Rene Gabriel, well known Swiss wine journalist and Bordeaux authority organized this wonderful horizontal tasting dinner in Luzern. It was great to see all these Imperals, Jeros, DMG in the room. All the wines wer served non blind – in Gabriel glasses of course. The wines showed well, confirming that the 1989 is a warm vintage but with classic proportion. Good ripeness but also good tannins and acidity and moderate alcohol. Bordeaux as it should be. A memorable evening among avid Bordeaux collectors and Gabriel fans.
Tasting Notes
Flight 1
1989 Clos Fourtet, 96 Points
From Magnum. Really strong showing here. The wine had lots of energy, spices and forest floor. More than held its own in a flight with Petrus and VCC.
1989 Château L’Arrosée, No Rating
From Imperial. Sadly oxidized.
1989 Vieux Château Certan, 98 Points
From Jeroboam. Expressive nose of red fruit, cured meat, black pepper. Very burgundian on the palate. Very good energy and tension after 30 year. A great showing
1989 Château L’Eglise-Clinet, 96 Points
From Double Magnum. The most opulent and meaty wine in the series with chocolate, licorice. Barnyard notes as well. This had many followers but for the VCC had the edge in this flight.
Flight 2
1989 Pétrus, 96 Points
From Double Magnum. Nose of forest floor, spices, dark fruit. The the most polished palate of all of them, soft tannins, good length but it lacked a bit of energy and tension for a higher score. Almost too tame. But hey, hard to complain when drinking ‘89 Petrus from a DMG…
1989 Château Phélan Ségur, 92 Points
A much lighter wine than the big guns in this flight. Spicy with with more structure but not rustic. A good showing for the price level.
1989 Château Palmer, 97 Points
The first bottle was corked. The second wonderful. Savory notes with dark fruit, plum, gingerbread and cherries. Medium+ bodied, long finish.
1989 Château Pape Clément, 95 Points
This one was quite racy as well just like the Calon Segur with pepper, peat, smoke, foresr, some punchy tannins still. Very good freshness and drinkability. Good aromatics with red and dark fruit, spices and some farmyard.
1989 Château Haut-Brion, 100 Points
Everything has been said about this iconic Haut Brion, one of the best in history. It shined as well tonight with great mature Bordeaux complexity and and a plush but energetic palate that oozed aristocratic class. Spectacular!
1989 Château Montrose, 98 Points
This wine had real power and spice, damp forest floor, wood spices intermixed with a meaty side. Very good freshness as well. A great Montrose only slightly outshined by the Haut Brion.
Flight 3
1989 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 94 Points
From Magnum. Very classical Pauillac nose with moss, dark fruit, pine and cedar. The palate had a touch too much acidity for the fruit it carried. Did great with food though.
1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, 94 Points
The nose here was riper than the GPL next to it, probably picked later. The palate was savory with forest aromas, savory palate and good mid mouth fill. Good for sure but not among the best tonight.
1989 Château Lafite Rothschild, No Rating
From Imperial and with a TCA note… argh! The wine had good structure and fruit, would have been nice to see it without this taint. Some people at the table dis not feel the TCA and gave it 95-96 points.
1989 Château Mouton Rothschild, 98 Points
From Double Magnum. This wine made no apologies for being very showy. The nose was the most captivating with and overtly farmyard side to it and lots of oak spices. Hello here I am, lots of toast, smoke but also tons of dark fruit to carry the obvious oak treatment and extraction. Plush palate but not Napaesque, stayed both on the volume and freshness very much in Bordeaux territory. A great showing. For me among the WOTN with Latour, Haut Brion, VCC.
1989 Château Latour Grand Vin, 99 Points
From Imperial. After the disaster of the night – a corked Lafite Imperial – this one did great. Masculine structure as you are use to from this wine with wonderfully deep aromas of cool blue fruit, pine, moss and a touch of game. Pauillac at its best but not for the beginner, that price went to the overtly sexy Mouton.
Flight 4
1989 Château Langoa Barton, 91 Points
Nose of cool blue fruit, mint, licorice, spices and pine, really nice. The palate could not fully follow up and was a touch too lean as so often with this Cru. Could have benefitted from riper fruit and more extraction.
1989 Château Talbot, 95 Points
From imperial. Oh lala, one of the most special noes we had here. Next to dark fruit, toast and tertiary Medoc aromas there was orange peel and elderflower as well, providing new angle of complexity. The palate could follow up on the promise the nose gave with balance, elegance and persistence on the finish. Great showing and hands down the best Talbot I ever had.
1989 Château Lagrange (St. Julien), 93 Points
The nose here was a bit muddy, damp forest floor and dark fruit, got better with time. The palate, like with the Langoa Barton could benefit from more density. Good but not up there with the best of the night.
1989 Château Gruaud Larose, 96 Points
From Double Magnum. Great nose here as well with smoke, cool fruit, moss, spices, farmyard, lots of dark fruit. Medium bodied palate with great drinkability. This cru is always among the winners in the QPR category.
1989 Château Léoville Poyferré, 94 Points
Nose of cool blue fruit, licorice, black berries but also with a ripe, malty side. Medium bodied palate with good freshness. Unfortunately the tannins were a bit drying on the finish. Good but today’s Leoville Poyferre are in a different league.
Dessert wine
1989 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes, 95 Points
From Imperial. Finishing this wonderful horizontal dinner with a worthy Sauternes that showed its class. Classic Sauternes nose with smoke, quince, dried apricot, saffron and good freshness making it a treat to go with the cheese.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, ChWSG ampagne Master
November 2019