返回
Wine Dinner Review: 1989 Bordeaux
© Linden Wilkie, 10th October 2019
Last month I had the chance to host a dinner featuring the cream of the crop from 1989 Bordeaux. It saw high praise from both sides of the Atlantic, Michael Broadbent MW describing it as ‘unquestionably a great vintage’, and James Suckling (in Feb. 2000) as ‘the greatest Bordeaux vintage since 1961.’ The other contender was its sibling, 1990, which Michael noted mirrored ‘the earlier twins, 1899 and 1900.’
When I began hosting The Fine Wine Experience events in London in 2003, any Bordeaux vertical invariably included both the 1989 and 1990 vintages. 1990 back then was the easier pleaser, its ripeness came with soft tannins and open fragrance. 1989 could often be a bit tough, backward, brooding in comparison, even if just as ripe. But as the wines have taken on additional time in cellar, I have become a little less impressed with 1990 from the middling châteaux, while the 1989s still seem vibrant, sometimes still a bit awkward and backward in fact.
The key was an early start in the cycle. Early even flowering set the potential for the big crop that did indeed follow, and a hot dry summer ensured the potential for great ripeness. It was in fact the hottest summer since 1949. 12.5% would easily be exceeded without chaptalisation and indeed some much higher alcohol levels were recorded.
There were though a couple of potential spanners in the works. Robert Parker pointed to two issues – firstly, yield. ‘Those properties that crop-thinned – Pétrus and Haut-Brion – had yields of 45-55 hectolitres per hectare and super concentration. Those who did not crop-thin had yields as preposterously high as 80 hectoliters per hectare.’ Secondly, phenolic ripeness was not always there. ‘Much of the Cabernet Sauvignon, while analytically mature and having enough sugar to potentially produce wines with 13% alcohol, was actually not ripe physiologically. …by harvesting the Cabernet too early, a number of châteaux lost their chance to produce one of the greatest wines of a lifetime.’
For a broad assessment of the merits of 1989 today we would need a good cross section of wines. We abandoned that more scientific ideal absolutely immediately, in favour of a cross section of the very best wines and growths on offer! This too has its merits. You drink better for a start. But by putting on the table the best and brightest some 30 years down the track, you get to see what a vintage offers at the fullest of its potential. Find nothing to love here and you can move on to other possibilities for your cellar or table.
Double-decanted an hour or more in advance, and served with the superb cuisine of The Legacy House at the superb new Rosewood Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, we enjoyed six Right Bank and six Left Bank reds, all of them – by one measure or another – “first growths”, with the exception of one of the vintage’s anointed (Parker 100/100) darlings, Château Clinet. Plus, a white Graves, some Champagne and something sweet and delicate to round out our evening of ‘89s.
So, what did I find this evening?
First, some good news. Pretty much everyone, included me, found something in a glass or two to make them go “wow!”. For me, it was perhaps predictably the Haut-Brion, which showed about as good as I could reasonably demand of a claret while in a very demanding mood. When it is on form, as this bottle was, its just that good. In other words, it lives up to its hype, and repeatedly. The even better news for me (because it is a relative steal) is that Mouton still delights – it offers more emotionally wild appeal than the Haut-Brion, is probably technically less brilliant, but is just so damned enjoyable. Lafite, while discretely correcting the knot in its Charvet tie, is textbook Lafite at its best, but is less open today, in need of a bit more slumber. But it is one to watch I think.
A bit more equivocal for me tonight was the Right Bank. I think the majority at the table found more pleasure than me in them, so do take this with a grain of salt (and note carefully the voting, compared to my own views, for a, more democratic picture). Cheval Blanc really delivered and relative to its price and reputation I think is one to go for. Lafleur’s ’89 has shown better before – tonight it had a touch of bitterness on display. A pity. Very good nonetheless. 1989 Clinet I have had in the past and understood the appeal – when the fruit was simply overwhelming, the extraction and oak were less present than they were this evening with this bottle. Still vibrant and oh so fruity, the structural style disappoints now for me. Petrus on this, and one or two other recent showings has left me puzzled by its backwardness. I wish I could prize the lid off it and find what I used to see in it 15 or so years ago. Perhaps it is in a dip. Ausone, while showing the quality of its terroir and blend, had yet to shed its rusticity in 1989, and this was showed up by its neighbours tonight.
Worse though was Latour and Margaux, which for different reasons showed a real drop in quality coming right after the brilliant Mouton and Lafite bottles. Latour is a very nice wine in 1989, but not at the level we should have expected of it for the vintage. In the absence of all the other wines, and the label, I would have been perfectly pleased to finish the whole bottle myself without real complaint, but put up against its peers it let itself down in a way it never does in the Pinault/Engerer era that followed soon after. Margaux, sadly, was bretty. While some didn’t mind, for me the level of brett hid the beautiful fruit trying to burst out from behind. I pick on Margaux today because of this bottle, but the Mouton is sometimes let down by this, but wasn’t this time.
There were a few other points to reflect upon this evening. The first is whether 1989 belongs to the beginning of the ‘modern’ era or the end of the ‘old fashioned’ era. In reality the goal posts are constantly being moved so at some point it will slip into the latter. Certainly it tastes more ‘modern’ than the wines of the 1950s-1970s. A lot of improvements had been made in wineries in the ‘80s – I’m pretty sure I’d be right in saying that all these wines were made under temperature control – pretty important in a vintage like this one with high sugars. But I would say today that 1989 tastes old fashioned and I put that down to two things. The first is the protection given to ‘first growth’ level labels today. At the end of the ‘80s the ‘grand vin’ of an estate was its majority production, certainly in a good ripe year like 1989. Today it is more often half or even only the best third of what is made, and yields are almost always kept low. Also, today vintages as hot and bold – and dry, 1989 also saw low rainfall – as this are now quite common, and estates no longer get caught out so easily on the question of sugar ripeness versus phenolic ripeness.
