Vinous: 100 Points
The 1989 Haut-Brion remains one of the outstanding achievements of the decade and it consistently flirts with perfection. I was fortunate to taste the wine three times over the space of six months though this tasting note comes from a bottle poured at the château by Jean-Philippe Delmas – the first time I had ever tasted an ex-château bottle. It is a fabulous wine. Showing little maturity in terms of bricking it has a fabulous bouquet of graphite clove and tobacco aromas that burst from the glass perhaps with a little more amplitude than others I have tasted. The palate is perfectly balanced displaying amazing depth and perfect acidity and (unsurprisingly given its provenance) youthful and seemingly with many chapters to go. More floral elements emerge with time: violets on the nose and then later a taste of eau-de-vie toward the finish. An astonishing wine that will give many more years of pleasure. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.
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Wine Advocate: 100 Points
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. Last tasted 1/03.
Wine Spectator: 100 Points
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. 12000 cases made.
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