This is becoming one of my favorite producers and this vintage maybe my favorite wine. Opened Friday evening and slow oxed for 24 hours, had half the bottle on Saturday and the second half Sunday. Kept at 55 the entire time but better to drink at 60. The wine is flawless, perfect balance, elegance, and harmony. Everything you expect from a great Bordeaux.
Decanted 30 minutes and enjoyed over dinner at a restaurant. This was great - really enjoyable with dark cool fruit, really nice secondaries, and a nice long finish. Incredible how dark and even primary the fruit is at this age. Will live for a long time. A
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Tremendous wine. Opened and aerated in bottle for an hour then decanted and drank over two hours. Cork almost fully soaked. Deep crimson red color, nose wafting with perfumed cassis, black currants, leather initially which morphed into cigar tobacco with more time in the decanter. Beautifully crafted wine, complex with secondary notes of mature delicious dark red and black fruits. Silky entry on the palate, expands beautifully mid palate with superb balance, finishes long with notes of coffee. As good as the 1982 if not better.
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Poured about 1 glass from the bottle upon opening and let the rest breathe in bottle. Drank over ~7 hours. Tight initially with notes of raspberry, cedar, and graphite. A bit of acidity and alcohol as well that airs out quickly.
Around the 2 hour mark the next glass brings forth prominent cedar, blackberry, and mint notes.
4+ hours after opening the wine has fully opened with the oak falling into the background and the fruit taking over. Medium in body with a long finish and fully resolved tannins. Drinking beautifully now and seems close to peak but still lively enough to hold for years.
A terrific lung filling nose. Cassis, wet bricks, pencil lead, bitter chocolate and florals that follow onto the palate. It's expansive and deep yet graceful and finessed on the palate. Power and grace. Long on the back end. Drinking at absolute peak for me with time in hand. A great LB.
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Dedicated to my beautiful dog and best friend who passed away today, this was opened to remember him. At its relatively young age it can sometimes be reluctant to open up, but this was glorious. A fitting wine to remember my 52 kilo boy Sky.
I purchased 1/2 case of this wine as a future in 1990, but this bottle was not from my cellar. It was served at a tasting dinner along with many other fine Bordeaux, including the 1982 Calon Segur, the 1982 and 1995 Cos d'Estournel, the 1989 and 2000 La Conseillante, the 2000 Figeac, the 2000 Lynch Bages (from my cellar), the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste, 1990 Le Bon Pasteur, the 1996 Clinet and other fine wines. My notes: "Black/purple - darker than the 2000 [Lynch Bages tasted alongside it]. Intoxicating nose- WOW. Rich, plummy, complex. Outstanding. 97." For me, along with the 1989 La Conseillante, the WOTN, and much better than the (well-stored) bottle I brought to the same tasting group two years ago. This bottle showed the way it did back in 1997 - a very young, outstanding wine - now nearly 35 years old. Incredible.
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Decanted for 2+ hours. Dark fruit nose from the start. Licorice notes soon after opening and developed an underlying dryness after a bit. Light and dark fruit flavors, leather, tobacco. All well integrated. It paired really well with Beef Short Ribs.
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Fully mature at this point but still life ahead of it, this has to be one of the better premier aged Bordeauxs on the market right now, as you can still find this in the $300/bottle range from time to time if you're patient (and lucky). Classic Pauillac in every sense, with cedar, lead pencil, sous bois, gravel and stewed dark fruit. The palate was a bit shy for the first 3 hours in the decanter, waiting until later in the night to shine through with lovely balance of currants, red and dark berries, dark chocolate and some faint licorice notes. This is a delight today and will be a delight in 2030. Great wine to buy now to get a good feel for what the best of Bordeaux can offer for close to half the price of an Angelus or Montrose of the same vintage.
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Fully mature, right off the bat, the nose, with its cedar, tobacco, herbs, currants and cigar box aromas hit you just right. As good as that is, and it’s good, the palate, which is loaded with ripe, spicy, leafy red fruits delivers length, complexity and character. This is simply fabulous in your glass. Drink from 2023-2040.
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Decanted two hours. Drank this alongside the 1990 LB and this was clearly the better wine at least on this night. Sophisiticated nose with nose of black currant, pencil shaving and tobacco. The wine is full bodied, layered and concentrated sporting an inner core of black currant fruit surrounded by layers of flavor and depth, finishing long and satisfying. This is in a great place and can continue to age 10 to 20 years
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Drinking with absolute magic. Big dark fruit of rich soil, opening quickly, and offering a a long elegant finish. Wow. Anyone who gives this juice a 100 score is not wrong
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From magnum; really phenomenal wine. Decanted and it opened up relatively quickly; growing in expression in the first 30 minutes drinking really well from hours 1-3. This is the 3rd time I've tried this; the palate is exquisite and more powerful than the nose, which is pleasant but subtle relative to other great vintages of Lynch. Lynch has always reminded me of a super second. It doesn't quite reach the heights that the first growths do in good/great vintages but it's very, very good and has a very pleasant signature.
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This wine is a journey. It embodies everything aged Bordeaux should, and to my mind is the best Lynch Bages I have ever tasted.
This wine requires PATIENCE.
Once I opened the cork and took a first sip in the glass, I thought "Oh shit" it tasted like acidic vinegar. I ran to Cellartracker and saw I wasn't alone.
I revisited in two hours. At that point it was very smooth drinking, with tannins largely resolved. It had a WONDERFUL bouqet of truffle, mushroom, earth and pepper, but on the mouth it fell short. It was bare of fruit at first (or very minimal), with all of the tertiary notes aforementioned above. It was somewhat drying in texture.
After about 3-4 hours is when it really shines. Retaining all of the tertiary notes mentioned above, but then with waves of fully flowing black fruit and plum, with perfect acidity offsetting the dryness. The nose was complemented by fig, cigar box, and pepper.
After about 5 hours on my final glass, it was back in its shell again.
The wine is a journey, be patient, buckle up and enjoy the ride over the course of a long evening.
I questioned whether the price I had to pay (~3x a newer vintage of Lynch) was worth it, the answer is an emphatic yes.
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50th Birthday Bash - night #2: One of the top 2 Lynch Bages vintages in history. It still remains to be seen if the '89 will ever eclipse the '90 vintage. Only time will tell. This is a uber concentrated wine that can age for decades more. Still in its early maturity window. Awesome wine!
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I had high hopes for this bottle being among the best of the 30 or so tasted at BWE '23 in DC. It was a solid wine but not up to the heights of most bottles of '89 Lynch. Cellared since release with an intact cork and fill still into the neck, it was decanted for 4 hours. There was no hint of TCA or other flaw. The wine was still dark red, had a good nose of cassis, earth, and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, good balance, nice fruit presentation, but lacking the power and depth of almost every bottle preceding it. Other experienced tasters had the same impression. An excellent wine but not the '89 Lynch we knew. Perhaps paled in comparison to some of the other stunners that evening.
Top wines for me on the night:
2002 Krug - Tasted early on before the onslaught of 30+ wines so I was still taking more detailed notes. Pale yellow/gold with fine-medium bubbles. Great Kruggy nose of yeasty brioche, smoky nuances, and some early maturity nuttiness. Peach, apple, layered complexity on the palate, plenty of minimality and bracing acidity, medium-full body, long finish. While showing signs of complexity and clearly in a prime drinking window, I wouldn't be surprised to see this develop additional nuance and improve further over time. Has a long life ahead of it. Outstanding!
1985 La Mission Haut Brion (WOTN) - hands down the most complex and perfectly at peak wine, with all the great cassis, smoky stony Graves-ness that I'm a sucker for. Beautifully balance, medium bodied, loooong finish. A wine you want to curl up in the glass with. Outstanding!
1982 Gruaud Larose - my #2 on the night, beautifully and perfectly mature, balanced, and complex with classic Cordier funk. Outstanding.
1986 Talbot - neck and neck with the Gruaud but eventually lost a step to it, the classic Cordier funk added to the wonderful complexity of a perfectly aged Bordeaux at peak. Outstanding.
1998 Angelus - best of the right bankers, really showing well without any over-the-top characteristics. Like the 1998 Pavie, before the move to the dark side. Excellent to outstanding.
1989 Montrose - outstanding on first opening, with plenty of Brett but to my palate that's a good thing. Like the Lynch, not the powerhouse I expected. Within 30 mins TCA rears its ugly head. I imagine it would have given the top wines a run for the money without the TCE.
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Mouton vs Lynch-Bages 1989, 1986, 1966 and 1961 vintages (A collector's home): Decanted for 2 hours, served single blind in a flight of 4 wines. Wine C, My 3rd ranked wine, groups 1st. Medium red with some black tints. Sweet red fruits, asphalt, licorice and mint on the nose. Maybe just a hint of VA caused me to knock this down in the ranking. Stacked and packed palate, sweet fruit, with a texture like Wine D.
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Going to echo what a few people here have written: this is fantastic juice, everything you could ask from properly aged Bordeaux, but don't bother opening this in any scenario where you don't have AMPLE TIME to let it decant. Four hours after decanting it was still closed and would give the impression you'd had an off bottle or this wasn't what everyone says it is. It is, but it needs five hours minimum to come out of its shell. Heart broken for the folks on here who didn't give it enough time. So don't be afraid to walk away. Decant it at 3 and start drinking with steaks at 8 and prepare to be blown away by the layers and nuance of epic Lynch Bages.
This was a somewhat closed bottle, but all of the elegant top class Pauillac notes are there. Blackberry, cassis, graphite, leather and and just a bit of minerally floral notes. Decanted 3 hours, but still showing tight A showstopper nonetheless.
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What has changed from my previous note: The second bottle of the lot confirmed my previous assessment: the drinking window is closing down. We had a beauty contest vs. the 1989 Pichon Baron and unisono, four of us, had the same winner: PB it is. We also tasted the 2010 LB that y'day night and our verdict: 1989 LB should have been enjoyed five years ago, 2010 LB should be enjoyed in 10 years the earliest. Ideally: decant for 2h at least.
When you get the right bottle, this wine is really something. The nose is strong with notes of dried red fruits and sweet gravel. On the palate, it's deep, layered and intense with great flavors of still fresh red and black fruits and awesome graphite notes. The texture is quite fine and layered especially after 3+ hours of air with perfectly balancing acidity fully present. There is superb concentration and complexity on the finish with notes of the finest black minerals, Asian spices, grilled nuts and the dust from chiseled granite. A stunning 34-year old Pauillac that's still so youthful! Purchased as futures! 97+
An interesting very complex and exquisite wine. This is not a wine to take to an event and pop and pour. It requires lengthy coaxing otherwise you are wasting your time. The nose in absolutely stunning with deep dark blue fruit pencil shavings and everything you would expect in good paulliac. Initially the wine is backward bizarre with a streak of green or brett that was outright nasty. After 5 hours in the open bottle in the cellar, the magic starts to happen. The green evaporates and a deep concentrated potpourri of blue fruit, leather, cigar box, pencil shavings, lead coat your mouth. The finish is long 45-60 seconds and just keeps making you want to come back for more. Amazingly enough this wine is still in its youth with a long trajectory ahead. The only thing missing was more balance. Perhaps with time it settles down more and that would undoubtedly make it a 100 pointer. One side note, fill level was top shoulder and the cork was completely soaked with lots of mold on the top which gave me cause for concern but clearly didn’t change the outcome. Final glass on day 2 was equally as good, maybe better. More round balanced and everything in harmony. This wine will age well for decades.
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Let stand for 4 days. Opened in the cellar and left the cork out for 2 hours. Decanted and then served about 1 hour later. enjoyed with food (grilled lamb chops, crostini with calamares en su tinta, and pasta in a ground beef and tomato sauce, in case you were wondering). Dark color. Nose offers some graphite notes and some dark fruit. Hint of old leather chairs/library books and black fruit. Good dark fruit on the palate with a little funk on the mid-palate. Shows some tannins. A delicious wine but that slight woodsy funk was a detraction. While this was a delicious and enjoyable bottle of wine, I was expecting more.
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Double blind. Deep garnet/crimson core with a lighter meniscus- it has *some* age. Opens with aromas of red fruit, wood spice, herbs and game. Medium tannin with flavors of red and black fruit and a bit of spice as well. As it opens in the glass notes of tobacco and graphite emerge and it becomes more black fruited than red. There’s a subtle hint of barnyard funk as well. It gains depth and fleshes out across the palate. Guessed ‘00 Bordeaux. A pristine example that was still unfurling and improving as we tasted it; thank you J&J for this beauty. 95+ pts.
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Purchased on release. Double decanted three hours before service. Medium red with a touch of browning. Beautiful nose of barnyard and leather, perhaps a touch of tobacco. The palate has balanced tannins and acid that makes the wine easy to drink but still has a lot of stuffing left. Black and red fruits. This wine will definitely live to the 50-year mark.
Here's the blend, per the chateau: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
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Much written about this beauty and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to taste this fine piece of art! (Thanks, ThePlayer for your recommendation). The cork was saturated and broke in half while unpopping, but my worries that the wine was compromised were wrong. Still a lot of fruity notes, nice acidity but tannins a bit weak in combination. Curious to taste soon another one. Definitely a must-have - but still favor the 1990 Pichon Baron over this one (for now). Not sure if drinking window is closing down to the bad. Definitely going to PnP another bottle soon to get a better taste for this.
Drank this side-by-side with the 1982. PnP, then followed over 3h. This cork was completely saturated and began to sink into the neck as soon as the screw touched it. I was worried the bottle might be compromised, but instead to my excitement it was completely intact; in fact a better bottle than I’ve had in the past.
The rim was slightly burnt umber on pouring, and took a more purple robe with air. The nose is somewhat classic. Pen ink (although this showed more on the 82), black currant, a little sweet tart and aloe, too. Warm baked fruit tones predominate, but nothing overripe. Some pipe tobacco and more juicy fruit. Great acidity and quite long. It’s a very good bottle of a legendary wine, although my mentor suggested before this tasting that the 82 is just as good if not better. I can’t disagree.
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Incredibly youthful still and the massive intensity and concentration of black fruit is clearly at First Growth level. Firm and tannic too. Very Pauillac. Bottles seem to vary considerably in maturity level and this one, sourced fairly recently from WineBid, was one of the most youthful.
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I agree with fellow reviewer Jimhowe, that this is one of the greatest wines ever made when it is the right bottle, and this was absolutely singing. However, it does need a lot of air, and this was decanted for 6 hours. It is not immediate in its appeal, and so incredibly nuanced that you really have to concentrate on what your drinking and probably not a wine for company. Smoky and beefy, undertones of old leather accompany blackcurant and plum, with violet wafts. With the right bottle secondary and early tertiary characteristics are present. Behind everything is a Paulliac tannic spine perfectly balanced and seamless, but giving an unexpected bite, but only adds to the excellence of the wine. It concludes with a 60+ seconds unwavering finish. A couple of more years will give a perfect rating everytime.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes. Clear dark garnet-blood red color. Notes of cigar humidor, mixed black fruits and their liqueurs, tidal flats, black truffles. Medium-full body, seamless, beautiful balance, silky mouthfeel. Improved with air, needs more than a 30 minute decant.
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An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium ruby in the glass with no bricking. The nose is of spice box, raw meat, blood, bay leaf, toast, a whiff of ginger, and light touches of rose petal. Quite a lovey range of aromas. The palate is also thoroughly enjoyable with bright plum with a vague citrus tinge with medium minus tannin, and medium acid. The finish closes nicely replaying much of the nose. Really nice showing here.
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In a great spot right now. We only decanted for an hour (despite everyone here saying it needs longer)
Smoked beef (think American style BBQ brisket), smoked wood, porcini mushrooms, cola nut, stewed black cherries stewed plums, pencil shavings, old leather, grilled jalapeno pepper, fresh cracked black pepper on the nose. Aromas are about 50/50 split between primary and tertiary. The palate pretty much confirms everything on the nose, maybe it's a tough more tertiary (60/40). Either way, intensity of both flavors and aromas is HIGH right now. I could smell this all night and be happy...
Medium + body with medium acid and still medium lingering tannins. Insanely long finish. My guess is this is at peak now; though I don't see it declining in the next two years.
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Decanted 1 hour before and drank over an hour. This needed MUCH more decanting. The nose is spectacular but the taste is still somewhat closed and would have been spectacular with 6 hours of decanting. Bought this at a steakhouse so I was doubly ($$$) disappoited. Why don't more restaraunts have corkage fees? I would gladly pay a $100 corkage fee to bring my own wine.
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M&PD Tasting: Lark (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, textbook example of this wine. Tobacco, quintessential Lynch Bages, deep, smoky, powerful, black fruit, stern, spicy green notes.
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IMHO If you are drinking fifteen year old Bordeaux or high end Cali Cab, drink this to see what you are missing. No offense meant. To me, this displays the essence of what left bank Bordeaux producers are aiming for their wines to taste like when they are opened.
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Beautiful mature still viberant fruit and soft leather and tobacco leaf notes and bright and in a Great window to consume Have always loved this producer and this vintage in particular Wish we had more. Drink now Ps: leftovers.. good leftovers
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Decatend 3 hours. Another great bottle. Is and remains one of my favorite wines. It still seems younger than it is and has (with good storage) many years ahead. Perfect to drink right now. 96 pts.
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Pungent aromas of cassis, graphite, pencil lead, tobacco, and wet forest floor. Striking medium body, with balanced ripe power and cool finesse make this wine irresistible. The finish is taut, long and inviting with dynamic textures and flavors that continue to evolve over time.
Amazing now but a long life ahead; just utterly fantastic.
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Dégustation bordelaise 1989-1990 (Chez François G.): Un peu de chanvre au nez, au début, qui disparaît ensuite pour des notes plus classiques: Fruit noir, mine de crayon, tabac, un peu de cèdre. La bouche est ample et droite à la fois, d’une harmonie admirable, avec des tanins soyeux. C’est long et profond, il fait très Pauillac avec cette structure racée, cette finale précise.
Superbe et difficile de choisir un préféré parmi ces deux premiers vins. Celui-ci entame à peine son plateau, il paraît plus jeune que le premier, peut-être pas encore à maturité. En fait, à l’aération, il me paraît même un peu plus tannique, promis à une longue vie. 95+ pts
Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Assez typé au nez, un vin droit, classique, plus de structure, texture très classe et élégante, finale un peu asséchante au départ, mais évolue bien dans le verre, belle longueur. Mon no 1 des 89 et no 3 au total. 93-94
Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Typical nose and palate, very classical, nice texture and good structure, classy and elegant despite the power, nice length, gorgeous.
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Beautiful wine. Starting a light fade but still has we-15 years on it. Took 2 hours to start expressing itself. Light notes blue fruit and currants. Long finish
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So a couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of drinking a 1990 Beausejour Duffau in Florida. This St. Emilion was every bit as thrilling as expected from its RMP100 rating. It was stunning, a pinnacle of everything that brilliant merlot from the right bank has to offer: Amazing bouquet, seductive a point fruit on the palate that was so sensual and yet not losing its classiness. It was a huge crowd pleaser at a table among other epic right bankers.
This 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages is not that. 1989 Lynch Bages, in my opinion, is the greatest wine ever produced by man. I have had over 100 bottles over the years. But it is a wine that should never be brought to a tasting where other Bordeaux greats are served. 1989 Lynch Bages usually gets lost in the shuffle because its greatness is so nuanced. It is the ultimate expression of Pauillac. And for that reason alone it is not going to be a big, upfront, flashy, seductive St. Emilion. It is Oxford/Cambridge restraint, nuance, breed. And the other hallmark of this wine, which I have mentioned many times, is that it needs a huge amount of oxygen. This is a 200 year wine. It is STILL incredibly youthful, at now 34 years old. When I first opened this pristine bottle last night there was very little on the nose, but I could tell this was going to be yet another great bottle of 1989 Lynch. I decanted. Slowly, as the night evolved, the classic, classic lead pencil and immaculate cassis emerged. Drinking 1989 Lynch Bages is a religious experience for me. I feel the wonderment of the universe, not because I'm buzzed -- this baby is only 12.5% -- but because it just makes me appreciate how lucky we are to be in this sliver of time and place, with five senses, experiencing this instance of a vintage that will be here and gone in an instant of time. It is a glorious, magnificent wine, it is da Vinci, Chopin, Shakespeare, and Caruso. The color is still a deep ruby/purple with absolutely no evidence of fading at the rim. We used to get it for $35 back in the day. I just bought another bottle from K&L last night for $395 plus tax. It went recently for $700 at auction. The finish on this absolute classic lingers for a minute or more, like a 1986 Mouton, numbing the taste buds at the back of your tongue. It is a left bank Medoc from Pauillac. So don't expect it to be a big, sexy, chocolatey right bank merlot. It is complexity and nuance. The lead pencil defines this wine. As always, the last sips are the best. The 1989 Lynch Bages is at the back end of a culmination of efforts from Jean-Michel Cazes in the 1980s that is among the greatest stretch of wines produced in centuries. I used to be involved in politics here in Maine and I remember running into Olympia Snow in a wine shop in Falmouth during holiday season, she was a friend even though I was a Democrat and she was a Republican. I was buying several bottles of the 1989 and 1990 Lynch, I convinced her to buy a bottle of the '89 for their Christmas dinner, it was going for about $75 per bottle at that time, it would have been about 1999. The 1989 Lynch has been the poster child of our website, www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts, for over 23 years. I think we have actually moved the market for this wine, it is now selling routinely for over $500, and went for $700 at auction this week. Jean-Michel Cazes wrote to me personally back in 2003, the confluence of 1980s Bordeaux and its 12.5% wines, with the influences of Jean-Michel and his wine making philosophies, produced this Mona Lisa, this Hamlet, a wine that transcends into philosophy and religion. It is Chopin's nocturnes. It is stunning in its left bank subtlety, restraint, class, and power combined with elegance. Magnificent. This effort last night was as brilliant as any of the over 100 times I've had this wine. I rate it, yet again, at 100+++.
Another night of legendary generosity and camaraderie in Ft. Lauderdale as Stuart and Kathy Roberts again host us at Wine Watch. The wines were presented in several flights. We started with an accessible 2009 Dom Perignon, our second Dom of the evening, as we had uncorked an equally forthcoming 2012 Dom on the ocean view deck at the Hilton, along with yet another bottle of 168th edition Krug.
The first flight was 1982 Leoville Las Cases (93 points) and 1986 Pichon Lalande (91 points), which Peter had uncorked 24 hours earlier. The last two times I've had this 1982 LLC beast it has finally come to show its complexity. The Pichon Lalande, on the other hand, does not seem to be improving.
We then moved on to three vintages of Montrose. We were pleasantly surprised by the 1986 Montrose (93 points), monolithic in the past but then again I haven't consumed it in probably 20 years. The 1989 Montrose (95 points) was singing in all its glory, a wine that has historically stood up to the acclaimed 1990. They say the 1990 Montrose (n/r) at our table last night was corked, it certainly was dominated by overwhelming brett. Tommy's 1955 Cos d'estournel (93 points) was a fun addition to the flight, fully resolved, lighter rose colored, almost burgundy-like, very fragrant, one of the bouquets of the night.
Next up were two brilliant examples of 1982 Lynch Bages (95 points) and 1989 Lynch Bages (100 points), the '89 my wine of the night with its hallmark lead pencil and cassis, and virtually no signs of aging. For me, 1989 Lynch Bages is just the ultimate expression of Pauillac. This BWE icon is a 200 year wine. I think Peter liked the '82 Lynch better, they were both brilliant. 1982 and 1989 Lynch are the two great book ends of that legendary 1980s stretch for Jean-Michel Cases, the 1982 initiating the transition from old school Lynch to a more modern model. always a thrill to drink these wines, it never gets old.
So then of course Stuart decides to throw a couple Moutons into this northern Medoc tasting, oh, the 1982 Mouton (97 points) and 1986 Mouton (95 points).... I mean, come on now. The generosity is legendary. I kept coaxing the 1986 Mouton for its legendary finish but on this night the rich 1982 may have edged it out, these two wines have battled it out before, they are evenly matched but differently styled.
And then out came the Lafites. Oftentimes when we have Lafite at these dinners it gets overshadowed but not on this night. These Lafites were absolutely breathtaking in their elegance and strength. The 1986 Lafite (96 points) is still monolithic but there is a big core of fruit that smacks you in the face. The classic 1988 Lafite (98 points) is an ultimate Jim How wine, I drank more of this wine than any of the others and it was otherworldly in its classicism and restraint with the cheese and dessert. The 1990 Lafite (98 points) was in full glory, just totally open on the nose and palate, just wow. And then... Stuart pulls out a freaking 1959 Lafite (100 points).... OMG.... These few 1959s that I've had over the years have such unique character and personality, I think I've enjoyed them even more than the epic 1961s. This is a 100 point wine, rivaling the 1989 Lynch.
We finished with Peter's 1955 Sigalas Rabaud (96 points) I'm pretty sure was a first for me, heavenly decadent with the cheeses sourced by Stuart from frommages.com.
Holy smoke, what a night. What a memorable weekend. That 1947 Cheval Blanc from the night before was the thrill of a lifetime, and the 1959 Lafite Rothschild was not far behind. In the end, of course, BWE is more about the people, and less so the wine. It was so much fun hanging out with the crew at the hotel and the wine dinners. we'll see you again next month in London! THANK YOU STUART!
From a high neck fill bottle bought in case on futures. Dark ruby, red around the rim. Lots of cabernet fruit with cedar and dried cherry on the nose. Soft tannins, black cherry extract, earthy with hints of leather. Dark chocolate and cherries in the finish. Really tasty and enjoyable.
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Vertical of Lynch-Bages from 1989 to 2018 and together with the 1990, the best wines of the night. Much better than the 1989 tasted a couple of years ago and this was a lovely wine with notes of cigar box, leather and cassis. Just how you would want classic Bordeaux to have aged!
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Drunk on my birthday, and noted about 45 minutes from opening. Bottle and cork were both in good shape. Amazingly youthful appearance at 34 years of age: dark red with only a tinge of rust at the rim. Still stains the bowl of the glass with faint red tears. Nose shows truffle, iodine, leather, cassis, cedar. Totally tertiary yet fresh and alive. Really lovely palate, with lifted but penetrating flavors of red currant and liquid minerals. Surprisingly feminine; smooth and elegant. Finishes beautifully over a 30-second interval. Very impressive stuff, with seemingly a long future still ahead. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.
Update: the next day, after sitting open in my cellar overnight, this wine reached another level of exquisite. Now showing more feminine red fruit and pretty lilac in the bouquet. Now, not merely excellent, it is PROFOUND, and one of the best Bordeaux noses I have ever enjoyed. Wow, what a metamorphosis. The palate has become more seamless and ethereal, as well as broader and even more concentrated than last night. This wine is amazing, and one of the very best Bordeaux I have had in forty years of tasting. For me, it is now perfection pesonified. 5-15-20-10: 100/100. (Without looking to be sure, I doubt I have rated even five wines at 100; it may even be as little as two. The only other one I remember clearly was the 1959 Lafitte drunk in the late 1980s.
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This is truly a gorgeous wine and it's very Pauillac with its flavors of sweet gravel and graphite minerals. Quite poised and regal with opulent black/blue fruits and a wonderful lifted character. The finish is taut and complex with notes of minerals and layers of liquid gravel. Marvelous and still upside here. Out of magnum at Commanderie dinner, Vestry, NYC. 95+
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I am starting to find I am torn between the 1989 and the 1990 as the greatest Lynch Bages of the last 70 years, (I recently tasted the 1961 and it didn't compare,). At present they are neck and neck, but the 1989 still has a lot in its tank and will continue to develop. At this stage it needs a lot of air, (this had 5 hours in the decanter,) and really only came to life after 45 minutes in the glass. Once it does, it transforms from a 95 point wine to a 99/100 rating. The nose is intoxicating with blackcurrant, blackberry, and tobacco, and lingers and lingers. Secondary notes are developed on the palate, but still with tannin to resolve, but the depth and complexity are otherworldly. Likewise the finish is robust, but is exquisitely balanced and pushes 90+ seconds. This deserves a perfect score, but I'm holding back the half a point for the tannin to fully sweeten. 99+
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Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. This is a very young man in his roaring thirties, a hustler of a wine, very good testosterone levels and clean cut suit, but no refinement and no details. Still very brooding, and just good for its raw power qualities though.
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A bold and flashy bottle of Lynch-Bages. While mature from the standpoint of tannins, the very forward and ripe fruit seemed almost primary. Excellent, but my impression of this bottle was that it needed 10 more years to round into something more interesting.
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Excellent. Full of dark, tight small berry fruit. Tobacco, cassis, very complex. Wonderfully mature but strong fruit, clear and brawny. Such a strong fruit core and a finish that goes on forever. This wine is in a great place. Drink or hold. Amazing, a real treat. As good as it gets. A+.
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I love this wine … hence why I have so much of it and drink it often. Tonight’s bottle may not be the best I’ve had but it’s pretty damn good. On the nose : cedar, black pepper, black licorice, lead pencil, and older Connolly leather from a Jag or Roller. On the palate: Silky tanin, ripe (but not overripe) dark fruit.. just wonderful mouthfeel … the tight grip of acid on the side of your tongue. The primary flavors are in perfect harmony with the secondary flavors. This drinks up there with bottles that cost many times as much. It’s in a sweet spot but given the structure I suspect it will last for years and years to come.
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Had a special day on the golf course so decided to open this. A nice complement. Ruby color with a brick to clear rim. A classic, mature Pauillac nose that is full of cassis, cedar and green grass. Sweet fruit is the first thing noticed on the fully resolved palate which shows good but not heavy weight. Tobacco. Terrific wine that is more mature than the two bottles drunk over the past few years. (95)
Perfectly aged Bordeaux. In the best secondary stage. Pronounced nose with notes of wet forest, spices, toast, cooked black fruits, cooked black berries. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Tannin is integrated.
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Poured a deep purple with only the slightest hint of rust at the rim. Rich, fragrant nose with damp earth, cassis, dark fruit, pencil lead, and a hint of cedar. Full-bodied with plush mouthfeel. Still some tannins to be resolved. Given its age this wine shows very young still and seems almost immortal. I will wait another 5 years before the next one.
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Final bottle from our wedding anniversary bash, and the best, absolutely beautiful Bordeaux , lovely nose huge aromas of blackberries cassis, so smooth in the mouth all the berries are in there, spot on acidity and tannins well tamed, I consider myself very lucky to have had three such lovely wines on our special day, and this one just about took the crown, sadly no more.
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Annual BYO Pre-Dinner (mostly mature Bordeauxs): Stunning bottle of Lynch 1989. It needed a bit of air to get there but then transformed into a textbook Pauillac. An elegant gentlemen with many layers drawn with the finest brushstrokes. Still rather young, this wine should improve further for many more decades. 96/97 pts.
TN: Intense dark red fruit, brighter red fruit, some chemical notes. With time the nose gets much better, cleaner with a textbook Pauillac nose with lots dark red and dark berries, graphite minerality and tobacco. Absolute precision. Impressive. On the palate the same precision, additional toasty notes, some tobacco. Getting better by the minute. So textbook, masculine and high quality in every sense. With ripe tannins, high but well-rounded acidity, beautiful balance and harmony and a slightly creamy texture.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly an hour. Improved further in the glass. Well stored bottles can easily use 4+ hours in the decanter
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had at a BYO restaurant. briefly aired. we had it a little too cool. cork was clean. fairly dark colour. very good nose. palate was very proper and french. enjoyable but expected more development after 32 years.
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Decanted about 40 minutes which worked and hence stopped, but past experience suggests you should be prepared to go (much) longer. Amazing freshness with Asian flavours, a touch of coriander, mint and fresh herbs. The fruit is intense and precise. Black tea and plenty of minerality, opening up further with aeration and adding also tobacco notes. Palate is perfectly balanced with tension, depth and concentration. Incredibly young!
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Oh man. So heavy. Chocolate, cedar and tobacco nose. Heavy on the oak, crushed blackberries. A bit hot. My first birth year (1989) wine, and what a wine to do it. Epic Bordeaux.
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Superbe magnum acheté en primeur. Passé en carafe puis remis en bouteille 4 heures avant dégustation. Robe prune impressionnante. Les arômes varient beaucoup, du cassis au graphite en passant par le havane et le tabac blond, très peu d’arômes tertiaires. La bouche est prégnante, gros volume, concentration, complexité, épices, un Bordeaux d’un autre temps mais tellement présent. Ouvert pour les 33 ans de mariage d’un couple d’amis. Un très grand vin à parfaite maturité qui restera sans doute encore longtemps à ce niveau.
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If I had to use only one word for this, I would say: Voluptuous! Double decanted and then aeration for 1 hour in the glass. Paired with matured gouda, cold cuts and a T-Bone. Deep ruby. Intense, unique nose. Scorched earth, graphite, cigar-box, leather, cocoa, coffee, blackberry...what a nose! One more sniff and again, swirl, sniff and a new dimension every time. Even after 4 hours it was changing and it was getting only better and better. Still fresh, vibrant with many years ahead, this is a striking wine to remember. Opulent, medium to full-bodied with refreshing acidity, round, juicy and sweet. Ripe, silky tannins. Concentrated, multi-layered and finally a magical neverending finish! Excellent!
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A perfect example of Bordeaux wine. Deep ruby without any indication of aging. Elegant but intense, multilayered with much complexity. Mixed black fruit, fresh cut smoke, graphite, coffee and earthy scents on the nose. On the mouth rich, fresh, juicy with balanced acidity. Full body with velvet tannins and with a long tasty finish. It was keep evolving continuously in the glass. Potential for even much more improvement over the following years.
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blind, Magnum I guessed Latour 1988, this bottle was not in best shape. I had a lot of much fresher regular bottles from this gem. the primary notes are diminishing and the tertiary are overtaking. 93-94. I had it a few times close to perfection. 94
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Decanted 3 hours. Every bottle (5/6) of the 1989 Lynch Bages has been very good so far. It still has a long life ahead. Always something special. 96 pts.
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My 5th bottle of 6 purchased as futures, stored under perfect conditions since. Served at Bordeaux wine dinner with great company and excellent wines; only sparse notes as the room was quite dark. Perfect fill and cork. Apx. two hour decant. Dark colored. Tell tale Lynch Bages nose; earth, exotic spice. Concentrated, very rich. Served in a flight with two other excellent wines: the 1985 Pichon Lalande (drinking well, fully mature, smells and tastes like Pichon Lalande) and the 1989 Pichon Baron (not decanted, initially not impressive - but as it gathered air, appeared to be a more balanced, complete and complex wine - than the Lynch). I rated this higher when I initially opened the bottle; I have had both better and worse bottles of this. Both this and the Baron appear to have a long life left. (94-96) [Other wines at this excellent dinner: Champagne: NV Krug. Flight one - 1966 Lafleur, 1983 La Mission, 1985 Mouton; Flight three - 1986 and 1995 Cos, 1990 and 1999 Leoville Barton; Dessert -1980 Yquem, 199_ Rieussec, 1985 Fonseca. Also/back up bottle - 1989 Cos.]
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20 Vintages of Lynch Bages (1986-2017): All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few conclusions: 1) The overall quality of the wines surpassed my (and the groups) expectations slightly. There were good wines in all decades. 2) The style is very Cabernet, very Pauillac, quite classic, with a good grip, pleasantly high acidity and a good, not too ripe fruit core. 3) Most vintages don‘t have the depth of its neighbours and, until more recently, there are some quite angular tannins. 4) Lynch these days doesn’t reach the same elegance and complexity as both Pichons but plays in the same league as Pontet Canet, which, is less classically built. 5) Highest rating of 95 pts for 3 crowd favorites: of course for the 1990 and 2016, but rather surprising also for the 2017.
TN: Intense nose with dark and blue fruit, graphite, leather and some tobacco notes. At first a bit shy but with a lot of swirling this gets more intense. On the palate this wonderful with nicely defined dark and blue berries, graphite, wet earth. With time additional notes of smoke, some red fruit and floral hints. High precision. The structure is impeccable with melted tannins, good tension, well-integrated medium+ acidity, a nice creamy texture and a superb lightness and elegance to it. Good, long finish. Quite complete and balanced. This wine showed very promising and complete but it is in need of more time in the cellar. Quite far away from it‘s peak with no full tertiary development yet, this wine needs a long decant to come out of its shell. 94 pts tonight but with lots of upside.
Decanting: As with previous bottles, this would have needed a long decant. My advise for well stored bottle is a solid 3-4h at least.
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Lynch Bages vertical (1986-2017): Lynch Bages vertical spanning 20 vintage (1986-2017) hosted by a private collector. My key observations were: 1/ The “twin peaks” of 1989 and 1990 continue to perform well, 3/ among the younger vintages 2017 and 2016 stood out, 3/ mid- to late-90ies were unimpressive as a group, rustic with harsh tannins, 4/ 2000-2008 showed extracted fruit profiles, but with juicier palates, 5/ After 2009 the fruit turned brighter and more red in nature, less extracted and fruit-forward palates. Note the wines were not decanted and served blind in flights of 4.
Tasting note: A potpourri of aging notes including earthy notes, sous-bois and leather frame a nicely scented fruit core showing sugar coated red berries. Sweet spices as a bonus. The palate adds flavors of tobacco and cigar box. The palate is velvety and soft beyond belief, harmony is mostly impeccable, even if the scale tips marginally towards acidity. Decent length finish. One of the highlights in this vertical and luckily a much better bottle than a year ago.
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At home, with Cook's Illustrated's Coq au Vin. 3rd time we've had it since December, 2019, 3rd time I've rated it 100. Purchased on release in 1992, two bottles left. For a 30 year-old wine, incredibly young and vibrant, still dark garnet and minimally translucent, just minimal brown at the edges. The aroma is immediate and powerful upon pouring...sweet cassis and blackberries, with beautiful toasty French oak, some cedar, hint of tobacco and leather. No question it's Bordeaux! Lots of dark fruit but sweet flavors, intense but also round and perfectly balanced, not coarse or heavy. Late palate and aftertaste show some licorice and a bit of heat, but the flavors linger for a minute. This is as great as Bordeaux gets in the glass. Drink, but may hold longer, no signs of fading seven hours after decanting. Ric
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This is going through another transition. My previous bottles required extended decanting but this was decanted for less than an hour and was relatively approachable on first taste. Over the next 2 hours it blossomed and showed why I love this so much. It evolved into a strong yet balanced beauty. Tannins mellowed and fruit emerged yet still retaining a certain tension which kept your attention and looking for its' next phase of evolution.
blind, side by side with 1990 Again 89 is a stunner but this time 90 is just a touch behind. Maybe one of the best PQR in older great Bordeaux. I love this wine since over 10 years. Still primary notes. The 90 is a bit opener and "easier" accessible. Great duo. At least 10-20 years ahead. 98 and 97
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bottle and cork in rough shape. base neck. not an issue
dark purple. black cherry, vanilla, oak. full. excellent mouthfeel. plum, chocolate truffles (not the fungi). balanced and long. surprised at this given condition. intellectually hedonistic
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I am befuddled by the fact that some bottles from this OWC are clamped down tight and others are gloriously open. This is one of the latter, immediately accessible, archetypal Pauillac, replete with cool, fresh boysenberry fruit, pencil, ash, and mineral, intense and generous at the same time. So lively and vital. The tannins are mellowing here and the ‘89 Lynch can be drunk with food or without. The finish here lingers and lingers… This is really exciting stuff and, if you wanted to sear the impression of classic Pauillac into a neophyte’s memory, this would be a good way to do it.
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Two hour decant (definitely recommend 2-3 hours+). Nose is gorgeous, and really opened and developed with time. Color is ruby, fairly light but seemed to fill out a bit after decant. Big burst of flavors on the palate: cedar, lead pencil, leather, and dark fruit. Long finish. Drinking really well now but should have a long life. All class. And kind of amazing seeing 12.5%, but having all the size it has.
Our last of six purchased on release and perfectly stored: We drank the priors way too early. This one struck us as beautifully developed. Decanted, and then poured almost immediately. Color was bright, deep, with a touch of violet. Nose of fine soft savory leather. Elegant and powerful. Silky. The 40% left went back in the bottle, gassed, and was fabulous on the second night. Very little sediment. Beautifully restrained at 12.5 percent — and we were left shaking our heads, wishing others would be made at this level and in this style today. Wow, this was absolutely lovely.
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11x Bdx & Bdx Blends from around the World: This was a rather disappointing showing of this legendary Lynch. At first it showed very sweet, not structured enough and with very little tertiary aromas. Rather difficult to digest and certainly not at a 94 pts level. Only after a long time in the glass this opened up beautifully and got closer to a bottle some time ago (rated 97 pts). This wine is not close to its peak but in a beautiful first mature stage. Pristine, well-stored bottles like this still need a lot of time in the decanter (4 hours at least). For consumption today, the 1990 Lynch is the better choice as it is more open and ready and especially more mature and at its peak.
TN: Expressive nose of medium-well defined dark berries, sweet sugary notes, tobacco. At first a bit muted the wine gets more expressive by the minute. On the palate this shows very sweet at first which is a downer, but then with time it got more balanced with more tobacco, truffles, wet earth, bright dark fruit taking the centre stage. The last glasses showed more classic mature Pauillac. Balanced, almost weightless, with ultra fine tannins and a good acidity and medium length.
Decanting: Decanted for 90 minutes, consumed 3 hours later. This was not enough. This still needs a lot of air (4-6 hours).
From a magnum. I've always liked this wine. Powerful from moment one on. Full-bodied and intense. Lots of plums, some cassis, tobacco, cedar and sandalwood. Long and satisfying finish.
Weinkongress 2021 (Restaurant Sonne Leuggern): - tasted blind - Nose: Medium intensity, difficult to understand nose at the beginning. Has a red and dark fruit core wrapped in the aroma of apple cider, showing some alcoholic hints. - Palate: Intense and round with full flavours of mature notes, tobacco and sweet fruit, especially blackberries. It lacks the acidity and freshness that make the Lynch Bages really enjoyable to drink. - The development in the glass is astonishing. The wine really opens up after 2 hours. Red fruit and more complexity are there. At the beginning I would have been more at 90 to 92 points, but now at 92-94 points!
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Tasted double-blind as part of a random mixed Bordeaux-blend line-up. Decanted 1h but more would still be advisable (4h+). Some aging notes of leather along with red cherry, but also couldn‘t help sensing off-notes at first which I couldn‘t quite pinpoint. Palate initially pretty aged aromatically while structurally pretty imbalanced with mouthcoating tannin that linger. My first take was <90, but after 1+ h in the glass this was a flower blossoming in time-lapse with fresh berries emerging along with tobacco. Palate was also integrating noticeably although still not a perfect match. Would have loved to have more time to follow this, but from the experience I had definitely not at the level of an outstanding bottle I had 3 years ago.
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Purchased on release for $33. Lots of LB in my cellar as it is a great value, even in today’s market. The wine had great color with little or no browning, and very little sediment. Like silk with all tannins resolved. Midweight for the 80’s, and lighter weight in today’s world. Delicious and I’d advocate drinking over the next few years.
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Wonderful. Easily guessed as an aged Bordeaux. I didn't think it was this old. Unlike other recent tasting notes, I did not find this powerful. Its more about finesse. Classic flavor profile with good length on the finish. Definitely not the most enjoyable L-B I've had but still very good. Thanks Joe.
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The Mike Tyson of ‘89s and Lynch Bages. A stocky powerful bruiser, tremendous concentration of cassis fruit. Still almost primary and if it eventually relaxes and develops more nuance it could become a masterpiece. For now, intense and enjoyable but too straightforward for ultimate pleasure. To try again in 5 years.
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Very pretty just after uncorking then clamped down tight on the nose while retaining a beautiful inner mouth perfume. Tough to know when you'll get a tight one.
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Served blind, all guessed Bordeaux, guessed 89 Lynch though some thought 1990s, a complex nose, super elegant & finesse with power, fantastic wine, stupendous, a real treat, perfect with the wagyu
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Double decanted about 2 hours before drinking. Still fresh and young. Started opening a couple of hours into dinner. A great Lynch Bages. Will evolve further over the next decade and last at least one beyond that.
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Love this wine every time I have it. And I have lots of it. Perfect silk on the mouth. Highly complex showing blackberry nose still young full of fruit and big pauillac notes of lead pencil shavings / graphite and a touch of cedar. This has years to go.
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Enjoyed at Coast with my wife. The wine was decanted a few hours before we sat down. I could have smelled this for hours but my meal prevented me in doing so but still enjoyed over 4hrs. Waves of cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf and smoke. Integrated tannins but still somehow young!?? Had a long finish. Wow!
Note to self, drink more Bordeaux like this!
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I have always had a soft spot for LB as it has given much pleasure over the decades. A particular 85 vintage drank in Singapore was a stunner. So at the Saturday soiree after an ethereal 99 Hutton Vale shiraz ( 99 points) and a lovely 99 Rockford Rod and Spur ( 96 pts) i thought i would trump the boys with this big classy bordeaux. Bottle in fantastic condition high neck fill. Virtually no seepage on cork. Pop and out it came. Je regrette mais F@#$King corked. C'est la vie Monsieur Timmy Bird Second bottle thankfully sound. Dense chewy, savory, blackberry, tar and mint. We probably drank it too fast and too cold. but dont be in a rush to consume good condition bottles, probably needs to be drank when its 50 years old. Superb.
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Deep garnet color. Raspberry, licorice, star anise, tobacco leaves, sawdust and cigar box followed by big blue fruit and fresh cut wood in this bright, youthful wine. Still tannic at first sips with a firm, solid structure. As it sits in the glass, the wine drastically softens and rounds out. PNP - would not recommend decanting as it opens beautifully in the glass after roughly 30 minutes. The evolution in the glass is worth experiencing.
p.s. grilled chicken with cilantro, lime rice and grilled asparagus
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Opened about 30 min before pouring but did not decant. 1st pour sat in the glass for about 15 min. When poured still retained a dark, almost inky coloring. Nose muted initially but opened to reveal dark fruits, blackcurrant, plum and cassis with some graphite and cocoa. Lots of mouth feel that seemed to last forever on the tongue (at least until the next sip). Overall, a powerful but restrained wine with some additional life left.
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The 1989 Lynch Bages is still a few years from full maturity, but it's just getting better with every passing year and there's no disputing that it is one of the all-time greats from this château, as well as one of the 1989 vintage's top wines. Offering up aromas of cassis, cigar ash, vanilla pod and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with ripe acids, an abundance of rich, melting tannin, and a long resonant finish.
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At present the greatest Lynch-Bages drinking and even out drinking the 1990, this is one of my favourite wines. It represents everything I want from a great left bank Bordeaux but fellow travellers seem to be in the minority of reviews which is puzzling for such an iconic wine. You could get high on the nose alone, which is all enveloping with an exploding fruit bomb of classic blackcurrant, plum and cherry. In the earlier days of its maturity there is some tannin that needs to settle further but it is not distracting from an almost perfectly balanced mouthfeel. Likewise the finish still has some evolvement ahead but exceeds 60 seconds with an incredible depth. In many ways it is a nostalgic experience but for myself represents everything great about wine. A couple of hours in the decanter suffices, and this will edge to the perfect score on a consistent basis over the next decade and will last for decades.
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This also started slowly and was quite muted initially before it began to unfurl even though it had been double decanted a couple of hours earlier. I struggled initially to get my head around this wine, which I have not had for quite a few years. It is difficult to articulate what you get here, but there notes of compost, cinders/ash, graphite, pencil lead, tobacco, pine needles. Not primary fruit driven. Like the Barons of the same year overseen my Jean-Michel Cazes, the 1989 and 1990 Lynches are big strapping wines and somewhat atypical for Bordeaux, especially the 1989 Lynch. It is big framed, voluminous, rumbustious, savoury and mouth filling, broad and deep, with a lot of power and a long finish. Coming back for another taste at the end of the evening it was magnificent. This is rightly an iconic wine which will keep going for a few more decades. Would be wonderful to have a stash of these in large formats, but that train left the station a long time ago.
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89/90 Bordeaux @ Hawksmoor (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): If not tip-top, a very good bottle of this after some variable experiences. Deep ruby. Dense cassis on the nose. A little richer and more rounded than the 90. Nicely rich with a good line. A touch of sandlewood. Really lovely. My no.2 of the night. *****
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Color has not changed a great deal, inky. Not much on the rim. Lovely LB nose. The graphite I associate with Lynch has faded greatly. Tannins are velvety, the glass begins with some forward, mostly black fruit that is a little subdued. The middle is darker, almost but not quite gamy. Finish is long, still. A wonderful evolution. 70th birthday and 25th anniversary dinner. Rare grass fed rib eye, duck fat potatoes and my wife’s banana cake with coffee frosting. Lovely all the way around.
What a great day for wine. While I give a slight edge to the Dauvissat, this is a great bottle of wine drunk at the perfect time. The color is a youthful garnet (amazing) with a maturing rim (not quite brick). The nose is quintessential Lynch Bages: black current, meat stew and a bit of swamp. Like drinking cassis flavored velvet. Some leather in the finish. I can’t see it getting better but should hold for years. This is special. (97)
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Grand vin. Seemless elegance, a mineral touch, stone with an elegant red fruit, hints of tobacco. Intense, yet weightless - in a perfect stage. #Hjorts#IB&Co
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Initially need a little air to open up. Iron, light Asian, some flint. Cassis, rhubarb, ripe plum and currant with a hedonistic twist. Seems to unfold into many complex layers and some hidden beauty.
p.s. leftover pot roast and turkey meatloaf.
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Tobacco, campfire, peppercorn, cassis, dried plums, juniper and even a hint of fir needles. The fruit was a little shy and tart out of the bottle, but after two hours of air it rounded out nicely. A little more savory than sweet, the nose on this is heavenly and paired perfectly with my grilled ribeye. Spectacular.
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This wine makes you wonder how Lynch Bages could end up as a 5th Grand Cru Classe. This is a truly great grand Vin! At its very peak now! Absolutely wonderful, super rich, with a touch of orange even in the broad intense palate of mature but vivacious fruit. Lots of energy in the wine, super lively and addictive. Like a party of forever young people on a wooden boat when everything is truly perfect, for a moment. Lovely and overwhelmingly beautiful. Tasting after the Lafite Rothschild 1996 it does make me believe the Lafite simply is too young still.
by the way it is remarkable to see how vintages play a crucial role in the grandness of this domaine: with the 1989 at the top, the 1990 and 1982 are great, while the 2000 is a lot more modest.
This example of the 1989 Lynch-Bages is immediately expressive, voluminous, full of cassis, ash, mineral, pencil, and a hint of herbaceousness, like eating an alpine strawberry whole. Utterly charming in the mouth and finish where that alpine strawberry, pencil, mineral character really fans out pretty gloriously. It’s hard not to drink this very quickly.
I opened 7 of these from an OWC last night and just upon opening found them very appealing but a bit tight. However, an hour in the decanter left them more closed than they were at the outset. Interestingly tonight’s more-expressive example has a cork stained with wine about half way up whereas last night’s were quite tight and just stained for ~2mm.
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Decanted 3+ hours. Again a very good bottle. Perfect to drink now but no hurry. All my bottles so far were perfect and still have at least 10 years life left. Really something special. 96 pts.
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Same btl as rocknroller. Served on the occasion of Kevin's (rocknroller) 60th celebrated at Minikahda Club with 12 of us enjoying Vincent's outstanding food & Nico's depth hand with the wines we brought along. 110pt occasion! This shared a 3 btl 70s & 80s BDX flt. 32yrs old, drinking like it just turned 15. Everything about this wine is impressive except is glacial resolution of its structures and its reluctance to fully blossom. Biggest takeaway, its sure would be great to own a couple of these and take another run at it 2025+.
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It's the Big LX Birthday Bash: No Holds Barred (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Splash decanted and poured, drank a glass over an hour in a flight of '78 Beychevelle, '88 Pichon Baron and '89 Lynch Bages. An admirable flight of 80's Bordeaux at that. I'm a huge fan of the '89 Lynch and it has never disappointed. Tonight's bottle was no exception. This was gorgeous, youthful but fully approachable. An ethereal elixir of gorgeous bright, sultry dark fruits, cassis and black raspberry concentrated and powerful with that velvet glove feel and weight; cedarbox, minerally dense with crushed stone and tar. All the requisite components are there for this to go the long haul, easily a 60 year or longer wine. Great acidity, juicy fruit, amazing lift, length and balance. This just screams how harmonious it is - thanks Brad. 97+ to 98pts.
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Return to La Trompette (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet/ruby core. Nose shows rich dark fruit, spice, touch of meat. A little sweaty at first. Medium/full bodied, mouth-filling on initial entry, rich blackcurrant fruit, spice, hint of leather, quite low acidity, tannins pinch a bit on the end but excellent.
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19888 v 1989 Bordeaux. This was not a great Lynch-Bages and certainly nowhere near as good as the 1990 drunk a couple of years earlier. Cassis and well managed tannins but this wine was not singing on the night though others liked it a lot more than I did.
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This wine continues to drink beautifully and this bottle was just as good as last bottle I consumed about a year ago. Dense but well balanced dark fruit with notes of cassis, black raspberry, cedar with supple well integrated tannins - long finish. Paired nicely with grilled ribeye steaks with onion garlic jam.
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Fresh, young and energetic with perfuming nose of black fruit, wet cedar and floral tones, graphite and a touch of cigar wrapper. Sublime palate that is light but perfectly complimentary to its nose with soft dark fruit, chocolate and great verve while maintaining a soft feel. Gorgeous finish with delicious minerality and acid.
Just gorgeous and my ideal Bordeaux. Almost perfect
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This gorgeous wine held its own drunk next to ‘82 & ‘89 Haut Brion. Although not quite as profound as those two wines, this bottle was fresh yet also close to full maturity with fantastic flavors of softened black fruits and gorgeous liquid graphite. Layered and complex with a bit of nuttiness on the finish. An amazing bottle of the ‘89 that is very close to first-growth quality in this vintage. 95+
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Second bottle of a case purchased in 2007, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, slightly lighter at rim. Given an hour of air, the nose shows an intense mix of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, cedar, clean moist earth and some beginning mature complexity. Full body, great concentration and balance, ripe fruit offset by a hint of vegetal green. Long finish. Showing a bit more maturity and actually more enjoyable than bottles I’ve cellared since release. I would expect further improvement and decades of great drinking ahead. Outstanding.
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Decanted about 2 hours. Compared to when first poured into decanter, after sitting 2 hours it had considerably evolved and even more so over another hour where it peaked in complexity and stayed quite nice on both nose and palate for another hour or so until gone. Needs about 3 hours in the decanter and good to go.
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Stored at perfect conditions since release. I partly decant it to have a comparison with the part not decanted. Notes relate to the non decant part. Cork was partly soaked to 10-20% max., rest in pristine condition. Nevertheless it was a bit of a surgery to get the cork out with my laguiole and I needed the clip of thedurand to get it out as one piece because the soaked part was very soft and tended to break. Dark ruby with almost no sign of age, maybe a bit of an orange hue to the rim. This opens with an intense nose of cigarbox and flowers, the latter fading quickly (no chance to get this if decant), with blackberries underneath. Then with swirling and time adding hints of some minty notes, black currants, lead pencil. Under the tobacco notes, there is a scent of aged meat, roasted bread and mulberries as well. On the palate it is very intense and not as complex as the nose first. But it is also so unbelievable light on its feet with its 12,5% alc. Nothing comparable in this century. Long, really long and fruity aftertaste with enough balancing acidity. I believe that this is going to age well for one or two more decades if perfectly stored since release not much travelling. Parker gave it 99+ points in 2011 and Neal Martin 95 in 2016. For me Parker is right. At the end of the first glas I detect that there is a little bit of tannin left. But so smooth and extraordinary balanced. 5/15/20/10
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Black fruit, graphite, cigar box and menthol. Very generous voluptuous fruit. Full bodied. Tertiary flavours emerges almost directly but tannins are still present providing a very structured wine together with the fruit.
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First smell shows dark fruits, leather, earthiness in perfect harmony. On the palate I find everything I want from an old bdx. Nothings out of place, fruit with secondary flavors and ever changing new nuances. Fantastic!
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Opened in the morning and allowed to slow ox in the cellar (cork loosely in). Decanted before drinking (30 minutes). The wine was singing. Aromas of cassis, leather, cigar box, pencil lead -- classic Pauillac. Brilliant definition, structure, length and balance. Drinking now, will keep going.
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Cork in pristine condition with mid-neck fill. Quintessential 89 Bordeaux. Structured, taut, with fresh dark fruit. Cassis, graphite, blueberries, wet earth, and mushrooms. Beautiful tannins and structure. Still full of life with good acidity and deep intense fruit and secondary flavors. This will last for another 2 decades. (Interestingly, I’m noticing that same hint of kerosene I did in my 2016 note) . . . Upgrading by a point as the wine continues to put on weight with time in the glass/decanter. Full bodied, round and more integrated after 3 hours.
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This is probably one of my favourite wines, but as with a bottle a couple of years ago, this was very tight. Generally this nudges 100 points but this one was not quite clicking.
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Completely consistent with prior notes. Ullage almost to shoulder and wet cork were a concern, but this wine delivered yet again.
The flavors and nose are as everyone describes. What really strikes is the color - deep red with almost no bricking. Visually it looks like a 5 year old wine and not a 30+ year old wine. This wine may last another 20 - 25 years. Exceptional.
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With Luc Meyer's Steak au Poive from Left Bank, Vail, went perfectly! For a 30 year-old wine, incredibly young and vibrant, still dark garnet and opaque, with no brown at the edges. The aroma is immediate and powerful upon pouring...sweet cassis and blackberries, with beautiful toasty French oak. No significant herbal notes. Lots of dark fruit but sweet flavors, intense but also round and perfectly balanced, not coarse or heavy. Late palate and aftertaste show some licorice and a bit of heat, but the flavors linger for a minute. This is as great as Bordeaux gets in the glass...glad we have a few more bottles! Drink, but may hold longer. Ric
You have to laugh—at 31 this wine is still holding back. Dark, concentrated fruit; faint green bell pepper and a hint of volatile acidity at the same time. Butch.
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Presents as still closed! Deep dark unfathomable pools, limpid pure precise. Ridiculously young. Strong robust tannin and acidic structure that is the hallmark of Lynch, yet elegant almost feminine black fruits. Persistent and multi layered complex.
Never ceases to amaze me. Opened and decanted for 90 minutes then drank over two hours. Ruby red, with some bricking. Complex nose of fresh tobacco leaves, cassis, currants, forest floor and game. On the palate powerful and present, needs a couple of hours to open up fully. Medium to full bodied, great acidity and structure, finishes long with tannins fully resolved. Truly great with more room for evolution.
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Stored in the same underground cellar for the last 29 years. Perfect cork and level. Wine was decanted 3 hours in advance. Compact mouthfeel, with a pretty high volatility and high acidity, pretty long but not balanced. I had the impression this wine was a bit overdone. Good but not in line with expectations.
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Cork soaked 90% through but came out clean with Durand extraction. Decanted 45 minutes before serving. Deep purple core with noticeable bricking. Strong cigar aromas joined with a hint of vanilla, nutmeg, and some barnyard. Medium bodied with well integrated and mouth coating tannins, joined by medium acidity. A lovely plush mouthfeel with cigar being again prominent on the palate along with graphite. It took a while for the fruit to finally come in, but after about 30 minutes (so the 1 hour 15 mark) some crisp black fruit began to emerge along with some liqourice. The acid really held this wine together, creating a really enjoyable feminine wine. This bottle was clearly on the downslope but in much much better shape than the other bottle I bought in this lot. My wife thought this was a ridiculous purchase at the price I paid, but that Lynch-Bages current release prices were very fair if this was the result of them in 30 years (which is incredibly high praise for her). Paired with sous vide duck breast in a mushroom red-wine reduction, truffade made with gruyere, and sautéed green beans. The truffade pairing was fantastic.
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Cork was >90% saturated. Decanted for 15 minutes before tasting. Substantial bricking and a very reticent nose (a little bit floral and some barnyardy scents). Absolutely dead on palate, no flavors at all, and an alcoholic finish. Came back to it repeatedly over the next six hours and no changes. Disappointing. Auction bottle that based on the number of labels on it appears to have made its rounds. Hopefully my other bottle is in better condition.
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Poured into a decanter this evening. Some minutes later, this has opened wonderfully. Still a very dark garnet, opaque, showing a lot less age than I would expect after 30+ years. Ethereal aromas waft from the glass: red currant, cassis, mineral, iodine, lead pencil, walnut and tree bark. In the mouth, it is transcendent, with with a smooth, elegant, feminine entry, and then palate coating fruit bringing to mind liquid minerals, sandalwood and black fruits. As elegant and classy as this is now, there are still sufficient tannins and backbone that should assure many more years of life ahead. In fact, I am not even sure that this is at its peak, though I admittedly do not have a wealth of experience with Bordeaux of this age. Whatever, no doubt, this is one of the long-distance runners of the vintage, and proof that in warm, relatively ripe years Bordeaux still stands the test of time. 5-13-17-8: 93/100.
Drank PnP with a friend on Monday evening. Deep ruby with moderate sediment, this wine is fully mature and on the doorstep of losing it's fruit.
Deep brooding nose of black fruits, plum and date with long exhilarating finish. All were in agreement this hasn't 5-10 more years of stunning drinking ahead so drink up. If a date, this was your stunning neighborhood beauty now age 50 and kept drop-dead sexy by a steady regime of working out as well as frequent visits to the cosmetic physician
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beautiful wine with an intriguing nose, all there but it just seemed to me that one hour into the decant it was nice, but an hour later it had softened / become much more light bodies... I like them elegant and aged so this was more than that... maybe the bottle?... cork was pretty well stained... interestingly my tasting buddy was all over it and loved it... probably a 94 in his view
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Decanted for 90 mins and enjoyed the excellent Pauillac nose Promised much and delivered. That said, hasn't developed much from my first note 5 years ago. Deep ruby colour and still plenty of tannin - nothing like you'd expect after 31 years!
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Purchased 12 at release and have enjoyed through the years but this is the last bottle. Perfect cork, opened and took a small taste and decided not to decant. rich earthy nose of compost. Medium ruby color. Very smooth with a long finish. Went well with Snake River Waygu NY steaks. Fully mature for my taste and if I had any more, I would enjoy now.
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This bottle was double decanted in advance of serving. The wine was enjoyable but definitely mature. I picked up just a bit of a "cooked" undertone to the finish. All in all, not bad for a 31 year old wine. I think this wine should be enjoyed soon.
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Wow. This is truly one of the best wines I have drunk this year and I have been hitting the cellar hard. Cork was looking almost brand new with only about 1/4 of the cork saturated and the rest was pristine. Just splashed into the decanter and it was all it really needed.
Dark and glossy ruby, looks like a 2000 or younger! Immediate blast of cigar and forest floor and then this intense cassis and black cherry fruit. Very nuanced and complex. Was intending to only drink half of the bottle and save the other half not the next night but it was just too good! Perfect balance on the palate now, ripe but not overripe, dense let you can discern the flavors. Healthy ripe crunch black cherry, dark chocolate almost-Pomerol like lushness and exoticness. Coats the palate but now in perfect balance. Great soil, earth, leather overtures at the end. You just want to keep drinking this. Totally consistent throughout the evening with no decline and perhaps even more open and exotic. This is first growth quality and to be honest better than the Mouton 01 and 04 I had recently. Despite the price, I would actually say this was good QPR compared to Bordeaux first growths and exceptional QPR compared with red Burgundy grand cru.
