Opened for N's birthday dinner but was beyond tertiary and sadly undrinkable. I had high hopes for this but that is a gamble with these old wines from less heralded vintages!
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Dark garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty & vegetal notes, leather, coffee, gravel, iron, herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of smoke & menthol in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & cassis with mushrooms, coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and at 44 years of age, it is at or past its peak of development & would drink up if you have any. Fill was at bottom of neck right up above the shoulder level; cork was stained 1/2 the way up but intact upon opening.
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This is a wine that captures the essence of La Mission Haut Brion wonderfully.
Heady perfume of red berries, cherry, spicy wood smoke, brick, rosemary and olives. Very pessac in its approach and the palate is even more so. Silky and fine tannins that only age can accomplish. Clearly there was vigor when the wine was young as the entry of blackberry, cherry skin and mineral is intense, yet the subtlety unfolds as this sits in the decanter and grows longer in the mouth. Inner mouth perfume of tobacco, smoking embers and baked bricks lies beneath the slightly browning red fruit.
A La Mission of elegance and class that can only be accomplished from the best terroir of Pessac. I adored this wine not for hitting the highs of a great vintage, but for its character and ability to show the nature of the property.
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A lot of green going on here on the nose and palate. The perfume, with its array of tobaccos, leaves, herbs and earth is the best part of the wine, which is a bit stern and drying out in the finish. If you have this in your cellar, it is time to drink up.
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Quite pleased with this bottle. Cork was saturated but solid and had seeped at some point in the past long ago. Fill was above base neck. Decanted and filtered out the fine sediment for clarity. Pleasant old Bordeaux nose upon opening, but a bit restrained and light brown, garnet color. Decanted for 2.5 hours before opening. Was singing at the time, classic aged classy Graves, most thought it was at least 15 years younger. Great acid balance, cedar/dried tobacco, dried red fruit and fruit leather/tanned leather-like palate. 30 second finish. Very happy with the bottle. Tried again 9 hours after decanting and it hadn't lost much. Could easily be enjoyed for another 10+ years.
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Pleasant, without much depth, complexity or length, the wine is more about its earthy, tobacco and cedar secondary characteristics today, as it continues its slow decline. If you are sitting on this, you should consider drinking this sooner than later before it drops the remainder of its fruit.
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There was some concern that this was corked but to be fair there was that same concern on the HB which then everyone thought was the best wine of the evening. I only had a small taste of this, but to me this was prob the most vibrant of the three from the start. Didn't get to follow it's evolution as it was finished by the time it came back around. More secondary/tertiary, but the vibrancy was nice.
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Brought my last bottle of the 1979 to our biweekly wine group dinners at Two Chefs; previous one opened at our dinner in 2010.
Not sure how much life it had left, I decided to decant shortly before going to dinner. When I removed the capsule, the top of the cork looked solid with no sign of seepage . But when I started to pull it with an ah-so, it began to come out in pieces, which I double-screened out along with some sediment. The nose was slightly muted and the color had a brownish, earthy look, but a quick taste reassured me it was drinkable, albeit a nondescript Bordeaux at that moment.
A different -- and better -- story at the restaurant, and this is what I love about collecting and drinking fine wines. After starting with two excellent champagnes (Vilmart Cuvee Rubis rose and J Vineyards) and four whites (including two top-notch grand cru Alsatians, a white Bordeaux and a 2009 Mount Eden chard many of us mistook for a Corton Charlemagne in our double blind format), I finally poured the 79 La Mission with the first of the two red-wine courses.
The nose was now more complex with the lovely scents of tobacco and cedar, and the wine had gained some weight and depth and was no longer nondescript. It was medium bodied and earthy and smoky on the palate with some fruit still discernible.
I was pleased how well it showed, and it served a great kickoff for the three younger, bigger reds that followed - 1997 Ch. Margaux, 1995 Phelps insignia and 2008 Viader proprietary blend. While all the champagnes, whites and reds were terrific, the WOTN for me was the closer - 1996 d'Yquem, thanks to Bob Muraro, who also brought the Margaux.
