game dinner.
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11/18/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slow oxed for 8 hours before serving. Initially, it was overshadowed by the 82 older brother. At the end of the dinner, it fleshed out the berry fruit, truffle, cinnamon and earthiness. The sweetness of the fruit showed the ripe vintage character. Enjoyed this in the last 30 mins. Slightly preferred this over 2002.
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11/16/2018 - Lype Likes this wine: 95 Points
Chocolate, liquorice, refinement, evidently a great wine.
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11/4/2018 - Rico100 wrote: 97 Points
Amazing classic old bordeaux. Great balance. Sublime - drank with J&J with an 89 Montrose which I actually like a tad more but both were outstanding.
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9/26/2018 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Justin's Wizards Tasting at The Ritz Key Biscayne. My wine of the flight and one of my wine of the night. We had the 1989 and the 1990 vintage. Both were my favorite and their respective flights, over and above the Montrose, the Lynch bages and P ichon Barons of the same vintage. 92+ pts.
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7/10/2018 - JonnyG wrote: flawed
Too much barnyard funk to allow one to appreciate the smoky cedar notes buried within...
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6/26/2018 - paul wrote:
wait at least another 5 years on this one
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6/23/2018 - Parrish02 wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted and served next to 1998 La Miss. The 1990 was much more evolved and gave off a much bigger nose, but was, to me a slight let down on the palate. While it had plenty of what you expect in a great Graves, there was too much band aid for my taste - and it did not blow off, it got stronger.
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5/6/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
A little bit better on the nose, with its blend of tobacco, cigar wrapper, cedar, forest notes and dark red, smoky fruits. The wine is concentrated, long and intense, but at least with this bottle, the tannins are a bit rough. Still, that is only a minor quibble, as this is showing great with just an hour or so of air. You can drink this over the next 2-3 decades.
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4/29/2018 - Sen4469 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose : excellent. It is a mature wine that will last another 10 years easily. Superb.
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3/28/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 97 Points
A great bottle of this that still seems fairly young and could probably have used more than the 2-hour decant it received. Really voluminous and silky in texture with great Graves flavors of smoky graphite, warm road-tar, blackish fruits and dark spices. Finishes sooo smooth and complex with notes of minerals and exotic spice. Just glorious and still with plenty of upside. 97+
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3/10/2018 - felixp Likes this wine: 96 Points
beautiful wine, needed an hour in the decanter to open up, but worth the wait. Lots of plums, chocolate and truffle, touch of mint, which is a little unusual but adds interest. Broad, long finish driven by a lovely mineral spine. Very much reminds me of the superb La Fleur Petrus from the same vintage. Close to peak drinking, although if I only had one bottle, I would wait another 5 years. 96pts 2020-2040
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3/9/2018 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Nose: A Palate: A-
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2/23/2018 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 98 Points
From a half bottle in virtually perfect condition.
This was a shower, not a grower. Right from the get go, a big nose of smoke, tobacco, forest floor, and black fruit. Very very typical La Mission. Vastly superior to the 1989 half bottle earlier this year. Perhaps the 89 is still not fully ready. From full bottle the 1989 is clearly a grower, getting better with hours of air.
The palate was tremendously intense but light as air with an incredible finish that lasted beyond even a bit of food. Wow! I told my father in-law who has been here for months that this is the best wine I've served him and I hope I may match or surpass it over the next few months.
This evolved slightly with air but not enough to warrant a higher score. I wouldn't decant or leave it out too long. I was going to sniff a glass all night long but decided to drink up. This was decidedly better than a half bottle I had 8 years ago.
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11/13/2017 - JoeFB wrote:
3/17/93 The 750 bottles cost $48. Vino Pal kept entering the price as the 1.5 L ($110)
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10/26/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear, pretty, reflective red with a bit of sediment. Nose of strong Band-Aid with garlic funk and a mixed red and black fruits. This is delicious - notes of aforesaid Band-Aid, raspberry, umami. Thin-bodied and really tasty.
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10/22/2017 - aerlith Likes this wine: 94 Points
Argh! Drunk too young. Tasted in a small private event with '98 Trotanoy, '97 Hillside Select and 2000 Quilceda Creek, the La Mission simply kept improving, with the last sip the best. Sigh. Ruby with a nose of tobacco, gunflint and red fruits, closed to start but nevertheless tasty. As the evening wore on it began to open up, but still infanticide. I can see 98 points or better with more time.
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8/2/2017 - JulianSkeels wrote: 96 Points
Some strange CT notes on this wine. I love the 90 Haut Brion and find it shows fantastically well (mouthfeel) without too much air. Not the case here. At all. From a pristine bottle from my cellar this was (esp for a 90) very inaccessable. Massive waves of tobacco on the nose, some rich red fruit and lots of earth notes... but other than that it was tight and shut. Even after sitting in a decanter for 5hrs. Drank the rest 2 days later and it was starting to open but only just. Right now not a patch on the 90 HB (I rated 97-98pts) and needs to be left until 2030! I recently enjoyed the 75 LMHB which is finally in a great spot and wonder if this will be a better version (similar profile but with more aromatic potential). Tentative 96pts now, but potential for 97-98pts in time. HOLD. Drink 2030-2050
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6/3/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted against the '90 Haut Brion and to me the two wines couldn't be more different and LMHB was the easy winner but the table was split down the middle in that regard. A seamless wine that's just about fully mature but will clearly hold at this level for quite some time. Very layered with flavors of black fruits, licorice and dark minerals. This possesses a much better middle than the HB even if that wine show a bit more complexity on the finish. Just stunning juice.
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5/30/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
If you like a good, aged, Cuban Cigar, you came to the right place. With gobs of smoke, tar, cigar ash and tobacco leaf, the earthy, deep, dark, red berries really shine through. Powerful, yet refined, there is depth, length, complexity and character. Good now, and better in 10-20 years, if the bottle has been well stored.
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5/27/2017 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind, guessed late 80s top pauillac.
This is the definition of a great fully mature top growth left bank. Herby notes, light smoky feel, cedar, dark fruited and with that first floor finish. Soft but very much present and alive. The tannin is silky and the fruit mild but the wine is in tune and just delivers an amazing experience . 96 and drink now
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5/26/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
Château La Mission Haut-Brion vertical tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): This continues to be one of my favorite vintages from LMHB. The nose is just so fresh and exotic. There are all of the typical elements, with dark fruits, smoke, tobacco, spice, espresso, and fresh violets. Vibrant and fresh on the palate. Almost stunning balance, yet this wine still shows so young. A long finish that highlights its impressive complexity.
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5/26/2017 - sdr Does not like this wine: 89 Points
La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): This was the most puzzling and disappointing vintage of LMHB in the vertical (1961 - 2004) but many others were much more impressed than I. To me, it was closed and even short, with only moderate concentration. Not bad and not spoiled or off, just modest and suprisingly weak. Since it should have been so much more, either I just missed it or some were overly impressed with the label. For sure I need to try it again before dismissing it.
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5/26/2017 - Ex-Ray wrote: 100 Points
A perfect wine, fully mature! Just a hint of brown at the edge. Fabulous easily recognizable Left Bank aromas of cedar, tobacco, charred wood, dark fruits, very pronounced and complex. Rich, deep, black fruit and French oak flavors, all perfectly balanced, no significant tannin, very smooth. Very long, lingering aftertaste. La Mission has been our favorite Bordeaux for years and this was a great one at its peak. It should easily last for many more years.
Ric
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5/25/2017 - DrZett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great 1982 vs 1990 Vintage Tasting (Rare-Bordeaux-Weine, Wachtberg (Germany)): Great body and nice tannins - still quite closed in the moment. Needs some air. Lots of beautiful red ripe fruits. Long and great finish. It will get even better in the next years - have patience. Really beautiful!
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5/11/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 98 Points
No formal note from this bottle, but it was fantastic.