Drink it now and enjoy its prime secondary drinking phase but will last for another 15+ years given the fruit and structure. Buy if if you can find well stored examples. Truly an exceptional wine in every sense.
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True Bordeaux nose with added layers of red fruit, cassis and hints of char. Has the beautiful smell of fresh grown tomatoes. Bright, gorgeous palate with some saddle leather, flint and fresh cut cedar. Drinking in its prime, gorgeous wine!
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Cork was soaked through; gave it an hour in the decanter to see if it was just disjointed and got more and more gnarly.
Disappointed but have 3 more so hoping those aren’t losers too. Never had the 89 but the 90 LB is one of my favorite BDXs of all time and was excited to compare
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This wine is in prime drinking window. Everything you'd expect and more. Dark fruit, pencil lead, cassis flavors, beautifully integrated and smooth (with a one hour decant). Bought this at release and it was worth the wait to enjoy!
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Absolutely lovely. Had the pleasure of enjoying this wine many times over the years: very smooth, fully mature and harmonious. This bottle showed the first signs of reaching the top and beginning the long way down. Still great pleasure.
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This wine is at it’s peak and singing. Maybe a bit of celery due to age, but mixed right in with dark fruit, pepper, leather and earth. Still beautifully balanced with really no hint of alcohol - it’s just a mélange of complex flavors pushing forward that asks you to drink the entire bottle. Decanted for three hours and those sharing bottle felt it lost some of its flavor in back half of bottle. Maybe decant for slightly less time.
One of the wines of lockdown for me. Deep garnet colour. Finish goes on for ages. Drinks like a 20 year wine, tells me this has many years to go. Truffle, black currant, leather and tobacco. Sadly one on those instances where you look at the decanter and it’s all gone !
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Came out slightly disjointed, fruit and slight barnyard. But after 15 min in glass it started to smell like great bordeaux. Tasted way stronger than 12.5% alcohol. Very complex nose that really got amazing after 2-3 hours open. Lost a bit of its taste complexity towards the end though. Very fun to try. 94-95 tonight
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Decanted 3 hours. Perfect fill and cork. All of my bottles from same case purchased as a future. This is a really good Bordeaux. Dark fruits, incredible concentration, some minerals (but it is more about the cool, dark fruit), long finish with lush tannins you can hardly even notice. But for some reason this has never hit the mark for me vs. the '89 Montrose, Angelus, or even the LLC (although different styles, this is probably right there with the LLC in quality). Maybe just me, but really good - just not there with the top of the vintage for me - but at $35 what a steal it was at the time! Based on my bottles I would drink now to enjoy the wonderful fruit. A-/A
Youthful blood red colour. Nose delivers leather, tobacco and mature dark voluptuous fruit. Full bodied but with a silky texture rounded mature tannins. Drinking perfectly at the moment but will continue to be at a high level for at least a decade or so.
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A heck of a bottle: full, in your face and masculine. An overwhelming note of Cuban cigar hits both nose and palate. Cedar, pencil and cassis show up on waves and waves of flavor. The still garnet color points to the fact that this wine has many years ahead. What a contrast to the MG, no less fine but maybe not quite as thrilling. (95)
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Every bottle of this wine is a different adventure. This one is beautifully ripe and borderline sweet - but awfully simple at age thirty-one. Color is extremely youthful, say 15 years old, no bricking. Very fruity, a lot of blueberry. Tannins are soft and rounded. No earth, no dirt, no minerals. No way to infer this is Pauillac. Tasty, though and easy to drink, but I was hoping for more.
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A Bordeaux Deep Dive, With Proper Social Distancing; 4/11/2020-4/12/2020 (The Virtual World of Zoom): Served alongside a 1990 Lynch-Bages, and both were in splendid shape. An unmistakably Bordelaise nose of cigar box, pencil lead, old leather and dusty cherries. Medium bodied, with blackcurrant and cherry notes, a touch green, with some oak-driven smoke and graphite. Strong acidity and structure reflecting its tannins too. Fully mature but not yet in its tertiary phase, and would seem to have decades ahead of it.
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A 2007 purchase, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Initially a bit tight but left it in the glass for 90 min and WOW! Intense nose of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, cedar, clean moist earth. Full body, great concentration and balance, ripe fruit offset beautifully by a hint of vegetal green. Long finish. This is a strapping young adult, not showing true aged complexity but plenty going on. Bottles I’ve cellared since release show younger than this and need more time. This is kicking butt and likely has decades of great drinking ahead of it. Outstanding.
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Decanted for 3h, could have done a lot longer. This wine is almost schockingly young. No bricking at all, wonderful mature nose, intense rather than smooth. Tannins still alive, not harsh but distinct. Had it with confit of duck at 67PM, a wonderful pairing!
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This wine continues to delight and impress. Still drinking beautifully with dense dark fruit, cassis, cedar - perfectly balanced with 60+ second finish. I only have 7 bottles left - time to start rationing a bit.
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Same bottle as Nutty08. The cork had a little seepage but the fill was good. I opened this an noon, poured a glass, and followed the Audouze method (and should have done so earlier). The first glass seemed a bit off, with metallic notes and some lightly stewed fruit. However, air did wonders for it and by 8pm, the last glass was really singing with cassis, pen ink, and pasty black fruit with background notes of old library and tobacco. Another taster stopped by and confirmed the impression
My assessment is that this was a mediocre bottle of a fantastic wine, but not flawed. NR this go round. I can say that the weight/concentration of this vintage really shines, so while I suspect other bottles will show better, it's a testament to how good the wine really is.
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Just not a great bottle. Some leafy herbal notes on the nose. Palate was a bit dry and metallic. Finish clipped. Didn't have the depth or complexity expected. Unlikely my prior experiences-- probably off bottle.
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The first thing you notice is the unmistakable aroma of an unsmoked Cuban cigar, with its hint of bitter chocolate, coupled with cedar, smoke, tobacco, mint, spice, herbs and roasted blackberries. Full-bodied, concentrated, intense and firm, there is a sweetness to the fruit, a hint of green pepper and a gorgeous display of blackberries and cassis in the long finish. This is not about finesse. Instead, it is all about the fabulous, big juicy gulp of mouth-filling cassis that really hits the spot! The wine is showing great today. If you have a bottle, do not hesitate to check it out.
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This is absolute perfection. A year ago it was still a little askew, but now it is absolutely firing on all cylinders after 3 hours in the decanter. The nose is the embodiment of old school mature Bordeaux packed with blackcurrant, plum, and musty leather with prominent notes of cedar. On the palate the tannin is fully resolved and is exquisitely balanced with the fruit. The depth is exceptional with a 60+ seconds finish which is so well balanced and devoid of any tannic harshness. After a couple of hours the wine does lose a bit, and if drinking over a few hours, 60 minutes of aeration is probably sufficient. The best Lynch Bages of all time?
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A monumental effort, the ‘89 Lynch-Bages is Dynamite. Shockingly young, this wine needs at least 2+ hours to get its Billionaire strut going, and when it does just that...it shocks the wine world.
Finally beginning to shed its tannins, the Lynch-Bages bewilders with extraordinary power and concentration. It offers intense aromatics of Cuban cigar, cedar and crushed flowers with earthy undergrowth notes. Extracted flavors of black currant, sweet cassis, bitter mint chocolate and graphite on the lengthy and dense finish suggest a long drinking plateau.
Undoubtedly one of the most consistent wines I’ve had the absolute pleasure to enjoy regularly. Other than Haut-Brion, this sexy Pauillac bests all the first growths of the vintage by a terrifying margin ( fifth growth my ARSE!!! ). Considering it’s at least 1/5 the cost, I’d say it’s probably the greatest value of the vintage.
Best of 6-7 other 1989s. A little green funk that is pleasant and marrried well with plenty of fruit and seamless tannins. Just great balance to my palate.
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Bordeaux from the 80s (Peppercorn's (Hartford, CT)): One of the more youthful wines at this tasting. Deep red, with a lifted, bright beam of fruit running through the palate. Still quite young and primary but with great promise.
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Drank at Nomad restaurant in NYC. This was really good! Hard to believe this was 30 years old, so fresh and youthful, while still having fully integrated tannins and lots of complexity and notes of maturity in the flavor profile. Fruit was still very fresh and vibrant. Everyone really enjoyed this one, quite a special wine for sure.
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Decanted 3 hours. This still seemed young and has 10 or 15 years life left (at least perfect bottles like this). A very good bottle, perfect to drink now with enough air. 96 pts. at the moment.
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Haven't tried one for 5-6 years, when it was still closed and tannic, but it has opened beautifully and is now mature and perfect! Just decanted briefly. Garnet, opaque, no brown at the edges. Powerful aroma immediately on pouring, classic toasted French oak with dark fruits and some cedar, complex. Viscous. Full, rich flavors, mouth-coating, but perfectly balanced and round at the same time. Just light tannin behind the fruit. Fully mature but will keep for many more years...glad I have more of them! Tasted with '90 La Mission Haut Brion, equally good, but a bit softer and with more tobacco and leather character. Ric
Started cherry strawberry and maybe hint of tobacco, cigar box (second taster got a touch of smoke). Then it developed some herb maybe Rosemary or anise and creme de cassis then shut down a bit. Then it opened up again after an hour back to strawberry cherry raspberry on a foundation of wood and classic Bordeaux medium french oak vanilla. This was not fragile - it is fresh, precise and polished with some acid and tannin I thought it could go another 30 years more likely 10 or 20. It's a 93 wine maybe drinking 95 due to classic Pauillic experience. That said it was really fun to try what may be a good (or best) example of 89 left bank.
I was not too aware of the high ratings some pro reviews have given it at the time we had this, but I too wondered a bit about bottle variation and whether the wine was completely authentic at the time of drinking. Having had quite a few other lesser 89s as well as many 90, 95 and 96 it came across to me as a nice wine but not huge standout of that group. Main advantage was a 30 year left bank just entering prime drinking window. Bottle variation is common in these years though and I don't know how this was stored. Hard to say. That said, my better half who actually has an extremely sensitive nose got the notes of tobacco, smoke and cherry, and I added the creme de cassis and herb reported here and by a number of pros. Better half was blind to all the reviews. So if you are matching to the descriptions blind it's hard to believe it is completely fake, just maybe highly variable quality.
The wine has mellowed out and tannin and acid left are mild, so you can pair it with any meat, duck, game bird with a bit of reduction sauce. I would not go too strong on the cheese.
Wow very masculine and needed two hours in the decanter to begin to open up. Very powerful, strong leather, cassis, currants and black fruits. Very alive mid palate, amazing and complex structure, with a very long finish and tannins still there. Built to last 50 years!
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Apparently there’s quite a bit of bottle variation regarding the state of maturity of the ‘89 Lynch Bages. This one is fully mature, even late mature. There’s an alarming brown note on the rim when decanting but it quickly merged with the healthy maroon color of the center when it’s in the glass. Amazingly beautiful fragrance of mature Bordeaux with very complex notes of blackberry, graphite, mineral, smoke and tobacco - very Pauillac indeed. Medium to full weight, excellent intensity, long finish. I would rate it even higher except it faded quite a bit after a hour. But marvelous during that golden hour.
Best bottle (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard Popped and poured, not decanted. Clear, deep purple with some tawny rim. Nose was still tight and closed. Maybe we should have decanted the wine. You can smell a great BDX in the making, but it is simply not yet opened up. On the palate same situation: This is a monster in the making! All is there: wonderful integrated acidity, high, perfectly ripe and silky tannin, wonderful red fruit, some tertiary aromas of leather and spices. But it is also tight and dense, not yet open for business. For most of the people the WOTN, and I agree, that it will be a 97-98 wine in the future, but at the moment it was too closed for my taste. Nevertheless, a great experience and a pleasure to drink! 95++
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Took 4-5hrs to finally open. Probably should have decanted. Last glass was the best, showing a nice lively mint notes mixed with dark almost black fruit. Very youthful. Still has plenty of tannin to resolve. Not quite as thrilling as a bottle a few years ago but still an excellent Bordeaux
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Purchase this bottle nearly 15 years ago along with a 2nd ‘89 and a ‘90. Stored in same cellar. This bottle was extremely different. Different enough to make me wonder if it was fake, which I highly doubt. Not mature. Still showing tiny oak. Very red fruited. Little tertiary development. Strange to say the least.
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This is an example of a wine that surpasses all expectations and is an absolute knockout in every way. I acquired this a few years back in anticipation of my wife’s 30th, and what an experience we were treated to.
The cork on this wine was so impeccable it had me wondering if this was fake. Hardly any seepage, and pristine at the top. Great lower neck fill. I expected this to have funk to blow off, but it didn’t need it, that’s how youthful it was! In the glass, it was dark in color with a slightly fading ruby rim. Explosive aromatics with ripe black cherries, bay leaf, new leather, herbal spices and black currant. Mind blowing profile and structure on the palate...graphite, blackberries, smoked plum, sweet cherry tobacco, and cedar shavings evolve and show layers upon layers of complexity. Seamless and clean, but...I can’t believe I’m saying this...probably still has another 10-15yrs of enjoyment. Aging marvelously and glacially.
Excellent as always, this bottle felt even younger than the ones I had before. A very complete Pauillac, rich, dense, highly aromatic, well balanced. A benchmark Lynch Bages.
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Immediately after opening this 30-year-old beauty emits an incredibly intense yet elegantly balanced smell of cherries, vanilla, rice pudding and oak with hints of wet soil, burnt paper and interesting notes of a grain mash. On the palate a mild, oxidized initial approach with raisins, caramel and tawny port. Then the tannins sprout through and deliver a long, dry, shimmering finale. Perfect balance and taste choreography. At this point a rather quiet, elegant wine. Perfect match to Chopin piano music.
Acker Merrall & Condit Bordeaux vs. California Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel): My last few times I have had this wine, it has been very impressive. However, it has only come into its own within the last 3 - 4 years. Prior to that, I always found it closed and shut down. Not tonight, however. Classic Pauillac in every sense. I do still prefer the 1990 to the 1989 Lynch, however. Tasted blind side by side with the 1989 Dunn Howell Mtn. It was a challenge to discern which was the California wine. Educational tasting event!
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Lunch with Mates (Otto Y Mezzo, Alexander House, Landmark, Central, Hong Kong): Not decanted. Dusky ruby colour. Lovely dark nose. Liquorice root. Cedar. Textbook Pauillac. Palate is star anise and rich deep red and black berries.powerful and alluring. Long and resonant....but not quite as mesmerising as a long-decanted bottle I had drank the previous evening when I scored it a lot higher. 92+ today.
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Dinner with friends. (Our House, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3 hours. Black/red almost totally opaque colour. Nose is rich, ripe black currant and beautiful damp bracken woodlands. with sun-warmed cedar roof shingles. Palate is rich, belly-filling deep black and red currant fruit. Beautiful black dense ripe berry fruit. Really resonant and reverberant even in the mouth before the swallow. Absolutely gorgeous and so open. Very big inside the head on the finish. Almost silence-creating. This is so consistently good every time I have drank it over the past 20 years. It just pipped the 1989 Ch. Montrose drank alongside it because the Lynch Bages has this total dark-eyed seductiveness to it at this stage in their development.
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Top 89 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Having had a sublime bottle of this, and a distinctly mediocre one, tonight’s pitched up halfway between the two, and twenty years too soon. Gorgeous deep but bright ruby. Blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf. Initially seems quite resolved on the palate, certainly on the attack, but a good dense grip to the finish and it seems to tighten with air. Very dense and grippy and this is intensified surprisingly with food. Lacking finesse. Needs a few years. Impressive but monolithic. **(**’
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I share the two previous comments. This is a great wine. Good fruit and concentration. Soft integrated tannins. A wonderful mature Bordeaux that is not likely to improve but will hold for several years.
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Decanted 90 minutes. Wonderful nose of dark fruits and earth. Dark fruits and wonderful concentration. Great finish. Just a pleasure to drink. I suppose it will last for a long time but not sure it will get any better. A-/A
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Purchased as futures and cellared continuously at 66 (+/- 2) degrees. The cork was wet to about 3/4, but no issues. No real ullage. Incredibly youthful for a 30 year old wine. Very little bricking. Decanted for 2 hour, as it seemed closed at first. After breathing a bit, the wine spread its wings. I don't really have words for the nose or flavor, other than it's an exceptional Pauillac. The flavors go on and on. Everything I want in a Bordeaux. This wine is drinking beautifully, should continue to get better and may be great for another 25 years, if well stored. Score is one point higher than 2015. Truly a special wine.
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Top shoulder fill and cork fully saturated. Wine stil in good shape, though. Tense dark brambly fruit with notes of tar and licorice. Black tea and loam. Long intense finish.
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Absolutely sublime. Upon popping the cork the bouquet filled the room with notes of sweet black fruit, cigar box, and truffle. Decanted for 3 hours. The palate was exquisite...texturally so elegant, and flavours are so complex with plenty of dark fruit, but also those tertiary earth elements. At 30 years, this has so much life to it...will drink well for many years. This shows why it pays to let fine bordeaux reach maturity...nectar of the Gods here.
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Similar to my note April last year, 1989 Lynch Bages is a textbook wine, super classic - offered nice opulent dark fruits, strong minerals, light cedar, modest smoke, shaved pencil, peppr spices, and good acidity, very complex structure and finish was very long and lingering.
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Jordan's 1989 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): This had been given the requisite air to lt is shine, and wow, it was sensational. Dense and complex black fruit throughout with a varied array of spice. Still showing so much fresh and bright fruit with perfectly integrated structural components. So great now, but possibly further upside, and certainly the ability to drink wonderfully for the next 20-30 years.
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Shared with friends at 40th annual Nashville Wine Auction. Pure and intense. Double decanted about 2 hours before drinking. This wine should evolve for at least another decade
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Second Sunday Group: 1989 Bordeaux (MiY's): Double blind. Opens with dusty, earthy overtones and red fruit and plum underneath. Flavors of cherry and currant, herbs, earth and cigar tobacco. There's almost a lush quality to the fruit. Finishes with good length. After some time in the glass the riper, plummy fruit dominates and there's just a hint of brown sugar too. Velvety texture.
My #4, Domino's #6 Group #2, 38 pts
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Slow oxed for 3 hours before serving. It should have been decanted. Lots of underlying substance and structure but they were not fully revealed tonight.
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Mer frukt og fetere enn 1990. Stadig herlig. Mer forførende enn 1990. Tror jeg foretrekker 1990's slankhet. Utvikler seg fantastisk. Tror jeg liker 89 best, i alle fall siste glass.
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Had the 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1995 together. The two top wines tonight were 1985 (!) and 1990. The 1986 is a bit one dimensional, the 1988 is quite light and gets forgotten in this lineup, 1989 is still closed, the 1995 is very good, but lacks the mature fruit and gorgeous nose of 1985 and 1990. In 20 years time the 1989 will be the best :-)
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Hugh’s bottle. Extremely backward, more so than any of the previous bottles I can remember. Apparently, this vintage of Lynch Bages is famous for extreme variability of state of maturity. Clearly it’s dense and Médocain, but difficult to read anything further.
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Nose: Blackberry, cedar, cherry, sweet pencil and floral notes. Quite the classic charmer here. Palate: Just a bit closed, but as it opened the wine gained weight and the red/black fruit balance showed up. Mineral, tobacco and cedar support a beautifully precise wine. Finish: Well knit and elegant. This is a balanced Lynch with pauillac classicism.
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1989 Bordeaux Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Deeper and more brooding colour than the 1990. Translucent at the edges. Nose is more strongly cedar and tobacco than 1990. Palate is beautifully silky and seductive... heady and reverberant even in the mouth before you swallow. Wonderful expression of cassis. This is drinking at its apogee but has 10 more years at this level. Much improved from when I last drank it 6 years ago. 94 tonight.
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This bottle was excellent although not quite up to the best bottles of ‘89 or ‘82. Medium garnet, very slightly unclear although it had been standing up for a month. Pleasant soft berry fragrance, medium full, good length. Not especially recognizable as Pauillac, more like St. Julien or Margaux. A very good experience without that extra “wow” factor.
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Decanted 3 hrs in front of dinner. Likely needed an hr or two at most. Wine was great, brown colored, soft tannins. Opened two bottles, both corks wet and broke off into bottle but didn’t cause any problems. Wine was soft enough to serve with fish. Have a bunch of this and plan to drink annually until gone by my 85th yr. I’m running out of time but this wine isn’t. Very nice and was one of the dinner highlights.
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Opened two bottles to celebrate friend’s 70th birthday. Decanted 3 hours in front of tasting but didn’t have to. Likely could have gotten good results with a 1-2 hr decant. Both corks were wet and broke off into the bottle but didn’t cause problems. Wine was great and will likely last another 10 yrs Though I may not. Brownish color, aging well. At or close to peak. Very smooth, some tannins but not much. Enjoyed by all.
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I'm loathe to score this wine as it is one my favourites, but unfortunately seems to have shut down after a few years of drinking wonderfully. I saved a glass for 24 hours, but it was still rather tight. It is has everything you would expect from a perfect 100 pointer wine, but I have to accept that this now needs more time.
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Loads of life left on this bdx. This bottle took some coaxing to make it come Alive but when it did it had a wonderful floral nose and tertiary flavors on the palate. Tobacco, Forrest floor and blue fruit. Medium acidity. I think the best is yet to come for this wine. Could age for another 10-20 years.
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A rugged Bordo, with rather hard tannins and beautiful balance, stone fruits, plum, cassis, and a long finish. Shows way above its station. Should last, so wish I had more.
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Now this was what I was hoping for in my first bottle. I let this breathe in the decanter for 3 hours before we started to drink and it was absolutely fabulous, if a small step behind the 90. This was a delight on the nose, with lead pencil, bell pepper, barnyard, and cedar. The palate was full and gorgeous, with dark fruits, cassis, leather, ash, and green herbs showing off what a complex and balanced wine this wine can be when served properly. A wonderful experience.
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Terrific nose, on the palate more medium bodied / elegant / lighter than I expected not having had much bordeaux before. Paired very well with filet mignon at Boulevard.
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This bottle showed quite young still but kept opening up even after a 3-hr decant. Rather full-bodied with delicious flavors of black fruits, graphite minerals and grilled nuts. Smoky and long on the finish with lots of layers with strong notes of lead pencil and gravel. Awesome juice and this particular bottle has years of development ahead. 95+
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1989 Bordeaux - 30 years on. (Famous Treasure, Capitol Piazza, Singapore): Wow. Probably the best Lynch-Bages I have ever had. The nose stood out amongst the other Bordeaux, with a tremendous blast of classic Pauillac aromas - cedar wood and damp earth, cassis and blackberries, tobacco and spice. Lovely, compelling stuff. The palate was amazing too. Layers of power and authority, yet with no lack of grace, this opened up across the mouth with wonderful layers of cassis, dark berries, menthol and spice, then some earth and mineral, all absolute filling every crevice of the palate. Wonderful finish too - long, full, earthy and full of charm. This was remarkable. Not as refined and elegant as the other wines on show, this was more rustic, but not in a bad way - like a gentleman farmer - elegant yet homely and charming. Superb stuff, drinking beautifully now.
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Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed further, revealing even more elegance and nuance. Wonderfully complex and balanced with an expanding, lingering, beguiling finish. This bottle performed beautifully. Should cruise on this plateau for years to come.
Lovely bottle, cedar cassis blackberries on the nose, forest fruits in the mouth, spot on acidity and very smooth, still so fresh. Some have said it needs more years, maybe if that is what you want it to evolve into, I prefer the fresh fruit approach, after all this time maybe that is what the winemaker had in mind, either way great bottle.
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This is a beauty. Powerful and refined, with load os sweet, perfectly ripe, red fruits and elegant, classy tannins, the goes on and on with all its delicious red fruits, earth and tobacco. This is probably at peak, but there is no hurry to drink it. Well-stored bottles should remain here for another 15-20 years with ease.
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This was a near perfect wine on this evening which included sharing other bottles with a great group of friends. I agree with the note from TOMLEE. I also got notes of cocoa power on the nose and palate. I can't come up with anything else to change about this wine or wait any longer if you have a bottle of it.
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Also a very young wine although a bit more expressive than the Leoville Poyferre was this day. Reminded me a bit of a dark and slightly damp forest. Moss on the trees and all of that. With some black fruits. It was quite nice. Also a contender for WOTN.
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Crimson in color. 12.5% ABV. Stunning nose of red and black fruits, cedar, cigar box and pencil shavings. Full bodied, concentrated and powerful. Impeccable balance with tremendous length and grip. Creme de cassis, coffee, plums, blackberry and smoke on the palate. The seamless finish seems to linger for an eternity. Timeless Bordeaux that is the embodiment of finesse and class. An unforgettable wine that is nearing 30 years in the bottle. Well stored examples should last to 50 years of age.
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Decanted 3 hours. Upon decanting full fragrant blackberry aroma. Marvelous leather bound color w/beautifully aromatic noes. Strong legs. Full rich light tar w/complex oak characteristics. Gooseberries as the wine opened. Profile expands over the course of the bottle but the structure & flavor never waiver. Strong full finish. Outstanding! A heavier oak finish would have garnered 100 points, but I believe more wine lovers prefer the softness of the oak in this wine.
Suffered just a bit by side by side comparison with ‘89 Cheval Blanc, a glorious bottle, but still a powerful delight. Bloody minerality, great length, tight/tannic, lots of tobacco on a rather heavy blocky finish. Needs 5 years.
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Dinner at Dino's Grotto DC. Perfect cork and fill. Decanted and drunk over 3 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Excellent nose of dark fruits, cedar, iron, just beginning earthy complexity. Full body, great palate feel and balance, medium-long finish. Outstanding but a half step behind the 89 Montrose, which was more mature and complex. Well-stored bottles of Lynch have still not peaked. This one was still on the upswing. Would expect more in another 5 years.
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This particular bottle was open for business with softer tannins than I've experienced before with this wine. Quite voluminous and expansive in the mouth with fabulous flavors of blackberry liqueur, smoky gravel and liquid graphite. Powerful yet silky at the same time, this is a phenomenally delicious Bordeaux that's finally starting to strut its stuff. There's so much lead pencil that I might've guessed Lafite blind. Just yum.
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Fantastic. Was decanted for several hours. Hints of earth and stone and red berry. This came from a large bottle. It was a bit young, though, and has potential to continue to age.
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Not as good as prior bottles I’ve had. Did not give it much time to decant. Very dense and fruity and young. Tasted more like a 1990 than an 89. Lots of stewed strawberries and blackberries with not much noticeable secondary development. Started to open up a bit more at the last sip 2 hours in.
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Decanted 3 hours. It needs a lot of air right now. I would recommend to decant it at least 3 hours. I was suprised how young this was for a wine close to 30 years. The 1989 Lynch Bages has a long life ahead. A very good wine. 96 pts.
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From a very rare 6 liter bottle. Opened and decanted a couple hours and drank over 4 hours. Amazing wine. So well built and put together. Loads of red fruits, green olive tapenade, black fruits, truffles, minerals, forest floor, pencil lead, tobacco, hints of leather and so much depth and nuance at the same time. A very special bottle for sure esp from this format.
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Best Bottle Monday with Friends (Carlton, Zurich): Tasted single blind. This wine would probably deserve an even higher rating if it wasn‘t for the fact that there is so much improvement potential left with more age. As others wrote before, this wine is still so young. Served double blind alongside the Angelus 2004 everybody at the table thought this is clearly the younger wine. While there is plenty tertiary development, the wine is still youthfully fresh, weightless and with intense aromatics. Very promising future here.
TN: Very harmonic nose with forest floor, truffles, cedar, cool fresh blackberry. Same aromas and some tobacco, pencil and herbal aromas on the palate. Long and expanding fruit-driven finish. Wonderfully intense and precise with a cool weightlessness only the finest Bordeaux Cabernets can achieve. Tannine structure fully intact and super smooth, fresh well integrated acidity. Build for the long haul. Amazing.
Decanting: Decanted for 4 hours and the wine was singing but I suppose well stored bottles like this one would better be decanted for 5 or 6 hours.
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Monday Bouteille (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): Tasted double blind. 4h decant. Be careful, the cork was already dry as a bone, broke and crumbled when trying to open. But the wine itself was luckily still in perfect condition. When tasting I had no idea how old this was and when I learned I was flabbergasted.
Flavour intensitiy and complexity was clearly above medium. The fruit showed a straberry core wrapped in darker berries with green herbs and very fine tertiary aromas in extraordinary harmony.
Over time more earthy flavours showed up accompanied by animal notes such as wet fur.
On the palate still a full body with a good dose of acidity providing for freshness and an incredible youthfulness for this old sack! Tannins have fully resolved leaving a full but embracing texture. Fruit still very much present but also dark, aged leather. The structure has clearly been carbon fiber reinforced because it was solid enough to easily carry the wine through 2h+ in the glass - an accomplishment not all decades younger rivals in the line-up managed! I‘m also convinced that we are still at an early stage of the drinking window and that there would be no harm in forgetting about it for another 10 years in the cellar!
This was a world class example of how well certain wines can age and considering the almost 30 years of age this juice would clearly deserve a score of 98. However, and also probably due to the age, the versatility in the glass was limited and the „pleasure score“ was more like 96. I‘ll average it to 97. The very close runner-up coming in second by a slight margin after the 2008 Verité La Joie.
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Almost impossible to believe this is nearly 30 years old. Still dark like ink with zero hint of bricking. Opened up after about an hour of decanting. Smooth as silk and absolutely delicious. Classic Pauillac.
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So hard to believe this is from 1989. Dare I say this is borderline too young to drink? Way to tannic to enjoy open opening and only after 3 hours in decanter is it approachable. Compared to the 1990 bages this is super concentrated and has the structure to last a lifetime. I can sense beautiful ripe fruit hidden behind a wall of tannins. This is a must have for a true Bordeaux lover cellar but I would not touch it again for at Least a few years. Delicious with a long decant. If I decide to open another this year I will decant at least 6 hours!
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Bordeaux was on quite a roll in the 80's, wasn't it? While vintages varied considerably, there wasn't anything undrinkable (as there certainly was in the preceding two decades). For a closer, '88, '89 & '90 provided rare triplets of really fine vintages. This exceptional bottle showed how fine the better wines from that period could be. There was surprisingly little sediment in the bottle when it was decanted, which should indicate that more pleasure is yet to come as its sisters age further. On release, I'd bought half a case and this bottle showed just as well as the first bottle consumed about 2 years ago. Even with that additional cellaring, there were almost no signs of age; only the slightest hint of ruddiness showed at the glass's rim. Such extract of color is remarkable considering the 12.5% alcohol. It took at least an hour for any hint of fruit to come through, and when it did, the wine showed excellent balance between restrained acidity and brambly fruits. Over the four hours I nursed this beauty, it just got better and better. Having a bottle like this reminds me why we seek out, buy and cellar ageworthy wines: Few pleasures can match savoring a wine like this at its peak.
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Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): It becomes a bit boring, but I blind scored the wine 97 again (and only 0.6% of my TN’s has a 97 score…) The note is short this time: Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and well dosed oak. On the palate a mature and beautiful wine, dark berries, sweet spices, good acidity and soft tannin. A touch of sweetness as well.
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Wine still very much in neck and cork looked like it was brand new. Unbelievably smooth with mineral and charcoal tastes. Wonderful wine. Only reason I didn't rate it a 100 is that I'm not sure there is such a thing as a perfect wine, but this may be as close as we get to it on this earth...
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Just touching 100 points, this is my wine of choice on special occasions eclipsing my first growths. I am perplexed in reference to ambivalent reviews, and have to reiterate that this is an exceptional wine. The nose is an embodiment of the best that mature Bordeaux has to offer. Blackcurrent and plum dominate, while on the palate the balance and complexity of depth are beyond exceptional. The finish is amazingly lengthy, and the only barrier to a perfect 100 is a slight sourness at the end of the finish. 99+
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Superb. Still reserved and tight with concentration impressive for nearly 30 years old. Needed 1 hour open and 30 min in decanter to begin to show. Wonderful black berry/currant, cedar notes. Savoury. Quite grippy on finish. Aged rib eye helped smooth the tannins and open the layers. 3-5 years away from apogee for well stored bottles, as this was.
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Unflinchingly primary and structured. But lacked the aromatic elements of every other bottle of Lynch Bages we had, including 1996, 2000, 2005 so wondering if an off bottle
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1989 Lynch Bages The best Lynch Bages I’ve ever had for sure and it certainly reached the level of first growth Bordeaux in my view. 1989 is definitely a good vintage for left bank. We decanted for two hours, tobacco, smoked tea leaves, fresh herbs, freshly picked black currant, very elegant on the nose; on palate, more toward blue/purple fruits, great structure yet extremely balanced, tannin was very silky. This was my wine of the night!
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I last had a bottle of this wine about 3 years ago. It was very tight, as a 4+ hour decant was barely adequate. I went with a shorter decant this time......based on comments in recent reviews......and that worked. I decanted for 3 hours. So, this one seems to be past that tight phase it was in. I would urge those out there with this one in inventory to pull a bottle.
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Another world class delivery. This wine is more open this time. Took around 90 mins to open up in the decanter. Truffle, tobacco, smoked fruit, red currant, and leather on the nose. Palate is so expressive and elegant with a long finish. Drinking well already with aeration but likely to age gracefully for another 20 years.
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Still very young, almost unyielding nose to start with. After some time it reveals wonderful notes of green bell pepper, chinese soy and cedar. Medium body and very clean and precise on the palate. The finish goes on forever. Clearly a great wine, and according to Jean Charles Cazes this will be a modern 1961.
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Dark red with slight bricking at the edges. Graphite, mineral, dark fruit and forest floor on the nose. Blackberry, soy, red currant and pomegranate with soft tannins and cherry and tobacco on the finish. Although it has some secondary flavors especially at PNP, these integrate after three hours and really complements the fruit. Still going strong and not over the hill by any means.
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It took close to 30 years to enter full maturity but this has hit peak maturity, All the tannins have softened and the texture has taken on the patina of age. The smoke, tobacco, cigar wrapper, blackberry, cassis, forest floor and cedar notes are apparent with little effort. The wine is full bodied, concentrated and offers length and substance. You can age it further, but I am not sure there is any benefit to waiting. There is no hurry to drink it however If well stored, I am sure another 20 years of pleasure will not be a problem, if the bottles have been well stored.
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Sarasota reunion: Krug, Carillon, LLC, Lynch, Yquem (Michael’s on East, Sarasota): Perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim, nose is a bit closed but gradually opens after 3 hours in a decanter. Iodine and angular at first, but full bodied, powerful and persistent on the finish. Very young and clearly a well-stored bottle. It finally starts to open towards the end of the evening and matches well with big, burly lamb chops. Approaching excellence but needs another 5 years to really show its stuff. I’ve had less well stored bottles that are more advanced and actually drinking better than this particular bottle.
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A "W-o-w!" wine. Brought to Brabo - the sommelier (who did a wonderful job with the service) called it "banging"; my dining companion declared it a "come-eff-me" wine.
Still incredibly youthful, despite going on 29 years - floral, leather, cedar on the nose, still lovely fruit, a finish that went on and on - in sum, all those wonderful nuances you hope to experience.
Acquired in 2009 from an auction at my wine storage facility. Among the dozen or so storage lockers being auctioned that day to recoup non-payment of fees were a couple of wine lockers (only the basement was built out for wine storage; the upper floors were conventional self-storage lockers). I ended up with a locker of about 50-60 bottles, almost all of which were very good, some outstanding, and maybe a dozen or so (like this '89 Lynch) whose value replayed my coat maybe 3x or 4x over.
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Loaded with tobacco, blonde coffee, pencil lead, cardamom, black currants and sun-drenched earth. Very ready and in stride, this starts off like a cub, and ends like a Grizzly; there’s a well-tuned approach, however, that is throughout all phases. Still some feathery tannin and marvelous layers which continue to unfold. Within a drinking window that will last for awhile. This is a testament to what aged Lynch-Bages should strive for. Brava. Drink now - 2034.
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Outstanding in all respects. Crimson color with tawny rims reflecting the age of the wine. Complex and exquisite nose of cassis, mocha, sweet tobacco, black currants expressing the full maturity of the wine. Opened up after an hour in the decanter. Lovely velvety entry on the palate, complex wine with excellent structure, beautiful dark red and black fruits intermingled with sweet tobacco mid palate, very nice length for a medium to full bodied wine which ends with maturing fruit and a long finish. Wow a beauty in all respects.
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It smells like black pepper, red currant, medium toast and pomegranate. 6 hours decanted - nice cork. Smooth and consistent finish. Went well with bbq salmon steaks.
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Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #024 Pauillac (By JS): In the bouquet dark berries, leather, autumn forest, cedar, vanilla, lead pencil shaving and really a beautiful and classical Pauillac. On the palate still a compact and concentrated wine with dark berries, leather, graphite, cedar, some pleasant sweetness, good acidity and round tannin with still a beautiful and good bite. Overall a very beautiful and complex wine. Mature and still holding a promise for the future. Really great to taste this wine again. Hope to taste it again….! 97+
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Reinforcing previous notes, this is one of my favourite wines. I could sit and ingest the nose for hours before even taking a sip. With classic blackcurrent and cherry, the wine has such perfect balance and with tremendous depth. The only barrier to a perfect score is a slight imbalance on the finish. This is the epitomy of what a classic mature Bordeaux should be.
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Erneut Weltklasse. Perfekter Bordeaux. Null Anzeichen von Reife oder Oxidation. Auch mehrstündiges Karaffieren kann ihm nichts anhaben. Im Gegenteil die Luft macht ihn zum Charmeur. Der hält noch 20-30 jahre. In dieser Kategorie nahezu ein „Schnäppchen“. 98+
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind: Tasted blind. This had been open and decanted for a couple of hours, but was still just so backward. Firm from start-to-finish. Great stuff in deep background. Other recent bottles have been phenomenal and more forthcoming, but might have gotten more air.
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Saturday Blind Tasting - Bordeaux '03 and Older (Chevalier Fine Wines): Blind. This looked, smelled and tasted like a baby. I was guessing 2000 (and may have guessed younger if not for the tasting guideline of 2003 or older BDX). Big, bold nose of chocolaty plum and herbs. Epic amounts of concentration. Tons of structure to match the rich, dense fruit. Some serious fountain of youth action on this wine. Outstanding.
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Man, this was full of barnyard. Not flawed but just so much barnyard. Through that there was a great menthol character. Rich charcoal and some tobacco. I guess a lot of sauvage but maybe too much for my liking. I am sure there are better examples.
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Bordeaux 1989 blind tasting, wine #6: sometimes nicknamed Poor man's Mouton, but by many critics considered one of the best 89s in Bordeaux.
Masculine tough and spicy style with dark fruit, granite, rough tannins, gunpowder, tobacco and leather. Still young with fresh acidity. 9 votes and shared second place tonight with Haut Brion. But not a personal favourite.
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Had this yesterday as the showpiece wine and it was very good, if not ethereal like some of the comments on here. I have read a lot about bottle variation, which made me think that this bottle might have been a bit off when I first opened it but I realized that the thin, somewhat tart flavor was this wine begging for some air before consumption. Despite being almost 30 years old, this wine is still ever so youthful and should be decanted for at least a couple of hours. My first sip of this wine was probably a 91 or 92, but my last sip over 90 minutes later was a 95 and left me kicking myself for not opening earlier but also hopeful for the other bottles in my cellar.
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Ripe and rich. Cassis, bricks, and, pencil, but all beihnd its imposing wall of refined, impeccably balanced, beautiful fruit. This is very deep and pure, structured, yet giving and terrifically balanced. Power and grace. The best Lynch Bages I have had. Super.
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Just great wine. The old school nose, with lead pencil, cedar wood, forest floor, tobacco and cassis popped with no effort. Full bodied, deep and concentrated, the finish had so much fruit, you wanted to eat it! Truly, a fabulous bottle of Pauillac.
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inky plum red, medium clarity, amber hue Nose: blackberries, cassis, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, vanilla, dust, black pepper, white pepper, green herbs, minerals, smoke, oak Pal: blackberries, cassis, tobacco, cigar, cola, dark chocolate, vanilla, earth, leather, dust, black pepper, white pepper, green herbs, minerals, smoke, silver, oak, some complexity Feel: medium, full, savory, acidic Finish: medium T9 (could be an 8)
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VEO London, Bordeaux 80-s in Magnum (Restaurant La Trompette, Chiswick): Powerful, super-delineated and classic Pauillac. One of my favorite Bordeaux. Little black berries, iron, pencil-shaving, tar and blood notes in the nose. Smooth on the palate with IRON, iodine, earth. Finish still bit stringent with tannin as a 10-year old wine. This wine still has many years ahead.
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Last tasted 4 months ago so I suspect a bottle variation contributed to different experience. This one is considerably better. No notes at time of consumption but all I remember is rich and profound wine, both on nose and palate. This delivers a plenty of joy. Tannins noticeable but soft. Upside potential with further aging but ready to drink now; give it some air time, though.
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Gorgeous deep red-violet with no sign of ageing. Muted nose of ripe plum laced with raspberries. I have never had a wine quite like this. It is very thin bodied with very little flavor on the front end through the end palate with slight raspberry and red flower notes. About 8-10 seconds after you swallow it, the entire wine flavor portfolio plays out on the tongue, with plums, sweet raspberries, and a bit of tea. It's a form of sensory delay. Fascinating. This is also the wine that got me into wine in the mid 90's.
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Cubs Playoff Wines (Lake Forest, IL): I have been blessed to have this wine in this vintage 3-4 times this year. This was the toughest showing from what I recall. While the bottle seemed fine form all appearances, the wine showed a bit hard and lean with a tart edge overwhelming the dry cherry flavor. Other bottles recently as I recall were considerably better, although I do remember enjoying the 1990 when compared side by side for a deeper fruit profile.
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I just love 1989, sometimes prefer it over 1990. This wine exemplifies why. Very hedonistic, open nose of sweet tobacco, cassis, dark currants, mocha, spice. Dark ruby red color. Beautiful on the palate, truly singing after a small decant, solid backbone and structure, medium to full bodied, finishes long, sexy and chocolatey. Truly hedonistic.
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Impressively dark in colour. Gorgeous nose with notes of cassis, tobacco, cedar, spice. Generous and ripe on the palate, lots of fruit, some minerality, very good length. A little drying and tired especially towards the finish, still an excellent bottle. 91-93
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Lovely ruby core fading to a large garnet rim. Dense tobacco and leather-lined cedar box nose. Slight green notes but mostly heading toward tertiary aromas. The palate is still rich and ripe, not much acidity but the tannins are balanced and subtle. Really good long length. Drinking beautifully, 1 hour in decanter before serving. I think this wine will still improve in the next few years.
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George's 60th Birthday: Having had this wine many times before, this wine has only recently come into its drinking window. My first three tasting experiences it was a youthful beast and tough as nails. However, my last few tasting experiences it is opening up beautifully. If you love great Pauillac wines from a great producer in a great vintage, this is worth every penny. Delicious! This had been decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption.
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Chicago Wine Flock...Don Serving So Many Great Blind Wines/Flights (Park Ridge, IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Lynch-Bages/ Togni flight. An odd bottle that seemed inconsistent with the flight, and very inconsistent with previous bottles. Similar profile to the 1986 and 1988 in the first two glasses, just so much lighter and thinner, with a slightly bitter finish. My least favorite wine of the flight, group's #7. Clearly a shadow of what this wine can be.
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In excellent shape, silky, smooth, smokey, medium body, still some dark fruit and soft leather; tannins resolving but still present; great with porterhouse steak.
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Farewell Filippo, Il Duomo table (La Trompette, London): Deep ruby with a splodge of garnet. Rich nose but a touch of green on the nose in an 85 rather than 89 mould. Fresh. Sweet-fruited with a touch of green pepper. Sweet, long, cedary. Classic left bank claret. Really super. *****
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Had the privilege of tasting this at a party - tasted it too late into the session after far too many Volnay and VR's - a guest who jumped straight to the Lynch Bages (and who left early) was very pleased. In short, as with other recent reviews, plenty of time left for this classic. Will try again in a few years after this beaute is 30+
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Krug and Dom Perignon Dinner, with Bonus Wines (The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Great aromatic start with black plum and currant, rich without seeming too ripe. Cigarbox and cassis notes as well. Great nose is followed by good flavors that are quite similar and enticingly complex, just perhaps not quite as long as a few great bottles from the past few years, since this wine has emerged from its long (15+ year?) post-release dormancy.
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This has actually improved again. It is nudging perfection. From the sublime nose of blackcurrent and cherry through the exquisite sweetened tannin in the mouth everything is in such perfect balance, and all pervasive. The finish seemed to carry on forever. This is heaven. Do decant to enjoy fully and time spent in the glass seems to aid the aeration process. 99+
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Still purple and almost black in color. Blackberry, wet stone, grilled herbs and graphite on the nose. Needed about 2 hours in the decanter to be at its best. Tart black cherry, pomegranate, with just a hint of savory grilled beef. Moderate finish. Elegant in style.
One of my favorite left bank Bdx at this stage, another epic wine experience, 98+ you get fruit, power, pencil, saltieness, elegance, balance and at least 20 more years of fun, 98+
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Flight with 82 and 90, my beloved 89 LB, still grateful, staring to reach his drinking window, great red berries, especially cblack currant, silky and fine grained Tannins, great aciidty structure, nice Balance, still at lwast 20 years ahead, Long finish with concentrated deepness, in my Top 3 in this tasting, again ahead of 90, some People at the table preferred the next vintage, 82 was the winner overall for me
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Recent auction purchase, Decanted for 6 hours. Sampled after 2 hours and was still tight as a drum. Tasted like a new release. Shocking for a 27 year old wine. Sampled again after 4 hours and was just beginning to peak from behind the curtain but still really tight with a short finish. After 6 hours poured back in the bottle and tried again. Presto, ding, ding, ding. Finally a winner. Gorgeous fruit with a lingering finish. Great viscous mouth feel that is a real treat for the senses. As good as this was I think it will be much better in 10 years. Extended decant does not make up for graceful aging. This is a beast and will be sure to hang on to a couple to try at age 50.
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Aromas of cassis and lead pencil. Maybe just a hint of green pepper. Very classic medium to full body. Long finish but still showing tannins. No shame to drink this now but it is also a long way off from maturity.
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Very open and generous on the nose - smoke, tobacco, spices, graphite, earth and cassis. Rich on the palate, great fruit, sweet and ripe. Tannins are very much in the background, but there is still good structure and grip. Very smooth and long, maybe just a little less vibrant than my top 3 (1982, 1985, 1996) in this vertical . Drink or keep. 93-95
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Not as scintillating as the previous bottle yet still excellent. Much more linear and not as open, this bottle displayed lots of dark red fruit and flavor with excellent tannins and acidity. Held very well in the glass for a couple of hours.
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This wine really delivers after 2 hr of decanting. Truffle, earth, black fruit, red fruit, and perfume. Palate is deep and long. It has so much power with finesse. Drinking very well now with at least 10-15 years at this level.
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Incredibly well preserved, with no real bricking. Seems as though this could last another decade or so, although I doubt it will get better. Seamless, balanced and long, with fruit peaking out from behind earthy and mineral notes. Very long and pure on the finish.
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Double decanted for 90 mins or so. Rich and multi-faceted dark fruit against a background of tobacco and graphite with some softer cedar. Beautiful and ready though I think will blossom further across next 5-10 years. Compared with the 1990, this seemed better after time in the glass whereas the 90 was a little more exciting on first pour. Hard to pick a favourite between the two though *****
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Pauillac at RSJ: Dark fruited, rich nose, lots of tobacco, touch of smoke. Full bodied, rich dark fruit, soft tannins, touch of minerality, long finish. Excellent *****
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Blackberry, coal dust, beef jerky, faint licorice, and tangy acids. I very much prefer the darker character of this vintage. Benefited from 1.5 hr decant
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1989 vintage tasting of 4 Bordeaux Wines, Clinet, La Conseillante, Lynch Bages, and Meyney. Nose of cigar box, black currants, and plum, same on the palate, very tasty, subdued fruit, needs 4 more years to peak, big body, opened very slowly during the evening, small amount of soft tannins present, rich and fruity wine, mouth filling, hope you get to enjoy this wine as it ages, long, long finish. My third place and group third place.
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I can only reiterate the notes from 6 months ago. This is close to perfection. Deep scents of blackberry, red cherry and cedar are heady on the nose, whilst on the palate there is a perfect harmony but with just enough punch in the tannin to remind you what you are drinking. The depth of flavour is phenomenal with an intense and long finish. At present it is outperforming the 1990 and should stay at this level for many years to come. A few hours in the decanter is recommended.
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After two hour decant, this clearly needed at least six more hours. While drinking well after 2-4 hours, I would either decant for at least eight hours or leave them for another 7-10 years. Mild tannin, graceful, smooth, even on the palate, fruit occupies just enough of the palate so well integrated. It just seems like its on its way to something better in a decade. This will go for decades.
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A beautiful wine. Perhaps the oak seemed a bit more prominent this time around. Still excellent, but this bottle is starting to fade. One more left, which I'll drink in the next year or two.
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Needed a long decant. Still young. I'd wait 10 more years on next bottle based upon tonight. Pristinely stored, this bottle was labeled with green pepper out of the glass.
This is such a great wine. From start to finish, it's a complete experience. Beginning with the tobacco, cedar wood, cassis, and wet earth perfume, the wine is full bodied, concentrated and allows it weight to carry through to the spicy, sweet, fruit and tobacco filled finish. I am sure well stored bottles will continue evolving for another 2 decades with ease.
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Nose takes a while to open up, then blackcurrant. Lovely soft tannins, good fruit, although there are signs it's starting to recede. Lovely balance and huge length. Excellent. Drink now.
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Heritage 2016 Blind Wine Tasting Challenge - BYO Dinner (Jean Georges Steakhouse - ARIA - Las Vegas NV): Small glass, brief note. An odd wine tonight. Decanted before serving, but still shut down when first poured. Open and expressive 30 minutes later with slowly maturing black fruit, liqueur hints and great spice. Then it seemed to shut down when re-tasted an hour later. That point in the middle was consistent with other recent bottles (all showing great), but the later pour was not.
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Best Bottle Red in Lucerne without a theme (Hopfenkranz in Lucerne): This time a little bit "disappointing", one of my favorite wines ever, this time not so young and fresh as I had it 3 times before. Still a phantastic left bank Bordeaux, drank it together with Togni 1994 and "lost", no hurry, drinkable over the next ten years at least
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This is by far the best bottle of Lynch Bages of any vintage I have ever tasted, including previous bottles of this vintage. (This bottle was a recent purchase from WineBid.) Splendidly fragrant, full of dark berry and black licorice. Opulent, intense, energetic. Tender tannins, juicy acidity. I would never guess Pauillac, though; if that is a criticism, I can live with it.
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A slightly more advanced bottle than most. Deep and dark fruit, damp soil tones, coal dust and hints of white and black pepper. Consistent and very good.
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In a different spot from 5 yrs ago. Too tannic to enjoy right now. Needs atleast 5 years to soften or a long decant. It held its own against the Roasted Elk with Bordeaux Rouge Reduction. Still an impressive wine.
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Outstanding wine clearly showcasing why in some many instances I prefer 89 to 90 as a vintage. Decanted and aerated for 90 minutes than drank over an hour or so. Deep ruby red, some bricking at the rim, sweet nose of cassis, spicy black currants, old leather, cigar box and graphite fully reflected on the palate. Secondary aromas emerging with the wine approaching full maturity, glycerin like entry on the palate, precision and complexity characterize this beautiful full bodied wine, with perfect balance, structure and acidity. Finishes long with resolved tannins. Delicious.
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Very young bottle, that should not have been opened for at least ten years. Good substance here and a lot of upside. Red and black fruit, light spice, emerging soil and rocky notes, faint white pepper and light coal dust. This should evolve into something great. 93+
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Perfect level. Opague deep garnet with pale rim. Decanted for 45 mins. Strong nose of white floral, dried violet, mandarin peel, ink, cedar, clean earth, some autumn leave, elegant oak, hints of vanilla and savoury. Complex and changing aroma. Medium body, light weight but powerful mid palate. On palate it delievers more ripe and bright black and red fruits, leather, licorice, black tea. Layered, round and ripe, soft noticeable tannins. Very long. Not much Tertiary now and still a bit tannic, been well developing for almost 3 decades, will effortlessly further develop for 10 years and last for maybe another 2 decades given a good condition bottle.
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I always love drinking this wine, and have had four bottles over the past year. They have all been slightly different, but equally outstanding. This bottle was no exception. Very young in color. A lovely nose of cassis, leather, mint, tobacco, cedar, and anise. The fruit is very ripe. Very smooth on the palate, with silky smooth tannins. Acidity is in perfect balance. The finish is so long and elegant. Every time I drink this wine, I buy more, which should tell you just how great this wine is.
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66x Parker 100-Pointers from Bordeaux 1947-2010 tasted blind (Switzerland): Our host decided to include this wine as a “99+ point pirate” to even out the flights of the 80/90ies vintages. Tasted blind. Medium garnet. Expressive nose of blue fruit, licorice, pine. Very aristocratic and deep. Good density in the mid mouth, soft and ripe tannins with excellent length. It was early in the evening so I only gave a stingy 97 to keep some of my powder dry. I recall drinking this wine 5 years ago from a DMG and it was a smash hit as well. Kudos to Robert Parker to having seen it first and having had the courage to give this mid-tier Grand Cru 99+ points back then. Consistent with my tasting note of a DMG a few years back. Group score: 18.00
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Deep rich garnet color w/strong legs. Nice round tannic nose that does not overpower. After decanting / color darkened to dark leather & nose was much bigger but still very seductive. Full flavor of leather w/great finish. Great wine
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Tasted this bottle with a good friend who loves Bordeaux. Decanted 2 hours. Deep purple, graphite, cedar, great bouquet, balanced, noticeable tannin's. Only the finish was disappointing. But wait - next day re-tasted and dramatic improvement. Maybe it was the taster? Bottom line - still a little young for me. Will I live long enough to see this wine pull it all together?
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Deep and dark, but not at all brooding as it is able to successfully pair rose petals, fresh blackberry and fine acid with the darker elements. Such a compelling vintage of Lynch Bages. Drinking well now but has multiple levels of evolution yet to go and will live a long time
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Decanted for 2 hours. Lovely nose with truffle, licorice, soil, graphite, tobacco and black fruit. Palate was very powerful and complex with excellent length. Still young.
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Decanted 45 minutes. This was wonderful. Dark, brooding color - no way you would guess its age. Dark fruits and forest on the nose, big but balanced on the entry, and a nice finish that still shows a little tannin but enjoyable and will probably get better. A-/A
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Phenomenal wine. This has it all: perfect structure, youthful vibrant fruit, beautiful secondary and tertiary nuances, body and length. Just drinking beautifully right now.
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To celebrate a friend's birthday, we opened this bottle from the year of his birth. Even though it was decanted, it needed several more hours than we gave it. The wine was still very dark and could have passed for a much younger one. Good brambly fruit combined with some of the leathery notes good Pauillac can exhibit, but I fear we drank this one too soon--even at age 27. Combined with moderate alcohol of 12.5%, this reminds me of how wines used to be made. A lovely drink, but will continue to improve and hold its quality for years.
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This is fantastic. Gentle sweet berry fruit off set with dark licorice and lead tannins. Fabulous with a filet. The only short coming is a slightly truncated mid-palate, but who cares? This is delish.
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Did not need much air to open up. Knockout aromas of dark fruit, cedar, and graphite. Huge power on palate, with energetic acidity and fine tannin. Quite dark in glass. This wine should last forever. Supremely elegant and seamless.
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Close to perfection. Now fully mature this wine is bursting with fruit but in total harmony with subtle tannins. A long lingering finish. The only flaw is a slight lingering residual bitterness. This the best Lynch Bages I have tasted.
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Outstanding and very complex at this stage, both on the nose and on the palate. The wine was still vibrant and delicious the next day. See previous notes.
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Part of the 1989 Bdx tasting by the Seattle CT group. Double decanted about 4 hours prior to tasting by Skifree. This showed well, but not as well as my previous bottle and not as well as some of the others reflected in the tasting notes here. This was very complex -- nose of black fruit, tar, and the smokiness of earl grey. Not much of an attack, but then jumps with flavor at the mid palate then retreats. Dusty and mouth coating tannins suggest this has lots of time ahead of it. This was my sixth wine, and the group's eighth (out of 10). My suspicion is that it needs more time.
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Tasted as part of the CT Seattle '89 Bdx blind tasting. Bottle did not show that well; lots of black fruits but fairly simple compared to the '89 Figeac that proceeded it. My 7th out of 10 in the tasting. Had double decanted 4 hours prior to trying.
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Another great 89 LB. bottles are showing fantastically, paired with a tasting menu and it worked across a variety of dishes given how complex it's gotten. Changed significantly over the course of a 3 hour meal. Decanted at restaurant for about an hour before drinking
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Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Upon decanting classic Bordeaux color of rich garnet & leather. Excellent firm nose of rich leather. Firm tannins that don't overpower but provided an excellent finish. Full flavor of dried plums that held thru the complete bottle. This is an excellent wine so decant & enjoy
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Graphite, lead pencil, smoked meats, completely integrated, easily topped the 1990 again. This is the best showing I have seen for both vintages. Wine of the night
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Consistent notes. Showing beautifully. Deep ruby colour, with hints of bricking. Gorgeous. Beautiful rendition of great Pauillac from a terrific year. Cedar, black fruits, cigar box, lead pencil, spice aromas; impeccable balance on the palate. Drinking now.
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Lynch Bages dinner at RPM Steak (Chicago, IL): Along with the 1985, this would be my wine of the night. The nose is a touch muted, but shows a herbal/eucalyptus quality backed by a massive wall of sweet black fruit. The palate blows you away with incredible power. Lots of fruit. The acidity just manages to balance this behemoth out. The punch that this packs is just amazing, and although this is accessible and delicious now, I bet that this will only get better with time, especially when it starts picking up a few secondary characteristics.
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Perfect cork, decanted for just 30 minutes as this was a last minute selection. Not to worry as the wine is fully mature, cedar nose, a bit of bricking at the rim. Very elegant with a long finish. Fortunate to have one more bottle.
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Decanted about 3-4 hours before tasting. What a lovely wine. It seems ridiculous to say this but I think this needs more time in the bottle. The color is bright and lively and dense, with only slight bricking. Nice complex nose of roasted root vegetables, leather, red fruits, and other lovely aromas. The palate is smooth, rich and complex – rounded red fruits (currants), plums, leather, pencil lead. The finish is pretty long, though there is a very slight tartness or bitterness. Still some strong tannins, suggesting this will last for the long haul. This just tastes young and even a bit closed to me. Notwithstanding, we finished the bottle in one night….. 94+
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1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. Very intense nose with a slight kerosene note although not too distracting. More structure and tannins than the 90 but not as expressive.
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Decanted and pour back into the rinsed bottle two hours before re-opening. Improved and opened up over the next two hours. Classic Lynch Bages “dust”, bright red fruit and savory spice. Hard to believe this was almost 27 years’ old, tasted very young and fresh – simply stunning.
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1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston, IL): Medium ruby with some browning on the edge. Sneaky nose doesn't have the full out power of others on the table tonight but has great depth and complexity with red fruit, tobacco leaf, cigar box and bell pepper. Wow, wow, wow in the mouth with incredibly youthful and bright fruit that has a polish and vibrance that defies it's 25+ years of age. Delicious and with upside.
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1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): Great combination of black plum, liqueur, cigarbox and espresso. A powerhouse that has really come around after years of being backward and firm, but now balanced and super elegant. Really great, with plenty of life going forward.
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Ripe fruit, light savory spice. This bottle came off as quite young. Some white pepper on the nose with hints of dry herbs and earth but the secondary characteristics had not yet fully developed in this bottle. Smooth mouthfeel with just a slight grippiness at the end. Long finish. I clearly prefer this to the 90 at this point. 1 hour decant and consumed over two hours. Upside potential for this over at least 5-10 years
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Super Pauillac nose, earthy, black fruit, cedar; great grip, super length ++; tasted with 89 Haut-Brion and 89 Cos; the clear winner. At its peak-it's decline will be long and gentle. Sadly, only one bottle left.
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Decanted for three hours. What shall I say, 4th time in the last 9 months, again great. Typical Paulliac nose, black currant, cedar, pencil, still very young, the fruity side is dominating, really fresh, ripe tannins giving a great structure and backbone. very long finish. I'm sure in a few years it will reach the top points, 98-99 this time. For me the best bordeaux value in this class
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Birthday dinner. 2 1/2 hr decant. Creme de cassis on the nose. Classic Pauilliac on the palate, creme de cassis, cedar, oak. 60 second finish. I thought just a snick below the '89 Montrose, which I gave a 97. But others thought the opposite.
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A great example of a mature Lynch Bages with strong fruit and yet a solid backbone of tannins and acidity. It is no where near mature yet...could continue to get better for another decade or more
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Deep purple color, big nose of cedar and dark fruit. The tannins are totally smooth but the wine still tastes young with excellent fruit and a long smokey aftertaste.
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Stunning wine, flirting with perfection, everything a mature Pauillac should evoke. Youthful color, nose of leather, cassis, blackberries, currants, pepper, graphite, full bodied, coats the palate with a mosaic of fruit, multiple layers of complexity yet very precise delineation, excellent backbone and acidity signaling a long life ahead for this amazing vintage and a long complex finish with a lift and a note of cocoa. Flabbergasting!
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1.Flight Latour 1990 MG vs Lynch Bages 1989 MG 2 Flight La Mission Haut Brion 1989 vs Haut Brion 1989 3.Flight Mouton 1982 vs Latour 1982 MG 4 Flight Mouton 1986 vs Lafite 1986
opened 24hours, tastes younger than Latour 1990, again a giant as 6 months before, powerful tannin structure, typical pencil tip from Pauillac, licorice, underwood, pure cassis, espresso powder, minimal tertiary notes, this is a bargain compared to all other bottles, 99+, at least 30 years ahead from MG
Absolutely amazing. We let it breath for 7.5 hours. Powerful and expressive wine - everything you could ask for in a Pauillac. Even let junior have a small glass to help him understand why we have a cellar and what great wine tastes like. It's still really youthful. We'll probably wait another five years to pop the next cork.
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Decanted and opened up nicely after 30+ minutes. Complex nose and palate. Good fruit still, but also some tertiary characteristics. I'd say this is at peak or at least on peak drinking plateau, but with at least several more years f enjoyment left.
A real treat. At Bernard's Inn, sadly their last bottle.
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Deep red with only lighter rim but no bricking. Nose of lead pencil, cedar, autumn leaves, mushroom, good structure. Surprisingly smooth on palate, mildly sweet black currant, light bitterness from tannin but not harsh by any standard, dark berries, perfect acidity which is hidden deep behind. Lynch Bages seldom disappoints.
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The Godfather Turns Sixty: Go Big or Go Home - Rousseau, Margaux, Lynch, a Trio '02 Champagnes and More! (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for about 7.5hrs, drank a 70ml pour over 90 minutes. I won't try to sugar coat this....this is one great wine. I could not stop sniffing the glorious perfume of fruit that wafts forth from the glass. What incredible purity to the fruit on the nose, a high toned mix of black and blue fruits, amazing blueberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, and creme de cassis along with graphite, and sweet tannins. The palate almost makes you want to cry, the purity is again impressive, so pretty, silky doesn't do it justice, seamless and balanced, sexy. My WOTN by a hair over the '85 Margaux and '01 Rousseau Clos de Beze.
