Not a lot of experience sipping old Margauxs but this came out beautifully. Sediment decanting only, consumed right away. Lovely bouquet with honey, truffles and leather. No burn on the nose. Palette of red currants, rhubarb, mushrooms, nice and earthy. This was a bright and vibrant wine with all tannins aged out. This was a privilege to consume with a 28-day dry aged Kansas City cut at Arthur J in Manhattan Beach.
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This reflects both the terroir and the vintage in my mind. Fortunate to have come across a few of these and some other 1986's from someone elses cellar. Agree with other notes. Musty nose with delicate fruit holding on with good acidity and tannins. Bricking at the edges.
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Dark red core. First impression is quite musty with underlying fruit. Opens with air. Developes body. Fine tannins. Acid a bit too dominant. Better than last bottle.
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More vitality than the bottle I had back in 2016. Still showing the patina of age and with the last vestiges of fruit hanging on by a thread, but with more freshness on the nose and palate. Lovely texture and good range of complex tertiary flavours. Really very enjoyable.
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0.37 bottle from Paulson rare wine. Soaked corked with some residual on top. Red as a brick. Faint nose. Mushrooms, smoke, dried berries. Meaty. Mushrooms on the palate. A bit too much acid. Still some body, but on the lean side. Over the top. Better with food.
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Perfect fill, well into the neck. Very enjoyable wine. Tannins fully integrated. But still great color and structure. I would say its still in its drinking window. Just towards the end. Nice subtle, sexy Margaux. Great complexity, loses just a tad after 30 minutes in the glass. But the open bottle held up well for 3+ hours.
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fine intense nose of real class, typical Margaux, classy fruit balancing the ‘86 austerity, a really top wine of the vintage, previous bottles were lovely and this continues the very positive experience, at peak but because of perfect balance will keep at this level almost indefinitely, but then life is not indefinite so why wait?
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This was originally intended to be the first red of the night, but it needed two hours in a small decanter to blow off some funk and find its balance, so we put it aside, started with a Château La Tour de By 1990, and got back to it after we finished the Tour de By. The wine had developed nicely after two hours of aeration and offered dark fruit, cherry, black currant, some blackberry, coffee, chocolate, cedar, leather, complex spice and balsamic notes on the spice-driven palate, with fine tannin and superb length. The wine was dense, complex and very balanced, with great concentration. Very complete. Truly lovely! My guests and I loved it; our wine of the night. It outshone the Léoville Barton 1989 that followed. In a great place. Make sure to decant.
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Really showing well. Big bouquet of roses escape the glass with notes of old cedar and an earthy mossy undertone, Elegant, silky and so decadent. Lots of acid with ample red berry fruit to match. Green tobacco leaf notes on a long lingering finish. Integrated and balanced. Drink now.
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Still enjoyable, but has lost some of its structure. Brown on the edges, although the core is still dark ruby. A bit thin on the palate. 1986 vintage has been very tricky - the wines are finally opening up and the tannins have smoothed out, but at the same time some (like this one) appear close to falling off the edge. The best are terrific, but many are nothing special. Inevitable at this age, but frustrating because most were not drinking well 5-10 years ago.
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Rubinrød med oransje kant. Moreller, blomster, fiken, sigar, tobakk på nese. Mye syre. Litt vanilje. Godt utviklet. Tynn I munn. Fine tanniner. Tippet 90 tall. Er 80 tall. Mye jern. Tynn I ettermak. Over the top. Prieure Lichine 1986.
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Dark purple color. Earthy nose. Bold and nicely balanced with balanced with even tannins. Oak, leather and dark fruits. Elegant wine still drinking well. (perfectly stored and cork in excellent condition)
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So this is a 30 years old Margaux wine, very classy in style. Still very powefull (not as mature as expected!) but filligrane nuances in nose. Acidity still quite present as the fruit as well. There is some sweetness around, quite amazed by this. Very nice and still good body. Full in mounth, work going on in it (needs some food for good harmony) but a bit thin to the end (well with 30 years no blame) -good pairing to a rôti bordolaise with roased pommes lyonnais and some bacon-green beens with garlic. I like
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Not nearly as striking as my last two bottles: Initially, the wine had a great nose, but was one-dimensional on the palate and thin on the finish. It took the wine two hours in a small decanter to flesh out. While it put on weight and became more complete, it never developed the complexity, smoothness and length of prior bottles. Eight bottles left; let's see what they will bring to the table.
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Spongy and very crumbly cork; luckily, not any obvious problems caused by that. Dark ruby in colour. A simmering nose of smoke and blackcurrants. On the palate, smooth, medium-bodied at most, minerality bringing freshness. Not at all fruity. An unwelcome chemical odour starting to come through...chlorine? Not a great bottle, but interesting and certainly drinkable. Bottle No 072323. 12.5%, cork.
level mid-neck, poor crumbly cork, excellent cherry red colour, perfect for age, lovely classic Margaux nose, fragrant, fine, elegant and classy, hints of violets and still fresh fruit, quite forward on the palate but perfect balance, rolls across the tongue with still present acid and tannin at back finish, concentrated but with “lift” and real elegance, remarkable wine, at its peak but because of perfect balance will hold almost indefinitely, a top ‘86
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Bottle #269051. The bottle was in very good condition. Two third of the cork was soaked. The wine was dark ruby in colour, garnet at the edges, and surprisingly deep in colour for its age. It offered floral notes, dark fruit, tobacco, spices, cinnamon, marzipan and chocolate aromas on the nose. On the palate, the wine showed floral notes, good fruit (cherry, plum, blueberry), chocolate, blood, tobacco, mushroom, spices, cinnamon, clove and a hint of marzipan, with good acidity and the medium-plus tannin typical for the vintage (well-integrated). The medium-bodied, fresh, full and balanced wine had good concentration, a super-smooth mouthfeel and incredible length. A great Margaux!
