The 1986 has wonderful opulence and fatness that is surprising to see, particularly in view of the tannic style of many of the 1986 Medocs. However, there is no doubting its ability to age well, as it has plenty of tannin. This... Read More
At 16 years of age, this wine continues to taste more like a 5 to7-year-old Bordeaux. The color is a handsome dark ruby with just a bit of pink at the edge. The wine exhibits sweet red and black currant fruit intermixed with wet... 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
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
The 1986 Leoville-Las Cases, which Delon continues to believe is his finest vintage in the eighties (even eclipsing the 1982), still exhibits a black/purple color with no signs of age. The nose offers up aromas of exceptionally... Read More
The 1986 Leoville-Las Cases, which Delon continues to believe is his finest vintage in the eighties (even eclipsing the 1982), still exhibits a black/purple color with no signs of age. The nose offers up aromas of exceptionally... Read More
This is a good rather than dazzling 1986. On close examination, the wine is excessively tannic without the fruit to soften and balance the wine's astringency. Moreover, the wine's mid-range palate is somewhat short, no... Read More
The 1986 is finally emerging from the dormant stage that many of the wines from this vintage (especially the Medocs) have been going through. It is a full-bodied, still backward wine that will appeal to classicists and old line... Read More
After stumbling over some wines I thought were high class Bordeaux, I nailed this wine in one of the blind tastings for this article. In most tastings where a great Bordeaux is inserted with California Cabernets, the Bordeaux... 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
One of the big surprises of the tasting. Superbly structured, with breathtaking aromas of plums, chocolate and berries that follow through on the palate. Full-bodied, with full tannins and a long, alluring finish. Needs time.--Pichon-Lalande... Read More
An extraordinary success for this estate (and also the finest wine they produced in the decade of the eighties), the 1986 remains extremely backward. It reveals an impressively saturated dark purple color, followed by a tight... Read More