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Lived up to its reputation, in a big way. Followed its evolution over 5 hours, and it honestly just kept getting better. Very young in color and a very clean nose, with no initial funk. An amazing nose of cassis, leather, mint, exotic spiciness, and anise. Lots of fruit here. Very smooth on the palate, with well-balanced tannins. Acidity is also in perfect balance. The finish is memorable, and just kept lingering. The nose and finish propel this wine to 'special' status. This wine should drink well for several decades.
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Showing beautifully. Deep ruby colour, with hints of bricking. Gorgeous. Beautiful rendition of great Pauillac from a terrific year. Cedar, black fruits, cigar box, lead pencil, spice aromas; impeccable balance on the palate. Drinking now.
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Mike and Mel in town. Again color defies it's age. Mike and I used to drink a ton of Bordeaux and we were very impressed with how youthful the wine was. Cassis and a mix of red fruit with a touch of earth. Really needed something fatty to eat. Give a few more years. Purchased from HDH.
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Nose shows super-reduced, stewed fruit: blackberry, blueberry, rhubarb, beetroot, and sweaty saddle. Beautiful structure: hard and spiky on the entry, yet softening in the mouth. Hairy tannin over strong acidity, with flavours of graphite, saddle leather, blackberry, star anise, smoky oak, and lemon peel. Intensely tannic, yet super-open and drinkable.
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We drank this yesterday evening along side a Chateau Margaux 82. Crimson red in colour showing its youthfulness despite being 26 years old. On the nose a blend of dried red and black fruits, hints of wood. Lovely on the palate, well balanced. Very good length. A complete wine.
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I'm going to go out on a lim here and score this wine a perfect 100! Surprised nobody else has. Decanted and drank over two hours. Cork in perfect state, fully soaked and fragrant after a week. Open from the outset but kept getting better and more complex as the evening wore off. Crimson color, hardly any signs of aging, this is better than most of the 89s I've had to date. Open nose of mature black and red berries, hints of licorice and spices that I have found on some left bank 89 bordeaux, graphite and forest floor. On the palate, amazingly velvety but powerful entry, rich on the mid palate with the perfect intermingling of balance, complexity and weight one expects from a top class mature wine, very long mocha tinged finish but this wine still has a long life ahead although from this bottle I believe it has reached its maturity. Simply flabbergasting wine from one of my favorite all time vintages.
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Very deep, dark red. Touch of an earthy note. Decanted 4-5 hours. I will decant the next bottle a little longer. A real crowd pleaser at a dinner party.
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Purchased off the list of our favorite secret seaside joint. They've raised the price but still a relative bargain for $265 on a restaurant list. This was purchased on release and stored in a temp controlled cellar since. Fill still into the neck. Cork wet about 1/2 way up.
Pop 'n pour. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim, no bricking. Effusive nose of cassis, tar, fresh earth and cigar box immediately erupt from the glass. Full body, lush, dense and concentrated with ripe fruit mixed with great complexity, beautiful balance and lingering long finish. Still has many years ahead. Outstanding-extraordinary.
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An outstanding bordeaux with layer of dense fruit, soft integrated tannins and a very long finish (60+ seconds). Paired beautifully with bone-in ribeye steaks on the grille. This wine is approaching maturity yet is still youthful in some ways. I'm in no rush to drink the remaining 11 bottles.
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We loved this wine, so much, that we squeezed it over two meals. A lunch of lamb stew, just perfect, and a dinner of poached salmon with fresh spinach and tomato salad. It went great with both. On opening it needed time to breath, but within five to ten minutes, overtones of pencil dissipated to lovely fruit. An amazing wine after 26 years.
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double decanted for 4 hours from a perfect cellared bottle, you could do it for 10 hours or more, I fall in love with this wine, "won" against Numanthia 2004 and La Nieta 2004 (I know you can't compare them) but this wine was amazing, unbelievable fresh black currant in the nose, that let you think it is a 2010 wine, licorice in a decent way, some pencil, graphite, tar, ripe tannins with strong skeleton, brutal long finish, aging potential 30 years plus, will buy again a bottle , next time maybe 100, Danke Thomas
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Fabulous nose full of cassis, tobacco, cedar, earth and hint of violets. On the palate the tannins are still firm but exceptional with a long finish. If this was tasted blind I would have never guessed this was 26 years old. Excellent juice. Can't wait to open another.
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Older Bordeaux Tasting (Dan's Place): Deep, dark ruby with firm color throughout. Somewhat restrained but deep fruit with ample tannins and acidity for further aging. Needs air at this point; opens with 30+ minutes in the glass (bottle was double decanted). Very fine. Suggest 3-5+ more years at least.
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End of year Friday lunch with Joe and Fern at Htons. unfortunately I had no time to decant this in advance as I was running late. first sip was at cave's temp. 55 F. As expected nose and the first taste was quite closed; it took around two hrs to start opening up and I think it needed more. Great stuff no rush, there are fine unresolved tannins and plenty of fruit to go for another decade.
Deep purple with no rust on the rim. sweet and full of dark berries yet also soft tannins. if anything this only lacks a touch of acid. drinking beautifully with a ways to go - 2025?
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Opened a few hours prior to serving. Poured a deep, dark red with some aging at the rim. Beautiful nose of saddle leather, garrigue, subtle oak spice, and fruit leather. Amazing aromas wafted out of the glass. With air, some dark soil and licorice also emerged. On the palate it's rich and mouth-coating while still retaining perfectly integrated tannins. Similar notes to the bouquet come out, with a gorgeous black cherry and mocha thing at center stage. Good minerality and hints of blackberry, fennel, and hoisin also come in to play especially on the finish. A marvelous wine that seems to be in a wonderful place right now.
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Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Explosive nose of cassis, crushed blackberries, ink, licorice, strong lead pencil and bell pepper, exotic dark spices and earth. Exceptional concentration, intense dark fruit and sweet dark spice driven palate impression, dense chewy yet silky palate, nicely integrated tannins and intense long dark fruit driven finish. Extremely youthful but overabundant intense dark sweet fruit makes this wine very enjoyable. As Bob like to say this is a tour de force. Although extremely enjoyable and incredibly impressive, the overall expression is not terribly complex hence my rating of only 96 pts.
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Rosemary, vanilla and cedar. Tart cherry, earthy, dusty. Past its prime IMO, but still a nice wine. Did enjoy, should have drank 5 years ago for my tastes.
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Much like 4 years ago (Papies Rated 94) this wine really took its time to open up and develop. A good 3 hours from decanting till it became the wine we hoped this would be. Still feels tight though and dare we say young. Post the opening up, it had a solid core of dark fruits, light herby, light leather. Mostly primary thans econdary. On the palate the tannins were still firm, and aggressive at times by t becoame more and more round and the wine gained an elegance only classic bdx can deliver. A gem albeit still a very young one. 94-95 and no need to rush here.
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Brilliant! The wine was in pristine condition. Perfect cork and ullage. Dark, with hints of garnet--looking quite youthful. Allowed the wine to slow-ox for several hours, and then decanted an hour before drinking. A brilliant example of Pauillac. Cedar, cigar box, lead pencil, black fruits. Rich, sweet fruit, balanced with soft tannins and lovely acidity. The wine took on weight in the glass, and got better and better with time. Drink now or hold for easily 10 more years.
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Decanted a couple of hours. This was the first 'off' bottle I've encountered. Not corked, but not expressive on nose. The palate, while balanced, lacked all charm and complexity.
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Bordeaux Wimps (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet, minimal rim. Brooding, slightly beefy nose, quite youthful still, powerful with firm but fine tannins, quite generously layered, gravelly minerals, very long finish. Excellent. ****1/2.
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Tannins still rippin' fruit still singing. Dark ink. Fruit flavor profile leans toward sweet cranberry, cassis, black currrant, some prune. Little bit of tar.
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Big, concentrated, light in its feet, with layers of vibrant, lively, cassis, and blackberries, the tobacco, cigar box, cedar and forest floor add to the wines complexity. Great texture, length and character, this is stunning and should continue to get better and better for at least another decade or two.
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Drank the 89 and 90 Lynch Bages side by side. They both were very good, and for a while it was hard to pick a preference. But in the end, the 89 was the unanimous pick.
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1989 Dinner (Ad Hoc): Drank over 3 hours. This did not impress me as much as the bottle we had last year. The dark and red fruit on the palate seemed a bit muddled and the finish was short. Nice, but not as balanced or concentrated as prior examples.
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Opened after flawed bottle of same wine. This was fine with wine only at base of cork. Good, classic bordeaux, high on "complexity," less so on fruit. If fruit continues to fade, this many not have much life left.
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Drank this bottle at a small tasting. I had owned this bottle since initial release and it had been reasonably well stored (not a refrigerated environment). The bottle was properly decanted and then allowed to sit. The aroma was good but tight initially. The color was still dark. The wine had good fruit and structure and was in good shape for its age. We were also tasting some older California Cabernet Sauvignons and it was very clear that this wine was French Bordeaux in comparison.
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This was presented blind alongside 1989 Vieux Chateau Certan in an attempt to recreate a tasting a few years ago in which one of our group who insists that the '89 Lynch is the best Bdx since 1961 embarrassingly picked a VCC over it. Tasters knew only that they were both Bdx from the '80s.
Purchased on release and kept in temp controlled storage since. Perfect fill into neck, perfect cork. Dark red core with minimal lightening, much darker than the VCC. Fairly closed nose at first but eventually opens (wine was opened 2 hours before tasting and a few ounces poured off, but not decanted). Full body, nice balance, but still young and not showing great complexity yet.
This wine was bested by the 1989 VCC, which received 8/12 votes. Our Lynch fan voted for the Lynch and guessed it to be the '88.
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Drank this side by side with a 1989 Clerc Milon. Neither bottle was decanted but both were given plenty of time to evolve. Both wines were quite good, but decidedly different. The Clerc Milon had amazing fruit aroma right from the moment the cork was pulled. It exhibited a lot of balance between fruit and structure. The Lynch Bages exhibited a more mature fruit profile along with mushrooms, forest floor and tannins. overall the Clerc milon was the most enjoyable. Its depth of fruit was remarkable for its age.
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Super Bowl 2014 (Roswell, GA): Very dark red with some clarity and a crimson rim; cigar, incense, raw meat, rotting vegetables, so complex, caramel, iron; lusher on palate, sexy, red fruit, still tannin on finish, seemingly Burgundian; good structure but probably drinking in its prime which it should continue for a while; have noticed some bottle variation, this is probably the 2nd best example though all the bottles have had very different qualities.
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Good color still, ready to drink. Definitely no longer youthful. I wish I had drunk this wine earlier when it just would blow me away. Had with rack of lamb. Again some leather was evident. It was very nice
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WOW!! Massive, deep, and brooding. No hard edges, and depths of flavor. Plenty of tannins remain, indicating, as others have observed, that it has years of life ahead of it.
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I refuse to rate this numerically, if only out of complete respect. Huge LB fan. This wine - quite obviously one of the very best LB vintages - is still an infant. This bottle has been stored since release by a devoted owner, and it was decanted for most of the day leading up to the evening tasting. Seemingly black in color, just a monster, and still absolutely nowhere near ready to show its very best stuff. Be patient and wait at least another decade before starting to pop 89 LB corks. This includes you, Nortonnose - WAIT!
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Tremendous nose, all the classics! Wonderful powerful initial taste soft tannins that bites on the midpalate and quickly hand over to rhum raisins and long fine aftertaste of cedar wood. Impeccable. Best bordeaux ever! (For me) 97 p. Aftertaste could be larger but i am not sure that i would have appreciated that.
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still very deep. Nose fine woven tannins cedar and balck fruits. Fine balance. Precise and powerful on palate with great minerality and compexity. Great drive and finish. Still very young but drinking.
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From 375. I'm not sure this was a correct bottle, despite a fill into the neck, spinning capsule, and clean cork. The fruit had a roasted or stewed flavor to it that I usually associate with excessive exposure to oxygen. Interestingly, when paired with salty dishes this character stopped being a distraction and this became a pleasant, cedar-heavy Bordeaux--but after a big glass of water it always came back. This is the second time '89 Lynch has failed to wow me, however, so I don't think I'll go back for a third helping.
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Popped, decanted 45 minutes, consumed over next 90 minutes. Wonderful aromatics, I could smell it from 6 feet away. Started out nicely and just kept improving. Just beginning to reveal some tertiary development. Just a really complete, complex, satisfying Pauillac that feels like it still has more nuance to reveal with further aging. Fabulous with grilled lamb.
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Aged Bordeaux (Restaurant St. Jack): A little brett on the nose, that then turned to lots of brett. Where sometimes brett can add character, I just felt it distracting here, covering up the desirable aromas. Initially some slightly overly ripe red berries, but then this shut down hard with tight gripping tannins. Hold for sure.
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Older Bordeaux at St. Jack: Quite bretty on the nose... just filthy. None of this really comes through on the palate, though, which shows pleasant balance of tar, plenty of tannins, but still a textural softness that's pleasant. Overall though it is acting a bit tight, and as it sat in the glass it just began getting tighter and tighter. With food it strangely seemed to close down. On the finish, there was initially an eruption of fantastic blueberries, tannins, and sweet gravel and spice. My first sip of this was the best, and then it just continued to close down and decline in enjoyment.
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This wine was a moving target while it was open. It showed nicely for about 30 minutes before it shut down hard. The nose initially showed light brett, bright cherries, graphite, sun-dried tomato and herbs. The palate shows good balance and intensity with red and dark fruits, mineral, cedar and graphite. I thought this seemed a bit young but most at the table thought this wine was ready to go. To be honest this bottle was a bit underwhelming, at least from reading CT notes I thought this would be wonderful since I know the provenance on this bottle to be good. Oh well, you can't win them all.
This was a wonderful bottle of wine that is really coming into its' own right now. Great fruit and very soft tannins. I had this at the Commanderie de Bordeaux's Fall Parlement at the Four Seasons and this was my favorite wine of the 2nd Flight ('89 Leoville Las Cases was 2nd favorite and '89 Pichon Lalande from an Imperial Bottle was a distant third). I will certainly seek out more of this wine for down the road!
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Wow! What a wine this is. Simply lovely. Cabernet Franc nose, with dry herbs ,grass and gravel and dry cigarbox, leather and the finest tobacco. Dry medium tannins for that perfect structure and balance, with quite fat cassis fruit and earthiness, balanced with acidity and a little streak of pepper on the long and complex finish. Stunning Bordeaux that really sings now. Great stuff, and my wine of the night!
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Excellent ruby color with just the slightest fading on the rim. Incredible nose of blackberry fruit and graphite minerals along with notes of tobacco and roasted nuts. Classic claret with a real steal-like cut but with plenty of richness. The flavor is distinctly influenced by the graphite minerals along with dried black and red fruits and the finish is firm with lovely complex notes of Asian spices, mint and more minerals. A perfect bottle of this wine which is still young but just starting to show its secondary nuances. I'm a huge fan of Lynch Bages and to me this is the best vintage ever for them. 96+
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With great anticipation we opened this wine with venison stroganoff. Sadly, it wasn't up to the challenge. It had an interesting nose of white pepper and lite chocolate, but the mid-palate was slim and there just wasn't much left of the finish. Deinitely missing complexity unlike so many other bottles of Lynch we have enjoyed. I will drink my last bottle shortly. Older is not better in this case.
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A brilliant example of great Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows little age, but the complexity and balance are there. This wine will go for another 10 years. A brilliant wine. Bravo!
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So disappointing. Tasted as part of a mini-vertical with the 90 Lynch Bages. Nothing flawed about the bottle but the nose misleads one to thinking that the wine will show well. Unfortunately there is nothing there. It was thin and faded. Equally dissapointing that the 90 didn't show well either.
Cork 95% soaked but no leakage at top. Mature deep garnet core, medium pale garnet rim with a mahognay tint. Nose shows meaty blackcurrant fruit, some cedar and gravel - brooding and powerful. Palate is medium/full bodied with rich, meaty, leathery black fruits, cedar, intense and rich but with good balancing acidity. The tannins are fine but still perciptible under the generously layered fruit and the wine has a long finish. Excellent, drinking well.
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Hearts Delight Collectors Dinner: I am not sure if this was just a bad bottle or if they are all currently in this state. Definite prune in the nose and on the palate. Seems to have softened too quickly and is thinning too quickly?
A trio of 90 Latour, 82 Haut Brion, and 89 Lynch Bages. All were great, but the 90 Latour was head and shoulders above the others in this flight. The Latour had depth, and focus, and is likely still on its upside trajectory. The 89 Lynch was very good, and is a wine I love, but it couldn't match up. This bottle of 82 Haut Brion was good, but I've had much better bottles over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, I do think 82 first growths are past their prime (even the HB) and encourage drinking them sooner rather than later.
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After 4 hours in the decanter, this was showing great balance, fruit, tannin and acidity. Drank with 1990 La Mouline, 1994 Dunn Howell Mountain and 1991 Dominus.
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Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting (Zurich): Deep red. Nose of leather, smoke and espresso with lots of berries and plums. Nice sweetness in the finish. All elegant but the only negative I felt is that the wine was a bit rustic. I feel here the potential for 1-2 additional points in 5 years of time. Wonderful Lynch Bages at par with the Premier Crus from the Medoc. Drink to 2030.
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Dinner at the White House (Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): Decanted for several hours. Dense, ruby-red colour that is just lightening at the edges. Nose is classic Pauillac cedar and cassis with a fantastic vanilla-driven oak tone at the back. Palate is immediately rounded, very rich cassis fruit, low acidity then a huge wave of resonance and reverberence on the back end. The previous bottle drank from the same case eight months ago had an unexpected Pomerol-like softness to it but this particular bottle was more the Californian end of Bordeaux (that rich fruit)......wonderful, but a bit lacking in complexity for me....a supercar that doesn't have that much roadfeel through the steering wheel. Actually, a glass kept for the end of the evening showed that there is a lot more tannic structure here than was apparent earlier, which bodes well for improving in its next decade. For me, it was significantly outclassed by the Grange 1993 that followed.
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94 Mondavi (97), 89 Lynch Bages (97), 07 O'Shaunessy (94), 04 Bressler (93). All were great. Bressler probably needed a little more time to open up. Mondavi and Lynch stole the show by far.
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I had this wine three years ago from a double Magnum and it was amazing. Very aromatic with black fruits, soft tannins and earthy Pauillac notes, 98 Pts. Yesterday's bottle opened during a tasting session was unfortunately oxidized.
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Terrific, classic Pauillac. Nose of cedar and graphite mixed with exotic spices. Still very firm tannins, but beginning to be approachable, much like a young California Cab, just a 23 year-old youngster. Sophisticated complexity on the palate. While the tannis are big, the wine is not monolithic, it offers a sublime subtlety and long finish with overtones of red fruit and cassis to blend with the leathery lead pencil. Softer than the 86s and simply a great wine, maybe as some have suggested, best ever for Lynch.
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Sunday Night Wines: Dark as a night, almost that is. At first (it was quite cold and popped and poured), almost shy, linear and elegant. After almost 1 hour it changed and became a much more powerful and complex wine. Again after 2-3 hours it changed once more; gained even more weight. Very clean fruit, long and balanced (not at all over extracted or over the top), structured, wonderful finish. WOTN
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Wines like this make purchasing futures (with self control!) look good. Opened it because the ullage was low. The cork was soaked, but the wine was ... really fine. Classic Pauillac, still youthful, with black fruits/funk/and forest - floral on the finish. Easy match with grilled lamb.
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The most extraordinary wine we have ever drunk. We have a 1990 and are excited for just the right day to drink it. Drink with love and care! This wine has aged beautifully.
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Leo Turns 60! (It's Greek To Me): This showed as extremely youthful. The nose was reserved/stern with dark fruit and a hint of VA. The taste was excellent, but compact and tannic. Flavors lingered nicely on the finish. Based on this bottle I'd say these need another 5-10 years (which I find surprising).
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Still very young and primary, it had a big whack of cedar and pencil lead in the nose. Not a lot of Bordeaux character in it yet, so perhaps it needs another decade or so to come into its own.
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Strong, powerful, muscular wine. Lots of iron, mineral, leather with a hint of light flowers. This bottle seems very young and less developed than past bottles I've had. Hard to believe it's 23 years old. Black, deep, smokey core with fine herbal tannins. This bottle was all about power. And an amazing power it is. A-
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bit of a disappointment..Classic pauillac, cedar and black fruits and a bit of anise but closed up. Decanted, proper glasses but it just didn't come alive
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All Five First Growths Tasting (Kevin's (Minneapolis)): Wow wine! Darkest wine of the night. Fragrant wine with tar, forest floor, charcoal, woode and a rustic edge. Long finish and concentrated. No flaws here and still young. 30 plus years left on this wine.
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Big Bordeaux IV: All 5 First Growths (including '96 Margaux, '95 Mouton and Latour, plus '89 Lynch Bages and more) (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple color. Decanted for 6 hrs, drank 1 glass over 2+hrs. This was another stunning wine with a truly complex and powerful nose and palate. A formidable wine to match against the '96 Margaux, falling just sort of matching it. The Lynch is more powerful than the Margaux, not quite showing that elegant side as much. The nose has violets, funk, creme de cassis, mulberry, spices, cedarbox. The palate is inky and dense, chewy, sweet black fruits of cassis and mulberry, richly layered fruit, graphite, oak and spice on a very long penetrating finish. The tannins are round and well integrated. Incredibly young for 23yrs old. This has a very long life ahead of it. My and group #2 WOTN with 7.5 of 10 2nd place votes.
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Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Huge nose of red and dark fruit with some coffee, leather and some mint. Huge in the mouth. This is too young. Leather, tobacco, dark fruit, mocha and a some green pepper. Lots of tannin, but they match the fruit. The finish is huge and not yet refined. Try again in a few years, this need more time but it will be worth it.
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Rupert's 89 'Super Seconds' Offline (The Medlar, London): Single blind. Darker and slightly denser. A little denser, riper and possibly a little stewed on the nose. ?A slightly off LLC? No, Bages. Develops to a slightly flabby and dry, silty disjointed wine. Some interest though. ***
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The Big Sendoff; 9/15/2012-9/16/2012 (The Home of Dave L): Just fantastic poise and polish. Expressive nose of coffee, flint, mint, leather and currants. Fantastic freshness on the palate with a dark fruit profile, but still fresh and young, even with a touch of blue fruit, mixed in with leather, cedar and spice. Long finish with some dry tannins still present, adding cedar spice, earth, mineral, coffee and currants. Great polish, poise and balance. Among a short list of the best bdx I’ve ever had. This will drink exceptionally well for the next decade. Followed over several hours without fading.
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Sunday Evening Barbeque (Friends' Rooftop, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): Three bottles decanted a couple of hours before serving. Still a deep ruby-red translucent colour.....it looks more like a 1999 than ten years older. So silky smooth.....almost remniscent of a Pomerol than of a Pauillac. Very complete and totally more-ish.
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Drank next to an 85 Margaux. The Lynch Bages was more youthful and fruit forward. Rich ruby color.
Decanted for 90 minutes and dran over two hours, kept getting better as we drank it
Nose had graphite, dark fruits, floral notes. Dark fruits on the front of the palate, 30 second finish. Very impressive wine, still has a long life ahead of it
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Maybe I'm a victim of palate fatigue after a tasting trip around Dundee, but I was a little disappointed in this wine. Beautiful balance and the aromatics were exotic, but it took a long time to develop and even then didn't blow my socks off.
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Bottled recently purchased from Chambers Street Wines in NYC and it is in perfect condition. Dark ruby murky color. Gorgeous nose of graphite, ripe black fruits, cloves and grilled nuts. Kept improving after a 3-hour decant - then classic Pauillac flavors of graphite and earthy black fruits with minerals and all-spice. The wine just flows over the tongue like liquid graphite with wonderful complex notes of grilled nuts, spice and minerals. Holy sheet this is getting really good at age 23.
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Bit od sulphur on the nose, smoked meat, mustard seed, this is a rounder plusher L-B, but the tannin makes itself known on the finish. A black-fruited wine that is longer and broader than the 1988 L-B. As the wine sits in the glass, a powerful note of beef stock emerges.
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Acker BYO - Chicago (Sepia - Chicago, IL): A serious Pauillac from beginning to end. Great graphite, earth, mineral, dark fruit and cedar on the nose. Its palate was remarkable dense and elegant featuring great dark fruit, tobacco, roasted herbs, and cedar. Could have drank this all night...just great great stuff.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988, 1989, 1990 Red Bordeaux (CinCin Restaurant): Medium red, some bricking. This was singing on the nose when I opened it at home but by the time we got to it (hour or so later) it seems less expressive (maybe because it’s now sitting beside the extremely expressive ’90). At any rate, nose offers notes of cedar, pencil lead, darker fruits and some Bordeaux funk. These characters carry onto the palate but the flavours are much more intense than the aromas are on the nose. There is a lot of structure here (most structured of the LB trio) with great acidity and solid tannins. This is full and round in the mouth and very well balanced. Dark, almost black fruits linger on the finish. This is still quite youthful and I’ll hold my remaining bottle for a least 5 years. Excellent. 92+
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Cork was nice and firm with no tainting. I poured it directly into the glass without any decanting. I have learned that the older the wine the less you want to decant it unless you want to kill it it immediately. First on the nose forest floor, pine and cedar notes hit you instantly. On the tasting a hint of dark cherry and light black pepper. Tannins and acids were well balanced. Smooth medium finish. Very drinkable but I wouldn't wait too much longer as I think this is probably at its peak. After finishing a glass it becomes floral with dark dried fruit notes. Very nice but drink now.
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Dark ruby. Still incredibly young, with only the barest hint of development. dark red and black fruits on the nose. Powerful. a touch of earth and tobacco, but really dominated by the fruit. In the mouth, still very tannic, but the tannins are ripe - they do not clip the long finish. I won't touch my remaining bottles for years.
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From a bottle purchased on release and stored in a cold cellar, the wine opened with a complex aromatic profile packed with tobacco, cigar box, cedar, black currents, blackberry, smoke, truffle and forest floor popping from the glass. On the palate, the wine full bodied and concentrated with ripe, dark berries, refined tannins and acidity. Everything is in balance and harmony. As good as this vintage of Lynch Bages is, it's still not fully mature! If you have more than a few bottles, there is no time like the present to pop one. If you have the patience to wait a decade, it's only going to get better!
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Annual NFL Draft get together with wine friends. Similar to my notes from 1/29/12. Nose has blackberry, black current, cedar, cigar box, spice, graphite. Similar flavors in the mouth, along with some chocolate. Big, powerful and concentrated in the mouth. A long and lingering finish. It was very hard for everyone to decide which wine was better tonight, this or the ‘86 Mouton. Pretty much of a tie for all.
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Rubino fitto unghia aranciata, bel naso scuro , mora ribes nero, leggera prugna, cuoio , terra, sensazioni piraziniche nel bicchiere dopo un pò che era aperto, cacao in polvere, leggero pelo bagnato. Bocca attacco scuro, cacao, tannino fitto e fine, fresco , finale lungo di caffè e cacao . Molto giovane.
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Shipped to Europe 1 month ahead of arrival. Decanted for 1 hour+ prior to consumption with friends. Every sip was smooth, perfectly aged Bordeaux. Mild old world earthiness, round tannins. Everything was subtle, though, and my tongue is not skilled in old world Bordeaux enough to appreciate the nuances. My friends that drink Bordeaux regularly 'ooo'd and ahhh'd' the entire tasting, and would have scored this 99-100. This comes from a very experienced Bordeaux connoisseur, who has 6,000 bottles in his cellar, with Mouton and Latour stacked like cords of wood. For me though, I simply knew I was drinking something smooth and old, with little jumping from the glass so I cannot justifiably score it higher.
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An incredible nose, sharp delineated and extremely complex. Young strawberries, just unripe cherries, prunes, lemon zest and marmalade. 'Glass', metal and green notes, very Cabernet. Shaved pencil, old leather and some horse stable. But also yeast (as in the air from a factory), sweet/ dust. On the powerful palate again an abundance of fruits + the green/ metal Cabernet tones. In the multiple layered finish first vanilla and medicine chest tones to be followed by chocolate dipped cherries and cake. Very Pauillac, very traditional Bordeaux, just Perfect! Drinks well now but I won't be surprised if it still further improves.
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Opened one hour but not decanted -- in the event very little deposit except a streak ingrained on inside of bottle -- overheated at some point? Level into neck. Soft cork, but true. Minimal watering at rim, no bricking. Lovely deep colour, sensational nose of blackberries & currants, pepper & tobacco; indeed (like good Burgundy) nose is so good you delay tasting the wine so as not to have to stop enjoying the nose. Lovely on the palate, beautifully rounded and balanced, very long indeed. No residual bite, fine fruit and mellow cedar. Soft tannins, fully integrated. Equally good right down to the last drop, but perhaps just a trace of hollowness in the mid-palate -- this bottle would probably not have improved any further.
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2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): From a pneumatic at Café Lavinal (owned by Bages). Not sure how recent this the bottle was opened, and it did seem to have some mild oxidation but still fresh. Very aromatic nose with ripe berries, leather, tobacco leaf and touch of soy and mint. Palate was quite ripe And forward, with just a little tannin in the background. Much more exuberant than an ’88 earlier this year. Great depth to the palate, showing the ripeness of ’89 but impressively balanced and polished. Showing plenty of mint and leather along with dark fruit profile. Long finish, with pipe tobacco , menthol, and earth. Flamboyant wine with great depth and balance.
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Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim, no bricking. Great nose of cassis with some tar and cigar box. Full body, dense and concentrated with ripe fruit nice complexity developing, great balance and medium-long finish. Manyyears ahead. Outstanding-extraordinary.
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Wine dinner at L'Etranger: Not what I expected (like other tasting notes), was not typical Bordeaux, thought it was Californian CabSav. Thick with some tobacco. With the cheeses.
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Sampled 3/23/12. Not as good as expected. The cork was ever so slightly raised but the color and nose were good. Didn't taste cooked but after a couple hours the wine started to fall off a bit after mid palate. Black fruits, tobacco notes and pencil.
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Mostly 89 Bordeaux (La Silhouette): Dark, riper and more extracted than some of the others, with a rounder and fleshier texture. I was tricked into thinking it was merlot. But the whole package was fairly unimpressive; it lacked depth and intensity. Disappointing.
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I had trouble getting a beat on this wine. It definitely had a lot of cedar and some dark fruit, but its texture somehow seemed to keep changing in the glass. There were too many other wines at the table for me to focus on it--I'd like to come back to a bottle all by itself and study it more closely.
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1.5 L bottle at the Lynch Bages tasting (12 different vintages), Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2012: rubin red color; vanilla, red and black berries, after some time tobacco and smoke; Cabernet sweetness on the palate; medium/full body; smooth, juicy texture.
Best wine of the third flight. Drinks very well at the moment.
Vintages flight III: 1989 - 1992 - 1999 - 2000
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Great stuff. Still very youthful with the fruit very fresh and rich, and some fine grained tannins lurking on the back end, but it's quite accessible now and certainly incredible to smell with a beautiful perfume combining savoury earth, tobacco, graphite and cedarwood aromas around a core of fresh dark fruits. There's a sense of richness and finesse in the mouth, superb balance and while I get the impression this still has a while ahead of it, I'm glad to have another chance to enjoy it now as it's stunning.
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I hardly have words for this. It is so beautiful! Beautiful and complex bouquet with everything you could want from a classical Bordeaux; cedar, cassis, luxurious oak, lead pencil etc. etc. The bouquet only is already amazing. On the palate full bodied and a good concentration with still a lot of cassis and soft tannin with still a promise for many years. What an amazing and luxurious great wine!
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Remarkably young appearance. Nose powerful classic Pauillac lead pencils and cedar with rich fruit behind. Secondary aromas of animal and spice after an hour. Rich ripe powerful palate but all balanced. Marvellous wine.
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feels amazing young considering it's 23 years old. there's pencil lead on the nose. big powerful fruit but also well balanced. we decanted this for an hour and then drank it over two hours, the wine only got better. Impressive juice!
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Yellowing at the rim. A deep dark red body, almost indicating a matured state. When I initially pulled the cork, it seemed like a perfume was emerging. But, this subdued with an onslaught of wonderful aromas: blackberry, cassis, cedar, cigar-box, graphite, spice - complex nose. Same flavors, along with some dark chocolate. Big, powerful, chewy and concentrated in the mouth. A long and lingering finish.Tannins are soft, but still somewhat apparent. Seems like its just beginning on its initial plateau to maturity. No rush to drink this wine. Paired very nicely with roasted leg of lamb. Score 96-97.
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89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Plump, rich nose. I love the chocolate and violets here. The palate seems much more driven by ash, smoke, minerality, though. Rich, luscious texture on the palate. I love how you can chew this without it being horrifically tannic. Overall a terrific bottle of wine and fun to drink.
5-
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The best wine in our recent 1989 Bordeaux tasting, outshining even the 1989 Cheval Blanc (which came in second). The richest wine of the evening. Youthful blueberry and cassis aromas, plus some tobacco and dark chocolate. Incredibly smooth with a long finish. Now, that I’ve tasted it again alongside the (also outstanding) Lynch-Bages 1990, I am certain that the 1989 is the better wine.
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Impressively rich and sweet with lots of bass notes but this wine was a somewhat hard "read." Some of the green pepper tang and cedar I prize so much in the 85 but this vintage is much richer and darker in every respect. Could use more time in bottle I think. Well-stored example.
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Recently we did a three format tasting of 70 Lynch Bages (750ml, magnum, double mag). All were terrific, which led to tonight's trio of Lynch Bages (70, 82, 89). All three were in pristine shape. The 70 was classic, and its impossible not to love this wine. Even perfect provenance bottles are showing their age, so time to put these in rotation if you have some. Picked #2 by the group, with one #1 vote. The 82 started slow, but in the end was perfect LB, and is at its drinking peak. Groups #1. The 89 was great, and drank exactly like this wine typically does. Thicker, richer, less silky than the 70 and even the 82. A great drink, but not yet showing the classy maturity that the 70 and 82 are. Groups #3. All were terrific, and showed why LB is such a great claret.
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Silky and sweet, surprisingly tannic and backward. Seem sto need time. Dark fruit, sweet tannins, vanilla, tobacco. Opened up after an hour with a silky texture, cedarwood, cassis.
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Pungent ripe aromas of black, red and blue fruit, truffle, tobacco, ash, cassis, earth and spice grab your attention. Powerful, full bodied, intense, balanced, refined and still youthful at close to 22 years old, this text book Pauillac continues inching closer to maturity. For years I've thought the 1990 Lynch Bages was a better wine, due to its voluptuous character, but I am slowly changing my tune with each tasting of the 1989.
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Enjoyed in a huge line-up with friends over a dinner of steak and potatos... this almost seemed like baby-killin'. No doubt a wine with both power and grace, even in a decanter for 2 hours this had a tough time unraveling and showing off. This stayed dark and mysterious the entire time, dark fruit, olives, cedar, graphite. Bright acidity, firm tannin with a dusty feel. Nice stuff but was outclassed by some of the other wines on the table.
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One of the signs of a great Bordeaux wine is its ability to age and improve for decades. Because this was so cheap on release, I'm able to taste 1989 Lynch Bages fairly often. Each time, the wine seems to improve. With a powerful, tobacco filled perfume, complicated with juicy cassis, truffle, smoke, forest floor, spice, gravel, green herbs and blackberry, this wine catches your attention. Big, dense, concentrated and still with the stuffing to age and improve, the wine has fleshed out and offers a long, pure, blackberry, cassis and spice filled finish.
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Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, florals, berries and plums. Flavors of berries, raspberries and cherries. Bright to tart acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Beautiful black/ruby color. Lovely nose of blackberries, cassis, cedar and slate minerals. Fairly full-bodied with excellent black fruit flavors and a hint of eucalyptus. The finish is gorgeously complex with a wonderful cedar/slate minerally finish. This bottle is drinking quite young as it's just beginning to show secondary flavor development and it really benefits from air. The longer I left it in the decanter, the better it got. 94+
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Couple of dinners at Troquet; 9/7/2011-9/8/2011 (Troquet - Boston MA): Perfect looking bottle, perfect fill. At Troquet in Boston. Nose was still mostly primary - plum, black cherry with traces of cedar in near background. Similar flavors with some cherry liqueur as well. Best part was great mouthfeel and texture,with its really nicely integrated tannins. Great and intense spices of roast meat. A very nuanced mid-aged Bordeaux, just entering the very early stage of its drinking window.
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The fill was well into the neck, the capsule spun freely, and the cork was pristine. Youthful purple-ruby color with no amber. Notes of cassis, blackberry and a hint of truffle and tobacco. Medium to full bodied, with a very ripe and lush personality, but with plenty of grip and structure. Having gone through almost half a case of each over the past year, I have a strong preference for the '90 Lynch Bages over the '89.
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Hurricane Irene dinner with RV at Gabrielle's. Tasted non blind with a 2000 Lynch Bages during a dinner of excellent lamb and steak. On the nose, the quintessence of Lynch Bages, with tobacco, leather, cedar and plum notes with beautiful secondary forest floor component. I am surprised by how fresh and powerful this wine remains. If this wine was a boxer it would be more Mike Tyson than Muhammad Ali - a visceral powerhouse with dark red and black fruit. Firm but well integrated tannin and a knock out right hook of minerality and earth. Long, 45+ second finish. Tasted against the 2000, there was really no contest as to which is the better wine at this point. Drinking very well now, but this wine has plenty of life left ahead of it. 94-95.
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Exquisite, complex, mature. Bottle opened for an hour but not decanted. Can't imagine that it will improve with more bottle age, but still seems to have a lot left.
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1st bottle ever of the '89 Lynch Bages....an amazing wine. This is still a baby in my opinion. The fruit was deep, rich & dark, but it was in perfect balance despite low acid levels. Big black fruit, cedar, tobacco, earth & pencil shavings. The nose was beautiful! Tannins were very well integrated. There was such tremendous depth here, many, many layers. Bottle was decanted for 2 hours upon retrieving from the cellar. Followed a '95 Cos d'Estournel & clearly outshined it. I had the '90 Lynch 3 years ago & had a similar WOW experience. These 2 vintages of Lynch are simply great!
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While I still consider myself a Bordeaux novice, this wine was unique to me in many ways. For the first time ever, I think I truly experienced what expert wine critics describe as “layers upon layers kept unfolding, the wine changed from hour to hour showing completely different tastes and smells, and finish goes on for more than a minute”. I never quite understood what these phrases meant and honestly wondered if they were more wine critic bloviating rather than a true expression of what a wine is actually like.
This wine really was an experience. It was as if this magical juice was trapped in a bottle for 20 years and wanted to announce a la Martin Luther King “I am free at last, free at least”. The ¾ oz Prime Beef Tenderloin didn’t hurt either
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped and poured. A healthy color, with some amber at the rim. Notes of black fruits, mushroom, tobacco and old barrels. Medium to full bodied, with good concentration, but lacking in terms of texture, focus and grip. I've had much better bottles; although the fill and cork were excellent, I suspect this suffered heat damage somewhere along the way.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Youthful purple-ruby color, with no signs of age; Nicole thought it was less than 10 years old! Aromas of leather, plum, and a hint of roasted fennel. Medium-bodied, with a good grip and structure, very expansive on the palate, noticeable but very ripe tannins, great depth of flavor, and a long and focused finish. As an aside, I had brought this from the home cellar in PA to the beach house in FL less than 48 hours previously, and it obviously held up quite well over the 1200+ mile journey!
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Amazing that this wine is still so thick and big after more than 20 years in the bottle. Classic Pauillac. Big, brawny, still tannic. lead pencil / cedar aromas and flavors. Nothing subtle here. Just a really well made, big Bordeaux
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Opened with huge fruit and cassis. The aroma of fruit filled the room and gave an indication of how well structured this wine is after 22 years. Because it opened so quickly, I only decanted for an hour despite reading others' comments about decanting longer. Over about three hours, the wine cycled between being closed and showing its tremedous character, but never quite hit its stride. It also showed a pepper nature. After about 3 hours, the structure began to weaken. A very good bottle of wine, with some classic Pauillac structure and tobacco flavors, but I've had better at this price point.
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30 minutes in a decanter - which is probably the issue. This started off a bit thin. It has good color for its age, and was pleasant, with no flaws, but did not show the complexity expected. After some time it really began to show off a bit, but we never left enough around to open up and show what it has. A better showing would likely happen with more time in the decanter. A-/A
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Send off dinner for Birgitte and Claus (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 4 hours (from mag). Reddish violet with some brown on edges. Dusty cassis, dark berries, truffle, cedar box on nose had everyone immediately thinking Bordeaux. I was on guard for markjanes' '89 textural issue and did note a leanness to the sweet medium intensity fruit on entry as it met acidity and ripe tannins. By midpalate the fruit is bright, layered, nearly rich and quite complex. Good finesse and complexity (dark fruit, earth, spice, textural depth). Great length, quite pure and complete. A real treat.
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Incredible what this extremly harmonious- complex Wine this LYNCH BAGES 1989 is !°°°° Such an extracted superbe stuff... like an high definition as well as an old school .. "whatever".. GREAT BORDEAUX this is !°°° Sweet and jammy like, with lots of fruit and fine notes of floral smell... like spring and summer and autumn in One Smell ! GREAT ! this is what really Bordeaux is meant for ! 99 / 100 Points !
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The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; an absolutely pristine bottle that has been very well stored. Opened about 2 hours before dinner - no decant - and consumed over the following 2 hours. A beautiful purple ruby core, with just a hint of bricking at the rim. A heavenly bouquet - very complex, outgoing, and pleasing - with notes of plum, briar patch, lilly, and a hint of tobacco, roasted herbs and barnyard; a touch exotic and wild, but in the most positive sense imaginable. Medium bodied on the palate, with an incredibly velvety texture, great depth and balance, and impressive lift and focus on the finish. The tannins are very ripe and well integrated, and while this will clearly keep for another 15+ years (and maybe improve) it is drinking wonderfully at present. A monumental wine, that (ever so slightly) bested the 1990 Lynch Bages on this night.
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What a complex Wine this IS !° right after screwing the Cork out- it turns out Just smelling incredibly fortlessly, harmoniously... and right in this smelling- good mood it turns out in taste like a fantastic complex wine, like forest floor, taar end sandelwood, graphite and wow... nice floral notes and FRIUT !
After some hours. it developes more Friut and sweetness. ! And on the nect day. aftger 15 hours aereation it turns out to be the best Lynch we have tasted ! Fully harmonoius with grip, with FRIUT and Sweetness, like chocalate and truffels and all YOu can imagine !
98 / from 100 possible points ! it is worth the money .. about 200 €... I would definitely go for more !
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Still very concentrated color. Nose of licorice and blackcurrant. Good fruit and concentration. Still have a few years to go. Enjoyable BUT there is that little thing about LB that I am not so found of... Trying to put my finger on it.
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still somewhat youthful, drank with braised short ribs and put it against the Pichon Lalande of the same year. The Lynch Bages had more fruit and was slightly more elegant.
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A beautiful bottle with a resonant finish - loads if dark cherry. Blackberries on the back of the tongue and a touch of currant on the tip. Hints of tobacco, even some pepper lingers. Full in the mouth but complex rather than big and bold. Decanted 1.5 hours.
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The aroma filled the area upon pulling the cork. I was apprehensive about the wne after reading the comments, but it was approachable right away. Of course, it improved in the glass and the decanter, but was filled with sweet tannin, cassis, lead pencil, earthy dark fruit. Enormous and muscular, it is no where near at its peak. Wow, I am glad I have more in the cellar!
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Blind. Very dark for a Bordeaux of this age. 87;68. Looking quite mature but it takes hours to open up. First day it does not give up much, big, monolithic. My guess was a Montelena from 90-91. Poured half into a half bottle and drank it day 3. Completely different. Beautiful ripe, rich nose of cherries/black currants and smoke. Structured but great mouthfeel. Not overly sweet but lots of aromatics. This will be a great wine for a very long time.
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This is not good….its Freakin’ good. Pop and poured, paired with Rabbit risotto. (hey, it was almost catfish) Sexy, hedonistic, powerful and complex. This Prime time bottle delivered a huge cassis kick, with cedar, tobacco, graphite, some tapénade and dark plum notes. Medium to Full mouth feel, with the acid and tannins in harmony. For me a beguiling wine, and my best 89LB to date. 96pts
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This is an outstanding wine, but I guess I don't believe it is as outstanding as other reviewers. The match to the prime filet mignon was excellent. The tannin and acid were balanced and in check. The fruit was still full and glorious; however, the finish was not as long as I think is needed to be given a higher rating.
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Wonderful wine that still has the saddle leather that dominated its youth, but now the sweet fruit dominates. 89s are supposed to mature early. This wine is in its prime.
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This '89 again makes me wonder how Mouton is a 1st when Lynch Bages is a 5th... absolute role reversal. 1st night delicious; 2nd night spectacular. Drenches the entire palate with deep, rich red and dark fruit front to back and with smooth, velvet, captivating tannins. Layered, complex, invigorating, hedonistically long and such a pleasure to drink - the real deal. Unbelievable now with upside to be discovered, and it will be hard to wait. 96
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Same thoughts as last note "ark garnet. Big cedar, tobacco, cigar box nose...Very bit, concentrated, extracted, seamless palate. Round and rich..Long sweet finish...drinking perfectly!! "
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A perfect bottle of Bordeaux caught in its sweetest of sweet spots. Soaring aromas from the second the cork was pulled. Great texture and tension in the glass. Classic bordeaux everything (cassis, lead pencil, cedar) and a very long finish. Other than a '61 Lynch Bages I had several years ago, the best LB bottle to date. It improved through the night so this has lots of life ahead.
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Decanted 2 hrs and that allowed the wine to open up. We drank some too soon (30 minutes after decanting) and got a good deal of plum but alcohol on the finish. Blueberry jam emerged and a warm mellow finish emerged. Drank a 1999 a month ago and it was a more robust and complex wine - surprisingly.
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Drank two bottles well decanted. Well stored / good fill. Both were to me seeming at peak.. maybe losing a bit of the lushness and moving towards charred and smoky. Still love this wine but might have loved it better 2-3 years ago. Time will tell.
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Pulled from Dirk's cellar and drank over 2 hours. The nose is just beautiful as is the wine. Mature flavors with stoney finish. Still has plenty of time.
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What an amazing wine. Still dark red. Nice cassis, tabacco, farmy notes and graphite. Stunning smooth and mouthcoating palate with an utterly complex finish. Enjoyed it intensly with my wife today for her birthday.
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decanted about 90 minutes before enjoying as part of a great dinner @ Brian and Dawn's; followed the '82 Cheval Blanc, and in comparison was quite dark, with excellent saturation all the way to to the rim. Beautiful mature aromas of dried red fruits mixed with earth echoed the complexity in the still quite full mouthfeel, well-balanced acidity and dusty, although not entirely dry, tannins. a stellar bottle of mature bordeaux, this L-B seems like it will stay at this level for another 5+ years. wish i'd bought more at about $28/bottle back in 1993, as this was my last bottle. bravo!
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A super wine right here. Firing on all cylinders straight out of the bottle. Rocking nose. Smooth and earthy on the palate. Still has plenty of life left in it.
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Decanted for 2 hours before going back in the bottle. The smell wafted across the kitchen, yum! Very dark blue-black with no lightening at the rim. Intoxicating nose of graphite, lead pencil, cedar, fragrant perfume of pure cassis. Also, I got a distinct olive tapenade note with swirling. Medium bodied, with firm sweet tannins and a blast of juicy black fruits. Earth, tobacco, everything you would think of a classic Pauillac at its apogee. There was also a slight green note with olive hints, especially on the finish. A great showing for this wine and reinforces my love for great vintages of LB. Went great with the veal chop.
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Great pencil lead nose with tobacco and rich, sophisticated fruit. A subtle mint finish. Thoroughly enjoyable with fresh venison tenderloin with huckleberry sauce.
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CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part Three (McKinney Performing Arts Center, McKinney, Texas): Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slowly oxygenate in the bottle several hours before serving. Garnet color in the glass. fairly clear looking. Nose of briar patch, potpourri, flowers and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. 93+.
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CT Texas Offline #2; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very fresh color. An initial blast of barnyard blew off to reveal sweet perfume and celery leaf. Considerable heat thinned the palate just a bit, but the fresh cassis, lingering acidity and mostly resolved tannins made for a nice showing this time.
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CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very youthful on the nose. Classic Pauillac nose of cassis, tobacco, graphite, cedar, mint. On the palate, cassis, tobacco, graphite, cedar. Finishes with sturdy tannins but still very accessible. Great bottle. Outstanding. Drink or continue to hold.
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a disappointment for me. years ago i tried this and thought it was a brawny blockbuster in need of a little aging and civilization and it would become a superstar. I haven't tried in again in at least 8-10 years. The bottle was well stored but something has happened in the wine's evolution. The brawny quality remains but the fruit no longer dazzles, in fact i fear it's fading out of balance with the tannins.
This wasn't all that enjoyable.
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out of 375. Dark garnet with the barest hint of lightening at the rim. Very young nose of obvious ripe cabernet fruit and creme de cassis. Still very primary. A touch of earth beneath. In the mouth still very tannic, but the tannins hit late, in the mid and back palate. Very long. Doesnt have the cut and fresh acidity I remember from this out of 750, but very good nonetheless.
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(Bottle purchased in '93 or '94, varying storage conditions. Decanted 1.5 hours.) Gorgeous, very full nose with very prominent cabernet franc characteristics. Pencil shavings, tar, roses, delicate red fruit, possibly slightly cassis character. Good length in mouth.
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This youthful Pauillac continues to display a dark ruby color. The purple hue it once displayed is gone, but the ruby shows very little lightening at the edges. Underbrush, cassis, cedar, forest floor, tobacco and earthy scents come alive with very little coaxing from this Bordeaux wine. Waves of sweet, ripe, black cherry, chocolate and cassis coat your mouth. The intense sweet finish remains for at least 45 seconds. In 1989, the Medoc was a mixed bag, especially when it comes to the First Growths. Along with Chateau Pichon they are both contenders for the top Pauillac of the year. This bottle was the best example of 89 Lynch Bages I have yet tasted.
While 1989 Lynch Bages will improve for at least another 15-20 years,( Some tannin remains). if you have more than a few bottles, there is no need to wait. The only complaint about this wine is, in the finish, a minor hint of green could be detected. This was probably due to a lack of severe selection. That issue aside, this is a great Bordeaux wine experience I’d drink any day.
I remember buying this close to a year after it was released for about $30 a bottle! Those were the days… 96Pts (And it might earn another Pt as it develops.
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Still had the $33 sticker on it from when I bought it in '92, it was decanted off the moderate sediment and tasted right away, and then finished over an hour. Just a little garnet at the rim, o/w a deep ruby color. Nose of cigar box, black cherries, earth/road tar, and a little pencil shaving. Great balance and depth on the palate, w/ similar flavors. Pretty much exactly what I hoped for. Has 5-10yrs.
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Taste at Elysian. Popped and poured when I sampled. Nice cheesy, rustic cherry, green bell pepper, cigar box and leather - classic well aged Bordeaux characteristics. The palate shows more dark cherry, stemmy, dirty path, and old worn leather. Still showing some youth in the finish with nice acidity and decent tannin backbone. There's some mint, chewed cigar on the back end as well. The mid palate is a bit lean and hollow, but the wine is quite enjoyable nonetheless. As a whole, the nose is superior to the palate sensation which has some reductive and oxidative qualities - not necessarily bad, just muting the fruit a bit.
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This wine needed lots of decanting to open up. Maybe not as good a bottle as the others we have. On open Nicol thought this was a bad wine but after an hour in the decanter it developed into the special wine it is. Still not as great as the previous bottle we had a couple of months back. We love the rpesence this wine has in the glass. Firm colour, good body and structure. Elegant nose. This is what great bordeaux is all about.
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Purchased on release. Really, this is such a high-quality bottle of Bordeaux that clearly something was amiss when this Chateau was given 5th-growth status. A big, thickly-textured Pauillac with a wonderful lead-pencil flavor to go with the incredible dark black fruit. Finishes wonderfully complex but this wine well-stored is still a baby and tastes like it will go 50 years. I will hold the rest of mine for another 5 years and am positive this will be one of the best Bordeaux's I will drink in the next decade.
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Decanted for an hour and funneled back into the bottle. Maybe the next time, shorten the decanting time as the fruit seemed best earlier rather than later. Still, the fruit was the exquisite essence of Cabernet, a dark, rich blackcurrant with black cherry. Delicate balance between fruit and structure. Mature tannins. Drinking well now, but has the potential to stick around for years.
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Still young looking, fairly dark with only slightly brown rim. Classic pauillac nose, dark leather and cedar. Not too rich, great balance and long aftertaste. Will keep.
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Decanted 1/2 an hour. Youthful appearance with deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Intense dark fruited nose, with blackcurrant -quite youthful still but with developing complexity - hint of smoke, cedary and mineral notes. Medium bodied on the palate, intense, rich blackcurrant fruit on initial entry, quite minerally on the mid-palate with notes of spice and tea, fine, almost seamless tannins, moderate (but balanced) acidity, very long minerally finish. Lovely, still with a long life ahead of it. 12.5% ABV
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Lovely, aged bordeaux nose and flavors. Cassis, dark berry and a hint of pencil - with some vegetal hints in the background. Medium bodied with a slightly elegant mouthfeel, but with lots of power on the palate. Seamless integration of flavors and structure with just a touch of roughness. Long, fruity finish. Lots of complexity and depth.
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Looking very youthful, just hinting at ruby-garnet at the rim. Simple, mature nose of hamster cage and mineral. Similar palate, with tobacco and a persistent green tartness that is not appealing. Tannins, alcohol, and stemmy fruit come forward on the finish. Not a good example of this wine.
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Nose: Classic Claret nose. Brett, Black Cherry, Leather, Pencil Shavings, Tobacco. Midpalate: Super smooth on entry, Leather, Barnyard, Red Fruits. Sweet, dense flavor profile. This is a fully mature wine in its current polace. Finish: Long, classic paulliac finish exhibiting leather, berries, red currants and some cedar.
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Served at our "Remember the 80's" tasting. Medium to light color, with flavors of black fruits, currants ground beef in a very smooth bodied wine. It seemed lighter than expected but was very good.
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1909 > 2009 Tribute to the 100 years leading to 2009 Vintage (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): The Papies 2009 WE - 1909 > 2009 Tribute to the 100 years leading to 2009 Vintage WOTN! - What a great wine this is and drinking super well. Nice well aged bordeaux nose, very nice on the palate snooth with tannins fully mature, complex, we can go on and on here. This is superb and we would look to buy more. Really great.
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From a 375ml. Tasted and decanted for about 2 hours. On the nose some dark fruits, tobacco, leather, earth. On the palate, cherries, blackberries, earthy notes, spices and faint iron. Layers and layers building up to a medium to full body wine. A perfect balance of fine tannins and acidity with a medium to long finish. It kept improving over about 2 hours. Still young but quite impressive.
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Hmmmm. Still seems closed down. There is not a sign that this wine has aged much at all. The color is very dark with no change and the flavors still seem like there is way more to give. 2nd night was about the same. Very good but I think there is more to come. Open another one soon to see if this was an odd bottle. ---My cellar is around 56.
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Lynch Bages vertical (Morton's NYC): Strong. Great sweet fruit with a nice firm structure. Long sweet sappy finish. Tobacco and a touch of acid. Really lovely, striking a great line between soft & structured. My #2 of the night, marvelous stuff. A-
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The 1989 Lynch Bages was darker in color than the '90. The nose was less effusive but still offered great cassis and a little tar and cigar box. Even fuller-bodied than the '90, it was also denser and more concentrated on the palate. Also very well balanced and wih a nice long finish, but with tannins a bit more apparent. These two bottles demonstrated the stylistic differences between the '89 and '90 vintages in Bordeaux very well.
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Pretty color only slightly showing its age. Great Bordeaux nose with earth, tobacco and spice. Also showed good fruit (red and black), a nice, light green component and a touch of mint on the palate.
This is in a good spot and very enjoyable right now. That said, there is still significant structure present that suggests this will age nicely for another decade or two.
Classic mature Bordeaux, with notes of tobacco, graphite, and hints of roast meat/nut, and some coffee. Good acidity as well. Tasted double blind, this reminded me of the 1990 Pichon Baron tasted several months prior, so I guessed Pichon Baron, 1990-1995.
This wine is going strong and with the acidity to balance the structure, this feels in its prime and still has many years left. Excellent stuff, 93-94 points.
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A very good wine. decanted for 1.5 hour and drinkfor another three hours, all the way very smooth and nice. The changing is beautiful and lovely. Can divide into 6 stages 1.含苞待開 2.豆簆年華3.窈窕淑女4.風華正盛5.徐娘半老6.最後一夜. Just wondering this can keep for another couple of years or now is on the peak ? I love this more than 89 pichon baron.
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Terkel BYO: Classic Bdx nose with loads of black currant leaves, iron and coffee. The palate is also very classic and has black currant fruit, green bell pepper and just a touch of lead pencil. Great and deep fruit profile with a strong acidity and still harsh tannins. Iron is also present in the mid-long aftertaste. Classic and very drinkable.
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Birthday dinner (My place): Black color with a red hue. Very classical left bank Bordeaux nose with blackcurrant, bush, leaves, the, pencil shavings, cigar box and green peppers. Similar notes on the palate where the freshness and coolness of the pure blackcurrant fruit is very nice. It maintains a good juiciness and the complexity gains from the tobacco and the notes over the midpalate and finish. Superb fruit/acidity balance and a nicely restrained tannic touch on the end. Beautiful and very classical.
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Served and scored blind: Beautiful youthful ruby in color. Young and powerful on the nose and palate. A lung filling nose with great floral and fruit notes. Brick and graphite int he background behind a wealth of rich fruit. Some olives and just beautiful young fabulous bordeaux. 95++
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How can this wine still be so young. Double decanted at 4:30PM and then threw into a decanter at 7:30. We drank it about 9PM and it still seemed tight. Definitely a bruiser of a wine that will easily go another 10-20 years.
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Incredibly youthful with a core of dark blackcurrant and plummy fruit surrounded by graphite, earthy and smoky nuances. The tannins are still quite firm and prominent on the back end; this is really built for the long haul.
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Wow. Just a great bottle. Great nose, seamless palate, great length. Still largely red to rim from my passive cellar (purchased as futures for $20 per, seemed a splurge that I bought six at that price, boy do I wish I had bought more.) No flaws at all, could have a bit more perfume I suppose to make it better, but this is a great LB.
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After a legend, the Branaire '52, this wine was still an adolescent at my Christmas dinner. The 94 points indicate absolutely that in 10 years the wine will blossom far more and will gain more points. Very deep and young in colour, with a concentrated, deep and fruity midpalate and a fierce (positive!) concentration in the aftertaste. As my friend Loek suggested: the perfect wine for Xmas 2025.
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We drank this one third of the night and really did not give it enough of a chance to open up. Classis Lynch-Bages. Seemed a bit more evolved than previous bottles but still has plenty of life. Definite charcoal on the nose. Again, not the best way to enjoy this wine.
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Un Pauillac classique, jeune de 20 ans, qui s’ouvre instantanément sur des arômes de poivrons verts. Le fruit rouge, le chocolat et des arômes de terre s’entremêlent ensuite sur une matière structurée, vertébrée, dans un ensemble lisse et presque satiné. Je suis charmé par ce très beau Bordeaux à point, qui ne fait pas du tout son âge. Merci Larriv. 92
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Dinner with great friends in Denver, Night 2 (Denver, CO): Bricking rim, moderate extraction and depth of color. On the nose good aromatics with classic Pauillac aromas of blackcurrant and cigar box… getting hints of more tertiary truffle and spice notes. On the palate still has moderate + to high acidity that is a bit scratchy, a classic claret midpalate, a very nice transition into a seamless finish of moderate + tannins that are moderately ripe and very well integrated. Great balance, very good length and complexity, good intensity. Certainly plenty of finesse there, a hint of textural coarseness at the front of the wine, classic expression of place. I have to say that the 89’s all have something up front texturally that I’m not enamored by… this wine was drinking very well though and is classic. Drink or hold for a few more years.
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Annual Dinner with Mark and Megan (Our house. Denver, CO): Opened 6 hours ahead, not decanted. Classic Bordeaux nose (within minutes of pulling the cork). In the mouth this is almost exciting. Slightly sweet medium intensity fruit is nearly immediately lifted by the acidity and ripe tannins to a brighter, layered, more complex level. Good finesse and complexity. Great length, quite pure and complete.
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Side by side with the 1990 Mondavi Rsv. Several people called the Lynch as the Californian. Both wines heading towards the sunset but doing so in style. Entirely secondary flavors at this point, but great tanin/acid backbone remains on both. A lot of fun to see them going strong
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lively acid, still showing quite the fruit for being 20 years on. definite underbrush. light browning on the edges, but again, not a 20 year old suggestion. corn sweet off the nose. the palate plays a deft hand of minerality. soft, soft tannin. deep fruited finish. well played.
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great bottle that is drinking perfectly now...splash decanted and drank over next two hours...nose of cassis, dark fruit, cedar emerged into molasses and coffee bean...tannins are resolved and plenty of fruit still in mouth...no need to wait any longer imho
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An outstanding example of Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows no age, but the complexity and balance are there.10th anniversary, Wine 5 of 6, 4 people at Textile's kitchen table
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Inky dark garnet color shows amazing elegance and finess! With a pronouncing barnyard manure overtone, it reveals intense dark fruits filled with blackberry, blackcurrant and some very ripe plum. Tobacco and cigar-box bouquet with earthy wet gravel, dark roast coffee and some meaty character. Very exciting and complex nose with layers upon layers of fruit aromas! Full-bodied wine with fine and velvety tannins and well-rounded structure. Firm backbone warrants still great aging potential at this age. Little closed up at first that opens with some breathing time. Blackberry and cassis on the attack surrounded by some chewy steak component. Still tannic mid-palate blended in with nicely balanced acidity. Long finish that is meaty, fruity and clean; it goes on and on and on... Best after 5 more years of cellaring, lasts at least another 10-plus years easy. Decanting recommended.
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1989 revisited offline (Hambleton Hall, Rutland): A big, solid, muscular nose. It's a diamond geezer of a wine. Powerful and a bit obvious, but always there for you. It has enormous length with some bacon fat after.
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Dark ruby. Sexy nose of dark fruits, alcohol, tannins and earth. In the mouth, ripe and velvety mouthfeel. It seems a little unbalanced compared to previous tastings though. The alcohol overwhelms the other components. Still a great wine, but perhaps the format shows that it should be drunk sooner rather than later in 750s.
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Backwards and undeveloped, this deeply colored wine was shockingly young and primary, with voluptuous black cherry and currant fruit aromas that seem just shaded with cedar, spice and mint. The fruit here is ripe without being overripe and the purity is simply stunning. Thick, rich, fruit-forward and full bodied on the palate - a mouth-filling wine that has an almost California-like texture, this offers exceptional length, solid structure and the ability to age for at least another decade - if not two.
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Older Bordeaux at Troquet (Boston, MA): This is a 20 year old wine? Quite dark in colour and very primary in its flavour profile with lots of ripe currant, plum and cassis flavours, touches of graphite and earth emerging underneath and firm tannins lurking underneath. With some air the aromatics really develop and pick up some herbal, chocolate and smoky nuances and there's fantastic balance in the mouth with a silky, polished texture and the acidity and tannins combining perfectly with the rich dark fruited flavours. Fantastic length, still shockingly young now but already an amazing wine (that was only getting better through the night).
