Chateau Haut Brion 1989

WINEADVOCATE: "This continues to be one of the immortal wines and one of the greatest young Bordeaux wines of the last half-century. Consistently prodigious and almost a sure bet to top the scoring card of any blind tasting of this vintage as well as other years, the 1989 Haut-Brion is a seamless, majestic classic, and a tribute to this phenomenal terroir and its singular characteristics. The wine still has a very thick, viscous-looking ruby/purple color, a spectacular, young but awesome smorgasbord of aromas ranging from scorched earth, liquid minerals, graphite, blackberry and black currant jam to toast, licorice, and spice box. The levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin in this viscous, full-bodied, low-acid wine are awe-inspiring. The brilliant symmetry of the wine, extraordinary purity, and seamlessness are the hallmarks of a modern-day legend. It is still in its pre-adolescent stage of development, and I would not expect it to hit its full plateau of maturity for another 3-5 years, but this should be an Haut-Brion that rivals the greatest ever made at this estate. Life is too short not to drink this wine as many times as possible! A modern day clone of the 1959? Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This continues to be a perfect wine with a beautiful, dense character of tobacco and sweet fruits. Chocolate, toasted walnuts and flowers here too. It's full-bodied with velvety tannins. Lasts for minutes on the palate."

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 1989 Haut-Brion remains one of the outstanding achievements of the decade, and it consistently flirts with perfection. I was fortunate to taste the wine three times over the space of six months, though this tasting note comes from a bottle poured at the château by Jean-Philippe Delmas – the first time I had ever tasted an ex-château bottle. It is a fabulous wine. Showing little maturity in terms of bricking, it has a fabulous bouquet of graphite, clove and tobacco aromas that burst from the glass, perhaps with a little more amplitude than others I have tasted. The palate is perfectly balanced, displaying amazing depth and perfect acidity, and (unsurprisingly, given its provenance) youthful and seemingly with many chapters to go. More floral elements emerge with time: violets on the nose and then later, a taste of eau-de-vie toward the finish. An astonishing wine that will give many more years of pleasure. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate."

WEINWISSER: "1989 Haut-Brion: Es ist ja nicht zwingend so, dass ein riesengrosser Wein immer extrem dunkel sein muss. Zumindest widerlegt dieser 1989er diese optische Mär. Aufhellendes Granat, übergehend in eine ziegelrote Farbe mit ersten, ganz feinen, transparent werdenden Brauntönen am Rand. Das umwerfende Bouquet ist filigran und druckvoll zugleich, viel Malz, Caramel und ist mit hellem Tabak und Kräutern gewürzt. Im Gaumen paaren sich Finesse und Power zur Jahrhundertperfektion. Das Finale ist betörend, berauschend und klingt minutenlang nach. 20/20 trinken"

FALSTAFF: "Mittleres Karmingranat, Ockerreflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Würzig unterlegte Nuancen, feines Nougat, reife rote Konfitnoten, Anklänge von Brombeeren und Kirschen. Kraftvoll und komplex, feste Tannine, saftige und extraktsüße Textur, schokoladiger Touch im Abgang, feine Mineralik im Finish, zeigt große Länge und Balance, sicheres weiteres Reife­potenzial. Einfach zum Hinknien. Eines der großen Weindenkmäler aus Bordeaux mit weiterer Zukunft."

WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Simply spell-binding in every sense of the wine, the initial sniff tells you most of what you need to know with its wet forest floor, smoke, wild cherry, truffle, blackberry, tar and cigar wrapper scents. Intense, dense, concentrated and mouth-filling, this is just an incredible feeling on the palate. The finish crosses the 60-second mark and keeps on going. This is drinking in a beautiful place today, though there is no hurry. You can hang on for another 2 decades with ease."

WINESPECTATOR: "What a gorgeous, seductive and beautiful wine, as always. I can´t get over the perfumed aromas of subtle milk chocolate, cedar and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, yet so refined and silky, lasting for minutes on the palate. Everything is in just the right proportion. This is a wine that will go on forever. I love it. One of my great loves in the wine world.--´89/´99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 12,000 cases made."

ROBINSON: "A very famous wine! Mid ruby. No tannin left. Exceptionally aromatic. Judged by the sommelier Gaëtan Lacoste (very familiar with Haut-Brion's wines) too light now to be decanted. Fresh and sweet but by now relatively light compared to how I remember it. Very refreshing and zesty. Not as opulent as it once was. Very pretty and fresh with a lightly saline note."