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4/27/2017 - chcook Likes this wine:
brief note. color showing bricking on edges. this seemed a little medicinal, and came of a bit tart and lean with both acid and tannin structure. I think that this was a nice mature wine served just after a significantly richer younger seeming wine. alone my sense is that would be wonderful.
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3/28/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
1990 Bordeaux Blind: Highlights: Good smoke and ashy earth on the nose, but missing the obvious spicee of the Haut-Brion. Lots of farmy rusticity and medium-high brett on top of sweeter currant fruit. Quite savoury. Also showing a little more development than the first wines (Leoville Poyferre, Calon Segur, Palmer). Didn't compare to the bottle of Haut-Brion tonight.
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Typical but with a light mustiness to this bottle. 93-94
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12/15/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
Achim's Magnum Tasting 2016 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): much too young, it is like drinking a five year old Bordeaux, the cassis notes are overlayed at this stage,I think it is much more fun to drink it from regular bottle, the same level as HB 1989 in the same flight, will last at least the next 30 years
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11/22/2016 - thomastucker wrote: 99 Points
Extraordinary!
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10/30/2016 - RockinCabs wrote: 96 Points
Cork was perfect. Barely any staining up the cork and a nearly new appearance from the top. Aromas of leather and blackberry began uncoiling right on the pop.
Nose: Gorgeous florals lead the wine with cedar, smoke, creosote and warm brick that are classically pessac. Layered in are gorgeous black cherry, roasted strawberry, leather and blackberry notes. This evolved a lot over a 6-hour sitting from decant to finish. Nose described as powdery is correct, as it is so finely perfumed and detailed. What a pleasure. Palate: Stacked and layered palate with Gorgeous red/black fruit, vanilla bean, graphite, minerals and smokey cherry notes. Complex and layered yet slow to evolve. This has a long way to go and a lot to offer. Finish: Over 60 seconds on the finish with more blackberry, black cherry, smoke and cedar notes.
Not much more you could ask for from this La Mission. 96+ as this has room to improve, and given more development of the fruit and integration of some components I can see this reaching the 99pt level the critics claim. I'll revisit in 10-years.
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10/29/2016 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
My second time around with this absolutely lovely wine. I first had this in 2012 at a rather generous tasting (shall we say, I enjoyed repeated samples). It has hardly budged since that time. This remains a very special vintage for La Mission in that it expresses the classic La Mission profile (cigar, roast brick) with very elegant wild flower notes. The rare combination of the rustic and the urbane makes for such an engaging, lively drink. Once you add in the fact that the olfactory texture seems to be powdery and soft, you've really got a wine that you don't see every day. The fruit here is still as succulent, young, and dark as it was a few years ago. The balance is exquisite and the wine just slips down. But the ultimate metric of truly fine wine - how quickly the hand reaches for the next glass - it satisfied here. This is a wine that can clearly be enjoyed now but which has the legs to run a long race. One hopes that such wines continue to be made indefinitely.
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10/5/2016 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Coach Insignia. Cork broke coming out. Decanted 30 min, improved over the next 2 hours, probably needed 2+ hours decant. Nose was nice but weak, palate came around nicely after some air.
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8/19/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
7th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - again stunning, showed more tobacco and minerality than May bottle, also demonstrated concentration against very fine HB 95 on same night. VF+ (19).
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8/4/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
This particular bottle had a very tight cork and I wonder if it contributed to how young it is drinking. A big, more structured wine than I remember with classic flavors of road tar, smoky gravel and black fruits. A voluptuous, almost creamy texture fills the mouth and the finish is very intense with notes of dark spices and a hint of menthol. Really needed several hours to open up. A simply stunning, utterly complex Bordeaux even if this bottle was on the structured side. 96+
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5/7/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
6th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - as last June's note, just edged HB 90 but behind outstanding HB 89, more dimension to the fruit, but the HB 90 was perhaps purer and more refined, interesting, scope to improve further! VF+ (19).
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5/5/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is a super wine. I loved its tar, smoke, tobacco, cigar box and cassis nose. Full bodied, concentrated and lusty on the palate, the long, potent finish with all its fresh, tobacco, cassis and cherry infused charms really sticks with you. At 26, this is drinking in a great place and well stored bottles should get even better over the next few years!
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4/14/2016 - ricknat1 wrote: 95 Points
Wine of the night for me as it has been before in blind matchups with the HB. Classic in every way.
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4/6/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Black currant, ripe black cherry, liqueur hints and cigarbox with lots of concentration and powerful structure. Very long finish has really good mineral textures.
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3/21/2016 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at 67
Even with this age it is much more richer and fruitier than the Haut Brion. Very fresh and young. Looking at the tasting notes there is a lot of bottle variation.
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2/9/2016 - JimmyGillingham wrote: 91 Points
I was really excited to try this wine, more so than the 1988 Haut-Brion. However, on the day in question, the 1988 Haut-Brion came out on top. We double decanted this a few hours ahead of dinner. Unlike the Haut-Brion, this did not present any primary characteristics initially. There was bricking around the edges. The nose offered up some ash, currant, cassis, cheese rind, bell pepper, gravel mushroom, cedar, mint and pencil shavings. This is basically textbook secondary Bordeaux. The wine was very fresh and lively on the palate despite its age. It did not evolve much further over the night, but did not need to. This was a good wine from start to finish. I think that it has some time left, but it is in a very good place now.
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 99 Points
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. Wow! A spectacular nose with stunning complexity, vibrant fruit and perfectly integrated tannins. Drinking perfectly right now. For me the WOTN.
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1/12/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
JP Morgan WineBeserkers Dinner (Bar Agricola, San Francisco): Aromatic nose with cheese rind, green bell pepper but well integrated; palate is full bodied, integrated but slightly bitter tannins, medium alcohol well integrated, strong notes of pyrazines, definitely some Brett; medium-long finish. This is a very nice wine with character but it depends too heavily on Brett and pyrazines which are good at low levels but can be a crutch at higher concentrations. At this level I expect better. 91-93
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12/15/2015 - jmoore431 wrote: 94 Points
Not as special as several others of these I've had; still emblematic of power and elegance; ethereal.
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11/30/2015 - panda drinks burgundy wrote:
Marred by a bretty nose, which softened with time but only by a small margin. This perfectly filled bottle tasted 10 years younger and not completely ready. Should have given it a super long decant. Couldn't have cared less by the people drinking it at the table tonight, a small glass was saved, the brett subsided significantly the next day, now it carried a more aromatic profile infused with a hint of dirty socks, fruit became sweeter, tannins softened…
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11/9/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
If you like refined power, intensity, complexity and a nose that haunts you with its cigar box, smoke, blackberry, cassis, campfire, tobacco and cedar character, you will be more than happy. If you're also looking for concentration, length, freshness and earthy sensations on the palate, with a finish that really delivers, you're definitely going to love this wine! It's ready for prime time drinking too.
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10/31/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Third time is a charm... This is the best this wine has ever shown. The nose alone is phenomenal as I could smell it all night long. This is indeed a noble wine made for kings and queens. An almost perfect balance of fruit and old world stuffing. Sweet Virginia tobacco, fine Italian leather, cedar, crushed gravel, and fine minerality. Long... Very Long smooth finish. An outstanding wine, which edged out some stiff competition for WOTN double blinded.
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10/24/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Seth's 40th Blowout (Cumming, GA): Crimson core showing good clarity (made sure to stand this and the '83 Dujac upright for several days and carefully decant which I believe helped the wines immensely), lighter brick rim; ashtray, tobacco, sour plum, red currant, blue cheese, gravel, mushroom, loam, nose is screaming good and expressive, brick dust, clay, sweaty and sweet?, green pepper; nice caressing quality to the tannin, medicinal, red cough syrup, long, very noble, resolved tannin yet good structure left in the tank, great acid freshness, focused, so complete; just puts a smile on your face, could smell all day but the palate is fantastic too; caught it at about the perfect moment.