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A brilliant example of great Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows no age, but the complexity and balance are there. This wine will go for another 20 years. Bravo!
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The wine started out a little light on the palate, but with time in the glass, it put on significant weight. The nose leapt from the glass - classic Pauillac nose of cedar, lead pencil, black fruits. A totally sexy, intoxicating nose. Once the wine put on some weight, wow! Deep sweet fruit, balanced acidity and tannins, and a long finish. Am amazing wine.
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The deep ruby color was assisted by a beautiful nose of cassis, mint, tobacco, and chocolate. Big, fat, concentrated and well balanced. Tannins are firm, but they have integrated well into the wine. Very broad shouldered. Still young, at 20 years of age, it’s much closer to maturity than previous bottles I’ve tasted. The long, lusty, fruit filled finish had a lot of persistence and was a pleasure to taste. Well stored bottles have at least another 20 or more years of evolution in their future.
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What a delightful wine. Lots of power but still so elegant. Red fruit, cedar, leather and pencil in layer after layer. What a great match with a Flannery steak!
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Pop and pour. Beautiful Bdx drinking at its peak. Sweet dark fruit, smoke, earth, vanilla, cedar. Silky and elegant. Tannins almost fully resolved. Became a touch disjointed toward the end of the evening so I'd say drink up over the next few years.
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Dark red/purple, slightly lighter at rim but still dark red. Rich forward nose with dark fruits, cassis, cedar, leather. Full-bodied, concentrated mouth-coating ripe fruit, sweet tannins, great balance, long finish with persistent fruit, still young, outstanding. My #2 in the blind tasting behind only the '82 Pichon Lalande, though it was also edged out in the voting by a few points by the '82 Certan de May.
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Less developed than prior bottles. Dark fruit, cassis and cedar on the nose. Elegance and power on the palate with dark fruit, cassis, oak and vanilla flavors. Great balance and structure. Has the potential to improve with more time. This is very good now, could become a really great wine with a few more years of bottle time.
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This bottle was in perfect condition with a very high fill and the cork came out almost unmarked! As predicted still way too young but I felt the quality could still be enjoyed at this stage. Cassis and blackcurrant fruit on the nose with some trademark lead and smoke, plenty of tannin left on the palate but still a lovely harmony to this wine that will reward the patient. I would wait at least another 10 years and think as this wine begins to break down it will develop into something profound!
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Wine of the night at Brown Bag Tasting. The wine reeked of pedigree, class and nobility. I guessed Left Bank Bordeaux, 1998-2000. Was off by 10 years. Marvelous juice and ready now. Praised be the ones who bring wines like this to the brown bag tastings.
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At Hotel Du Vin, Cambridge. With Hereford Rib-Eye. Decanted 1/2 an hour by the Sommelier - no formal note. Immediately open bouquet, with sweet (but by no means jammy) cassis fruit, tobacco, hints of earth, spice and sous-bois. Medium/full bodied on the palate, very well balanced with sweet, tobaccoey black fruit, moderate but sufficient balancing acidity and fully integrated fine tannins - no rough egdes at all. Good length, sweet finish. Drinking perfectly.
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IWFSC Governors Lunch (Mirani's Restaurant): Easily the best showing for this wine I've experienced - Kudos to Tom for what must be impeccable storage. Medium red/purple color with ruby edges. Lovely nose of cedar, pencil leadl, and bright red fruit. Mmmn, lovely round soft red currant fruit and briar on the palate with just a hint of sweet remaining. Drinking perfectly today (though certainly no rush). 94-95 pts.
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Lynch Bages Tasting (Don's House): This wine was something else. The bottle was opened but not decanted about two hours before we tasted it. This was a mistake, this wine is young enough to need a few hours in the decanter. I say that because this wine really improved over the course of the evening with the last sip being the best and really rocking. If I had any discipline I would have saved some of this baby for day two! Definitely my WOTN. The color was a little bricked. At first this wine gave very little on the nose and was pretty tight flavor wise. Later in the evening the wine developed into a beautiful thing. Layers of integrated flavors of cassis, dark fruits, leather and earth but with enough soft tannins to let you know that it had even more to offer. Delicious!
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Very impressive wine, lasted hours in the glass. Dark classic claret with everything in balance. Ink, leather, smoke with some oak and fruit. Took a while to open up, but the taste was full of elegant flavour of coffee, chocolate, strawberry and mineral notes. Extremely fine and long. Has still decades of life ahead.
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very unhappy with this bottle. served in on NYE with friends we only se once a year. the wine was a bit sour or tart, even after a sufficient decanting. hoping it was a bad bottle as i have a few more of these and really want to make up for this one with the next
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(at Abacrombie – Baltimore) Dark mature garnet. A beefy nose that had hints of 5-spice powder. Good richness – a nice wine – but not really memorable. (92)
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Outstanding experience. Perfectly drinkable now, but will last for years. Classic Bordeaux profile. Big earthy nose. Good balance of tannins and fruit on the palate. Strong notes of dark red fruits, tobacco, spice, and graphite. Impressive finish. The best wine I've experienced in some time.
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With a 2 hour decant this has begun to open up and should begin a long drinking window. Fruit was still just a little muted and the tannin was smooth and silky.
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Tasted in blind-tasting with other Bordeaux, from 1986-2000. Still doing very well, color fine. lead pencil on the nose, classic. Excellent balance, everything we expected. Cassis, dark fruit, good balance of acid and tannins now soft. We thought it did have the classic tobacco, some cedar notes, but with sweet fruit. Good for years.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux (Rittenhouse Hotel (Lacroix)): Purple core, turning to ruby at the edge. A very forthcoming bouquet, offering up scent of cedary black fruits, anise, smoke and leather. Medium bodied, with good dileneation and incredible balance. A fairly lush texture, with good concentration of fruit and a long, complex finish. There was some bottle variation though; one bottle was a bit tired, but the others (particularly the bottle from Michael's cellar) were singing a lovely song!
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Nose: Raspberry explosion was the first impression. Layers and layers keep coming forth on this powerhouse wine. Wood notes supported by mushroom and other bush fruits. This is focused while yet revealing itself in layers.
Palate: Amazing and incredible. As powerful as this wine is, it is still dominated by an effeminate stance that is so enticing. Harmony and symphony. Full coating across the palate in all stages and can possess the capability to put you into a short-term trance.
Overall: This is a precision wine that is simply a thing of beauty. This is my epiphany wine. 95-96 points.
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Lynch Bages Vertical (Sweet and Savories): Much different in style than the last bottle I opened. This showed a heavier presence of sweet red fruit vs. darker fruit. It didn’t show a big fresh tobacco streak. The nose was showed asphalt with strawberry compote and fresh raspberries served in a new leather show with a hint of shoe polish. The mouth was still big and smooth and showing great structure. This is a 50 year wine. The finish was long and showing a dominate taste of fresh cigar ash. Different, but still a fun exciting bottle of Bordeaux and perhaps the Magnus Opus of Lynch Bages.
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Lynch Bages Vertical 1961-2005 (Sweets and Savories, Chicago IL): nose: very masculine and different nose from the bottle that I had back in may. Intriguing ashen base with loads of red and black fruits, rich creme de cassis tones, herbs, lots of red and black currants, spice tones, along with bits of pencil lead and dark red cherries on top. Insanely alluring as it changes and changes in the glass presenting different facets of the wine as they meld together to create a gorgeously deep nose
taste: still firm tannins with deftly balanced tones of smoke, cedar, loads of red and black fruits, creme de cassis, herbs, and lots of black cherries. Beautiful texture that still gives this a young feel with the medium acidity to boot. Full bodied, but not overbearing this unfolds like a blooming flower on the palate with layer after layer
overall: yet again, another amazing 89 lynch. This is much different from the last bottle I had, but for me at least, its a better bottle. Much more intrigue with the still present power behind it. This was a deeply expressive bottle that seemed to play with you before revealing all it had, and even then there were still surprises to be had. This was just a thing of beauty
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Opened two bottles that had been properly cellared since purchase in 1993. Wines were decanted and filtered two hours before they were consumed and both bottles delivered consistent results. The wine was dark ruby, clear with no sign of bricking. A powerful bouquet of ripe dark berries, toasted notes, cedar and tobacco. Concentrated flavors of dark berries, leather, vanilla, and cassis. Very balanced and with soft tannins. This wine is drinking beautifully.
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Beautiful, gracefully aging bordeaux. Purple/ruby with a slightly muted nose of dark berry, cassis and pencil. Medium bodied and full of flavors which were rich, smooth, and beautifully integrated. Soft, round tannins with a long finish. Nothing is overdone and it is a subtle, balanced, and elegant wine, but at the same time rich, complex and powerful. This is first-growth quality and is the finest bordeaux I have had in a long time.
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WIMPS Bordeaux offline - table 1 (The Ledbury, Notting Hill, London): Still a very dark with little sign of ageing. Could have been 5 years old rather than 19. So young: still rather primary on the nose and palate. great quality. denser, richer, but not heavy. Long finish. Excellent and keeps getting better in the glass. Needs lots more time.
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showed very mature, and somewhat muted, giving a suspicion of heat damage. there was some fruit, but not enough to save the day. midpalate > finish > nose.
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Dark fruit and cedar on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, earth charred oak, soy sauce and cherry. Some complexity on the finish but a rather big disappointment for me despite the high praise by the critics. Not a bad wine by any means but just not living up to its reputation. Provenance is suspect since it was purchased at auction. In much better shape than the last bottle (not mine) I tried a few years back. 12.5% alcohol.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux: A classic, full-throttle Lynch Bages. It looked younger than what I was expecting, with a purple core turning towards ruby-garnet at the edge; no amber at all. A powerful bouquet of ripe dark fruits, anise, cedar and earth. I think "huge" would be the best word to describe how it felt in the mouth - a very opulent and hedonistic sytle - but balanced with a sense of smoothness and "just enough" deliniation.
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This was the biggest disappointment that I have had with wine. I have had this bottle since it's release and specifically served it for my favorite sister's birthday dinner. I had previously had an '85 version that was rated 91 that I probably drank 5-8 years too soon and it still was great so you can see how excited I was about the '89. I guess I'll get over it :) I still have half of the bottle sitting on the table from three weeks ago.
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Just a great bottle drinking beautifully. Hitting on all cylinders, again the only thing short of spectacular is the nose which is a tiny bit muted and does not presage the depth and purity of the palate and the tremendous length and clean finish.
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Sight: Dark red color; clear wine; medium viscosity; still young in appearance (youthful and no bricking on the rim)
Smell: Cedar box; tobacco; Dark cherry notes; Earthy components; Florals started to come out after a while - roses; Toasted vanillins; pencil shavings; red plums and red fruit aspect in general
Overall impression: OUTSTANDING! With a few minutes in the glass, there were flowers all over the nose, but surprisingly this is still young. Parker really nailed this if you look at his notes. When I did I said "yeah, that what I meant" LOL This is 95+ points
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Kdawg's Birthday 80's Bordeaux dinner (Cotes Du Rhone, Chicago, IL): Darkest in color so far. Huge powerful nose of tobacco, chocolate, and dirt mixed with black and red summer fruits. Great balance and feel. Long fruity and cedary finish. This wine has a lot more upside and had years to go before it reaches its peak. Fabulous wine.
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80s Bordeaux Birthday dinner (Cotes Du Rhone Bistro(Chicago, IL)): nose: very youthful, but just starting to open up with huge classic Pauillac tones of pencil lead, lots of tobbaco leaf, cedar box, sour cranberry, and dark cherry tones. As the night went on, this even started to take on a green tea like aspect too. A fair amount of power on this nose while being very classic
taste: insanely explosive red fruit flavors on the palate with loads of mocha, tobbaco, pencil shavings, cedar box, and cassis tones
overall: I haven't yet had the 00 lynch, but this one is just something special. This is just starting to get into its window and this bottle was showing great. A truly amazing wine that shows the quality of the 89 vintage(and what may behold the 03 vintage in the future) with really explosive flavors and an insanely long finish. This was a very special bottle of Lynch and is well worth looking out for as this one will be rocking in 5-10 years
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This was an underperforming bottle. Great mouth feel, with fully resolved velvety tannins. However, in both the nose and the palate, the notes of fruit were subdued and the flavor was a bit lacking. It didn't taste flawed, just didn't meet expectations.
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Decanted about an hour. Nice bouquet of dried herbs, pencil lead, earthy and floral notes. On the palate, not quite as exciting. Very dry-bordering tart which seemed to clip the finish and interfere with enjoyment of the secondary complexities-bummer. Never seemed to really come together. 89
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Amazing that this wine is still so thick and big after almost 20 years in the bottle. Classic Pauillac. Big, brawny, still tannic. lead pencil / cedar aromas and flavors. Nothing subtle here. Just a really well made, big Bordeaux
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Classic Pauillac. Just a little lead pencil on the nose at this point... plenty of fruit and tannins are already integrated. The wine is rocking and drinking well now. Yes, it will get better with age, but no harm in drinking now.
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what a bummer. after having such an incredible bottle just weeks before, I decided this was going to be the special bottle to share with great friends on NYE. The cork was saturated throughout and this was a bad sign. The bottle was not corked.. it had no distinct nose to speak of and it tasted flat like cardboard.. nothing else to say except it happens in this sport!
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Still young and firm. A streak of green bell pepper (not in a bad way) was prominent on the nose initially but faded. Scorched earth and forest leaves on the nose. A little soy. Over time this opened up to show cedar and blond tobacco notes; dark cherry fruit that struck me as almost plummy. Got sweeter over time.
I'll hold my others for a few more years.
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Kitchen Tasting Group does Lynch Bages: The nose on this one explodes from the glass with black fruit, mushroom and floral notes. The taste delivers a big whallop of iron/mineral with black fruit and tobacco. Great texture. Extremely tannic. Long and satisfying finish. An awesome bottle of wine.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Lynch Bages (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Big deep nose of rich dark cherries and herbs. The palate shows layered dark fruit, coffee, and licorice, framed by tobacco and herbs. Grew richer and more expressive as it sat in the glass. Great minerality. Marginally more structured and slightly less ripe than the 1990, and equally thrilling to drink. Co-WOTN for me.
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This has been my bottle of the month. What a treat. Outstanding in every respect. Great depth, tremendous finnesse, amazing fruit and great earthy notes .I loved everything about this Lynch. While it was spot on, it clearly has plenty of life in it and will continue to evolve. I think for sure it is among the best 89's I have tasted up there with the Angelus and La Consilante. If you have more than one in your cellar, reward yourself and enjoy... if it is the last, hold off for that special nitht!
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Very closed nose compared to the others, nose of deep, dark brooding fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich and tasty, nice medium finish. Fifth of five Lynch Bages tasted blind. Should improve and merit a higher score in four years.
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Beautiful bottle of wine. Decanted for an hour and a half. Fantastic nose of dark red fruit and saddle leather. This wine will be great for another 10 years for sure.
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Learning about Bordeaux with the Astorettes; 10/8/2007-10/10/2008 (Cafe Loup): This is still so young with it's pencil lead, rubber tinged nose that offers up subtle notes of dried funghi and rich cassis extract. Big and powerful on entry with a closed, hollow midpalate that yields to a minerally finish that finishes with a lingering final of almost grapey cassis fruit. This is only the second bottle from a case bought on release. I've had more open bottles but these are ageing at a glacial pace. Absolutely pinpoint precision with the structure that offers up an airy elegance even with all this richness and power. 2012-2030
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Bet Dinner (Vice Versa in NYC): Sweet, dense, lush, beautiful core. Warm, full and complex with dark coffee and light herb. Very long finish. Silky and warm. Ready to drink. Wonderful. A/A+
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Beautiful darker garnet color and extremely nice nose of mulberry, spice, cassis, and leather, but there was a tartness to the palate that just seemed off. Not sure of the provenance of this recently purchased bottle. Oh well.
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Dark ruby. Needed a litle air and time, but after about 30-60 minutes showed enticing nose of cassis, smoke and a little chocolate. Smotthe and elegant, with a clean, lingering finish. This can certainly be drunk with great pleasure now, but I'd guess that well-stored bottles might still need a few years to hit their peak, and easily last 10+ years. At Blantyre.
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STILL VERY YOUNG, BUT VERY PROMISING. DEEP RICH BERRY FRUIT IN NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACKBERRIES AND BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH. 3/03 TASTING = 94.
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This was a pleasant surprise. Started out a bit weak, but really opened up after 2 hours. Earthy aroma and medium bodied but could have a bit more body in the midpalate. All in all, I really enjoyed this and couldn't stop drinking it! I'll purchase a few more bottles.
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Opened to accompany two dishes, leg of lamb and lamb chops, this wine was the favorite of Christian and Beth, while Nicole and I preferred the ’47 Bosconia. In the glass, the wine was still dark though not quite opaque. The nose was massive with plums and cassis, cedar and graphite, clay, and touches of leather and tobacco. The tannins were still quite gripping, but, otherwise, the wine exhibited a silky mouth feel and concentrated dark fruit with some chocolate. The finish was long and well balanced, and the wine was a fine foil for the lamb (or vice-versa).
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opened and tasted immediately. very little sediment for a 17 year old wine. still deep red in color, slightly brown on the edges. at first, very tannic and not much smell, but it opened up after 45-60 minutes and continued to improve for the next 60. still needs 5+ years in the bottle, but this will be excellent.
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Bottle opened 6 hours before serving. I still think this needs a little more time in the cellar to show its best. It is definetly begining to take shape and open up but as profoundly rich as this was as a baby I believe there is much more to come. -- Had some left over and couldn't get back to it last night so tonight it has been opened 3 full days and is much, much better. Either hold or give plenty of time for these to open up. 93+ tonight. If the middle fills out the score will go higher.
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Decanted one hour. Dark red, starting to brick. Somewhat muted earthy nose, which was only thing less than perfect. Dark berry, chocolate and toast notes on wonderful palate, great length, wondeful purity. Spectacular bottle drinking very well now but still time left.
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A grey cloudy day of a wine with furry tannin, lacking freshness of fruit and also lacking much of anything else to compensate for that. Not corked. Just not fun.
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A real pleasant surprise. Earth, mushrooms, damp forest floor on the nose. Really nice balance and the fruit is very much present at this point. Supporting players of cedar, tobacco, and a hint of mint. Not a super long finish but the fine tannins are very well integrated. Finished the bottle and right away started searching for more...
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Tremendous wine! Powerful and soft at the same time. Lovely complex with ripe black currants, blackberries, lead pencil, soft tannin. This wine is so beautiful now, but can last at least another 5 years, probably more. (But why wait?)
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Very young color, but sadly lightly corked. Bummer as this is a wine I have not yet had and was greatly looking forward to. In spite of that, still good fruit and great texture. All things in balance but a touch of cork. I can only imagine how good a no-TCA blle would be.
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HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full red color. Pale medium aroma of red fruit and briar. Nice rich round spicy red fruit on the palate. Actually starting to show a bit better, drinking window may be opening up! 93-94pts.
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Youthful, but wonderfully integrated, smoky, tobacco, wild dark berry flavors. Decanted three hours, needed more. Will continue to improve for years...
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Immediately upon opening, dirty, dusty, slightly smoky scents. This blew off shortly to reveal smoke, spice, leather, and tobacco. This wine is still immensely dark and concentrated with a huge extracted presence on the palate. It is hard to believe this is nearly 20 years old--still very powerful with years ahead of it.
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Still quite dark in color. Nose of horse poop, cedar, and dark fruits. Intense, mineral-laden palate with intermixed flavors of black currants, leather, eucalpytus, and fruitcake. Lots of energy and complexity to keep the palate moving. Not a low-acid wine. Long, layered finish. Tannins still substantial. A classic in the making, with an excellent showing tonight.
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Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #4 (Sammamish, WA): A slightly moldy smell at first that quickly dissipated. Horsy, medicinal, penicillin, tannic. The black, medicinal palate made me guess this as the 1990 Lynch-Bages. This is crackling with minerality, wow, not entirely pleasurable right now but intense and very powerful.
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Birthday dinner (Casa de Flubis): Dark cassis color with a slightly cleared edge. The nose on this was a bit muted, twinges of cedar and berries. Medium bodied, pronounced tobacco, and leather , thin dark cherry, black raspberry notes. Finish was a bit lean. Might be going through a shut down phase.
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Dark garnet with lightening at the rim (but not much). On the nose this hits you like the essence of Bordeaux...brooding cassis, lead pencil, cedar, and tar combine in a powerhouse nose. On the palate, cassis, tar, smoke, and leather combine and are framed by noticable, but controlled, tannins. Drinkable now, but will improve over the years. A real treat...thanks to Jim Stone.
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In a tasting: A bordeaux nose to die for. And...incredible. While it will last for decades, it is already amazingly smooth and well-balanced. Truly a world-class wine. It was exceptionally complex with the traditional minerals, yet rich cassis fruit and complex components in the mouth. Hints of tobacco, dark fruits, leather...really just the prototypical bordeaux. We are thrilled to have the rest of the case.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Bordeaux 1990 and older (Issaquah, WA): Intense stalk, green tobacco, a distinctly vegetal wine but in a good way. Some vitamin pill. The palate shows unreal intensity, tobacco with candied red fruit. This is always a special wine, a unique an intense example of Pauillac.
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This is an "event wine"; same batch as previous bottle that showed spectacularly after 6 hours decanting. Unfortunately, not able to decant at this event, and the wine did not fully develop... \cork was in great shape, great ruby color, bottle stored properly since I bought it "en primeur". Nose with complex fruits took a while, and did not jump out of the glass. Huge midpalate and finish that lasts forever, definitely appreciate the hint of mint/anise and spices in the finish..bottom line, this has another 20 years of enjoyment left! For now, definitely decant for several hours
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Drank with Francois Chandou and his wife Anne at La Cave. I have no viable experience with aged bordeaux and asked Francois if he would share this with me and render his opinion. He opened the bottle, decanted, and poured. Francois felt this bottle was about 75% of what it should be, according to his recollection, having had this wine on many occasions. He detected dryness on the nose and on the palete as well as a slight lacking of fruit. I could detect the dryness, but had no point of reference for the lacking fruit. I thought it outstanding.
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Opened about an hour before serving but did not decant. Had a great color (deep and dark). The nose gave off that Pauillac grassiness, which soon softened to reveal, cassis, blackberry, pepper, and some earthiness. The bottle was smooth as the tannins have fallen off and the finish was smooth as well. This was a young bottle.
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last night with dinner. decanted at cellar temp. dark red, with just the first hint of age on the color. good, but not great nose at first. same on palate, as this was a good, solid bordeaux for the first two hours with good fruit, balance, some graphite and minerals, but not really showing anything special until the 2.5 hour mark. at that point it had opened, with a great nose and really expanded on the palate to show a much richer wine. plenty of time left on this one. A-/A
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Tasting Dinner at Sweets and Savouries (Chicago, IL): Whoa momma. There is a ton of wine here. Unfortunately this didn't have a decant to speak of and was initially quite tight. Nose didn't offer much at first, but yielded dark currant fruit and graphite over time. The palate is stuffed with brooding dark fruits, tobacco leaf and liquid asphalt. Tannins are still very present and confirms that this wine is still a baby. A great and classic effort - thanks Ken. My WOTF and #3 WOTN.
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Also reticent, but quicker to shine. Classic in structure, mouthfeel and complexity. Notes of lead penccil, tobacco, earth/truffles and penetrating red fruit. This is a mature wonderful bottle that provided such pleasure. This had outstanding balance and harmony - the characteristics that define a wine for me. This is like wearing a cashmere sweater.
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Dinner with Mike Woodhead (Elements - Santa Barbara): A much more open, perfumed, accessable wine than the Canon. Good nose, and good in the mouth, and a decent finish. But not as much of a "wow" as this wine has provided in the past. Everyone liked it, as usual.
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eBob offline - (not one of my bottles) Subdued aroma. Pitch black cofee grpahite fruit. Tons of concentration, but still very tight. STOP drinking this wine until at least 2010. 93+ pts. 4/06
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Tasted at the home of Eddie Osterland ("quest for the best" dinner). The dinner was attended by Steve and Colleen Nemeth. Bottle taken from my personal cellar. A formal note was not made but this bottle was definitely the wine of the night (consumed with grilled and smoked quail alongside the '89 Leoville las Cases, '87 Dominus and '95 Opus One). My overall impression is similar to 2/1/04.
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Leve does 1989 Bordeaux at Mélisse (Los Angeles, CA): Clearly the darkest color of the flight. At first this had loads of spicy, green bell pepper on the nose, but with aeration the bell pepper and green notes turned more and more to green tobacco leaf. Increasingly there are rich notes of black fruit in the nose. Huge, almost monolithic at first, very primary, powerful, black, very tight, really impressive, really young, really needed hours more decanting. A fantastic wine.
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Tasting, brief note. Incredible fruit, just not providing much pleasure right now given very assertive structure. 95+ point long term potential when this all comes together, 2010 at the earliest , probably 2015 or later.
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Dinner sans Manlin (Lampreia, Seattle): This bottle was either off or extremely closed. I have had this wine before and have been less than amazed by it. Tonight this was nearly as good as it can be. It was not decanted. NR
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Dinner without Scott Manlin (Seattle, WA): This was a weird bottle. At first the nose showed an odd yet extremely dominant note of uric acid, I kid you not! Finally, after 30+ minutes of swirling, this shed the weird notes and finally started to show better with green tobacco, mineral, muscular, a taut wine. I have had far more expressive examples, but this is a wine to reckon with.
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This wine took 5 hours in my decanter to develop. It is well worth the wait. I'm guessing some of the ratings here might have been higher if the wine had been allowed more time to breathe.
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Good Bdx nose of cedar and tobacco. Good red color, very youthful looking. Medium extraction and body, good complexity and lots of tannins and acid. This is a very big wine but it is no where near ready to drink.
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Decanted 6 hours; cork was in great shape, great ruby color, bottle stored properly since I bought it "en primeur". Fabulous nose with complex fruits that jump out of the glass. Huge midpalate and finish that lasts forever, definitely appreciate the hint of mint/anise and spices in the finish..realy lush
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Needs time for sure. Lovely nose even at this point, but tannins are all over the place, and the fruit, though there, needs time to shine. Seems somewhat closed. I would hold at least till 2010. One of the better Bordeauxs I have had though. I liked it. IMO, way better than the 89 Pichon Baron at this point, though a lot less approachable as well.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): Charcoal and tobacco scream from the glass. Holy s**t, what a palate, this is so vibrant, piercing, loaded with chery and intense minerality. Wow, this is so pure, stunning and tight. I successfully guessed this as the Lynch Bages. Group average 96.6, wine of the night!
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Dark garnet/burgundy colour. Aromas of lead pencil, cedar, spice box, acetone, leather, alcohol. Medium-full bodied, wonderful complexity on the palate, with replays from nose. Long, long finish, 50-55s, with cedar and red fruit.
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6/99: Tried 1st bottle. Beautiful nose, rich, fruit. Still early, lots fruit, lush, but still closed--Seemed almost lacking acid, dull. Time will open it up. 5/05: Took one bottle to Terzics...was incredible. Perfect bordeaux, drinking very well now, but ageless.
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The Event: We gathered our wives, headed to our local C Club. We opened a 2001 Etude so they would keep their hands off the LB, which we decanted for two hours. Both noses were unmistakably Bordeaux and great. The 1990 in particular, was more "barnyard" but not off-putting in the least. Both were purple, the 1990 maybe a bit more heading to a slight bricking. The 1989 mid-palate was pronounced, full of flavor, the tannins are still there. This wine is awesome but still has years to go. The finish was there and was very good. A great wine. The 1990 was more velvety and darker, perhaps brooding. The midpalate wasn't as pronounced but there were no complaints. Cedar, spice, cassis, all there, just not as mouth filling as the 89. Then the finish. IF you tried to run, it would come and tackle you from behind. Unbelievable. After swallowing, I tasted as much flavor and length as when the wine was in my mouth. The biggest Bordeaux finish I think I have ever had. The 1990 is more approachable now but certainly has some years ahead too. These are different wines but both are very representative of LB. I rate each 96 pts and re- confirm why I love good Bordeaux so much.
1989 Lynch Bages Darkest in color so far. Huge powerful nose of tobacco, chocolate, and dirt mixed with black and red summer fruits. Great balance and feel. Long fruity and cedary finish. This wine has a lot more upside and has years to go before it reaches its peak. Fabulous wine. 95 points
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Similar to the Montrose in color, dark purple and opaque . Both the LB and the Montrose were much deeper and darker than the other ‘89’s. The nose was exuding ripe black fruit and roasted coffee. The palate of currants was lush and thick. Great wine.
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1982-83-89 Bordeaux at Masa's in San Francisco: Not wasting any time, this wine shows a powerful nose of cassis, black cherry, and a touch of red fruit right out of the gate. In the mouth, equally rich, as the fruit were congealing on the inside of the mouth. As somebody at the table said, just "gobs" of flavor. My only possible criticism would be the very slightly awkward character of the elements, as if they never completely integrated. This seems to cause the wine to show a little less finesse than some of the others in the flight.
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Maybe the sexiest wine, outside of Burgundy, I've ever tasted, impeccably balanced, extremely nuanced, gorgeous nose and tons of cab flavors but all work together in perfect harmony, wish I could afford more
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Lynch Bage vs Pichon Lalande 1986, 1988, 1989, 1995 plus 3 Ringers: Group's 5th place and mine as well out of 11 Bordeaux served blind. Nose: Cola, medicinal cherry scent with woodsy leather aroma. Palate: Coughdrop cherry flavor like I perceive hot vintages. Sweet dry red fruits with toasty edge. Finish has nice lingering cherrywood component. Good mouthfeel and solid. Nice wine, but not killer stuff.
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I will only seconded the many favorable notes already posted on this wine. Served along side the '89 Dunn Howell Mountain and there was no comparison in terms of the explosiveness of the multi-layerd nose, complex flavors that just rolled on the tongue and emerged in waves, and a finish that just drew you back for more. A complete wine.
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Dark dark red with not a hint of browning. A rich nose of cassis, lead pencil and licorice. On the palate this was still so young. A touch hard, noticeable but fine tannin, the mouthfeel was still rich and the palate concentrated and long. With air this became more and more supple, but still was too young by a good 5 years minimum. The most youthful of recent bottles, this was a great wine, but offering less immediate drinking pleasure.
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Group #5, My #4 - Full red/crimson. Medium full aroma of redcurrant fruit with a touch of green stem. Rich round black fruit. Nice structure but balanced and round. Drinking nicely with some age, but will hold for years. 93 pts. 4/05
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Pre-Parker warmup dinner at Citronelle (Washington DC): This was not at the level of prior tastes. Roasted black fruit draws you in, yet this wine is reticent and tight, very primary and medicinal with a note of spicy cinnamon peeking out on the nose and an equally spicy interior to the palate. With time some amazing minerality emerges. A hint of tobacco peeks forth, but frankly this magnum is showing very, VERY young!
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Drank with Jason and Julie. Opened up with yeasty smell which overwhelmed the fruit. 90 minutes later we were on the last sips and it was just opening up. Give it at leas 1 hour to decant...
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STG - woopin it up at Roys (Roys Crib): Very dark wine, Pencil lead, tobacco, huge dark fruit, with a thick, think palate. Very tannic finish that is really long. To steal a phrase of my nephews "I gotta get me some of these"
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Year end SG Dinner #2 (House of Hersh): I love this wine. The nose showed candied blackberries and lead pencil. The palate is huge with tons of minerals, spices, and tannins. My favorite part about this wine is the spicy, mouthgripping tannins. I love the assertiveness of it.
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Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #2 (Sammamish, WA, USA): Ok, these next two wines in the flight were awesome and similar. I was thinking Latour as each was brimming with ripe, black fruit, and graphite. Not an awful guess actually. The first wine showed massive density with black fruit, pencil lead, and growing notes of cedar. This was clearly an utter baby, so lush and thick with a nice note of red currant dancing on the palate amidst the blackness. I am starting to wrap my head around the Lynch flavor profile, and these are pretty darned delicious!
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Bought from an estate sale (something I would not do now), this bottle looked cruddy with a faded torn label, albeit with good fill. Another bottle from the purchase was not wonderful, so I didn't have high hopes. Nonetheless, from the moment the corked popped out, an unmistakable nose of cassis, cedar, plum, and blueberries wafted forth, indicating good things to come. The palate was rich, smooth, delineated, and concentrated, with plenty of cab grip and chocolate notes. Some leathery tones. Thankfully, also lots of cherry-like fruit but no green pepper! Tannins were evident but not overpowering, and the finish was long. Great bottle!
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Wine with friends (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, the nose is dense and black with loads of tobacco, such classic Pauillac. The palate is rich, somewhat slutty with caramel, sweet fruit and dusty earth. Wowza, what a fun, knockout of a wine. Still, it doesn't compare fully to the thoroughly classic 1985 Las Cases.
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Cassis, black fruit, cigar and BBQ spices on the nose. Dense, concentrated, chewy, full bodied, huge masculine wine. Ample tannin remains to resolve. This is not a wallflower of a wine. It’s a bruiser.
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Dark red, still no bricking around the rim. A nose of lead pencil, cedar, bergamot, leather and beef blood. On the palate a concentrated and deep wine, still tannic, tremendously savoury wine, great structure, a fantastic length, and noticeable black fruit. The most backward bottle I have tasted, this is a superb wine showing only mild signs of age. 15 years minimum life left.
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Drank at Veritas 9/04. Excellent Bordeaux that really came around after decanting for 90 minutes. Then it was deep and rich. But give it some cellaring.
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The fruit seemed a bit pale sitting next to the Cos but it had a lovely aroma of black fruit and coffee. Still a bit tannic on the palate, this wine will definitely still benefit from 4-5+ years of cellaring before it hits its peak. 92 pts. 6/04 (VinExpo OL)
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Wine tasting. Not even close to ready. Big nose with lots of spice and dense, black fruit. Huge potential. Palate is just tannic and tough to fairly assess, coming across as even slightly bitter on finish. I wish this had been decanted in advance. Clearly there is great underlying material here, it is just hard to tell if the tannins will remain tough before this wine becomes more interesting.
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Tasted at Amy Weinberg's Super Bowl party. Bottle taken from my personal cellar and double-decanted one hour in advance. Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with slight bricking at the rim. Clean nose, showing an explosive bouquet of cocoa, meat, black cherry, leather and clove. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and similar complex flavors as for the nose. The smooth finish goes on and on. This is classic Lynch!
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Tried the 1989 in Jan 2004. Deep red w/o bricking. An earthy/leather nose without any off odors. Soft with smooth tannins. Notes of black cherry, raw meat and cola. Drinking well but will continue to drink well into the future. 94+.
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Dark red. Notes of caramel and pudding. Excellent mouth feel. The texture was like that of thick velvet, the taste impression like that of sweet moccha and chocolate, with a hint of tobacco. Quite structured and obviously a wine built for the long haul, yet a pleasure to enjoy today. The finish was smooth, balanced and long. Excellent. My guess was Pichon Baron.
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Tasted at Chris and Suzanne's house. The intense cedar shavings, chocolate, and black cherry nose was decadent and worth 95 points on its own. The palate was also stellar with leather, black fruit, earth, cedar, and spice. This wine has decades ahead of it.
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Dark ruby, no amber. Slightly reticent nose with black fruit, forest. Dark fruit very ripe,tannin well integrated. Big mid palate and great long finish. Years ahead.
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Tasted at Patrick & Naoko's. Cocoa, powerful black fruit. Remarkably smooth on the palate at first, although this got choppier and tighter as the night wore on. Very powerful mid palate with a complex finish. This wine WOW'ed me at first, but I found myself liking wine B and its nose much more. This one was too brooding for me. I'm a dummy, but the silky smooth mouthfeel led me to guess '89 Quilceda when in fact this was '89 Lynch Bages.
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The comparison between the 89 & 90 clearly demonstrate the differences between vintages. Opaque, purple color. Compelling perfume of ripe, black fruit, cassis, herbs and cedar that explodes from the glass. Huge, full-bodied, almost dense wine. Extremely concentrated, very thick. A long fruit filled, slightly chalky finish. This huge, hulking wine is not for lovers of finesse or for the faint of heart. It is very powerful and masculine. But in its own way, it's a compelling wine, towering over the 90. As open as it was, another 5-8 years of cellaring will improve the wine. It has a long future ahead.
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Dark red. Absolutely no sign of aging at the rim. Heavenly scent. Whiffs of tea and mushrooms coming out of the glass. Also, dark berries. Very pleasing and harmonious on the palate, and sweeping across all spectra of nuances in a seamless fashion. Balanced, and integrated. Round, ripe, and that cigarbox is peeking it's head through. Excellent! Much better than the bottle I had some months ago.
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I wrote this note a long time ago... the descriptions are a little dramatic, but I remember being overwhelmed by this wine and all of its properties.
Spectacular, it's as if the Green Giant and Willie Wonka were asked to invent a new style of red fruit candy which grows on vines, and Lynch Bages in 1989, picked, fermented, and bottled the candy fruits and made a spectacular wine out of them.
The wine has a different taste than I am used to. All I can say is that the fruit is so ripe and sweet, and "neat". The flavor is uncanny. The wine is highly extracted and backward, like jumping feet first from a pool and landing head up on a diving board. I liken the tannins to a parachute not opening. It is a great and beautiful ride, until that sudden stop when you hit the ground. But in this story, you walk away and want to jump again.
The wine has sweetness at the tip of the tongue, baby fat and grip on the edges, sweet tannin all the way through and a long long long finish. Will probably get better and last for a long time.
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Not much bouquet at this stage. There is a baked over-ripe character some wines of this vintage display. Very full. Tannic but balanced. Needs 5 more years at least.
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Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright, with opaque purple center and purple rim. Closed on nose, but with some currants and oak. Moderately intense palate of black cherry and cedar. Tannic finish. Despite low acidity, this baby is built for the long haul.
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Tasting of 9 Bordeaux at Primas. Suffered in this tasting as it showed closed with a big woody and coffee nose, lots of intensely concentrated fruit with hints of coffee, chocolate, and leather in the mouth, with a very long, lingering finish, needs age, will get very complex over time, well balanced, My #6.
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4/22/2024 - VINNICK wrote: 100 Points
This is becoming one of my favorite producers and this vintage maybe my favorite wine. Opened Friday evening and slow oxed for 24 hours, had half the bottle on Saturday and the second half Sunday. Kept at 55 the entire time but better to drink at 60. The wine is flawless, perfect balance, elegance, and harmony. Everything you expect from a great Bordeaux.
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3/2/2024 - MC wrote:
Decanted 30 minutes and enjoyed over dinner at a restaurant. This was great - really enjoyable with dark cool fruit, really nice secondaries, and a nice long finish. Incredible how dark and even primary the fruit is at this age. Will live for a long time. A
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3/1/2024 - the player Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tremendous wine. Opened and aerated in bottle for an hour then decanted and drank over two hours. Cork almost fully soaked. Deep crimson red color, nose wafting with perfumed cassis, black currants, leather initially which morphed into cigar tobacco with more time in the decanter. Beautifully crafted wine, complex with secondary notes of mature delicious dark red and black fruits. Silky entry on the palate, expands beautifully mid palate with superb balance, finishes long with notes of coffee. As good as the 1982 if not better.
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2/14/2024 - RMyrick Likes this wine: 98 Points
Poured about 1 glass from the bottle upon opening and let the rest breathe in bottle. Drank over ~7 hours. Tight initially with notes of raspberry, cedar, and graphite. A bit of acidity and alcohol as well that airs out quickly.
Around the 2 hour mark the next glass brings forth prominent cedar, blackberry, and mint notes.
4+ hours after opening the wine has fully opened with the oak falling into the background and the fruit taking over. Medium in body with a long finish and fully resolved tannins. Drinking beautifully now and seems close to peak but still lively enough to hold for years.
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1/23/2024 - cct wrote: 96 Points
A terrific lung filling nose. Cassis, wet bricks, pencil lead, bitter chocolate and florals that follow onto the palate. It's expansive and deep yet graceful and finessed on the palate. Power and grace. Long on the back end. Drinking at absolute peak for me with time in hand. A great LB.
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1/19/2024 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
Dedicated to my beautiful dog and best friend who passed away today, this was opened to remember him. At its relatively young age it can sometimes be reluctant to open up, but this was glorious. A fitting wine to remember my 52 kilo boy Sky.
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1/17/2024 - D_RICH wrote: 97 Points
I purchased 1/2 case of this wine as a future in 1990, but this bottle was not from my cellar. It was served at a tasting dinner along with many other fine Bordeaux, including the 1982 Calon Segur, the 1982 and 1995 Cos d'Estournel, the 1989 and 2000 La Conseillante, the 2000 Figeac, the 2000 Lynch Bages (from my cellar), the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste, 1990 Le Bon Pasteur, the 1996 Clinet and other fine wines. My notes: "Black/purple - darker than the 2000 [Lynch Bages tasted alongside it]. Intoxicating nose- WOW. Rich, plummy, complex. Outstanding. 97." For me, along with the 1989 La Conseillante, the WOTN, and much better than the (well-stored) bottle I brought to the same tasting group two years ago. This bottle showed the way it did back in 1997 - a very young, outstanding wine - now nearly 35 years old. Incredible.
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1/13/2024 - geomack Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours. Dark fruit nose from the start. Licorice notes soon after opening and developed an underlying dryness after a bit. Light and dark fruit flavors, leather, tobacco. All well integrated. It paired really well with Beef Short Ribs.
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12/31/2023 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 96 Points
Fully mature at this point but still life ahead of it, this has to be one of the better premier aged Bordeauxs on the market right now, as you can still find this in the $300/bottle range from time to time if you're patient (and lucky). Classic Pauillac in every sense, with cedar, lead pencil, sous bois, gravel and stewed dark fruit. The palate was a bit shy for the first 3 hours in the decanter, waiting until later in the night to shine through with lovely balance of currants, red and dark berries, dark chocolate and some faint licorice notes. This is a delight today and will be a delight in 2030. Great wine to buy now to get a good feel for what the best of Bordeaux can offer for close to half the price of an Angelus or Montrose of the same vintage.
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12/30/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Fully mature, right off the bat, the nose, with its cedar, tobacco, herbs, currants and cigar box aromas hit you just right. As good as that is, and it’s good, the palate, which is loaded with ripe, spicy, leafy red fruits delivers length, complexity and character. This is simply fabulous in your glass. Drink from 2023-2040.
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12/25/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted two hours. Drank this alongside the 1990 LB and this was clearly the better wine at least on this night. Sophisiticated nose with nose of black currant, pencil shaving and tobacco. The wine is full bodied, layered and concentrated sporting an inner core of black currant fruit surrounded by layers of flavor and depth, finishing long and satisfying. This is in a great place and can continue to age 10 to 20 years
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12/25/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rugged; blackberry; a bit tannic; earth; crunchy lively finish.
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12/17/2023 - GWEdwards Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drinking with absolute magic. Big dark fruit of rich soil, opening quickly, and offering a a long elegant finish. Wow. Anyone who gives this juice a 100 score is not wrong
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12/11/2023 - mayfield Likes this wine: 96 Points
From magnum; really phenomenal wine. Decanted and it opened up relatively quickly; growing in expression in the first 30 minutes drinking really well from hours 1-3. This is the 3rd time I've tried this; the palate is exquisite and more powerful than the nose, which is pleasant but subtle relative to other great vintages of Lynch. Lynch has always reminded me of a super second. It doesn't quite reach the heights that the first growths do in good/great vintages but it's very, very good and has a very pleasant signature.
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12/9/2023 - Noremedy21 wrote: 97 Points
This wine is a journey. It embodies everything aged Bordeaux should, and to my mind is the best Lynch Bages I have ever tasted.
This wine requires PATIENCE.
Once I opened the cork and took a first sip in the glass, I thought "Oh shit" it tasted like acidic vinegar. I ran to Cellartracker and saw I wasn't alone.
I revisited in two hours. At that point it was very smooth drinking, with tannins largely resolved. It had a WONDERFUL bouqet of truffle, mushroom, earth and pepper, but on the mouth it fell short. It was bare of fruit at first (or very minimal), with all of the tertiary notes aforementioned above. It was somewhat drying in texture.
After about 3-4 hours is when it really shines. Retaining all of the tertiary notes mentioned above, but then with waves of fully flowing black fruit and plum, with perfect acidity offsetting the dryness. The nose was complemented by fig, cigar box, and pepper.
After about 5 hours on my final glass, it was back in its shell again.
The wine is a journey, be patient, buckle up and enjoy the ride over the course of a long evening.
I questioned whether the price I had to pay (~3x a newer vintage of Lynch) was worth it, the answer is an emphatic yes.
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12/2/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
50th Birthday Bash - night #2: One of the top 2 Lynch Bages vintages in history. It still remains to be seen if the '89 will ever eclipse the '90 vintage. Only time will tell. This is a uber concentrated wine that can age for decades more. Still in its early maturity window. Awesome wine!
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12/2/2023 - dbg wrote:
I had high hopes for this bottle being among the best of the 30 or so tasted at BWE '23 in DC. It was a solid wine but not up to the heights of most bottles of '89 Lynch. Cellared since release with an intact cork and fill still into the neck, it was decanted for 4 hours. There was no hint of TCA or other flaw. The wine was still dark red, had a good nose of cassis, earth, and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, good balance, nice fruit presentation, but lacking the power and depth of almost every bottle preceding it. Other experienced tasters had the same impression. An excellent wine but not the '89 Lynch we knew. Perhaps paled in comparison to some of the other stunners that evening.
Top wines for me on the night:
2002 Krug - Tasted early on before the onslaught of 30+ wines so I was still taking more detailed notes. Pale yellow/gold with fine-medium bubbles. Great Kruggy nose of yeasty brioche, smoky nuances, and some early maturity nuttiness. Peach, apple, layered complexity on the palate, plenty of minimality and bracing acidity, medium-full body, long finish. While showing signs of complexity and clearly in a prime drinking window, I wouldn't be surprised to see this develop additional nuance and improve further over time. Has a long life ahead of it. Outstanding!
1985 La Mission Haut Brion (WOTN) - hands down the most complex and perfectly at peak wine, with all the great cassis, smoky stony Graves-ness that I'm a sucker for. Beautifully balance, medium bodied, loooong finish. A wine you want to curl up in the glass with. Outstanding!
1982 Gruaud Larose - my #2 on the night, beautifully and perfectly mature, balanced, and complex with classic Cordier funk. Outstanding.
1986 Talbot - neck and neck with the Gruaud but eventually lost a step to it, the classic Cordier funk added to the wonderful complexity of a perfectly aged Bordeaux at peak. Outstanding.
1998 Angelus - best of the right bankers, really showing well without any over-the-top characteristics. Like the 1998 Pavie, before the move to the dark side. Excellent to outstanding.
1989 Montrose - outstanding on first opening, with plenty of Brett but to my palate that's a good thing. Like the Lynch, not the powerhouse I expected. Within 30 mins TCA rears its ugly head. I imagine it would have given the top wines a run for the money without the TCE.
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11/19/2023 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Mouton vs Lynch-Bages 1989, 1986, 1966 and 1961 vintages (A collector's home): Decanted for 2 hours, served single blind in a flight of 4 wines. Wine C, My 3rd ranked wine, groups 1st. Medium red with some black tints. Sweet red fruits, asphalt, licorice and mint on the nose. Maybe just a hint of VA caused me to knock this down in the ranking. Stacked and packed palate, sweet fruit, with a texture like Wine D.
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11/2/2023 - Dandron24 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Going to echo what a few people here have written: this is fantastic juice, everything you could ask from properly aged Bordeaux, but don't bother opening this in any scenario where you don't have AMPLE TIME to let it decant. Four hours after decanting it was still closed and would give the impression you'd had an off bottle or this wasn't what everyone says it is. It is, but it needs five hours minimum to come out of its shell. Heart broken for the folks on here who didn't give it enough time. So don't be afraid to walk away. Decant it at 3 and start drinking with steaks at 8 and prepare to be blown away by the layers and nuance of epic Lynch Bages.
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10/20/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 98 Points
blind
Love this wine. Best bargain from 89 or 90 Bordeaux in the highest level. Still fresh. 98
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10/18/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
This was a somewhat closed bottle, but all of the elegant top class Pauillac notes are there. Blackberry, cassis, graphite, leather and and just a bit of minerally floral notes. Decanted 3 hours, but still showing tight A showstopper nonetheless.
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10/14/2023 - sastewart wrote: 99 Points
Absolutely fantastic left bank bordeaux. Agree with notes from Dream, DJHammond and William Kelly. About as good as Bordeaux gets. 99 points
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10/12/2023 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 93 Points
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10/12/2023 - luHar1423 Likes this wine: 97 Points
What has changed from my previous note:
The second bottle of the lot confirmed my previous assessment: the drinking window is closing down. We had a beauty contest vs. the 1989 Pichon Baron and unisono, four of us, had the same winner: PB it is.
We also tasted the 2010 LB that y'day night and our verdict: 1989 LB should have been enjoyed five years ago, 2010 LB should be enjoyed in 10 years the earliest.
Ideally: decant for 2h at least.
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9/18/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 97 Points
When you get the right bottle, this wine is really something. The nose is strong with notes of dried red fruits and sweet gravel. On the palate, it's deep, layered and intense with great flavors of still fresh red and black fruits and awesome graphite notes. The texture is quite fine and layered especially after 3+ hours of air with perfectly balancing acidity fully present. There is superb concentration and complexity on the finish with notes of the finest black minerals, Asian spices, grilled nuts and the dust from chiseled granite. A stunning 34-year old Pauillac that's still so youthful! Purchased as futures! 97+
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9/16/2023 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 97 Points
An interesting very complex and exquisite wine. This is not a wine to take to an event and pop and pour. It requires lengthy coaxing otherwise you are wasting your time. The nose in absolutely stunning with deep dark blue fruit pencil shavings and everything you would expect in good paulliac. Initially the wine is backward bizarre with a streak of green or brett that was outright nasty. After 5 hours in the open bottle in the cellar, the magic starts to happen. The green evaporates and a deep concentrated potpourri of blue fruit, leather, cigar box, pencil shavings, lead coat your mouth. The finish is long 45-60 seconds and just keeps making you want to come back for more. Amazingly enough this wine is still in its youth with a long trajectory ahead. The only thing missing was more balance. Perhaps with time it settles down more and that would undoubtedly make it a 100 pointer. One side note, fill level was top shoulder and the cork was completely soaked with lots of mold on the top which gave me cause for concern but clearly didn’t change the outcome. Final glass on day 2 was equally as good, maybe better. More round balanced and everything in harmony. This wine will age well for decades.
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9/15/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 99 Points
not blind
The best buy in 89 and 90 from Bordeaux if you want the mountain peak. Still fresh, no hurry. 99-100
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9/5/2023 - t_moderne wrote:
Let stand for 4 days.
Opened in the cellar and left the cork out for 2 hours. Decanted and then served about 1 hour later.
enjoyed with food (grilled lamb chops, crostini with calamares en su tinta, and pasta in a ground beef and tomato sauce, in case you were wondering).
Dark color.
Nose offers some graphite notes and some dark fruit. Hint of old leather chairs/library books and black fruit.
Good dark fruit on the palate with a little funk on the mid-palate. Shows some tannins.
A delicious wine but that slight woodsy funk was a detraction.
While this was a delicious and enjoyable bottle of wine, I was expecting more.
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8/18/2023 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Double blind. Deep garnet/crimson core with a lighter meniscus- it has *some* age. Opens with aromas of red fruit, wood spice, herbs and game. Medium tannin with flavors of red and black fruit and a bit of spice as well. As it opens in the glass notes of tobacco and graphite emerge and it becomes more black fruited than red. There’s a subtle hint of barnyard funk as well. It gains depth and fleshes out across the palate. Guessed ‘00 Bordeaux. A pristine example that was still unfurling and improving as we tasted it; thank you J&J for this beauty. 95+ pts.
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8/18/2023 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased on release. Double decanted three hours before service. Medium red with a touch of browning. Beautiful nose of barnyard and leather, perhaps a touch of tobacco. The palate has balanced tannins and acid that makes the wine easy to drink but still has a lot of stuffing left. Black and red fruits. This wine will definitely live to the 50-year mark.
Here's the blend, per the chateau:
73% Cabernet Sauvignon,
15% Merlot,
10% Cabernet Franc,
2% Petit Verdot
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8/14/2023 - luHar1423 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Much written about this beauty and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to taste this fine piece of art! (Thanks, ThePlayer for your recommendation).
The cork was saturated and broke in half while unpopping, but my worries that the wine was compromised were wrong.
Still a lot of fruity notes, nice acidity but tannins a bit weak in combination. Curious to taste soon another one.
Definitely a must-have - but still favor the 1990 Pichon Baron over this one (for now).
Not sure if drinking window is closing down to the bad. Definitely going to PnP another bottle soon to get a better taste for this.
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8/11/2023 - jviz wrote: 95 Points
Drank this side-by-side with the 1982. PnP, then followed over 3h. This cork was completely saturated and began to sink into the neck as soon as the screw touched it. I was worried the bottle might be compromised, but instead to my excitement it was completely intact; in fact a better bottle than I’ve had in the past.
The rim was slightly burnt umber on pouring, and took a more purple robe with air. The nose is somewhat classic. Pen ink (although this showed more on the 82), black currant, a little sweet tart and aloe, too. Warm baked fruit tones predominate, but nothing overripe. Some pipe tobacco and more juicy fruit. Great acidity and quite long. It’s a very good bottle of a legendary wine, although my mentor suggested before this tasting that the 82 is just as good if not better. I can’t disagree.
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8/3/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredibly youthful still and the massive intensity and concentration of black fruit is clearly at First Growth level. Firm and tannic too. Very Pauillac. Bottles seem to vary considerably in maturity level and this one, sourced fairly recently from WineBid, was one of the most youthful.
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7/23/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
I agree with fellow reviewer Jimhowe, that this is one of the greatest wines ever made when it is the right bottle, and this was absolutely singing. However, it does need a lot of air, and this was decanted for 6 hours. It is not immediate in its appeal, and so incredibly nuanced that you really have to concentrate on what your drinking and probably not a wine for company. Smoky and beefy, undertones of old leather accompany blackcurant and plum, with violet wafts. With the right bottle secondary and early tertiary characteristics are present. Behind everything is a Paulliac tannic spine perfectly balanced and seamless, but giving an unexpected bite, but only adds to the excellence of the wine. It concludes with a 60+ seconds unwavering finish. A couple of more years will give a perfect rating everytime.
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7/9/2023 - Javachip Likes this wine: 94 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes. Clear dark garnet-blood red color. Notes of cigar humidor, mixed black fruits and their liqueurs, tidal flats, black truffles. Medium-full body, seamless, beautiful balance, silky mouthfeel. Improved with air, needs more than a 30 minute decant.
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7/1/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [Tasted Single Blind] This pours medium ruby in the glass with no bricking. The nose is of spice box, raw meat, blood, bay leaf, toast, a whiff of ginger, and light touches of rose petal. Quite a lovey range of aromas. The palate is also thoroughly enjoyable with bright plum with a vague citrus tinge with medium minus tannin, and medium acid. The finish closes nicely replaying much of the nose. Really nice showing here.
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6/25/2023 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Another great showing of this wine...It just keeps on going. Love it.
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6/24/2023 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great spot right now. We only decanted for an hour (despite everyone here saying it needs longer)
Smoked beef (think American style BBQ brisket), smoked wood, porcini mushrooms, cola nut, stewed black cherries stewed plums, pencil shavings, old leather, grilled jalapeno pepper, fresh cracked black pepper on the nose. Aromas are about 50/50 split between primary and tertiary. The palate pretty much confirms everything on the nose, maybe it's a tough more tertiary (60/40). Either way, intensity of both flavors and aromas is HIGH right now. I could smell this all night and be happy...
Medium + body with medium acid and still medium lingering tannins. Insanely long finish. My guess is this is at peak now; though I don't see it declining in the next two years.
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6/24/2023 - shutto1992@gmail.com Likes this wine:
Decanted 1 hour before and drank over an hour. This needed MUCH more decanting. The nose is spectacular but the taste is still somewhat closed and would have been spectacular with 6 hours of decanting. Bought this at a steakhouse so I was doubly ($$$) disappoited. Why don't more restaraunts have corkage fees? I would gladly pay a $100 corkage fee to bring my own wine.
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6/23/2023 - no leashes wrote: 94 Points
This wine is in a perfect spot, probably will last longer but why wait? Dark fruit, tobacco, earth, all in perfect harmony, long finish.
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6/16/2023 - Eric wrote:
M&PD Tasting: Lark (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, textbook example of this wine. Tobacco, quintessential Lynch Bages, deep, smoky, powerful, black fruit, stern, spicy green notes.
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6/15/2023 - hectic Likes this wine: 97 Points
IMHO If you are drinking fifteen year old Bordeaux or high end Cali Cab, drink this to see what you are missing. No offense meant. To me, this displays the essence of what left bank Bordeaux producers are aiming for their wines to taste like when they are opened.
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6/14/2023 - Frank Schneider wrote: 100 Points
What should i say. Thats what wine drinking is all about. Perfect mature bdx ! Needed 2 h of air to blossom. Perfection. No hurry !!!
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6/14/2023 - dkentaustin wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful mature still viberant fruit and soft leather and tobacco leaf notes and bright and in a Great window to consume Have always loved this producer and this vintage in particular
Wish we had more.
Drink now
Ps: leftovers.. good leftovers
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6/3/2023 - soyhead wrote:
charcoal, toasty fruit, drinking nice, mature, in its window.
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6/2/2023 - Romol Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decatend 3 hours. Another great bottle. Is and remains one of my favorite wines. It still seems younger than it is and has (with good storage) many years ahead. Perfect to drink right now. 96 pts.
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5/31/2023 - mchern02 wrote: 98 Points
2 hours of air followed by two hour decant
Took a while to open up but when it did, wow!
Pungent aromas of cassis, graphite, pencil lead, tobacco, and wet forest floor. Striking medium body, with balanced ripe power and cool finesse make this wine irresistible. The finish is taut, long and inviting with dynamic textures and flavors that continue to evolve over time.
Amazing now but a long life ahead; just utterly fantastic.
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5/15/2023 - G SQUARED Likes this wine: 100 Points
One of my favorite and most consistent wines ever.
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5/10/2023 - EJDALEwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still flying high! FantStic wine at 34 years!
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5/5/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 90 Points
Seemed a little stewed.
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4/14/2023 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Dégustation bordelaise 1989-1990 (Chez François G.): Un peu de chanvre au nez, au début, qui disparaît ensuite pour des notes plus classiques: Fruit noir, mine de crayon, tabac, un peu de cèdre.
La bouche est ample et droite à la fois, d’une harmonie admirable, avec des tanins soyeux. C’est long et profond, il fait très Pauillac avec cette structure racée, cette finale précise.
Superbe et difficile de choisir un préféré parmi ces deux premiers vins. Celui-ci entame à peine son plateau, il paraît plus jeune que le premier, peut-être pas encore à maturité. En fait, à l’aération, il me paraît même un peu plus tannique, promis à une longue vie. 95+ pts
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4/14/2023 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Assez typé au nez, un vin droit, classique, plus de structure, texture très classe et élégante, finale un peu asséchante au départ, mais évolue bien dans le verre, belle longueur. Mon no 1 des 89 et no 3 au total. 93-94
Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Typical nose and palate, very classical, nice texture and good structure, classy and elegant despite the power, nice length, gorgeous.
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3/30/2023 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine. Starting a light fade but still has we-15 years on it. Took 2 hours to start expressing itself. Light notes blue fruit and currants. Long finish
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3/19/2023 - G SQUARED Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still one of the top LB’s ever made in my opinion.
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3/4/2023 - JimHow Likes this wine: 100 Points
So a couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of drinking a 1990 Beausejour Duffau in Florida. This St. Emilion was every bit as thrilling as expected from its RMP100 rating. It was stunning, a pinnacle of everything that brilliant merlot from the right bank has to offer: Amazing bouquet, seductive a point fruit on the palate that was so sensual and yet not losing its classiness. It was a huge crowd pleaser at a table among other epic right bankers.
This 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages is not that. 1989 Lynch Bages, in my opinion, is the greatest wine ever produced by man. I have had over 100 bottles over the years. But it is a wine that should never be brought to a tasting where other Bordeaux greats are served. 1989 Lynch Bages usually gets lost in the shuffle because its greatness is so nuanced. It is the ultimate expression of Pauillac. And for that reason alone it is not going to be a big, upfront, flashy, seductive St. Emilion. It is Oxford/Cambridge restraint, nuance, breed. And the other hallmark of this wine, which I have mentioned many times, is that it needs a huge amount of oxygen. This is a 200 year wine. It is STILL incredibly youthful, at now 34 years old. When I first opened this pristine bottle last night there was very little on the nose, but I could tell this was going to be yet another great bottle of 1989 Lynch. I decanted. Slowly, as the night evolved, the classic, classic lead pencil and immaculate cassis emerged. Drinking 1989 Lynch Bages is a religious experience for me. I feel the wonderment of the universe, not because I'm buzzed -- this baby is only 12.5% -- but because it just makes me appreciate how lucky we are to be in this sliver of time and place, with five senses, experiencing this instance of a vintage that will be here and gone in an instant of time. It is a glorious, magnificent wine, it is da Vinci, Chopin, Shakespeare, and Caruso. The color is still a deep ruby/purple with absolutely no evidence of fading at the rim. We used to get it for $35 back in the day. I just bought another bottle from K&L last night for $395 plus tax. It went recently for $700 at auction. The finish on this absolute classic lingers for a minute or more, like a 1986 Mouton, numbing the taste buds at the back of your tongue. It is a left bank Medoc from Pauillac. So don't expect it to be a big, sexy, chocolatey right bank merlot. It is complexity and nuance. The lead pencil defines this wine. As always, the last sips are the best. The 1989 Lynch Bages is at the back end of a culmination of efforts from Jean-Michel Cazes in the 1980s that is among the greatest stretch of wines produced in centuries. I used to be involved in politics here in Maine and I remember running into Olympia Snow in a wine shop in Falmouth during holiday season, she was a friend even though I was a Democrat and she was a Republican. I was buying several bottles of the 1989 and 1990 Lynch, I convinced her to buy a bottle of the '89 for their Christmas dinner, it was going for about $75 per bottle at that time, it would have been about 1999. The 1989 Lynch has been the poster child of our website, www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts, for over 23 years. I think we have actually moved the market for this wine, it is now selling routinely for over $500, and went for $700 at auction this week. Jean-Michel Cazes wrote to me personally back in 2003, the confluence of 1980s Bordeaux and its 12.5% wines, with the influences of Jean-Michel and his wine making philosophies, produced this Mona Lisa, this Hamlet, a wine that transcends into philosophy and religion. It is Chopin's nocturnes. It is stunning in its left bank subtlety, restraint, class, and power combined with elegance. Magnificent. This effort last night was as brilliant as any of the over 100 times I've had this wine. I rate it, yet again, at 100+++.
JimHow
Tasted 3/3/23
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com
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2/19/2023 - JimHow Likes this wine: 100 Points
Another night of legendary generosity and camaraderie in Ft. Lauderdale as Stuart and Kathy Roberts again host us at Wine Watch. The wines were presented in several flights. We started with an accessible 2009 Dom Perignon, our second Dom of the evening, as we had uncorked an equally forthcoming 2012 Dom on the ocean view deck at the Hilton, along with yet another bottle of 168th edition Krug.
