Margaux 1989

Margaux, First Growth

Excel download

View All Vintages of this Wine

Units Size Case size GBP Price: Quantities Buy
Tasting Notes

This is about as alluring as it gets aromatically, with singed alder, juniper, bay and charcoal notes out front, hinting at power but turning beguiling as they flow into the core of steeped red currant, dried currant and black tea. The charcoal note makes an encore, with a lovely twinge of old-school character holding the finish. Always a great debate vis-à-vis the '90, but the slightly darker profile here gives this wine a lovely bit of extra drama. - Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2025.

Score: 97

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2014-2025 01 January 2014

Juxtaposed against the ’96, this nose here on the ’89 has a certain mellowness to it, a slight meaty quality with touches of burning embers, pencil shavings and a touch of peppermint inflecting the black fruit. The word 'avuncular' keeps springing to mind! The palate is medium-bodied, wonderfully balanced with great focus. A touch of dried fig and cedar on the Pauillac-like finish, although it does not have the persistency on the finish as the ’96. A point. Drink now-2020.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2009-2020 01 January 2009

Dwarfed by its younger sibling, the 1990, the 1989 Chateau Margaux has a dark plum/garnet color and a big, sweet nose of new saddle leather, toasty oak, and weedy black cherry and cassis fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with relatively elevated tannins, outstanding concentration and purity, but a somewhat clipped as well as compressed finish. This certainly outstanding wine has put on a bit of weight in its evolution in the bottle, but it is hardly one of the most profound efforts from Chateau Margaux.

Score: 90

Robert Parker, 'Bordeaux' 4th Ed. Maturity: 2003-2025 01 January 2003

As prodigious as the 1990 is, the 1989 seems to typify so many of the Medoc first-growths in this vintage - excellent, but undistinguished for its reputation. The wine possesses a leathery, oaky nose, medium body, and good ripeness, but next to the 1990, the 1989 is dwarfed by that wine's richness, intensity, and length. The tannins come across as more elevated, as well as slightly greener and tougher. The 1989 may put on more weight and come together, much like the 1985 did after 4-6 years in the bottle, but for now, this wine seems to follow the pattern of many 1989 Medoc first-growths, revealing an unexciting level of quality. Give it 5-6 more years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 20.

Score: 89

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2002-2022 01 February 1997