Cassis and stone fruits, bell pepper-pyrazines, bitter chocolate, bergamot, and violets on the nose. Classically proportioned on the palate, more linear than broad, but not in a pejorative sense,. Mid plus weighted with more of the same on the palate, adding iron, gravel and clay. Initially a little thin on the back end, it fleshed out over several hours. I was told the next day it was even better but he person who brought it. I started with '88 northern Medoc classed growth, then switched to '96 when it fleshed out some. Really lovely honest Bordeaux. Not for hedonists, but rather a wine worthy of contemplation and and thoughtful enjoyment. I really liked it.
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I had been so excited to first purchase this, have a very kind buddy hand carry this back from abroad.. and then to cellar it since last year, before sharing it with another set of 1988 birthday lads and their missus!
Happy Birthday to WK, and glad to share this with another 1988 baby AL too. Dinner over simple but delicious steaks at Butchers Carey.
74% Cab, 26% Merlot.
Light and developing green notes on the nose, light cedar hints.
Even after 36 years, there was still blackfruit and plums on the palate!
Still quite complex with layers of fruit intertwined with M+ acidity whilst most of the tannins have already been shed.
However as the night progressed, I found the tannins to be slightly dusty on the finish.
The finish was memorable, medium to long length, probably 30 seconds.
Best of all, how this Rausan 1988 aged in such a slow and graceful way, seems to have only just moved into the tertiary phase with light polished saddle, it's still so lively after all these years.
The roundtable of guesses, yes we always drink our wines.. wrapped up and blinded!
AL and birthday boy WK, one guessed New World whilst the other.. Old World. Both thought perhaps mid or late 2000s, 2008?
@Hann thought maybe New World, as late as 2012!
The provenance of this bottle was so good, the cork so pristine with only 3mm wet. Love it!
@Alex F thought Margaux, well guessed bro! The typicity of the nose gave this away.
Butchers Carey Damas, KL, Malaysia 8th Mar 2024
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It's that time of the year ... Happy Bordecembre!!
Youthful and hard to believe... this is a 35 year old wine! I brought along this second-growth wine from the Margaux appelation for our birthday boy ... as this is his birth-year.
I had purchased this early this year from Winebuff Hong Kong, and hand carried it back to Malaysia. Grateful for the provenance and quality of this aged bottle!
Back in the first 10 years of its life, Robert Parker had described this to be a wine for the long-term. RP called this a strong, powerful wine with an opaque ruby/purple color and a tight but promising bouquet of black currants and is very muscular, very masculine, and brawny wine. He even asked, "Will it ever shed all of its tannin?"
Only bottle breathed for about 15 minutes, I used a Vinaera wine pourer with filter instead as I was worried to overly decant such an aged wine. It was the right decision, as the nose was one of black fruit, raspberries and hints of cigar ash and soil too. The palate was one of green peppers, beautiful polished leather and I thought it had remained quite fresh.
Blend of 74% Cab and 26% Merlot. This is a complex and wine that punches above the "average vintage" of rainy 1988, and I loved the tobacco-tinged long finish of over 40 seconds length. Medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and I loved that some of the core of fruit is still there.
Interestingly for its age, there is still some firm tannins, as well as medium+ acidity which lifts the wine.
Joe thought Italian, and so did Romz and LF. Hmm, God of Wines Mika was the only one who thought... is this a Bordeaux? But he didn't seem very convinced too! What all the lads did agree on was that my wine seemed to be younger compared to Joe's... Funny look on their faces when they saw that it was of the same 1988 vintage when unveiled!
Happy Birthday brother LF, hope you enjoyed our birth-year wines for you.. Not just this one, but the Las Cases (Romz) and Gruaud Larose (JY) too!
Vintage 1988:
October 1987 - Rains which shaped the vintage, and continued in a sporadic fashion for many months. Above-average rainfall right through to June 1988.
There was a need to get out into the vineyard and spray, to protect the vines from rot and mildew, very early on in this vintage.
The flowering was later than usual and rather uneven, increasing the risk of uneven ripeness in the fruit come harvest time.
In the summer months, from June 1988 onwards, hopes started to be raised for a good vintage.
July, August and September were drier then usual, although not particularly warm. From October 1988, temperatures finally took off, with a true Indian summer, encouraging the ripening of the fruit.
The best fruit was ripe with thick skin, thus giving the best wines plenty of colour and tannin.
Uneven flowering and there was significant variation between varieties, vineyards, and even between vines and bunches, of the maturity of the fruit. Thus a year of irregular quality!
Critic reviews:
Critics were critical of this vintage, with ratings such as RP 91 and WS 90 - But I have learnt that especially for significantly aged Bordeauxs (Pre-2000s in my books!), they can sometimes and often be wrong.
Back in the early 1990s, Robert Parker had enthusiastically described this 1988 Château Rauzan-Ségla as the second great vintage produced here during the estate’s renaissance, with the 1986 the first superb wine here in a generation to his mind.
The most interesting comment.. Did this Rausan vintage truly show-off a typical Margaux character? Some described this to drink more like a St. Julien!
Tasted double blind from a small capped bottle as part of a zoom tasting. Nose has lots of pyrazines - green pepper and tobacco, minerality, charcoal? Not a lot of fruit. Maybe some red/blue? - black cherry and blackbery. Spicy and maybe a bit volatile? Hints of carob and nutty - some age but not too much. The palate has similar pyrazines - more tobacco than green pepper. Very spicy and assertive - high acid and some green. Not a lot of tannin. Rich. Maybe some char. A little tart/sour. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
I figured BDX on these (and the 95 Haut Bailly). Saw some scorch in each and thought they were both Graves. Guessed they were two vintages of the same wine with the other being older. Guess this to be 1995 Domaine de Chevalier (and the 95 Haut Bailly to be the 1983 Domaine de Chevalier.)
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Family do with Barbecue, Pizza and Salads (Leafy West London): Served from magnum, two bottles tasted but both very similar. Earthy, a certain campfire note - this was definitely a cut above your regular barbecue wine but even in magnum this is most definitely ready to drink. Sub 13% wine is just so good for lunchtime quaffing.
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Served blind next to an 88 Dunn Howell Mountain. So semi blind, for me. Decanted off the substantial sediment about a half hour before serving. This is a lovely old claret, with tobacco leaves and wet soil and dark cassis fruit. It's pungent on the nose, and articulates its flavors well on the palate, also quite well balanced. The finish is not particularly resonant, and this is not a grand old wine, but it is quite good, especially in the context of the vintage. One thing, and perhaps this is picking nits, but from what I've tasted and understand of Margaux - this did not show Margaux character. The 1989 I drank last year - that was classic Margaux. This drank more like a St. Julien in my book.
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Tasted blind. Very earthy, red fruit profile, notes of tobacco, leather and velvet texture. Fully mature now, only needs a 15 minutes of air to open up. Very good.
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Drink now as she’s on her way out. Hints of red fruit still remains on the front end but quickly transitions to heavy earthy notes with sautéed mushroom and a tinge of black olive on the finish. A little tannin remains but overall very mellow. Tasted next to the ‘89 and paled in comparison but still delicious for the tertiary notes.
