1988 Château Margaux, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

It is always a treat to drink a mature First Growth. This is fully mature and drinking beautifully. 12.5% abv according to the importer sticker on the bottle. Purple/ruby in color with some browning at the rim, mostly clear and a bit flat. The nose is dusty with cassis and tobacco. With air some dried fruits come out. Medium bodied. On the palate, this has a vibrant acidity. Nice cherry and black cherry fruit with some cassis. Layers of complexity. Fruit over spice and dried forest floor. Nice finish. This begs for food and went well with a roasted Brie but would work well with roasted fowl. Drink now.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

1988

Current Price:

$800.00USD

1998 Château Margaux, France,Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

1998

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$400.00USD

Any time one gets a chance to drink a first growth, it's a true pleasure. They have become prohibitively priced, so its nice when a bottle actually gets open and consumed. Perhaps not the greatest vintage of Margaux, but a very good one. At age 22, this is pretty much at peak and drinking very well. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has a bit of that Margaux liquor/perfume with cherries, cassis, slight spice, and leather but clean. Full bodied. Medium tannins. The palate has black cherries, slight black tea, and slight soy. Long finish.

1982 Château Mouton Rothschild, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

1982

Score:

100

Grade:

A+

Lots to say about this wine, but first, why it was opened. My friend Chris is about to retire. Way back in 1986 or so, Chris was convinced to spend $30 for a 375ml bottle of this wine. Since that time, he has waited for the right special occasion to open the bottle. Luckily for me (since I din't meet Chris until around 2010), this bottle is known to maturing at a glacial pace. He has moved all around the world waiting for the right time and place. My wife and I had dinner at Chris's home before he leaves town and goes to spend his retirement in Cape Cod. Chris opened the wine. What

1988 Château La Dominique, France, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage:

1988

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$95.00USD

This wine showed quite well considering the vintage and pedigree and age of the wine. Ruby in color, purple at its core, clear and bright. The nose has dried cherries, slight dust, a bit of mint. With air, some fresh cherries. On the palate, fresh and dried cherries above a baseline of tea leaves. Medium bodied. A bit of drying tannins underneath. Nice finish. This is very food friendly and easy to drink. Probably a bit past prime but still enjoyable. Drink up now.

1999 Château Palmer, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

1999

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$295.00USD

Though 1999 is a good if not great vintage, Palmer is certainly one of the top wines of the vintage. This is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. It is at peak. This bottle was opened at 2:00 and allowed to breathe until 5:00 when it was double decanted back to its original bottle and sealed before serving at around 8:00. That seemed to be about right. Garnet in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, black cherries, spice, cedar and floral notes. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this is complex and layered. Cassis

1983 Château Giscours, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

1982

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$130.00USD

Don't get me wrong, vintages matter, but there is often some distinctions in sub-appellations. Case in point, for me, 1983 Margaux is often better than the more heralded 1982 vintage. If nothing else, this wine is a testament to the 1983 vintage in Margaux. Ruby in color with some browning, mostly opaque and flat. The nose is classic with cherries, black cherries, cigar box and a funk/earthiness. Medium bodied. Tart acidity. On the palate, black cherries with some underlying funk. Depth and complexity. Moderate finish. While certainly past prime, there was a lot to offer here. Se

1988 Château Margaux, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

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