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10/24/2015 - King of the Blind Likes this wine: 99 Points
Textbook bottle. Tasted blind there was no question of where we were at. It was either HB or LMHB. Mushrooms, loamy earth, cedar, tobacco, and wonderfully pungent blue cheese. The wine was rich and sumptuous without being heavy. Fruit was very ripe without being overripe. A wine in perfect balance and harmony. It has been on this steady plateau of maturity for the last several years and no sign of it dropping off anytime soon. Incredible now and for the next two decades. WOTN (This bottle consumed alongside 1990 Margaux, 1982 Gruaud Larose, 1995 Mouton, 1986 Haut Brion, 1983 Clos De La Roche)
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9/20/2015 - DesertDrinker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfection in a glass...classic nose of tobacco and wet earth..on the palate plenty of black cherry, leather and cigarbox...long finish..silky tannins..drinking well but will age gracefully...decanted for 2-3 hours and enjoyed with filet and a red wine demi reduction..need I say more?
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9/9/2015 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 95 Points
Dracks sida vid sida med 1986, 2001 och 2008.
Underbar frukt med både svarta vinbär och körsbär, piptobak, ceder och höstskog. Fantastisk koncentrerad frukt, silkiga eleganta tanniner, cigarrtobak och otroligt långt slut med ren frukt.
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8/16/2015 - mhudes Likes this wine: 98 Points
For me this was a profound wine. Absolutely superb! Aromas of tobacco, leather, cedar and chocolate. On the palate, dark fruit, plums, black currants and again chocolate. Lush mouth feel, not much acid, high glycerin and long finish. Just simply magnificent wine.
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7/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Showing its correct age, with a light, ruby tone, the nose is pure cassis, cigar box, tobacco, mint, cherry pipe tobacco and wet forest aromas. On the palate, the wine is smoky, concentrated with a strong tobacco essence, silky smooth tannins, and a fresh, clean, long, pure cherry and cassis finish. This was really showing great with just 15 minutes in the decanter. If you have a bottle, pop a cork, you'll be happy you did.
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7/21/2015 - AllRed wrote: 98 Points
Another wonderful wine that I have been fortunate enough to taste numerous times thanks to the generosity of R&D. Popped and poured along with the '90 Montrose. Every bit as good as the last time I had this, opening with aromas of black fruit and plum with those great scorched earth and iodine notes. Full-bodied and balanced, with softened tannins and flavors of black fruit, iron, tobacco and beef blood. Long and powerful through the finish. Develops notes of wet tobacco, herbs, and bay leaf along with the iodine and burning ember notes. Drink now through 2025+ if this bottle is representative. A great wine- thank you R&D.
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7/21/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened by R&D at Anvil for Allred's birthday. Tasted alongside a 1990 Montrose, and I literally could not split them, even knowing what was in each glass. Again, the pairing with the lamb brought this to life. On its own, not so much. Mrs. TLV liked it significantly more than I did.
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6/28/2015 - Lord Rayas wrote: 97 Points
MNSC - Kevin (The Pawn): Decanted for an hour. Beautiful and aromatic. Quite sweet.
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6/9/2015 - MarceloIdeses wrote: 99 Points
Amazing! Possible best vintage of La Mission
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6/5/2015 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
5th of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and fill, previous notes very fine or better, except for one slightly flawed bottle - deepish, slightly dusty garnet, some lightening on rim; enthralling bouquet of road tar, black chocolate, mulberry, tobacco and cedar, hot wet earth; medium full, very long and persistent, balanced, grip, energetic fruit covering mostly resolved fine grain tannins, still improving, on a par with the prem crus in this vintage with Margaux by a short head currently the most compelling. Very fine plus (19/20).
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5/5/2015 - Gabbby Likes this wine: 94 Points
A classic Graves nose, blackberry, smoky and earthy. Solid body, ripe and soft tannin. The wine still has ageing potential and easily age for another 10-15 years.
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4/18/2015 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 98 Points
wet deep forest woodsy, overripe black berry, wet leaf compost,
perfect acidity, delicious lovely full mouth,
a classic Bordeaux presentation
For the fun of it i peeked: Parker gave it a 99 in a 2012 tasting, and among many other things mentioned hot brick and slightly higher alcohol ...which we'd refine as 'hot old brick' and agree on the nose as we noticed some elevated alcohol apparently due to the warm 1990 season
enjoy!
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4/9/2015 - DesertDrinker Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor and barnyard. It tastes like cherry, light toast, black pepper and tobacco. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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3/3/2015 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Nathan's Bx tasting at Cafe Italia. 2nd WOTN. Now i know what this wine smells like: good bret and bandaids. A bit dirty.
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2/7/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 97 Points
Quite evolved in colour, this is showing wonderful evolution on the nose, too: leather, spices, dark fruit, liquorice, cedar, woodsmoke, graphite. On the palate superb texture, fresh with lots of vibrant fruit, great mouthfeel, spicy, energetic, lively. The finish is intense and very long. Still good grip, but drinking well. Will keep for a long time and might improve over next couple of years. A superb wine. 96-97+
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12/22/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The aromas remind me of a campfire, with its myriad of burning wood and smoke filled scents that are made even better by the cherry liqueur, truffle, cassis and barbecue notes. Full bodied, dense and rich, this youthful, powerful wine can age for decades.
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11/3/2014 - swapdoc Likes this wine:
EWS -- Wild game and wilder wines dinner: Aromas of pencil shavings and aged cedar. Brownish in color, the wine tastes of a classy mature bordeaux, with notes of earth, mushrooms, dark cherry and wine cask, long in the body with a great underlying balance. The ragout sauce accented the sweetness of cherries in this wine -- a nice pairing overall. A wine for bordeaux lovers.
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10/25/2014 - Matt D Likes this wine: 98 Points
Outstanding wine. WOTN tasted along side '82 Ducru, '82 LLC, and '90 Cheval Blanc. Perfect balance and long silky finish.
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10/24/2014 - Bobhelge wrote:
A truly great experience - so perfectly developed with such high intensity and complexity. Showing dried fruit, raisins, meat and burnt out bonfire. It is still backed with acidic backbone giving perfect balance.
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10/11/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
1990 Bordeaux Tasting (Kevin's (Minneapolis)): Outstanding and long life ahead. Walnuts, chestnuts, black licorice, gravel, tobacco and red currants. Super concentrated and LONG finish. Good acidity and decanted about 2 hours. Hold or enjoy over the next two decades.
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10/11/2014 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Big Bordeaux VIII : 1990 (Kevin's house): Per the host, Slow-O for 2hrs and decanted for 2hr and 15 minutes; drank a small glass over about an hour. There's a little more anise here than I would like, and it is surprisingly big and tannic at this age. Nonetheless, it is a very nice Bordeaux with the typical cedar, leather, tobacco, earth, yada yada yada. Quite nice but frankly I was hoping it would be even better.
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10/11/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Big Bordeaux VIII: 1990 Retrospective with Montrose, LMHB, PB, LP, and more (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red-purple color. Slow-O for 2hrs and decanted for 2hr and 15 minutes; drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. This was the biggest and tightest on opening and perhaps could have benefited from an even longer decant. It strikes me as very young in its evolution. The nose is more brooding with leather, black licorice, tobacco, tar, blackberry, blueberry, brambly black fruits, dry earth. The palate is powerful and deeply concentrated, full bodied and chewy, layered, blackberry, currants, blackberry liqueur, firm tannins, graphite, copious anise and wood spices that leads into a long finish. This was quite different from everything else. Group #2 WOTN, 95pts(+?)
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8/10/2014 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
Dinner in Normandale (Normandale, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand): Spectacular wine in full maturity. Textbook Graves tobacco and earth character. Impeccable toasted oak with refined cassis and high class leather notes. Medium body with perfect balance and a superb finish. This was clearly the most complex and a point wine in a flight that included the 1990 Chateau Montrose and 1991 Shafer Hillside Select.
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6/6/2014 - johannes.c Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dinner @ Librije: impression based on three bottles served that evening, which were amazingly consistent. Some barnyard and typical tobacco on the nose, dark ripe fruit in the mouth. Just a great mature bodeaux that is drinking just perfect right now. Will hold for a good number of years to come but why wait.