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Opened & breathed in bottle for 30 minutes, paired with Australian Angus steak, bottle & cork in good condition, medium red with bricking, lovely aromas of black currants & cigar box, medium bodied with melted tannins, good fruits left, dry & savoury, the last glass from the bottle was damp earth & truffles, best paired with food, drinking at peak
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For its age this has a dark colour, which in the past has made me wonder/hope if further development might lie ahead, but I think it lacks sufficient fruit core. So tgis will never have the charm and complexity as the 1985.
To be enjoyed when you are in the mood for very dry, savoury old claret (that still has some structure).
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Browning at rim, vegetal, complex aroma. In a very tertiary stage, still some blackcurrant, some oak evident, still alive but going downhill in a very gentle way and would be great with some roast lamb. Impossible to rate.
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Holiday dinner at the French Embassy, Washington D.C. (French Embassy): This was a "pop and pour" and fellow diner Ken Barr commented that the wine was just opening up before we went to the next series. Probably true! Nevertheless, we had enough time to appreciate the wine's smooth and refined aspects, indeed very "Margaux" with elegance. It is interesting to note how Robert Parker got strong tannin when tasted en primeur. These tannins are pretty much tame at this stage, although you also get a roasted fruit ripeness, which make it even more interesting to me. 1988 is a cooler vintage than, say, 1989 or 1990, yet Rauzan has warm, gravely soils and the vines perhaps yielded higher than expected ripeness for the vintage. In any case, a very good showing!
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Sunday Evening Yack (Friends' House, Hong Kong): Popped and poured then drank slowly over two hours. Colour of transparent lambs blood. Reticent nose typical of the vintage. Very fresh high acidic attack on the palate...tart fresh cranberries and fresh passion fruit with the seeds. Quite typical 1988 Bordeaux austerity. Not sure it will mellow with age. It needed the strong French cheeses to balance it. In hindsight, I would decant for a couple of hours next time.
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Compared with our previous bottle (2011) the wine has matured substantially. Earthy black current, light tobacco, leather aromas. Light medium weight with ripe fresh fruit, NO green olives now, tannins integrated, medium to long smooth finish. We would rank the 1986 vintage superior (see note 4/18/18) but the overall flavor profile and style are quite similar. Bought en premeur way back when. If you like well aged bordeaux then this one is a good one.
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Pizza night @ R&Rler & same btl. Tom's wine. Ruby red with some light. ambering. Said to have been Decanted for an hour plus at Kevin's . A pretty solid example of aged Margaux. Classically elegant and understated with red fruit, mineral, tobacco, cedar and some underbrush elements. Very much enjoyed it buy not a head turner. Lots of fun to try these aged wines and especially one purchased on release and locally store. This likely will benefit from addl blt age.
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Pizza Night with Aged Classic Reds Ten Plus Years Old (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Dark red color with a garnet hue. Decanted for an hour plus; drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I really love Rausan-Segla and these older wines are such great finds. This bottle vet in great shape and very expressive, aromatic nose with ripe dark fruits with a decidedly blue fruit streak included; boysenberry, cassis, blueberry, still some oak and nice wood spices, with some violets as well. The has nice body and a fairly silken texture, dark berry and blue fruit on the palate too, tar, oak, and spice on the back end. Fairly full bodied for an R-S. Very good length and good balance. Loved it.
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Not the wow wine like the (best bottles of) 1985, this is less complex, flavourful, and less beautiful. It's more classic, dark fruited, more acidic, and, remarkably, considerably more youthful (and the 85s I tried all came from the Chateau and were consumed in Bordeaux).
Next year this will be 30 years old. I'd like to hope that it will continue to gain in complexity. That's possible, yet again, it seems near impossible.
We shall see.
{12.5%, cork}
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I've seen at least one instance where the label says "Rausan-Segla" instead of "Rauzan-Segla". Prior to 1988 it was "Rausan-Segla" for decades, despite the family progenitor in 1661 being named Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan. Nonetheless, when this Chateau refused to release the 1987 vintage, an opportunity arose to change the name in 1988. However, although many bottles were given the new Rauzan-Segla styling on the label, the corks and foils had already been made with Rausan-Segla, so you get a disconnect. I've added a picture. Now to the wine. Bricking, but still solid color at the core. Tobacco (more fine Cuban cigar with floral notes), leather, black and blue fruits in waves. Near silky smooth but the tannins still have a touch of firmness underneath. A lovely and interesting wine. This bottle with just into neck fill had another few years of peak quality.
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A fantastic showing - an intense scent of graphite and cedar wood on the nose right away, and with air it becomes more savoury, earthy, and lightly floral. Beneath all the graphite and other savouriness is a core of bright red and dark berried fruit that's still very fresh and lively, and shockingly youthful for an '88. This is outstanding now, but still seems to have years ahead with plenty of richness on the palate and still a touch of grainy tannin on the back end.
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Consumed over two hours after decanting for an hour. Surprisingly young color. Beautiful berry and cedar nose, which to me is the best part of this wine. A bit high in acid, but still quite nice to drink. Great example of mature Bordeaux.
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Slowly developed over three hours' decant. A somewhat reticent, rich, deep Margaux beginning to hit its stride. Not as big as the 1989, but good structure and depth of fruit. More dark fruit at this point, and I suspect this will not change. Very, very good.
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Classic color, no bricking. Relatively green and somewhat off upon opening. 1-2 hours in the funk aired off and classic green bites, astringent berry came through. Palate still maintained structure and acid. Gravel, green pepper, stone and some hints of berry fruit. An easy drinking BDX, not terribly complex.
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Great showing. Youthful color, with only a hint of sunset at the rim. Dense, kirsch, berry and cedar nose well integrated. Rather high acid, but not thin in any way. However, I doubt it'll resolve into silk. Nice length and sheer class all around. BDX par excellence.
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Medium bodied, firm, slightly drying, stern tannins and a touch or tapenade, coupled with herbs and crisp red fruits on the palate, make the nose, with its tobacco, cedar wood, cigar box and cherry character the better part of the experience. There is no reason to age this further.
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Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: In the bouquet dark and red forest fruits as well as some good oaky flavors. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, firm acidity and mature tannin. Not extremely concentrated and showing some age. The wine is fully mature now and still beautiful, but not any reason to wait any longer.
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Pulled from my cellar where it had been resting since release (@$21), double decanted and drank with grilled lamb chops. Hardly any sediment, with a medium garnet color and medium body. No browing whatsoever either. Quite sharp early on with typical Bordeaux nose and flavors. First sip was an 88, and it rounded some to be a 90 at last sip. I think this is on a very long plateau and is fine now and will not change (improve) much over the next 5-10 years.
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Dégustation FOUDUVIN au RESTO AVV The Main kitchen! Très beau nez sur les fruits rouge et la terre. Belle bouche satinée, tannins assez fins et finale de belle longueur. Très beau « Claret ».
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Beautiful bright garnet color to rim with a ripe red clean palette. Medium light body balanced very little grab in tannins smooth strong backbone tannins from aged French oak nothing harsh . Delicious w burger or lamb meatballs with CH at Joule vintage Bordeaux on a week night how charmed. Drink now through 2018.
