Chateau Margaux 1989

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is about as alluring as it gets aromatically, with singed alder, juniper, bay and charcoal notes out front, hinting at power but turning beguiling as they flow into the core of steeped red currant, dried currant and black tea. The charcoal note makes an encore, with a lovely twinge of old-school character holding the finish. Always a great debate vis-à-vis the '90, but the slightly darker profile here gives this wine a lovely bit of extra drama.--Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2025."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Ready to go, the wine is soft, refined, elegant and while it is not on the concentrated side, the fruit is polished, silky and complex. Drink over the next decade for maximum enjoyment."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Bright garnet and some development at the rim. Herbaceous sweetness and undergrowth and pepper. Then more meaty. Finishes dry but not drying though there is definitely less flesh in the middle. By contrast it is fresh and persistent. Later: sweetly herbal and more coffee."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Dwarfed by its younger sibling, the 1990, the 1989 Chateau Margaux has a dark plum/garnet color and a big, sweet nose of new saddle leather, toasty oak, and weedy black cherry and cassis fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with relatively elevated tannins, outstanding concentration and purity, but a somewhat clipped as well as compressed finish. This certainly outstanding wine has put on a bit of weight in its evolution in the bottle, but it is hardly one of the most profound efforts from Chateau Margaux. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Last tasted, 10/02."