Of all the First Growths, Haut Brion is my favorite and the 1989 is probably the best wine I have ever had (not every bottle). This was not quite at that level but it was pretty spectacular. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with cassis, black cherries, cedar, spice, char, and leather. Full bodied. Tannins mostly resolved. Great balance. On the palate, this is at peak (at least this bottle). Complex, layered and deep. Flavors of cassis, black cherries, plums, spice, slight cedar and char. Long finish. This is the kind of wine I could spend an evening with sniffing and tasting. It would also go well at the dinner table. It would go nicely with a Roasted Chicken dinner. No hurry, this should go another ten to twenty years.