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Used two prong cork pull to try to reduce chance of disintegration. The cork came out 80% but snapped near the end. Was able to extract the final bit without it disintegrating. Had stored the bottle on its side for sometime so the cork was not too bad all things considering. Similar to the last bottle, the wine was not at all fragile. Still quite robust and was of obvious mature claret characteristics. In fact, made the mistake of drinking it too fast due to unfounded concerns that this wouldn't stand up well to long airing. If you still have some and it has been stored well, do not hesitate to let it breathe a few hours and then enjoy! (don't think it improve substantially with further aging, so drink up - but again, if you are opening this, give the grand dame time to stretch out with proper airing - this is a very fine 30+ year old)
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Always like it when I find an '86 drinking like this - elegant and mature without the tannin of the vintage being too imposing, and this is really good. Not especially complex, but this is proper old school claret with red fruits, tobacco, earth, and cedar wood all coming together on a graceful medium weight frame, and excellent to drink with Pat's pork tenderloin.
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Dinner with Salil, Brian, and Mark: Although still present, the tannins had settled down in this bottle. Tertiary components combined with red fruits for a very enjoyable experience.
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Decanted for 30 minutes then served: Color: A ruby core that transitions into a bricked red throughout leading into a burnt orange and clear meniscus. Smell: Farm soil, manure, faint bell pepper, leather, smoke, and dehydrated beef with a faint hint of tart cranberry. Taste: Oolong tea, dried roses, dehydrated strawberries, and mushroom notes. Overall: This is in a lovely spot...I'm so glad that I snagged these at auction. Light-medium body, medium fruit, medium acidity, and med- tannin. Stored well and the cork appeared to be about 1/3 saturated. If I had more of these in the cellar I'd not hesitate to drink now...and maybe even age another 5-8 years with good storage. Possibly longer. Outstanding!!!
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Cork in fairly good condition though the lower fifth snapped during the uncorking, but didn't fall into the bottle. This bottle seemed to have been stored well - overall, please to report this is a charming wine, still had solid fruit in the palate, classic mature Bordeaux. (PnP but I let it open up in the glass slowly). Not overly complex aromatics, but still definitely enticing in the way you might expect of 'solid claret.' Went very well with dry aged US prime sirloin and greens, then comte and chocolate. Very glad to see this has stood the test of time and probably has at least several years to go (not as fragile as some other reviews suggested, at least for this bottle). Fantastic QPR all things considering, as these still get sold from time to time. Well worth buying a bottle or two if you see it, if you trust the storage condition and merchant. (mine from Crystal Wine Singapore)
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Perfect mid-neck level and long cork in good condition, gradation to some brown at edge but colour really still very vibrant, very fine, classy complex typical Margaux nose, lovely fruit and elegance on the palate, austerity of '86 vintage kept well in check, a real success for the year, at its peak
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Let the wine breathe about an hour after decanting and served with rack of lamb. Good color, just a touch of brown around the edges. The wine was substantial, fruity and very well balanced, holding up well through the long Xmas meal. We've always enjoyed this wine over the years and looks like there's still time to drink our remaining bottles.
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perfect long cork, good level, colour black cherry red with some brown at rim, lovely elegant but intense typical Margaux nose, real depth and complexity, also concentrated rich sweet fruit on the palate as a counterpoint to the characteristic '86 austerity, good long persistent aftertaste, excellent '86
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Fresh and clean with milk chocolate, spice, leather and sweet red berry fruit. Soft and silky with an elegant profile and power on the finish that explodes with flavor. Round integrated silky tannin. Drink now-2023.
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My wine turned out to be the second of the lineup, 1986 Château Prieuré-Lichine. Chocolate and graphite dominated here with hints of leather and an extremely smooth mouthfeel. Despite having had this wine several times, I was unable to recognize it blind. It didn’t show the big tannins I expect from the vintage and thus, I thought it more likely to be 83 or 85.
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Clear brick red. Dried fruit with autumn leaves and some smoke. A rather austere palate with fruit cake and traces of tobacco. Lovely mature claret which is still hanging in there... but probably wouldn't tempt fate.
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Bottle #269037. Top-shoulder. The cork broke. The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour and offered muted red and dark fruit, leather, tobacco, mushroom, underbrush, spices, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate on the nose. On the palate the wine showed floral notes and unusually fresh fruit flavours (red fruit, cherry, plum, blueberry blackberry), blood, leather, tobacco, spices, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate, with medium-plus acidity, fine, well-integrated tannin and very good length. The fresh, medium-bodied, elegant wine was smooth and incredibly balanced and drank very, very well. We enjoyed it a lot! Perfect for drinking now, but no need to hurry either. (83/93)
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Flamboyant, sexy and feminine. Intoxicating honeyed and floral boquet is cut with a firm streak of iron and ox blood. Floats effortlessly over the palete with a distinctively red fruit profile, gobs of freshness and commendable finesse. Nice acidity and tannin that melts in your mouth. Don't decant this as i would say it is on the backside of its peak and appears to be delicate. 94+
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Pnp at a restaurant. not much experience with older Bordeaux, but Red_man summed it up perfectly. intoxicating nose and lighter on the palate. No need to hold, drinking beautifully. 93+
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first bottle of a 6 x case stored in controlled conditions since en primeur purchase, perfect mid-neck level, excellent long cork, colour just perfect for age, nose absolutely lovely aged Margaux, fine and elegant but so intense and delicately concentrated, could just just inhale it rather than drink it, palate also excellent, again on the delicate side but with real concentration, perfect balance and long aftertaste, very little of the characteristic green austerity of many '86 Bordeaux, a top example of this vintage, just lovely, at its peak but will easily hold for many years yet (but why wait?)
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Tasting Bordeaux Blind (Edina, MN): Tasted blind with approximately 90 minute decant. Light ruby color. Funky nose full of brett and brie rind. Elegant, round, and rather light on the palette. Plum and raspberry. Soft tannin, medium finish. Have had other bottles of this that drank more lively, but this one felt a little tired and possibly over the hill. I guessed it was 2000 Sanctus.
