April 9, 2024 - We were reluctant to decant such an old wine, but it apparently needed it. No discernable fruit initially, with lots of mushroomy savory notes.
April 8, 2024 - Needed 20 minutes or so to open up, but very good. Nuanced and balanced; not a ton of power or fruit. More secondary flavors, but well done. Starting to show its age a bit, but still a fine showing. Popped and poured
April 3, 2024 - From a very good looking bottle, cork intact, removed with a Durand, soaked maybe 75% through, no signs of seepage, high neck fill.
Dark ruby/garnet with just a touch of aged browning on the rim. Based on color, this could be a 1998, or a 2008. Does not show its age at all on the color.
Neither does it show it on the nose. Nose is developed but still very much on the fresh red fruited side. Red fruits, cranberries, little bit of rustic brettiness, burnt tobacco, cedar, vanilla, touch of menthol, licorice.
Palate is medium bodied, red fruited, chocolate and some earthiness, not overly complex, but still very enjoyable.
Finishes medium+ with smooth resolved tannins.
This is likely right at peak, it probably won't improve but isn't going downhill either any time soon.
March 15, 2024 - Evolves over 2 to 3 hours.....decanted for 75 minutes and was not open. An hours later...hints of the dark fruits and good integrated structure. After another hour....obvious improvemnt in complexity and finish....Wow. Good for another 5-10 years...
January 17, 2024 - The color is a beautiful dark red with some rim variation—way brighter and fresher than expected for an ‘88. The nose shows tobacco leaves, leather, and cigar box. Not much dark red fruit but I could imagine some. The palate is fresh but no obvious fruits. Well integrated tannins, and a finish forever. 95 points
December 12, 2023 - Earth and tobacco; berry; composed; balanced; elegant finish.
December 3, 2023 - I did not dare to decant a 35 year old chap. I should have! The wine took almost 2 hours to wake up and reveal noble cask, leather, tobacco, roast, ink and dark chocolate aromas. Add pencil shaving, herbal and earthy notes kicking into a long, fresh finish and you are left with a puzzle: is it too still too early to open? Will I (n)ever understand this wine? But overall an enjoyable classic Bdx.
September 10, 2023 - A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Merlot (30%). 13% alcohol.
Deep, dark and quite mature black cherry color with a somewhat evolved pomegranate hue. The developed nose feels a bit reticent but also nuanced and attractive with fine-tuned aromas of autumnal leaves and smoky chipotle character, some sweet notes of wizened blackcurrants and ripe cherries, a little bit of ferrous blood, light woody notes of cedary oak, a hint of pipe tobacco, a touch of prunes and a whiff of exotic spices. The wine feels ripe, silky and open-textured on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and layered flavors of tobacco and meaty umami, some sweet-fruited notes of wizened blackcurrants and dark plums, a little bit of roasted bell pepper, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of earth. The overall feel is pretty mellow and supple, thanks to the medium-to-moderately high acidity and resolved, powdery and quite gentle tannins. The finish is long, silky and gently grippy with a dry aftertaste of tobacco and wizened blackcurrants, some red licorice, light autumnal notes of damp leaves and sous-bois, a little bit of sweet black cherry, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of roasted bell pepper.
A delicious and harmonious vintage of Cos that is more or less fully resolved and at its peak now. A very fine wine by all accounts, although feels somewhat less impressive after two exceptional vintages, 1985 and 1986, coming across as slightly softer and a bit less complex and not matching their flavor intensity. Most likely this wine won't improve with additional aging, but I don't see it falling apart anytime soon - drink or keep. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2023 - PnP
Lovely nose of dried red fruit, pencil shavings, cigar box, and spice.
The mouthfeel is perfectly balanced with medium body, medium acid, and moderately grippy tannin.
This is fantastic at the moment. Drinks like something 10-15 years younger. Wow. Try again in a few years and enjoy over the next 10-15+
March 20, 2023 - Monday Night Bordeaux (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): Wonderful, all olive tapenade, green peppers and sweet red and black fruit, soft and delicious. Great wine that has aged perfectly, fully into the final stages and in a great spot. Despite the age difference I found it surprisingly difficult to separate from the 2001, maybe it was the stage of the evening where I mixed my glasses up....