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Ripe Cabernet fruit, mint, sickly oak, caramel. Coming across more like a boring old Cali wine, clumsy and seemingly not aging well. Meh. Okay for what it is.
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Out of the gate, the bouquet is garish and California with lots of new oak and overripe with an unattractive candied note. The palate isn't much better with some flashy fruit but little depth followed up with stern, drying tannins. Very discouraging, given how fond I was of half bottles of this a 5-6 years back... I took home the last fifth of the bottle, stored it in the fridge and tried it again today: the garish oak is gone and so is most of the overripe notes, replaced by a modest bouquet of cedar and graphite. Despite the aromatic improvement, it remains pretty charmless on the palate overall. There's a nice silkiness on the midpalate but the fruit is pretty lean and those stern, austere tannins remain on the backend. Clearly, some air helped here, but this seems a textbook candidate for drying up before softening.
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À part un bouchon imbibé qui se désagrège complètement. , il n'y a rien de vieillot dans ce Margaux racé, au nez de mine de crayon, de cèdre et de poivron.
La bouche est harmonieuse, avec le style austère du millésime, une droiture classique, des tanins fins, avec l'élégance naturelle de l'appellation. Un vin en pleine forme, il ne lui manque qu'un peu de profondeur pour être grand. 91 pts
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Soft cedar and tar nose; great balance and texture; a bit pungent; sweet well integrated tannins; soft and elegant with nice well balanced earthy blackberry; long sweet finish.
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1988 Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Textbook 88 dark in colour.Herby peppery nose, light fruit and not earthy or secondary at all. Round on the palate, savoury, with decent fruit weight. Some length but not enough (more than the La Lagune we tried before it). A tough of dry tannin on the finish. Definitely has the energy to go another 10yrs and hopefully the secondary side of it when it emerges will add to the charm and complexity. 88-89 for now.
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Pretty dark in colour, amazing for a wine with 25 years of age. Very nice on the nose, tobacco, fruit, forest floor, spices and smoke. Almost no tannins noticeable. Not overly generous on the palate, slightly lean, but well balanced, round and relatively generous, medium+ finish. This should have a couple of more years of life ahead of it.
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Saturday Afternoon at Weygandt (Washington, DC): The bottle and cork were in pristine condition, and I thought the wine showed very well. The nose is complex and shifting, showing dried berries, potpourri, soy and mushroom. The tannins are still holding the palate together, providing a foundation with the medium acid. The cranberry and cherry fruit is still holding up, but it's laced with all sorts of beef, soy, chewing tobacco and slim jim flavors. Overall, the wine is silky and balanced. Showing lots of nuance, this changed a lot as it got more air.
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P&P. Perfect cork, supple and unstained. Youthful, purple color without a hint of age. Pleasant, focused aromas of briar, dark berries, and cedar. Supple, elegant mouthfeel but a bit thin and pretty one dimensional, and this faded pretty fast in the glass. Worth drinking but past its prime.
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The 1988 Rausan Segla is definitely a once powerful Margaux that survived its way through the decades. Almost medium ruby in colour, the nose is unexpectedly fresh with lovely notes of sweet spice, red apples and crushed berries and currants. The palate has definitely thinned out with light flavours of berries, a pronounced steeliness (almost that iron taste one will get in blood) and cedar.
Pretty linear and reserved upon pop-and-pour, but improved a little over time. Definitely aged and developed on the palate. Tannins have thinned out and lost it chewiness. Acidity is definitely present on a medium(-) but pleasurable finish. Nonetheless, the wine's well-balanced with a nice integration of its components. I doubt it has many years ahead with it beginning to lose its flavours.
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#12. Tasted double blind in a lineup of 13 wines from the 1980's. Nose and palate of cassis, tobacco and a hint of sweet vanilla and barrel toast. Medium-long length finish. Mostly resolved tannins. Drink now. Guessed this was the Gruaud Larose 1986 that I brought.
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CT Offline IV--Hill Country Edition; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin / Texas Hill Country / Castleman Ranch): Salty, peanut-buttery on the front of the palate. All the fruit seems to be gone at this point. Not a lot of taste on this one to be honest. Short finish, and really just not a lot here (at least to my palate). Some spice at the end of the palate, which helps. But just not a lot of other. Just a hint of dark fruit, and maybe some vegetal flavors mixed in as well.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, earth, camphor and dark plums. Flavors of berries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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CT Texas IV - A Hill Country Treat; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin, Texas): Noticeable bricking in the color. Nose of black fruits, smoke, cherries, ash, pencil lead, earth. On the palate, blackberry, red currant, cedar, earth. Finishes with gritty tannins. If you have this drink it, definitely ready to start drying out.
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Decanted 4 hours. Little aroma or flavor when first opened but after 4 hours the wine was delicate, nuanced, and fine from Jose to finish. A happy surprise.
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I have not had much luck with this wine. My brief notes of Jan 2010 indicate "tannic, opened up after 36 hours." I get cherry, blackberry, earthiness, tobacco. Still tannic in the mouth and finish. The nose is the best part. No score. Cannot remember how I acquired this wine, but it may have had a rough ride somewhere along the line.
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Capsicum, pencil, cedar dominate over the shy fruit that remains in the background. Some cherry fruit emerges but is covered with a charcoal character that verges on chalky, green and acrid. Drying tannin causes this to seem stern and blocky while glimpses of sweetness at times makes me wonder if this needs time? Hard to evaluate, maybe a nice wine wrapped in a coarse shell.
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The cork was crumbling, so I pushed it through and poured the wine into the decanter through cheese cloth. First taste was dominated by stewed tomatoes and oxidized copper...I was worried. By the time I got back from the market, the tangy sweet light bodied flavors upon opening blew off, and the wine appeared brickish on the edge with a blue-purple core. Graphite, meat, sour cherry, and tobacco flavors dominated, but a soft dark fruit essence remains, and a touch of oak shimmers under the surface flavors. The medium body of this wine came out with an hour's decanting. Tannins are fully integrated, leaving an accessible mature and earthy wine open to the palate. This wine may be a bit past its peak, but that remains a matter of preference at this stage of development. Drink now. From a bottle stored in a professional temperature and humidity controlled wine storage location since release.
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Bordeaux vs. Napa Cab: mano-a-mano in 4 rounds; 9/7/2011-9/8/2011: This is still pretty young, just beginning to develop a mature bouquet with scents of smoke, cinder, cherries. The palate is more restrained, with a chewy midpalate and big, drying tannins on the end. Still too tannic right now, giving the finish a chalky, tongue-gripping quality that is austere and a bit rough. Should be decanted or given another 5 years. I tasted the last glass a five hours later and it was more integrated, with a nice essence of lead pencil and an earthy claret profile, raising my score to 91.
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Blackberry aroma came rolling out of bottle as soon as cork was pulled. It dissipated within 5 minutes and a more earthy, leathery character with a bit of green olive became dominant. Initial taste was not particularly interesting. Fruit was quite reserved with some acidity. Tannins seemed to be resolved. After 2-3 hours the flavors became more integrated and the initial acidity seem to soften. The dark fruit flavor was dominant but the hint of green olives remained even on the medium length finish. Went along nicely with the roasted lamb.