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Color: Ruby core with bricking leading to a clear meniscus Smell: Tobacco, mushrooms, dried red fruits, and faint bell pepper notes. Taste: Red fruits dominate the palate with a bit of clove & tart cherry leading into a medium length finish. Overall: A mature claret, medium body, medium+ acidity, med- tannin, and a moderate length finish. This really is in a lovely place right now. I don't see this improving...but it could be serviceable for quite some years with good storage. This bottle did seem to have cork issues...with the cork being about 85% saturated up to the top. Excellent - Outstanding. I'm glad to have another bottle...but I'll probably drink it in the next few years.
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Pulled the cork on this at my daughter's birthday party to drink alongside an '06 P-L; as I shared the bottle with five other adults I couldn't follow it as thoroughly or extensively as I would normally like. However, that one glass was charming, fully mature Margaux, with a nose of tertiary aromas and a smooth mouthfeel with fully resolved tannins. I was surprised by the relative lack of sediment (and I had stood this bottle up for nearly a month). This wine certainly won't improve further, but it looks to still be on a nice plateau, just barely sloping downwards, and I wouldn't hesitate to consume another well-stored bottled within the next five years or so.
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Drinking beautifully 29 years on. Nose full of all the secondary medoc notes. Dark rich opaque color with some brick. Rich on the palette plums, dark fruits but mostly game, saddle, forest. Very Margaux. Popped & consumed within a couple of hours. Very well appreciated by the company. Will seek out more. Love it. 86's living well.
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Bouteille en parfaite condition, high fill, le bouchon lui s'est cassé en deux. Non carafé mais ouvert 120 minutes avant de servir. Superbe couleur prune brillante, quelques touches orangées sur les bords. Nez immédiat sur les cassis, évoluant sur des arômes de menthol et de havane. En bouche, l'attaque est ronde, douce, voluptueuse, le vin se déguste vraiment très bien, soutenu par une légère trame acide. La finale est un peu courte et le vin, dans son ensemble, manque de complexité. Cette bouteille, qui reposait dans ma cave dès l'achat en primeur, représente l'archétype du margaux à parfaite maturité! Si j'avais tenu compte de son prix, je lui aurais donné 2-3 points de plus :)
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The nose jumped right out at me upon decanting this wine and an initial taste was of a strong and vigorous Bordeaux. We had the wine about an hour later with friends at a restaurant and everyone felt that it was drinking exceptionally well, full of fruit and flavor. Liked this wine in '11 and enjoyed it even more in '14. Will keep my remaining bottles for a while longer.
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This remains a wildly under-rateed and undervalued wine - I have had this maybe 10 times and it is always consistently terrific. Classic mature Bordeaux displaying tobacco and game with leather and cassis...silk on the palate, gorgeous old cab nose.
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Took a while to open up but when it did -- classic Margaux. Aromas & flavours of pencil shavings, cassis and tobacco. Incredible palate intensity and length. Drinking spectacularly right now; still has 5-10 years of life ahead.
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Cork and capsule in like new condition. Fill into the neck. Left upright for 24+ hrs, popped the cork, and tasted over a couple of hours. Really nice silky mouthfeel and med+ body. Tannins integrated but still present. That's where the fun ends. As far as flavor profile, this is mostly secondaries like earth, leather, and tobacco, with some funky shrooms. Fruit showed up a bit more on the nose. This bottle probably peaked 5-10 years ago. I would not hold this longer. The 75 is a bit arbitrary, but reflective of current pleasure.
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Very different than my last bottle. Opened with a blast of youthful fruit. Blackberry and cassis. After five minutes of air, the fruit faded and cedar and leather dominated. While the wine remained enjoyable over several hours, it peaked at those first few sips.
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Enjoyable, solid, correct, not particularly exciting. A little cedar, a lot of leather, and some cassis and dark berry fruit remaining. Started quite hollow, but filled in with time in the glass. Little risk of it dying immediately, but I'll drink my remaining this year.
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This wine is drinking fantastically, displays a beautiful core of fruit (cherry, sweet dark fruits), surrounded by wet earth, mushroom, cedar, leather, and ripe tannins. The balance is impeccable and the finish is long with lingering fruit and earthy notes. 93+
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takes at least 30 minutes to start opening up and just got better over 2.5 hours. forest floor, mushrooms, a humid and rainy day. I could smell this all night. why i love margaux.
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This wine is really good at this moment. I used to drink 15 years ago, it was good and young. This week I have a chance to drink it 2 bottles.
The cork was very clean, seems like direct from the Chateau.
Oh ! yeah...
Sweet cassis and earth, very classic Bordeaux, Grand Cru quality from the great vintage and matured. The balance is perfect, quite tannic @ first hour but getting more smooth with time. I enjoy these 2 bottles very much.
Once compared with 1985 La Lagune, both are great wines.
Once compared with 2005 Leoville Barton, I prefer Prieure-Lichine 1986.
*** Which wine is good or great ? ***
..........only time will tell.............
...Words of the day " Grand Cru is Grand Cru "...
Drink now - 2020+...............92-93/100................
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Nice old world wine. opened, decanted about an hour before drinking. Min sediment. Still nice dark fruit upfront, nice mouth feel. In a nice place for this 25 year old Bordeaux
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We enjoyed this wine with filet mignon. We opened and decanted about an hour before serving. The wine had a clean, pleasant nose and was full-bodied and well-balanced. It was an excellent representative of the '86 vintage and showed no sign of fatigue.
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I broke the wet cork with my rabbit, should have used an (ah-so) and then pushed it into the bottle... splash decant and sieved as well for 2 hours.. brownish red color.. Mature nose and palate of bordeaux with earth and red fruits. The bright fruit and was more integrated as the hours wore on. Very nice representation of a mature bordeaux. Another nice qpr from Winebid. Glad I have one more.
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This had all of the hallmarks of aged bordeaux.....leather, cedar, earth forest floor and a solid core of fruit.....nose was awesome, palate showed its age a bit and the finish was a touch simple....
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Beautiful nose typical of aged Bordeaux with notes of earth, cherry, mushrooms, cedar, and forest floor. Palate continued to improve with time in the decanter and peaked after an hour when the wine really opened up with each sip carrying a long, long finish. Still holding onto a surprisingly present core of fruit on the palate.