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6/6/2014 - Burgaddict wrote: 95 Points
Leiden visits Librije tasting: Silky black fruit nose, some graphite, fresh. Taste full bodied, black fruit, medium acidity, tannins integrated. Velvety, completely mature, balanced, complex. My wine of the night, one of the best Bordeaux wines I have tasted.
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5/20/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), mineral, cedar and lead pencil. The body is full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Luis's wine.
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3/22/2014 - DDicaprio Likes this wine: 96 Points
A complex elegant wine, medium full bodied, and so well balanced, . This drank incredibly, but may not reach it's peak for five more years!
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3/6/2014 - -E- wrote: flawed
(Blind) Klar, dyp rød med hint av oransje i kant. Kork på nese med parfymert parfymerte toner liggende under.
Bløt og tørr frukt. Dårlig flaske.
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3/6/2014 - LWI wrote: flawed
1990 Bordeaux Horizontal: Celllar, mushroom - and the cork became more evident after a while. Bummer. Beneath is a fresh wine with even some complexity forcing its way through the musty odors.
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1/23/2014 - soyhead wrote:
opened at the end of the evening on a whim by Duane, with minimal aeration, this rinks up there with the most funky barnyard stinky wines I have ever smelled. in the mouth - cherry, smoky, and funky. wow. complex.
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12/17/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Now, we're talking my language. I like where this conversation is and I love where this conversation is going!!! This is powerful, yet refined. The nose hits you where it counts with its potent smoke, cigar box, ash, black plum, blackberry, earth and tobacco profile. Dense, thick and concentrated, everything is in balance ending with a long, intense, expansive finish. Drink this now, or age it for decades. What a wine!
If you cannot afford the 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, buy this wine. It's not that different in quality.
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12/8/2013 - Lord Rayas wrote: 96 Points
Juliano's MNSC (China Tang): great structure with complex notes of tobacco, spice and lead pencil. top notch.
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11/9/2013 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
At a tasting we put on for our Couples Cru of 17 present, of eight 1990 Bordeaux (Angelus, Figeac, Beausejour Duffau, La Mission Haut-Brion, Leoville Barton, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages, Montrose). All wines purchased on release and aged in my cellar. This has been my favorite Bordeaux and it was my favorite at this tasting, but only one other person also ranked it first. Very pronounced typical complex aromas of cedar, tobacco and cassis. Medium-full body, still with plenty of fruit, and perfectly balanced with acid and tannin. Sweet lingering aftertaste. This may not have garnered as many votes since it was not as big as Montrose, Lynch Bages, or Beausejour, but it had an elegance and complexity above the others. Perfect now, but should hold another few years.
Ric
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11/7/2013 - GA Old World Guy wrote: 98 Points
Simply the best wine I have ever been fortunate enough to taste. Had it at a dinner on 11/2/2013 at the Four Seasons in Atlanta. From the moment I first decanted this wine (was fortunate enough to decant 6 bottles and all were very similar) this wine was amazing. The tannins have begun to settle and the fruit was shining through...although you could tell this was still a baby and would certainly be drinking strong for another 15 or more years. The only frustrating part was the thought that it is over $1,000 a bottle. Glad I was able to taste several different bottles.
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11/2/2013 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 96 Points
2013 Atlanta Commanderie Parlement (Four Season Midtown (Atlanta, Ga)): WOTN. This baby has it all. Bravo. (The brie tart with whole truffle shavings were a perfect pairing as well)
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9/20/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
It's a great week when you get to have this wine twice. Beautiful.
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9/20/2013 - Nutty08 wrote:
HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Such an enticing nose of tobacco leaf, smoke, and mature fruit. Lush and exotic palate, layered, with a finish that wouldn't leave the palate. Utterly compelling and a highlight of the night and would have been my wine of the night until the '90 Haut-Brion A+
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9/19/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Another fabulous bottle. The elegant and glossy texture was more apparent on this bottle than the prior notes. Very long finish.
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8/4/2013 - VoteferPedro wrote: 96 Points
crazy smoke and earth start off the nose but over the night peanut and cedar and hay with a background of dark berry. The palate was smooth generous with cassis note. I was so taken with this on popping the cork, I chose not to decant but let it audoze until dinner (seared ribeye). It was classic. One of the best wines this year for me
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7/23/2013 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 96 Points
Classic La Mission. In its drinking window but has a lot left in the tank.
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6/7/2013 - bpj87 wrote: 93 Points
Despite a few hours of decanting, this LMHB was tightly wound and offered only a modicum of smokey/gravelly notes. The 1990 vintage did however show through, with a hint of alcohol on the palate. I am interested in tasting this wine again after another decade-plus of aging, as it is still too young for my tastes.
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6/2/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Lunch with Rob. Another wonderful bottle. Fully open on the nose and palate. Incredibly, soft, smooth mature bordeaux. Sweet earth, smooth, coffee and weedy tobacco. The palate matched and was full, silky with dark fruit and a minty hint every now and then. Long perfectly balanced finish.
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3/10/2013 - AllRed wrote: 98 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2000 Grand Cru Red Burgundy (Rich & Dana's): Dark color with aromas of truffles, dark fruit, leather, plum and cigar box. Flavors of tar, leather, black fruit, red currants and scorched earth; amazing balance from the attack through the finish. Impressively long finish.
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12/19/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
1990 La Mission Haut Brion is an exciting wine. The moment your nose meets the perfume, you know something special is going on. Potent aromatics of tobacco, earth, cedar, hot stones, coconut, blackberry, cassis, tar and spice are easy to find. In the mouth, the wine feels lush, elegant and yet powerful. Balanced and in harmony, this beautiful Bordeaux wine has a long, bright future to look forward to. 97 Pts
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12/11/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
End of year dinner; Break out the good stuff- Alto Adige, Rhone, Bordeaux, Barolo, Loire and Port. (Amali.): Far more times than not, I've had the '90 in the company of the '89 and the '90 is always beat down by its bruiser of a brother. On its own like tonight, however, it's able to shine and you can see that it's a stellar wine in its own right. This bottle has a wonderful softness and harmony to it. It's full of rich, black bruit, wonderful Graves earthy notes and tobacco that persist and linger on the palate as effortlessly and gracefully as a skater across the ice. Perhaps a touch low in acidity, but it's still a nicely balanced wine. It just comes across as more friendly. Drinking beautifully now, but there's no hurry here whatsoever. A.
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12/8/2012 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is a knockout wine and distinguished itself next to a beautiful 1990 Montrose. The HB's have the most distinguished terroir that we both love. Smoke, silk and gravel.
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11/21/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
A perfect bottle of this wine which is open-knit, basically fully mature and very expressive of the terroir. On the nose there is a wonderful smell of sweet earth, tobacco and smoky gravel. On the palate, the wine is so smooth and silky with wonderful flavors of black plums, tobacco and road tar. The tannins are very supple and the wine finishes soft and complex with notes of smoke and minerals. Yum!
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11/4/2012 - svdheijden wrote: 98 Points
Right after popping the cork, this MHB90 was ready for business. Intoxicating nose with gravel, pencil lead, tobacco, flint, minerals and black and red fruit (strawberry). Sweet secondary notes of autumn earth and mushrooms. Full and juicy on the palate with good freshness and well integrated tannins. Seems fully mature but will continue to be at this level for many years. An utterly enjoyable wine, representing for me the essence of mature high class Bordeaux, combining the characteristics of the classic Bordeaux style with the achievements of modern winemaking. P.S. next evening second half of the bottle. Still going very strong, no oxidation, fresh herbs and spices and cinnamon-notes emerge now.
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9/15/2012 - Dave Canada wrote: 96 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew does 1989 Bordeaux (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): Adding in the 1990s to this tasting was a really interesting exercise…not only were the wines spectacular..but it really helped give the participant and view of the key differences between 89 and 90. The 90s were more lush, riper and more fruit forward.