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This bottle was a last minute choice and I was not quite sure what to expect of it. One of three remaining bottles of a case bought in the early nineties; I was never overwhelmed by this particular vintage. I much preferred the ’94 which seemed to offer much more sensory pleasure.
With a hurried pull of the cork right before dinner, I quickly poured a couple of glasses without decanting. My first impressions were of a bland, insipid wine, long past its prime. With limited choices at the ready, I opened another bottle, a 2000 vintage cru bourgeois, in the hope of having something decent to drink with diner.
I came back to the Rausan about twenty minutes later. My wife had earlier remarked that maybe the wine would open up – my fear was that whatever was left of this wine would quickly dissipate. Here are my notes. Much better the second time around; still magenta in the glass. Notes of eucalyptus and cedar on the nose. Sufficient fruit to coat remaining tannins. And a decent finish. I’ll probably cook with the remaining two bottles to avoid the hassle but at least this bottle offered a modest degree of redemption. If you have any in your cellar, open it now and move on.
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Drinking fabulous right now. A deep earth and flowery nose, I could snort this stuff and be a happy man. Cedar, tobacco-hell I should smoke it (down) instead.
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Full flavored, robust, strong purple fruit with lots of iron and mineral. Acidic finish. Well resolved tannins. At its peak and not fading anytime soon. B
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Beautiful smokey Bordeaux - decanted for one hour and consumed over the next 2 hours - by the end it had lost much of the fruit and complexity upon opening.
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Dark ruby, purple color with some hints of brown around the edges; aromas of tar, earth, and black fruits; medium body with mellow tannins and fllavors of minerals, spice, and ripe fruit. Nice mature Bordeaux probably at its peak.
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You bring 'em - we'll drink 'em (Fayette Street Grille): Nose of red fruits and tar. Initial impression of sour cherry, tar, tobacco and meat with a lovely finish of sweet mature fruit. Little tannin left - acidity still present - a lovely mature bottle of Bordeaux that showed well this evening (but is getting to be past its prime).
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Somewhat promising on the nose but the palate didn't deliver at all. Hard, tannic and austere this showed no evolution after being open for over 24 hours so it wasn't that it needed to open up. Just not a very good wine, I think.
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Decanted 3 hours. Color deep garnet-red. Beautiful mature-Bordeaux nose of cedar, asian spices, tobacco, tea and earth. Light and a bit lean on the palate (did I decant it too long?) with decent, but not exciting, fruitiness. Short finish. A disappointment.
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Had this with Flannery NY strip. Color was soft red with slight bricking; nose had pencil lead, softness, and fruit; palate started weak, but after a few hours it opened, nice finish with nice red fruit. Paired well with the strip.
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Drank at l'Ete du Vin patrons' dinner at Watermark restaurant. Classic Bordeaux nose of cedar, pipe tobacco. Well-balanced, medium-bodied, dry leaves, tobacco, dark chocolate. Very elegant on the palate with a refined finish. This was served alongside some big wines ('90 Pegau, '00 Harlan, '03 Pegau). I would like to drink the next bottle of this wine with a simply-prepared beef tenderloin. It warrants some focused attention.
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Just as lovely as the last one; lovely nose. Not particularly full-bodied, but considering its age it was showing very respectably. Delightful example of an aged claret.
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Wonderful flavors...this wine is really turning the corner from a tannic beast to a elegant refined claret. Nez is all leather and green forest floor with raspberries and cassis on the palate.
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5/4/2024 - cct wrote: 92 Points
Served blind
Double decanted in the AM
Cassis and stone fruits, bell pepper-pyrazines, bitter chocolate, bergamot, and violets on the nose. Classically proportioned on the palate, more linear than broad, but not in a pejorative sense,. Mid plus weighted with more of the same on the palate, adding iron, gravel and clay. Initially a little thin on the back end, it fleshed out over several hours. I was told the next day it was even better but he person who brought it. I started with '88 northern Medoc classed growth, then switched to '96 when it fleshed out some. Really lovely honest Bordeaux. Not for hedonists, but rather a wine worthy of contemplation and and thoughtful enjoyment. I really liked it.
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3/8/2024 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 90 Points
I had been so excited to first purchase this, have a very kind buddy hand carry this back from abroad.. and then to cellar it since last year, before sharing it with another set of 1988 birthday lads and their missus!
Happy Birthday to WK, and glad to share this with another 1988 baby AL too. Dinner over simple but delicious steaks at Butchers Carey.
74% Cab, 26% Merlot.
Light and developing green notes on the nose, light cedar hints.
Even after 36 years, there was still blackfruit and plums on the palate!
Still quite complex with layers of fruit intertwined with M+ acidity whilst most of the tannins have already been shed.
However as the night progressed, I found the tannins to be slightly dusty on the finish.
The finish was memorable, medium to long length, probably 30 seconds.
Best of all, how this Rausan 1988 aged in such a slow and graceful way, seems to have only just moved into the tertiary phase with light polished saddle, it's still so lively after all these years.
The roundtable of guesses, yes we always drink our wines.. wrapped up and blinded!
AL and birthday boy WK, one guessed New World whilst the other.. Old World. Both thought perhaps mid or late 2000s, 2008?
@Hann thought maybe New World, as late as 2012!
The provenance of this bottle was so good, the cork so pristine with only 3mm wet. Love it!
@Alex F thought Margaux, well guessed bro! The typicity of the nose gave this away.
Butchers Carey Damas, KL, Malaysia
8th Mar 2024
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1/13/2024 - AudunG wrote: 93 Points
Lovely mature left bank aromas with leather, flowers, mushrooms, pencil and some greenness. Mature and quite refined on the palate.
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11/30/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 86 Points
It's that time of the year ... Happy Bordecembre!!
Youthful and hard to believe... this is a 35 year old wine! I brought along this second-growth wine from the Margaux appelation for our birthday boy ... as this is his birth-year.
I had purchased this early this year from Winebuff Hong Kong, and hand carried it back to Malaysia. Grateful for the provenance and quality of this aged bottle!
Back in the first 10 years of its life, Robert Parker had described this to be a wine for the long-term. RP called this a strong, powerful wine with an opaque ruby/purple color and a tight but promising bouquet of black currants and is very muscular, very masculine, and brawny wine. He even asked, "Will it ever shed all of its tannin?"
Only bottle breathed for about 15 minutes, I used a Vinaera wine pourer with filter instead as I was worried to overly decant such an aged wine. It was the right decision, as the nose was one of black fruit, raspberries and hints of cigar ash and soil too. The palate was one of green peppers, beautiful polished leather and I thought it had remained quite fresh.
Blend of 74% Cab and 26% Merlot. This is a complex and wine that punches above the "average vintage" of rainy 1988, and I loved the tobacco-tinged long finish of over 40 seconds length. Medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and I loved that some of the core of fruit is still there.
Interestingly for its age, there is still some firm tannins, as well as medium+ acidity which lifts the wine.