Thanks too to owner-chef Jan Jorgensen and Chef Oscar Pajares, who cooked for us last night. For years, they have been creating special off-the-menu feasts (two courses for whites, two for reds) just for our group. Always great wines, great food, great times.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #296: A beautiful mix (@ RW): Very mature, but still very complex and beautiful bouquet with oak, cedar and horse stable. On the palate chocolate, graphite and still some dark berries. Mature, but a beautiful and complex wine. Great to taste this! Has probably been a bit better when it was a few years younger, but tonight I still score the wine 93.
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tremendous throw, decanted for an hour and a good looking for a 38 year old wine shiny clear semi-opaque. Aromatics of a moderate oxidation, warm, brown, earthy, powerful nose of stewed fruits, meaty; strong but fast tears bordering on sheet like flow; medium bodied, dry earth, finish of gripping tannins. An aristocrat in a Saddle row bespoke tweed suit with a paisley silk purple pocket square, rat catcher Bates hat on the table, smoking a cigar in an old wooden panelled gentleman's club. Cheers boys; Claret at its finest.
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The best bottles are smokey, gravelly and sublime. This bottle was more subdued than sublime, and austere with dark, smokey earthy tones, gravelly notes and a fairly curmudgeonly personality. Surprisingly it came fourth in this flight, but still a wine to savour.
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RSJ 'IAN A's Greatest hits of the 1970s': Immaculate bottle. All of the three '79s were perfect on the night (Cheval Blanc and Haut Brion). Intense, gravelly, smoky-filled and tobacco. Sublime.
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Best bottle (@Schmiede, Kirchheim): Glass: Schott Zwiesel Red Wine Served from a mid-shoulder bottle. Clear, impressive medium deep purple color. Clean nose, with menthol notes. Dry, intense acidity, a bit drying out tannin, medium intense on the palate and medium length. Not that appealing to drink solo but goes well with food. Drink up, it won’t improve.
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1979 La Mission Haut Brion sports cherry pipe tobacco scents with hints of forest floor and mushroom. Light in style, this elegant, soft wine ends with cherry flavors and a hint of tartness. This wine needs to be drunk up. 89 Pts
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A reward after a brutal two weeks of work. Surprised by how alive this was out of a .375. More brown than red, but still showing nice fruit, with sweet cherries and cassis on the palate. Pipe tobacco, mushrooms, dust and leather on the nose. Held up well 2 hours into the large glass.
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Slowly but surely the wine just started falling off the plateau. Gets better with air, lots of fruit left very small sediments, enjoy to the fullest, it won't get any better than this!
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I was worried that this would be too old after reading some reviews, but it is still drinking well with noticeable fruit. Very balanced and smooth with lovely earthy characteristics and juicy acidity. Decanted for about 30 minutes, as I was advised much longer might not be benficial for a wine this old. Had with a simple filet for husband's 32nd birthday, born in 1979.
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Started low but gained some weight and depth after being decanted and then drunk over two hour at a mini-wine group dinner at Two Chefs. Wonderful tobacco nose. Fruit fading but still discernible. nice long length
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1979 La Mission Haut Brion started with a smoke and filled nose with caramel tomato, cassis and earthy aromas. Soft, short and ending with a hint of tart, cassis flavors, this wine needs to drunk up.
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Base neck fill. Extremely soft cork was extracted in two pieces; contents were under some pressure as the wine burped out of the bottle. Slight bricking on the rim. Nose of old Bordeaux, with some vegetal notes, as well as decaying vegetable matter. Unpleasantness blew off after a few minutes in the glass with the help of swirling. Hints of cassis. On the palate, notes of earth, with some cherries appearing on the midpalate. Tannins are soft and resolved. Good balance of everything, though I wouldn't mind a tad more fruit. Medium-length finish. Elegant and feminine. Slightly past its prime; drink three years ago to now.
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Opened and checked in advance, decanted just before serving. Opens to reveal an elegant nose of sweet black fruit, with cedar, spice and soil. Composed and refined on the palate--all elements in an excellent balance. Cherries and blackberry. Same as last showing, a beautiful minty element emerging on the finish. Drinking extremely well. Lovely.
