Have there been any great Bordeaux wines since 1989?

[JimHow]

It seems like there is nothing that has matched the heights in character, uniqueness and quality since the golden decade of the 1980s.

Oh, sure, winemaking has "improved" and more "quality" is being produced across the board. But it doesn't seem like those big, age worthy, complex beauties of the past exist anymore.

Where are the 1986 Gruaud Laroses of today? Or '89 Lynches? Or '83 Palmers? Or '86 Pichon Lalandes? Or '82 GPLs? Etc. Etc.

Nic and I shared a 1995 Cos d'Estournel this past summer. I was taken aback by how evolved it was. Good, from that famous James Suckling vintage, but nothing like the complexity and depth of the clatters of yore.

Are those days gone forever?

[SF Ed]

1996 is not shabby. BWE SF will open a few next weekend and we'll report back.

1990 is also truly outstanding and ready to go.

1998 on the right bank is great and classical.

I think we are safe for BDX to drink for a while.

SF Ed

[DavidG]

Remember the 1990 Margaux we drank, Jim? I'd call that great.

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes lots. But the 1989s are drinking brilliantly and have been for a while.

Lafite 1989 was extraordinary at our 2009 dinner in NYC, but the 1995 which I drank with Jacques a few year ago was prodigious. Phenomenal.

There are many other great 1995s and 1996s like LLC, Pichon-Lalande, Ducru and Palmer but they are just not ready yet.

2001 is a very good and accessible vintage, arguably more so than 1995 and 1996 and it is hard not to like these wines.

The 2000s will come round one day too. While 2005 and 2010 are extraordinary vintages. I am tasting all the 2010s again on Nov 5 including the first growths and their right bank equivalents.

[Nicklasss]

From 1989, I remember when we had the Lynch Bages and Pichon baron at the first convention in 2001. They were just super great at age 11-12. This year, we had both of them at the convention, and again, they were something special.

Did I had any wines from the 90's or 00's, at age 11, as good as these two 1989? No.

In the 80's, i think producers were not forcing the wine, working with what nature and vintage gave you, and resulting in superb wine, balanced and not extremely alcoholic.

Since the mid-90's, more and more producers are working to get riper grapes, harvesting late, saying it is giving best wines. The wines are more creamy, alcoholic and fat, more uniform, but less distinctive or providing less émotion. Maybe age will help.

Nic

[stefan]

I think you should have asked "since 1990" since there are many great ones from 1990. I have not had any post 1990 that were, at the time I drank them, as good as many from 1990 and before. However, I think that some left bank wines from 1996 and right bank wines from 1998 are likely to be as good as some of the best from the 82-90 period. Some of the '96 2nd tier wines are showing well now. For example, tonight we drank '96 Lagrange with lamb loin chops. It is very, very good, with the tannins that you like and the perfume that Nic likes and the staying power that we all love. Will it ever be as good as the '90 Lagrange? I don't think so, but it is nevertheless a fine wine, one that I am delighted to have. The wine will outlive me, but I intend not to leave any bottles for stefanJr, Irena, T, and Judd to consume in my absence.

The potentially great wines from 2000 on are too undeveloped for me to make a judgment.

[Claret]

Last night Bill P, Arv and myself had the 89 and 96 Lagrange side by side. While the 89 was clearly drinking well now the 96 should evolve into a wine of similar quality in a few more years.

[Tom In DC]

Great Bordeaux wines since 1989?

1990 Margaux and Latour
1996 Lafite
1998 Haut Brion and Petrus
2000 Latour

Anything from 2002, right, Jim?

After about 2000, I stopped seriously tasting as the wines were too expensive to deserve my attention, but some things I've thought were great include:

2003 Cos d'Estournel amd Montrose
2005 Troplong Mondot
2009 Pontet Canet
A bunch of 2010's from all over the region

Time will tell...

[Winona Chief]

I agree that there were a lot of outstanding (and several great) 1989 Bordeaux. While there were many outstanding wines in 1990, I'm not as big a fan of them as some (though have to say Leoville Poyferre really knocked it out of the park in 1990). Post 1990, my favorite is 1996 Pichon Lalande. I've had it several times and have been really wowed. Not enough experience with other post 1990 Bordeaux to have formed an opinion - still drinking the greats from the 1980s.

Winona Chief

[Claret]

Another one we had last night was a repeat of a bottle at Michael P.'s place in Napa this spring. The 90 Grand Mayne was a St. Emilion star. In no way roasted or overripe, just a delish bottle of St. Emilion with age.

[RDD]

I like almost all 1990's more than their 1989 version. Lynch Bages excluded.
Both vintages are great and we are splitting hairs.