The nose showed lush blackcurrants, smoke, flowers, minerals and a subtle medicinal note. The palate was a touch tight but showed pure fruit and oozed class…..blackfruit, spice, earth, leather and cedar all transitioned to a very long and complex finish.
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9/15/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 96 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): Shows a bit more ripeness than the '89 served next to it, also just a bit less complex. Still maintains it's strong sense of crushed rocks and minerals. The lushness is attractive, however, with nice plum notes. This leads to a structured palate leaving more room for development in my opinion. Just starting to poke through and become ready for prime time.
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9/15/2012 - alittle wrote: 97 Points
Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Popped and poured, followed in the glass for the course of the evening. Showing a touch more brick in the glass than the 1989s. The character of the vintage shows up immediately, with riper fruit aromas of blackberries, roasted figs, licorice, smoke, gravel, dried tobacco, brine, and exhibiting more tertiary characteristics than its older brethren, with notes of decomposing leaves, leather and earth. On the palate, this is luxuriously textured, with massive amounts of glycerin, showing slightly less acid than the 1989s. The finish here shows great length, rounded out by flavours of dark fruits, red cherries, smoke, herbs, mineral and a touch of game. Another exceptional wine, but while slightly more integrated and developed, lacks the precision and purity of the 1989s.
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8/1/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Drank over 4 hours. Did not decant. Wonderful fully mature nose of weedy tobacco, wet earth, dark fruit and plenty of spice. The palate matched and was full and round in the mouth with a nice freshness and gripping texture. Long finish that lingered for more than a minute. Always a thrill to have wines like this.
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7/28/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bordeaux 1990 plus some extra's (@ VadM): This is a great wine in a perfect drinking stage. Luxurious and rustic bouquet with cassis, graphite and perfect oak which provides cedar, smoke, tobacco etc. On the palate mouth filling with beautifully soft and integrated tannin, black fruits and rustic impressions again. Classical wine with all the elements you expect of a great Bordeaux and that is what this is. This bottle is at its perfect peak right now and will probably stay on this level for another 5 years, but no reason at all to wait any longer.
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7/28/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 100 Points
@ 1990 Bordeaux proeverij, restaurant Vis aan de Markt.
Blind geproefd. Donkerrood, enigzins dakpankleur aan de rand. Overweldigende, boerse neus, met rundvlees, natte bosgrond, tabak, bramen, cassis, chocolade, kruiden en cederhout. Enorme concentratie, geen enkele sprake van ouderdomszuren. Perfect geintegreerde tannines, enorm zacht in de mond. Lange afdronk.
Mijn leven als wijndrinker heeft vanaf dit moment geen zin meer!
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7/10/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
A perfect bottle of this wine. Fabulous nose of sweet gravel, graphite minerals, grilled nuts and black scorched earth. Possesses a gorgeous silky ethereal texture with wonderful smoky earth and graphite flavors. Seemingly perfectly mature tonight and while not the most complex vintage of this great wine, it is so terroir-driven and hedonistic and just a joy to drink now.
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6/21/2012 - fdub wrote: 94 Points
Had with lunch at the Napa Men's Lunch Club. Much more fruit than the 83' and much fuller and riper on the palate. Red fruit, herbs, and leather on the nose. Nice structure with mineral on the palate. Should provide great drinking for many more years.
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6/18/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Plenty of browning in the color. What a gorgeous nose of warm bricks, charred earth, grilled nuts and black fruited perfume. This bottle is soft and ready with totally resolved tannins. It is a very terroir-driven La Miss with incredible flavors of charred/gravelly earth, decadent black fruits, cedar, tobacco and spices. Just pairs perfectly with bbq'd lamb. At this point, a lighter-bodied vintage of this wine but drinking so well tonight.
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6/16/2012 - AllRed wrote: 97 Points
35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): Deep crimson color. Tar, black currant, scorched earth, tobacco and red berry aromas. Balanced and well-integrated, with flavors of red and black fruit, leather, cigar box, tar and iodine. Finish lasts minutes. A stunning bottle. 97+ pts.
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5/3/2012 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Bernard Burtschy dinner at Taberna del Alabardero (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Beautiful sweet ripe red and black fruits, earth, mushroom and dark caramel. Palate is silky and sweet. Fully integrated tannins. Very ripe and sweet wine.
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4/21/2012 - King JR wrote: 94 Points
Opened 2 hours prior to drinking. No decant. Nose was flowery and vibrant from opening. Cork in perfect condition (a little soft). No bricking yet at all. Very smooth - smokey, tobacco, nice light red fruit, very classic left bank. Very very nice bottle of wine. Lots of life left. Great (but not spectacular) experience.
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3/10/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: flawed
La Mission Haut Brion; 3/9/2012-3/10/2012 (Burg Staufeneck): From impériale. The wine tasted of damp earth, musty cellar. I don't think this was corked, but it was undrinkable regardless. What a shame.
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3/4/2012 - Jossik wrote:
Tappato
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2/5/2012 - Rezy13 wrote: flawed
Super Bowl 2012 (Roswell, GA): Corked. Extremely disappointing. The palate wasn't terrible, though. It is hard to totally destroy a great wine like this.
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1/26/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Nicely floral, also with aromas of cedar and cassis. Black currant and cherry flavors with a good earthy component along with lots of minerality and texture. In its peak drinking window, I don't see this getting any better.
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1/25/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 98 Points
89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Fascinating tasting this with the '89. Yes, the mineral and baked brick aren't present in quite the same dimensions as the '89, but the '90 does offer some very, very pretty floral notes. All red fruit and flowers on the palate with refreshing acidity. Slightly more relaxed than the '89 and eminently drinkable. I love it.
5-
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1/17/2012 - kr522 wrote: 97 Points
the aromatics of this wine are through the roof....perhaps as good as any red wine you'll smell. There's notes black and red fruit mixed with an almost overwhelming amount of earthy characteristics - tar, gravel, forest. it is sensational and on smell alone would merit a 100 point score.
it's still deep ruby in appearance and at first the taste is a bit restrained, sweet but a touch soft after making such a statement aromatically. it took about 20 minutes to really get going and then go it did. Similar to the bouquet, the taste is tantalizing as is switches back and forth between mixed fruit notes and then earthy qualities. I'd sense raspberry and as I tried to hone in on that sensation it would disappear and present a tarry side which might then morph into something foresty. Impossible to pinpoint or narrowly define, it was more ethereal than blockbuster, and you can add another point or two to my rating if you crave that kind of intellectual flirtation
So why deduct the couple points? Not sure, but maybe after smelling it over and over again the bouquet reminds me what a high hurdle perfection is. This is also the first time I've tasted one of the elite 1990s and realized this vintage is more than 20 years old, there's a maturity occurring that perhaps I need to adjust for mentally, as this is a vintage I've been drinking from the start and it's no longer a brash youth.
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1/14/2012 - cortoncharlie wrote: 94 Points
Very solid and drinking at peak but will keep and continue to develop for years.
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1/8/2012 - flattfam@charter.net wrote: 96 Points
Still doing fine. Needs 30 minutes before serving. This one has grown over the years.
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11/2/2011 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 98 Points
served blind from 750. plum, leather, dark chocolate, and fig from soup to nuts! long finish ending with anise and black currant. wotn
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8/31/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 94 Points
2011 Casual Session - 15 @ Bistro du Vin (Bistro du Vin): Alcohol :: 13%
Very vibrant dark ruby with a little bit of brown rim. Decanted for 60mins and this only came around in another 30mins in the glass. Very classy and pure, quoted from the guest: classic claret and I'm with her. Pencil shaving, mint, cigar box, violet with a little bit of spice that framed the intense core of very sweet, pure blackcurrant essence that is highly complex and deep. This med-full bodied claret is ripe, expansive with layer and layered of complexity yet it is perfectly balance, well delineated and light on it's feet. So round and lush, this flirting with it's youthfulness. The silky, sweet tannin is well integrated and leads to the sweet, persistent long finish with depth and class. Pure seduction.