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Mature nose of forest floor, pipe tobacco, cedar, leather, cassis, and blackberry Palate shows cherry, leather, cedar, earth, and wet leaf but the acid sticks out a bit and I actually get a bit of heat on the back end..... Finish is a touch simple and is medium at best. Nice experience but in terms of quality this bottle would have been better about 5-10 years ago
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Gorgeous mature nose....earth, cherry, cedar, leather, forest floor, sweet tobacco Palate shows equally nice notes but is a touch thin......I had this at the end of the night so not sure i was in top form so don't want to hit this too bad.....very nice
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Wines on the Woodley Park Rooftop (Washington, D.C.): the nose on this one was smoky, leathery, dried flowers, good aged bordeaux characteristics. the tannins have weakened and the acid is a bit too much. not totally spent, but a bit over the hill.
Nice example of mature (but not past it) Margaux...textbook nose, silky palate. Lots of fruit still in this one and it could easily go a lot longer. Only 90 pts. because it was not as complex as the best wines from this area.
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The nose explodes with tar, dark fruits and cigar box. The tannins are well integrated yielding to a smooth velvet mouth fell. Good long finish. An elegant mature Margaux.
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Opened my only bottle of this for a dinner party with friends tonight but, alas, this showed signs of having been 'cooked' at some earlier point of its life. Brick red in the glass, with a prominent nose of cedar. The palate, too, was all cedar box and alcohol. Decanting for an hour did allow this to put on a bit more weight, but the taste stayed the same. Not very enjoyable, and further proof to me that I should leave older bordeaux alone that have unknown provenance. I was very happy to have had a '98 Ladera Lone Canyon cabernet as backup!
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The French Invasion (Byfield, MA): Bottle given to me by a colleague and has been stored well. Ullage at mid neck. Garnet color with slight bricking at the rim. Expressive nose of cassis, stewed dark fruits, minerals. Spectacular palate of cassis, some stewed blackberry, wet stones, hints of spice and soft, mature tannins. This was so elegant and complimented the density of the Insignia.
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This bottle was slighly above base neck. Garnet/brick color, no sign of orange or brown. Distinct cabernet aromas with some tobacco and roasted meat aromas. Silky smooth and classy; very long. A terrific bottle of mature bordeaux with apparently plenty of life left - no danger in it going over the hill anytime soon. Very pleased to have more.
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Opened at a French Biestro with rack of lamb and filet. Initial barnyard fragrance then the faint smell of fruit emerges. On the palate nothing but a piece of silk. Nothing like a 19 yr old wine. The only problem is the we both wanted one more sip.
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Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of cherry, earth, cedar, leather, blackberry. Medium-full bodied, a little tart, with cedar, leather notes. Short-moderate finish, 20s, with red currant, cherry.
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Blackberries, black currants, good tannin. Full bodied, round and supple. This wine is at the end of its peak. (info; this bottle was stored too warm for many years.)
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An easy afternoon with close friends; Bordeax, Margaux, Pauillac (@ My place): Carmine. Deep bouquet with oak and cassis. Same for the taste. Lead pencil and good bitter as well. Long aftertaste with good tannin and some sweetness. A very beautiful and complete wine which is now at its peak, but will definitely stay there for a while.
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With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of '86 Bordeaux. Very pretty dark ruby color. Delicate cherry/berry nose. Attractive. Chocolate aroma as well. This wine is slightly sold, diffuse on the palate. Seems to lack the backbone and structure of the other wines. 5-11-13-6: 85/100.
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The Second 1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux This Month. Slightly thin, ochre color, cabernet like berry nose, with a hint of chocolate on the nose and in the mouth, medium body, tannic finish. My #6 of 6.
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12/28/2022 - Ash in Hermosa Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not a lot of experience sipping old Margauxs but this came out beautifully. Sediment decanting only, consumed right away. Lovely bouquet with honey, truffles and leather. No burn on the nose. Palette of red currants, rhubarb, mushrooms, nice and earthy. This was a bright and vibrant wine with all tannins aged out. This was a privilege to consume with a 28-day dry aged Kansas City cut at Arthur J in Manhattan Beach.
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12/23/2022 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This reflects both the terroir and the vintage in my mind. Fortunate to have come across a few of these and some other 1986's from someone elses cellar. Agree with other notes. Musty nose with delicate fruit holding on with good acidity and tannins. Bricking at the edges.
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2/16/2022 - sempervinum wrote: 91 Points
Dark red core. First impression is quite musty with underlying fruit. Opens with air. Developes body. Fine tannins. Acid a bit too dominant. Better than last bottle.
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11/27/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 94 Points
More vitality than the bottle I had back in 2016. Still showing the patina of age and with the last vestiges of fruit hanging on by a thread, but with more freshness on the nose and palate. Lovely texture and good range of complex tertiary flavours. Really very enjoyable.
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10/4/2021 - olioli wrote: 93 Points
Au-delà de mes attentes.
En plein sur son plateau. Un Margaux hédoniste!
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7/16/2021 - sempervinum wrote: 87 Points
0.37 bottle from Paulson rare wine. Soaked corked with some residual on top. Red as a brick. Faint nose. Mushrooms, smoke, dried berries. Meaty. Mushrooms on the palate. A bit too much acid. Still some body, but on the lean side. Over the top. Better with food.
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4/10/2021 - Old Claret Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely delicious. Sorry this is our last bottle.
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1/4/2021 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect fill, well into the neck. Very enjoyable wine. Tannins fully integrated. But still great color and structure. I would say its still in its drinking window. Just towards the end. Nice subtle, sexy Margaux. Great complexity, loses just a tad after 30 minutes in the glass. But the open bottle held up well for 3+ hours.
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4/25/2019 - red_man Likes this wine: 92 Points
fine intense nose of real class, typical Margaux, classy fruit balancing the ‘86 austerity, a really top wine of the vintage, previous bottles were lovely and this continues the very positive experience, at peak but because of perfect balance will keep at this level almost indefinitely, but then life is not indefinite so why wait?