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This bottle looked a little beat up but had a really good fill into the neck, and the cork came out in one piece. I didn't think this would be as good as it was, but boy was I wrong. Dark red almost purple color with just the faintest bricking. Initially there was a bid of band-aid on the nose but that blew off quickly. I decanted this and was a bit surprised at how little sediment there was. After about 30 min, the nose held aromas of luscious cassis, some cigar box, lots of musty forest floor and a hint of coffee. The palate had most of the same with a slightly rustic mouthfeel and really deep flavors of earthy cassis. Medium acid and just faint tannins with a finish that resonated for well over 30 seconds. Probably a few years past it's peak, but still very good. Gotta love old Bord's.
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Decanted for sediment and returned to bottle. Garnet with slight bricking toward the rim and flashes of ruby. Sweet plum and raspberry nose, leather, balanced and graceful notes of cedar and graphite. Smooth tannin and red fruit, hint of blueberry. Pomegranate? Slight mint emerging mid-way through. Color seems to darken and the palate fleshes out more with red licorice and crushed stones. Aroma becoming more impressive as it goes. Still very fresh acidity. Slate and iron with sweet dark fruit. Need to give the next bottle a little more time to evolve after opening.
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1979 is a special year to me - the year I stepped my foot on the Ameican soil. We received the bottles today from NYC, and I couldn't resist from opening it. Motion sickness? What motion sickness? The wine had less sediments than 2001 Pavie. Still young, but lost some of it's vigor. No tannins to scratch the tongue, pure elegance and harmony. Very light bricking on the edge, but still has garnet color. If this was human being, I'd say it's 50 years old, tops. The wine which is quintessential aged Bordeaux, salut!
(Sorry, Dave, 1 point was taken for lack of Manlin at the table and 1 point was taken off because it wasn't at Brad's house :) )
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Dinner with England, Manlin, and Others (Brad's House): Popped and poured. This wine was dark red turning orange and watery near the rim. I was disappointed in the nose, as it gave no hint of Graves. I was hoping for cigar box and all I got was nice red fruit. This tasted very concentrated and was good from the attack through the lingering finish. A very nice wine from a challenging vintage, but in the end more generic than I had hoped.
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Drinking well now. Showy nose of scorched earth and some cigsr. Attractive red and dark fruits, cherry, lots of cedar, rustic but some mineral, too. Balanced and drinking well - especially for the price.
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At Singer & Foy survey of '79 Bordeaux. Medium-dark ruby. Fairly interesting bouquet. A bit oaky. On the palate, somewhat coarse, a bit harsh, though with a sleek mouthfeel. Bitter. Has that bitter finish. I don't like this vintage.
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1/26/2024 - dchain wrote: 80 Points
Opened for N's birthday dinner but was beyond tertiary and sadly undrinkable. I had high hopes for this but that is a gamble with these old wines from less heralded vintages!
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10/22/2023 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet in color with clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty & vegetal notes, leather, coffee, gravel, iron, herbs, spices, minerals & a hint of smoke & menthol in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries & cassis with mushrooms, coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and at 44 years of age, it is at or past its peak of development & would drink up if you have any. Fill was at bottom of neck right up above the shoulder level; cork was stained 1/2 the way up but intact upon opening.
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2/28/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Birthday Bonanza (Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)): Overshadowed by the Margaux served alongside. This is a good old Bordeaux. Cigar box and a bit more of that secondary style but drinking well.
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4/18/2022 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
This is a wine that captures the essence of La Mission Haut Brion wonderfully.
Heady perfume of red berries, cherry, spicy wood smoke, brick, rosemary and olives. Very pessac in its approach and the palate is even more so. Silky and fine tannins that only age can accomplish. Clearly there was vigor when the wine was young as the entry of blackberry, cherry skin and mineral is intense, yet the subtlety unfolds as this sits in the decanter and grows longer in the mouth. Inner mouth perfume of tobacco, smoking embers and baked bricks lies beneath the slightly browning red fruit.
A La Mission of elegance and class that can only be accomplished from the best terroir of Pessac. I adored this wine not for hitting the highs of a great vintage, but for its character and ability to show the nature of the property.
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10/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
A lot of green going on here on the nose and palate. The perfume, with its array of tobaccos, leaves, herbs and earth is the best part of the wine, which is a bit stern and drying out in the finish. If you have this in your cellar, it is time to drink up.
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9/11/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote: flawed
Epic Bordeaux for an Epic Birthday!; 9/1/2021-9/12/2021 (Paris & Bordeaux): Unfortunate but they do happen when you are drinking old wine.