The first flight was 1982 Leoville Las Cases (93 points) and 1986 Pichon Lalande (91 points), which Peter had uncorked 24 hours earlier. The last two times I've had this 1982 LLC beast it has finally come to show its complexity. The Pichon Lalande, on the other hand, does not seem to be improving.
We then moved on to three vintages of Montrose. We were pleasantly surprised by the 1986 Montrose (93 points), monolithic in the past but then again I haven't consumed it in probably 20 years. The 1989 Montrose (95 points) was singing in all its glory, a wine that has historically stood up to the acclaimed 1990. They say the 1990 Montrose (n/r) at our table last night was corked, it certainly was dominated by overwhelming brett. Tommy's 1955 Cos d'estournel (93 points) was a fun addition to the flight, fully resolved, lighter rose colored, almost burgundy-like, very fragrant, one of the bouquets of the night.
Next up were two brilliant examples of 1982 Lynch Bages (95 points) and 1989 Lynch Bages (100 points), the '89 my wine of the night with its hallmark lead pencil and cassis, and virtually no signs of aging. For me, 1989 Lynch Bages is just the ultimate expression of Pauillac. This BWE icon is a 200 year wine. I think Peter liked the '82 Lynch better, they were both brilliant. 1982 and 1989 Lynch are the two great book ends of that legendary 1980s stretch for Jean-Michel Cases, the 1982 initiating the transition from old school Lynch to a more modern model. always a thrill to drink these wines, it never gets old.
So then of course Stuart decides to throw a couple Moutons into this northern Medoc tasting, oh, the 1982 Mouton (97 points) and 1986 Mouton (95 points).... I mean, come on now. The generosity is legendary. I kept coaxing the 1986 Mouton for its legendary finish but on this night the rich 1982 may have edged it out, these two wines have battled it out before, they are evenly matched but differently styled.
And then out came the Lafites. Oftentimes when we have Lafite at these dinners it gets overshadowed but not on this night. These Lafites were absolutely breathtaking in their elegance and strength. The 1986 Lafite (96 points) is still monolithic but there is a big core of fruit that smacks you in the face. The classic 1988 Lafite (98 points) is an ultimate Jim How wine, I drank more of this wine than any of the others and it was otherworldly in its classicism and restraint with the cheese and dessert. The 1990 Lafite (98 points) was in full glory, just totally open on the nose and palate, just wow. And then... Stuart pulls out a freaking 1959 Lafite (100 points).... OMG.... These few 1959s that I've had over the years have such unique character and personality, I think I've enjoyed them even more than the epic 1961s. This is a 100 point wine, rivaling the 1989 Lynch.
We finished with Peter's 1955 Sigalas Rabaud (96 points) I'm pretty sure was a first for me, heavenly decadent with the cheeses sourced by Stuart from frommages.com.
Holy smoke, what a night. What a memorable weekend. That 1947 Cheval Blanc from the night before was the thrill of a lifetime, and the 1959 Lafite Rothschild was not far behind. In the end, of course, BWE is more about the people, and less so the wine. It was so much fun hanging out with the crew at the hotel and the wine dinners. we'll see you again next month in London! THANK YOU STUART!
JimHow
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com
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2/12/2023 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet. Big cedar, tobacco, cigar box nose...Very big, concentrated, extracted, seamless palate. Round and rich. Long sweet finish...drinking perfectly!! 95
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2/5/2023 - Aptosc6 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a high neck fill bottle bought in case on futures.
Dark ruby, red around the rim.
Lots of cabernet fruit with cedar and dried cherry on the nose.
Soft tannins, black cherry extract, earthy with hints of leather. Dark chocolate and cherries in the finish. Really tasty and enjoyable.
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1/20/2023 - burlingtonm wrote: 95 Points
Vertical of Lynch-Bages from 1989 to 2018 and together with the 1990, the best wines of the night. Much better than the 1989 tasted a couple of years ago and this was a lovely wine with notes of cigar box, leather and cassis.
Just how you would want classic Bordeaux to have aged!
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1/13/2023 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 100 Points
Drunk on my birthday, and noted about 45 minutes from opening. Bottle and cork were both in good shape. Amazingly youthful appearance at 34 years of age: dark red with only a tinge of rust at the rim. Still stains the bowl of the glass with faint red tears. Nose shows truffle, iodine, leather, cassis, cedar. Totally tertiary yet fresh and alive. Really lovely palate, with lifted but penetrating flavors of red currant and liquid minerals. Surprisingly feminine; smooth and elegant. Finishes beautifully over a 30-second interval. Very impressive stuff, with seemingly a long future still ahead. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.
Update: the next day, after sitting open in my cellar overnight, this wine reached another level of exquisite. Now showing more feminine red fruit and pretty lilac in the bouquet. Now, not merely excellent, it is PROFOUND, and one of the best Bordeaux noses I have ever enjoyed. Wow, what a metamorphosis. The palate has become more seamless and ethereal, as well as broader and even more concentrated than last night. This wine is amazing, and one of the very best Bordeaux I have had in forty years of tasting. For me, it is now perfection pesonified. 5-15-20-10: 100/100. (Without looking to be sure, I doubt I have rated even five wines at 100; it may even be as little as two. The only other one I remember clearly was the 1959 Lafitte drunk in the late 1980s.
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1/12/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is truly a gorgeous wine and it's very Pauillac with its flavors of sweet gravel and graphite minerals. Quite poised and regal with opulent black/blue fruits and a wonderful lifted character. The finish is taut and complex with notes of minerals and layers of liquid gravel. Marvelous and still upside here. Out of magnum at Commanderie dinner, Vestry, NYC. 95+
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1/10/2023 - GregHH wrote:
Potřebuje cca 12 hodin v otevřené lahvi
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1/7/2023 - rhyman Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep juice of blackberries and black currant. Decanted for three hours and should have been more. Kept developing in the glass. Super long hollow.
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12/29/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
I am starting to find I am torn between the 1989 and the 1990 as the greatest Lynch Bages of the last 70 years, (I recently tasted the 1961 and it didn't compare,). At present they are neck and neck, but the 1989 still has a lot in its tank and will continue to develop. At this stage it needs a lot of air, (this had 5 hours in the decanter,) and really only came to life after 45 minutes in the glass. Once it does, it transforms from a 95 point wine to a 99/100 rating. The nose is intoxicating with blackcurrant, blackberry, and tobacco, and lingers and lingers. Secondary notes are developed on the palate, but still with tannin to resolve, but the depth and complexity are otherworldly. Likewise the finish is robust, but is exquisitely balanced and pushes 90+ seconds. This deserves a perfect score, but I'm holding back the half a point for the tannin to fully sweeten. 99+
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12/16/2022 - Malarky997 wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/21/2022 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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11/19/2022 - Mag357 wrote:
Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. This is a very young man in his roaring thirties, a hustler of a wine, very good testosterone levels and clean cut suit, but no refinement and no details. Still very brooding, and just good for its raw power qualities though.
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11/12/2022 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
A bold and flashy bottle of Lynch-Bages. While mature from the standpoint of tannins, the very forward and ripe fruit seemed almost primary. Excellent, but my impression of this bottle was that it needed 10 more years to round into something more interesting.
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11/10/2022 - MRichman wrote:
Excellent. Full of dark, tight small berry fruit. Tobacco, cassis, very complex. Wonderfully mature but strong fruit, clear and brawny. Such a strong fruit core and a finish that goes on forever. This wine is in a great place. Drink or hold. Amazing, a real treat. As good as it gets. A+.
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11/4/2022 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Various locations): Typical Lynch-Bages. Green and tasty. Lots of spice. Tobacco. Orange
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11/4/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Lovely older bordeaux that is still quite young at heart. Drinks nicely.
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10/26/2022 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Great harmony here, perfectly mature. Shows lightness, delicate, yet rich fruit, notes of tobacco. Great Bordeaux, drinking a point IMHO.
#IB
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10/26/2022 - EJDALEwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a great Bordeau needs about an hour to open.. we drank it before we got dinner started.
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10/21/2022 - Ltrain1282 Likes this wine: 98 Points
I love this wine … hence why I have so much of it and drink it often. Tonight’s bottle may not be the best I’ve had but it’s pretty damn good. On the nose : cedar, black pepper, black licorice, lead pencil, and older Connolly leather from a Jag or Roller. On the palate: Silky tanin, ripe (but not overripe) dark fruit.. just wonderful mouthfeel … the tight grip of acid on the side of your tongue. The primary flavors are in perfect harmony with the secondary flavors. This drinks up there with bottles that cost many times as much. It’s in a sweet spot but given the structure I suspect it will last for years and years to come.
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10/15/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
Had a special day on the golf course so decided to open this. A nice complement. Ruby color with a brick to clear rim. A classic, mature Pauillac nose that is full of cassis, cedar and green grass. Sweet fruit is the first thing noticed on the fully resolved palate which shows good but not heavy weight. Tobacco. Terrific wine that is more mature than the two bottles drunk over the past few years. (95)
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10/9/2022 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 97 Points
Perfectly aged Bordeaux. In the best secondary stage. Pronounced nose with notes of wet forest, spices, toast, cooked black fruits, cooked black berries. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Tannin is integrated.
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10/8/2022 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 95 Points
Elegant and integrated. Floral and fruit at the front. Earth, leather, cedar all secondary
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8/24/2022 - hkbob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Poured a deep purple with only the slightest hint of rust at the rim. Rich, fragrant nose with damp earth, cassis, dark fruit, pencil lead, and a hint of cedar. Full-bodied with plush mouthfeel. Still some tannins to be resolved. Given its age this wine shows very young still and seems almost immortal. I will wait another 5 years before the next one.
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8/19/2022 - angelcyn Likes this wine:
Final bottle from our wedding anniversary bash, and the best, absolutely beautiful Bordeaux , lovely nose huge aromas of blackberries cassis, so smooth in the mouth all the berries are in there, spot on acidity and tannins well tamed, I consider myself very lucky to have had three such lovely wines on our special day, and this one just about took the crown, sadly no more.
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7/17/2022 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
Annual BYO Pre-Dinner (mostly mature Bordeauxs): Stunning bottle of Lynch 1989. It needed a bit of air to get there but then transformed into a textbook Pauillac. An elegant gentlemen with many layers drawn with the finest brushstrokes. Still rather young, this wine should improve further for many more decades. 96/97 pts.
TN: Intense dark red fruit, brighter red fruit, some chemical notes. With time the nose gets much better, cleaner with a textbook Pauillac nose with lots dark red and dark berries, graphite minerality and tobacco. Absolute precision. Impressive. On the palate the same precision, additional toasty notes, some tobacco. Getting better by the minute. So textbook, masculine and high quality in every sense. With ripe tannins, high but well-rounded acidity, beautiful balance and harmony and a slightly creamy texture.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly an hour. Improved further in the glass. Well stored bottles can easily use 4+ hours in the decanter
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7/15/2022 - Raizes Likes this wine: 93 Points
酒整体状态依然很年轻，集中度和结构都处于极佳状态，但黑醋栗和黑李子的果味过于成熟，更像被热红酒煮过的水果，需要陈年波尔多常见的雪松、雪茄盒、烟熏香气来进行调配和平衡，而回味中的皮革味有些喧宾夺主。酸度保持出色，单宁成熟且细腻，所以口感相当舒服，整体风格偏低沉而非明亮，让人越喝越安静的一款酒。
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7/7/2022 - Cromulent Likes this wine: 97 Points
had at a BYO restaurant. briefly aired. we had it a little too cool. cork was clean. fairly dark colour. very good nose. palate was very proper and french. enjoyable but expected more development after 32 years.
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7/1/2022 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted about 40 minutes which worked and hence stopped, but past experience suggests you should be prepared to go (much) longer. Amazing freshness with Asian flavours, a touch of coriander, mint and fresh herbs. The fruit is intense and precise. Black tea and plenty of minerality, opening up further with aeration and adding also tobacco notes. Palate is perfectly balanced with tension, depth and concentration. Incredibly young!
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6/5/2022 - EdsonS wrote: 96 Points
Oh man. So heavy. Chocolate, cedar and tobacco nose. Heavy on the oak, crushed blackberries. A bit hot. My first birth year (1989) wine, and what a wine to do it. Epic Bordeaux.
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5/21/2022 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 98 Points
Just unbelievably good. Amazing nose you could smell from across the room. Classic notes, smooth and perfectly integrated on the palate. Wow.
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5/1/2022 - gretsch2holton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Easter. Enjoyed with lamb chops. Still deep color and better on day 2. Not wowed by the wine but we enjoyed the pairing.
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4/29/2022 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Superbe magnum acheté en primeur. Passé en carafe puis remis en bouteille 4 heures avant dégustation.
Robe prune impressionnante. Les arômes varient beaucoup, du cassis au graphite en passant par le havane et le tabac blond, très peu d’arômes tertiaires.
La bouche est prégnante, gros volume, concentration, complexité, épices, un Bordeaux d’un autre temps mais tellement présent.
Ouvert pour les 33 ans de mariage d’un couple d’amis.
Un très grand vin à parfaite maturité qui restera sans doute encore longtemps à ce niveau.
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4/29/2022 - nnektarios Likes this wine: 98 Points
If I had to use only one word for this, I would say: Voluptuous! Double decanted and then aeration for 1 hour in the glass. Paired with matured gouda, cold cuts and a T-Bone. Deep ruby. Intense, unique nose. Scorched earth, graphite, cigar-box, leather, cocoa, coffee, blackberry...what a nose! One more sniff and again, swirl, sniff and a new dimension every time. Even after 4 hours it was changing and it was getting only better and better. Still fresh, vibrant with many years ahead, this is a striking wine to remember. Opulent, medium to full-bodied with refreshing acidity, round, juicy and sweet. Ripe, silky tannins. Concentrated, multi-layered and finally a magical neverending finish! Excellent!
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4/28/2022 - Theo.K. Likes this wine: 97 Points
A perfect example of Bordeaux wine. Deep ruby without any indication of aging. Elegant but intense, multilayered with much complexity. Mixed black fruit, fresh cut smoke, graphite, coffee and earthy scents on the nose. On the mouth rich, fresh, juicy with balanced acidity. Full body with velvet tannins and with a long tasty finish. It was keep evolving continuously in the glass. Potential for even much more improvement over the following years.
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4/23/2022 - aquacongas wrote: 94 Points
blind, Magnum
I guessed Latour 1988, this bottle was not in best shape. I had a lot of much fresher regular bottles from this gem. the primary notes are diminishing and the tertiary are overtaking. 93-94. I had it a few times close to perfection. 94
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4/7/2022 - Romol Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Every bottle (5/6) of the 1989 Lynch Bages has been very good so far. It still has a long life ahead. Always something special. 96 pts.
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3/24/2022 - D_RICH wrote: 95 Points
My 5th bottle of 6 purchased as futures, stored under perfect conditions since. Served at Bordeaux wine dinner with great company and excellent wines; only sparse notes as the room was quite dark. Perfect fill and cork. Apx. two hour decant. Dark colored. Tell tale Lynch Bages nose; earth, exotic spice. Concentrated, very rich. Served in a flight with two other excellent wines: the 1985 Pichon Lalande (drinking well, fully mature, smells and tastes like Pichon Lalande) and the 1989 Pichon Baron (not decanted, initially not impressive - but as it gathered air, appeared to be a more balanced, complete and complex wine - than the Lynch). I rated this higher when I initially opened the bottle; I have had both better and worse bottles of this. Both this and the Baron appear to have a long life left. (94-96) [Other wines at this excellent dinner: Champagne: NV Krug. Flight one - 1966 Lafleur, 1983 La Mission, 1985 Mouton; Flight three - 1986 and 1995 Cos, 1990 and 1999 Leoville Barton; Dessert -1980 Yquem, 199_ Rieussec, 1985 Fonseca. Also/back up bottle - 1989 Cos.]
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3/22/2022 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
20 Vintages of Lynch Bages (1986-2017): All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few conclusions: 1) The overall quality of the wines surpassed my (and the groups) expectations slightly. There were good wines in all decades. 2) The style is very Cabernet, very Pauillac, quite classic, with a good grip, pleasantly high acidity and a good, not too ripe fruit core. 3) Most vintages don‘t have the depth of its neighbours and, until more recently, there are some quite angular tannins. 4) Lynch these days doesn’t reach the same elegance and complexity as both Pichons but plays in the same league as Pontet Canet, which, is less classically built. 5) Highest rating of 95 pts for 3 crowd favorites: of course for the 1990 and 2016, but rather surprising also for the 2017.
TN: Intense nose with dark and blue fruit, graphite, leather and some tobacco notes. At first a bit shy but with a lot of swirling this gets more intense. On the palate this wonderful with nicely defined dark and blue berries, graphite, wet earth. With time additional notes of smoke, some red fruit and floral hints. High precision. The structure is impeccable with melted tannins, good tension, well-integrated medium+ acidity, a nice creamy texture and a superb lightness and elegance to it. Good, long finish. Quite complete and balanced. This wine showed very promising and complete but it is in need of more time in the cellar. Quite far away from it‘s peak with no full tertiary development yet, this wine needs a long decant to come out of its shell. 94 pts tonight but with lots of upside.
Decanting: As with previous bottles, this would have needed a long decant. My advise for well stored bottle is a solid 3-4h at least.
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3/16/2022 - aquacongas wrote: 97 Points
not blind
delivers always as a machine. Still fresh. not the "best" bottle but still amazing. 97
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3/14/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 96 Points
Lynch Bages vertical (1986-2017): Lynch Bages vertical spanning 20 vintage (1986-2017) hosted by a private collector. My key observations were: 1/ The “twin peaks” of 1989 and 1990 continue to perform well, 3/ among the younger vintages 2017 and 2016 stood out, 3/ mid- to late-90ies were unimpressive as a group, rustic with harsh tannins, 4/ 2000-2008 showed extracted fruit profiles, but with juicier palates, 5/ After 2009 the fruit turned brighter and more red in nature, less extracted and fruit-forward palates. Note the wines were not decanted and served blind in flights of 4.
Tasting note:
A potpourri of aging notes including earthy notes, sous-bois and leather frame a nicely scented fruit core showing sugar coated red berries. Sweet spices as a bonus. The palate adds flavors of tobacco and cigar box. The palate is velvety and soft beyond belief, harmony is mostly impeccable, even if the scale tips marginally towards acidity. Decent length finish. One of the highlights in this vertical and luckily a much better bottle than a year ago.
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3/13/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
At home, with Cook's Illustrated's Coq au Vin. 3rd time we've had it since December, 2019, 3rd time I've rated it 100. Purchased on release in 1992, two bottles left. For a 30 year-old wine, incredibly young and vibrant, still dark garnet and minimally translucent, just minimal brown at the edges. The aroma is immediate and powerful upon pouring...sweet cassis and blackberries, with beautiful toasty French oak, some cedar, hint of tobacco and leather. No question it's Bordeaux! Lots of dark fruit but sweet flavors, intense but also round and perfectly balanced, not coarse or heavy. Late palate and aftertaste show some licorice and a bit of heat, but the flavors linger for a minute. This is as great as Bordeaux gets in the glass. Drink, but may hold longer, no signs of fading seven hours after decanting.
Ric
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3/1/2022 - g-man Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is going through another transition. My previous bottles required extended decanting but this was decanted for less than an hour and was relatively approachable on first taste. Over the next 2 hours it blossomed and showed why I love this so much. It evolved into a strong yet balanced beauty. Tannins mellowed and fruit emerged yet still retaining a certain tension which kept your attention and looking for its' next phase of evolution.
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2/19/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
blind, side by side with 1990
Again 89 is a stunner but this time 90 is just a touch behind. Maybe one of the best PQR in older great Bordeaux. I love this wine since over 10 years. Still primary notes. The 90 is a bit opener and "easier" accessible. Great duo. At least 10-20 years ahead. 98 and 97
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2/14/2022 - Dan_K wrote: 95 Points
bottle and cork in rough shape. base neck. not an issue
dark purple. black cherry, vanilla, oak. full. excellent mouthfeel. plum, chocolate truffles (not the fungi). balanced and long. surprised at this given condition. intellectually hedonistic
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2/5/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
I am befuddled by the fact that some bottles from this OWC are clamped down tight and others are gloriously open. This is one of the latter, immediately accessible, archetypal Pauillac, replete with cool, fresh boysenberry fruit, pencil, ash, and mineral, intense and generous at the same time. So lively and vital. The tannins are mellowing here and the ‘89 Lynch can be drunk with food or without. The finish here lingers and lingers… This is really exciting stuff and, if you wanted to sear the impression of classic Pauillac into a neophyte’s memory, this would be a good way to do it.
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1/29/2022 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Two hour decant (definitely recommend 2-3 hours+). Nose is gorgeous, and really opened and developed with time. Color is ruby, fairly light but seemed to fill out a bit after decant. Big burst of flavors on the palate: cedar, lead pencil, leather, and dark fruit. Long finish. Drinking really well now but should have a long life. All class. And kind of amazing seeing 12.5%, but having all the size it has.
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1/13/2022 - Duce wrote: 95 Points
Leather, dark fruit, cigar box, drinking well right now
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1/2/2022 - angelcyn Likes this wine:
A couple of years on since the last tasting and it still stands up fresh, notes as before, lovely example of old style Bordeaux.
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12/27/2021 - Deux Chevaux Likes this wine:
Our last of six purchased on release and perfectly stored: We drank the priors way too early. This one struck us as beautifully developed. Decanted, and then poured almost immediately. Color was bright, deep, with a touch of violet. Nose of fine soft savory leather. Elegant and powerful. Silky. The 40% left went back in the bottle, gassed, and was fabulous on the second night. Very little sediment. Beautifully restrained at 12.5 percent — and we were left shaking our heads, wishing others would be made at this level and in this style today. Wow, this was absolutely lovely.
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12/20/2021 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
11x Bdx & Bdx Blends from around the World: This was a rather disappointing showing of this legendary Lynch. At first it showed very sweet, not structured enough and with very little tertiary aromas. Rather difficult to digest and certainly not at a 94 pts level. Only after a long time in the glass this opened up beautifully and got closer to a bottle some time ago (rated 97 pts). This wine is not close to its peak but in a beautiful first mature stage. Pristine, well-stored bottles like this still need a lot of time in the decanter (4 hours at least). For consumption today, the 1990 Lynch is the better choice as it is more open and ready and especially more mature and at its peak.
TN: Expressive nose of medium-well defined dark berries, sweet sugary notes, tobacco. At first a bit muted the wine gets more expressive by the minute. On the palate this shows very sweet at first which is a downer, but then with time it got more balanced with more tobacco, truffles, wet earth, bright dark fruit taking the centre stage. The last glasses showed more classic mature Pauillac. Balanced, almost weightless, with ultra fine tannins and a good acidity and medium length.
Decanting: Decanted for 90 minutes, consumed 3 hours later. This was not enough. This still needs a lot of air (4-6 hours).
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12/7/2021 - winesnout Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a magnum. I've always liked this wine. Powerful from moment one on. Full-bodied and intense. Lots of plums, some cassis, tobacco, cedar and sandalwood. Long and satisfying finish.
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12/4/2021 - J_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
Weinkongress 2021 (Restaurant Sonne Leuggern): - tasted blind
- Nose: Medium intensity, difficult to understand nose at the beginning. Has a red and dark fruit core wrapped in the aroma of apple cider, showing some alcoholic hints.
- Palate: Intense and round with full flavours of mature notes, tobacco and sweet fruit, especially blackberries. It lacks the acidity and freshness that make the Lynch Bages really enjoyable to drink.
- The development in the glass is astonishing. The wine really opens up after 2 hours. Red fruit and more complexity are there. At the beginning I would have been more at 90 to 92 points, but now at 92-94 points!
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12/4/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double-blind as part of a random mixed Bordeaux-blend line-up. Decanted 1h but more would still be advisable (4h+). Some aging notes of leather along with red cherry, but also couldn‘t help sensing off-notes at first which I couldn‘t quite pinpoint. Palate initially pretty aged aromatically while structurally pretty imbalanced with mouthcoating tannin that linger. My first take was <90, but after 1+ h in the glass this was a flower blossoming in time-lapse with fresh berries emerging along with tobacco. Palate was also integrating noticeably although still not a perfect match. Would have loved to have more time to follow this, but from the experience I had definitely not at the level of an outstanding bottle I had 3 years ago.
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11/27/2021 - WinoRick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased on release for $33. Lots of LB in my cellar as it is a great value, even in today’s market. The wine had great color with little or no browning, and very little sediment. Like silk with all tannins resolved. Midweight for the 80’s, and lighter weight in today’s world. Delicious and I’d advocate drinking over the next few years.
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11/19/2021 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful. Easily guessed as an aged Bordeaux. I didn't think it was this old. Unlike other recent tasting notes, I did not find this powerful. Its more about finesse. Classic flavor profile with good length on the finish. Definitely not the most enjoyable L-B I've had but still very good. Thanks Joe.
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11/16/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Mike Tyson of ‘89s and Lynch Bages. A stocky powerful bruiser, tremendous concentration of cassis fruit. Still almost primary and if it eventually relaxes and develops more nuance it could become a masterpiece. For now, intense and enjoyable but too straightforward for ultimate pleasure. To try again in 5 years.
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11/16/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
Very pretty just after uncorking then clamped down tight on the nose while retaining a beautiful inner mouth perfume. Tough to know when you'll get a tight one.
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11/2/2021 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Served blind, all guessed Bordeaux, guessed 89 Lynch though some thought 1990s, a complex nose, super elegant & finesse with power, fantastic wine, stupendous, a real treat, perfect with the wagyu
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10/23/2021 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted about 2 hours before drinking. Still fresh and young. Started opening a couple of hours into dinner. A great Lynch Bages. Will evolve further over the next decade and last at least one beyond that.
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10/16/2021 - no leashes wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruit, mineral, a hint of earth flavors. Smooth texture, elegant. Delicious.
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10/15/2021 - Ltrain1282 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Love this wine every time I have it. And I have lots of it. Perfect silk on the mouth. Highly complex showing blackberry nose still young full of fruit and big pauillac notes of lead pencil shavings / graphite and a touch of cedar. This has years to go.
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10/12/2021 - Rgentile wrote: 96 Points
Enjoyed at Coast with my wife. The wine was decanted a few hours before we sat down. I could have smelled this for hours but my meal prevented me in doing so but still enjoyed over 4hrs.
Waves of cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf and smoke. Integrated tannins but still somehow young!?? Had a long finish. Wow!
Note to self, drink more Bordeaux like this!
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10/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine: 95 Points
I have always had a soft spot for LB as it has given much pleasure over the decades. A particular 85 vintage drank in Singapore was a stunner. So at the Saturday soiree after an ethereal 99 Hutton Vale shiraz ( 99 points) and a lovely 99 Rockford Rod and Spur ( 96 pts) i thought i would trump the boys with this big classy bordeaux. Bottle in fantastic condition high neck fill. Virtually no seepage on cork. Pop and out it came. Je regrette mais F@#$King corked. C'est la vie Monsieur Timmy Bird
Second bottle thankfully sound. Dense chewy, savory, blackberry, tar and mint. We probably drank it too fast and too cold. but dont be in a rush to consume good condition bottles, probably needs to be drank when its 50 years old. Superb.
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10/9/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet color. Raspberry, licorice, star anise, tobacco leaves, sawdust and cigar box followed by big blue fruit and fresh cut wood in this bright, youthful wine. Still tannic at first sips with a firm, solid structure. As it sits in the glass, the wine drastically softens and rounds out. PNP - would not recommend decanting as it opens beautifully in the glass after roughly 30 minutes. The evolution in the glass is worth experiencing.
p.s. grilled chicken with cilantro, lime rice and grilled asparagus
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10/3/2021 - vinolovers wrote: 97 Points
Opened about 30 min before pouring but did not decant. 1st pour sat in the glass for about 15 min. When poured still retained a dark, almost inky coloring. Nose muted initially but opened to reveal dark fruits, blackcurrant, plum and cassis with some graphite and cocoa. Lots of mouth feel that seemed to last forever on the tongue (at least until the next sip).
Overall, a powerful but restrained wine with some additional life left.
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9/18/2021 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 98 Points
The 1989 Lynch Bages is still a few years from full maturity, but it's just getting better with every passing year and there's no disputing that it is one of the all-time greats from this château, as well as one of the 1989 vintage's top wines. Offering up aromas of cassis, cigar ash, vanilla pod and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with ripe acids, an abundance of rich, melting tannin, and a long resonant finish.
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8/28/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
At present the greatest Lynch-Bages drinking and even out drinking the 1990, this is one of my favourite wines. It represents everything I want from a great left bank Bordeaux but fellow travellers seem to be in the minority of reviews which is puzzling for such an iconic wine. You could get high on the nose alone, which is all enveloping with an exploding fruit bomb of classic blackcurrant, plum and cherry. In the earlier days of its maturity there is some tannin that needs to settle further but it is not distracting from an almost perfectly balanced mouthfeel. Likewise the finish still has some evolvement ahead but exceeds 60 seconds with an incredible depth. In many ways it is a nostalgic experience but for myself represents everything great about wine. A couple of hours in the decanter suffices, and this will edge to the perfect score on a consistent basis over the next decade and will last for decades.
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8/23/2021 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
This also started slowly and was quite muted initially before it began to unfurl even though it had been double decanted a couple of hours earlier. I struggled initially to get my head around this wine, which I have not had for quite a few years. It is difficult to articulate what you get here, but there notes of compost, cinders/ash, graphite, pencil lead, tobacco, pine needles. Not primary fruit driven. Like the Barons of the same year overseen my Jean-Michel Cazes, the 1989 and 1990 Lynches are big strapping wines and somewhat atypical for Bordeaux, especially the 1989 Lynch. It is big framed, voluminous, rumbustious, savoury and mouth filling, broad and deep, with a lot of power and a long finish. Coming back for another taste at the end of the evening it was magnificent. This is rightly an iconic wine which will keep going for a few more decades. Would be wonderful to have a stash of these in large formats, but that train left the station a long time ago.
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8/23/2021 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
89/90 Bordeaux @ Hawksmoor (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): If not tip-top, a very good bottle of this after some variable experiences. Deep ruby. Dense cassis on the nose. A little richer and more rounded than the 90. Nicely rich with a good line. A touch of sandlewood. Really lovely. My no.2 of the night. *****
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8/10/2021 - Xxxxxxxxxx Likes this wine: 95 Points
Color has not changed a great deal, inky. Not much on the rim. Lovely LB nose. The graphite I associate with Lynch has faded greatly. Tannins are velvety, the glass begins with some forward, mostly black fruit that is a little subdued. The middle is darker, almost but not quite gamy. Finish is long, still. A wonderful evolution. 70th birthday and 25th anniversary dinner. Rare grass fed rib eye, duck fat potatoes and my wife’s banana cake with coffee frosting. Lovely all the way around.
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7/31/2021 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Great as always but needed more time to open up
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7/31/2021 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
What a great day for wine. While I give a slight edge to the Dauvissat, this is a great bottle of wine drunk at the perfect time. The color is a youthful garnet (amazing) with a maturing rim (not quite brick). The nose is quintessential Lynch Bages: black current, meat stew and a bit of swamp. Like drinking cassis flavored velvet. Some leather in the finish. I can’t see it getting better but should hold for years. This is special. (97)
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7/23/2021 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
Grand vin. Seemless elegance, a mineral touch, stone with an elegant red fruit, hints of tobacco. Intense, yet weightless - in a perfect stage.
#Hjorts#IB&Co
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7/20/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially need a little air to open up. Iron, light Asian, some flint. Cassis, rhubarb, ripe plum and currant with a hedonistic twist. Seems to unfold into many complex layers and some hidden beauty.
p.s. leftover pot roast and turkey meatloaf.
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7/9/2021 - Vicchangus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cassis, pencil lead and black berry. Wonderful velvety texture with a long finish. Fruit still on the youthful side. No signs of fading
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6/27/2021 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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6/20/2021 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tobacco, campfire, peppercorn, cassis, dried plums, juniper and even a hint of fir needles. The fruit was a little shy and tart out of the bottle, but after two hours of air it rounded out nicely. A little more savory than sweet, the nose on this is heavenly and paired perfectly with my grilled ribeye. Spectacular.
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6/20/2021 - Ozen Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine makes you wonder how Lynch Bages could end up as a 5th Grand Cru Classe. This is a truly great grand Vin! At its very peak now! Absolutely wonderful, super rich, with a touch of orange even in the broad intense palate of mature but vivacious fruit. Lots of energy in the wine, super lively and addictive. Like a party of forever young people on a wooden boat when everything is truly perfect, for a moment. Lovely and overwhelmingly beautiful. Tasting after the Lafite Rothschild 1996 it does make me believe the Lafite simply is too young still.
by the way it is remarkable to see how vintages play a crucial role in the grandness of this domaine: with the 1989 at the top, the 1990 and 1982 are great, while the 2000 is a lot more modest.
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6/13/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
This example of the 1989 Lynch-Bages is immediately expressive, voluminous, full of cassis, ash, mineral, pencil, and a hint of herbaceousness, like eating an alpine strawberry whole. Utterly charming in the mouth and finish where that alpine strawberry, pencil, mineral character really fans out pretty gloriously. It’s hard not to drink this very quickly.
I opened 7 of these from an OWC last night and just upon opening found them very appealing but a bit tight. However, an hour in the decanter left them more closed than they were at the outset. Interestingly tonight’s more-expressive example has a cork stained with wine about half way up whereas last night’s were quite tight and just stained for ~2mm.
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6/5/2021 - Romol Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 3+ hours. Again a very good bottle. Perfect to drink now but no hurry. All my bottles so far were perfect and still have at least 10 years life left. Really something special. 96 pts.
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5/29/2021 - rsbeck wrote: flawed
Not horribly corked, but clearly not correct.
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5/27/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Same btl as rocknroller. Served on the occasion of Kevin's (rocknroller) 60th celebrated at Minikahda Club with 12 of us enjoying Vincent's outstanding food & Nico's depth hand with the wines we brought along. 110pt occasion! This shared a 3 btl 70s & 80s BDX flt. 32yrs old, drinking like it just turned 15. Everything about this wine is impressive except is glacial resolution of its structures and its reluctance to fully blossom. Biggest takeaway, its sure would be great to own a couple of these and take another run at it 2025+.
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5/27/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
It's the Big LX Birthday Bash: No Holds Barred (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Splash decanted and poured, drank a glass over an hour in a flight of '78 Beychevelle, '88 Pichon Baron and '89 Lynch Bages. An admirable flight of 80's Bordeaux at that. I'm a huge fan of the '89 Lynch and it has never disappointed. Tonight's bottle was no exception. This was gorgeous, youthful but fully approachable. An ethereal elixir of gorgeous bright, sultry dark fruits, cassis and black raspberry concentrated and powerful with that velvet glove feel and weight; cedarbox, minerally dense with crushed stone and tar. All the requisite components are there for this to go the long haul, easily a 60 year or longer wine. Great acidity, juicy fruit, amazing lift, length and balance. This just screams how harmonious it is - thanks Brad. 97+ to 98pts.
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5/19/2021 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
Return to La Trompette (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet/ruby core. Nose shows rich dark fruit, spice, touch of meat. A little sweaty at first. Medium/full bodied, mouth-filling on initial entry, rich blackcurrant fruit, spice, hint of leather, quite low acidity, tannins pinch a bit on the end but excellent.
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5/17/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Initially manura and arm pit nose; mature, earthy body; blackberry and currant; later soft with soft tannin and earthy fruit.
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5/8/2021 - Rani Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Tasted blind. This was overwhelmingly green and austere and refused to relax. We were all surprised to find out it’s Lynch Bages. Bottle variation?
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5/2/2021 - burlingtonm Likes this wine: 92 Points
19888 v 1989 Bordeaux. This was not a great Lynch-Bages and certainly nowhere near as good as the 1990 drunk a couple of years earlier. Cassis and well managed tannins but this wine was not singing on the night though others liked it a lot more than I did.
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5/1/2021 - spendergast Likes this wine: 100 Points
This wine continues to drink beautifully and this bottle was just as good as last bottle I consumed about a year ago. Dense but well balanced dark fruit with notes of cassis, black raspberry, cedar with supple well integrated tannins - long finish. Paired nicely with grilled ribeye steaks with onion garlic jam.
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4/29/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 97 Points
2 hour decant was just about perfect
Fresh, young and energetic with perfuming nose of black fruit, wet cedar and floral tones, graphite and a touch of cigar wrapper. Sublime palate that is light but perfectly complimentary to its nose with soft dark fruit, chocolate and great verve while maintaining a soft feel. Gorgeous finish with delicious minerality and acid.
Just gorgeous and my ideal Bordeaux. Almost perfect
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4/23/2021 - dream wrote: 95 Points
This gorgeous wine held its own drunk next to ‘82 & ‘89 Haut Brion. Although not quite as profound as those two wines, this bottle was fresh yet also close to full maturity with fantastic flavors of softened black fruits and gorgeous liquid graphite. Layered and complex with a bit of nuttiness on the finish. An amazing bottle of the ‘89 that is very close to first-growth quality in this vintage. 95+
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3/29/2021 - dbg wrote:
Second bottle of a case purchased in 2007, perfect cork and fill. Dark red core, slightly lighter at rim. Given an hour of air, the nose shows an intense mix of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, cedar, clean moist earth and some beginning mature complexity. Full body, great concentration and balance, ripe fruit offset by a hint of vegetal green. Long finish. Showing a bit more maturity and actually more enjoyable than bottles I’ve cellared since release. I would expect further improvement and decades of great drinking ahead. Outstanding.
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3/28/2021 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Compared to when first poured into decanter, after sitting 2 hours it had considerably evolved and even more so over another hour where it peaked in complexity and stayed quite nice on both nose and palate for another hour or so until gone. Needs about 3 hours in the decanter and good to go.
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3/28/2021 - Caruso Likes this wine: 100 Points
Stored at perfect conditions since release. I partly decant it to have a comparison with the part not decanted. Notes relate to the non decant part. Cork was partly soaked to 10-20% max., rest in pristine condition. Nevertheless it was a bit of a surgery to get the cork out with my laguiole and I needed the clip of thedurand to get it out as one piece because the soaked part was very soft and tended to break. Dark ruby with almost no sign of age, maybe a bit of an orange hue to the rim. This opens with an intense nose of cigarbox and flowers, the latter fading quickly (no chance to get this if decant), with blackberries underneath. Then with swirling and time adding hints of some minty notes, black currants, lead pencil. Under the tobacco notes, there is a scent of aged meat, roasted bread and mulberries as well. On the palate it is very intense and not as complex as the nose first. But it is also so unbelievable light on its feet with its 12,5% alc. Nothing comparable in this century. Long, really long and fruity aftertaste with enough balancing acidity. I believe that this is going to age well for one or two more decades if perfectly stored since release not much travelling. Parker gave it 99+ points in 2011 and Neal Martin 95 in 2016. For me Parker is right. At the end of the first glas I detect that there is a little bit of tannin left. But so smooth and extraordinary balanced. 5/15/20/10
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3/21/2021 - Euoinos wrote: 96 Points
Black fruit, graphite, cigar box and menthol. Very generous voluptuous fruit. Full bodied. Tertiary flavours emerges almost directly but tannins are still present providing a very structured wine together with the fruit.
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3/20/2021 - cmdiamond wrote:
Bordeaux class at CSCA
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3/13/2021 - Haze78 Likes this wine: 97 Points
First smell shows dark fruits, leather, earthiness in perfect harmony. On the palate I find everything I want from an old bdx. Nothings out of place, fruit with secondary flavors and ever changing new nuances. Fantastic!
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3/7/2021 - Phil P Likes this wine: 97 Points
My friend and I really enjoyed the lynch bages. V v fine but slightly less rich than I would have liked but nonetheless truly excellent
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3/6/2021 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Opened in the morning and allowed to slow ox in the cellar (cork loosely in). Decanted before drinking (30 minutes). The wine was singing. Aromas of cassis, leather, cigar box, pencil lead -- classic Pauillac. Brilliant definition, structure, length and balance. Drinking now, will keep going.
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2/19/2021 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent and good. Darker complexion than the '90 with a more soil-oriented palate. 93-94
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2/14/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 97 Points
Cork in pristine condition with mid-neck fill. Quintessential 89 Bordeaux. Structured, taut, with fresh dark fruit. Cassis, graphite, blueberries, wet earth, and mushrooms. Beautiful tannins and structure. Still full of life with good acidity and deep intense fruit and secondary flavors. This will last for another 2 decades. (Interestingly, I’m noticing that same hint of kerosene I did in my 2016 note) . . . Upgrading by a point as the wine continues to put on weight with time in the glass/decanter. Full bodied, round and more integrated after 3 hours.
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2/1/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine:
This is probably one of my favourite wines, but as with a bottle a couple of years ago, this was very tight. Generally this nudges 100 points but this one was not quite clicking.
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1/20/2021 - t-sama Likes this wine: 97 Points
Completely consistent with prior notes. Ullage almost to shoulder and wet cork were a concern, but this wine delivered yet again.
The flavors and nose are as everyone describes. What really strikes is the color - deep red with almost no bricking. Visually it looks like a 5 year old wine and not a 30+ year old wine. This wine may last another 20 - 25 years. Exceptional.
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1/17/2021 - Benoit Hardy wrote: flawed
flat wine, vague and imprecise. Cork is clearly guilty
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1/3/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
With Luc Meyer's Steak au Poive from Left Bank, Vail, went perfectly! For a 30 year-old wine, incredibly young and vibrant, still dark garnet and opaque, with no brown at the edges. The aroma is immediate and powerful upon pouring...sweet cassis and blackberries, with beautiful toasty French oak. No significant herbal notes. Lots of dark fruit but sweet flavors, intense but also round and perfectly balanced, not coarse or heavy. Late palate and aftertaste show some licorice and a bit of heat, but the flavors linger for a minute. This is as great as Bordeaux gets in the glass...glad we have a few more bottles! Drink, but may hold longer.
Ric
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12/31/2020 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Nose: 94 Palate: 93-94
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12/28/2020 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
This isn’t as spectacular as I expected it to be. Quite green and while powerful, seems to be lacking fruit. Classic and restrained.
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12/24/2020 - ocassiuso Likes this wine:
You have to laugh—at 31 this wine is still holding back. Dark, concentrated fruit; faint green bell pepper and a hint of volatile acidity at the same time. Butch.
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12/11/2020 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Presents as still closed! Deep dark unfathomable pools, limpid pure precise. Ridiculously young. Strong robust tannin and acidic structure that is the hallmark of Lynch, yet elegant almost feminine black fruits. Persistent and multi layered complex.
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12/1/2020 - Bordeauxman wrote: 89 Points
The nose was awesome. Saddle leather, forest floor, aged dark fruit. The taste did not live up to the nose.
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11/18/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Never ceases to amaze me. Opened and decanted for 90 minutes then drank over two hours. Ruby red, with some bricking. Complex nose of fresh tobacco leaves, cassis, currants, forest floor and game. On the palate powerful and present, needs a couple of hours to open up fully. Medium to full bodied, great acidity and structure, finishes long with tannins fully resolved. Truly great with more room for evolution.
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11/16/2020 - SARED Likes this wine: 97 Points
96-97. Hits a high note for me again. Really blossomed after 5 hours air in the decanter with silky textures, bright fruit, and tannic overtones.
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11/16/2020 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 92 Points
Stored in the same underground cellar for the last 29 years. Perfect cork and level. Wine was decanted 3 hours in advance. Compact mouthfeel, with a pretty high volatility and high acidity, pretty long but not balanced. I had the impression this wine was a bit overdone. Good but not in line with expectations.
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11/14/2020 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork soaked 90% through but came out clean with Durand extraction. Decanted 45 minutes before serving. Deep purple core with noticeable bricking. Strong cigar aromas joined with a hint of vanilla, nutmeg, and some barnyard. Medium bodied with well integrated and mouth coating tannins, joined by medium acidity. A lovely plush mouthfeel with cigar being again prominent on the palate along with graphite. It took a while for the fruit to finally come in, but after about 30 minutes (so the 1 hour 15 mark) some crisp black fruit began to emerge along with some liqourice. The acid really held this wine together, creating a really enjoyable feminine wine. This bottle was clearly on the downslope but in much much better shape than the other bottle I bought in this lot. My wife thought this was a ridiculous purchase at the price I paid, but that Lynch-Bages current release prices were very fair if this was the result of them in 30 years (which is incredibly high praise for her). Paired with sous vide duck breast in a mushroom red-wine reduction, truffade made with gruyere, and sautéed green beans. The truffade pairing was fantastic.
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11/3/2020 - timothynbond wrote: flawed
Cork was >90% saturated. Decanted for 15 minutes before tasting. Substantial bricking and a very reticent nose (a little bit floral and some barnyardy scents). Absolutely dead on palate, no flavors at all, and an alcoholic finish. Came back to it repeatedly over the next six hours and no changes. Disappointing. Auction bottle that based on the number of labels on it appears to have made its rounds. Hopefully my other bottle is in better condition.
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10/29/2020 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Poured into a decanter this evening. Some minutes later, this has opened wonderfully. Still a very dark garnet, opaque, showing a lot less age than I would expect after 30+ years. Ethereal aromas waft from the glass: red currant, cassis, mineral, iodine, lead pencil, walnut and tree bark. In the mouth, it is transcendent, with with a smooth, elegant, feminine entry, and then palate coating fruit bringing to mind liquid minerals, sandalwood and black fruits. As elegant and classy as this is now, there are still sufficient tannins and backbone that should assure many more years of life ahead. In fact, I am not even sure that this is at its peak, though I admittedly do not have a wealth of experience with Bordeaux of this age. Whatever, no doubt, this is one of the long-distance runners of the vintage, and proof that in warm, relatively ripe years Bordeaux still stands the test of time. 5-13-17-8: 93/100.
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10/19/2020 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank PnP with a friend on Monday evening. Deep ruby with moderate sediment, this wine is fully mature and on the doorstep of losing it's fruit.
Deep brooding nose of black fruits, plum and date with long exhilarating finish.
All were in agreement this hasn't 5-10 more years of stunning drinking ahead so drink up.
If a date, this was your stunning neighborhood beauty now age 50 and kept drop-dead sexy by a steady regime of working out as well as frequent visits to the cosmetic physician
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10/18/2020 - Ahauge86 wrote: 95 Points
Excellent wine... can be storage longer
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10/7/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
beautiful wine with an intriguing nose, all there but it just seemed to me that one hour into the decant it was nice, but an hour later it had softened / become much more light bodies... I like them elegant and aged so this was more than that... maybe the bottle?... cork was pretty well stained... interestingly my tasting buddy was all over it and loved it... probably a 94 in his view
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10/3/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brilliant color, deep earthy forest floral nose, perfumed, long lasting. Incredible to enjoy with our birth year son.
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10/1/2020 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 90 mins and enjoyed the excellent Pauillac nose
Promised much and delivered.
That said, hasn't developed much from my first note 5 years ago.
Deep ruby colour and still plenty of tannin - nothing like you'd expect after 31 years!
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9/5/2020 - Sonoma Duck wrote: 95 Points
Purchased 12 at release and have enjoyed through the years but this is the last bottle. Perfect cork, opened and took a small taste and decided not to decant. rich earthy nose of compost. Medium ruby color. Very smooth with a long finish. Went well with Snake River Waygu NY steaks. Fully mature for my taste and if I had any more, I would enjoy now.
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9/4/2020 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was double decanted in advance of serving. The wine was enjoyable but definitely mature. I picked up just a bit of a "cooked" undertone to the finish. All in all, not bad for a 31 year old wine. I think this wine should be enjoyed soon.
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9/4/2020 - dchain wrote: 97 Points
Wow. This is truly one of the best wines I have drunk this year and I have been hitting the cellar hard. Cork was looking almost brand new with only about 1/4 of the cork saturated and the rest was pristine. Just splashed into the decanter and it was all it really needed.
Dark and glossy ruby, looks like a 2000 or younger! Immediate blast of cigar and forest floor and then this intense cassis and black cherry fruit. Very nuanced and complex. Was intending to only drink half of the bottle and save the other half not the next night but it was just too good! Perfect balance on the palate now, ripe but not overripe, dense let you can discern the flavors. Healthy ripe crunch black cherry, dark chocolate almost-Pomerol like lushness and exoticness. Coats the palate but now in perfect balance. Great soil, earth, leather overtures at the end. You just want to keep drinking this. Totally consistent throughout the evening with no decline and perhaps even more open and exotic. This is first growth quality and to be honest better than the Mouton 01 and 04 I had recently. Despite the price, I would actually say this was good QPR compared to Bordeaux first growths and exceptional QPR compared with red Burgundy grand cru.
Drink it now and enjoy its prime secondary drinking phase but will last for another 15+ years given the fruit and structure. Buy if if you can find well stored examples. Truly an exceptional wine in every sense.
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9/2/2020 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
Ash, plums, almost alcohol in the finish; soft and powerful, fall somewhat off the cliff in the finish.
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8/16/2020 - depdoc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of dark fruit and smooth tannins. Was delicious right away, then decanted, and remained so for the evening.
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8/2/2020 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 96 Points
True Bordeaux nose with added layers of red fruit, cassis and hints of char. Has the beautiful smell of fresh grown tomatoes. Bright, gorgeous palate with some saddle leather, flint and fresh cut cedar. Drinking in its prime, gorgeous wine!
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7/4/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Lots of eucalyptus on this one
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6/20/2020 - mchern02 wrote: flawed
Cork was soaked through; gave it an hour in the decanter to see if it was just disjointed and got more and more gnarly.
Disappointed but have 3 more so hoping those aren’t losers too. Never had the 89 but the 90 LB is one of my favorite BDXs of all time and was excited to compare
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6/8/2020 - no leashes wrote: 94 Points
This wine is in prime drinking window. Everything you'd expect and more. Dark fruit, pencil lead, cassis flavors, beautifully integrated and smooth (with a one hour decant). Bought this at release and it was worth the wait to enjoy!
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6/6/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A two hour decant is perfect. The essence of Pauillac with decades of life ahead.
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6/5/2020 - Ozen wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely lovely. Had the pleasure of enjoying this wine many times over the years: very smooth, fully mature and harmonious. This bottle showed the first signs of reaching the top and beginning the long way down. Still great pleasure.
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6/4/2020 - Brolawa Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is at it’s peak and singing. Maybe a bit of celery due to age, but mixed right in with dark fruit, pepper, leather and earth. Still beautifully balanced with really no hint of alcohol - it’s just a mélange of complex flavors pushing forward that asks you to drink the entire bottle. Decanted for three hours and those sharing bottle felt it lost some of its flavor in back half of bottle. Maybe decant for slightly less time.
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5/30/2020 - BrendanMcS wrote: 95 Points
Really delicious. Drinking very well. Fresh berries followed by tobacco and dark soil. Well balanced and delicious
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5/29/2020 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding. Earth, forest floor. A touch muddy, but delicious
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5/18/2020 - bordeauxmartini wrote: 96 Points
One of the wines of lockdown for me. Deep garnet colour. Finish goes on for ages. Drinks like a 20 year wine, tells me this has many years to go. Truffle, black currant, leather and tobacco. Sadly one on those instances where you look at the decanter and it’s all gone !
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5/9/2020 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Came out slightly disjointed, fruit and slight barnyard. But after 15 min in glass it started to smell like great bordeaux. Tasted way stronger than 12.5% alcohol. Very complex nose that really got amazing after
2-3 hours open. Lost a bit of its taste complexity towards the end though. Very fun to try. 94-95 tonight
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5/2/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 3 hours. Perfect fill and cork. All of my bottles from same case purchased as a future. This is a really good Bordeaux. Dark fruits, incredible concentration, some minerals (but it is more about the cool, dark fruit), long finish with lush tannins you can hardly even notice. But for some reason this has never hit the mark for me vs. the '89 Montrose, Angelus, or even the LLC (although different styles, this is probably right there with the LLC in quality). Maybe just me, but really good - just not there with the top of the vintage for me - but at $35 what a steal it was at the time! Based on my bottles I would drink now to enjoy the wonderful fruit. A-/A
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4/25/2020 - drush Likes this wine:
Started with a bit of oxidation. But opened up. Delicious and still feels young with a long life ahead of it.
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4/17/2020 - Euoinos wrote: 95 Points
Youthful blood red colour. Nose delivers leather, tobacco and mature dark voluptuous fruit. Full bodied but with a silky texture rounded mature tannins. Drinking perfectly at the moment but will continue to be at a high level for at least a decade or so.
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4/12/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
A heck of a bottle: full, in your face and masculine. An overwhelming note of Cuban cigar hits both nose and palate. Cedar, pencil and cassis show up on waves and waves of flavor. The still garnet color points to the fact that this wine has many years ahead. What a contrast to the MG, no less fine but maybe not quite as thrilling. (95)
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4/11/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Every bottle of this wine is a different adventure. This one is beautifully ripe and borderline sweet - but awfully simple at age thirty-one. Color is extremely youthful, say 15 years old, no bricking. Very fruity, a lot of blueberry. Tannins are soft and rounded. No earth, no dirt, no minerals. No way to infer this is Pauillac. Tasty, though and easy to drink, but I was hoping for more.
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4/11/2020 - potates Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs 2+ hours decanted. Still quite youthful. Very special.
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4/11/2020 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
A Bordeaux Deep Dive, With Proper Social Distancing; 4/11/2020-4/12/2020 (The Virtual World of Zoom): Served alongside a 1990 Lynch-Bages, and both were in splendid shape. An unmistakably Bordelaise nose of cigar box, pencil lead, old leather and dusty cherries. Medium bodied, with blackcurrant and cherry notes, a touch green, with some oak-driven smoke and graphite. Strong acidity and structure reflecting its tannins too. Fully mature but not yet in its tertiary phase, and would seem to have decades ahead of it.
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4/5/2020 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Exquisite. This is the second go on this wine and again it is stunning. You MUST love 'old school' Bordeaux to truly enjoy this wine.
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3/31/2020 - dbg wrote:
A 2007 purchase, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Initially a bit tight but left it in the glass for 90 min and WOW! Intense nose of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, cedar, clean moist earth. Full body, great concentration and balance, ripe fruit offset beautifully by a hint of vegetal green. Long finish. This is a strapping young adult, not showing true aged complexity but plenty going on. Bottles I’ve cellared since release show younger than this and need more time. This is kicking butt and likely has decades of great drinking ahead of it. Outstanding.
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3/14/2020 - MrBrege wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 3h, could have done a lot longer. This wine is almost schockingly young. No bricking at all, wonderful mature nose, intense rather than smooth. Tannins still alive, not harsh but distinct. Had it with confit of duck at 67PM, a wonderful pairing!
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2/29/2020 - spendergast Likes this wine: 100 Points
This wine continues to delight and impress. Still drinking beautifully with dense dark fruit, cassis, cedar - perfectly balanced with 60+ second finish. I only have 7 bottles left - time to start rationing a bit.
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2/29/2020 - jviz wrote:
Same bottle as Nutty08. The cork had a little seepage but the fill was good. I opened this an noon, poured a glass, and followed the Audouze method (and should have done so earlier). The first glass seemed a bit off, with metallic notes and some lightly stewed fruit. However, air did wonders for it and by 8pm, the last glass was really singing with cassis, pen ink, and pasty black fruit with background notes of old library and tobacco. Another taster stopped by and confirmed the impression
My assessment is that this was a mediocre bottle of a fantastic wine, but not flawed. NR this go round. I can say that the weight/concentration of this vintage really shines, so while I suspect other bottles will show better, it's a testament to how good the wine really is.
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2/28/2020 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
Just not a great bottle. Some leafy herbal notes on the nose. Palate was a bit dry and metallic. Finish clipped. Didn't have the depth or complexity expected. Unlikely my prior experiences-- probably off bottle.
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2/14/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The first thing you notice is the unmistakable aroma of an unsmoked Cuban cigar, with its hint of bitter chocolate, coupled with cedar, smoke, tobacco, mint, spice, herbs and roasted blackberries. Full-bodied, concentrated, intense and firm, there is a sweetness to the fruit, a hint of green pepper and a gorgeous display of blackberries and cassis in the long finish. This is not about finesse. Instead, it is all about the fabulous, big juicy gulp of mouth-filling cassis that really hits the spot! The wine is showing great today. If you have a bottle, do not hesitate to check it out.
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2/13/2020 - mnh wrote: flawed
Corked
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2/8/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is absolute perfection. A year ago it was still a little askew, but now it is absolutely firing on all cylinders after 3 hours in the decanter. The nose is the embodiment of old school mature Bordeaux packed with blackcurrant, plum, and musty leather with prominent notes of cedar. On the palate the tannin is fully resolved and is exquisitely balanced with the fruit. The depth is exceptional with a 60+ seconds finish which is so well balanced and devoid of any tannic harshness. After a couple of hours the wine does lose a bit, and if drinking over a few hours, 60 minutes of aeration is probably sufficient. The best Lynch Bages of all time?
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2/5/2020 - La Flama Blanca Likes this wine: 95 Points
A monumental effort, the ‘89 Lynch-Bages is Dynamite. Shockingly young, this wine needs at least 2+ hours to get its Billionaire strut going, and when it does just that...it shocks the wine world.
Finally beginning to shed its tannins, the Lynch-Bages bewilders with extraordinary power and concentration. It offers intense aromatics of Cuban cigar, cedar and crushed flowers with earthy undergrowth notes. Extracted flavors of black currant, sweet cassis, bitter mint chocolate and graphite on the lengthy and dense finish suggest a long drinking plateau.
Undoubtedly one of the most consistent wines I’ve had the absolute pleasure to enjoy regularly. Other than Haut-Brion, this sexy Pauillac bests all the first growths of the vintage by a terrifying margin ( fifth growth my ARSE!!! ). Considering it’s at least 1/5 the cost, I’d say it’s probably the greatest value of the vintage.
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2/3/2020 - SARED Likes this wine: 97 Points
Excellent showing! 96-97
Best of 6-7 other 1989s. A little green funk that is pleasant and marrried well with plenty of fruit and seamless tannins. Just great balance to my palate.
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1/28/2020 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux from the 80s (Peppercorn's (Hartford, CT)): One of the more youthful wines at this tasting. Deep red, with a lifted, bright beam of fruit running through the palate. Still quite young and primary but with great promise.
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1/24/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at Nomad restaurant in NYC. This was really good! Hard to believe this was 30 years old, so fresh and youthful, while still having fully integrated tannins and lots of complexity and notes of maturity in the flavor profile. Fruit was still very fresh and vibrant. Everyone really enjoyed this one, quite a special wine for sure.
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1/3/2020 - Romol Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours. This still seemed young and has 10 or 15 years life left (at least perfect bottles like this). A very good bottle, perfect to drink now with enough air. 96 pts. at the moment.
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12/15/2019 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
Haven't tried one for 5-6 years, when it was still closed and tannic, but it has opened beautifully and is now mature and perfect! Just decanted briefly. Garnet, opaque, no brown at the edges. Powerful aroma immediately on pouring, classic toasted French oak with dark fruits and some cedar, complex. Viscous. Full, rich flavors, mouth-coating, but perfectly balanced and round at the same time. Just light tannin behind the fruit. Fully mature but will keep for many more years...glad I have more of them!
Tasted with '90 La Mission Haut Brion, equally good, but a bit softer and with more tobacco and leather character.
Ric
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12/14/2019 - greenbe33 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Started cherry strawberry and maybe hint of tobacco, cigar box (second taster got a touch of smoke). Then it developed some herb maybe Rosemary or anise and creme de cassis then shut down a bit. Then it opened up again after an hour back to strawberry cherry raspberry on a foundation of wood and classic Bordeaux medium french oak vanilla. This was not fragile - it is fresh, precise and polished with some acid and tannin I thought it could go another 30 years more likely 10 or 20. It's a 93 wine maybe drinking 95 due to classic Pauillic experience. That said it was really fun to try what may be a good (or best) example of 89 left bank.
I was not too aware of the high ratings some pro reviews have given it at the time we had this, but I too wondered a bit about bottle variation and whether the wine was completely authentic at the time of drinking. Having had quite a few other lesser 89s as well as many 90, 95 and 96 it came across to me as a nice wine but not huge standout of that group. Main advantage was a 30 year left bank just entering prime drinking window. Bottle variation is common in these years though and I don't know how this was stored. Hard to say. That said, my better half who actually has an extremely sensitive nose got the notes of tobacco, smoke and cherry, and I added the creme de cassis and herb reported here and by a number of pros. Better half was blind to all the reviews. So if you are matching to the descriptions blind it's hard to believe it is completely fake, just maybe highly variable quality.
The wine has mellowed out and tannin and acid left are mild, so you can pair it with any meat, duck, game bird with a bit of reduction sauce. I would not go too strong on the cheese.
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12/13/2019 - popopdrops wrote: 89 Points
3 timer dekant. Noe høy syre, ellers super. Vidunderlig nese, men noe baktung.
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11/29/2019 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow very masculine and needed two hours in the decanter to begin to open up. Very powerful, strong leather, cassis, currants and black fruits. Very alive mid palate, amazing and complex structure, with a very long finish and tannins still there. Built to last 50 years!
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11/25/2019 - Nordy wrote:
TJ Martell Wine Dinner 11/21/19
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11/16/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Apparently there’s quite a bit of bottle variation regarding the state of maturity of the ‘89 Lynch Bages. This one is fully mature, even late mature. There’s an alarming brown note on the rim when decanting but it quickly merged with the healthy maroon color of the center when it’s in the glass. Amazingly beautiful fragrance of mature Bordeaux with very complex notes of blackberry, graphite, mineral, smoke and tobacco - very Pauillac indeed. Medium to full weight, excellent intensity, long finish. I would rate it even higher except it faded quite a bit after a hour. But marvelous during that golden hour.
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11/9/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard
Popped and poured, not decanted. Clear, deep purple with some tawny rim. Nose was still tight and closed. Maybe we should have decanted the wine. You can smell a great BDX in the making, but it is simply not yet opened up.
On the palate same situation: This is a monster in the making! All is there: wonderful integrated acidity, high, perfectly ripe and silky tannin, wonderful red fruit, some tertiary aromas of leather and spices. But it is also tight and dense, not yet open for business. For most of the people the WOTN, and I agree, that it will be a 97-98 wine in the future, but at the moment it was too closed for my taste. Nevertheless, a great experience and a pleasure to drink! 95++
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11/3/2019 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Took 4-5hrs to finally open. Probably should have decanted. Last glass was the best, showing a nice lively mint notes mixed with dark almost black fruit. Very youthful. Still has plenty of tannin to resolve. Not quite as thrilling as a bottle a few years ago but still an excellent Bordeaux
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11/3/2019 - texaswinelover wrote:
Purchase this bottle nearly 15 years ago along with a 2nd ‘89 and a ‘90. Stored in same cellar. This bottle was extremely different. Different enough to make me wonder if it was fake, which I highly doubt. Not mature. Still showing tiny oak. Very red fruited. Little tertiary development. Strange to say the least.
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11/2/2019 - bankermd wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was precisely as described by SimonG. A very good wine, but by no means a great bottle.
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10/23/2019 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is an example of a wine that surpasses all expectations and is an absolute knockout in every way. I acquired this a few years back in anticipation of my wife’s 30th, and what an experience we were treated to.