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2/16/2019 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
This was originally intended to be the first red of the night, but it needed two hours in a small decanter to blow off some funk and find its balance, so we put it aside, started with a Château La Tour de By 1990, and got back to it after we finished the Tour de By. The wine had developed nicely after two hours of aeration and offered dark fruit, cherry, black currant, some blackberry, coffee, chocolate, cedar, leather, complex spice and balsamic notes on the spice-driven palate, with fine tannin and superb length. The wine was dense, complex and very balanced, with great concentration. Very complete. Truly lovely! My guests and I loved it; our wine of the night. It outshone the Léoville Barton 1989 that followed. In a great place. Make sure to decant.
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1/20/2019 - Poisey wrote: 96 Points
Really showing well. Big bouquet of roses escape the glass with notes of old cedar and an earthy mossy undertone, Elegant, silky and so decadent. Lots of acid with ample red berry fruit to match. Green tobacco leaf notes on a long lingering finish. Integrated and balanced. Drink now.
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12/31/2018 - Old Claret Likes this wine: 95 Points
Our best bottle yet.
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12/14/2018 - Vicchangus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful tertiary notes. Still a good amount of fruit character, with freshness on the finish. Nicely structured, very pleasant.
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11/26/2018 - SteelerFan wrote: 89 Points
Still enjoyable, but has lost some of its structure. Brown on the edges, although the core is still dark ruby. A bit thin on the palate. 1986 vintage has been very tricky - the wines are finally opening up and the tannins have smoothed out, but at the same time some (like this one) appear close to falling off the edge. The best are terrific, but many are nothing special. Inevitable at this age, but frustrating because most were not drinking well 5-10 years ago.
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11/4/2018 - "Rhône Rider" wrote: 87 Points
Rubinrød med oransje kant. Moreller, blomster, fiken, sigar, tobakk på nese. Mye syre. Litt vanilje. Godt utviklet. Tynn I munn. Fine tanniner. Tippet 90 tall. Er 80 tall. Mye jern. Tynn I ettermak. Over the top. Prieure Lichine 1986.
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11/3/2018 - Robwild Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple color. Earthy nose. Bold and nicely balanced with balanced with even tannins. Oak, leather and dark fruits. Elegant wine still drinking well. (perfectly stored and cork in excellent condition)
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7/18/2018 - jonflo Likes this wine: 91 Points
So this is a 30 years old Margaux wine, very classy in style. Still very powefull (not as mature as expected!) but filligrane nuances in nose. Acidity still quite present as the fruit as well. There is some sweetness around, quite amazed by this. Very nice and still good body. Full in mounth, work going on in it (needs some food for good harmony) but a bit thin to the end (well with 30 years no blame) -good pairing to a rôti bordolaise with roased pommes lyonnais and some bacon-green beens with garlic. I like
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7/18/2018 - jonflo wrote: flawed
Ahhh, first of 12 bottles corked... hopefully next is better
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3/8/2018 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Not nearly as striking as my last two bottles: Initially, the wine had a great nose, but was one-dimensional on the palate and thin on the finish. It took the wine two hours in a small decanter to flesh out. While it put on weight and became more complete, it never developed the complexity, smoothness and length of prior bottles. Eight bottles left; let's see what they will bring to the table.
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2/4/2018 - Duncan wrote: 88 Points
Spongy and very crumbly cork; luckily, not any obvious problems caused by that. Dark ruby in colour. A simmering nose of smoke and blackcurrants. On the palate, smooth, medium-bodied at most, minerality bringing freshness. Not at all fruity. An unwelcome chemical odour starting to come through...chlorine? Not a great bottle, but interesting and certainly drinkable. Bottle No 072323. 12.5%, cork.
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1/6/2018 - red_man Likes this wine: 92 Points
level mid-neck, poor crumbly cork, excellent cherry red colour, perfect for age, lovely classic Margaux nose, fragrant, fine, elegant and classy, hints of violets and still fresh fruit, quite forward on the palate but perfect balance, rolls across the tongue with still present acid and tannin at back finish, concentrated but with “lift” and real elegance, remarkable wine, at its peak but because of perfect balance will hold almost indefinitely, a top ‘86
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11/11/2017 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Bottle #269051. The bottle was in very good condition. Two third of the cork was soaked. The wine was dark ruby in colour, garnet at the edges, and surprisingly deep in colour for its age. It offered floral notes, dark fruit, tobacco, spices, cinnamon, marzipan and chocolate aromas on the nose. On the palate, the wine showed floral notes, good fruit (cherry, plum, blueberry), chocolate, blood, tobacco, mushroom, spices, cinnamon, clove and a hint of marzipan, with good acidity and the medium-plus tannin typical for the vintage (well-integrated). The medium-bodied, fresh, full and balanced wine had good concentration, a super-smooth mouthfeel and incredible length. A great Margaux!
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9/3/2017 - yinha Likes this wine: 90 Points
Used two prong cork pull to try to reduce chance of disintegration. The cork came out 80% but snapped near the end. Was able to extract the final bit without it disintegrating. Had stored the bottle on its side for sometime so the cork was not too bad all things considering. Similar to the last bottle, the wine was not at all fragile. Still quite robust and was of obvious mature claret characteristics. In fact, made the mistake of drinking it too fast due to unfounded concerns that this wouldn't stand up well to long airing. If you still have some and it has been stored well, do not hesitate to let it breathe a few hours and then enjoy! (don't think it improve substantially with further aging, so drink up - but again, if you are opening this, give the grand dame time to stretch out with proper airing - this is a very fine 30+ year old)
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9/2/2017 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Always like it when I find an '86 drinking like this - elegant and mature without the tannin of the vintage being too imposing, and this is really good. Not especially complex, but this is proper old school claret with red fruits, tobacco, earth, and cedar wood all coming together on a graceful medium weight frame, and excellent to drink with Pat's pork tenderloin.
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9/2/2017 - prof b wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with Salil, Brian, and Mark: Although still present, the tannins had settled down in this bottle. Tertiary components combined with red fruits for a very enjoyable experience.
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8/11/2017 - wiscgrad wrote: 91 Points
elegant older Bordeaux. seems to be a long plateau. nose is much more significant than the palate, but quite nice
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4/30/2017 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Decanted for 30 minutes then served:
Color: A ruby core that transitions into a bricked red throughout leading into a burnt orange and clear meniscus.