Joe thought Italian, and so did Romz and LF. Hmm, God of Wines Mika was the only one who thought... is this a Bordeaux? But he didn't seem very convinced too! What all the lads did agree on was that my wine seemed to be younger compared to Joe's... Funny look on their faces when they saw that it was of the same 1988 vintage when unveiled!
Happy Birthday brother LF, hope you enjoyed our birth-year wines for you.. Not just this one, but the Las Cases (Romz) and Gruaud Larose (JY) too!
Vintage 1988:
October 1987 - Rains which shaped the vintage, and continued in a sporadic fashion for many months. Above-average rainfall right through to June 1988.
There was a need to get out into the vineyard and spray, to protect the vines from rot and mildew, very early on in this vintage.
The flowering was later than usual and rather uneven, increasing the risk of uneven ripeness in the fruit come harvest time.
In the summer months, from June 1988 onwards, hopes started to be raised for a good vintage.
July, August and September were drier then usual, although not particularly warm. From October 1988, temperatures finally took off, with a true Indian summer, encouraging the ripening of the fruit.
The best fruit was ripe with thick skin, thus giving the best wines plenty of colour and tannin.
Uneven flowering and there was significant variation between varieties, vineyards, and even between vines and bunches, of the maturity of the fruit. Thus a year of irregular quality!
Critic reviews:
Critics were critical of this vintage, with ratings such as RP 91 and WS 90 - But I have learnt that especially for significantly aged Bordeauxs (Pre-2000s in my books!), they can sometimes and often be wrong.
Back in the early 1990s, Robert Parker had enthusiastically described this 1988 Château Rauzan-Ségla as the second great vintage produced here during the estate’s renaissance, with the 1986 the first superb wine here in a generation to his mind.
The most interesting comment.. Did this Rausan vintage truly show-off a typical Margaux character? Some described this to drink more like a St. Julien!
30th Nov 2023
Maillard Grill KL, Malaysia
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10/28/2023 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted double blind from a small capped bottle as part of a zoom tasting. Nose has lots of pyrazines - green pepper and tobacco, minerality, charcoal? Not a lot of fruit. Maybe some red/blue? - black cherry and blackbery. Spicy and maybe a bit volatile? Hints of carob and nutty - some age but not too much. The palate has similar pyrazines - more tobacco than green pepper. Very spicy and assertive - high acid and some green. Not a lot of tannin. Rich. Maybe some char. A little tart/sour. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
I figured BDX on these (and the 95 Haut Bailly). Saw some scorch in each and thought they were both Graves. Guessed they were two vintages of the same wine with the other being older. Guess this to be 1995 Domaine de Chevalier (and the 95 Haut Bailly to be the 1983 Domaine de Chevalier.)
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6/4/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Family do with Barbecue, Pizza and Salads (Leafy West London): Served from magnum, two bottles tasted but both very similar. Earthy, a certain campfire note - this was definitely a cut above your regular barbecue wine but even in magnum this is most definitely ready to drink. Sub 13% wine is just so good for lunchtime quaffing.
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6/11/2022 - AFM87 Likes this wine: 92 Points
30 min decant. Notes of tobacco, earth, leather, cedar; fruit mostly gone. Delicious paired with ribeye and hanger steak.
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5/20/2022 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
Served blind next to an 88 Dunn Howell Mountain. So semi blind, for me. Decanted off the substantial sediment about a half hour before serving. This is a lovely old claret, with tobacco leaves and wet soil and dark cassis fruit. It's pungent on the nose, and articulates its flavors well on the palate, also quite well balanced. The finish is not particularly resonant, and this is not a grand old wine, but it is quite good, especially in the context of the vintage. One thing, and perhaps this is picking nits, but from what I've tasted and understand of Margaux - this did not show Margaux character. The 1989 I drank last year - that was classic Margaux. This drank more like a St. Julien in my book.
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4/30/2022 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Very earthy, red fruit profile, notes of tobacco, leather and velvet texture. Fully mature now, only needs a 15 minutes of air to open up. Very good.
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2/1/2022 - Slwojdyla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now as she’s on her way out. Hints of red fruit still remains on the front end but quickly transitions to heavy earthy notes with sautéed mushroom and a tinge of black olive on the finish. A little tannin remains but overall very mellow. Tasted next to the ‘89 and paled in comparison but still delicious for the tertiary notes.
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7/16/2021 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened & breathed in bottle for 30 minutes, paired with Australian Angus steak, bottle & cork in good condition, medium red with bricking, lovely aromas of black currants & cigar box, medium bodied with melted tannins, good fruits left, dry & savoury, the last glass from the bottle was damp earth & truffles, best paired with food, drinking at peak
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7/10/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light earthy blackberry; sweet raspberry; balanced; long finish.
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6/23/2020 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 91 Points
For its age this has a dark colour, which in the past has made me wonder/hope if further development might lie ahead, but I think it lacks sufficient fruit core. So tgis will never have the charm and complexity as the 1985.
To be enjoyed when you are in the mood for very dry, savoury old claret (that still has some structure).
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5/7/2020 - cwjames Likes this wine:
Browning at rim, vegetal, complex aroma. In a very tertiary stage, still some blackcurrant, some oak evident, still alive but going downhill in a very gentle way and would be great with some roast lamb. Impossible to rate.
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11/27/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Earth and saline; coarse and structured; nice finish.
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5/28/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light nose; fully resolved and balance; elegant; light sweet raspberry-blackberry; long balanced sweet and lightly supple finish.
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1/11/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Holiday dinner at the French Embassy, Washington D.C. (French Embassy): This was a "pop and pour" and fellow diner Ken Barr commented that the wine was just opening up before we went to the next series. Probably true! Nevertheless, we had enough time to appreciate the wine's smooth and refined aspects, indeed very "Margaux" with elegance. It is interesting to note how Robert Parker got strong tannin when tasted en primeur. These tannins are pretty much tame at this stage, although you also get a roasted fruit ripeness, which make it even more interesting to me. 1988 is a cooler vintage than, say, 1989 or 1990, yet Rauzan has warm, gravely soils and the vines perhaps yielded higher than expected ripeness for the vintage. In any case, a very good showing!
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11/4/2018 - Bob H wrote:
Opened for dinner tonight.
Iron notes on the nose with black & red fruit.
Still with decent acidity for lift; I think I initially prefer the La Fleur de Gay, but this wine seems to have more in reserve.
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10/20/2018 - Ralph_ wrote: 89 Points
Semesterprobe Bordeaux 1988; 10/19/2018-10/21/2018 (Lamm Hebsack Remshalden): Magnum
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8/26/2018 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 89 Points
Sunday Evening Yack (Friends' House, Hong Kong): Popped and poured then drank slowly over two hours. Colour of transparent lambs blood. Reticent nose typical of the vintage. Very fresh high acidic attack on the palate...tart fresh cranberries and fresh passion fruit with the seeds. Quite typical 1988 Bordeaux austerity. Not sure it will mellow with age. It needed the strong French cheeses to balance it. In hindsight, I would decant for a couple of hours next time.
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5/2/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Magnum. Loads to tobacco, cedar box and floral elements. Fruit was slightly muted but still smooth and lovely ripe black and red fruits.