The cork on this wine was so impeccable it had me wondering if this was fake. Hardly any seepage, and pristine at the top. Great lower neck fill. I expected this to have funk to blow off, but it didn’t need it, that’s how youthful it was! In the glass, it was dark in color with a slightly fading ruby rim. Explosive aromatics with ripe black cherries, bay leaf, new leather, herbal spices and black currant. Mind blowing profile and structure on the palate...graphite, blackberries, smoked plum, sweet cherry tobacco, and cedar shavings evolve and show layers upon layers of complexity. Seamless and clean, but...I can’t believe I’m saying this...probably still has another 10-15yrs of enjoyment. Aging marvelously and glacially.
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10/18/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
Excellent as always, this bottle felt even younger than the ones I had before. A very complete Pauillac, rich, dense, highly aromatic, well balanced. A benchmark Lynch Bages.
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10/12/2019 - Axelpeter wrote: 96 Points
Carli60) der schönste im Flight (CosdE, L-Barton), hat Süße und Kraft
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10/12/2019 - Jumbo-Jet Likes this wine: 95 Points
Immediately after opening this 30-year-old beauty emits an incredibly intense yet elegantly balanced smell of cherries, vanilla, rice pudding and oak with hints of wet soil, burnt paper and interesting notes of a grain mash. On the palate a mild, oxidized initial approach with raisins, caramel and tawny port. Then the tannins sprout through and deliver a long, dry, shimmering finale. Perfect balance and taste choreography. At this point a rather quiet, elegant wine. Perfect match to Chopin piano music.
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10/10/2019 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Acker Merrall & Condit Bordeaux vs. California Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel): My last few times I have had this wine, it has been very impressive. However, it has only come into its own within the last 3 - 4 years. Prior to that, I always found it closed and shut down. Not tonight, however. Classic Pauillac in every sense. I do still prefer the 1990 to the 1989 Lynch, however. Tasted blind side by side with the 1989 Dunn Howell Mtn. It was a challenge to discern which was the California wine. Educational tasting event!
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10/10/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lunch with Mates (Otto Y Mezzo, Alexander House, Landmark, Central, Hong Kong): Not decanted. Dusky ruby colour. Lovely dark nose. Liquorice root. Cedar. Textbook Pauillac. Palate is star anise and rich deep red and black berries.powerful and alluring. Long and resonant....but not quite as mesmerising as a long-decanted bottle I had drank the previous evening when I scored it a lot higher. 92+ today.
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10/10/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner with friends. (Our House, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3 hours. Black/red almost totally opaque colour. Nose is rich, ripe black currant and beautiful damp bracken woodlands. with sun-warmed cedar roof shingles. Palate is rich, belly-filling deep black and red currant fruit. Beautiful black dense ripe berry fruit. Really resonant and reverberant even in the mouth before the swallow. Absolutely gorgeous and so open. Very big inside the head on the finish. Almost silence-creating. This is so consistently good every time I have drank it over the past 20 years. It just pipped the 1989 Ch. Montrose drank alongside it because the Lynch Bages has this total dark-eyed seductiveness to it at this stage in their development.
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10/10/2019 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Top 89 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Having had a sublime bottle of this, and a distinctly mediocre one, tonight’s pitched up halfway between the two, and twenty years too soon. Gorgeous deep but bright ruby. Blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf. Initially seems quite resolved on the palate, certainly on the attack, but a good dense grip to the finish and it seems to tighten with air. Very dense and grippy and this is intensified surprisingly with food. Lacking finesse. Needs a few years. Impressive but monolithic. **(**’
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10/5/2019 - MJReb wrote: 93 Points
Degustation chez Zim on 5th of October, 2019 (Chez Zim): on the nose some sweet notes, on the palate black fruit, nicely integrated tannins, very good.
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10/5/2019 - Erik12000 wrote:
I share the two previous comments. This is a great wine. Good fruit and concentration. Soft integrated tannins. A wonderful mature Bordeaux that is not likely to improve but will hold for several years.
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9/30/2019 - MC wrote:
Decanted 90 minutes. Wonderful nose of dark fruits and earth. Dark fruits and wonderful concentration. Great finish. Just a pleasure to drink. I suppose it will last for a long time but not sure it will get any better. A-/A
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9/29/2019 - t-sama Likes this wine: 97 Points
Purchased as futures and cellared continuously at 66 (+/- 2) degrees. The cork was wet to about 3/4, but no issues. No real ullage. Incredibly youthful for a 30 year old wine. Very little bricking. Decanted for 2 hour, as it seemed closed at first. After breathing a bit, the wine spread its wings. I don't really have words for the nose or flavor, other than it's an exceptional Pauillac. The flavors go on and on. Everything I want in a Bordeaux. This wine is drinking beautifully, should continue to get better and may be great for another 25 years, if well stored. Score is one point higher than 2015. Truly a special wine.
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9/20/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Top shoulder fill and cork fully saturated. Wine stil in good shape, though. Tense dark brambly fruit with notes of tar and licorice. Black tea and loam. Long intense finish.
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9/20/2019 - g-mango Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely sublime. Upon popping the cork the bouquet filled the room with notes of sweet black fruit, cigar box, and truffle. Decanted for 3 hours. The palate was exquisite...texturally so elegant, and flavours are so complex with plenty of dark fruit, but also those tertiary earth elements. At 30 years, this has so much life to it...will drink well for many years. This shows why it pays to let fine bordeaux reach maturity...nectar of the Gods here.
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9/20/2019 - Acohen Likes this wine: 97 Points
Superb with dark fruit, graphite, pencil shaving, some leather notes and length that lingered
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8/25/2019 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
Similar to my note April last year, 1989 Lynch Bages is a textbook wine, super classic - offered nice opulent dark fruits, strong minerals, light cedar, modest smoke, shaved pencil, peppr spices, and good acidity, very complex structure and finish was very long and lingering.
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8/10/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with previous note. This wine must be decanted for at least 2 hours before serving.
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7/28/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Jordan's 1989 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): This had been given the requisite air to lt is shine, and wow, it was sensational. Dense and complex black fruit throughout with a varied array of spice. Still showing so much fresh and bright fruit with perfectly integrated structural components. So great now, but possibly further upside, and certainly the ability to drink wonderfully for the next 20-30 years.
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7/27/2019 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Shared with friends at 40th annual Nashville Wine Auction. Pure and intense. Double decanted about 2 hours before drinking. This wine should evolve for at least another decade
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7/26/2019 - RCS73 wrote: 96 Points
Very solid. Decanted for 30 minutes. No signs of bricking or degradation. Deep aromas of cigar box and black fruit.
Excellent mouthfeel, very silky
Still going strong
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7/15/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
Not blind, from Magnum
Again a perfect left bank(Pauillac). Only mistake too Young. Still the Primary notes are dominating. 98(100)
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7/14/2019 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 1989 Bordeaux (MiY's): Double blind. Opens with dusty, earthy overtones and red fruit and plum underneath. Flavors of cherry and currant, herbs, earth and cigar tobacco. There's almost a lush quality to the fruit. Finishes with good length. After some time in the glass the riper, plummy fruit dominates and there's just a hint of brown sugar too. Velvety texture.
My #4, Domino's #6
Group #2, 38 pts
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7/4/2019 - Burgnick wrote:
Slow oxed for 3 hours before serving. It should have been decanted. Lots of underlying substance and structure but they were not fully revealed tonight.
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7/4/2019 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mer frukt og fetere enn 1990. Stadig herlig. Mer forførende enn 1990. Tror jeg foretrekker 1990's slankhet. Utvikler seg fantastisk. Tror jeg liker 89 best, i alle fall siste glass.
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6/27/2019 - UTPK wrote:
Had the 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1995 together. The two top wines tonight were 1985 (!) and 1990. The 1986 is a bit one dimensional, the 1988 is quite light and gets forgotten in this lineup, 1989 is still closed, the 1995 is very good, but lacks the mature fruit and gorgeous nose of 1985 and 1990. In 20 years time the 1989 will be the best :-)
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6/20/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:
Hugh’s bottle. Extremely backward, more so than any of the previous bottles I can remember. Apparently, this vintage of Lynch Bages is famous for extreme variability of state of maturity. Clearly it’s dense and Médocain, but difficult to read anything further.
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6/1/2019 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: Blackberry, cedar, cherry, sweet pencil and floral notes. Quite the classic charmer here. Palate: Just a bit closed, but as it opened the wine gained weight and the red/black fruit balance showed up. Mineral, tobacco and cedar support a beautifully precise wine. Finish: Well knit and elegant. This is a balanced Lynch with pauillac classicism.
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6/1/2019 - MC wrote:
Flawed bottle.
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5/25/2019 - Burgnick wrote: 95 Points
Stunner in 6L format.
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5/24/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
1989 Bordeaux Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Deeper and more brooding colour than the 1990. Translucent at the edges. Nose is more strongly cedar and tobacco than 1990. Palate is beautifully silky and seductive... heady and reverberant even in the mouth before you swallow. Wonderful expression of cassis. This is drinking at its apogee but has 10 more years at this level. Much improved from when I last drank it 6 years ago. 94 tonight.
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5/11/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was excellent although not quite up to the best bottles of ‘89 or ‘82. Medium garnet, very slightly unclear although it had been standing up for a month. Pleasant soft berry fragrance, medium full, good length. Not especially recognizable as Pauillac, more like St. Julien or Margaux. A very good experience without that extra “wow” factor.
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4/28/2019 - krrat@me.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hrs in front of dinner. Likely needed an hr or two at most. Wine was great, brown colored, soft tannins. Opened two bottles, both corks wet and broke off into bottle but didn’t cause any problems. Wine was soft enough to serve with fish. Have a bunch of this and plan to drink annually until gone by my 85th yr. I’m running out of time but this wine isn’t. Very nice and was one of the dinner highlights.
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4/28/2019 - krrat@me.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened two bottles to celebrate friend’s 70th birthday. Decanted 3 hours in front of tasting but didn’t have to. Likely could have gotten good results with a 1-2 hr decant. Both corks were wet and broke off into the bottle but didn’t cause problems. Wine was great and will likely last another 10 yrs
Though I may not. Brownish color, aging well. At or close to peak. Very smooth, some tannins but not much. Enjoyed by all.
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4/28/2019 - DrZett wrote:
Unfortunately not the best bottle. 88-89
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4/25/2019 - jcasey555 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great nose and a very balanced and soft palate. More vegetable than fruit.
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4/21/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine:
I'm loathe to score this wine as it is one my favourites, but unfortunately seems to have shut down after a few years of drinking wonderfully. I saved a glass for 24 hours, but it was still rather tight. It is has everything you would expect from a perfect 100 pointer wine, but I have to accept that this now needs more time.
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4/18/2019 - Romol Likes this wine:
No rating. Not a perfect bottle. Drinkable but slightly corked. I hope my remaining bottles are better.
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4/11/2019 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loads of life left on this bdx. This bottle took some coaxing to make it come Alive but when it did it had a wonderful floral nose and tertiary flavors on the palate. Tobacco, Forrest floor and blue fruit. Medium acidity. I think the best is yet to come for this wine. Could age for another 10-20 years.
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4/5/2019 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 96 Points
A rugged Bordo, with rather hard tannins and beautiful balance, stone fruits, plum, cassis, and a long finish. Shows way above its station. Should last, so wish I had more.
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3/30/2019 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Now this was what I was hoping for in my first bottle. I let this breathe in the decanter for 3 hours before we started to drink and it was absolutely fabulous, if a small step behind the 90. This was a delight on the nose, with lead pencil, bell pepper, barnyard, and cedar. The palate was full and gorgeous, with dark fruits, cassis, leather, ash, and green herbs showing off what a complex and balanced wine this wine can be when served properly. A wonderful experience.
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3/27/2019 - Jack wrote: 98 Points
Excellent.
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3/20/2019 - mnh wrote: 94 Points
A little less approachable than the last bottle
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3/17/2019 - LB88 wrote: 95 Points
What a beautiful wine, balanced still with nice acidity and plenty of life left in it!
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3/7/2019 - PVJC wrote: 96 Points
Terrific nose, on the palate more medium bodied / elegant / lighter than I expected not having had much bordeaux before. Paired very well with filet mignon at Boulevard.
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3/3/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle showed quite young still but kept opening up even after a 3-hr decant. Rather full-bodied with delicious flavors of black fruits, graphite minerals and grilled nuts. Smoky and long on the finish with lots of layers with strong notes of lead pencil and gravel. Awesome juice and this particular bottle has years of development ahead. 95+
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2/18/2019 - Paul S wrote: 95 Points
1989 Bordeaux - 30 years on. (Famous Treasure, Capitol Piazza, Singapore): Wow. Probably the best Lynch-Bages I have ever had. The nose stood out amongst the other Bordeaux, with a tremendous blast of classic Pauillac aromas - cedar wood and damp earth, cassis and blackberries, tobacco and spice. Lovely, compelling stuff. The palate was amazing too. Layers of power and authority, yet with no lack of grace, this opened up across the mouth with wonderful layers of cassis, dark berries, menthol and spice, then some earth and mineral, all absolute filling every crevice of the palate. Wonderful finish too - long, full, earthy and full of charm. This was remarkable. Not as refined and elegant as the other wines on show, this was more rustic, but not in a bad way - like a gentleman farmer - elegant yet homely and charming. Superb stuff, drinking beautifully now.
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2/17/2019 - rsbeck wrote: 99 Points
Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed further, revealing even more elegance and nuance. Wonderfully complex and balanced with an expanding, lingering, beguiling finish. This bottle performed beautifully. Should cruise on this plateau for years to come.
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2/16/2019 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about 3 hours.
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2/3/2019 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely bottle, cedar cassis blackberries on the nose, forest fruits in the mouth, spot on acidity and very smooth, still so fresh.
Some have said it needs more years, maybe if that is what you want it to evolve into, I prefer the fresh fruit approach, after all this time maybe that is what the winemaker had in mind, either way great bottle.
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2/3/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This is a beauty. Powerful and refined, with load os sweet, perfectly ripe, red fruits and elegant, classy tannins, the goes on and on with all its delicious red fruits, earth and tobacco. This is probably at peak, but there is no hurry to drink it. Well-stored bottles should remain here for another 15-20 years with ease.
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1/19/2019 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine: 99 Points
This was a near perfect wine on this evening which included sharing other bottles with a great group of friends. I agree with the note from TOMLEE. I also got notes of cocoa power on the nose and palate. I can't come up with anything else to change about this wine or wait any longer if you have a bottle of it.
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1/19/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Also a very young wine although a bit more expressive than the Leoville Poyferre was this day. Reminded me a bit of a dark and slightly damp forest. Moss on the trees and all of that. With some black fruits. It was quite nice. Also a contender for WOTN.
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1/6/2019 - g-man wrote: 95 Points
Sorry for the brief note. Decanted 3 hours prior. This is still a few years away from maturity. All the elements are there for greatness.
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1/5/2019 - tomlee wrote: 98 Points
Crimson in color. 12.5% ABV. Stunning nose of red and black fruits, cedar, cigar box and pencil shavings. Full bodied, concentrated and powerful. Impeccable balance with tremendous length and grip. Creme de cassis, coffee, plums, blackberry and smoke on the palate. The seamless finish seems to linger for an eternity. Timeless Bordeaux that is the embodiment of finesse and class. An unforgettable wine that is nearing 30 years in the bottle. Well stored examples should last to 50 years of age.
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1/2/2019 - casaallora Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Upon decanting full fragrant blackberry aroma. Marvelous leather bound color w/beautifully aromatic noes. Strong legs. Full rich light tar w/complex oak characteristics. Gooseberries as the wine opened. Profile expands over the course of the bottle but the structure & flavor never waiver. Strong full finish. Outstanding! A heavier oak finish would have garnered 100 points, but I believe more wine lovers prefer the softness of the oak in this wine.
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1/1/2019 - Dehrmann Does not like this wine: 88 Points
‘11 Meursault Perrieres from Bouchard (90), ‘08 Chablis Les Preuses from Dauvissat (92), ‘83 Yquem (96), ‘02 Musigny Vogue (96), ‘06 Musigny Vogue (94), 1989 Lynches Bages (88)
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12/30/2018 - ledocq wrote: flawed
Bought at auction -- all sweaty band aids on night one and then this odd band-aid-into-flatness-into-what an amazing length this is. Very sad.
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12/14/2018 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Suffered just a bit by side by side comparison with ‘89 Cheval Blanc, a glorious bottle, but still a powerful delight. Bloody minerality, great length, tight/tannic, lots of tobacco on a rather heavy blocky finish. Needs 5 years.
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11/6/2018 - SonnyChiba wrote: 97 Points
Really beautiful wine. Perfectly aged. Gorgeous! Might be slightly better than 82’ but close call!
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11/5/2018 - dbg wrote:
Dinner at Dino's Grotto DC. Perfect cork and fill. Decanted and drunk over 3 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Excellent nose of dark fruits, cedar, iron, just beginning earthy complexity. Full body, great palate feel and balance, medium-long finish. Outstanding but a half step behind the 89 Montrose, which was more mature and complex. Well-stored bottles of Lynch have still not peaked. This one was still on the upswing. Would expect more in another 5 years.
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11/2/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This particular bottle was open for business with softer tannins than I've experienced before with this wine. Quite voluminous and expansive in the mouth with fabulous flavors of blackberry liqueur, smoky gravel and liquid graphite. Powerful yet silky at the same time, this is a phenomenally delicious Bordeaux that's finally starting to strut its stuff. There's so much lead pencil that I might've guessed Lafite blind. Just yum.
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10/22/2018 - Jmph Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic. Was decanted for several hours. Hints of earth and stone and red berry. This came from a large bottle. It was a bit young, though, and has potential to continue to age.
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10/15/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 92 Points
Not as good as prior bottles I’ve had. Did not give it much time to decant. Very dense and fruity and young. Tasted more like a 1990 than an 89. Lots of stewed strawberries and blackberries with not much noticeable secondary development. Started to open up a bit more at the last sip 2 hours in.
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10/12/2018 - Romol Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours. It needs a lot of air right now.
I would recommend to decant it at least 3 hours. I was suprised how young this was for a wine close to 30 years. The 1989 Lynch Bages has a long life ahead. A very good wine. 96 pts.
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10/8/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a very rare 6 liter bottle. Opened and decanted a couple hours and drank over 4 hours. Amazing wine. So well built and put together. Loads of red fruits, green olive tapenade, black fruits, truffles, minerals, forest floor, pencil lead, tobacco, hints of leather and so much depth and nuance at the same time. A very special bottle for sure esp from this format.
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9/11/2018 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
Best Bottle Monday with Friends (Carlton, Zurich): Tasted single blind. This wine would probably deserve an even higher rating if it wasn‘t for the fact that there is so much improvement potential left with more age. As others wrote before, this wine is still so young. Served double blind alongside the Angelus 2004 everybody at the table thought this is clearly the younger wine. While there is plenty tertiary development, the wine is still youthfully fresh, weightless and with intense aromatics. Very promising future here.
TN: Very harmonic nose with forest floor, truffles, cedar, cool fresh blackberry. Same aromas and some tobacco, pencil and herbal aromas on the palate. Long and expanding fruit-driven finish. Wonderfully intense and precise with a cool weightlessness only the finest Bordeaux Cabernets can achieve. Tannine structure fully intact and super smooth, fresh well integrated acidity. Build for the long haul. Amazing.
Decanting: Decanted for 4 hours and the wine was singing but I suppose well stored bottles like this one would better be decanted for 5 or 6 hours.
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9/10/2018 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Monday Bouteille (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): Tasted double blind. 4h decant. Be careful, the cork was already dry as a bone, broke and crumbled when trying to open. But the wine itself was luckily still in perfect condition. When tasting I had no idea how old this was and when I learned I was flabbergasted.
Flavour intensitiy and complexity was clearly above medium. The fruit showed a straberry core wrapped in darker berries with green herbs and very fine tertiary aromas in extraordinary harmony.
Over time more earthy flavours showed up accompanied by animal notes such as wet fur.
On the palate still a full body with a good dose of acidity providing for freshness and an incredible youthfulness for this old sack! Tannins have fully resolved leaving a full but embracing texture. Fruit still very much present but also dark, aged leather. The structure has clearly been carbon fiber reinforced because it was solid enough to easily carry the wine through 2h+ in the glass - an accomplishment not all decades younger rivals in the line-up managed! I‘m also convinced that we are still at an early stage of the drinking window and that there would be no harm in forgetting about it for another 10 years in the cellar!
This was a world class example of how well certain wines can age and considering the almost 30 years of age this juice would clearly deserve a score of 98. However, and also probably due to the age, the versatility in the glass was limited and the „pleasure score“ was more like 96. I‘ll average it to 97. The very close runner-up coming in second by a slight margin after the 2008 Verité La Joie.
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9/10/2018 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Very nice, but expect there is more upside to be had. Certainly not showing its age at this time.
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7/4/2018 - TrojanMatt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Almost impossible to believe this is nearly 30 years old. Still dark like ink with zero hint of bricking. Opened up after about an hour of decanting. Smooth as silk and absolutely delicious. Classic Pauillac.
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6/21/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
So hard to believe this is from 1989. Dare I say this is borderline too young to drink? Way to tannic to enjoy open opening and only after 3 hours in decanter is it approachable. Compared to the 1990 bages this is super concentrated and has the structure to last a lifetime. I can sense beautiful ripe fruit hidden behind a wall of tannins. This is a must have for a true Bordeaux lover cellar but I would not touch it again for at Least a few years. Delicious with a long decant. If I decide to open another this year I will decant at least 6 hours!
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6/17/2018 - Trickyone wrote:
Bordeaux was on quite a roll in the 80's, wasn't it? While vintages varied considerably, there wasn't anything undrinkable (as there certainly was in the preceding two decades). For a closer, '88, '89 & '90 provided rare triplets of really fine vintages.
This exceptional bottle showed how fine the better wines from that period could be. There was surprisingly little sediment in the bottle when it was decanted, which should indicate that more pleasure is yet to come as its sisters age further. On release, I'd bought half a case and this bottle showed just as well as the first bottle consumed about 2 years ago.
Even with that additional cellaring, there were almost no signs of age; only the slightest hint of ruddiness showed at the glass's rim. Such extract of color is remarkable considering the 12.5% alcohol. It took at least an hour for any hint of fruit to come through, and when it did, the wine showed excellent balance between restrained acidity and brambly fruits. Over the four hours I nursed this beauty, it just got better and better. Having a bottle like this reminds me why we seek out, buy and cellar ageworthy wines: Few pleasures can match savoring a wine like this at its peak.
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6/16/2018 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): It becomes a bit boring, but I blind scored the wine 97 again (and only 0.6% of my TN’s has a 97 score…) The note is short this time: Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and well dosed oak. On the palate a mature and beautiful wine, dark berries, sweet spices, good acidity and soft tannin. A touch of sweetness as well.
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6/16/2018 - Slammin Sammie Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wine still very much in neck and cork looked like it was brand new. Unbelievably smooth with mineral and charcoal tastes. Wonderful wine. Only reason I didn't rate it a 100 is that I'm not sure there is such a thing as a perfect wine, but this may be as close as we get to it on this earth...
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5/27/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
Just touching 100 points, this is my wine of choice on special occasions eclipsing my first growths. I am perplexed in reference to ambivalent reviews, and have to reiterate that this is an exceptional wine. The nose is an embodiment of the best that mature Bordeaux has to offer. Blackcurrent and plum dominate, while on the palate the balance and complexity of depth are beyond exceptional. The finish is amazingly lengthy, and the only barrier to a perfect 100 is a slight sourness at the end of the finish. 99+
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5/25/2018 - LW31 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb. Still reserved and tight with concentration impressive for nearly 30 years old. Needed 1 hour open and 30 min in decanter to begin to show. Wonderful black berry/currant, cedar notes. Savoury. Quite grippy on finish. Aged rib eye helped smooth the tannins and open the layers. 3-5 years away from apogee for well stored bottles, as this was.
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5/13/2018 - spendergast Likes this wine: 100 Points
A fabulous wine - highly concentrated and beautifully balanced with well integrated tannins. For me, this is a perfect wine.
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5/13/2018 - doctornoah wrote: 90 Points
Unflinchingly primary and structured. But lacked the aromatic elements of every other bottle of Lynch Bages we had, including 1996, 2000, 2005 so wondering if an off bottle
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4/28/2018 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
1989 Lynch Bages
The best Lynch Bages I’ve ever had for sure and it certainly reached the level of first growth Bordeaux in my view. 1989 is definitely a good vintage for left bank. We decanted for two hours, tobacco, smoked tea leaves, fresh herbs, freshly picked black currant, very elegant on the nose; on palate, more toward blue/purple fruits, great structure yet extremely balanced, tannin was very silky. This was my wine of the night!
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4/25/2018 - depdoc wrote: 89 Points
Very disappointed. Not obviously tainted and not over the hill. Rather bland. I hope my remaining bottles show better.
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4/23/2018 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
I last had a bottle of this wine about 3 years ago. It was very tight, as a 4+ hour decant was barely adequate. I went with a shorter decant this time......based on comments in recent reviews......and that worked. I decanted for 3 hours. So, this one seems to be past that tight phase it was in. I would urge those out there with this one in inventory to pull a bottle.
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4/22/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another world class delivery. This wine is more open this time. Took around 90 mins to open up in the decanter. Truffle, tobacco, smoked fruit, red currant, and leather on the nose. Palate is so expressive and elegant with a long finish. Drinking well already with aeration but likely to age gracefully for another 20 years.
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4/19/2018 - UTPK wrote:
Still very young, almost unyielding nose to start with. After some time it reveals wonderful notes of green bell pepper, chinese soy and cedar. Medium body and very clean and precise on the palate. The finish goes on forever. Clearly a great wine, and according to Jean Charles Cazes this will be a modern 1961.
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3/30/2018 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a quite young bottle. Fresh and dark, still developing complexity. 93-94
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3/23/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark red with slight bricking at the edges. Graphite, mineral, dark fruit and forest floor on the nose. Blackberry, soy, red currant and pomegranate with soft tannins and cherry and tobacco on the finish. Although it has some secondary flavors especially at PNP, these integrate after three hours and really complements the fruit. Still going strong and not over the hill by any means.
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3/22/2018 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent see previous notes. However the 1990 at this stage outshines it.
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3/18/2018 - W&FS Cellar Chair Likes this wine:
Spectacular wine. Nose is ultra inviting and the wine itself lives up to the expectations created. Drink now. Impossible to improve from here.
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3/9/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
It took close to 30 years to enter full maturity but this has hit peak maturity, All the tannins have softened and the texture has taken on the patina of age. The smoke, tobacco, cigar wrapper, blackberry, cassis, forest floor and cedar notes are apparent with little effort. The wine is full bodied, concentrated and offers length and substance. You can age it further, but I am not sure there is any benefit to waiting. There is no hurry to drink it however If well stored, I am sure another 20 years of pleasure will not be a problem, if the bottles have been well stored.
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2/23/2018 - dbg wrote:
Sarasota reunion: Krug, Carillon, LLC, Lynch, Yquem (Michael’s on East, Sarasota): Perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim, nose is a bit closed but gradually opens after 3 hours in a decanter. Iodine and angular at first, but full bodied, powerful and persistent on the finish. Very young and clearly a well-stored bottle. It finally starts to open towards the end of the evening and matches well with big, burly lamb chops. Approaching excellence but needs another 5 years to really show its stuff. I’ve had less well stored bottles that are more advanced and actually drinking better than this particular bottle.
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2/17/2018 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 97 Points
A "W-o-w!" wine. Brought to Brabo - the sommelier (who did a wonderful job with the service) called it "banging"; my dining companion declared it a "come-eff-me" wine.
Still incredibly youthful, despite going on 29 years - floral, leather, cedar on the nose, still lovely fruit, a finish that went on and on - in sum, all those wonderful nuances you hope to experience.
Acquired in 2009 from an auction at my wine storage facility. Among the dozen or so storage lockers being auctioned that day to recoup non-payment of fees were a couple of wine lockers (only the basement was built out for wine storage; the upper floors were conventional self-storage lockers). I ended up with a locker of about 50-60 bottles, almost all of which were very good, some outstanding, and maybe a dozen or so (like this '89 Lynch) whose value replayed my coat maybe 3x or 4x over.
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2/16/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consumed January 2014....
Loaded with tobacco, blonde coffee, pencil lead, cardamom, black currants and sun-drenched earth. Very ready and in stride, this starts off like a cub, and ends like a Grizzly; there’s a well-tuned approach, however, that is throughout all phases. Still some feathery tannin and marvelous layers which continue to unfold. Within a drinking window that will last for awhile. This is a testament to what aged Lynch-Bages should strive for. Brava. Drink now - 2034.
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2/11/2018 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding in all respects. Crimson color with tawny rims reflecting the age of the wine. Complex and exquisite nose of cassis, mocha, sweet tobacco, black currants expressing the full maturity of the wine. Opened up after an hour in the decanter. Lovely velvety entry on the palate, complex wine with excellent structure, beautiful dark red and black fruits intermingled with sweet tobacco mid palate, very nice length for a medium to full bodied wine which ends with maturing fruit and a long finish. Wow a beauty in all respects.
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1/27/2018 - ATBridge wrote:
Very muted fruit. Slightly corked. A great wine lurking underneath.
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1/11/2018 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Graphite, lead pencil, smoked meats, completely integrated and mature. this bottle was exactly on target and in its prime
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1/8/2018 - jpwines wrote: 96 Points
A really great Bordeaux---the best lynch-bages I have tasted.
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12/26/2017 - Vrooman wrote: 89 Points
It smells like black pepper, red currant, medium toast and pomegranate. 6 hours decanted - nice cork. Smooth and consistent finish. Went well with bbq salmon steaks.
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12/19/2017 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #024 Pauillac (By JS): In the bouquet dark berries, leather, autumn forest, cedar, vanilla, lead pencil shaving and really a beautiful and classical Pauillac. On the palate still a compact and concentrated wine with dark berries, leather, graphite, cedar, some pleasant sweetness, good acidity and round tannin with still a beautiful and good bite. Overall a very beautiful and complex wine. Mature and still holding a promise for the future. Really great to taste this wine again. Hope to taste it again….! 97+
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12/19/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
Reinforcing previous notes, this is one of my favourite wines. I could sit and ingest the nose for hours before even taking a sip. With classic blackcurrent and cherry, the wine has such perfect balance and with tremendous depth. The only barrier to a perfect score is a slight imbalance on the finish. This is the epitomy of what a classic mature Bordeaux should be.
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12/18/2017 - Remony wrote: flawed
Corked. What a shame.
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12/17/2017 - ledwards wrote: 94 Points
Classic bordeaux notes all in place and drinking great. Slight stemminess on finish which keeps this from a higher score.
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12/10/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
Erneut Weltklasse. Perfekter Bordeaux. Null Anzeichen von Reife oder Oxidation. Auch mehrstündiges Karaffieren kann ihm nichts anhaben. Im Gegenteil die Luft macht ihn zum Charmeur. Der hält noch 20-30 jahre. In dieser Kategorie nahezu ein „Schnäppchen“. 98+
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12/9/2017 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Massive, wonderful, still some upside
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12/2/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind: Tasted blind. This had been open and decanted for a couple of hours, but was still just so backward. Firm from start-to-finish. Great stuff in deep background. Other recent bottles have been phenomenal and more forthcoming, but might have gotten more air.
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12/2/2017 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Saturday Blind Tasting - Bordeaux '03 and Older (Chevalier Fine Wines): Blind. This looked, smelled and tasted like a baby. I was guessing 2000 (and may have guessed younger if not for the tasting guideline of 2003 or older BDX). Big, bold nose of chocolaty plum and herbs. Epic amounts of concentration. Tons of structure to match the rich, dense fruit. Some serious fountain of youth action on this wine. Outstanding.
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11/28/2017 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 90 Points
Man, this was full of barnyard. Not flawed but just so much barnyard. Through that there was a great menthol character. Rich charcoal and some tobacco. I guess a lot of sauvage but maybe too much for my liking. I am sure there are better examples.
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11/27/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 1989 blind tasting, wine #6: sometimes nicknamed Poor man's Mouton, but by many critics considered one of the best 89s in Bordeaux.
Masculine tough and spicy style with dark fruit, granite, rough tannins, gunpowder, tobacco and leather. Still young with fresh acidity. 9 votes and shared second place tonight with Haut Brion. But not a personal favourite.
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11/25/2017 - jusuf Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great show. Super smooth. Powerful but delicate nose and very soft on the palate with a long finish. Red berries dominating.
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11/23/2017 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 95 Points
Had this yesterday as the showpiece wine and it was very good, if not ethereal like some of the comments on here. I have read a lot about bottle variation, which made me think that this bottle might have been a bit off when I first opened it but I realized that the thin, somewhat tart flavor was this wine begging for some air before consumption. Despite being almost 30 years old, this wine is still ever so youthful and should be decanted for at least a couple of hours. My first sip of this wine was probably a 91 or 92, but my last sip over 90 minutes later was a 95 and left me kicking myself for not opening earlier but also hopeful for the other bottles in my cellar.
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11/17/2017 - Nordy wrote: 95 Points
Wine for TJ Martell wine dinner on 11/16/17
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11/16/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 95 Points
from magnum
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11/13/2017 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Ripe and rich. Cassis, bricks, and, pencil, but all beihnd its imposing wall of refined, impeccably balanced, beautiful fruit. This is very deep and pure, structured, yet giving and terrifically balanced. Power and grace. The best Lynch Bages I have had. Super.
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11/12/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Just great wine. The old school nose, with lead pencil, cedar wood, forest floor, tobacco and cassis popped with no effort. Full bodied, deep and concentrated, the finish had so much fruit, you wanted to eat it! Truly, a fabulous bottle of Pauillac.
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11/7/2017 - Frijole wrote:
inky plum red, medium clarity, amber hue
Nose: blackberries, cassis, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, vanilla, dust, black pepper, white pepper, green herbs, minerals, smoke, oak
Pal: blackberries, cassis, tobacco, cigar, cola, dark chocolate, vanilla, earth, leather, dust, black pepper, white pepper, green herbs, minerals, smoke, silver, oak, some complexity
Feel: medium, full, savory, acidic
Finish: medium
T9 (could be an 8)
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11/4/2017 - Ary wrote: 98 Points
VEO London, Bordeaux 80-s in Magnum (Restaurant La Trompette, Chiswick): Powerful, super-delineated and classic Pauillac. One of my favorite Bordeaux. Little black berries, iron, pencil-shaving, tar and blood notes in the nose. Smooth on the palate with IRON, iodine, earth. Finish still bit stringent with tannin as a 10-year old wine. This wine still has many years ahead.
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10/30/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Last tasted 4 months ago so I suspect a bottle variation contributed to different experience. This one is considerably better. No notes at time of consumption but all I remember is rich and profound wine, both on nose and palate. This delivers a plenty of joy. Tannins noticeable but soft. Upside potential with further aging but ready to drink now; give it some air time, though.
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10/26/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous deep red-violet with no sign of ageing. Muted nose of ripe plum laced with raspberries. I have never had a wine quite like this. It is very thin bodied with very little flavor on the front end through the end palate with slight raspberry and red flower notes. About 8-10 seconds after you swallow it, the entire wine flavor portfolio plays out on the tongue, with plums, sweet raspberries, and a bit of tea. It's a form of sensory delay. Fascinating. This is also the wine that got me into wine in the mid 90's.
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10/22/2017 - eco wrote:
Amazing. After ~ 24 hours : amazing.
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10/9/2017 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Cubs Playoff Wines (Lake Forest, IL): I have been blessed to have this wine in this vintage 3-4 times this year. This was the toughest showing from what I recall. While the bottle seemed fine form all appearances, the wine showed a bit hard and lean with a tart edge overwhelming the dry cherry flavor. Other bottles recently as I recall were considerably better, although I do remember enjoying the 1990 when compared side by side for a deeper fruit profile.
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9/29/2017 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
I just love 1989, sometimes prefer it over 1990. This wine exemplifies why. Very hedonistic, open nose of sweet tobacco, cassis, dark currants, mocha, spice. Dark ruby red color. Beautiful on the palate, truly singing after a small decant, solid backbone and structure, medium to full bodied, finishes long, sexy and chocolatey. Truly hedonistic.
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9/22/2017 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Nose: A- Palate: B++/A-
Part of 6 decades of Lynch Bages vertical tasting
My #6, Group's #7 (88 pts). Tastes blind
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9/21/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Impressively dark in colour. Gorgeous nose with notes of cassis, tobacco, cedar, spice. Generous and ripe on the palate, lots of fruit, some minerality, very good length. A little drying and tired especially towards the finish, still an excellent bottle. 91-93
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9/20/2017 - sdr Likes this wine:
Excellent, fresh, good soil tones, Pauillac typicity.
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9/13/2017 - Alex R wrote:
Lovely ruby core fading to a large garnet rim. Dense tobacco and leather-lined cedar box nose. Slight green notes but mostly heading toward tertiary aromas. The palate is still rich and ripe, not much acidity but the tannins are balanced and subtle. Really good long length. Drinking beautifully, 1 hour in decanter before serving. I think this wine will still improve in the next few years.
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9/9/2017 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
George's 60th Birthday: Having had this wine many times before, this wine has only recently come into its drinking window. My first three tasting experiences it was a youthful beast and tough as nails. However, my last few tasting experiences it is opening up beautifully. If you love great Pauillac wines from a great producer in a great vintage, this is worth every penny. Delicious! This had been decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption.
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8/31/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Chicago Wine Flock...Don Serving So Many Great Blind Wines/Flights (Park Ridge, IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Lynch-Bages/ Togni flight. An odd bottle that seemed inconsistent with the flight, and very inconsistent with previous bottles. Similar profile to the 1986 and 1988 in the first two glasses, just so much lighter and thinner, with a slightly bitter finish. My least favorite wine of the flight, group's #7. Clearly a shadow of what this wine can be.
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7/17/2017 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
In excellent shape, silky, smooth, smokey, medium body, still some dark fruit and soft leather; tannins resolving but still present; great with porterhouse steak.
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7/13/2017 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Farewell Filippo, Il Duomo table (La Trompette, London): Deep ruby with a splodge of garnet. Rich nose but a touch of green on the nose in an 85 rather than 89 mould. Fresh. Sweet-fruited with a touch of green pepper. Sweet, long, cedary. Classic left bank claret. Really super. *****
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7/9/2017 - yinha Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had the privilege of tasting this at a party - tasted it too late into the session after far too many Volnay and VR's - a guest who jumped straight to the Lynch Bages (and who left early) was very pleased. In short, as with other recent reviews, plenty of time left for this classic. Will try again in a few years after this beaute is 30+
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7/6/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Krug and Dom Perignon Dinner, with Bonus Wines (The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Great aromatic start with black plum and currant, rich without seeming too ripe. Cigarbox and cassis notes as well. Great nose is followed by good flavors that are quite similar and enticingly complex, just perhaps not quite as long as a few great bottles from the past few years, since this wine has emerged from its long (15+ year?) post-release dormancy.
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6/12/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 93 Points
'89 vintage is still in need for more cellar time. delicious.
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6/8/2017 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. Very nice!
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6/1/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
This has actually improved again. It is nudging perfection. From the sublime nose of blackcurrent and cherry through the exquisite sweetened tannin in the mouth everything is in such perfect balance, and all pervasive. The finish seemed to carry on forever. This is heaven. Do decant to enjoy fully and time spent in the glass seems to aid the aeration process. 99+
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5/14/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still purple and almost black in color. Blackberry, wet stone, grilled herbs and graphite on the nose. Needed about 2 hours in the decanter to be at its best. Tart black cherry, pomegranate, with just a hint of savory grilled beef. Moderate finish. Elegant in style.
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4/30/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of my favorite left bank Bdx at this stage, another epic wine experience, 98+
you get fruit, power, pencil, saltieness, elegance, balance and at least 20 more years of fun, 98+
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4/30/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
16 different vintages of Lynch bages (Bend's place): Tasting 16 different vintages of LB, not blind, all of them decanted from Gabriel glas
Flight with 82 and 90,
my beloved 89 LB, still grateful, staring to reach his drinking window, great red berries, especially cblack currant, silky and fine grained Tannins, great aciidty structure, nice Balance, still at lwast 20 years ahead, Long finish with concentrated deepness, in my Top 3 in this tasting, again ahead of 90, some People at the table preferred the next vintage, 82 was the winner overall for me
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4/16/2017 - mnh wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle not showing full potential
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4/8/2017 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
Recent auction purchase, Decanted for 6 hours. Sampled after 2 hours and was still tight as a drum. Tasted like a new release. Shocking for a 27 year old wine. Sampled again after 4 hours and was just beginning to peak from behind the curtain but still really tight with a short finish. After 6 hours poured back in the bottle and tried again. Presto, ding, ding, ding. Finally a winner. Gorgeous fruit with a lingering finish. Great viscous mouth feel that is a real treat for the senses. As good as this was I think it will be much better in 10 years. Extended decant does not make up for graceful aging. This is a beast and will be sure to hang on to a couple to try at age 50.
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3/16/2017 - MartyL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of cassis and lead pencil. Maybe just a hint of green pepper. Very classic medium to full body. Long finish but still showing tannins. No shame to drink this now but it is also a long way off from maturity.
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3/1/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Very open and generous on the nose - smoke, tobacco, spices, graphite, earth and cassis. Rich on the palate, great fruit, sweet and ripe. Tannins are very much in the background, but there is still good structure and grip. Very smooth and long, maybe just a little less vibrant than my top 3 (1982, 1985, 1996) in this vertical . Drink or keep. 93-95
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2/26/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not as scintillating as the previous bottle yet still excellent. Much more linear and not as open, this bottle displayed lots of dark red fruit and flavor with excellent tannins and acidity. Held very well in the glass for a couple of hours.
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2/21/2017 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine really delivers after 2 hr of decanting. Truffle, earth, black fruit, red fruit, and perfume. Palate is deep and long. It has so much power with finesse. Drinking very well now with at least 10-15 years at this level.
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2/19/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Incredibly well preserved, with no real bricking. Seems as though this could last another decade or so, although I doubt it will get better. Seamless, balanced and long, with fruit peaking out from behind earthy and mineral notes. Very long and pure on the finish.
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2/11/2017 - MAOC wrote:
Double decanted for 90 mins or so. Rich and multi-faceted dark fruit against a background of tobacco and graphite with some softer cedar. Beautiful and ready though I think will blossom further across next 5-10 years. Compared with the 1990, this seemed better after time in the glass whereas the 90 was a little more exciting on first pour. Hard to pick a favourite between the two though *****
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2/8/2017 - Paul D wrote:
Pauillac at RSJ: Dark fruited, rich nose, lots of tobacco, touch of smoke. Full bodied, rich dark fruit, soft tannins, touch of minerality, long finish. Excellent *****
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles wrote:
Odd and off bottle. Not necessarily characteristic.
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1/23/2017 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Colour good no bricking. Nose black fruit. Taste reasonably long, good fruit, balanced tannins
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1/18/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberry, coal dust, beef jerky, faint licorice, and tangy acids. I very much prefer the darker character of this vintage. Benefited from 1.5 hr decant
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1/17/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
1989 vintage tasting of 4 Bordeaux Wines,
Clinet, La Conseillante, Lynch Bages, and Meyney.
Nose of cigar box, black currants, and plum, same on the palate, very tasty, subdued fruit, needs 4 more years to peak, big body, opened very slowly during the evening, small amount of soft tannins present, rich and fruity wine, mouth filling, hope you get to enjoy this wine as it ages, long, long finish. My third place and group third place.
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1/17/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 98 Points
Flannery Beef & Bordeaux (Kali Restaurant): Wow. A near perfect wine. So well balanced.
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1/7/2017 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 100 Points
So sad this is my last bottle. By far consistently my favorite wine to drink.
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12/27/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
I can only reiterate the notes from 6 months ago. This is close to perfection. Deep scents of blackberry, red cherry and cedar are heady on the nose, whilst on the palate there is a perfect harmony but with just enough punch in the tannin to remind you what you are drinking. The depth of flavour is phenomenal with an intense and long finish. At present it is outperforming the 1990 and should stay at this level for many years to come. A few hours in the decanter is recommended.
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12/25/2016 - VoVo wrote: 95 Points
Extraordinary by all measures.
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12/24/2016 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 94 Points
After two hour decant, this clearly needed at least six more hours. While drinking well after 2-4 hours, I would either decant for at least eight hours or leave them for another 7-10 years. Mild tannin, graceful, smooth, even on the palate, fruit occupies just enough of the palate so well integrated. It just seems like its on its way to something better in a decade. This will go for decades.
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12/24/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A beautiful wine. Perhaps the oak seemed a bit more prominent this time around. Still excellent, but this bottle is starting to fade. One more left, which I'll drink in the next year or two.
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12/20/2016 - Eros Coniglio wrote: 92 Points
Needed a long decant. Still young. I'd wait 10 more years on next bottle based upon tonight. Pristinely stored, this bottle was labeled with green pepper out of the glass.
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12/1/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is such a great wine. From start to finish, it's a complete experience. Beginning with the tobacco, cedar wood, cassis, and wet earth perfume, the wine is full bodied, concentrated and allows it weight to carry through to the spicy, sweet, fruit and tobacco filled finish. I am sure well stored bottles will continue evolving for another 2 decades with ease.
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11/22/2016 - Glauberlp Likes this wine: 98 Points
Almost perfect. And life ahead.
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11/18/2016 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose takes a while to open up, then blackcurrant. Lovely soft tannins, good fruit, although there are signs it's starting to recede. Lovely balance and huge length. Excellent. Drink now.
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11/12/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Heritage 2016 Blind Wine Tasting Challenge - BYO Dinner (Jean Georges Steakhouse - ARIA - Las Vegas NV): Small glass, brief note. An odd wine tonight. Decanted before serving, but still shut down when first poured. Open and expressive 30 minutes later with slowly maturing black fruit, liqueur hints and great spice. Then it seemed to shut down when re-tasted an hour later. That point in the middle was consistent with other recent bottles (all showing great), but the later pour was not.
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11/12/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best Bottle Red in Lucerne without a theme (Hopfenkranz in Lucerne): This time a little bit "disappointing", one of my favorite wines ever, this time not so young and fresh as I had it 3 times before. Still a phantastic left bank Bordeaux, drank it together with Togni 1994 and "lost", no hurry, drinkable over the next ten years at least
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11/11/2016 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is by far the best bottle of Lynch Bages of any vintage I have ever tasted, including previous bottles of this vintage. (This bottle was a recent purchase from WineBid.) Splendidly fragrant, full of dark berry and black licorice. Opulent, intense, energetic. Tender tannins, juicy acidity. I would never guess Pauillac, though; if that is a criticism, I can live with it.
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11/2/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
A slightly more advanced bottle than most. Deep and dark fruit, damp soil tones, coal dust and hints of white and black pepper. Consistent and very good.
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10/26/2016 - theeagle03 wrote: 96 Points
Bit softer and rounder than the '90. Charming, cream, soft red fruits but lovely smokiness coming through on the nose and finish
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10/22/2016 - CellarBord Likes this wine:
In a different spot from 5 yrs ago. Too tannic to enjoy right now. Needs atleast 5 years to soften or a long decant. It held its own against the Roasted Elk with Bordeaux Rouge Reduction. Still an impressive wine.
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10/12/2016 - the player Likes this wine: 99 Points
Outstanding wine clearly showcasing why in some many instances I prefer 89 to 90 as a vintage. Decanted and aerated for 90 minutes than drank over an hour or so. Deep ruby red, some bricking at the rim, sweet nose of cassis, spicy black currants, old leather, cigar box and graphite fully reflected on the palate. Secondary aromas emerging with the wine approaching full maturity, glycerin like entry on the palate, precision and complexity characterize this beautiful full bodied wine, with perfect balance, structure and acidity. Finishes long with resolved tannins. Delicious.
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9/26/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very young bottle, that should not have been opened for at least ten years. Good substance here and a lot of upside. Red and black fruit, light spice, emerging soil and rocky notes, faint white pepper and light coal dust. This should evolve into something great. 93+
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9/18/2016 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 98 Points
Perfect level. Opague deep garnet with pale rim. Decanted for 45 mins. Strong nose of white floral, dried violet, mandarin peel, ink, cedar, clean earth, some autumn leave, elegant oak, hints of vanilla and savoury. Complex and changing aroma. Medium body, light weight but powerful mid palate. On palate it delievers more ripe and bright black and red fruits, leather, licorice, black tea. Layered, round and ripe, soft noticeable tannins. Very long. Not much Tertiary now and still a bit tannic, been well developing for almost 3 decades, will effortlessly further develop for 10 years and last for maybe another 2 decades given a good condition bottle.
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9/17/2016 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
I always love drinking this wine, and have had four bottles over the past year. They have all been slightly different, but equally outstanding. This bottle was no exception. Very young in color. A lovely nose of cassis, leather, mint, tobacco, cedar, and anise. The fruit is very ripe. Very smooth on the palate, with silky smooth tannins. Acidity is in perfect balance. The finish is so long and elegant. Every time I drink this wine, I buy more, which should tell you just how great this wine is.
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9/16/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
66x Parker 100-Pointers from Bordeaux 1947-2010 tasted blind (Switzerland): Our host decided to include this wine as a “99+ point pirate” to even out the flights of the 80/90ies vintages. Tasted blind. Medium garnet. Expressive nose of blue fruit, licorice, pine. Very aristocratic and deep. Good density in the mid mouth, soft and ripe tannins with excellent length. It was early in the evening so I only gave a stingy 97 to keep some of my powder dry. I recall drinking this wine 5 years ago from a DMG and it was a smash hit as well. Kudos to Robert Parker to having seen it first and having had the courage to give this mid-tier Grand Cru 99+ points back then. Consistent with my tasting note of a DMG a few years back. Group score: 18.00
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9/13/2016 - jamie24 wrote:
This bottle was lifeless which was a shame considering the rest of the case has been very good so far. Hopefully just an off bottle.
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9/11/2016 - casaallora Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep rich garnet color w/strong legs. Nice round tannic nose that does not overpower. After decanting / color darkened to dark leather & nose was much bigger but still very seductive. Full flavor of leather w/great finish. Great wine
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8/30/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted this bottle with a good friend who loves Bordeaux. Decanted 2 hours. Deep purple, graphite, cedar, great bouquet, balanced, noticeable tannin's. Only the finish was disappointing. But wait - next day re-tasted and dramatic improvement. Maybe it was the taster? Bottom line - still a little young for me. Will I live long enough to see this wine pull it all together?
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8/26/2016 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Harmonious and balanced on the palate, deeply saturated flavors but not as complex as previous bottles. A pleasing wine of fine aromas and taste.
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7/29/2016 - Nekodab wrote: 97 Points
Very light and smooth great dirt
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7/24/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep and dark, but not at all brooding as it is able to successfully pair rose petals, fresh blackberry and fine acid with the darker elements. Such a compelling vintage of Lynch Bages. Drinking well now but has multiple levels of evolution yet to go and will live a long time
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7/18/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Lovely nose with truffle, licorice, soil, graphite, tobacco and black fruit. Palate was very powerful and complex with excellent length. Still young.
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7/16/2016 - MC wrote:
Decanted 45 minutes. This was wonderful. Dark, brooding color - no way you would guess its age. Dark fruits and forest on the nose, big but balanced on the entry, and a nice finish that still shows a little tannin but enjoyable and will probably get better. A-/A
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7/15/2016 - giba ochman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine. A bargain into de top mature bordeaux world. Drink now or wait 20y...
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7/14/2016 - nywine68 wrote: 97 Points
Phenomenal wine. This has it all: perfect structure, youthful vibrant fruit, beautiful secondary and tertiary nuances, body and length. Just drinking beautifully right now.
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7/11/2016 - Trickyone Likes this wine:
To celebrate a friend's birthday, we opened this bottle from the year of his birth. Even though it was decanted, it needed several more hours than we gave it. The wine was still very dark and could have passed for a much younger one. Good brambly fruit combined with some of the leathery notes good Pauillac can exhibit, but I fear we drank this one too soon--even at age 27. Combined with moderate alcohol of 12.5%, this reminds me of how wines used to be made. A lovely drink, but will continue to improve and hold its quality for years.
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6/22/2016 - dsiii wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine, drying out in 375
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6/13/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consistent with last time.
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6/11/2016 - Radboy wrote: 96 Points
This is fantastic. Gentle sweet berry fruit off set with dark licorice and lead tannins. Fabulous with a filet. The only short coming is a slightly truncated mid-palate, but who cares? This is delish.
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6/2/2016 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 95 Points
Did not need much air to open up. Knockout aromas of dark fruit, cedar, and graphite. Huge power on palate, with energetic acidity and fine tannin. Quite dark in glass. This wine should last forever. Supremely elegant and seamless.
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5/27/2016 - ConnIntChicago wrote:
Beautiful garnet robe, cigar box and forest floor on the nose, full fruit with good balance of wood and tannins. Will last longer, but great now.
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5/8/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 99 Points
Close to perfection. Now fully mature this wine is bursting with fruit but in total harmony with subtle tannins. A long lingering finish. The only flaw is a slight lingering residual bitterness. This the best Lynch Bages I have tasted.
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5/6/2016 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding and very complex at this stage, both on the nose and on the palate. The wine was still vibrant and delicious the next day. See previous notes.
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4/24/2016 - Ron Slye wrote: 91 Points
Part of the 1989 Bdx tasting by the Seattle CT group. Double decanted about 4 hours prior to tasting by Skifree. This showed well, but not as well as my previous bottle and not as well as some of the others reflected in the tasting notes here. This was very complex -- nose of black fruit, tar, and the smokiness of earl grey. Not much of an attack, but then jumps with flavor at the mid palate then retreats. Dusty and mouth coating tannins suggest this has lots of time ahead of it. This was my sixth wine, and the group's eighth (out of 10). My suspicion is that it needs more time.
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4/23/2016 - skifree wrote: 90 Points
Tasted as part of the CT Seattle '89 Bdx blind tasting. Bottle did not show that well; lots of black fruits but fairly simple compared to the '89 Figeac that proceeded it. My 7th out of 10 in the tasting. Had double decanted 4 hours prior to trying.
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4/16/2016 - JCSV wrote: 98 Points
Another great 89 LB. bottles are showing fantastically, paired with a tasting menu and it worked across a variety of dishes given how complex it's gotten. Changed significantly over the course of a 3 hour meal. Decanted at restaurant for about an hour before drinking
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4/4/2016 - casaallora Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Upon decanting classic Bordeaux color of rich garnet & leather. Excellent firm nose of rich leather. Firm tannins that don't overpower but provided an excellent finish. Full flavor of dried plums that held thru the complete bottle. This is an excellent wine so decant & enjoy
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3/31/2016 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Graphite, lead pencil, smoked meats, completely integrated, easily topped the 1990 again. This is the best showing I have seen for both vintages. Wine of the night
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3/30/2016 - tinybubbles wrote:
A surprisingly flat and dull bottle. Not off but not on.
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3/14/2016 - beatles wrote: flawed
Bad bottle
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3/12/2016 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Consistent notes. Showing beautifully. Deep ruby colour, with hints of bricking. Gorgeous. Beautiful rendition of great Pauillac from a terrific year. Cedar, black fruits, cigar box, lead pencil, spice aromas; impeccable balance on the palate. Drinking now.
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3/2/2016 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Lynch Bages dinner at RPM Steak (Chicago, IL): Along with the 1985, this would be my wine of the night. The nose is a touch muted, but shows a herbal/eucalyptus quality backed by a massive wall of sweet black fruit. The palate blows you away with incredible power. Lots of fruit. The acidity just manages to balance this behemoth out. The punch that this packs is just amazing, and although this is accessible and delicious now, I bet that this will only get better with time, especially when it starts picking up a few secondary characteristics.
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2/27/2016 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfect cork, decanted for just 30 minutes as this was a last minute selection. Not to worry as the wine is fully mature, cedar nose, a bit of bricking at the rim. Very elegant with a long finish. Fortunate to have one more bottle.
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2/14/2016 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely mature Pauillac. See previous notes.
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2/13/2016 - BradE wrote:
A lovely bottle. It's always a good night when Lynch Bages is involved, and tonight was no exception.
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2/7/2016 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding. Black fruits, cassis, graphite, mocha, the real mcoy. See previous notes.
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2/6/2016 - Ron Slye wrote: 94 Points
Decanted about 3-4 hours before tasting. What a lovely wine. It seems ridiculous to say this but I think this needs more time in the bottle. The color is bright and lively and dense, with only slight bricking. Nice complex nose of roasted root vegetables, leather, red fruits, and other lovely aromas. The palate is smooth, rich and complex – rounded red fruits (currants), plums, leather, pencil lead. The finish is pretty long, though there is a very slight tartness or bitterness. Still some strong tannins, suggesting this will last for the long haul. This just tastes young and even a bit closed to me. Notwithstanding, we finished the bottle in one night….. 94+
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. Very intense nose with a slight kerosene note although not too distracting. More structure and tannins than the 90 but not as expressive.
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1/27/2016 - andyf Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wine of the evening an on the same level as the 1989 Montrose. Both a dream and perfect to drink now.
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1/18/2016 - mobley Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted and pour back into the rinsed bottle two hours before re-opening. Improved and opened up over the next two hours. Classic Lynch Bages “dust”, bright red fruit and savory spice. Hard to believe this was almost 27 years’ old, tasted very young and fresh – simply stunning.
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1/17/2016 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston, IL): Medium ruby with some browning on the edge. Sneaky nose doesn't have the full out power of others on the table tonight but has great depth and complexity with red fruit, tobacco leaf, cigar box and bell pepper. Wow, wow, wow in the mouth with incredibly youthful and bright fruit that has a polish and vibrance that defies it's 25+ years of age. Delicious and with upside.
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1/17/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): Great combination of black plum, liqueur, cigarbox and espresso. A powerhouse that has really come around after years of being backward and firm, but now balanced and super elegant. Really great, with plenty of life going forward.
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1/13/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ripe fruit, light savory spice. This bottle came off as quite young. Some white pepper on the nose with hints of dry herbs and earth but the secondary characteristics had not yet fully developed in this bottle. Smooth mouthfeel with just a slight grippiness at the end. Long finish. I clearly prefer this to the 90 at this point. 1 hour decant and consumed over two hours. Upside potential for this over at least 5-10 years
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1/10/2016 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
confident wine. some tea leaves, some cedar, clearly left bank. I thought of Cos d'Estournel.
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1/7/2016 - vintage52 wrote: 97 Points
Super Pauillac nose, earthy, black fruit, cedar; great grip, super length ++; tasted with 89 Haut-Brion and 89 Cos; the clear winner. At its peak-it's decline will be long and gentle. Sadly, only one bottle left.
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1/6/2016 - mnh Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beauty. Might hang in there for awhile.
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12/20/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
Decanted for three hours. What shall I say, 4th time in the last 9 months, again great. Typical Paulliac nose, black currant, cedar, pencil, still very young, the fruity side is dominating, really fresh, ripe tannins giving a great structure and backbone. very long finish. I'm sure in a few years it will reach the top points, 98-99 this time. For me the best bordeaux value in this class
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12/12/2015 - ken-yyz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another fantastic bottle. Bordeaux from sniff to sip and still has a strong but softening tannic structure. Lots of life ahead.
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12/8/2015 - 1972 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed 2h decanter minimum to enrich the deep nose and the "tired" flavour.
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11/28/2015 - nm10 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Birthday dinner. 2 1/2 hr decant. Creme de cassis on the nose. Classic Pauilliac on the palate, creme de cassis, cedar, oak. 60 second finish.
I thought just a snick below the '89 Montrose, which I gave a 97. But others thought the opposite.
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11/27/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 95 Points
Super supple, rich and complex. Long on the palate. Prime drinking window now for a few years.
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11/27/2015 - jswine15 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great example of a mature Lynch Bages with strong fruit and yet a solid backbone of tannins and acidity. It is no where near mature yet...could continue to get better for another decade or more
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11/22/2015 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple color, big nose of cedar and dark fruit. The tannins are totally smooth but the wine still tastes young with excellent fruit and a long smokey aftertaste.
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11/15/2015 - the player Likes this wine: 98 Points
Stunning wine, flirting with perfection, everything a mature Pauillac should evoke. Youthful color, nose of leather, cassis, blackberries, currants, pepper, graphite, full bodied, coats the palate with a mosaic of fruit, multiple layers of complexity yet very precise delineation, excellent backbone and acidity signaling a long life ahead for this amazing vintage and a long complex finish with a lift and a note of cocoa. Flabbergasting!
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11/14/2015 - DarinC wrote: 92 Points
Solid, but a couple notches down in complexity from a bottle I opened from the same lot 3 years ago. Chalk it up to bottle variation.
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11/12/2015 - rsbeck wrote: 97 Points
Similar to previous notes. Continues to develop and impress. I believe it still has more to give with further aging.
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10/26/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
8 Great Bordeaux
1.Flight Latour 1990 MG vs Lynch Bages 1989 MG
2 Flight La Mission Haut Brion 1989 vs Haut Brion 1989
3.Flight Mouton 1982 vs Latour 1982 MG
4 Flight Mouton 1986 vs Lafite 1986
opened 24hours, tastes younger than Latour 1990, again a giant as 6 months before, powerful tannin structure, typical pencil tip from Pauillac, licorice, underwood, pure cassis, espresso powder, minimal tertiary notes, this is a bargain compared to all other bottles, 99+, at least 30 years ahead from MG
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10/18/2015 - Asger Likes this wine: 98 Points
Complex nose With cedar, cigar box and richness. Balanced and so smooth In the mouth, almost cheewy. Very long finish that goes on and on. Lovely
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10/16/2015 - the player Likes this wine: 98 Points
Truly outstanding mature left bank. See previous notes. Needs at least two hours aeration.
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10/11/2015 - t-sama Likes this wine: 96 Points
Absolutely amazing. We let it breath for 7.5 hours. Powerful and expressive wine - everything you could ask for in a Pauillac. Even let junior have a small glass to help him understand why we have a cellar and what great wine tastes like. It's still really youthful. We'll probably wait another five years to pop the next cork.
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10/10/2015 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and opened up nicely after 30+ minutes. Complex nose and palate. Good fruit still, but also some tertiary characteristics. I'd say this is at peak or at least on peak drinking plateau, but with at least several more years f enjoyment left.
A real treat. At Bernard's Inn, sadly their last bottle.
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9/17/2015 - mamagnuson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Complex and delightful. A really marvelous wine. I wish I had more.
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9/10/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red with only lighter rim but no bricking. Nose of lead pencil, cedar, autumn leaves, mushroom, good structure. Surprisingly smooth on palate, mildly sweet black currant, light bitterness from tannin but not harsh by any standard, dark berries, perfect acidity which is hidden deep behind. Lynch Bages seldom disappoints.
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8/13/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Another kickass aged BDX tonight. Loved it!
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8/13/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
The Godfather Turns Sixty: Go Big or Go Home - Rousseau, Margaux, Lynch, a Trio '02 Champagnes and More! (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for about 7.5hrs, drank a 70ml pour over 90 minutes. I won't try to sugar coat this....this is one great wine. I could not stop sniffing the glorious perfume of fruit that wafts forth from the glass. What incredible purity to the fruit on the nose, a high toned mix of black and blue fruits, amazing blueberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, and creme de cassis along with graphite, and sweet tannins. The palate almost makes you want to cry, the purity is again impressive, so pretty, silky doesn't do it justice, seamless and balanced, sexy. My WOTN by a hair over the '85 Margaux and '01 Rousseau Clos de Beze.