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5/1/2021 - RKatzDO wrote:
Quite pleased with this bottle. Cork was saturated but solid and had seeped at some point in the past long ago. Fill was above base neck. Decanted and filtered out the fine sediment for clarity. Pleasant old Bordeaux nose upon opening, but a bit restrained and light brown, garnet color. Decanted for 2.5 hours before opening. Was singing at the time, classic aged classy Graves, most thought it was at least 15 years younger. Great acid balance, cedar/dried tobacco, dried red fruit and fruit leather/tanned leather-like palate. 30 second finish. Very happy with the bottle. Tried again 9 hours after decanting and it hadn't lost much. Could easily be enjoyed for another 10+ years.
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7/28/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
A real success for the vintage. Dark ruby. Great fruits, especially blackcurrants. Some structure. The best 79 I've had
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6/14/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant, without much depth, complexity or length, the wine is more about its earthy, tobacco and cedar secondary characteristics today, as it continues its slow decline. If you are sitting on this, you should consider drinking this sooner than later before it drops the remainder of its fruit.
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12/12/2019 - JS79 wrote: flawed
Very sadly completely gone.
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9/27/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
There was some concern that this was corked but to be fair there was that same concern on the HB which then everyone thought was the best wine of the evening. I only had a small taste of this, but to me this was prob the most vibrant of the three from the start. Didn't get to follow it's evolution as it was finished by the time it came back around. More secondary/tertiary, but the vibrancy was nice.
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9/19/2018 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
Brought my last bottle of the 1979 to our biweekly wine group dinners at Two Chefs; previous one opened at our dinner in 2010.
Not sure how much life it had left, I decided to decant shortly before going to dinner. When I removed the capsule, the top of the cork looked solid with no sign of seepage . But when I started to pull it with an ah-so, it began to come out in pieces, which I double-screened out along with some sediment. The nose was slightly muted and the color had a brownish, earthy look, but a quick taste reassured me it was drinkable, albeit a nondescript Bordeaux at that moment.
A different -- and better -- story at the restaurant, and this is what I love about collecting and drinking fine wines. After starting with two excellent champagnes (Vilmart Cuvee Rubis rose and J Vineyards) and four whites (including two top-notch grand cru Alsatians, a white Bordeaux and a 2009 Mount Eden chard many of us mistook for a Corton Charlemagne in our double blind format), I finally poured the 79 La Mission with the first of the two red-wine courses.
The nose was now more complex with the lovely scents of tobacco and cedar, and the wine had gained some weight and depth and was no longer nondescript. It was medium bodied and earthy and smoky on the palate with some fruit still discernible.
I was pleased how well it showed, and it served a great kickoff for the three younger, bigger reds that followed - 1997 Ch. Margaux, 1995 Phelps insignia and 2008 Viader proprietary blend. While all the champagnes, whites and reds were terrific, the WOTN for me was the closer - 1996 d'Yquem, thanks to Bob Muraro, who also brought the Margaux.
Thanks too to owner-chef Jan Jorgensen and Chef Oscar Pajares, who cooked for us last night. For years, they have been creating special off-the-menu feasts (two courses for whites, two for reds) just for our group. Always great wines, great food, great times.
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7/30/2018 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #296: A beautiful mix (@ RW): Very mature, but still very complex and beautiful bouquet with oak, cedar and horse stable. On the palate chocolate, graphite and still some dark berries. Mature, but a beautiful and complex wine. Great to taste this! Has probably been a bit better when it was a few years younger, but tonight I still score the wine 93.
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8/27/2017 - Bacchus&Ceres Likes this wine: 94 Points
tremendous throw, decanted for an hour and a good looking for a 38 year old wine shiny clear semi-opaque. Aromatics of a moderate oxidation, warm, brown, earthy, powerful nose of stewed fruits, meaty; strong but fast tears bordering on sheet like flow; medium bodied, dry earth, finish of gripping tannins. An aristocrat in a Saddle row bespoke tweed suit with a paisley silk purple pocket square, rat catcher Bates hat on the table, smoking a cigar in an old wooden panelled gentleman's club. Cheers boys; Claret at its finest.