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7/16/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Tobacco, stone, smoke, truffle, spice, cigar box and cassis aromas lead to a full bodied, concentrated wine that is powerful, rich, tannic and still youthful. Another 5-10 years will add a lot of complexity to the cassis, spice, mineral and licorice filled finish.
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6/24/2011 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Corked.
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5/4/2011 - Khamen wrote: 97 Points
From magnum, double decanted 4 hours. Simply staggering Graves typicity. Complex earth nose that reeks of lavender, violets and sun-warmed gravel. Rich and concentrated with layered complexity and fresh acidity. Great minerality and bite, finish long and complex with ultra fine grainy tannins. Has decades of life left in it. A real "wow" wine!
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4/30/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Cambridge University / CellarTracker Dinner (Pembroke College, Cambridge): I am trying to work out whether this is the best wine I have ever had or merely the best Bordeaux. Slate and violets - an amazing nose of mature Graves, constantly evolving. Terroir terroir terroir. This has years in it yet - a fresh acidic streak keeping it fresh and balanced. My goodness. A long lingering finish. This is all about the nose at the moment - another 10 years will really push this wine into another level that is beyond my comprehension. Amazing. From magnum.
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4/28/2011 - wallstreet wrote: 96 Points
This was my WOTN and it was side by side with a 90 LLC and 90 Vega Sicilia Unico. This wine has more complexity then the other two. I smelled and tasted the terrior and I was immediately reminded of other LMHB vintages. Big graphite on the nose, palate was complex and still had strong backbone , leading me to believe it will last for two more decades. More flavor than the 90 LLC. This wine will continue to improve, I would say it will hit peak in 7 to 10 years from now. Great wine! Loved it!!! I wish they could make perfume with the nose of this wine. Enveloped my nasal senses to the max. Amazing.
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4/28/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
poured, decanted, served over 3 1/2 course dinner. The nose of royalty, no signs of bricking, monumental wine by all means.
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4/16/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I don't possess much context or experience with bdx or this property but I was told this wine is of high esteem. What I got from it was lots of cedar, tobacco leaf, spice and it didn't show its age in my opinion. There was something hard to identify in the aromatic, something I have found occasionally in some CdP based wines, a kind of burnt or scorched note. It kind of lurks in the background.
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3/24/2011 - kr522 wrote: 97 Points
i expected an excellent wine and it was even a bit better...full of all the characteristics that make LMHB so special. Great fruit and terroir, it's a good companion to the 1989 which is very high praise in my book. For me it is certainly better than the more heralded 2000, 1982 and 1975. While it's not cheap, it is a relative value if you love this property
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2/6/2011 - Le Vin wrote: 96 Points
Part of a wine tasting (left and right bank). Tabaco and coffee aromas.
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11/23/2010 - Dubie wrote: 91 Points
Finished 4th in a line up of six 1990 Left Bank: winner was Haut Brion, then Margaux, an ex-chateau Montrose, the La Mission, an auction bottle of Montrose, and Leoville Las Cases... all served blind. To me, the La Mission was the worst (pity, I brought it!). A little damp on the nose, it took a very long time to open up. It spent most of the evening backward relative to the others. My own favorite was the ex-Chateau Montrose.
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10/28/2010 - dream wrote: 94 Points
This bottle showed very young and lacked some of the complexity of previous bottles but the wine is still gorgeous with lovely "Graves" flavors and a softer, elegant texture. It is very much a terroir-driven vintage for La Miss as you can really taste the scorched earth on the finish. Great wine that kept improving and the last sip was the best.
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9/3/2010 - ispringett wrote:
Haut Brion, LMHB at the Ledbury (Ledbury): Deep ruby with a touch of development at the rim. Surprisingly primary in character, intense aromas of black fruits, a touch of cedar, smoke. The oak is well integrated, tannins are silky and overall the wine feels relaxed, in balance and in a good place. A hint of green herb on the finish? V long, very fine with years of life ahead of it.
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9/3/2010 - Rupert wrote:
Haut Brion v La Mission (The Ledbury, London): An amazing mouthful of rich spicy cedar, glossy, flamboyant, but no lack of depth and complexity - a spectacular start to the reds
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7/2/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Served blind at Chateau La Mission Haut Brion over dinner - The wine opened with spice, truffle, tobacco, cassis, earth, roasted blackberries and freshly baked berry pie aromatics. Voluptuous in style and filled with rich layers of cassis, this stunning example of La Mission Haut Brion ends with a long, dark berry and kirsch filled sensation.
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6/22/2010 - grossie wrote: 96 Points
Stunning wine. Mature profile- tannins have softened but this still has structure, horsey, cedar, cigar box, and a finish that goes on forever. Absolutely wonderful & ready to go.
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6/19/2010 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
An Evening of Bordeaux (The Anvil Club, East Dundee, IL): Garnet color. Iodine, red currant, tar and tobacco aromas; I could smell this all night. Wonderful balance. Flavors of red fruit and plum, leather and more iodine. Long, long finish. Drinking so very well now but has a long life ahead. 95-96+ pts.
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6/2/2010 - LeatherPalate wrote: 97 Points
This had another gear than the other wines of the night. Deep nose that I could smell for days.
Rich coffee,cigar box,smoked meats,saddle leather,plums,dark chocolate,black berries.
Holy wow-dark fruits,licorice,salty-dried meats,rich rich tobacco,black currant,dark roast coffee.
Explosive on the palate with tons of energy left.
Wave after wave of flavor and depth.
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5/22/2010 - 60ouvrees wrote:
This is excellent and nearly as good as the '90 HB.
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5/22/2010 - tooch wrote: 96 Points
Keith's Birthday Dinner (Lula Cafe - Chicago, IL): Young wine that I thought would benefit from 10 more years of aging. That being said, it showed amazingly well. In my opinion, this was the most complex red Bordeaux of the night exhibiting dense red berry aromas with espresso, spice, and bacon fat components that kept evolving over the course of the night. Stunning.
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5/21/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 97 Points
Celebrating my 30th birthday with 1990 Bordeaux (Lula Cafe, Chicago IL): nose: stunning as the wine just completely fills up the glass. This was all about finesse and elegance with waves of tones of fruitcake, cassis, smoke, cedar, leather, black currants, and some bits of peppery tones. Very complex and deep this nearly overwhelms on the nose, but seems to hold back just a slight bit
taste: refined and demure with elegant medium/full tones of fruitcake, cassis, cedar, leather, bits of potpurri, dark red cherries and all sorts of berry tones. Very good tannins still show off the youth of the wine as there is a bit of roughness on the palate still
overall: If this is what the 90 is like, I have to know what the 89 is like. This was an absolutely beautiful wine that dazzled on the nose and brought some real refinement on the palate. This seems like it does need another 5-10 years before it really hits its stride. I had decanted this for 3 hours or so and it still showed fairly young, but utterly amazing
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4/13/2010 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Quite primary with ripe raspberry and blackcurrant, ash and black pepper. Smooth, luscious palate. Great richness and intensity with balance coming from the excellent structure. Silky and pure, delicious.
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3/8/2010 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
Gala Dinner with Daniel Boulud *** and Jean-Philippe Delmas (Rheingau Gourmet & Wine Festival Hattenheim, Germany): Stewed beef, velvety tannins, rich, iron and wonderful fruit, amazing length, not as complex as the HB 1985 but much more powerful. Stunning wine. Drink now - 2025.
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9/13/2009 - Ary wrote: 97 Points
Opened 5 hours before. Great wine, intense, mature, soft (direction sweet as in Barolo) and very well balanced. Continues to develop in the glass . Strong on earth, truffle and white chocolate both on the palate as well as in the nose. Later more (over-ripe) fruits. Drink now -2030.
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7/25/2009 - JJL wrote: 94 Points
Strong smell of burnt earth and even a little skunk on nose when opened. Took about 4 hours to come around. Nose turned to coffee, black licorice and smoke. Palate is tar, black licorice, burnt toast, blackberries and espresso. Will try to wait a few more years before opening another.
