Haut Brion 1989 (3.0L)

100 WS / 100 RP / 100 VM / 100 JA / 98 DE / 97 JD / 18 JR

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. - Wine Spectator

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. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

The 1989 Haut-Brion commenced one of the most spectacular dinners that I ever attended, this representing one of the best bottles of a dozen tasted over the years. Deep in color with thin bricking on the rim, the haunting bouquet has heart-rending delineation – as profound as it has ever been. Scents of black olives intermingle with graphite, clove and cherry liqueur, underneath subtle gravel scents becoming more vocal with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and maybe not as powerful as it was a few years ago. Yet it is ineffably complex with layers of pure dark berry fruit, black olive, cloves and crushed violets. This particular example was one of the most youthful that I have encountered. The finish is so effortless and yet it changes constantly in the glass, revealing new facets, some attendees noticing a touch of greenness after 30 minutes although I could not detect that myself. It is an awe-inspiring Haut-Brion that is only just beginning to demonstrate the ethereal heights it can achieve. Tasted at the International Business & Wine First Growth Dinner at the Four Seasons. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

A legendary wine, and one that I have only tried twice in my life (and this time thanks to a generous friend in London). It's always a bit nerve-racking to uncork bottles that have so much history resting on their shoulders, but it more than lived up to billing. I hesitate to give a 'drink to' date, as this particular bottle has proved stubbornly long-living, despite 1989 being such a hot and dry year, and a number of them now on their final innings. It is very clearly in its tertiary phase, with saffron, tobacco and roasted earth notes, but there is still fruit here, and an explosion of cigar box, rose petal and liqourice aromatics. I'm not suggesting that this is easy to get hold of, but if you are able to, take your time with it, and share it with friends who will enjoy it as much as you will do. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

This legendary vintage trades in the market at multiples of the price of other vintages. It is, however, a sublime masterpiece of a wine. There is still a super-ripe aroma of black plum and currants, strongly accented with smoke, game and cedar elements. Firm and dense on the palate, with an undertone of dark chocolate and ground coffee on the finish. It is starting to mature now, but will last another 40 years at least with this level of structure and fruit. - Charles Curtis MW, Decanter

A beautifully complex, layered wine that offers everything you could want in a mature Bordeaux, the 1989 Château Haut-Brion reveals a deeper plum hue with a touch of bricking on the rim. This is followed by a textbook Haut-Brion nose of smoky, darker currants, smoked tobacco, cedarwood, truffle, and forest floor. With medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, integrated, silky tannins, and a good spine of acidity, it takes ample air to show at its best, but it's clearly in its prime drinking window. - Jeb Dunnuck

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. - Jancis Robinson