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4/29/2016 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 92 Points
The best bottles are smokey, gravelly and sublime. This bottle was more subdued than sublime, and austere with dark, smokey earthy tones, gravelly notes and a fairly curmudgeonly personality. Surprisingly it came fourth in this flight, but still a wine to savour.
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11/24/2015 - MEKWINE Likes this wine: 95 Points
RSJ 'IAN A's Greatest hits of the 1970s': Immaculate bottle. All of the three '79s were perfect on the night (Cheval Blanc and Haut Brion). Intense, gravelly, smoky-filled and tobacco. Sublime.
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11/14/2015 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 88 Points
Best bottle (@Schmiede, Kirchheim): Glass: Schott Zwiesel Red Wine
Served from a mid-shoulder bottle.
Clear, impressive medium deep purple color. Clean nose, with menthol notes. Dry, intense acidity, a bit drying out tannin, medium intense on the palate and medium length. Not that appealing to drink solo but goes well with food. Drink up, it won’t improve.
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10/6/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Smoky, earthy, intense tobacco, forest floor and fresh, cherries, slightly rustic tannins, fresh, but fading dark red fruits.
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11/19/2013 - ricknat1 wrote:
nice but not up to its usual snuff or perhaps mine was gone too quickly to let it come to itself
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12/18/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
1979 La Mission Haut Brion sports cherry pipe tobacco scents with hints of forest floor and mushroom. Light in style, this elegant, soft wine ends with cherry flavors and a hint of tartness. This wine needs to be drunk up. 89 Pts
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8/10/2012 - WST wrote: 91 Points
A reward after a brutal two weeks of work. Surprised by how alive this was out of a .375. More brown than red, but still showing nice fruit, with sweet cherries and cassis on the palate. Pipe tobacco, mushrooms, dust and leather on the nose. Held up well 2 hours into the large glass.
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7/1/2012 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Slowly but surely the wine just started falling off the plateau. Gets better with air, lots of fruit left very small sediments, enjoy to the fullest, it won't get any better than this!
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5/28/2012 - winecowboy wrote: 90 Points
Tobacco and wet leather. Not as open as the 78 but still a charming wine.
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4/18/2012 - ricknat1 wrote: 92 Points
Part of a dinner at Bouley pairing 79, La Mission and HB, 82 Barton and Las Cases, 93, Palmer and Margaux and 89 Pichons.
Rounder than the HB, it evolved in the glass even though both had been open 2 hours. Foresty in a nice way.
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3/10/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
La Mission Haut Brion; 3/9/2012-3/10/2012 (Burg Staufeneck): From magnum. Nose of cassis, tobacco, chocolate, wood. On the palate dense with dark fruit, vanilla. Quite tannic and for the long run.
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7/16/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 88 Points
Despite decanting, very closed for a while, and when it opens up a bit and yielded some aromatics, the body fell apart, hmmm, over the top?
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1/29/2011 - mikeandanna Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was worried that this would be too old after reading some reviews, but it is still drinking well with noticeable fruit. Very balanced and smooth with lovely earthy characteristics and juicy acidity. Decanted for about 30 minutes, as I was advised much longer might not be benficial for a wine this old. Had with a simple filet for husband's 32nd birthday, born in 1979.
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12/30/2010 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
Started low but gained some weight and depth after being decanted and then drunk over two hour at a mini-wine group dinner at Two Chefs. Wonderful tobacco nose. Fruit fading but still discernible. nice long length
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9/14/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 85 Points
1979 La Mission Haut Brion started with a smoke and filled nose with caramel tomato, cassis and earthy aromas. Soft, short and ending with a hint of tart, cassis flavors, this wine needs to drunk up.
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7/17/2010 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Base neck fill. Extremely soft cork was extracted in two pieces; contents were under some pressure as the wine burped out of the bottle. Slight bricking on the rim. Nose of old Bordeaux, with some vegetal notes, as well as decaying vegetable matter. Unpleasantness blew off after a few minutes in the glass with the help of swirling. Hints of cassis. On the palate, notes of earth, with some cherries appearing on the midpalate. Tannins are soft and resolved. Good balance of everything, though I wouldn't mind a tad more fruit. Medium-length finish. Elegant and feminine. Slightly past its prime; drink three years ago to now.