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4/20/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Compared with our previous bottle (2011) the wine has matured substantially. Earthy black current, light tobacco, leather aromas. Light medium weight with ripe fresh fruit, NO green olives now, tannins integrated, medium to long smooth finish. We would rank the 1986 vintage superior (see note 4/18/18) but the overall flavor profile and style are quite similar. Bought en premeur way back when. If you like well aged bordeaux then this one is a good one.
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1/25/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Pizza night @ R&Rler & same btl. Tom's wine. Ruby red with some light. ambering. Said to have been Decanted for an hour plus at Kevin's . A pretty solid example of aged Margaux. Classically elegant and understated with red fruit, mineral, tobacco, cedar and some underbrush elements. Very much enjoyed it buy not a head turner. Lots of fun to try these aged wines and especially one purchased on release and locally store. This likely will benefit from addl blt age.
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1/25/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Pizza Night with Aged Classic Reds Ten Plus Years Old (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Dark red color with a garnet hue. Decanted for an hour plus; drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I really love Rausan-Segla and these older wines are such great finds. This bottle vet in great shape and very expressive, aromatic nose with ripe dark fruits with a decidedly blue fruit streak included; boysenberry, cassis, blueberry, still some oak and nice wood spices, with some violets as well. The has nice body and a fairly silken texture, dark berry and blue fruit on the palate too, tar, oak, and spice on the back end. Fairly full bodied for an R-S. Very good length and good balance. Loved it.
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12/11/2017 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not the wow wine like the (best bottles of) 1985, this is less complex, flavourful, and less beautiful. It's more classic, dark fruited, more acidic, and, remarkably, considerably more youthful (and the 85s I tried all came from the Chateau and were consumed in Bordeaux).
Next year this will be 30 years old. I'd like to hope that it will continue to gain in complexity. That's possible, yet again, it seems near impossible.
We shall see.
{12.5%, cork}
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7/15/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
I've seen at least one instance where the label says "Rausan-Segla" instead of "Rauzan-Segla". Prior to 1988 it was "Rausan-Segla" for decades, despite the family progenitor in 1661 being named Pierre des Mesures de Rauzan. Nonetheless, when this Chateau refused to release the 1987 vintage, an opportunity arose to change the name in 1988. However, although many bottles were given the new Rauzan-Segla styling on the label, the corks and foils had already been made with Rausan-Segla, so you get a disconnect. I've added a picture. Now to the wine. Bricking, but still solid color at the core. Tobacco (more fine Cuban cigar with floral notes), leather, black and blue fruits in waves. Near silky smooth but the tannins still have a touch of firmness underneath. A lovely and interesting wine. This bottle with just into neck fill had another few years of peak quality.
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3/22/2017 - salil wrote: 93 Points
A fantastic showing - an intense scent of graphite and cedar wood on the nose right away, and with air it becomes more savoury, earthy, and lightly floral. Beneath all the graphite and other savouriness is a core of bright red and dark berried fruit that's still very fresh and lively, and shockingly youthful for an '88. This is outstanding now, but still seems to have years ahead with plenty of richness on the palate and still a touch of grainy tannin on the back end.
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2/18/2017 - rgrosz6 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consumed over two hours after decanting for an hour. Surprisingly young color. Beautiful berry and cedar nose, which to me is the best part of this wine. A bit high in acid, but still quite nice to drink. Great example of mature Bordeaux.
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11/25/2016 - aChave wrote: 92 Points
Slowly developed over three hours' decant. A somewhat reticent, rich, deep Margaux beginning to hit its stride. Not as big as the 1989, but good structure and depth of fruit. More dark fruit at this point, and I suspect this will not change. Very, very good.
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7/20/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and earth; some blackberry and mushroom; good texture and complexity,
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6/14/2016 - Sean Tay wrote:
Nose of black fruits, cedar, toast and earth notes. Medium bodied.
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5/27/2016 - ConnIntChicago wrote:
Medium garnet, funk and green herb on nose, stemmy on the palate with a sharp medicinal finish. Drink up. Went better with food
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4/10/2016 - T.E.D. wrote: 89 Points
Classic color, no bricking. Relatively green and somewhat off upon opening. 1-2 hours in the funk aired off and classic green bites, astringent berry came through. Palate still maintained structure and acid. Gravel, green pepper, stone and some hints of berry fruit. An easy drinking BDX, not terribly complex.
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1/23/2016 - guribh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great showing. Youthful color, with only a hint of sunset at the rim. Dense, kirsch, berry and cedar nose well integrated. Rather high acid, but not thin in any way. However, I doubt it'll resolve into silk. Nice length and sheer class all around. BDX par excellence.
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1/22/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
Medium bodied, firm, slightly drying, stern tannins and a touch or tapenade, coupled with herbs and crisp red fruits on the palate, make the nose, with its tobacco, cedar wood, cigar box and cherry character the better part of the experience. There is no reason to age this further.
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12/4/2015 - lolo66 wrote:
past prime. acidity too strong. meh...
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10/23/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: In the bouquet dark and red forest fruits as well as some good oaky flavors. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, firm acidity and mature tannin. Not extremely concentrated and showing some age. The wine is fully mature now and still beautiful, but not any reason to wait any longer.
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9/17/2015 - DaleW wrote:
Another somewhat sturdy ‘88, still a bit of tannin, but nice briary fruit. B+/B
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8/29/2015 - WinoRick wrote: 89 Points
Pulled from my cellar where it had been resting since release (@$21), double decanted and drank with grilled lamb chops. Hardly any sediment, with a medium garnet color and medium body. No browing whatsoever either. Quite sharp early on with typical Bordeaux nose and flavors. First sip was an 88, and it rounded some to be a 90 at last sip. I think this is on a very long plateau and is fine now and will not change (improve) much over the next 5-10 years.
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6/21/2015 - MRichman wrote:
A bit fading on the fruit with lots of mineral, blood, iron. A fully mature claret. Not generous fruit like modern Bordeaux. Good but not great.
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4/15/2015 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Dégustation FOUDUVIN au RESTO AVV The Main kitchen!
Très beau nez sur les fruits rouge et la terre. Belle bouche satinée, tannins assez fins et finale de belle longueur.
Très beau « Claret ».
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3/30/2015 - Bacchus&Ceres Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful bright garnet color to rim with a ripe red clean palette. Medium light body balanced very little grab in tannins smooth strong backbone tannins from aged French oak nothing harsh . Delicious w burger or lamb meatballs with CH at Joule vintage Bordeaux on a week night how charmed. Drink now through 2018.
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10/28/2014 - andtheodor wrote:
Ripe Cabernet fruit, mint, sickly oak, caramel. Coming across more like a boring old Cali wine, clumsy and seemingly not aging well. Meh. Okay for what it is.
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10/26/2014 - blanquito wrote: 87 Points
Out of the gate, the bouquet is garish and California with lots of new oak and overripe with an unattractive candied note. The palate isn't much better with some flashy fruit but little depth followed up with stern, drying tannins. Very discouraging, given how fond I was of half bottles of this a 5-6 years back... I took home the last fifth of the bottle, stored it in the fridge and tried it again today: the garish oak is gone and so is most of the overripe notes, replaced by a modest bouquet of cedar and graphite. Despite the aromatic improvement, it remains pretty charmless on the palate overall. There's a nice silkiness on the midpalate but the fruit is pretty lean and those stern, austere tannins remain on the backend. Clearly, some air helped here, but this seems a textbook candidate for drying up before softening.
