1989 Léoville-Las-Cases, St-Julien
SKU #1082714
96
points
Wine Spectator
Very ripe, with raisin and dried fruits on the nose. You can smell the sun-dried grapes. Full-bodied, delivering firm tannins and a very fresh palate. Long and flavorful, offering currant, berries and all sorts of dark fruits, but turns lightly earthy and floral. This is a thoroughly complex wine. Just starting to really open into the mature 20-year-old wine it is, but such a great life ahead of it. Muscular. (Web Only- 2010)
91
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1989 tasted California-like in its ripe, sweet, black-cherry fruit, nicely-integrated, toasty new oak, and clean, pure winemaking style. A tighter, more compact finish is the result of elevated tannin, but this is an outstanding, rich, medium-weight Las Cases that tastes less well-endowed than I originally predicted. It is built more along the lines of the classy, elegant 1985 than the blockbuster 1982 and 1986. The wine is still youthful, with no amber at the edge of its healthy deep ruby/purple color. It will improve for another 8-12 years, and then plateau, offering very fine drinking over the subsequent two decades.
(2/ 1997)
Jancis Robinson
Still a strong dark crimson colour but some brick at rim. Savoury mineral nose then opens up to very ripe fruit. A little leafy. Dry, grainy tannins but sweet fruit and some chocolate sweetness on the finish. A mix of firm and leafy. A bit gruff, sweet/sour aftertaste. More Merlot than usual (c 25%). 17/20 points.
(2/ 2011)