1990 vintage. Excellent fill and halfway saturated cork. Used a Durand but surmise a regular waiter's friend, wielded carefully, could have done the trick with the cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins, one hour and two hours. Some obvious sed but not troublesome or overtly noticeable. Original owner-château direct on original release. Super cold cellar because this was lagging noticeably behind other '90's and LB's. Bigger tannic structure (for a generally feminine-styled house) than anything save a Latour, Mouton, Ducru Left Bank property. Even more guts than Lynch-Bages or Pichon-Baron '90's currently stored above 55 or so degrees. Surprising but made sense. Light-medium body. Appropriate color. 3-4 years left in this stage unless larger format in play. Slight, fleeting burst of richness in the frontal palate and a tad brickish and then it just flowed on, without speed bumps. A little cocoa powder and cedar/tobacco. Suspect 750ml specimens not stored as cold/religiously will be showing more in the 9.0-9.1 range and farther down the backside of the bell curve. 10.26.24. — a month ago
Blend of primarily Merlot (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) supported by small amounts of Petite Verdot (4%) and Cabernet Franc (1%) blended in. Dark ruby color with slight hints of purple. Aromas of graphite, blackberry, anise and forest floor. Dark berry and plum fruit flavors along with hints of mushroom, minerals and baking spices. The finish is a little tight. Medium-plus body and quite concentrated. Tannins are present but not overwhelming. This wine is quite good right now but will improve with bottle age. Outstanding value! I am looking forward to revisiting this one. — 2 days ago
Another oldie, probably just past its peak. 38 years old - not bad! Barn-sided red with some brick on the edge. Lots of cedar, graphite, black pepper and cigar ash to smell but little fruit. Nice smooth tannins, still a little puckering. Medium acidity. For flavor there are some darker berries and red cherry notes. It’s a nicely balanced wine. Good length on the finish. — 5 months ago
Birthday year wine for me. So far, I’ve aged better than this bottle but it’s close! The ‘88 is slightly past its prime but still worth tasting. In the garden of earthly delights - dried figs, plums, dates, and mushrooms. Some peat and chocolate. Plenty of spice. Very fun. Happy birthday to me! — 3 months ago
Christian Fischer
Beautiful wine from a few weeks ago at a great dinner in Stockholm. Dark and red fruits with subtle spices, tannins that stayed in the background and a hint of vanilla. Very enjoyable — 11 days ago