Smell: Farm soil, manure, faint bell pepper, leather, smoke, and dehydrated beef with a faint hint of tart cranberry.
Taste: Oolong tea, dried roses, dehydrated strawberries, and mushroom notes.
Overall: This is in a lovely spot...I'm so glad that I snagged these at auction. Light-medium body, medium fruit, medium acidity, and med- tannin. Stored well and the cork appeared to be about 1/3 saturated. If I had more of these in the cellar I'd not hesitate to drink now...and maybe even age another 5-8 years with good storage. Possibly longer. Outstanding!!!
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4/18/2017 - yinha Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork in fairly good condition though the lower fifth snapped during the uncorking, but didn't fall into the bottle. This bottle seemed to have been stored well - overall, please to report this is a charming wine, still had solid fruit in the palate, classic mature Bordeaux. (PnP but I let it open up in the glass slowly). Not overly complex aromatics, but still definitely enticing in the way you might expect of 'solid claret.' Went very well with dry aged US prime sirloin and greens, then comte and chocolate. Very glad to see this has stood the test of time and probably has at least several years to go (not as fragile as some other reviews suggested, at least for this bottle). Fantastic QPR all things considering, as these still get sold from time to time. Well worth buying a bottle or two if you see it, if you trust the storage condition and merchant. (mine from Crystal Wine Singapore)
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3/11/2017 - NI1234 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted an hour before tasting. Clearly weak & beyond its peak but still fairly pleasant to drink. Don't sit on this any longer!
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1/7/2017 - red_man Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect mid-neck level and long cork in good condition, gradation to some brown at edge but colour really still very vibrant, very fine, classy complex typical Margaux nose, lovely fruit and elegance on the palate, austerity of '86 vintage kept well in check, a real success for the year, at its peak
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12/25/2016 - adanacsim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Let the wine breathe about an hour after decanting and served with rack of lamb. Good color, just a touch of brown around the edges. The wine was substantial, fruity and very well balanced, holding up well through the long Xmas meal. We've always enjoyed this wine over the years and looks like there's still time to drink our remaining bottles.
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10/9/2016 - red_man wrote: 92 Points
perfect long cork, good level, colour black cherry red with some brown at rim, lovely elegant but intense typical Margaux nose, real depth and complexity, also concentrated rich sweet fruit on the palate as a counterpoint to the characteristic '86 austerity, good long persistent aftertaste, excellent '86
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9/2/2016 - Poisey Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fresh and clean with milk chocolate, spice, leather and sweet red berry fruit. Soft and silky with an elegant profile and power on the finish that explodes with flavor. Round integrated silky tannin. Drink now-2023.
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5/2/2016 - prof b wrote: 94 Points
My wine turned out to be the second of the lineup, 1986 Château Prieuré-Lichine. Chocolate and graphite dominated here with hints of leather and an extremely smooth mouthfeel. Despite having had this wine several times, I was unable to recognize it blind. It didn’t show the big tannins I expect from the vintage and thus, I thought it more likely to be 83 or 85.
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4/8/2016 - hkbob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear brick red. Dried fruit with autumn leaves and some smoke. A rather austere palate with fruit cake and traces of tobacco. Lovely mature claret which is still hanging in there... but probably wouldn't tempt fate.
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3/20/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Bottle #269037. Top-shoulder. The cork broke. The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour and offered muted red and dark fruit, leather, tobacco, mushroom, underbrush, spices, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate on the nose. On the palate the wine showed floral notes and unusually fresh fruit flavours (red fruit, cherry, plum, blueberry blackberry), blood, leather, tobacco, spices, cinnamon and a hint of chocolate, with medium-plus acidity, fine, well-integrated tannin and very good length. The fresh, medium-bodied, elegant wine was smooth and incredibly balanced and drank very, very well. We enjoyed it a lot! Perfect for drinking now, but no need to hurry either. (83/93)
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2/5/2016 - Bob Sacamano wrote: 94 Points
Flamboyant, sexy and feminine. Intoxicating honeyed and floral boquet is cut with a firm streak of iron and ox blood. Floats effortlessly over the palete with a distinctively red fruit profile, gobs of freshness and commendable finesse. Nice acidity and tannin that melts in your mouth. Don't decant this as i would say it is on the backside of its peak and appears to be delicate. 94+
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2/5/2016 - wiscgrad wrote: 93 Points
Pnp at a restaurant. not much experience with older Bordeaux, but Red_man summed it up perfectly. intoxicating nose and lighter on the palate. No need to hold, drinking beautifully. 93+
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12/30/2015 - red_man Likes this wine: 93 Points
first bottle of a 6 x case stored in controlled conditions since en primeur purchase, perfect mid-neck level, excellent long cork, colour just perfect for age, nose absolutely lovely aged Margaux, fine and elegant but so intense and delicately concentrated, could just just inhale it rather than drink it, palate also excellent, again on the delicate side but with real concentration, perfect balance and long aftertaste, very little of the characteristic green austerity of many '86 Bordeaux, a top example of this vintage, just lovely, at its peak but will easily hold for many years yet (but why wait?)
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12/15/2015 - Eags25 wrote: 92 Points
Incredible.
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12/5/2015 - Bob Sacamano Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasting Bordeaux Blind (Edina, MN): Tasted blind with approximately 90 minute decant. Light ruby color. Funky nose full of brett and brie rind. Elegant, round, and rather light on the palette. Plum and raspberry. Soft tannin, medium finish. Have had other bottles of this that drank more lively, but this one felt a little tired and possibly over the hill. I guessed it was 2000 Sanctus.
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11/11/2015 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: Ruby core with bricking leading to a clear meniscus
Smell: Tobacco, mushrooms, dried red fruits, and faint bell pepper notes.
Taste: Red fruits dominate the palate with a bit of clove & tart cherry leading into a medium length finish.