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6/14/2014 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
À part un bouchon imbibé qui se désagrège complètement. , il n'y a rien de vieillot dans ce Margaux racé, au nez de mine de crayon, de cèdre et de poivron.
La bouche est harmonieuse, avec le style austère du millésime, une droiture classique, des tanins fins, avec l'élégance naturelle de l'appellation. Un vin en pleine forme, il ne lui manque qu'un peu de profondeur pour être grand. 91 pts
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6/7/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberry; earthy with round texture and integrated tannins; balanced; some abruptness, especially mid palate; decent finish.
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3/29/2014 - paulst wrote: 94 Points
Soft cedar and tar nose; great balance and texture; a bit pungent; sweet well integrated tannins; soft and elegant with nice well balanced earthy blackberry; long sweet finish.
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1/9/2014 - guribh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still going strong.
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12/25/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rubber and leather nose; sweet blackberry; balanced and smooth.
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12/5/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wine of place; elegant soft and nicely textured; perfect balance; cedar, earth, blackberry and soft elegant fruit; long sweet finish; so nice.
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11/28/2013 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Textured and rather complex with blackberry and mocha; tannins still integrating and somewhat astringent; long finish.
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11/19/2013 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
1988 Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Textbook 88 dark in colour.Herby peppery nose, light fruit and not earthy or secondary at all. Round on the palate, savoury, with decent fruit weight. Some length but not enough (more than the La Lagune we tried before it). A tough of dry tannin on the finish. Definitely has the energy to go another 10yrs and hopefully the secondary side of it when it emerges will add to the charm and complexity. 88-89 for now.
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11/19/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 90 Points
Pretty dark in colour, amazing for a wine with 25 years of age. Very nice on the nose, tobacco, fruit, forest floor, spices and smoke. Almost no tannins noticeable. Not overly generous on the palate, slightly lean, but well balanced, round and relatively generous, medium+ finish. This should have a couple of more years of life ahead of it.
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10/5/2013 - WaltC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking very well. Smooth, fully integrated, soft fruit but will not get any better. Liked by all.
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10/5/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Weygandt (Washington, DC): The bottle and cork were in pristine condition, and I thought the wine showed very well. The nose is complex and shifting, showing dried berries, potpourri, soy and mushroom. The tannins are still holding the palate together, providing a foundation with the medium acid. The cranberry and cherry fruit is still holding up, but it's laced with all sorts of beef, soy, chewing tobacco and slim jim flavors. Overall, the wine is silky and balanced. Showing lots of nuance, this changed a lot as it got more air.
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9/21/2013 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Light blackberry with a beautiful flowered nose; fades quickly.
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8/11/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Austere cherry-blackberry; nice texture.
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8/6/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Earthy and edgy; rough blackberry; textured.
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7/28/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 89 Points
Light some rubber nose; some mocha and light blackberry; austere; faded after 2 hrs; moderate finish.
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7/19/2013 - jinks Likes this wine: 92 Points
P&P. Perfect cork, supple and unstained.
Youthful, purple color without a hint of age.
Pleasant, focused aromas of briar, dark berries, and cedar.
Supple, elegant mouthfeel but a bit thin and pretty one dimensional, and this faded pretty fast in the glass. Worth drinking but past its prime.
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7/11/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Austere; light earthy cherry; some tannins in there; light fruit; light finish.
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6/29/2013 - Average Wine Guy (MH) wrote: 89 Points
The 1988 Rausan Segla is definitely a once powerful Margaux that survived its way through the decades. Almost medium ruby in colour, the nose is unexpectedly fresh with lovely notes of sweet spice, red apples and crushed berries and currants. The palate has definitely thinned out with light flavours of berries, a pronounced steeliness (almost that iron taste one will get in blood) and cedar.
Pretty linear and reserved upon pop-and-pour, but improved a little over time. Definitely aged and developed on the palate. Tannins have thinned out and lost it chewiness. Acidity is definitely present on a medium(-) but pleasurable finish. Nonetheless, the wine's well-balanced with a nice integration of its components. I doubt it has many years ahead with it beginning to lose its flavours.
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5/19/2012 - floydtp wrote: 92 Points
#12. Tasted double blind in a lineup of 13 wines from the 1980's. Nose and palate of cassis, tobacco and a hint of sweet vanilla and barrel toast. Medium-long length finish. Mostly resolved tannins. Drink now. Guessed this was the Gruaud Larose 1986 that I brought.
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5/19/2012 - ckinv368 wrote: 88 Points
CT Offline IV--Hill Country Edition; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin / Texas Hill Country / Castleman Ranch): Salty, peanut-buttery on the front of the palate. All the fruit seems to be gone at this point. Not a lot of taste on this one to be honest. Short finish, and really just not a lot here (at least to my palate). Some spice at the end of the palate, which helps. But just not a lot of other. Just a hint of dark fruit, and maybe some vegetal flavors mixed in as well.
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5/19/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
CT Texas IV - Saturday Afternoon Double Blind Tasting (Holiday Inn Express, Ranch Road, Austin, TX): WIML91
Tasted double blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, earth, camphor and dark plums. Flavors of berries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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5/19/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
CT Texas IV - A Hill Country Treat; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin, Texas): Noticeable bricking in the color. Nose of black fruits, smoke, cherries, ash, pencil lead, earth. On the palate, blackberry, red currant, cedar, earth. Finishes with gritty tannins. If you have this drink it, definitely ready to start drying out.
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4/4/2012 - guribh wrote: 91 Points
nicely complex. classic bdx at its peak. will hold 5-10 years.
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3/11/2012 - Thellie wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Little aroma or flavor when first opened but after 4 hours the wine was delicate, nuanced, and fine from Jose to finish. A happy surprise.
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3/10/2012 - andtheodor wrote: flawed
Oxidized.
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10/5/2011 - Chainthroer wrote:
I have not had much luck with this wine. My brief notes of Jan 2010 indicate "tannic, opened up after 36 hours." I get cherry, blackberry, earthiness, tobacco. Still tannic in the mouth and finish. The nose is the best part. No score. Cannot remember how I acquired this wine, but it may have had a rough ride somewhere along the line.
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9/19/2011 - andtheodor wrote:
Capsicum, pencil, cedar dominate over the shy fruit that remains in the background. Some cherry fruit emerges but is covered with a charcoal character that verges on chalky, green and acrid. Drying tannin causes this to seem stern and blocky while glimpses of sweetness at times makes me wonder if this needs time? Hard to evaluate, maybe a nice wine wrapped in a coarse shell.
