La Mission Haut Brion 1989 (1.5L)

100 RP / 100 VM / 96 WS / 18.5 JR

I am certainly not going to argue with anyone who believes La Mission-Haut-Brion\'s 1989 is every bit as profound as the 1989 Haut-Brion. It is a spectacular wine, and as it ages in the bottle, it is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite La Mission-Haut-Brions, ranking alongside the 1982, 1975, 1961, 1959, and 1955. The 1989 boasts a dense, thick, purple color, followed by a sweet, roasted cassis, chocolatey-scented nose with whiffs of tobacco, tar, and minerals. The wine is extremely full-bodied, unctuously-textured, sweet, jammy, and rich. Although it is still a youthful, unformed wine, it is already delicious to drink. It should develop additional bottle bouquet by the turn of the century, after which it will drink well for 15-20 years.

The 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion is hands-down the greatest of this era, and if one takes consistency into account, it is slipping past the 1989 Haut-Brion. Deep in color with only faint bricking on the rim, it has a breathtaking bouquet of intense blackberry, black truffle, black olive and incense. It is the precision that elevates this above almost everything else. The palate is full-bodied yet paradoxically weightless, offering multidimensional flavors of blackberry, raspberry, white pepper and clove. Then there is the underlying mineralité  that chisels this into such a formidable Pessac-Léognan, fanning out beautifully on the elegant finish. This might well be Jean-Bernard Delmas's greatest achievement. Tasted at the La Mission Haut Brion dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

What a nose of pressed flowers and full-throttle dried fruits. Full-bodied, with intense and very ripe fruit that has undertones of dried fruit, raisin and grilled meat. Chewy and decadent, almost rustic, offering so much richness and decadence. So much to give still, but why wait? -- '89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. - Wine Spectator

Lively and rich. Dense blackcurrant and savoury. Much livelier than the 1990. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh and sinewy. - Jancis Robinson