Overall: A mature claret, medium body, medium+ acidity, med- tannin, and a moderate length finish. This really is in a lovely place right now. I don't see this improving...but it could be serviceable for quite some years with good storage. This bottle did seem to have cork issues...with the cork being about 85% saturated up to the top. Excellent - Outstanding. I'm glad to have another bottle...but I'll probably drink it in the next few years.
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11/4/2015 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pulled the cork on this at my daughter's birthday party to drink alongside an '06 P-L; as I shared the bottle with five other adults I couldn't follow it as thoroughly or extensively as I would normally like. However, that one glass was charming, fully mature Margaux, with a nose of tertiary aromas and a smooth mouthfeel with fully resolved tannins. I was surprised by the relative lack of sediment (and I had stood this bottle up for nearly a month). This wine certainly won't improve further, but it looks to still be on a nice plateau, just barely sloping downwards, and I wouldn't hesitate to consume another well-stored bottled within the next five years or so.
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11/1/2015 - CJDillon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully 29 years on. Nose full of all the secondary medoc notes. Dark rich opaque color with some brick. Rich on the palette plums, dark fruits but mostly game, saddle, forest. Very Margaux. Popped & consumed within a couple of hours. Very well appreciated by the company. Will seek out more. Love it. 86's living well.
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5/3/2015 - Chaz Bham wrote: 91 Points
Très belle surprise. Le bouteille et bouchon en etat parfait.
Effluves de tabac et de fruits mûrs. Soyeux en bouche.
Servir avec une viande goûteuse.
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7/19/2014 - Ericsson wrote: 90 Points
Bouteille en parfaite condition, high fill, le bouchon lui s'est cassé en deux. Non carafé mais ouvert 120 minutes avant de servir. Superbe couleur prune brillante, quelques touches orangées sur les bords. Nez immédiat sur les cassis, évoluant sur des arômes de menthol et de havane. En bouche, l'attaque est ronde, douce, voluptueuse, le vin se déguste vraiment très bien, soutenu par une légère trame acide.
La finale est un peu courte et le vin, dans son ensemble, manque de complexité.
Cette bouteille, qui reposait dans ma cave dès l'achat en primeur, représente l'archétype du margaux à parfaite maturité!
Si j'avais tenu compte de son prix, je lui aurais donné 2-3 points de plus :)
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2/23/2014 - edjBoca Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Relatively dark wine for close to 30 years old. Tobacco on the nose. Really light fruit. Some tart cherry. Short finish. OTH!
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2/5/2014 - adanacsim Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose jumped right out at me upon decanting this wine and an initial taste was of a strong and vigorous Bordeaux. We had the wine about an hour later with friends at a restaurant and everyone felt that it was drinking exceptionally well, full of fruit and flavor. Liked this wine in '11 and enjoyed it even more in '14. Will keep my remaining bottles for a while longer.
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9/30/2013 - Cotedorfan wrote: 95 Points
This remains a wildly under-rateed and undervalued wine - I have had this maybe 10 times and it is always consistently terrific. Classic mature Bordeaux displaying tobacco and game with leather and cassis...silk on the palate, gorgeous old cab nose.
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8/1/2013 - dkfinancial wrote: 94 Points
Took a while to open up but when it did -- classic Margaux. Aromas & flavours of pencil shavings, cassis and tobacco. Incredible palate intensity and length. Drinking spectacularly right now; still has 5-10 years of life ahead.
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6/28/2013 - Redguy Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Cork and capsule in like new condition. Fill into the neck. Left upright for 24+ hrs, popped the cork, and tasted over a couple of hours. Really nice silky mouthfeel and med+ body. Tannins integrated but still present. That's where the fun ends. As far as flavor profile, this is mostly secondaries like earth, leather, and tobacco, with some funky shrooms. Fruit showed up a bit more on the nose. This bottle probably peaked 5-10 years ago. I would not hold this longer. The 75 is a bit arbitrary, but reflective of current pleasure.
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5/1/2013 - WST wrote: 88 Points
Very different than my last bottle. Opened with a blast of youthful fruit. Blackberry and cassis. After five minutes of air, the fruit faded and cedar and leather dominated. While the wine remained enjoyable over several hours, it peaked at those first few sips.
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4/2/2013 - WST wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyable, solid, correct, not particularly exciting. A little cedar, a lot of leather, and some cassis and dark berry fruit remaining. Started quite hollow, but filled in with time in the glass. Little risk of it dying immediately, but I'll drink my remaining this year.
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1/4/2013 - BCajander wrote: 90 Points
This is probably the oldest wine I have tasted. Round and smooth but has lost a bit of its persistence.
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4/13/2012 - jpakma wrote: 93 Points
This wine is drinking fantastically, displays a beautiful core of fruit (cherry, sweet dark fruits), surrounded by wet earth, mushroom, cedar, leather, and ripe tannins. The balance is impeccable and the finish is long with lingering fruit and earthy notes. 93+
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3/31/2012 - prof b Likes this wine: 94 Points
takes at least 30 minutes to start opening up and just got better over 2.5 hours. forest floor, mushrooms, a humid and rainy day. I could smell this all night. why i love margaux.
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12/16/2011 - noppakit s. wrote: 92 Points
This wine is really good at this moment. I used to drink 15 years ago, it was good and young. This week I have a chance to drink it 2 bottles.
The cork was very clean, seems like direct from the Chateau.
Oh ! yeah...
Sweet cassis and earth, very classic Bordeaux, Grand Cru quality from the great vintage and matured. The balance is perfect, quite tannic @ first hour but getting more smooth with time. I enjoy these 2 bottles very much.
Once compared with 1985 La Lagune, both are great wines.
Once compared with 2005 Leoville Barton, I prefer Prieure-Lichine 1986.
*** Which wine is good or great ? ***
..........only time will tell.............
...Words of the day " Grand Cru is Grand Cru "...
Drink now - 2020+...............92-93/100................
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8/13/2011 - Whine-oh wrote: 89 Points
Nice old world wine. opened, decanted about an hour before drinking. Min sediment. Still nice dark fruit upfront, nice mouth feel. In a nice place for this 25 year old Bordeaux
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4/5/2011 - adanacsim wrote: 94 Points
We enjoyed this wine with filet mignon. We opened and decanted about an hour before serving. The wine had a clean, pleasant nose and was full-bodied and well-balanced. It was an excellent representative of the '86 vintage and showed no sign of fatigue.