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9/17/2011 - misterstarre wrote: 92 Points
The cork was crumbling, so I pushed it through and poured the wine into the decanter through cheese cloth. First taste was dominated by stewed tomatoes and oxidized copper...I was worried. By the time I got back from the market, the tangy sweet light bodied flavors upon opening blew off, and the wine appeared brickish on the edge with a blue-purple core. Graphite, meat, sour cherry, and tobacco flavors dominated, but a soft dark fruit essence remains, and a touch of oak shimmers under the surface flavors. The medium body of this wine came out with an hour's decanting. Tannins are fully integrated, leaving an accessible mature and earthy wine open to the palate. This wine may be a bit past its peak, but that remains a matter of preference at this stage of development. Drink now. From a bottle stored in a professional temperature and humidity controlled wine storage location since release.
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9/8/2011 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux vs. Napa Cab: mano-a-mano in 4 rounds; 9/7/2011-9/8/2011: This is still pretty young, just beginning to develop a mature bouquet with scents of smoke, cinder, cherries. The palate is more restrained, with a chewy midpalate and big, drying tannins on the end. Still too tannic right now, giving the finish a chalky, tongue-gripping quality that is austere and a bit rough. Should be decanted or given another 5 years. I tasted the last glass a five hours later and it was more integrated, with a nice essence of lead pencil and an earthy claret profile, raising my score to 91.
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5/8/2011 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
An excellent classic Bordeaux. Very balanced with plenty of terroir showing through. Old school 12.5% abv. Delicious!
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3/5/2011 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
Blackberry aroma came rolling out of bottle as soon as cork was pulled. It dissipated within 5 minutes and a more earthy, leathery character with a bit of green olive became dominant. Initial taste was not particularly interesting. Fruit was quite reserved with some acidity. Tannins seemed to be resolved. After 2-3 hours the flavors became more integrated and the initial acidity seem to soften. The dark fruit flavor was dominant but the hint of green olives remained even on the medium length finish. Went along nicely with the roasted lamb.
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3/5/2011 - pepmi wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was a last minute choice and I was not quite sure what to expect of it. One of three remaining bottles of a case bought in the early nineties; I was never overwhelmed by this particular vintage. I much preferred the ’94 which seemed to offer much more sensory pleasure.
With a hurried pull of the cork right before dinner, I quickly poured a couple of glasses without decanting. My first impressions were of a bland, insipid wine, long past its prime. With limited choices at the ready, I opened another bottle, a 2000 vintage cru bourgeois, in the hope of having something decent to drink with diner.
I came back to the Rausan about twenty minutes later. My wife had earlier remarked that maybe the wine would open up – my fear was that whatever was left of this wine would quickly dissipate. Here are my notes.
Much better the second time around; still magenta in the glass. Notes of eucalyptus and cedar on the nose. Sufficient fruit to coat remaining tannins. And a decent finish. I’ll probably cook with the remaining two bottles to avoid the hassle but at least this bottle offered a modest degree of redemption. If you have any in your cellar, open it now and move on.
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2/13/2011 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Drinking fabulous right now. A deep earth and flowery nose, I could snort this stuff and be a happy man. Cedar, tobacco-hell I should smoke it (down) instead.
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1/30/2011 - IAMVLAD wrote: 90 Points
fully mature. nice spice component. great aromatics.
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12/11/2010 - Whistler wrote: 90 Points
Drinking better than it did 4-5 years ago. Good intensity and length but still slightly bitter tannins on the finish. I prefer the 89 and 90.
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10/19/2010 - MRichman wrote:
Full flavored, robust, strong purple fruit with lots of iron and mineral. Acidic finish. Well resolved tannins. At its peak and not fading anytime soon.
B
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2/27/2010 - Pre-emptive wrote: 91 Points
Mature Bordeaux with a significant dose of earthiness.
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1/28/2010 - jlib77 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful smokey Bordeaux - decanted for one hour and consumed over the next 2 hours - by the end it had lost much of the fruit and complexity upon opening.
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12/19/2009 - nytiger wrote: 91 Points
Big nose, fine flavors and finish
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1/31/2009 - jackarmando wrote: 91 Points
Fragrant, smooth, elegant
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12/25/2008 - knelsfk wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby, purple color with some hints of brown around the edges; aromas of tar, earth, and black fruits; medium body with mellow tannins and fllavors of minerals, spice, and ripe fruit. Nice mature Bordeaux probably at its peak.
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12/10/2008 - dwmcubed wrote:
You bring 'em - we'll drink 'em (Fayette Street Grille): Nose of red fruits and tar. Initial impression of sour cherry, tar, tobacco and meat with a lovely finish of sweet mature fruit. Little tannin left - acidity still present - a lovely mature bottle of Bordeaux that showed well this evening (but is getting to be past its prime).
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1/17/2008 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
Mature Bordeaux with wet tobacco and cassis on the nose. Could use a bit more core sweetness to round out the fairly firm structure. Good plus. (88)
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12/26/2007 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Somewhat promising on the nose but the palate didn't deliver at all. Hard, tannic and austere this showed no evolution after being open for over 24 hours so it wasn't that it needed to open up. Just not a very good wine, I think.
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10/29/2007 - tomandlu wrote: 83 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Color deep garnet-red. Beautiful mature-Bordeaux nose of cedar, asian spices, tobacco, tea and earth. Light and a bit lean on the palate (did I decant it too long?) with decent, but not exciting, fruitiness. Short finish. A disappointment.
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8/11/2007 - marka wrote: 90 Points
Had this with Flannery NY strip. Color was soft red with slight bricking; nose had pencil lead, softness, and fruit; palate started weak, but after a few hours it opened, nice finish with nice red fruit. Paired well with the strip.
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7/15/2007 - cdunn wrote: 92 Points
Drank at l'Ete du Vin patrons' dinner at Watermark restaurant. Classic Bordeaux nose of cedar, pipe tobacco. Well-balanced, medium-bodied, dry leaves, tobacco, dark chocolate. Very elegant on the palate with a refined finish. This was served alongside some big wines ('90 Pegau, '00 Harlan, '03 Pegau). I would like to drink the next bottle of this wine with a simply-prepared beef tenderloin. It warrants some focused attention.
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5/28/2007 - JScott wrote: 87 Points
Better on the nose than the palate, which was a bit lean and angular.
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3/9/2007 - RedCardRob wrote: 92 Points
This wine is beautiful and showing no signs of losing its edge anytime soon. Opened at Canlis in Seattle and paired wonderfully with lamb.
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12/31/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 91 Points
Just as lovely as the last one; lovely nose. Not particularly full-bodied, but considering its age it was showing very respectably. Delightful example of an aged claret.
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12/25/2006 - mrabinowitz wrote:
a little disappointing. Good but not as great as I expected.
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7/7/2006 - cortoncharlie wrote: 89 Points
Still young. Wait a few more years
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1/1/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 92 Points
Elegant Rausan; drinking very nicely. Raspberry and red fruit on the nose, lovely finish. A steal at the price. Pity I only have two more.
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11/27/2005 - Alpine wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful flavors...this wine is really turning the corner from a tannic beast to a elegant refined claret. Nez is all leather and green forest floor with raspberries and cassis on the palate.
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7/1/2004 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
CURRANTS, BLACKBERRIES, AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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1/16/2004 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Rich, almost port-like nose, with a touch of wood varnish; tasty, leathery, tart cherry palate with grip and big tannins; medium-plus finish
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