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6/29/2009 - t-slow wrote: 90 Points
When opened the nose was lovely, it had intensity and youth. The colour was deep ruby. On the palate, it was a bit flabby. This was drunk at a mini vertical with 89,82 and 75 - it did not stand up too well against the superlative wines from those fabulous vintages. We also had a La tour Haut Brion 75 - what a treat.
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6/28/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
With its smoke, tobacco, cassis, mineral and iron nose, this Bordeaux is a treat for the senses. This huge, youthful, concentrated wine is still filled with ripe tannins. Powerful, elegant, rich and supple, this regal style of wine ends with a long, pure, spicy, supple black fruit, filled finish. After two hours the wine continued softening and developing additional nuances.
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6/12/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Offering a stunning, complex nose of tobacco, truffles, herbs, spice, cassis, blackberry and licorice. Very concentrated. The impressive levels of depth experienced on the palate are a pleasure to taste. Long, rich, opulent and pure, this Bordeaux wine ends with a long, pure, chocolate, cassis finish.
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4/21/2009 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
From magnum, graciously supplied by Rich & Dana. Deeply colored, with a strong bouquet of dark fruit, iodine, tar, leather and blackberries and a subtle herbal undertone. Very well balanced, with flavors of dark fruit, terrific acidity, and a long, lasting finish dominated by earth, herbs and dark plum tones. A wonderful wine.
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4/9/2009 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Again youthfully dark and unevolved. On the nose, black anise, smoked gravel. Good texture, even if tight. Very Graves. Cassis, some smoke and good texture. A bit brash and full of adolescent energy. A ton held in reserve here, but tight and primal in spite of being opened the day before and decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking. A lot of promise here, but I would not open another for a decade (for my necro-palate) 93++
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3/18/2009 - archer752000 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours. Great violet color, fantastic nose of cedar, tobacco, black fruits.
Wonderful on palate, silky tannins, spices, earth, black currant. Endless finish.
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3/12/2009 - SteveHoch wrote: 96 Points
An amazing classic bordeaux. was a little tight upon opening. Great nose of minerals, spice, and dark fruits, A fantastic bottle
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1/25/2009 - Surfer714 wrote:
Very Balanced..... VG bottle......
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12/2/2008 - carnyc wrote: 94 Points
BYO Dinner at Tribeca Grill (Organized by Acker Merrall): Balanced and drinking beautifully. Classic Bordeaux.
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11/21/2008 - GA wrote: 94 Points
11/08 Great balance - ready now. 94 pts.
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11/14/2008 - La Grappe wrote: 96 Points
This seemed to be in near perfect condition, with finely grained, silky smooth fruit; soft blackcurrant and cedary flavours; round, complete and long. Perhaps not the power of the very finest, but certainly among the most elegant of clarets.
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11/14/2008 - Rupert wrote: 95 Points
At ROSL: this is as classic as claret gets - coal and cedar fragrance on the nose, confirmed on the palate, fresh and with perfect balance, tannin present, but the wine is weightless and floats in the mouth. [Plus, one can drink this with dinner at ROSL for one third of the current retail price!]
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10/26/2008 - Surfer714 wrote:
Quite alot of Brett.. Still nice bottle but brett was a little much for me.
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10/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
1990 La Mission Haut Brion is showing signs of positive evolution in the color and the nose. Truffle, forest floor, stones, spice, cassis and earth make up the perfume. If nature marketed a perfume, this would be it! Very powerful entry filled with dense, rich, layers of ripe, black fruit, olives, chocolate and bitter, black cherries. Very sweet and rich. As good as this is drinking today, it’s only going to get better. 96 Pts
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9/21/2008 - dream wrote: 96 Points
Needed a good hour open out of the cellar to show its colors. Perfect dark ruby color with the slightest fading on the edges. Gorgeous nose of sweet tobacco, road tar and scorched earth. Medium-bodied and very expressive with incredible Graves flavors that echo the nose. Finishes smoky and complex with this incredible graphite/expresso/road tar thing going on. Near peak now, this is a true expression of the terroir of this great vinyard as you can really taste the unique place this wine comes from.
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8/30/2008 - Chateaunewf wrote: 99 Points
Glorious! Pefect claret color lighetning to the edge but no bricking. Complex mature aromas of ccedar and tobacco. Mature fruit flavors of cherry and red current with an overlay of fine herbs. A luxurious mouth feel with great midpalate concentration and perfect balance with a long sumptuous finish creating that elusive sweetness of a perfectly mature Bordeaux. Perfectly resolved tannis and remarkably little sediment thrown. A great wine at its peak. Near perfect and more satisfying than a Montrose 1990 that followed. Can last for many for years but why wait? Its hard to imaging that it may improve.
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7/4/2008 - Surfer714 wrote:
Very good bottle of wine. Lots of Fruit ..and with tannis still present. Should last for many more years.
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5/11/2008 - RiedelBeagle wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic nose. On the palate it's perhaps a little one-dimensional, all gravel and blood. I'd like a little fruit for balance. Still quite good. I didn't decant this time, and it was at its best right out of the bottle. Judging by my last tasting note, right out of the bottle seems to be the way to drink this one now.
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5/2/2008 - Roberto_1 wrote: 95 Points
This wine is drinking extremely well now. I can't imagine it getting much better but I've been fooled by La Mission before. Nose of sweet pipe tobacco, leather, tar, asian spices and black fruits. The palate follows the nose with a large-scaled entry of fruit followed by a long, mildly tannic finish. Without a doubt the fruit is there in spades. This wine lean toward the ripe end of the spectrum for La Mission. I don't get the sense of brooding power and reserve that the '89, for example, has. On its own this wine ranks as one of the great La Missions of recent time. Great stuff.
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4/15/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 95 Points
Wine and Food Society of New York annual BYOB (Steve Hanson's Primehouse, NYC): Struts its stuff with flare and finesse, this full-bodied wine has a blackberry nose, a holiday English rich and sweet fruitcake aroma. The cedar and spice that is also found in Haut Brion make this a layered fruit delight that is chewey and cheerful.
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3/7/2008 - dream wrote: 97 Points
Double-decanted for 4 hours. Black color with the slightest browning. Gorgeous nose of sweet black fruit, slate and Graves charred earth. Wow, how sweet and smooth this wine is and its drinking far better now than the bigger, more structured '89 drunk with it. Medium-bodied with a silky texture with beautiful flavors of char, underbrush, black fruits and slate-minerals. Finishes smooth and complex. Absolutely beautiful Bordeaux to drink tonight.
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1/27/2008 - Pmoreault wrote: 90 Points
Arrive a un certain niveau de maturité doux équilibré ne pas décanter tout afait pret boire sans attendre
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1/25/2008 - kris.h wrote: 97 Points
1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: A little barnyard. Some herbs. Nice fruit and weight on the palate with rich soft tannin. Some cedar and a nice smoky component. A great wine.
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12/9/2007 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
This opened up pretty lean and tight with a dry edge but nonetheless was a textbook display of Graves with that smokey, roasted chicory thing. At first there was a faint whiff of something that was a little overripe to the point of rotten, but as this aired for a few hours that disappeared. The wine also gained sweetness and depth the longer we drank it (across about 3 hours), although I would never describe it as terribly lush or generous. Still, quite delicious.
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11/6/2007 - MRichman wrote:
La Mission Haut Brion vertical (Jean Georges/Nougat, NYC): Rich, sweet, absolutely beautiful. Strong, intense, powerful. Some sweet tannins, rich glycerine and deep dark tar to hold it together. Could use some age, but drinking well now. Not as complex as some of the other wines of the evening, but really lovely. An extraordinary wine, my WOTN.
A/A+
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11/6/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
LMHB Vertical (Jean Georges): A beautiful, beautiful wine. Classic Graves elements on the nose keep expanding and opening new doors with dark fruit, herbs, graphite and tobacco. It has a wonderful presence in the mouth with a perfect ripeness matched with silky tannin. Great acidity gives it a sneaky persistence on the finish. Seamless. The vintage is really hitting on all cylinders right now.