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8/6/2015 - DrinkBordeaux Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lived up to its reputation, in a big way. Followed its evolution over 5 hours, and it honestly just kept getting better. Very young in color and a very clean nose, with no initial funk. An amazing nose of cassis, leather, mint, exotic spiciness, and anise. Lots of fruit here. Very smooth on the palate, with well-balanced tannins. Acidity is also in perfect balance. The finish is memorable, and just kept lingering. The nose and finish propel this wine to 'special' status. This wine should drink well for several decades.
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8/4/2015 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
Showing beautifully. Deep ruby colour, with hints of bricking. Gorgeous. Beautiful rendition of great Pauillac from a terrific year. Cedar, black fruits, cigar box, lead pencil, spice aromas; impeccable balance on the palate. Drinking now.
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6/27/2015 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 94 Points
Allemand, Jamet, Burgs, Barolo, Yquem, and more: Licorice, leather, black currant, still lots of life but it is aging slowly. Fantastic.
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5/27/2015 - nikos wrote:
Mike and Mel in town. Again color defies it's age. Mike and I used to drink a ton of Bordeaux and we were very impressed with how youthful the wine was. Cassis and a mix of red fruit with a touch of earth. Really needed something fatty to eat. Give a few more years. Purchased from HDH.
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5/14/2015 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Nose shows super-reduced, stewed fruit: blackberry, blueberry, rhubarb, beetroot, and sweaty saddle. Beautiful structure: hard and spiky on the entry, yet softening in the mouth. Hairy tannin over strong acidity, with flavours of graphite, saddle leather, blackberry, star anise, smoky oak, and lemon peel. Intensely tannic, yet super-open and drinkable.
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5/14/2015 - t-slow Likes this wine: 98 Points
We drank this yesterday evening along side a Chateau Margaux 82. Crimson red in colour showing its youthfulness despite being 26 years old. On the nose a blend of dried red and black fruits, hints of wood. Lovely on the palate, well balanced. Very good length. A complete wine.
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5/2/2015 - petrus_1945 Likes this wine: 98 Points
From a double magnum. Decanted 2-3 hours. Stunning. Incredible.
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4/25/2015 - the player Likes this wine: 100 Points
I'm going to go out on a lim here and score this wine a perfect 100! Surprised nobody else has. Decanted and drank over two hours. Cork in perfect state, fully soaked and fragrant after a week. Open from the outset but kept getting better and more complex as the evening wore off. Crimson color, hardly any signs of aging, this is better than most of the 89s I've had to date. Open nose of mature black and red berries, hints of licorice and spices that I have found on some left bank 89 bordeaux, graphite and forest floor. On the palate, amazingly velvety but powerful entry, rich on the mid palate with the perfect intermingling of balance, complexity and weight one expects from a top class mature wine, very long mocha tinged finish but this wine still has a long life ahead although from this bottle I believe it has reached its maturity. Simply flabbergasting wine from one of my favorite all time vintages.
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4/18/2015 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very deep, dark red. Touch of an earthy note. Decanted 4-5 hours. I will decant the next bottle a little longer. A real crowd pleaser at a dinner party.
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4/18/2015 - dbg wrote:
Purchased off the list of our favorite secret seaside joint. They've raised the price but still a relative bargain for $265 on a restaurant list. This was purchased on release and stored in a temp controlled cellar since. Fill still into the neck. Cork wet about 1/2 way up.
Pop 'n pour. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim, no bricking. Effusive nose of cassis, tar, fresh earth and cigar box immediately erupt from the glass. Full body, lush, dense and concentrated with ripe fruit mixed with great complexity, beautiful balance and lingering long finish. Still has many years ahead. Outstanding-extraordinary.
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3/30/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
This did not have the power of the bottle I had 2 years ago....still lovely, with ripe plum, tart berry, spice, smoke and forest floor.
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3/28/2015 - spendergast Likes this wine: 98 Points
An outstanding bordeaux with layer of dense fruit, soft integrated tannins and a very long finish (60+ seconds). Paired beautifully with bone-in ribeye steaks on the grille. This wine is approaching maturity yet is still youthful in some ways. I'm in no rush to drink the remaining 11 bottles.
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3/26/2015 - lews wrote:
Time to drink this vintage!
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3/22/2015 - woofy Likes this wine: 94 Points
We loved this wine, so much, that we squeezed it over two meals. A lunch of lamb stew, just perfect, and a dinner of poached salmon with fresh spinach and tomato salad. It went great with both. On opening it needed time to breath, but within five to ten minutes, overtones of pencil dissipated to lovely fruit. An amazing wine after 26 years.
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3/15/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
double decanted for 4 hours from a perfect cellared bottle, you could do it for 10 hours or more, I fall in love with this wine, "won" against Numanthia 2004 and La Nieta 2004 (I know you can't compare them)
but this wine was amazing, unbelievable fresh black currant in the nose, that let you think it is a 2010 wine, licorice in a decent way, some pencil, graphite, tar, ripe tannins with strong skeleton, brutal long finish, aging potential 30 years plus, will buy again a bottle , next time maybe 100, Danke Thomas
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2/14/2015 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bigger than most bordeaux - maybe gets more complex in ten years
Worth it now tho
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1/11/2015 - CabIsKing wrote: 98 Points
Fabulous nose full of cassis, tobacco, cedar, earth and hint of violets. On the palate the tannins are still firm but exceptional with a long finish. If this was tasted blind I would have never guessed this was 26 years old. Excellent juice. Can't wait to open another.
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1/9/2015 - aChave wrote: 93 Points
Older Bordeaux Tasting (Dan's Place): Deep, dark ruby with firm color throughout. Somewhat restrained but deep fruit with ample tannins and acidity for further aging. Needs air at this point; opens with 30+ minutes in the glass (bottle was double decanted). Very fine. Suggest 3-5+ more years at least.
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12/19/2014 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
End of year Friday lunch with Joe and Fern at Htons. unfortunately I had no time to decant this in advance as I was running late. first sip was at cave's temp. 55 F. As expected nose and the first taste was quite closed; it took around two hrs to start opening up and I think it needed more. Great stuff no rush, there are fine unresolved tannins and plenty of fruit to go for another decade.
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12/14/2014 - jbean007 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep purple with no rust on the rim. sweet and full of dark berries yet also soft tannins. if anything this only lacks a touch of acid. drinking beautifully with a ways to go - 2025?
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12/2/2014 - ucbeau wrote: 94 Points
Opened a few hours prior to serving. Poured a deep, dark red with some aging at the rim. Beautiful nose of saddle leather, garrigue, subtle oak spice, and fruit leather. Amazing aromas wafted out of the glass. With air, some dark soil and licorice also emerged. On the palate it's rich and mouth-coating while still retaining perfectly integrated tannins. Similar notes to the bouquet come out, with a gorgeous black cherry and mocha thing at center stage. Good minerality and hints of blackberry, fennel, and hoisin also come in to play especially on the finish. A marvelous wine that seems to be in a wonderful place right now.
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12/1/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
KenK's BDay (Wildfire Chicago il): Pop and pour out of magnum. Stiff, needs time, developed and opened slowly. Good mouthful. Lots of potential.
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11/29/2014 - ledwards wrote: 96 Points
Drinking beautfully right now. Superb.
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11/25/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 98 Points
Fantastic wine ! Tasted alongside the '90 and this was the better wine. It has more structure an depth vs the '90. Very interesting complex and long.
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11/12/2014 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Explosive nose of cassis, crushed blackberries, ink, licorice, strong lead pencil and bell pepper, exotic dark spices and earth. Exceptional concentration, intense dark fruit and sweet dark spice driven palate impression, dense chewy yet silky palate, nicely integrated tannins and intense long dark fruit driven finish. Extremely youthful but overabundant intense dark sweet fruit makes this wine very enjoyable. As Bob like to say this is a tour de force. Although extremely enjoyable and incredibly impressive, the overall expression is not terribly complex hence my rating of only 96 pts.
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11/2/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rosemary, vanilla and cedar. Tart cherry, earthy, dusty. Past its prime IMO, but still a nice wine. Did enjoy, should have drank 5 years ago for my tastes.
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9/16/2014 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Much like 4 years ago (Papies Rated 94) this wine really took its time to open up and develop. A good 3 hours from decanting till it became the wine we hoped this would be. Still feels tight though and dare we say young.
Post the opening up, it had a solid core of dark fruits, light herby, light leather. Mostly primary thans econdary. On the palate the tannins were still firm, and aggressive at times by t becoame more and more round and the wine gained an elegance only classic bdx can deliver. A gem albeit still a very young one. 94-95 and no need to rush here.
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9/7/2014 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Brilliant! The wine was in pristine condition. Perfect cork and ullage. Dark, with hints of garnet--looking quite youthful. Allowed the wine to slow-ox for several hours, and then decanted an hour before drinking. A brilliant example of Pauillac. Cedar, cigar box, lead pencil, black fruits. Rich, sweet fruit, balanced with soft tannins and lovely acidity. The wine took on weight in the glass, and got better and better with time. Drink now or hold for easily 10 more years.
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8/25/2014 - thomaskeil wrote:
Decanted a couple of hours. This was the first 'off' bottle I've encountered. Not corked, but not expressive on nose. The palate, while balanced, lacked all charm and complexity.
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7/12/2014 - MikeZ Likes this wine:
Absolutely incredible wine. The nose bursts out of the glass. Opulent finish. Easily edges out the 1990.
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6/30/2014 - Paul D wrote:
Bordeaux Wimps (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet, minimal rim. Brooding, slightly beefy nose, quite youthful still, powerful with firm but fine tannins, quite generously layered, gravelly minerals, very long finish. Excellent. ****1/2.
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6/6/2014 - Ellenkf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tannins still rippin' fruit still singing. Dark ink. Fruit flavor profile leans toward sweet cranberry, cassis, black currrant, some prune. Little bit of tar.
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5/9/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Big, concentrated, light in its feet, with layers of vibrant, lively, cassis, and blackberries, the tobacco, cigar box, cedar and forest floor add to the wines complexity. Great texture, length and character, this is stunning and should continue to get better and better for at least another decade or two.
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4/23/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
same as the 90. quality depends on the bottle. still a great wine
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4/22/2014 - BradE wrote:
Drank the 89 and 90 Lynch Bages side by side. They both were very good, and for a while it was hard to pick a preference. But in the end, the 89 was the unanimous pick.
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4/10/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
1989 Dinner (Ad Hoc): Drank over 3 hours. This did not impress me as much as the bottle we had last year. The dark and red fruit on the palate seemed a bit muddled and the finish was short. Nice, but not as balanced or concentrated as prior examples.
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3/29/2014 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Opened after flawed bottle of same wine. This was fine with wine only at base of cork. Good, classic bordeaux, high on "complexity," less so on fruit. If fruit continues to fade, this many not have much life left.
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3/29/2014 - levinml wrote: flawed
Flawed. Wine had penetrated cork. Vinegar.
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3/28/2014 - Redteeth wrote:
Drank this bottle at a small tasting. I had owned this bottle since initial release and it had been reasonably well stored (not a refrigerated environment). The bottle was properly decanted and then allowed to sit. The aroma was good but tight initially. The color was still dark. The wine had good fruit and structure and was in good shape for its age. We were also tasting some older California Cabernet Sauvignons and it was very clear that this wine was French Bordeaux in comparison.
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3/28/2014 - dbg wrote:
This was presented blind alongside 1989 Vieux Chateau Certan in an attempt to recreate a tasting a few years ago in which one of our group who insists that the '89 Lynch is the best Bdx since 1961 embarrassingly picked a VCC over it. Tasters knew only that they were both Bdx from the '80s.
Purchased on release and kept in temp controlled storage since. Perfect fill into neck, perfect cork. Dark red core with minimal lightening, much darker than the VCC. Fairly closed nose at first but eventually opens (wine was opened 2 hours before tasting and a few ounces poured off, but not decanted). Full body, nice balance, but still young and not showing great complexity yet.
This wine was bested by the 1989 VCC, which received 8/12 votes. Our Lynch fan voted for the Lynch and guessed it to be the '88.
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3/12/2014 - J0R0 wrote: 95 Points
Wine of the night at IFWS dinner.
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2/17/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good showing for this bottle. Youthful, black currants, plum, coffee and red cherry. This will live on for a while.
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2/14/2014 - Redteeth wrote:
Drank this side by side with a 1989 Clerc Milon. Neither bottle was decanted but both were given plenty of time to evolve. Both wines were quite good, but decidedly different. The Clerc Milon had amazing fruit aroma right from the moment the cork was pulled. It exhibited a lot of balance between fruit and structure. The Lynch Bages exhibited a more mature fruit profile along with mushrooms, forest floor and tannins. overall the Clerc milon was the most enjoyable. Its depth of fruit was remarkable for its age.
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2/2/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Super Bowl 2014 (Roswell, GA): Very dark red with some clarity and a crimson rim; cigar, incense, raw meat, rotting vegetables, so complex, caramel, iron; lusher on palate, sexy, red fruit, still tannin on finish, seemingly Burgundian; good structure but probably drinking in its prime which it should continue for a while; have noticed some bottle variation, this is probably the 2nd best example though all the bottles have had very different qualities.
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1/22/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
Still classic. Drank young. Wine dinner.
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1/12/2014 - pkatz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Youthful. Decanted only a short time. Lots of Lynch-Bages tar and funkiness, but terrific.
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1/11/2014 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good color still, ready to drink. Definitely no longer youthful. I wish I had drunk this wine earlier when it just would blow me away. Had with rack of lamb. Again some leather was evident. It was very nice
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12/31/2013 - BernieMSY wrote: 98 Points
WOW!! Massive, deep, and brooding. No hard edges, and depths of flavor. Plenty of tannins remain, indicating, as others have observed, that it has years of life ahead of it.
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12/19/2013 - nortonnose wrote:
I refuse to rate this numerically, if only out of complete respect. Huge LB fan. This wine - quite obviously one of the very best LB vintages - is still an infant. This bottle has been stored since release by a devoted owner, and it was decanted for most of the day leading up to the evening tasting. Seemingly black in color, just a monster, and still absolutely nowhere near ready to show its very best stuff. Be patient and wait at least another decade before starting to pop 89 LB corks. This includes you, Nortonnose - WAIT!
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12/7/2013 - bcd wrote: 95 Points
Fantastico!
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12/6/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm this was okay, no better.
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12/5/2013 - johanalex wrote: 97 Points
Tremendous nose, all the classics! Wonderful powerful initial taste soft tannins that bites on the midpalate and quickly hand over to rhum raisins and long fine aftertaste of cedar wood. Impeccable. Best bordeaux ever! (For me) 97 p. Aftertaste could be larger but i am not sure that i would have appreciated that.
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11/26/2013 - redders Likes this wine: 94 Points
still very deep. Nose fine woven tannins cedar and balck fruits. Fine balance. Precise and powerful on palate with great minerality and compexity. Great drive and finish. Still very young but drinking.
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11/23/2013 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
From 375. I'm not sure this was a correct bottle, despite a fill into the neck, spinning capsule, and clean cork. The fruit had a roasted or stewed flavor to it that I usually associate with excessive exposure to oxygen. Interestingly, when paired with salty dishes this character stopped being a distraction and this became a pleasant, cedar-heavy Bordeaux--but after a big glass of water it always came back. This is the second time '89 Lynch has failed to wow me, however, so I don't think I'll go back for a third helping.
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11/20/2013 - rsbeck wrote: 96 Points
Popped, decanted 45 minutes, consumed over next 90 minutes. Wonderful aromatics, I could smell it from 6 feet away. Started out nicely and just kept improving. Just beginning to reveal some tertiary development. Just a really complete, complex, satisfying Pauillac that feels like it still has more nuance to reveal with further aging. Fabulous with grilled lamb.
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11/19/2013 - pwillen1 wrote:
Aged Bordeaux (Restaurant St. Jack): A little brett on the nose, that then turned to lots of brett. Where sometimes brett can add character, I just felt it distracting here, covering up the desirable aromas. Initially some slightly overly ripe red berries, but then this shut down hard with tight gripping tannins. Hold for sure.
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11/19/2013 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
Older Bordeaux at St. Jack: Quite bretty on the nose... just filthy. None of this really comes through on the palate, though, which shows pleasant balance of tar, plenty of tannins, but still a textural softness that's pleasant. Overall though it is acting a bit tight, and as it sat in the glass it just began getting tighter and tighter. With food it strangely seemed to close down. On the finish, there was initially an eruption of fantastic blueberries, tannins, and sweet gravel and spice. My first sip of this was the best, and then it just continued to close down and decline in enjoyment.
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11/19/2013 - gripNsip Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine was a moving target while it was open. It showed nicely for about 30 minutes before it shut down hard. The nose initially showed light brett, bright cherries, graphite, sun-dried tomato and herbs. The palate shows good balance and intensity with red and dark fruits, mineral, cedar and graphite. I thought this seemed a bit young but most at the table thought this wine was ready to go. To be honest this bottle was a bit underwhelming, at least from reading CT notes I thought this would be wonderful since I know the provenance on this bottle to be good. Oh well, you can't win them all.
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11/2/2013 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was a wonderful bottle of wine that is really coming into its' own right now. Great fruit and very soft tannins. I had this at the Commanderie de Bordeaux's Fall Parlement at the Four Seasons and this was my favorite wine of the 2nd Flight ('89 Leoville Las Cases was 2nd favorite and '89 Pichon Lalande from an Imperial Bottle was a distant third). I will certainly seek out more of this wine for down the road!
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10/29/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Same as last year. Wonderful wine. Serious power and grip. This still needs time. A real treat.
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9/6/2013 - MWiking Likes this wine: 99 Points
brilliant!
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9/5/2013 - Ramberg wrote: 97 Points
Wow!
What a wine this is.
Simply lovely.
Cabernet Franc nose, with dry herbs ,grass and gravel and dry cigarbox, leather and the finest tobacco.
Dry medium tannins for that perfect structure and balance, with quite fat cassis fruit and earthiness, balanced with acidity and a little streak of pepper on the long and complex finish.
Stunning Bordeaux that really sings now.
Great stuff, and my wine of the night!
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9/5/2013 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Hart Davis Hart BYOB Dinner (Hinterland Gastropub, Milwaukee, WI): Classic leathery, earthy Lynch Bages nose. Lots of sweet fruit and earth on the palate. A generally beautiful bottle, with a slight green streak that detracted.
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8/31/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent ruby color with just the slightest fading on the rim. Incredible nose of blackberry fruit and graphite minerals along with notes of tobacco and roasted nuts. Classic claret with a real steal-like cut but with plenty of richness. The flavor is distinctly influenced by the graphite minerals along with dried black and red fruits and the finish is firm with lovely complex notes of Asian spices, mint and more minerals. A perfect bottle of this wine which is still young but just starting to show its secondary nuances. I'm a huge fan of Lynch Bages and to me this is the best vintage ever for them. 96+
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8/24/2013 - treaganjr Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very complete wine. Many fine flavors embedded in the taste; none of which were shouting for attention.
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8/5/2013 - Radboy wrote: 89 Points
With great anticipation we opened this wine with venison stroganoff. Sadly, it wasn't up to the challenge. It had an interesting nose of white pepper and lite chocolate, but the mid-palate was slim and there just wasn't much left of the finish. Deinitely missing complexity unlike so many other bottles of Lynch we have enjoyed. I will drink my last bottle shortly. Older is not better in this case.
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8/4/2013 - HamishR wrote: 92 Points
Lovely, balanced and maturing. Some cassis, cedar good length.
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8/1/2013 - la turque wrote: 99 Points
A brilliant example of great Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows little age, but the complexity and balance are there. This wine will go for another 10 years. A brilliant wine. Bravo!
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7/26/2013 - jcgarcia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Felt like it was fading.
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7/19/2013 - sandwich Does not like this wine: 85 Points
So disappointing. Tasted as part of a mini-vertical with the 90 Lynch Bages. Nothing flawed about the bottle but the nose misleads one to thinking that the wine will show well. Unfortunately there is nothing there. It was thin and faded. Equally dissapointing that the 90 didn't show well either.
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5/6/2013 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Cork 95% soaked but no leakage at top. Mature deep garnet core, medium pale garnet rim with a mahognay tint. Nose shows meaty blackcurrant fruit, some cedar and gravel - brooding and powerful. Palate is medium/full bodied with rich, meaty, leathery black fruits, cedar, intense and rich but with good balancing acidity. The tannins are fine but still perciptible under the generously layered fruit and the wine has a long finish. Excellent, drinking well.
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5/1/2013 - cab blends Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Hearts Delight Collectors Dinner: I am not sure if this was just a bad bottle or if they are all currently in this state. Definite prune in the nose and on the palate. Seems to have softened too quickly and is thinning too quickly?
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4/26/2013 - BradE wrote:
A trio of 90 Latour, 82 Haut Brion, and 89 Lynch Bages. All were great, but the 90 Latour was head and shoulders above the others in this flight. The Latour had depth, and focus, and is likely still on its upside trajectory. The 89 Lynch was very good, and is a wine I love, but it couldn't match up. This bottle of 82 Haut Brion was good, but I've had much better bottles over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, I do think 82 first growths are past their prime (even the HB) and encourage drinking them sooner rather than later.
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4/20/2013 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
After 4 hours in the decanter, this was showing great balance, fruit, tannin and acidity. Drank with 1990 La Mouline, 1994 Dunn Howell Mountain and 1991 Dominus.
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4/19/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting (Zurich): Deep red. Nose of leather, smoke and espresso with lots of berries and plums. Nice sweetness in the finish. All elegant but the only negative I felt is that the wine was a bit rustic. I feel here the potential for 1-2 additional points in 5 years of time. Wonderful Lynch Bages at par with the Premier Crus from the Medoc. Drink to 2030.
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4/12/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at the White House (Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): Decanted for several hours. Dense, ruby-red colour that is just lightening at the edges. Nose is classic Pauillac cedar and cassis with a fantastic vanilla-driven oak tone at the back. Palate is immediately rounded, very rich cassis fruit, low acidity then a huge wave of resonance and reverberence on the back end. The previous bottle drank from the same case eight months ago had an unexpected Pomerol-like softness to it but this particular bottle was more the Californian end of Bordeaux (that rich fruit)......wonderful, but a bit lacking in complexity for me....a supercar that doesn't have that much roadfeel through the steering wheel. Actually, a glass kept for the end of the evening showed that there is a lot more tannic structure here than was apparent earlier, which bodes well for improving in its next decade. For me, it was significantly outclassed by the Grange 1993 that followed.
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4/7/2013 - Jack wrote: 97 Points
94 Mondavi (97), 89 Lynch Bages (97), 07 O'Shaunessy (94), 04 Bressler (93). All were great. Bressler probably needed a little more time to open up. Mondavi and Lynch stole the show by far.
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3/20/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
I had this wine three years ago from a double Magnum and it was amazing. Very aromatic with black fruits, soft tannins and earthy Pauillac notes, 98 Pts. Yesterday's bottle opened during a tasting session was unfortunately oxidized.
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3/16/2013 - rocketview Likes this wine: 99 Points
Terrific, classic Pauillac. Nose of cedar and graphite mixed with exotic spices. Still very firm tannins, but beginning to be approachable, much like a young California Cab, just a 23 year-old youngster. Sophisticated complexity on the palate. While the tannis are big, the wine is not monolithic, it offers a sublime subtlety and long finish with overtones of red fruit and cassis to blend with the leathery lead pencil. Softer than the 86s and simply a great wine, maybe as some have suggested, best ever for Lynch.
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2/28/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 97 Points
Aroma of creme de cassis, smoke and leather. Very full flavors, currant and blackberry with graphite and minerality. This was awesome.
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2/25/2013 - yvesbaeten wrote: 95 Points
Très beau vin avec des touches de café ,fruit confit,un petit goût de porto,longue bouche
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2/23/2013 - raybklyn wrote: 95 Points
This is the Paulliac I was hoping for. I bought 14 more from this evening. Opened and decanted for three hours and it continued to improve.
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2/17/2013 - LWI wrote: 95 Points
Sunday Night Wines: Dark as a night, almost that is. At first (it was quite cold and popped and poured), almost shy, linear and elegant. After almost 1 hour it changed and became a much more powerful and complex wine. Again after 2-3 hours it changed once more; gained even more weight. Very clean fruit, long and balanced (not at all over extracted or over the top), structured, wonderful finish. WOTN
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2/16/2013 - ELH wrote: 96 Points
Elegant black fruit. Velvet in the mouth. Wonderful balance and structure. Glass decanted.
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2/16/2013 - J-Doh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wines like this make purchasing futures (with self control!) look good. Opened it because the ullage was low. The cork was soaked, but the wine was ... really fine. Classic Pauillac, still youthful, with black fruits/funk/and forest - floral on the finish. Easy match with grilled lamb.
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12/25/2012 - VoVo Likes this wine: 98 Points
The most extraordinary wine we have ever drunk. We have a 1990 and are excited for just the right day to drink it. Drink with love and care! This wine has aged beautifully.
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12/20/2012 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Leo Turns 60! (It's Greek To Me): This showed as extremely youthful. The nose was reserved/stern with dark fruit and a hint of VA. The taste was excellent, but compact and tannic. Flavors lingered nicely on the finish. Based on this bottle I'd say these need another 5-10 years (which I find surprising).
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12/7/2012 - PeterH Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just as it should be. Balanced and delicious
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11/27/2012 - mcdon35 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big and full bodied. Very long smooth finish. Yummy!
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11/25/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drunk at Smith and Wollenski, a steakhouse at Chicago. Two words - Balance and velvety.
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11/23/2012 - MLipton wrote:
Still very young and primary, it had a big whack of cedar and pencil lead in the nose. Not a lot of Bordeaux character in it yet, so perhaps it needs another decade or so to come into its own.
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11/10/2012 - MRichman wrote:
Strong, powerful, muscular wine. Lots of iron, mineral, leather with a hint of light flowers. This bottle seems very young and less developed than past bottles I've had. Hard to believe it's 23 years old. Black, deep, smokey core with fine herbal tannins. This bottle was all about power. And an amazing power it is.
A-
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10/31/2012 - staglin wrote: 90 Points
Briary flavor, nice nose. Similiar experience to last taster, somewhat flat. One taster thought it might be reduced/corked but most didn't agree.
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10/28/2012 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
bit of a disappointment..Classic pauillac, cedar and black fruits and a bit of anise but closed up. Decanted, proper glasses but it just didn't come alive
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10/6/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 97 Points
All Five First Growths Tasting (Kevin's (Minneapolis)): Wow wine! Darkest wine of the night. Fragrant wine with tar, forest floor, charcoal, woode and a rustic edge. Long finish and concentrated. No flaws here and still young. 30 plus years left on this wine.
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10/6/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Big Bordeaux IV: All 5 First Growths (including '96 Margaux, '95 Mouton and Latour, plus '89 Lynch Bages and more) (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple color. Decanted for 6 hrs, drank 1 glass over 2+hrs. This was another stunning wine with a truly complex and powerful nose and palate. A formidable wine to match against the '96 Margaux, falling just sort of matching it. The Lynch is more powerful than the Margaux, not quite showing that elegant side as much. The nose has violets, funk, creme de cassis, mulberry, spices, cedarbox. The palate is inky and dense, chewy, sweet black fruits of cassis and mulberry, richly layered fruit, graphite, oak and spice on a very long penetrating finish. The tannins are round and well integrated. Incredibly young for 23yrs old. This has a very long life ahead of it. My and group #2 WOTN with 7.5 of 10 2nd place votes.
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9/26/2012 - phansen wrote: 89 Points
Disapointing bottle - Nice nose, taste, but a bit sour taste in the end.
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9/23/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Huge nose of red and dark fruit with some coffee, leather and some mint. Huge in the mouth. This is too young. Leather, tobacco, dark fruit, mocha and a some green pepper. Lots of tannin, but they match the fruit. The finish is huge and not yet refined. Try again in a few years, this need more time but it will be worth it.
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9/18/2012 - SimonG wrote: 87 Points
Rupert's 89 'Super Seconds' Offline (The Medlar, London): Single blind. Darker and slightly denser. A little denser, riper and possibly a little stewed on the nose. ?A slightly off LLC? No, Bages. Develops to a slightly flabby and dry, silty disjointed wine. Some interest though. ***
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9/16/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully mature but with years to go.
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9/15/2012 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
At sendoff, no notes. Classic pauillac, cedar and black fruits.
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9/15/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 96 Points
The Big Sendoff; 9/15/2012-9/16/2012 (The Home of Dave L): Just fantastic poise and polish. Expressive nose of coffee, flint, mint, leather and currants. Fantastic freshness on the palate with a dark fruit profile, but still fresh and young, even with a touch of blue fruit, mixed in with leather, cedar and spice. Long finish with some dry tannins still present, adding cedar spice, earth, mineral, coffee and currants. Great polish, poise and balance. Among a short list of the best bdx I’ve ever had. This will drink exceptionally well for the next decade. Followed over several hours without fading.
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8/26/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 94 Points
Sunday Evening Barbeque (Friends' Rooftop, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): Three bottles decanted a couple of hours before serving. Still a deep ruby-red translucent colour.....it looks more like a 1999 than ten years older. So silky smooth.....almost remniscent of a Pomerol than of a Pauillac. Very complete and totally more-ish.
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8/19/2012 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous expression of Pauillac. Cassis, minerals and some licorice. Still youthful but finally entering its drinking window. Still a long life ahead.
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8/9/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 97 Points
Drank next to an 85 Margaux. The Lynch Bages was more youthful and fruit forward. Rich ruby color.
Decanted for 90 minutes and dran over two hours, kept getting better as we drank it
Nose had graphite, dark fruits, floral notes. Dark fruits on the front of the palate, 30 second finish. Very impressive wine, still has a long life ahead of it
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8/5/2012 - ricknat1 wrote: 92 Points
Graphite, lead pencil, smoked meats, completely integrated, easily topped the 1990 again. Was terrific with Julias veal,wild rice, shitake and truffle
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7/29/2012 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 93 Points
Maybe I'm a victim of palate fatigue after a tasting trip around Dundee, but I was a little disappointed in this wine. Beautiful balance and the aromatics were exotic, but it took a long time to develop and even then didn't blow my socks off.
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6/16/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Bottled recently purchased from Chambers Street Wines in NYC and it is in perfect condition. Dark ruby murky color. Gorgeous nose of graphite, ripe black fruits, cloves and grilled nuts. Kept improving after a 3-hour decant - then classic Pauillac flavors of graphite and earthy black fruits with minerals and all-spice. The wine just flows over the tongue like liquid graphite with wonderful complex notes of grilled nuts, spice and minerals. Holy sheet this is getting really good at age 23.
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6/8/2012 - Blair Curtis wrote: 90 Points
Bit od sulphur on the nose, smoked meat, mustard seed, this is a rounder plusher L-B, but the tannin makes itself known on the finish. A black-fruited wine that is longer and broader than the 1988 L-B. As the wine sits in the glass, a powerful note of beef stock emerges.
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6/7/2012 - tooch wrote: 95 Points
Acker BYO - Chicago (Sepia - Chicago, IL): A serious Pauillac from beginning to end. Great graphite, earth, mineral, dark fruit and cedar on the nose. Its palate was remarkable dense and elegant featuring great dark fruit, tobacco, roasted herbs, and cedar. Could have drank this all night...just great great stuff.
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5/28/2012 - godx wrote: 92 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988, 1989, 1990 Red Bordeaux (CinCin Restaurant): Medium red, some bricking. This was singing on the nose when I opened it at home but by the time we got to it (hour or so later) it seems less expressive (maybe because it’s now sitting beside the extremely expressive ’90). At any rate, nose offers notes of cedar, pencil lead, darker fruits and some Bordeaux funk. These characters carry onto the palate but the flavours are much more intense than the aromas are on the nose. There is a lot of structure here (most structured of the LB trio) with great acidity and solid tannins. This is full and round in the mouth and very well balanced. Dark, almost black fruits linger on the finish. This is still quite youthful and I’ll hold my remaining bottle for a least 5 years. Excellent. 92+
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5/19/2012 - theRealPepe wrote:
Outstanding Bordeaux Night: White, Red and Golden (Home in El Cerrito): Totally wonderful wine. Still youthful but with the splendors of age. So there you go. Outstanding.
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5/14/2012 - Revenga wrote: 90 Points
Zachys Wine Dinner. Nose of concentrated cherry compote with hints of bacon. Lactose-baked cherry with strong black plum palate. Quite tannic. Keep.
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5/13/2012 - ifrflyer wrote: 92 Points
Cork was nice and firm with no tainting. I poured it directly into the glass without any decanting. I have learned that the older the wine the less you want to decant it unless you want to kill it it immediately. First on the nose forest floor, pine and cedar notes hit you instantly. On the tasting a hint of dark cherry and light black pepper. Tannins and acids were well balanced. Smooth medium finish. Very drinkable but I wouldn't wait too much longer as I think this is probably at its peak. After finishing a glass it becomes floral with dark dried fruit notes. Very nice but drink now.
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5/4/2012 - jlemerond wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby. Still incredibly young, with only the barest hint of development. dark red and black fruits on the nose. Powerful. a touch of earth and tobacco, but really dominated by the fruit. In the mouth, still very tannic, but the tannins are ripe - they do not clip the long finish. I won't touch my remaining bottles for years.
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5/3/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
From a bottle purchased on release and stored in a cold cellar, the wine opened with a complex aromatic profile packed with tobacco, cigar box, cedar, black currents, blackberry, smoke, truffle and forest floor popping from the glass. On the palate, the wine full bodied and concentrated with ripe, dark berries, refined tannins and acidity. Everything is in balance and harmony. As good as this vintage of Lynch Bages is, it's still not fully mature! If you have more than a few bottles, there is no time like the present to pop one. If you have the patience to wait a decade, it's only going to get better!
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4/26/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 97 Points
Annual NFL Draft get together with wine friends. Similar to my notes from 1/29/12. Nose has blackberry, black current, cedar, cigar box, spice, graphite. Similar flavors in the mouth, along with some chocolate. Big, powerful and concentrated in the mouth. A long and lingering finish. It was very hard for everyone to decide which wine was better tonight, this or the ‘86 Mouton. Pretty much of a tie for all.
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4/23/2012 - vespa110 wrote: 93 Points
Rubino fitto unghia aranciata, bel naso scuro , mora ribes nero, leggera prugna, cuoio , terra, sensazioni piraziniche nel bicchiere dopo un pò che era aperto, cacao in polvere, leggero pelo bagnato. Bocca attacco scuro, cacao, tannino fitto e fine, fresco , finale lungo di caffè e cacao . Molto giovane.
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4/22/2012 - ghayman wrote: 92 Points
Shipped to Europe 1 month ahead of arrival. Decanted for 1 hour+ prior to consumption with friends. Every sip was smooth, perfectly aged Bordeaux. Mild old world earthiness, round tannins. Everything was subtle, though, and my tongue is not skilled in old world Bordeaux enough to appreciate the nuances. My friends that drink Bordeaux regularly 'ooo'd and ahhh'd' the entire tasting, and would have scored this 99-100. This comes from a very experienced Bordeaux connoisseur, who has 6,000 bottles in his cellar, with Mouton and Latour stacked like cords of wood. For me though, I simply knew I was drinking something smooth and old, with little jumping from the glass so I cannot justifiably score it higher.
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4/15/2012 - Ary Likes this wine: 99 Points
An incredible nose, sharp delineated and extremely complex. Young strawberries, just unripe cherries, prunes, lemon zest and marmalade. 'Glass', metal and green notes, very Cabernet. Shaved pencil, old leather and some horse stable. But also yeast (as in the air from a factory), sweet/ dust. On the powerful palate again an abundance of fruits + the green/ metal Cabernet tones. In the multiple layered finish first vanilla and medicine chest tones to be followed by chocolate dipped cherries and cake. Very Pauillac, very traditional Bordeaux, just Perfect! Drinks well now but I won't be surprised if it still further improves.
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4/15/2012 - Remony wrote: 96 Points
Opened one hour but not decanted -- in the event very little deposit except a streak ingrained on inside of bottle -- overheated at some point? Level into neck. Soft cork, but true. Minimal watering at rim, no bricking. Lovely deep colour, sensational nose of blackberries & currants, pepper & tobacco; indeed (like good Burgundy) nose is so good you delay tasting the wine so as not to have to stop enjoying the nose. Lovely on the palate, beautifully rounded and balanced, very long indeed. No residual bite, fine fruit and mellow cedar. Soft tannins, fully integrated. Equally good right down to the last drop, but perhaps just a trace of hollowness in the mid-palate -- this bottle would probably not have improved any further.
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4/2/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 95 Points
2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): From a pneumatic at Café Lavinal (owned by Bages). Not sure how recent this the bottle was opened, and it did seem to have some mild oxidation but still fresh. Very aromatic nose with ripe berries, leather, tobacco leaf and touch of soy and mint. Palate was quite ripe And forward, with just a little tannin in the background. Much more exuberant than an ’88 earlier this year. Great depth to the palate, showing the ripeness of ’89 but impressively balanced and polished. Showing plenty of mint and leather along with dark fruit profile. Long finish, with pipe tobacco , menthol, and earth. Flamboyant wine with great depth and balance.
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4/1/2012 - dbg wrote:
Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim, no bricking. Great nose of cassis with some tar and cigar box. Full body, dense and concentrated with ripe fruit nice complexity developing, great balance and medium-long finish. Manyyears ahead. Outstanding-extraordinary.
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3/28/2012 - MGrange wrote: 90 Points
Wine dinner at L'Etranger:
Not what I expected (like other tasting notes), was not typical Bordeaux, thought it was Californian CabSav. Thick with some tobacco.
With the cheeses.
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3/25/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled 3/23/12. Not as good as expected. The cork was ever so slightly raised but the color and nose were good. Didn't taste cooked but after a couple hours the wine started to fall off a bit after mid palate. Black fruits, tobacco notes and pencil.
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3/6/2012 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Mostly 89 Bordeaux (La Silhouette): Dark, riper and more extracted than some of the others, with a rounder and fleshier texture. I was tricked into thinking it was merlot. But the whole package was fairly unimpressive; it lacked depth and intensity. Disappointing.
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3/6/2012 - cooberp wrote:
I had trouble getting a beat on this wine. It definitely had a lot of cedar and some dark fruit, but its texture somehow seemed to keep changing in the glass. There were too many other wines at the table for me to focus on it--I'd like to come back to a bottle all by itself and study it more closely.
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3/4/2012 - Fatty Cat wrote: 93 Points
1.5 L bottle at the Lynch Bages tasting (12 different vintages), Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2012: rubin red color; vanilla, red and black berries, after some time tobacco and smoke; Cabernet sweetness on the palate; medium/full body; smooth, juicy texture.
Best wine of the third flight. Drinks very well at the moment.
Vintages flight III: 1989 - 1992 - 1999 - 2000
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3/4/2012 - salil wrote: 96 Points
Great stuff. Still very youthful with the fruit very fresh and rich, and some fine grained tannins lurking on the back end, but it's quite accessible now and certainly incredible to smell with a beautiful perfume combining savoury earth, tobacco, graphite and cedarwood aromas around a core of fresh dark fruits. There's a sense of richness and finesse in the mouth, superb balance and while I get the impression this still has a while ahead of it, I'm glad to have another chance to enjoy it now as it's stunning.
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2/25/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 97 Points
I hardly have words for this. It is so beautiful! Beautiful and complex bouquet with everything you could want from a classical Bordeaux; cedar, cassis, luxurious oak, lead pencil etc. etc. The bouquet only is already amazing. On the palate full bodied and a good concentration with still a lot of cassis and soft tannin with still a promise for many years. What an amazing and luxurious great wine!
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2/25/2012 - redders wrote: 95 Points
Remarkably young appearance. Nose powerful classic Pauillac lead pencils and cedar with rich fruit behind. Secondary aromas of animal and spice after an hour. Rich ripe powerful palate but all balanced. Marvellous wine.
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2/17/2012 - Redondo-Wino Likes this wine: 97 Points
feels amazing young considering it's 23 years old. there's pencil lead on the nose. big powerful fruit but also well balanced. we decanted this for an hour and then drank it over two hours, the wine only got better. Impressive juice!
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1/29/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 96 Points
Yellowing at the rim. A deep dark red body, almost indicating a matured state. When I initially pulled the cork, it seemed like a perfume was emerging. But, this subdued with an onslaught of wonderful aromas: blackberry, cassis, cedar, cigar-box, graphite, spice - complex nose. Same flavors, along with some dark chocolate. Big, powerful, chewy and concentrated in the mouth. A long and lingering finish.Tannins are soft, but still somewhat apparent. Seems like its just beginning on its initial plateau to maturity. No rush to drink this wine. Paired very nicely with roasted leg of lamb. Score 96-97.
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1/25/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Plump, rich nose. I love the chocolate and violets here. The palate seems much more driven by ash, smoke, minerality, though. Rich, luscious texture on the palate. I love how you can chew this without it being horrifically tannic. Overall a terrific bottle of wine and fun to drink.
5-
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1/13/2012 - winesnout wrote: 97 Points
The best wine in our recent 1989 Bordeaux tasting, outshining even the 1989 Cheval Blanc (which came in second). The richest wine of the evening. Youthful blueberry and cassis aromas, plus some tobacco and dark chocolate. Incredibly smooth with a long finish. Now, that I’ve tasted it again alongside the (also outstanding) Lynch-Bages 1990, I am certain that the 1989 is the better wine.
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1/2/2012 - vendange wrote: 93 Points
Impressively rich and sweet with lots of bass notes but this wine was a somewhat hard "read." Some of the green pepper tang and cedar I prize so much in the 85 but this vintage is much richer and darker in every respect. Could use more time in bottle I think. Well-stored example.
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12/18/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 98 Points
WOTN in a tasting with some incredible bordeaux. Unfortunately my last bottle of this wine. Currently drinking beautifully.
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12/10/2011 - BradE wrote:
Recently we did a three format tasting of 70 Lynch Bages (750ml, magnum, double mag). All were terrific, which led to tonight's trio of Lynch Bages (70, 82, 89). All three were in pristine shape.
The 70 was classic, and its impossible not to love this wine. Even perfect provenance bottles are showing their age, so time to put these in rotation if you have some. Picked #2 by the group, with one #1 vote.
The 82 started slow, but in the end was perfect LB, and is at its drinking peak. Groups #1.
The 89 was great, and drank exactly like this wine typically does. Thicker, richer, less silky than the 70 and even the 82. A great drink, but not yet showing the classy maturity that the 70 and 82 are. Groups #3.
All were terrific, and showed why LB is such a great claret.
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12/3/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points
Silky and sweet, surprisingly tannic and backward. Seem sto need time. Dark fruit, sweet tannins, vanilla, tobacco. Opened up after an hour with a silky texture, cedarwood, cassis.
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11/27/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Pungent ripe aromas of black, red and blue fruit, truffle, tobacco, ash, cassis, earth and spice grab your attention. Powerful, full bodied, intense, balanced, refined and still youthful at close to 22 years old, this text book Pauillac continues inching closer to maturity. For years I've thought the 1990 Lynch Bages was a better wine, due to its voluptuous character, but I am slowly changing my tune with each tasting of the 1989.
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11/19/2011 - AtoZ wrote: 98 Points
This was one very young drinking bottle.... had it all going on and tasted like it had 20 more years left. Amazing with a game menu.
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11/19/2011 - gripNsip wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed in a huge line-up with friends over a dinner of steak and potatos... this almost seemed like baby-killin'. No doubt a wine with both power and grace, even in a decanter for 2 hours this had a tough time unraveling and showing off. This stayed dark and mysterious the entire time, dark fruit, olives, cedar, graphite. Bright acidity, firm tannin with a dusty feel. Nice stuff but was outclassed by some of the other wines on the table.
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11/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
One of the signs of a great Bordeaux wine is its ability to age and improve for decades. Because this was so cheap on release, I'm able to taste 1989 Lynch Bages fairly often. Each time, the wine seems to improve. With a powerful, tobacco filled perfume, complicated with juicy cassis, truffle, smoke, forest floor, spice, gravel, green herbs and blackberry, this wine catches your attention. Big, dense, concentrated and still with the stuffing to age and improve, the wine has fleshed out and offers a long, pure, blackberry, cassis and spice filled finish.
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10/13/2011 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
No decant. Drinking beautifully now but plenty of time left.
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9/25/2011 - uberoh wrote: 96 Points
great - once again - nowhere near being done - will last a long time to come - the top wine of the Lynch vertical (again)
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9/23/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
CT Delmonico Steakhouse Dinner (Delmonico Steakhouse, Las Vegas, NV): WIML92+
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, florals, berries and plums. Flavors of berries, raspberries and cherries. Bright to tart acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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9/22/2011 - WinoRick wrote: 94 Points
The wine showed less flash and depth than I remember in prior tastings. Still, a delicious wine.
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9/10/2011 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful black/ruby color. Lovely nose of blackberries, cassis, cedar and slate minerals. Fairly full-bodied with excellent black fruit flavors and a hint of eucalyptus. The finish is gorgeously complex with a wonderful cedar/slate minerally finish. This bottle is drinking quite young as it's just beginning to show secondary flavor development and it really benefits from air. The longer I left it in the decanter, the better it got. 94+
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9/7/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Couple of dinners at Troquet; 9/7/2011-9/8/2011 (Troquet - Boston MA): Perfect looking bottle, perfect fill. At Troquet in Boston. Nose was still mostly primary - plum, black cherry with traces of cedar in near background. Similar flavors with some cherry liqueur as well. Best part was great mouthfeel and texture,with its really nicely integrated tannins. Great and intense spices of roast meat. A very nuanced mid-aged Bordeaux, just entering the very early stage of its drinking window.
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9/4/2011 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was well into the neck, the capsule spun freely, and the cork was pristine. Youthful purple-ruby color with no amber. Notes of cassis, blackberry and a hint of truffle and tobacco. Medium to full bodied, with a very ripe and lush personality, but with plenty of grip and structure. Having gone through almost half a case of each over the past year, I have a strong preference for the '90 Lynch Bages over the '89.
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8/27/2011 - Jdog wrote: 95 Points
Hurricane Irene dinner with RV at Gabrielle's. Tasted non blind with a 2000 Lynch Bages during a dinner of excellent lamb and steak. On the nose, the quintessence of Lynch Bages, with tobacco, leather, cedar and plum notes with beautiful secondary forest floor component. I am surprised by how fresh and powerful this wine remains. If this wine was a boxer it would be more Mike Tyson than Muhammad Ali - a visceral powerhouse with dark red and black fruit. Firm but well integrated tannin and a knock out right hook of minerality and earth. Long, 45+ second finish. Tasted against the 2000, there was really no contest as to which is the better wine at this point. Drinking very well now, but this wine has plenty of life left ahead of it. 94-95.
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8/27/2011 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Exquisite, complex, mature. Bottle opened for an hour but not decanted. Can't imagine that it will improve with more bottle age, but still seems to have a lot left.
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8/11/2011 - gbbwino wrote: 96 Points
1st bottle ever of the '89 Lynch Bages....an amazing wine. This is still a baby in my opinion. The fruit was deep, rich & dark, but it was in perfect balance despite low acid levels. Big black fruit, cedar, tobacco, earth & pencil shavings. The nose was beautiful! Tannins were very well integrated. There was such tremendous depth here, many, many layers. Bottle was decanted for 2 hours upon retrieving from the cellar. Followed a '95 Cos d'Estournel & clearly outshined it. I had the '90 Lynch 3 years ago & had a similar WOW experience. These 2 vintages of Lynch are simply great!
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8/7/2011 - RCS73 wrote: 98 Points
While I still consider myself a Bordeaux novice, this wine was unique to me in many ways. For the first time ever, I think I truly experienced what expert wine critics describe as “layers upon layers kept unfolding, the wine changed from hour to hour showing completely different tastes and smells, and finish goes on for more than a minute”. I never quite understood what these phrases meant and honestly wondered if they were more wine critic bloviating rather than a true expression of what a wine is actually like.
This wine really was an experience. It was as if this magical juice was trapped in a bottle for 20 years and wanted to announce a la Martin Luther King “I am free at last, free at least”. The ¾ oz Prime Beef Tenderloin didn’t hurt either
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8/7/2011 - Margauxguy wrote: 97 Points
Perhaps the best lynch, and one of the best bordeauxs I have ever had. So moth elegant, structured, dedar, pencil lead, dark fruits, outstanding!
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7/11/2011 - tbabes wrote: 89 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped and poured. A healthy color, with some amber at the rim. Notes of black fruits, mushroom, tobacco and old barrels. Medium to full bodied, with good concentration, but lacking in terms of texture, focus and grip. I've had much better bottles; although the fill and cork were excellent, I suspect this suffered heat damage somewhere along the way.
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7/10/2011 - MeMyself&I wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Still a young wine IMO. Notes of cedar and huckleberry. Excellent vintage!!!!
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6/27/2011 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Youthful purple-ruby color, with no signs of age; Nicole thought it was less than 10 years old! Aromas of leather, plum, and a hint of roasted fennel. Medium-bodied, with a good grip and structure, very expansive on the palate, noticeable but very ripe tannins, great depth of flavor, and a long and focused finish. As an aside, I had brought this from the home cellar in PA to the beach house in FL less than 48 hours previously, and it obviously held up quite well over the 1200+ mile journey!
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6/25/2011 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Amazing that this wine is still so thick and big after more than 20 years in the bottle.
Classic Pauillac. Big, brawny, still tannic. lead pencil / cedar aromas and flavors. Nothing subtle here. Just a really well made, big Bordeaux
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6/18/2011 - JustOneMore wrote: 92 Points
Opened with huge fruit and cassis. The aroma of fruit filled the room and gave an indication of how well structured this wine is after 22 years. Because it opened so quickly, I only decanted for an hour despite reading others' comments about decanting longer. Over about three hours, the wine cycled between being closed and showing its tremedous character, but never quite hit its stride. It also showed a pepper nature. After about 3 hours, the structure began to weaken. A very good bottle of wine, with some classic Pauillac structure and tobacco flavors, but I've had better at this price point.
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6/4/2011 - MC wrote:
30 minutes in a decanter - which is probably the issue. This started off a bit thin. It has good color for its age, and was pleasant, with no flaws, but did not show the complexity expected. After some time it really began to show off a bit, but we never left enough around to open up and show what it has. A better showing would likely happen with more time in the decanter. A-/A
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6/3/2011 - Rupert wrote:
8th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Pinched, tight, a touch of green, charmless - thought this was 86 claret - surprised and disappointed to find out what it was - a sub-par bottle
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5/29/2011 - thomaskeil wrote: 95 Points
Send off dinner for Birgitte and Claus (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 4 hours (from mag). Reddish violet with some brown on edges. Dusty cassis, dark berries, truffle, cedar box on nose had everyone immediately thinking Bordeaux. I was on guard for markjanes' '89 textural issue and did note a leanness to the sweet medium intensity fruit on entry as it met acidity and ripe tannins. By midpalate the fruit is bright, layered, nearly rich and quite complex. Good finesse and complexity (dark fruit, earth, spice, textural depth). Great length, quite pure and complete. A real treat.
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5/15/2011 - CellarBord wrote:
Drinking very well now. Served with Filet of beef, truffles, asparagus and potato cake.
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5/11/2011 - GlöckliWein wrote: 99 Points
Incredible what this extremly harmonious- complex Wine this LYNCH BAGES 1989 is !°°°°
Such an extracted superbe stuff... like an high definition as well as an old school .. "whatever".. GREAT BORDEAUX this is !°°°
Sweet and jammy like, with lots of fruit and fine notes of floral smell... like spring and summer and autumn in One Smell ! GREAT !
this is what really Bordeaux is meant for ! 99 / 100 Points !
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4/24/2011 - tbabes wrote: 98 Points
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; an absolutely pristine bottle that has been very well stored. Opened about 2 hours before dinner - no decant - and consumed over the following 2 hours. A beautiful purple ruby core, with just a hint of bricking at the rim. A heavenly bouquet - very complex, outgoing, and pleasing - with notes of plum, briar patch, lilly, and a hint of tobacco, roasted herbs and barnyard; a touch exotic and wild, but in the most positive sense imaginable. Medium bodied on the palate, with an incredibly velvety texture, great depth and balance, and impressive lift and focus on the finish. The tannins are very ripe and well integrated, and while this will clearly keep for another 15+ years (and maybe improve) it is drinking wonderfully at present. A monumental wine, that (ever so slightly) bested the 1990 Lynch Bages on this night.
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4/23/2011 - GlöckliWein wrote: 98 Points
What a complex Wine this IS !°
right after screwing the Cork out- it turns out Just smelling incredibly fortlessly, harmoniously... and right in this
smelling- good mood it turns out in taste like a fantastic complex wine, like forest floor, taar end sandelwood, graphite and wow... nice floral notes and FRIUT !
After some hours. it developes more Friut and sweetness. !
And on the nect day. aftger 15 hours aereation it turns out to be the best Lynch we have tasted !
Fully harmonoius with grip, with FRIUT and Sweetness, like chocalate and truffels and all YOu can imagine !
98 / from 100 possible points !
it is worth the money .. about 200 €... I would definitely go for more !
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4/18/2011 - Alexis A wrote: 92 Points
Still very concentrated color. Nose of licorice and blackcurrant. Good fruit and concentration. Still have a few years to go. Enjoyable BUT there is that little thing about LB that I am not so found of... Trying to put my finger on it.
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4/15/2011 - moutondoc wrote: 94 Points
still somewhat youthful, drank with braised short ribs and put it against the Pichon Lalande of the same year. The Lynch Bages had more fruit and was slightly more elegant.
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4/9/2011 - Vrooman wrote: 90 Points
A beautiful bottle with a resonant finish - loads if dark cherry. Blackberries on the back of the tongue and a touch of currant on the tip. Hints of tobacco, even some pepper lingers. Full in the mouth but complex rather than big and bold. Decanted 1.5 hours.
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4/7/2011 - depdoc wrote: 94 Points
The aroma filled the area upon pulling the cork. I was apprehensive about the wne after reading the comments, but it was approachable right away. Of course, it improved in the glass and the decanter, but was filled with sweet tannin, cassis, lead pencil, earthy dark fruit. Enormous and muscular, it is no where near at its peak. Wow, I am glad I have more in the cellar!
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3/31/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
WCC Mostly Lynch-Bages Vertical (Taste Restaurant, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted 4pm. Tasting began at 7pm.] Big and structured. Tannic and impressive. Very long. Probably better in 5-10 years.
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3/30/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Blind. Very dark for a Bordeaux of this age. 87;68. Looking quite mature but it takes hours to open up. First day it does not give up much, big, monolithic. My guess was a Montelena from 90-91. Poured half into a half bottle and drank it day 3. Completely different. Beautiful ripe, rich nose of cherries/black currants and smoke. Structured but great mouthfeel. Not overly sweet but lots of aromatics. This will be a great wine for a very long time.
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3/18/2011 - MDV wrote: 96 Points
This is not good….its Freakin’ good.
Pop and poured, paired with Rabbit risotto. (hey, it was almost catfish)
Sexy, hedonistic, powerful and complex.
This Prime time bottle delivered a huge cassis kick, with cedar, tobacco, graphite, some tapénade and dark plum notes.
Medium to Full mouth feel, with the acid and tannins in harmony.
For me a beguiling wine, and my best 89LB to date. 96pts
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3/13/2011 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
This is an outstanding wine, but I guess I don't believe it is as outstanding as other reviewers. The match to the prime filet mignon was excellent. The tannin and acid were balanced and in check. The fruit was still full and glorious; however, the finish was not as long as I think is needed to be given a higher rating.
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2/28/2011 - gondrik wrote: 98 Points
Wonderful wine that still has the saddle leather that dominated its youth, but now the sweet fruit dominates. 89s are supposed to mature early. This wine is in its prime.
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2/11/2011 - punter wrote: 96 Points
This '89 again makes me wonder how Mouton is a 1st when Lynch Bages is a 5th... absolute role reversal. 1st night delicious; 2nd night spectacular. Drenches the entire palate with deep, rich red and dark fruit front to back and with smooth, velvet, captivating tannins. Layered, complex, invigorating, hedonistically long and such a pleasure to drink - the real deal. Unbelievable now with upside to be discovered, and it will be hard to wait. 96
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2/4/2011 - PeterH wrote: 94 Points
Good structure...
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2/2/2011 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Same thoughts as last note "ark garnet. Big cedar, tobacco, cigar box nose...Very bit, concentrated, extracted, seamless palate. Round and rich..Long sweet finish...drinking perfectly!! "
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1/25/2011 - Jack wrote: 96 Points
Bottle earlier this year was just a little off. This one was great. Many years to go. Beautiful on second night. In a great place.
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1/22/2011 - RussK wrote: 89 Points
RUSSK WW at Sage. KenT's '89CA/BX blind tasting. Mid tier. Distracting coffee nose.
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1/9/2011 - ken-yyz Likes this wine: 96 Points
A perfect bottle of Bordeaux caught in its sweetest of sweet spots. Soaring aromas from the second the cork was pulled. Great texture and tension in the glass. Classic bordeaux everything (cassis, lead pencil, cedar) and a very long finish. Other than a '61 Lynch Bages I had several years ago, the best LB bottle to date. It improved through the night so this has lots of life ahead.
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1/1/2011 - Vrooman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2 hrs and that allowed the wine to open up. We drank some too soon (30 minutes after decanting) and got a good deal of plum but alcohol on the finish. Blueberry jam emerged and a warm mellow finish emerged. Drank a 1999 a month ago and it was a more robust and complex wine - surprisingly.
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12/28/2010 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Un excellent Pauillac qui me semble à pleine maturité. Bel équilibre et complexité. 92-93 pts
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12/27/2010 - Jameskent wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful with rack of lamb on Christmas Day.
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12/25/2010 - AtoZ wrote: 94 Points
Drank two bottles well decanted. Well stored / good fill. Both were to me seeming at peak.. maybe losing a bit of the lushness and moving towards charred and smoky. Still love this wine but might have loved it better 2-3 years ago. Time will tell.
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12/22/2010 - beachbum wrote: 94 Points
solid deep and needing 10 more years from 1/2 bottle.
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12/6/2010 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Pulled from Dirk's cellar and drank over 2 hours. The nose is just beautiful as is the wine. Mature flavors with stoney finish. Still has plenty of time.
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12/5/2010 - madeiradog wrote: 89 Points
Dinner with Herwig Janssen (Blue Duck Tavern): Initially tobacco and cedar with the dark fruit mixed in with some fall leaves but cedar becomes dominate over time
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12/3/2010 - Ltim BE wrote: 95 Points
What an amazing wine. Still dark red. Nice cassis, tabacco, farmy notes and graphite. Stunning smooth and mouthcoating palate with an utterly complex finish. Enjoyed it intensly with my wife today for her birthday.
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11/28/2010 - MLD70 wrote: 92 Points
decanted about 90 minutes before enjoying as part of a great dinner @ Brian and Dawn's; followed the '82 Cheval Blanc, and in comparison was quite dark, with excellent saturation all the way to to the rim. Beautiful mature aromas of dried red fruits mixed with earth echoed the complexity in the still quite full mouthfeel, well-balanced acidity and dusty, although not entirely dry, tannins. a stellar bottle of mature bordeaux, this L-B seems like it will stay at this level for another 5+ years. wish i'd bought more at about $28/bottle back in 1993, as this was my last bottle. bravo!
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11/26/2010 - JOsgood wrote:
A super wine right here. Firing on all cylinders straight out of the bottle. Rocking nose. Smooth and earthy on the palate. Still has plenty of life left in it.
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11/26/2010 - onelobos wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine! Double decanted it for 90 minutes. Incredibly smooth with a lovely finish. Enjoyed every sip!
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11/14/2010 - dgerst wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before going back in the bottle. The smell wafted across the kitchen, yum! Very dark blue-black with no lightening at the rim. Intoxicating nose of graphite, lead pencil, cedar, fragrant perfume of pure cassis. Also, I got a distinct olive tapenade note with swirling. Medium bodied, with firm sweet tannins and a blast of juicy black fruits. Earth, tobacco, everything you would think of a classic Pauillac at its apogee. There was also a slight green note with olive hints, especially on the finish. A great showing for this wine and reinforces my love for great vintages of LB. Went great with the veal chop.
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11/12/2010 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
Great pencil lead nose with tobacco and rich, sophisticated fruit. A subtle mint finish. Thoroughly enjoyable with fresh venison tenderloin with huckleberry sauce.
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11/6/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part Three (McKinney Performing Arts Center, McKinney, Texas): Tasted non blind. Opened and allowed to slowly oxygenate in the bottle several hours before serving. Garnet color in the glass. fairly clear looking. Nose of briar patch, potpourri, flowers and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. 93+.
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11/6/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
CT Texas Offline #2; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very fresh color. An initial blast of barnyard blew off to reveal sweet perfume and celery leaf. Considerable heat thinned the palate just a bit, but the fresh cassis, lingering acidity and mostly resolved tannins made for a nice showing this time.
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11/6/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very youthful on the nose. Classic Pauillac nose of cassis, tobacco, graphite, cedar, mint. On the palate, cassis, tobacco, graphite, cedar. Finishes with sturdy tannins but still very accessible. Great bottle. Outstanding. Drink or continue to hold.
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11/3/2010 - kr522 wrote: 89 Points
a disappointment for me. years ago i tried this and thought it was a brawny blockbuster in need of a little aging and civilization and it would become a superstar. I haven't tried in again in at least 8-10 years. The bottle was well stored but something has happened in the wine's evolution. The brawny quality remains but the fruit no longer dazzles, in fact i fear it's fading out of balance with the tannins.
This wasn't all that enjoyable.
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11/3/2010 - Zinlady wrote: 92 Points
Recanted this wine an hour and a half ahead wine was not as big as I remember.
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10/30/2010 - jlemerond wrote: 92 Points
out of 375. Dark garnet with the barest hint of lightening at the rim. Very young nose of obvious ripe cabernet fruit and creme de cassis. Still very primary. A touch of earth beneath. In the mouth still very tannic, but the tannins hit late, in the mid and back palate. Very long. Doesnt have the cut and fresh acidity I remember from this out of 750, but very good nonetheless.
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10/30/2010 - ccn wrote: 94 Points
(Bottle purchased in '93 or '94, varying storage conditions. Decanted 1.5 hours.) Gorgeous, very full nose with very prominent cabernet franc characteristics. Pencil shavings, tar, roses, delicate red fruit, possibly slightly cassis character. Good length in mouth.
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10/11/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
This youthful Pauillac continues to display a dark ruby color. The purple hue it once displayed is gone, but the ruby shows very little lightening at the edges. Underbrush, cassis, cedar, forest floor, tobacco and earthy scents come alive with very little coaxing from this Bordeaux wine. Waves of sweet, ripe, black cherry, chocolate and cassis coat your mouth. The intense sweet finish remains for at least 45 seconds. In 1989, the Medoc was a mixed bag, especially when it comes to the First Growths. Along with Chateau Pichon they are both contenders for the top Pauillac of the year. This bottle was the best example of 89 Lynch Bages I have yet tasted.
While 1989 Lynch Bages will improve for at least another 15-20 years,( Some tannin remains). if you have more than a few bottles, there is no need to wait. The only complaint about this wine is, in the finish, a minor hint of green could be detected. This was probably due to a lack of severe selection. That issue aside, this is a great Bordeaux wine experience I’d drink any day.
I remember buying this close to a year after it was released for about $30 a bottle! Those were the days… 96Pts (And it might earn another Pt as it develops.
