I did not pick this out as Dominus in the blind tasting, largely because it came across as such a young, rich, blockbuster wine. One of the richest, densest, most concentrated offerings in the entire tasting, it also proved to... Read More
The 1986 Haut-Brion, which I thought should be fully mature by now, remains a backward, highly concentrated, powerful wine with more noticeable tannin than most top vintages. The wine does possesses a tell-tale smoky tobacco and... Read More
Smooth and spicy, with characteristic mintiness. Rich currant, chocolate and mineral flavors add dimension and depth and the finish is complex and well focused. Drinks well now, but should hold until 2006 with ease, as the tannins... Read More
For L'Arrosee, this vintage has taken an atypically long time to round into shape. It has always possessed considerable power as well as a muscular, concentrated style and hefty tannin. Beginning to shed its tannin, it reveals... Read More
The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful,... Read More
In contrast to the elegant, graceful, finesse-filled 1985 (which may turn out to resemble the classic 1953 in 15 years), the 1986 is a great wine, but so, so backward and tannic. This huge, dense, medium- to full-bodied wine exhibits... Read More
This is another wine made during the period when Christian Moueix and his conservative oenologist, Jean-Charles Berrouet, were obviously harvesting very early and also, to my mind, doing entirely too much fining and filtration... Read More
This is a stunningly complex and elegant wine, but it is less muscular as well as less fat than either the 1983 or 1989. There are plenty of smoky almonds, peaches, and honeyed apricot fruit in the nose and flavors. In the mouth,... Read More
It's my gut feeling that the 1986 is, along with the 1982, the finest Talbot made at this estate since the legendary 1945. The fact that there are 40,000 cases of this wine is good news for the consumer, as there will be plenty... Read More