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7/24/2007 - dant wrote: 96 Points
classic, ripe at its peak
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4/25/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Flowers, smoke, syrupy cassis and scents of hot stones grabbed your attention. Very rich and full bodied with a stellar mouth feel. The palate was caressed with flavors of over ripe black cherries, plums and other ripe dark fruits. This wine is what elegant Bordeaux is all about. The finish is long and pure. Great wine! It’s approachable, but requires 5-8 more years before hitting full maturity.
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2/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Pale round red color. Haunting red fruit floral aroma - very nice. Again, almost haunting on the palate with coffee and red fruit notes that kind of disappear into the mouth and then return for a long spicy finish.
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12/30/2006 - winefornewbies-podcast wrote: 95 Points
Could easily be 100. Hard to say what would have made this wine "better." Enjoyed with our friends Sam and Christiana on their last night in town before moving to California. Made a special evening even more special.
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12/23/2006 - Tad GW wrote: 94 Points
Chewy and seductive, rich and concentrated, this is an easy to drink wine that can last decades yet. Fruitcake and tobacco, spice and sweetness this is a super wine that delivers layers of pleasure. Hedonism Alert!
50+5+13+17+9=94
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12/9/2006 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #4 (Sammamish, WA): A sharp nose, again, very roasted, notes of coffee grind, unreal mineral, intense/sharp on the palate. Tannic, chunky, still a kick in the teeth, a young intense wine that gets a WOW from me!
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10/14/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour. The color definitely shows the age with a nice red core that fades out to obvious bricking at the edges. The nose was not as strong as I would have expected but that classic old bordeaux nose was still there. The flavors were subtle,well integrated, and complex and the finish was soft and quite long. Still a bit of a tannic edge to it. It should hold up well for at least another 5 - 10 years.
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9/6/2006 - RiedelBeagle wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for one hour. Rich, seductive nose of dark red cherries and dark chocolate. Some unfortunately dusty tannins remained on the palate, but softened after only half an hour or so (after the hour of decanting). Again, a bit of nice dark fruit, with blood, iron-rich earth, and leather. Not a particularly long finish. After an hour or so the nuances seemed to drop out of the palate a bit.
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3/8/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 95 Points
La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): A little advanced looking, ruby brick rim. Nose screams graphite, flinty minerals, soot and classy dried fruit. Calm and sedate on palate, spicy and balanced, tannins are still quite obvious, could do with perhaps 5 years more to really come together.
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3/7/2006 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Linden's La Mission Haut Brion tasting (Bentley Hotel, London): Powdery nose, but quite intense. Savoury mid-palate. Fat and grippy
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8/11/2005 - Eric wrote:
Pre-Parker warmup dinner at Citronelle... (Georgetown, USA): Ripe, roasted and unreal, this was the wine of the flight and easily distinguishable from its brethren. This was an easy single blind pick.
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6/15/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This powerful, elegant, full bodied wine has an intense perfume of blackberry liqueur, spices and cigar box. Deep, rich and plush with amazing balance and character. Incredible, mouth feel and palate presence with a seamless finish. This is starting to come around, but it will easily continue evolving for 2-3 decades.
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3/10/2005 - MichaelB wrote: 95 Points
It has been wayyyy too long since I had this wine. In its youth it had so much potential, it was pretty wide open, call it a 91 Dominus in the LMHB style. When I opened this wine, the first aromatics made me call a buddy-HURRY! Classic LMHB with a carmel twist, the roasted element from the 90 vintage coming into play, alternatively going from a burnt toffee, tar, minerals, a stinker in a great way. On the palate the wine had a wonderful burnt/leather cigar box character, but a healthy dose of tannins are still there (like the 90 Haut Brion that many think is drinking wonderfully now, I think like this more time will make it more complete). This wine was not quite the wine that evoked me to drink it that knocked me out last week, 82 La Tour Haut Brion, because that wine has more integrated tannins and more concentration. I MUST try the 89 soon so I can see how that wine is doing. This wine reminded me of the 82 at a similar age, but it has that roasted element of the 90 vintage.
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12/14/2004 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasting of seven Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, first place. Lovely bright, beet red color in the glass. Lovely, rich fruit on the nose with lots of tobacco and cedar, more of the same on the palate, very young tasting on the palate, medium/long finish. Terrific and impressive this night. Two pours.
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3/12/2004 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 1990 & older Bordeaux (Seattle, WA, USA): Oh my! This shows roasted earth, espresso, minerals, and licorice. A simply gorgeous nose. On the palate this shows a huge whack of structure and was very closed, black and tight for quite a while, smacking of potential. However, over the course of 30 minutes this started to unfold and revealed a silky texture with purity and sweetness admist the earthy, roasted elements. This is so smooth, silk and stunningly long, amazing stuff that is still very young and just starting to unfold. It was head and shoulder above the rest of the flight. (1989 Palmer, 1981 LMHB)
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11/27/2003 - Eric wrote: 97 Points
Thanksgiving dinner with Phil, Ruth and the boys. My goodness do I love Bordeaux. Compared to the 1993 Abreu poured beside it, this was far more brown with some distinct bricking at the edge. The nose was initially very 'sweaty' with a lot of barnyard, but it increasingly turned to tobacco, tar, licorice, and piercing floral aromatics. The nose became increasingly expressive with time in the decanter showing dominant tobacco and floral notes and an amazing 'fat' character, just so deep and full. Wow! On the palate there is cedar, tobacco and licorice, and with time this gets sweet and pure. This has incredible layering and a silky, enveloping texture. The finish is long and powerful with earthy and charcoal-driven character. Early on this was fairly tight, but with about three hours of decanting this really started to sing.
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11/11/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote:
Tasted in single-blind fashion at an '89/'90 Bordeaux dinner at El Bizcocho. Bottle provided by Rob Norberg (purchased from Ken Johnson's cellar). Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Mildly corked nose, allowing some black cherry, mineral and earth aromas to slide by. Full-bodied on the palate, with big ripe tannins, low acidity and black fruit-dominant flavors. Long, smooth finish. This bottle was certainly very drinkable, but there was no question of mild cork taint and it is therefore not possible to assign a score or drinking range. Served with farm raised Virginia lamb saddle (with tarbais bean ragout in lamb basil juice).
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10/10/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 96 Points
Dark red with slight hint of browning at the rim. Deep, dense and dark" in taste. Like the slightly bitter, yet highly satisfying taste of a luxury chocolate. Superb width of structure and density of fruit. All the elements are superbly contained and displayed. A wine of superb detail of flavour, elegance and style - all followed by a long balanced finish.
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6/22/2003 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 1990 Bordeaux (Woodinville, WA, USA): Group average of 92 points. This was my personal co-WOTN with the 1990 Sociando Mallet. I found this to be smokey, earthy, with cedar, lead pencil and beautiful complexity. The palate showed amazing depth, spice, and smokiness, all wrapped up in a dusty, silky exterior. The finish is beautiful and powerful at the same. Gorgeous bottle!
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8/1/2000 - sdr Likes this wine: 87 Points
Definitely one of the more backward 1990 Bordeaux, no surprise. Just beginning to develop. Not a big LMHB. Perhaps in a slightly dumb phase.
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9/26/1999 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ Angelus/Palmer/La Mission Haut Brion (NYC): Deep, dark fruit. Tannic structure demands more aging, but the complex yet balanced elements are there.
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6/19/1999 - MikeATL wrote:
A gorgeous nose of goose excrement, cedar, licorice, and meaty dark fruit joined incredibly sweetness on the palate. Excellent wine, but I would not have guessed it to be a Graves. Lots of life left, but you won’t hate yourself if you drink it now.
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5/21/1996 - Marc wrote: 90 Points
ruby/purple - not too dense - was expecting more density. Toasty oakbut not nearly as flamboyant as the 1989 - needs time - coffee! In the mouth, very smooth and smokey. A bit diffuse - velvety tannins. Very good length - not a power house - coplex but need some time. Ultimately this is very classy - ripe and rich but seems like it lacks grip - nice but I would not rave.
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