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10/2/2010 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
Still had the $33 sticker on it from when I bought it in '92, it was decanted off the moderate sediment and tasted right away, and then finished over an hour. Just a little garnet at the rim, o/w a deep ruby color. Nose of cigar box, black cherries, earth/road tar, and a little pencil shaving. Great balance and depth on the palate, w/ similar flavors. Pretty much exactly what I hoped for. Has 5-10yrs.
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9/30/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Taste at Elysian.
Popped and poured when I sampled. Nice cheesy, rustic cherry, green bell pepper, cigar box and leather - classic well aged Bordeaux characteristics.
The palate shows more dark cherry, stemmy, dirty path, and old worn leather. Still showing some youth in the finish with nice acidity and decent tannin backbone.
There's some mint, chewed cigar on the back end as well. The mid palate is a bit lean and hollow, but the wine is quite enjoyable nonetheless. As a whole, the nose is superior to the palate sensation which has some reductive and oxidative qualities - not necessarily bad, just muting the fruit a bit.
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9/24/2010 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
1989 - The Year & The Vintage. Cross Border Horizontal LWE (The Papies, London): 1989 - The Year & The Vintage. Cross Border Horizontal LWE at the Papies, London 24 Sep 2010
Identity of the wine was withheld at time of tasting. Most people identiified this correctly
This wine needed lots of decanting to open up. Maybe not as good a bottle as the others we have. On open Nicol thought this was a bad wine but after an hour in the decanter it developed into the special wine it is. Still not as great as the previous bottle we had a couple of months back. We love the rpesence this wine has in the glass. Firm colour, good body and structure. Elegant nose. This is what great bordeaux is all about.
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8/20/2010 - LWI wrote: flawed
Bordeaux North to South (My house): A tad oxidized. What a shame!
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8/16/2010 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Purchased on release. Really, this is such a high-quality bottle of Bordeaux that clearly something was amiss when this Chateau was given 5th-growth status. A big, thickly-textured Pauillac with a wonderful lead-pencil flavor to go with the incredible dark black fruit. Finishes wonderfully complex but this wine well-stored is still a baby and tastes like it will go 50 years. I will hold the rest of mine for another 5 years and am positive this will be one of the best Bordeaux's I will drink in the next decade.
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8/8/2010 - ELH wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour and funneled back into the bottle. Maybe the next time, shorten the decanting time as the fruit seemed best earlier rather than later. Still, the fruit was the exquisite essence of Cabernet, a dark, rich blackcurrant with black cherry. Delicate balance between fruit and structure. Mature tannins. Drinking well now, but has the potential to stick around for years.
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7/16/2010 - Pingus wrote: 94 Points
Still young looking, fairly dark with only slightly brown rim. Classic pauillac nose, dark leather and cedar.
Not too rich, great balance and long aftertaste. Will keep.
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6/26/2010 - Paul D wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1/2 an hour. Youthful appearance with deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Intense dark fruited nose, with blackcurrant -quite youthful still but with developing complexity - hint of smoke, cedary and mineral notes. Medium bodied on the palate, intense, rich blackcurrant fruit on initial entry, quite minerally on the mid-palate with notes of spice and tea, fine, almost seamless tannins, moderate (but balanced) acidity, very long minerally finish. Lovely, still with a long life ahead of it. 12.5% ABV
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6/20/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, aged bordeaux nose and flavors. Cassis, dark berry and a hint of pencil - with some vegetal hints in the background. Medium bodied with a slightly elegant mouthfeel, but with lots of power on the palate. Seamless integration of flavors and structure with just a touch of roughness. Long, fruity finish. Lots of complexity and depth.
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6/2/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 85 Points
Looking very youthful, just hinting at ruby-garnet at the rim. Simple, mature nose of hamster cage and mineral. Similar palate, with tobacco and a persistent green tartness that is not appealing. Tannins, alcohol, and stemmy fruit come forward on the finish. Not a good example of this wine.
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5/18/2010 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Nose: Classic Claret nose. Brett, Black Cherry, Leather, Pencil Shavings, Tobacco. Midpalate: Super smooth on entry, Leather, Barnyard, Red Fruits. Sweet, dense flavor profile. This is a fully mature wine in its current polace. Finish: Long, classic paulliac finish exhibiting leather, berries, red currants and some cedar.
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5/11/2010 - MC wrote:
Great wine. Drinking well, and more complete than the '90, with plenty of time left. A
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4/24/2010 - vinolovers wrote: 91 Points
Served at our "Remember the 80's" tasting. Medium to light color, with flavors of black fruits, currants ground beef in a very smooth bodied wine. It seemed lighter than expected but was very good.
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4/23/2010 - Papies wrote: 97 Points
1909 > 2009 Tribute to the 100 years leading to 2009 Vintage (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): The Papies 2009 WE - 1909 > 2009 Tribute to the 100 years leading to 2009 Vintage
WOTN! - What a great wine this is and drinking super well. Nice well aged bordeaux nose, very nice on the palate snooth with tannins fully mature, complex, we can go on and on here. This is superb and we would look to buy more. Really great.
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4/12/2010 - ArieS wrote:
From a 375ml.
Tasted and decanted for about 2 hours.
On the nose some dark fruits, tobacco, leather, earth.
On the palate, cherries, blackberries, earthy notes, spices and faint iron. Layers and layers building up to a medium to full body wine.
A perfect balance of fine tannins and acidity with a medium to long finish. It kept improving over about 2 hours. Still young but quite impressive.
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4/7/2010 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Hmmmm. Still seems closed down. There is not a sign that this wine has aged much at all. The color is very dark with no change and the flavors still seem like there is way more to give. 2nd night was about the same. Very good but I think there is more to come. Open another one soon to see if this was an odd bottle. ---My cellar is around 56.
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3/31/2010 - MRichman wrote:
Lynch Bages vertical (Morton's NYC): Strong. Great sweet fruit with a nice firm structure. Long sweet sappy finish. Tobacco and a touch of acid. Really lovely, striking a great line between soft & structured. My #2 of the night, marvelous stuff.
A-
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3/25/2010 - dbg wrote:
The 1989 Lynch Bages was darker in color than the '90. The nose was less effusive but still offered great cassis and a little tar and cigar box. Even fuller-bodied than the '90, it was also denser and more concentrated on the palate. Also very well balanced and wih a nice long finish, but with tannins a bit more apparent. These two bottles demonstrated the stylistic differences between the '89 and '90 vintages in Bordeaux very well.
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3/24/2010 - B Paul wrote: 96 Points
Pretty color only slightly showing its age. Great Bordeaux nose with earth, tobacco and spice. Also showed good fruit (red and black), a nice, light green component and a touch of mint on the palate.
This is in a good spot and very enjoyable right now. That said, there is still significant structure present that suggests this will age nicely for another decade or two.
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3/7/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 94 Points
Classic mature Bordeaux, with notes of tobacco, graphite, and hints of roast meat/nut, and some coffee. Good acidity as well. Tasted double blind, this reminded me of the 1990 Pichon Baron tasted several months prior, so I guessed Pichon Baron, 1990-1995.
This wine is going strong and with the acidity to balance the structure, this feels in its prime and still has many years left. Excellent stuff, 93-94 points.
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3/1/2010 - winenuts wrote: 96 Points
A very good wine. decanted for 1.5 hour and drinkfor another three hours, all the way very smooth and nice. The changing is beautiful and lovely. Can divide into 6 stages
1.含苞待開 2.豆簆年華3.窈窕淑女4.風華正盛5.徐娘半老6.最後一夜. Just wondering this can keep for another couple of years or now is on the peak ? I love this more than 89 pichon baron.
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2/21/2010 - Harrypotter wrote:
Aromatically - red fruit, cedar, cigar. On teh palate very very elegant smooth tannins, and a sweet mid palate. A very very good wine. 95+
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2/16/2010 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Terkel BYO: Classic Bdx nose with loads of black currant leaves, iron and coffee.
The palate is also very classic and has black currant fruit, green bell pepper and just a touch of lead pencil. Great and deep fruit profile with a strong acidity and still harsh tannins. Iron is also present in the mid-long aftertaste.
Classic and very drinkable.
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2/16/2010 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Birthday dinner (My place): Black color with a red hue. Very classical left bank Bordeaux nose with blackcurrant, bush, leaves, the, pencil shavings, cigar box and green peppers. Similar notes on the palate where the freshness and coolness of the pure blackcurrant fruit is very nice. It maintains a good juiciness and the complexity gains from the tobacco and the notes over the midpalate and finish. Superb fruit/acidity balance and a nicely restrained tannic touch on the end. Beautiful and very classical.
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2/4/2010 - cct wrote: 95 Points
Served and scored blind:
Beautiful youthful ruby in color. Young and powerful on the nose and palate. A lung filling nose with great floral and fruit notes. Brick and graphite int he background behind a wealth of rich fruit. Some olives and just beautiful young fabulous bordeaux. 95++
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1/22/2010 - CerveloGuy wrote:
How can this wine still be so young. Double decanted at 4:30PM and then threw into a decanter at 7:30. We drank it about 9PM and it still seemed tight. Definitely a bruiser of a wine that will easily go another 10-20 years.
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1/21/2010 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly youthful with a core of dark blackcurrant and plummy fruit surrounded by graphite, earthy and smoky nuances. The tannins are still quite firm and prominent on the back end; this is really built for the long haul.
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1/9/2010 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet. Big cedar, tobacco, cigar box nose...Very bit, concentrated, extracted, seamless palate. Round and rich..Long sweet finish...drinking perfectly!!
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1/4/2010 - Rechrom wrote: 97 Points
Wow. Just a great bottle. Great nose, seamless palate, great length. Still largely red to rim from my passive cellar (purchased as futures for $20 per, seemed a splurge that I bought six at that price, boy do I wish I had bought more.) No flaws at all, could have a bit more perfume I suppose to make it better, but this is a great LB.
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12/28/2009 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
After a legend, the Branaire '52, this wine was still an adolescent at my Christmas dinner.
The 94 points indicate absolutely that in 10 years the wine will blossom far more and will gain more points.
Very deep and young in colour, with a concentrated, deep and fruity midpalate and a fierce (positive!)
concentration in the aftertaste. As my friend Loek suggested: the perfect wine for Xmas 2025.
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12/25/2009 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
We drank this one third of the night and really did not give it enough of a chance to open up. Classis Lynch-Bages. Seemed a bit more evolved than previous bottles but still has plenty of life. Definite charcoal on the nose. Again, not the best way to enjoy this wine.
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12/19/2009 - no leashes wrote: 95 Points
Delicious, concentrated, rich dark cherry, cassis, earth, pencil lead. Decanted 2 hours - could have used longer, but fabulous. Layered and complex.
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12/19/2009 - BigJul wrote: 92 Points
Un Pauillac classique, jeune de 20 ans, qui s’ouvre instantanément sur des arômes de poivrons verts. Le fruit rouge, le chocolat et des arômes de terre s’entremêlent ensuite sur une matière structurée, vertébrée, dans un ensemble lisse et presque satiné. Je suis charmé par ce très beau Bordeaux à point, qui ne fait pas du tout son âge. Merci Larriv. 92
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12/17/2009 - ricknat1 wrote: 93 Points
Graphite, lead pencil, smoked meats, completely integrated, easily topped the 1990. 93
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12/13/2009 - markjanes wrote: 89 Points
Dinner with great friends in Denver, Night 2 (Denver, CO): Bricking rim, moderate extraction and depth of color. On the nose good aromatics with classic Pauillac aromas of blackcurrant and cigar box… getting hints of more tertiary truffle and spice notes. On the palate still has moderate + to high acidity that is a bit scratchy, a classic claret midpalate, a very nice transition into a seamless finish of moderate + tannins that are moderately ripe and very well integrated. Great balance, very good length and complexity, good intensity. Certainly plenty of finesse there, a hint of textural coarseness at the front of the wine, classic expression of place. I have to say that the 89’s all have something up front texturally that I’m not enamored by… this wine was drinking very well though and is classic. Drink or hold for a few more years.
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12/12/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 94 Points
Annual Dinner with Mark and Megan (Our house. Denver, CO): Opened 6 hours ahead, not decanted. Classic Bordeaux nose (within minutes of pulling the cork). In the mouth this is almost exciting. Slightly sweet medium intensity fruit is nearly immediately lifted by the acidity and ripe tannins to a brighter, layered, more complex level. Good finesse and complexity. Great length, quite pure and complete.
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12/6/2009 - mappleton wrote:
Side by side with the 1990 Mondavi Rsv. Several people called the Lynch as the Californian. Both wines heading towards the sunset but doing so in style. Entirely secondary flavors at this point, but great tanin/acid backbone remains on both. A lot of fun to see them going strong
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11/22/2009 - Ricky99 wrote: 93 Points
Class of a vertical with 86, 88. 90 and 91
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11/13/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
lively acid, still showing quite the fruit for being 20 years on. definite underbrush. light browning on the edges, but again, not a 20 year old suggestion. corn sweet off the nose. the palate plays a deft hand of minerality. soft, soft tannin. deep fruited finish. well played.
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11/11/2009 - MRichman wrote:
1989 Bordeaux at 20 years (Morton's NYC): Strong, muscular, still young. Broad with wonderful herb, black leather. Hefty with good complexity. My WOTN.
A
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11/5/2009 - pll4 wrote: 94 Points
great bottle that is drinking perfectly now...splash decanted and drank over next two hours...nose of cassis, dark fruit, cedar emerged into molasses and coffee bean...tannins are resolved and plenty of fruit still in mouth...no need to wait any longer imho
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10/29/2009 - Slvrfish wrote: 96 Points
An outstanding example of Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows no age, but the complexity and balance are there.10th anniversary, Wine 5 of 6, 4 people at Textile's kitchen table
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10/23/2009 - dxpian wrote: 96 Points
Inky dark garnet color shows amazing elegance and finess! With a pronouncing barnyard manure overtone, it reveals intense dark fruits filled with blackberry, blackcurrant and some very ripe plum. Tobacco and cigar-box bouquet with earthy wet gravel, dark roast coffee and some meaty character. Very exciting and complex nose with layers upon layers of fruit aromas! Full-bodied wine with fine and velvety tannins and well-rounded structure. Firm backbone warrants still great aging potential at this age. Little closed up at first that opens with some breathing time. Blackberry and cassis on the attack surrounded by some chewy steak component. Still tannic mid-palate blended in with nicely balanced acidity. Long finish that is meaty, fruity and clean; it goes on and on and on... Best after 5 more years of cellaring, lasts at least another 10-plus years easy. Decanting recommended.
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10/16/2009 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 89 Points
1989 revisited offline (Hambleton Hall, Rutland): A big, solid, muscular nose. It's a diamond geezer of a wine. Powerful and a bit obvious, but always there for you. It has enormous length with some bacon fat after.
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10/4/2009 - jlemerond wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Sexy nose of dark fruits, alcohol, tannins and earth. In the mouth, ripe and velvety mouthfeel. It seems a little unbalanced compared to previous tastings though. The alcohol overwhelms the other components. Still a great wine, but perhaps the format shows that it should be drunk sooner rather than later in 750s.
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9/25/2009 - wino_tim wrote: 94 Points
Backwards and undeveloped, this deeply colored wine was shockingly young and primary, with voluptuous black cherry and currant fruit aromas that seem just shaded with cedar, spice and mint. The fruit here is ripe without being overripe and the purity is simply stunning. Thick, rich, fruit-forward and full bodied on the palate - a mouth-filling wine that has an almost California-like texture, this offers exceptional length, solid structure and the ability to age for at least another decade - if not two.
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9/24/2009 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Older Bordeaux at Troquet (Boston, MA): This is a 20 year old wine? Quite dark in colour and very primary in its flavour profile with lots of ripe currant, plum and cassis flavours, touches of graphite and earth emerging underneath and firm tannins lurking underneath. With some air the aromatics really develop and pick up some herbal, chocolate and smoky nuances and there's fantastic balance in the mouth with a silky, polished texture and the acidity and tannins combining perfectly with the rich dark fruited flavours. Fantastic length, still shockingly young now but already an amazing wine (that was only getting better through the night).
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9/11/2009 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
A brilliant example of great Pauillac winemaking in a top year. The wine put on weight over time in the glass. The colour shows no age, but the complexity and balance are there. This wine will go for another 20 years. Bravo!
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8/29/2009 - rickspicks wrote:
After many terrific bottles, finally opened one that was flawed.
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7/15/2009 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
The wine started out a little light on the palate, but with time in the glass, it put on significant weight. The nose leapt from the glass - classic Pauillac nose of cedar, lead pencil, black fruits. A totally sexy, intoxicating nose. Once the wine put on some weight, wow! Deep sweet fruit, balanced acidity and tannins, and a long finish. Am amazing wine.
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6/30/2009 - alamoave wrote: 94 Points
Classic aged bordeaux flavors and drinking perfectly with plenty of runway. Last glass was best so decanting recommended.
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6/17/2009 - keithgg wrote: 96 Points
Still young.
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6/16/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
The deep ruby color was assisted by a beautiful nose of cassis, mint, tobacco, and chocolate. Big, fat, concentrated and well balanced. Tannins are firm, but they have integrated well into the wine. Very broad shouldered. Still young, at 20 years of age, it’s much closer to maturity than previous bottles I’ve tasted. The long, lusty, fruit filled finish had a lot of persistence and was a pleasure to taste. Well stored bottles have at least another 20 or more years of evolution in their future.
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6/11/2009 - Anonymous wrote: 96 Points
What a delightful wine. Lots of power but still so elegant. Red fruit, cedar, leather and pencil in layer after layer. What a great match with a Flannery steak!
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6/10/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
Les Degustateurs Ladies Night (University Club of Chicago): Fruit bomb in the glass. Heavy on the palate. Built to last, lots of depth of currants.
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4/12/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 95 Points
Pop and pour. Beautiful Bdx drinking at its peak. Sweet dark fruit, smoke, earth, vanilla, cedar. Silky and elegant. Tannins almost fully resolved. Became a touch disjointed toward the end of the evening so I'd say drink up over the next few years.
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4/4/2009 - dbg wrote:
Dark red/purple, slightly lighter at rim but still dark red. Rich forward nose with dark fruits, cassis, cedar, leather. Full-bodied, concentrated mouth-coating ripe fruit, sweet tannins, great balance, long finish with persistent fruit, still young, outstanding. My #2 in the blind tasting behind only the '82 Pichon Lalande, though it was also edged out in the voting by a few points by the '82 Certan de May.
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3/21/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 95 Points
Less developed than prior bottles. Dark fruit, cassis and cedar on the nose. Elegance and power on the palate with dark fruit, cassis, oak and vanilla flavors. Great balance and structure. Has the potential to improve with more time. This is very good now, could become a really great wine with a few more years of bottle time.
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3/4/2009 - SMills wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was in perfect condition with a very high fill and the cork came out almost unmarked! As predicted still way too young but I felt the quality could still be enjoyed at this stage. Cassis and blackcurrant fruit on the nose with some trademark lead and smoke, plenty of tannin left on the palate but still a lovely harmony to this wine that will reward the patient. I would wait at least another 10 years and think as this wine begins to break down it will develop into something profound!
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2/9/2009 - mnh wrote: 94 Points
Really has developed nicely.
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2/9/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Big and brawny. Huge ash, toast and dark flavors. Decanted 2 hours. Getting better after another few hours.
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1/25/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Wine of the night at Brown Bag Tasting. The wine reeked of pedigree, class and nobility. I guessed Left Bank Bordeaux, 1998-2000.
Was off by 10 years. Marvelous juice and ready now. Praised be the ones who bring wines like this to the brown bag tastings.
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1/24/2009 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
At Hotel Du Vin, Cambridge. With Hereford Rib-Eye. Decanted 1/2 an hour by the Sommelier - no formal note. Immediately open bouquet, with sweet (but by no means jammy) cassis fruit, tobacco, hints of earth, spice and sous-bois. Medium/full bodied on the palate, very well balanced with sweet, tobaccoey black fruit, moderate but sufficient balancing acidity and fully integrated fine tannins - no rough egdes at all. Good length, sweet finish. Drinking perfectly.
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1/21/2009 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
IWFSC Governors Lunch (Mirani's Restaurant): Easily the best showing for this wine I've experienced - Kudos to Tom for what must be impeccable storage. Medium red/purple color with ruby edges. Lovely nose of cedar, pencil leadl, and bright red fruit. Mmmn, lovely round soft red currant fruit and briar on the palate with just a hint of sweet remaining. Drinking perfectly today (though certainly no rush). 94-95 pts.
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1/17/2009 - dsimmons wrote: 95 Points
Lynch Bages Tasting (Don's House): This wine was something else. The bottle was opened but not decanted about two hours before we tasted it. This was a mistake, this wine is young enough to need a few hours in the decanter. I say that because this wine really improved over the course of the evening with the last sip being the best and really rocking. If I had any discipline I would have saved some of this baby for day two! Definitely my WOTN. The color was a little bricked. At first this wine gave very little on the nose and was pretty tight flavor wise. Later in the evening the wine developed into a beautiful thing. Layers of integrated flavors of cassis, dark fruits, leather and earth but with enough soft tannins to let you know that it had even more to offer. Delicious!
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1/15/2009 - tahava wrote: 96 Points
Very impressive wine, lasted hours in the glass. Dark classic claret with everything in balance. Ink, leather, smoke with some oak and fruit. Took a while to open up, but the taste was full of elegant flavour of coffee, chocolate, strawberry and mineral notes. Extremely fine and long. Has still decades of life ahead.
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1/4/2009 - jbfalcons wrote: 87 Points
very unhappy with this bottle. served in on NYE with friends we only se once a year. the wine was a bit sour or tart, even after a sufficient decanting. hoping it was a bad bottle as i have a few more of these and really want to make up for this one with the next
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1/2/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
(at Abacrombie – Baltimore) Dark mature garnet. A beefy nose that had hints of 5-spice powder. Good richness – a nice wine – but not really memorable. (92)
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12/28/2008 - James B wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding experience. Perfectly drinkable now, but will last for years. Classic Bordeaux profile. Big earthy nose. Good balance of tannins and fruit on the palate. Strong notes of dark red fruits, tobacco, spice, and graphite. Impressive finish. The best wine I've experienced in some time.
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12/26/2008 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
With a 2 hour decant this has begun to open up and should begin a long drinking window. Fruit was still just a little muted and the tannin was smooth and silky.
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12/26/2008 - amred wrote: 97 Points
Tasted in blind-tasting with other Bordeaux, from 1986-2000. Still doing very well, color fine. lead pencil on the nose, classic. Excellent balance, everything we expected. Cassis, dark fruit, good balance of acid and tannins now soft. We thought it did have the classic tobacco, some cedar notes, but with sweet fruit. Good for years.
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12/14/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux (Rittenhouse Hotel (Lacroix)): Purple core, turning to ruby at the edge. A very forthcoming bouquet, offering up scent of cedary black fruits, anise, smoke and leather. Medium bodied, with good dileneation and incredible balance. A fairly lush texture, with good concentration of fruit and a long, complex finish. There was some bottle variation though; one bottle was a bit tired, but the others (particularly the bottle from Michael's cellar) were singing a lovely song!
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12/8/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 96 Points
Lynch Bages Vertical Focused on Parker 91+ Point Reds (Sweets and Savories. Fullerton near Ashland. Chicago. IL): Sight: Oxblood and eggplant.
Nose: Raspberry explosion was the first impression. Layers and layers keep coming forth on this powerhouse wine. Wood notes supported by mushroom and other bush fruits. This is focused while yet revealing itself in layers.
Palate: Amazing and incredible. As powerful as this wine is, it is still dominated by an effeminate stance that is so enticing. Harmony and symphony. Full coating across the palate in all stages and can possess the capability to put you into a short-term trance.
Overall: This is a precision wine that is simply a thing of beauty. This is my epiphany wine. 95-96 points.
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12/8/2008 - jordanj wrote: 95 Points
Lynch Bages Vertical (Sweet and Savories): Much different in style than the last bottle I opened. This showed a heavier presence of sweet red fruit vs. darker fruit. It didn’t show a big fresh tobacco streak. The nose was showed asphalt with strawberry compote and fresh raspberries served in a new leather show with a hint of shoe polish. The mouth was still big and smooth and showing great structure. This is a 50 year wine. The finish was long and showing a dominate taste of fresh cigar ash. Different, but still a fun exciting bottle of Bordeaux and perhaps the Magnus Opus of Lynch Bages.
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12/8/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 96 Points
Lynch Bages Vertical 1961-2005 (Sweets and Savories, Chicago IL): nose: very masculine and different nose from the bottle that I had back in may. Intriguing ashen base with loads of red and black fruits, rich creme de cassis tones, herbs, lots of red and black currants, spice tones, along with bits of pencil lead and dark red cherries on top. Insanely alluring as it changes and changes in the glass presenting different facets of the wine as they meld together to create a gorgeously deep nose
taste: still firm tannins with deftly balanced tones of smoke, cedar, loads of red and black fruits, creme de cassis, herbs, and lots of black cherries. Beautiful texture that still gives this a young feel with the medium acidity to boot. Full bodied, but not overbearing this unfolds like a blooming flower on the palate with layer after layer
overall: yet again, another amazing 89 lynch. This is much different from the last bottle I had, but for me at least, its a better bottle. Much more intrigue with the still present power behind it. This was a deeply expressive bottle that seemed to play with you before revealing all it had, and even then there were still surprises to be had. This was just a thing of beauty
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11/29/2008 - G SQUARED wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Wasserman's. Still has some baby fat. Very fine wine.
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11/23/2008 - NCWINELUV wrote: 96 Points
Opened two bottles that had been properly cellared since purchase in 1993. Wines were decanted and filtered two hours before they were consumed and both bottles delivered consistent results. The wine was dark ruby, clear with no sign of bricking. A powerful bouquet of ripe dark berries, toasted notes, cedar and tobacco. Concentrated flavors of dark berries, leather, vanilla, and cassis. Very balanced and with soft tannins. This wine is drinking beautifully.
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11/9/2008 - B Paul wrote: 97 Points
No formal notes, but this lived up to the hype and is drinking beautifully right now.
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7/31/2008 - rickspicks wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful, gracefully aging bordeaux. Purple/ruby with a slightly muted nose of dark berry, cassis and pencil. Medium bodied and full of flavors which were rich, smooth, and beautifully integrated. Soft, round tannins with a long finish. Nothing is overdone and it is a subtle, balanced, and elegant wine, but at the same time rich, complex and powerful. This is first-growth quality and is the finest bordeaux I have had in a long time.
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7/30/2008 - king-bing wrote:
WIMPS Bordeaux offline - table 1 (The Ledbury, Notting Hill, London): Still a very dark with little sign of ageing. Could have been 5 years old rather than 19. So young: still rather primary on the nose and palate. great quality. denser, richer, but not heavy. Long finish. Excellent and keeps getting better in the glass. Needs lots more time.
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7/26/2008 - jeff nowak wrote:
showed very mature, and somewhat muted, giving a suspicion of heat damage. there was some fruit, but not enough to save the day. midpalate > finish > nose.
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7/26/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit and cedar on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, earth charred oak, soy sauce and cherry. Some complexity on the finish but a rather big disappointment for me despite the high praise by the critics. Not a bad wine by any means but just not living up to its reputation. Provenance is suspect since it was purchased at auction. In much better shape than the last bottle (not mine) I tried a few years back. 12.5% alcohol.
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6/8/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux: A classic, full-throttle Lynch Bages. It looked younger than what I was expecting, with a purple core turning towards ruby-garnet at the edge; no amber at all. A powerful bouquet of ripe dark fruits, anise, cedar and earth. I think "huge" would be the best word to describe how it felt in the mouth - a very opulent and hedonistic sytle - but balanced with a sense of smoothness and "just enough" deliniation.
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6/8/2008 - Demisec wrote: 93 Points
Spectacular cedarr nose. Good length. Little tannin.
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6/7/2008 - ivorytusk01 wrote: flawed
This was the biggest disappointment that I have had with wine. I have had this bottle since it's release and specifically served it for my favorite sister's birthday dinner. I had previously had an '85 version that was rated 91 that I probably drank 5-8 years too soon and it still was great so you can see how excited I was about the '89. I guess I'll get over it :) I still have half of the bottle sitting on the table from three weeks ago.
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5/31/2008 - gr8fl1 wrote: 95 Points
powerful,full bodied drinking superbly right now.
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5/28/2008 - Rechrom wrote: 96 Points
Just a great bottle drinking beautifully. Hitting on all cylinders, again the only thing short of spectacular is the nose which is a tiny bit muted and does not presage the depth and purity of the palate and the tremendous length and clean finish.
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5/17/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 95 Points
Kdawgs birthday and tasting event (Cotes du Rhone Restaurant, Chicago, IL): Decanted for about 4 hours at home prior to travel to tasting event. This was consumed from a Schott Zwiesel Bordeaux Glass.
Sight: Dark red color; clear wine; medium viscosity; still young in appearance (youthful and no bricking on the rim)
Smell: Cedar box; tobacco; Dark cherry notes; Earthy components; Florals started to come out after a while - roses; Toasted vanillins; pencil shavings; red plums and red fruit aspect in general
Taste: Smooth; Chocolate; Espresso; Cranberry; Pomegranite
Overall impression: OUTSTANDING! With a few minutes in the glass, there were flowers all over the nose, but surprisingly this is still young. Parker really nailed this if you look at his notes. When I did I said "yeah, that what I meant" LOL This is 95+ points
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5/17/2008 - jordanj wrote: 95 Points
Kdawg's Birthday 80's Bordeaux dinner (Cotes Du Rhone, Chicago, IL): Darkest in color so far. Huge powerful nose of tobacco, chocolate, and dirt mixed with black and red summer fruits. Great balance and feel. Long fruity and cedary finish. This wine has a lot more upside and had years to go before it reaches its peak. Fabulous wine.
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5/17/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
80s Bordeaux Birthday dinner (Cotes Du Rhone Bistro(Chicago, IL)): nose: very youthful, but just starting to open up with huge classic Pauillac tones of pencil lead, lots of tobbaco leaf, cedar box, sour cranberry, and dark cherry tones. As the night went on, this even started to take on a green tea like aspect too. A fair amount of power on this nose while being very classic
taste: insanely explosive red fruit flavors on the palate with loads of mocha, tobbaco, pencil shavings, cedar box, and cassis tones
overall: I haven't yet had the 00 lynch, but this one is just something special. This is just starting to get into its window and this bottle was showing great. A truly amazing wine that shows the quality of the 89 vintage(and what may behold the 03 vintage in the future) with really explosive flavors and an insanely long finish. This was a very special bottle of Lynch and is well worth looking out for as this one will be rocking in 5-10 years
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5/14/2008 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
This bottle did not have great depth so I lowered my rating.
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4/1/2008 - BFG wrote: 90 Points
This was an underperforming bottle. Great mouth feel, with fully resolved velvety tannins. However, in both the nose and the palate, the notes of fruit were subdued and the flavor was a bit lacking. It didn't taste flawed, just didn't meet expectations.
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3/23/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful cassis, a beautiful nose of Pauillac, Pichon Lalande...sometime...Latour.
Then back to Lynch-Bages's smell. Well-balanced, very smooth in the mouth. Good finished.
The best Lynch-Bages I ever had but 5th Growth is 5th Growth....Over-priced !!!
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3/1/2008 - Arcturus wrote: 89 Points
Decanted about an hour. Nice bouquet of dried herbs, pencil lead, earthy and floral notes. On the palate, not quite as exciting. Very dry-bordering tart which seemed to clip the finish and interfere with enjoyment of the secondary complexities-bummer. Never seemed to really come together. 89
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2/22/2008 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Dried blood red; Cedar; Medium depth
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2/14/2008 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Amazing that this wine is still so thick and big after almost 20 years in the bottle.
Classic Pauillac. Big, brawny, still tannic. lead pencil / cedar aromas and flavors. Nothing subtle here. Just a really well made, big Bordeaux
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1/12/2008 - FakeAccount wrote: 95 Points
Classic Pauillac. Just a little lead pencil on the nose at this point... plenty of fruit and tannins are already integrated. The wine is rocking and drinking well now. Yes, it will get better with age, but no harm in drinking now.
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1/1/2008 - ken-yyz wrote: 94 Points
Stunning and still could use a couple years. Gobs of fruit, leather and earth. Still reasonably tight.
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12/31/2007 - SteveHoch wrote: flawed
what a bummer. after having such an incredible bottle just weeks before, I decided this was going to be the special bottle to share with great friends on NYE. The cork was saturated throughout and this was a bad sign. The bottle was not corked.. it had no distinct nose to speak of and it tasted flat like cardboard.. nothing else to say except it happens in this sport!
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12/23/2007 - vendange wrote: 92 Points
Still young and firm. A streak of green bell pepper (not in a bad way) was prominent on the nose initially but faded. Scorched earth and forest leaves on the nose. A little soy. Over time this opened up to show cedar and blond tobacco notes; dark cherry fruit that struck me as almost plummy. Got sweeter over time.
I'll hold my others for a few more years.
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12/4/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 96 Points
Kitchen Tasting Group does Lynch Bages: The nose on this one explodes from the glass with black fruit, mushroom and floral notes. The taste delivers a big whallop of iron/mineral with black fruit and tobacco. Great texture. Extremely tannic. Long and satisfying finish. An awesome bottle of wine.
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12/4/2007 - Siggy wrote: 95 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Lynch Bages (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Big deep nose of rich dark cherries and herbs. The palate shows layered dark fruit, coffee, and licorice, framed by tobacco and herbs. Grew richer and more expressive as it sat in the glass. Great minerality. Marginally more structured and slightly less ripe than the 1990, and equally thrilling to drink. Co-WOTN for me.
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12/1/2007 - SteveHoch wrote: 96 Points
This has been my bottle of the month. What a treat. Outstanding in every respect. Great depth, tremendous finnesse, amazing fruit and great earthy notes .I loved everything about this Lynch. While it was spot on, it clearly has plenty of life in it and will continue to evolve. I think for sure it is among the best 89's I have tasted up there with the Angelus and La Consilante. If you have more than one in your cellar, reward yourself and enjoy... if it is the last, hold off for that special nitht!
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12/1/2007 - carnyc wrote: 95 Points
BYO Dinner at Maloney and Porcelli (Organized by Acker Merrall): Outstanding! (No Notes Taken)
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11/25/2007 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very closed nose compared to the others, nose of deep, dark brooding fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich and tasty, nice medium finish. Fifth of five Lynch Bages tasted blind. Should improve and merit a higher score in four years.
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10/13/2007 - ken wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful bottle of wine. Decanted for an hour and a half. Fantastic nose of dark red fruit and saddle leather. This wine will be great for another 10 years for sure.
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10/9/2007 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 89 Points
Learning about Bordeaux with the Astorettes; 10/8/2007-10/10/2008 (Cafe Loup): This is still so young with it's pencil lead, rubber tinged nose that offers up subtle notes of dried funghi and rich cassis extract. Big and powerful on entry with a closed, hollow midpalate that yields to a minerally finish that finishes with a lingering final of almost grapey cassis fruit. This is only the second bottle from a case bought on release. I've had more open bottles but these are ageing at a glacial pace. Absolutely pinpoint precision with the structure that offers up an airy elegance even with all this richness and power. 2012-2030
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9/28/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Bet Dinner (Vice Versa in NYC): Sweet, dense, lush, beautiful core. Warm, full and complex with dark coffee and light herb. Very long finish. Silky and warm. Ready to drink. Wonderful.
A/A+
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9/8/2007 - DougLee wrote: flawed
Beautiful darker garnet color and extremely nice nose of mulberry, spice, cassis, and leather, but there was a tartness to the palate that just seemed off. Not sure of the provenance of this recently purchased bottle. Oh well.
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8/20/2007 - Ibetian wrote: 94 Points
Dark ruby. Needed a litle air and time, but after about 30-60 minutes showed enticing nose of cassis, smoke and a little chocolate. Smotthe and elegant, with a clean, lingering finish. This can certainly be drunk with great pleasure now, but I'd guess that well-stored bottles might still need a few years to hit their peak, and easily last 10+ years. At Blantyre.
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6/24/2007 - buckeye76 wrote: 98 Points
STILL VERY YOUNG, BUT VERY PROMISING. DEEP RICH BERRY FRUIT IN NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACKBERRIES AND BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH. 3/03 TASTING = 94.
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6/10/2007 - JJA wrote: 95 Points
This was a pleasant surprise. Started out a bit weak, but really opened up after 2 hours. Earthy aroma and medium bodied but could have a bit more body in the midpalate. All in all, I really enjoyed this and couldn't stop drinking it! I'll purchase a few more bottles.
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6/4/2007 - Totatalitarian wrote:
Opened to accompany two dishes, leg of lamb and lamb chops, this wine was the favorite of Christian and Beth, while Nicole and I preferred the ’47 Bosconia. In the glass, the wine was still dark though not quite opaque. The nose was massive with plums and cassis, cedar and graphite, clay, and touches of leather and tobacco. The tannins were still quite gripping, but, otherwise, the wine exhibited a silky mouth feel and concentrated dark fruit with some chocolate. The finish was long and well balanced, and the wine was a fine foil for the lamb (or vice-versa).
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5/29/2007 - kas wrote: 94 Points
opened and tasted immediately. very little sediment for a 17 year old wine. still deep red in color, slightly brown on the edges. at first, very tannic and not much smell, but it opened up after 45-60 minutes and continued to improve for the next 60. still needs 5+ years in the bottle, but this will be excellent.
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5/27/2007 - Jack wrote:
Bottle opened 6 hours before serving. I still think this needs a little more time in the cellar to show its best. It is definetly begining to take shape and open up but as profoundly rich as this was as a baby I believe there is much more to come. -- Had some left over and couldn't get back to it last night so tonight it has been opened 3 full days and is much, much better. Either hold or give plenty of time for these to open up. 93+ tonight. If the middle fills out the score will go higher.
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5/14/2007 - Rechrom wrote: 95 Points
Decanted one hour. Dark red, starting to brick. Somewhat muted earthy nose, which was only thing less than perfect. Dark berry, chocolate and toast notes on wonderful palate, great length, wondeful purity. Spectacular bottle drinking very well now but still time left.
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4/22/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
A grey cloudy day of a wine with furry tannin, lacking freshness of fruit and also lacking much of anything else to compensate for that. Not corked. Just not fun.
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4/10/2007 - johnphinney8 wrote: 94 Points
A real pleasant surprise. Earth, mushrooms, damp forest floor on the nose. Really nice balance and the fruit is very much present at this point. Supporting players of cedar, tobacco, and a hint of mint. Not a super long finish but the fine tannins are very well integrated. Finished the bottle and right away started searching for more...
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4/1/2007 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Tremendous wine! Powerful and soft at the same time. Lovely complex with ripe black currants, blackberries, lead pencil, soft tannin. This wine is so beautiful now, but can last at least another 5 years, probably more. (But why wait?)
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3/31/2007 - dbg wrote:
outstanding
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3/3/2007 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Yummy, full, friendly and very moreish. This is what every Bordeaux lover would like to have in his cellar. Need I say more?
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2/10/2007 - cct wrote:
Very young color, but sadly lightly corked. Bummer as this is a wine I have not yet had and was greatly looking forward to. In spite of that, still good fruit and great texture. All things in balance but a touch of cork. I can only imagine how good a no-TCA blle would be.
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2/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full red color. Pale medium aroma of red fruit and briar. Nice rich round spicy red fruit on the palate. Actually starting to show a bit better, drinking window may be opening up! 93-94pts.
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1/11/2007 - no leashes wrote: 95 Points
Youthful, but wonderfully integrated, smoky, tobacco, wild dark berry flavors. Decanted three hours, needed more. Will continue to improve for years...
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1/8/2007 - srosenblum wrote: 95 Points
Perfect wine, perfect nose, perfect color, perfect long lasting taste in the mouth.
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1/6/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V. (Netherlands): Interesting sniffer. Both seductive and sinewy. Dried porcini, blueberries, cigarbox, hint of sulphur. 17.5/20
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12/23/2006 - PathDoc wrote:
Immediately upon opening, dirty, dusty, slightly smoky scents. This blew off shortly to reveal smoke, spice, leather, and tobacco. This wine is still immensely dark and concentrated with a huge extracted presence on the palate. It is hard to believe this is nearly 20 years old--still very powerful with years ahead of it.
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12/16/2006 - DougLee wrote: 94 Points
Still quite dark in color. Nose of horse poop, cedar, and dark fruits. Intense, mineral-laden palate with intermixed flavors of black currants, leather, eucalpytus, and fruitcake. Lots of energy and complexity to keep the palate moving. Not a low-acid wine. Long, layered finish. Tannins still substantial. A classic in the making, with an excellent showing tonight.
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12/9/2006 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #4 (Sammamish, WA): A slightly moldy smell at first that quickly dissipated. Horsy, medicinal, penicillin, tannic. The black, medicinal palate made me guess this as the 1990 Lynch-Bages. This is crackling with minerality, wow, not entirely pleasurable right now but intense and very powerful.
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12/6/2006 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Backstreet - Best of Cellar (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Good nose. Terrible palate. Off bottle?
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12/6/2006 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Phoenix eRP Offline - Best of Cellar (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Oxidized and cooked. Brought by Mark.
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12/2/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
HDH Auction (Chicago Athletic Club): Big red fruit and green pepper on the nose. Good black fruit on the palate, but still quite tight. Maybe someday!
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11/27/2006 - 83AJ wrote: 74 Points
dark, boring, no fun at all. True loser....maybe some food combo would help this dark heavy tough tasting wine do better
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11/27/2006 - Flubis wrote: 87 Points
Birthday dinner (Casa de Flubis): Dark cassis color with a slightly cleared edge. The nose on this was a bit muted, twinges of cedar and berries. Medium bodied, pronounced tobacco, and leather , thin dark cherry, black raspberry notes. Finish was a bit lean. Might be going through a shut down phase.
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11/10/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 94 Points
Trip to Dallas - 89/90 Bordeaux and Older Cali Cabs; 11/7/2006-11/10/2006 (Dallas, Texas): Classic young Pauillac, steely pencil lead, some wood shavings, very dense, for my this is a long way from starting it's maturity plateau, very powerful, a little strict.
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10/27/2006 - Thilo wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet with lightening at the rim (but not much). On the nose this hits you like the essence of Bordeaux...brooding cassis, lead pencil, cedar, and tar combine in a powerhouse nose. On the palate, cassis, tar, smoke, and leather combine and are framed by noticable, but controlled, tannins. Drinkable now, but will improve over the years. A real treat...thanks to Jim Stone.
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10/27/2006 - amred wrote: 97 Points
In a tasting: A bordeaux nose to die for. And...incredible. While it will last for decades, it is already amazingly smooth and well-balanced. Truly a world-class wine. It was exceptionally complex with the traditional minerals, yet rich cassis fruit and complex components in the mouth. Hints of tobacco, dark fruits, leather...really just the prototypical bordeaux. We are thrilled to have the rest of the case.
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10/10/2006 - Rupert wrote: 95 Points
Lynch Bages vertical (Washington Hotel, London): Medicinal touch on nose, but then wave on wave of cedariness, mouthfilling, super
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9/8/2006 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Bordeaux 1990 and older (Issaquah, WA): Intense stalk, green tobacco, a distinctly vegetal wine but in a good way. Some vitamin pill. The palate shows unreal intensity, tobacco with candied red fruit. This is always a special wine, a unique an intense example of Pauillac.
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8/17/2006 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
This is an "event wine"; same batch as previous bottle that showed spectacularly after 6 hours decanting. Unfortunately, not able to decant at this event, and the wine did not fully develop... \cork was in great shape, great ruby color, bottle stored properly since I bought it "en primeur". Nose with complex fruits took a while, and did not jump out of the glass. Huge midpalate and finish that lasts forever, definitely appreciate the hint of mint/anise and spices in the finish..bottom line, this has another 20 years of enjoyment left! For now, definitely decant for several hours
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7/29/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 95 Points
Drank with Francois Chandou and his wife Anne at La Cave. I have no viable experience with aged bordeaux and asked Francois if he would share this with me and render his opinion. He opened the bottle, decanted, and poured. Francois felt this bottle was about 75% of what it should be, according to his recollection, having had this wine on many occasions. He detected dryness on the nose and on the palete as well as a slight lacking of fruit. I could detect the dryness, but had no point of reference for the lacking fruit. I thought it outstanding.
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6/17/2006 - vinolovers wrote: 93 Points
Opened about an hour before serving but did not decant. Had a great color (deep and dark). The nose gave off that Pauillac grassiness, which soon softened to reveal, cassis, blackberry, pepper, and some earthiness. The bottle was smooth as the tannins have fallen off and the finish was smooth as well. This was a young bottle.
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6/3/2006 - Tubbs wrote:
This was definitely an off bottle, not horrid, but not pleasant either. No rating.
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5/14/2006 - MC wrote:
last night with dinner. decanted at cellar temp. dark red, with just the first hint of age on the color. good, but not great nose at first. same on palate, as this was a good, solid bordeaux for the first two hours with good fruit, balance, some graphite and minerals, but not really showing anything special until the 2.5 hour mark. at that point it had opened, with a great nose and really expanded on the palate to show a much richer wine. plenty of time left on this one. A-/A
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4/17/2006 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Tasting Dinner at Sweets and Savouries (Chicago, IL): Whoa momma. There is a ton of wine here. Unfortunately this didn't have a decant to speak of and was initially quite tight. Nose didn't offer much at first, but yielded dark currant fruit and graphite over time. The palate is stuffed with brooding dark fruits, tobacco leaf and liquid asphalt. Tannins are still very present and confirms that this wine is still a baby. A great and classic effort - thanks Ken. My WOTF and #3 WOTN.
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4/10/2006 - Dteng wrote: 96 Points
Also reticent, but quicker to shine. Classic in structure, mouthfeel and complexity. Notes of lead penccil, tobacco, earth/truffles and penetrating red fruit. This is a mature wonderful bottle that provided such pleasure. This had outstanding balance and harmony - the characteristics that define a wine for me. This is like wearing a cashmere sweater.
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4/8/2006 - BradE wrote:
Dinner with Mike Woodhead (Elements - Santa Barbara): A much more open, perfumed, accessable wine than the Canon. Good nose, and good in the mouth, and a decent finish. But not as much of a "wow" as this wine has provided in the past. Everyone liked it, as usual.
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4/5/2006 - MRichman wrote:
RFG Dinner (David Wainwright event) (Triomphe, NYC): Nice fruit, sweet, full. Menthol herbs. A little dead at core.
A-
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4/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
eBob offline - (not one of my bottles) Subdued aroma. Pitch black cofee grpahite fruit. Tons of concentration, but still very tight. STOP drinking this wine until at least 2010. 93+ pts. 4/06
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3/12/2006 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 98 Points
Tasted at the home of Eddie Osterland ("quest for the best" dinner). The dinner was attended by Steve and Colleen Nemeth. Bottle taken from my personal cellar. A formal note was not made but this bottle was definitely the wine of the night (consumed with grilled and smoked quail alongside the '89 Leoville las Cases, '87 Dominus and '95 Opus One). My overall impression is similar to 2/1/04.
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2/27/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
This wine presents a mountain of dark, black fruit and cassis. Tannic, brawny and dense in style. Needs time.
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2/16/2006 - Eric wrote:
Leve does 1989 Bordeaux at Mélisse (Los Angeles, CA): Clearly the darkest color of the flight. At first this had loads of spicy, green bell pepper on the nose, but with aeration the bell pepper and green notes turned more and more to green tobacco leaf. Increasingly there are rich notes of black fruit in the nose. Huge, almost monolithic at first, very primary, powerful, black, very tight, really impressive, really young, really needed hours more decanting. A fantastic wine.
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12/10/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Tasting, brief note. Incredible fruit, just not providing much pleasure right now given very assertive structure. 95+ point long term potential when this all comes together, 2010 at the earliest , probably 2015 or later.
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12/2/2005 - Jason wrote:
Dinner sans Manlin (Lampreia, Seattle): This bottle was either off or extremely closed. I have had this wine before and have been less than amazed by it. Tonight this was nearly as good as it can be. It was not decanted. NR
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12/2/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Dinner without Scott Manlin (Seattle, WA): This was a weird bottle. At first the nose showed an odd yet extremely dominant note of uric acid, I kid you not! Finally, after 30+ minutes of swirling, this shed the weird notes and finally started to show better with green tobacco, mineral, muscular, a taut wine. I have had far more expressive examples, but this is a wine to reckon with.
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12/1/2005 - dembury wrote: 95 Points
This wine took 5 hours in my decanter to develop. It is well worth the wait. I'm guessing some of the ratings here might have been higher if the wine had been allowed more time to breathe.
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9/26/2005 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points
Good Bdx nose of cedar and tobacco. Good red color, very youthful looking. Medium extraction and body, good complexity and lots of tannins and acid. This is a very big wine but it is no where near ready to drink.
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6/19/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 6 hours; cork was in great shape, great ruby color, bottle stored properly since I bought it "en primeur". Fabulous nose with complex fruits that jump out of the glass. Huge midpalate and finish that lasts forever, definitely appreciate the hint of mint/anise and spices in the finish..realy lush
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6/17/2005 - Lorien wrote: 92 Points
Needs time for sure. Lovely nose even at this point, but tannins are all over the place, and the fruit, though there, needs time to shine. Seems somewhat closed. I would hold at least till 2010. One of the better Bordeauxs I have had though. I liked it. IMO, way better than the 89 Pichon Baron at this point, though a lot less approachable as well.
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6/11/2005 - Eric wrote: 97 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): Charcoal and tobacco scream from the glass. Holy s**t, what a palate, this is so vibrant, piercing, loaded with chery and intense minerality. Wow, this is so pure, stunning and tight. I successfully guessed this as the Lynch Bages. Group average 96.6, wine of the night!
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5/14/2005 - futronic wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet/burgundy colour. Aromas of lead pencil, cedar, spice box, acetone, leather, alcohol. Medium-full bodied, wonderful complexity on the palate, with replays from nose. Long, long finish, 50-55s, with cedar and red fruit.
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5/12/2005 - amred wrote:
6/99: Tried 1st bottle. Beautiful nose, rich, fruit. Still early, lots fruit, lush, but still closed--Seemed almost lacking acid, dull. Time will open it up.
5/05: Took one bottle to Terzics...was incredible. Perfect bordeaux, drinking very well now, but ageless.
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5/8/2005 - jfroklage wrote:
The Event: We gathered our wives, headed to our local C Club. We opened a 2001 Etude so they would keep their hands off the LB, which we decanted for two hours. Both noses were unmistakably Bordeaux and great. The 1990 in particular, was more "barnyard" but not off-putting in the least. Both were purple, the 1990 maybe a bit more heading to a slight bricking. The 1989 mid-palate was pronounced, full of flavor, the tannins are still there. This wine is awesome but still has years to go. The finish was there and was very good. A great wine.
The 1990 was more velvety and darker, perhaps brooding. The midpalate wasn't as pronounced but there were no complaints. Cedar, spice, cassis, all there, just not as mouth filling as the 89. Then the finish. IF you tried to run, it would come and tackle you from behind. Unbelievable. After swallowing, I tasted as much flavor and length as when the wine was in my mouth. The biggest Bordeaux finish I think I have ever had.
The 1990 is more approachable now but certainly has some years ahead too.
These are different wines but both are very representative of LB. I rate each 96 pts and re- confirm why I love good Bordeaux so much.
1989 Lynch Bages
Darkest in color so far. Huge powerful nose of tobacco, chocolate, and dirt mixed with black and red summer fruits. Great balance and feel. Long fruity and cedary finish. This wine has a lot more upside and has years to go before it reaches its peak. Fabulous wine. 95 points
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5/3/2005 - cassetta wrote: 97 Points
Similar to the Montrose in color, dark purple and opaque . Both the LB and the Montrose were much deeper and darker than the other ‘89’s. The nose was exuding ripe black fruit and roasted coffee. The palate of currants was lush and thick. Great wine.
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5/3/2005 - CSteefel wrote: 92 Points
1982-83-89 Bordeaux at Masa's in San Francisco: Not wasting any time, this wine shows a powerful nose of cassis, black cherry, and a touch of red fruit right out of the gate. In the mouth, equally rich, as the fruit were congealing on the inside of the mouth. As somebody at the table said, just "gobs" of flavor. My only possible criticism would be the very slightly awkward character of the elements, as if they never completely integrated. This seems to cause the wine to show a little less finesse than some of the others in the flight.
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5/1/2005 - duchamp wrote: 97 Points
Maybe the sexiest wine, outside of Burgundy, I've ever tasted, impeccably balanced, extremely nuanced, gorgeous nose and tons of cab flavors but all work together in perfect harmony, wish I could afford more
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4/28/2005 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Lynch Bage vs Pichon Lalande 1986, 1988, 1989, 1995 plus 3 Ringers: Group's 5th place and mine as well out of 11 Bordeaux served blind.
Nose: Cola, medicinal cherry scent with woodsy leather aroma.
Palate: Coughdrop cherry flavor like I perceive hot vintages. Sweet dry red fruits with toasty edge. Finish has nice lingering cherrywood component. Good mouthfeel and solid. Nice wine, but not killer stuff.
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4/26/2005 - thomaskeil wrote: 95 Points
I will only seconded the many favorable notes already posted on this wine. Served along side the '89 Dunn Howell Mountain and there was no comparison in terms of the explosiveness of the multi-layerd nose, complex flavors that just rolled on the tongue and emerged in waves, and a finish that just drew you back for more. A complete wine.
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4/7/2005 - CharlesM wrote: 94 Points
Dark dark red with not a hint of browning. A rich nose of cassis, lead pencil and licorice. On the palate this was still so young. A touch hard, noticeable but fine tannin, the mouthfeel was still rich and the palate concentrated and long. With air this became more and more supple, but still was too young by a good 5 years minimum. The most youthful of recent bottles, this was a great wine, but offering less immediate drinking pleasure.
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4/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Group #5, My #4 - Full red/crimson. Medium full aroma of redcurrant fruit with a touch of green stem. Rich round black fruit. Nice structure but balanced and round. Drinking nicely with some age, but will hold for years. 93 pts. 4/05
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2/11/2005 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Pre-Parker warmup dinner at Citronelle (Washington DC): This was not at the level of prior tastes. Roasted black fruit draws you in, yet this wine is reticent and tight, very primary and medicinal with a note of spicy cinnamon peeking out on the nose and an equally spicy interior to the palate. With time some amazing minerality emerges. A hint of tobacco peeks forth, but frankly this magnum is showing very, VERY young!
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12/16/2004 - magic2coop wrote:
Drank with Jason and Julie. Opened up with yeasty smell which overwhelmed the fruit. 90 minutes later we were on the last sips and it was just opening up. Give it at leas 1 hour to decant...
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12/15/2004 - JasonD wrote: 97 Points
STG - woopin it up at Roys (Roys Crib): Very dark wine, Pencil lead, tobacco, huge dark fruit, with a thick, think palate. Very tannic finish that is really long. To steal a phrase of my nephews "I gotta get me some of these"
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12/11/2004 - Jason wrote: 97 Points
Year end SG Dinner #2 (House of Hersh): I love this wine. The nose showed candied blackberries and lead pencil. The palate is huge with tons of minerals, spices, and tannins. My favorite part about this wine is the spicy, mouthgripping tannins. I love the assertiveness of it.
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12/11/2004 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #2 (Sammamish, WA, USA): Ok, these next two wines in the flight were awesome and similar. I was thinking Latour as each was brimming with ripe, black fruit, and graphite. Not an awful guess actually. The first wine showed massive density with black fruit, pencil lead, and growing notes of cedar. This was clearly an utter baby, so lush and thick with a nice note of red currant dancing on the palate amidst the blackness. I am starting to wrap my head around the Lynch flavor profile, and these are pretty darned delicious!
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12/5/2004 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Bought from an estate sale (something I would not do now), this bottle looked cruddy with a faded torn label, albeit with good fill. Another bottle from the purchase was not wonderful, so I didn't have high hopes. Nonetheless, from the moment the corked popped out, an unmistakable nose of cassis, cedar, plum, and blueberries wafted forth, indicating good things to come. The palate was rich, smooth, delineated, and concentrated, with plenty of cab grip and chocolate notes. Some leathery tones. Thankfully, also lots of cherry-like fruit but no green pepper! Tannins were evident but not overpowering, and the finish was long. Great bottle!
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11/27/2004 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Wine with friends (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, the nose is dense and black with loads of tobacco, such classic Pauillac. The palate is rich, somewhat slutty with caramel, sweet fruit and dusty earth. Wowza, what a fun, knockout of a wine. Still, it doesn't compare fully to the thoroughly classic 1985 Las Cases.
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10/5/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Cassis, black fruit, cigar and BBQ spices on the nose. Dense, concentrated, chewy, full bodied, huge masculine wine. Ample tannin remains to resolve. This is not a wallflower of a wine. It’s a bruiser.
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10/2/2004 - CharlesM wrote: 95 Points
Dark red, still no bricking around the rim. A nose of lead pencil, cedar, bergamot, leather and beef blood. On the palate a concentrated and deep wine, still tannic, tremendously savoury wine, great structure, a fantastic length, and noticeable black fruit. The most backward bottle I have tasted, this is a superb wine showing only mild signs of age. 15 years minimum life left.
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9/11/2004 - bdenuyl wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Veritas 9/04. Excellent Bordeaux that really came around after decanting for 90 minutes. Then it was deep and rich. But give it some cellaring.
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6/2/2004 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
The fruit seemed a bit pale sitting next to the Cos but it had a lovely aroma of black fruit and coffee. Still a bit tannic on the palate, this wine will definitely still benefit from 4-5+ years of cellaring before it hits its peak. 92 pts. 6/04 (VinExpo OL)
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5/14/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Wine tasting. Not even close to ready. Big nose with lots of spice and dense, black fruit. Huge potential. Palate is just tannic and tough to fairly assess, coming across as even slightly bitter on finish. I wish this had been decanted in advance. Clearly there is great underlying material here, it is just hard to tell if the tannins will remain tough before this wine becomes more interesting.
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2/1/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 98 Points
Tasted at Amy Weinberg's Super Bowl party. Bottle taken from my personal cellar and double-decanted one hour in advance. Bright disc. Deep garnet robe with slight bricking at the rim. Clean nose, showing an explosive bouquet of cocoa, meat, black cherry, leather and clove. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and similar complex flavors as for the nose. The smooth finish goes on and on. This is classic Lynch!
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1/4/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Tried the 1989 in Jan 2004. Deep red w/o bricking. An earthy/leather nose without any off odors. Soft with smooth tannins. Notes of black cherry, raw meat and cola. Drinking well but will continue to drink well into the future. 94+.
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12/26/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 95 Points
Dark red. Notes of caramel and pudding. Excellent mouth feel. The texture was like that of thick velvet, the taste impression like that of sweet moccha and chocolate, with a hint of tobacco. Quite structured and obviously a wine built for the long haul, yet a pleasure to enjoy today. The finish was smooth, balanced and long. Excellent. My guess was Pichon Baron.
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10/18/2003 - Jason wrote: 97 Points
Tasted at Chris and Suzanne's house. The intense cedar shavings, chocolate, and black cherry nose was decadent and worth 95 points on its own. The palate was also stellar with leather, black fruit, earth, cedar, and spice. This wine has decades ahead of it.
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5/28/2003 - mnh wrote:
Dark ruby, no amber. Slightly reticent nose with black fruit, forest. Dark fruit very ripe,tannin well integrated. Big mid palate and great long finish. Years ahead.
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1/18/2003 - Eric wrote:
Tasted at Patrick & Naoko's. Cocoa, powerful black fruit. Remarkably smooth on the palate at first, although this got choppier and tighter as the night wore on. Very powerful mid palate with a complex finish. This wine WOW'ed me at first, but I found myself liking wine B and its nose much more. This one was too brooding for me. I'm a dummy, but the silky smooth mouthfeel led me to guess '89 Quilceda when in fact this was '89 Lynch Bages.
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11/15/2002 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The comparison between the 89 & 90 clearly demonstrate the differences between vintages. Opaque, purple color. Compelling perfume of ripe, black fruit, cassis, herbs and cedar that explodes from the glass. Huge, full-bodied, almost dense wine. Extremely concentrated, very thick. A long fruit filled, slightly chalky finish. This huge, hulking wine is not for lovers of finesse or for the faint of heart. It is very powerful and masculine. But in its own way, it's a compelling wine, towering over the 90. As open as it was, another 5-8 years of cellaring will improve the wine. It has a long future ahead.
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4/1/2002 - sdr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Big muscular bruiser. Tannic. Needs 3-5 more years. Probably will develop well.
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1/20/2002 - Henman wrote:
Rather light nose with barnyard and cassis.Soft and pleasant palate,minerals,liquorice and cedar.Fruit in hiding.
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12/20/2001 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 94 Points
Dark red. Absolutely no sign of aging at the rim. Heavenly scent. Whiffs of tea and mushrooms coming out of the glass. Also, dark berries. Very pleasing and harmonious on the palate, and sweeping across all spectra of nuances in a seamless fashion. Balanced, and integrated. Round, ripe, and that cigarbox is peeking it's head through. Excellent! Much better than the bottle I had some months ago.
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3/16/2001 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 96 Points
I wrote this note a long time ago... the descriptions are a little dramatic, but I remember being overwhelmed by this wine and all of its properties.
Spectacular, it's as if the Green Giant and Willie Wonka were asked to invent a new style of red fruit candy which grows on vines, and Lynch Bages in 1989, picked, fermented, and bottled the candy fruits and made a spectacular wine out of them.
The wine has a different taste than I am used to. All I can say is that the fruit is so ripe and sweet, and "neat". The flavor is uncanny. The wine is highly extracted and backward, like jumping feet first from a pool and landing head up on a diving board. I liken the tannins to a parachute not opening. It is a great and beautiful ride, until that sudden stop when you hit the ground. But in this story, you walk away and want to jump again.
The wine has sweetness at the tip of the tongue, baby fat and grip on the edges, sweet tannin all the way through and a long long long finish. Will probably get better and last for a long time.
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10/1/1999 - mnh wrote:
Closed, should be great by 2003
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6/17/1999 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
10 Bordeaux 1982 to 1989 Vintages (Lafayette, Ca.): Nose of lovely briar and berry, lovely, rich fruit, better in 4 years, high acid on the medium/long finish. My #4 of 10.
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3/1/1999 - sdr Likes this wine: 86 Points
Not much bouquet at this stage. There is a baked over-ripe character some wines of this vintage display. Very full. Tannic but balanced. Needs 5 more years at least.
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10/15/1997 - dbg wrote:
not nearly ready, dumb
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1/29/1997 - dbg wrote:
tar, cigar box, leather, tons of fruit
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8/30/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Chateau Lynch Bages versus Chateau Pichon Lalande, vintages 1980s (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Great, rich dark cherry nose, licorice, and black berry, same on the palate, great finish. My #4 of 6, Group # 2.
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2/8/1992 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright, with opaque purple center and purple rim. Closed on nose, but with some currants and oak. Moderately intense palate of black cherry and cedar. Tannic finish. Despite low acidity, this baby is built for the long haul.
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1/16/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 80 Points
1989 Bordeaux Vintage (Prima, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Spicy, rich fruit on the nose, very fruity, tannic and barky on the finish, opened quickly and slowly improved.
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1/4/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasting of 9 Bordeaux at Primas. Suffered in this tasting as it showed closed with a big woody and coffee nose, lots of intensely concentrated fruit with hints of coffee, chocolate, and leather in the mouth, with a very long, lingering finish, needs age, will get very complex over time, well balanced, My #6.
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