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11/27/2010 - Whine-oh wrote: 90 Points
I broke the wet cork with my rabbit, should have used an (ah-so) and then pushed it into the bottle... splash decant and sieved as well for 2 hours.. brownish red color.. Mature nose and palate of bordeaux with earth and red fruits. The bright fruit and was more integrated as the hours wore on. Very nice representation of a mature bordeaux. Another nice qpr from Winebid. Glad I have one more.
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6/7/2010 - Dave Canada wrote: 90 Points
This had all of the hallmarks of aged bordeaux.....leather, cedar, earth forest floor and a solid core of fruit.....nose was awesome, palate showed its age a bit and the finish was a touch simple....
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6/4/2010 - Greg_O wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful nose typical of aged Bordeaux with notes of earth, cherry, mushrooms, cedar, and forest floor. Palate continued to improve with time in the decanter and peaked after an hour when the wine really opened up with each sip carrying a long, long finish. Still holding onto a surprisingly present core of fruit on the palate.
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5/22/2010 - Dave Canada wrote: 87 Points
Mature nose of forest floor, pipe tobacco, cedar, leather, cassis, and blackberry
Palate shows cherry, leather, cedar, earth, and wet leaf but the acid sticks out a bit and I actually get a bit of heat on the back end.....
Finish is a touch simple and is medium at best.
Nice experience but in terms of quality this bottle would have been better about 5-10 years ago
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5/2/2010 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous mature nose....earth, cherry, cedar, leather, forest floor, sweet tobacco
Palate shows equally nice notes but is a touch thin......I had this at the end of the night so not sure i was in top form so don't want to hit this too bad.....very nice
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4/23/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 87 Points
Wines on the Woodley Park Rooftop (Washington, D.C.): the nose on this one was smoky, leathery, dried flowers, good aged bordeaux characteristics. the tannins have weakened and the acid is a bit too much. not totally spent, but a bit over the hill.
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4/4/2010 - kmforster wrote: 90 Points
Nice example of mature (but not past it) Margaux...textbook nose, silky palate. Lots of fruit still in this one and it could easily go a lot longer. Only 90 pts. because it was not as complex as the best wines from this area.
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3/8/2009 - brogie62 wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/18/2009 - CallahanCellar wrote: 92 Points
The nose explodes with tar, dark fruits and cigar box. The tannins are well integrated yielding to a smooth velvet mouth fell.
Good long finish. An elegant mature Margaux.
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7/4/2008 - wicozani wrote:
Opened my only bottle of this for a dinner party with friends tonight but, alas, this showed signs of having been 'cooked' at some earlier point of its life. Brick red in the glass, with a prominent nose of cedar. The palate, too, was all cedar box and alcohol. Decanting for an hour did allow this to put on a bit more weight, but the taste stayed the same. Not very enjoyable, and further proof to me that I should leave older bordeaux alone that have unknown provenance. I was very happy to have had a '98 Ladera Lone Canyon cabernet as backup!
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3/7/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 95 Points
The French Invasion (Byfield, MA): Bottle given to me by a colleague and has been stored well. Ullage at mid neck. Garnet color with slight bricking at the rim. Expressive nose of cassis, stewed dark fruits, minerals. Spectacular palate of cassis, some stewed blackberry, wet stones, hints of spice and soft, mature tannins. This was so elegant and complimented the density of the Insignia.
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5/23/2006 - Cotedorfan wrote:
This bottle was slighly above base neck. Garnet/brick color, no sign of orange or brown. Distinct cabernet aromas with some tobacco and roasted meat aromas. Silky smooth and classy; very long. A terrific bottle of mature bordeaux with apparently plenty of life left - no danger in it going over the hill anytime soon. Very pleased to have more.
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11/14/2005 - repoper wrote:
Opened at a French Biestro with rack of lamb and filet. Initial barnyard fragrance then the faint smell of fruit emerges. On the palate nothing but a piece of silk. Nothing like a 19 yr old wine. The only problem is the we both wanted one more sip.
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11/4/2005 - nfranklin wrote:
At dinner w/Keares - outstanding
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11/4/2005 - nfranklin wrote:
At dinner party w/Keares - outstanding and well aged
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5/21/2005 - futronic wrote: 88 Points
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of cherry, earth, cedar, leather, blackberry. Medium-full bodied, a little tart, with cedar, leather notes. Short-moderate finish, 20s, with red currant, cherry.
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11/29/2003 - Zweder wrote: 87 Points
Blackberries, black currants, good tannin. Full bodied, round and supple. This wine is at the end of its peak. (info; this bottle was stored too warm for many years.)
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6/1/2002 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends; Bordeax, Margaux, Pauillac (@ My place): Carmine. Deep bouquet with oak and cassis. Same for the taste. Lead pencil and good bitter as well. Long aftertaste with good tannin and some sweetness. A very beautiful and complete wine which is now at its peak, but will definitely stay there for a while.
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6/30/2001 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
This is a great wine now. Full bodied, loaded with fruit and power. Complex. This is the perfect moment to drink this wine.
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1/19/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 85 Points
With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of '86 Bordeaux. Very pretty dark ruby color. Delicate cherry/berry nose. Attractive. Chocolate aroma as well. This wine is slightly sold, diffuse on the palate. Seems to lack the backbone and structure of the other wines. 5-11-13-6: 85/100.
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9/18/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1986 Cabernet Sauvignon vs. 1986 Bordeaux.
cigar box nose, fruity, cherry in mouth, very tannic, weird finish.
My #3 of 6.
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6/22/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 86 Points
The Second 1986 Vintage Tasting of 6 Bordeaux This Month.
Slightly thin, ochre color, cabernet like berry nose, with a hint of chocolate on the nose and in the mouth, medium body, tannic finish.
My #6 of 6.
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6/3/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 85 Points
3 Bordeaux vs. 3 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fruity nose, fruity in the mouth, soft tannins on finish, needs 2 years.
My #6 of 6.
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