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6/20/2010 - W.Simons wrote:
Opened and checked in advance, decanted just before serving. Opens to reveal an elegant nose of sweet black fruit, with cedar, spice and soil. Composed and refined on the palate--all elements in an excellent balance. Cherries and blackberry. Same as last showing, a beautiful minty element emerging on the finish. Drinking extremely well. Lovely.
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2/14/2009 - loverboy wrote: 89 Points
Ruby red with a brownish rim. Clean and tannic. Fruits has dropped to the level that it should be consume asap. 89+
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2/5/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 90 Points
My 4th times with this vintage.
The elegant nose of LMHB. Medium-bodied, softside, fine wine, fine aftertaste.
Drink now - 2012
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12/17/2008 - 1981er wrote: 93 Points
This bottle looked a little beat up but had a really good fill into the neck, and the cork came out in one piece. I didn't think this would be as good as it was, but boy was I wrong. Dark red almost purple color with just the faintest bricking. Initially there was a bid of band-aid on the nose but that blew off quickly. I decanted this and was a bit surprised at how little sediment there was. After about 30 min, the nose held aromas of luscious cassis, some cigar box, lots of musty forest floor and a hint of coffee. The palate had most of the same with a slightly rustic mouthfeel and really deep flavors of earthy cassis. Medium acid and just faint tannins with a finish that resonated for well over 30 seconds. Probably a few years past it's peak, but still very good. Gotta love old Bord's.
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9/29/2008 - W.Simons wrote:
Decanted for sediment and returned to bottle. Garnet with slight bricking toward the rim and flashes of ruby. Sweet plum and raspberry nose, leather, balanced and graceful notes of cedar and graphite. Smooth tannin and red fruit, hint of blueberry. Pomegranate? Slight mint emerging mid-way through. Color seems to darken and the palate fleshes out more with red licorice and crushed stones. Aroma becoming more impressive as it goes. Still very fresh acidity. Slate and iron with sweet dark fruit. Need to give the next bottle a little more time to evolve after opening.
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8/13/2008 - Surfer714 wrote:
What a nice bottle . morel Tannins than fruit but drinking great...
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6/11/2008 - Surfer714 wrote:
Mature wine. Good bottle Still has fruit and little tannis. Drink now
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10/23/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 91 Points
My last bottle - drink it.
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9/12/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 91 Points
drink up, it isn't getting any better
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4/11/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 93 Points
Young and vigor with fully integrated tannins. No decanting is needed.
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2/19/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
I'll never get tired of this aged Bordeaux. Buy.
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1/12/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 91 Points
1979 is a special year to me - the year I stepped my foot on the Ameican soil. We received the bottles today from NYC, and I couldn't resist from opening it. Motion sickness? What motion sickness? The wine had less sediments than 2001 Pavie.
Still young, but lost some of it's vigor. No tannins to scratch the tongue, pure elegance and harmony. Very light bricking on the edge, but still has garnet color. If this was human being, I'd say it's 50 years old, tops.
The wine which is quintessential aged Bordeaux, salut!
(Sorry, Dave, 1 point was taken for lack of Manlin at the table and 1 point was taken off because it wasn't at Brad's house :) )
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4/25/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with England, Manlin, and Others (Brad's House): Popped and poured. This wine was dark red turning orange and watery near the rim. I was disappointed in the nose, as it gave no hint of Graves. I was hoping for cigar box and all I got was nice red fruit. This tasted very concentrated and was good from the attack through the lingering finish. A very nice wine from a challenging vintage, but in the end more generic than I had hoped.
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9/1/2002 - TashNYC wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well now. Showy nose of scorched earth and some cigsr. Attractive red and dark fruits, cherry, lots of cedar, rustic but some mineral, too. Balanced and drinking well - especially for the price.
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6/18/1998 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 84 Points
Beverages and More Wine Tasting (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Brown tea color, brown tea nose, taste of tea, touch old, better 5 years ago.
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8/3/1990 - MicklethePickle wrote: 83 Points
At Singer & Foy survey of '79 Bordeaux. Medium-dark ruby. Fairly interesting bouquet. A bit oaky. On the palate, somewhat coarse, a bit harsh, though with a sleek mouthfeel. Bitter. Has that bitter finish. I don't like this vintage.
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