Lot 330
CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION 1995 (1) WS 95 WA 96
CHÂTEAU LATOUR 1990 (1) WS 100 WA 95+
CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1989 (1) WA 93
Lot 330 Details
CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION 1995 (1)
Pessac-Léognan. 1er Cru Classé
u. 1 cm. scuffed label.
Deep ruby/purple-colored wine with a tight but promising nose of burning wood embers intermixed with vanilla, spice box, earth, mineral, sweet cherry, black currant, plum-like fruit, medium to full body, a high level of ripe but sweet tannin, and a finish that goes on for a good 40-45 seconds. This wine is just beginning to emerge from a very closed state where it was unyielding and backward. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Last tasted, 11/02. WS 95 WA 96
CHÂTEAU LATOUR 1990 (1)
Pauillac. 1er Cru Classé
u. bn.
This is one of the more perplexing Latours to evaluate. It has plenty of sweetness as well as a gorgeous, rich fruitiness, but it lacks the firmness one finds in more recent great vintages such as 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008. There is plenty of sweet, ripe currant fruitiness, abundant glycerin, and full body, but I’m still waiting for that extra nuance of complexity to emerge. It’s all there, but the wine still seems to be more monolithic than one would expect in a wine approaching 19 years of age. It is not the sure-fire winner I thought it was in its youth, but then again, I don’t have any reason to doubt that more complexity will emerge. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035. Tasted: June 2009 WS 100 WA 95+
CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1989 (1)
Pauillac. 1er Cru Classé
peeling label.
Tasted from magnum and presented by Baron Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the 1989 Château Mouton-Rothschild might not reach the ethereal heights of the 1982 or 1986, but it is certainly a lovely Claret. It has an attractive, slightly leafy bouquet armed with cedar and pencil lead. There is less fruit concentration than I expected, resolutely classic, slightly austere Bordeaux. The palate follows suit. What it lacks in substance it compensates with in balance and personality. This is an understated Mouton-Rothschild that is probably at its peak, although I envisage this offering another two decades of pleasure. Whilst this showing did not replicate some glorious bottles in the past, it remains a very fine Claret that may not be inclined to improve any further. Tasted February 2016. Drink: 2016-2035 WA 93