I would predict today that the 1989s lacking concentration are going to show a bit more imbalance as time goes on – specifically, the naturally dense tannins from the thick skins produced by heat and lack of water, coupled with the wines’ lower natural acidity, will lead to some becoming a bit hollow, sullen and dry tasting, as well as – seemingly paradoxically – a bit bitter or green from lack of true phenolic ripeness. But those with natural concentration and ripe tannins have both the fruit and structure for very long term cellaring. Some – like the 1989 Haut-Brion – I think are the “1945 Mouton” wines of our time. Get in while you still can, in other words.
That said, perhaps this is a least important thing about them. After all they are already 30 years old, they are available, and most of them are drinking well. Why wait?
Below you will find my own tastings notes from this evening (some I have liked more, some less on other occasions), together with the votes offered by participants at the dinner (everyone had two votes). So take from this what you will.
The Fine Wine Experience has, at the time of writing, a good collection of 1989 Bordeaux for sale, ranging from the superb value Léoville Las Cases, to Pétrus, and several large formats to choose from.
1989 Château Laville Haut-Brion 93
A fine light golden colour with an elegant nose, refined and pure, ripe, but without any siuggestion of heat. The palate is very Semillon, citrusy, low key, refreshing, refined. A very good Laville.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Ausone 92
Mature but fine appearance; this has a high register spicy nose, dark fruit, leathery good fruit still on the palate, soft at the core, mellow with dark fruit tone, a certain dryness to the grip, there is a bit of austerity here. A bit rustic. In its favour though the aromas are complex both on the nose and palate, with sandalwood and spices coming through. Chewy and fragrant wine.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Clinet 91
Fuller colour than the others; more exotic on the nose, really fragrant and exuberantly fruity, spicy; black fruit and chocolate on the palate, dark, chewy, unctuously rich, with a long finish. Brooding and grand, there’s a burly high-extraction roughness to the texture. The fruit here is amazing, but the rather coarse treatment lets it down a bit.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Cheval Blanc 94
Spicy, fragrant, perfumed; dark fruit, fruitcake, this is lush and layered, and quite enthralling to smell and sip. Real concentration, but also a more refined texture than the other two in the flight.
Two votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Lafleur 94
Sweet with tea and earth notes, a rather grand and exotic nose; concentrated, lush, melting texture, some oak present, dark and rich, there’s some real grip and a touch of bitterness. So much going on here, but a bit subdued tonight.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Petrus 92
Fresh colour; sweet, fresh, fruity but a bit closed on the nose, oaky; grand, big, bold and tannic, with sweet fruit, but this is really rather closed tonight. I found it a bit disappointing.
Two votes for wine of the night.
1989 Le Pin 94
A little more maturity in the colour with a browning rim; sweet nose, almost a dried fruits and raisins note, but no signs of oxidation – just very ripe fruit, spicy, open and much more fragrant than the other two; unctuous, ripe, with a lovely seductively melting feel, a slightly overripe taste, spicy, low acid, soft-textured, with a long finish. So much going on here, but I marked it down for some overripe flavours.
Eight votes for wine of the night = 1st place.
1989 Château Mouton-Rothschild 96
Fine appearance; lovely nose, sweet, open, fragrant, with a touch of vanilla and cake; lush and fine on the palate, complex, spicy – this has that grand mature Bordeaux ginger note. I’m absolutely captivated by this wine! I could barely resist just polishing it off. A great bottle of this very good wine. In its apogee.
Four votes for wine of the night (including one of mine).
1989 Château Lafite-Rothschild 95
Fine gradated colour; a lovely cool fresh sweet, lovely, pristine sort of aroma to this, still so fresh; very fine and pure on the palate, melting, so fresh, with a juicy edge to the finish. Very composed. This is so good.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Latour 91
Full colour, some maturity; sweet nose, a touch of leather and spice; sweet on the palate, but grippy, more acidity to this than many others, moderate concentration, leady-edged, a touch austere. With air the purity of the Cabernet really came through. This is perfectly okay but disappointing as a Latour.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château Margaux --
Full colour; a sweet nose, but distinctly bretty as well; more intense blackcurrant fruit on the palate, more definition than the Latour, oakier in style too. There is a lot to like, but the brett levels are just too prominent and for me it spoils the wine. (A number of others at the dinner liked this a lot, so it depends on your personal threshold. I’ve also had less bretty bottles than this one).
1989 Château Haut-Brion 98
Fine appearance; fine, lovely fragrance, sweet yet delicate; seamless on the palate, ripe, caressing, gorgeous fruit, so scented, with an incredible finish that almost catches by surprise. Wow! It reveals itself in layers that built. An exciting bottle of wine to drink, and this is ’89 Haut-Brion on-form. Terrific.
Seven votes for wine of the night (including one of my two votes).
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion -
Just a touch oxidised but enough to spoil this bottle.
1989 Château Léoville Las Cases 92
(served as an extra, after the poor showing of the LMHB)
This took some air to really open up, but showed an elegant, more leafy ’89 profile, a little more fine than the Latour, expressive, fragrant and with nice balancing acidity. Very good.
No votes for wine of the night.
1989 Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese 96
Wow! This is terrific, combining jellied pineapple and orange with pith, tobaccoey botrytis notes, elegant acidity and weight, with plenty of intensity to an extremely long and satisfying finish. Beautiful vibrant BA.
其他推廣活動 
