Oddbins is very pleased to announce that in our forthcoming March sale a substantial offering of mature Bordeaux 1st Growths from a cellar of a long time Bordeaux aficionado, whose cellar is of known provenance.
This collection represents some of the best and classic wines that Bordeaux has had to offer over the past 40 years and includes wines from the famed 1961, 1975, 1982 and 1990 vintages in both bottle and magnum sizes. Famous chateau’s from both the left bank (Medoc and Graves) and right bank (Pomerol and St Emilion) include Chateau’s Lafite, Latour, Mouton, Margaux and Chateau’s Petrus, Ausone and Cheval Blanc and the ever impressive sauternes, Chateau d’Yquem.
Included in this offering are nineteen wines rated above 18 points by Clive Coates MW and 10 wines rated 95 points and higher by Robert Parker Jrn.
This review will outline the vintage conditions, a brief biography of the Chateau and a brief wine description for all the wines on offer. This is indeed a rare opportunity to either taste or collect some of the glories that Bordeaux has to offer to the wine world.
Some photos are in our photo gallery on our web site, but if you require further information or condition reports please do not hesitate to contact Graham Wright at Oddbins on 08-8365-4722
All of the wines on offer come from a single cellar based in Adelaide, South Australia and were housed in a reputable commercial cellar, well know for its correct environmental conditions. However, the collection has been held on open shelves for display purposes with some subsequent label and capsule damage and varying degrees of ullage. So please refer to the catalogue for a full description of each wine on offer.
It would be prudent to state that this appears to Oddbins as a consumption cellar rather than an outright investment cellar.
But the vendor has certainly an eye for quality and collectability as you will see from the collection, with a particular interest in the deep, full-bodied wines of Chateau Latour. As an international traveller, some of the wines on offer have been purchased from overseas retailers and where possible, we have attempted to indicate this fact within the item description.
What can you say about Bordeaux that hasn’t been said before? So if you missed that bit in your wine studies course, here we go again: It’s an important trading port located on the Garonne River and the Gironde estuary, on the west coast of France and to which it has had a very long and important trading history with the United Kingdom. One could say that Bordeaux’s wealth has been built on the thirst of the English.
So what we have is a flat, low lying estuary which is tempered by a cool Atlantic maritime climate where summers are long, hot, and lazy and winters are mild and wet, absolutely idea for the serious cultivation of the vitus Vinifera vine and importantly to the lovers of wine, it is more than ideally suited to the particular Vinifera varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Noir – when it’s not raining!
The soils on the left side of the estuary, looking out to the Atlantic, are well drained gravels and sands, those further upstream around the region of the Graves, are on very deep rocky soil (hence the French name for gravel), while over on the right bank (still looking at the Atlantic) the soil types are a lot more varied, from the chalk, clay and limestone hillsides of St Emilion to the gravel and clay combinations of the gentle rolling hills of Pomerol.
And finally, let’s not forget that even further down the river, where the cool waters of the Citron meet the warmer Garonne, mists constantly cause the fruits of the v. Vinifera vine to rot but to rot nobly, for this is the natural home of the bug Botrytis Cinerea and of course the home of Sauternes.
And why is this important? Because over the centuries, each of these particular sites has been found to impart a very special signature or flavour to their wines, a signature that was both unique and instantly recognisable as the flavours of Bordeaux. And importantly the wine was highly desirable, with consumers around the globe willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of owning the wines from the best estates.
The Bordeaux wine trade became so important, that in 1855 the Bordelaise decided to rank the best sites, based on price, so that the world could easily identify and value these great sites or growths. With a couple of notable exceptions, this ranking has not changed since 1855 but the prices paid for the very best estate’s produce have co-incidentally continued to climb. In fact, this marvellous beverage has become over time, a very sophisticated tradeable commodity controlled by some of Europe’s wealthiest families and companies.
Even in modern times with the onslaught of well-priced, well made, fully ripe and sweet New World wines, these top wines still attract phenomenal and at times over-zealous attention from aficionados, collectors and increasingly financial investors alike. Today, there is even a published Bordeaux Index which is Currently at 114.92 0.62!
Style: Ultra rich, ultra lush - Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 50%
Named after the first Roman chronicler of Bordeaux, this small 7.3ha estate is located on a steep southeast-facing slope on the southern outskirts of St Emilion. Officially a first growth but throughout most of the 20th century suffered badly from poor management. However, since 1976, the estate has started to regain its once stellar reputation by making ultra rich, lush and exotically fruity wines.
Style: Rich & voluptuous with an illusion of sweetness - Cab Franc 57%, Merlot 39%, Malbec 3%, Cab Sauv 1%
Located in St Emilion but on the border of Pomerol, the site is gently undulating, made up of a variety of gravel, clay and sandy soils and is planted predominately with cabernet franc. This 41ha first growth property has continued to maintain its reputation as one of the greats of Bordeaux although now challenged by the late blooming Chat’s Ausone and Petrus. For Coates, “as if a blend of Chambertin and Ch Latour would produce Cheval Blanc” while for Parker, “Cheval Blanc is undoubtedly one of Bordeaux’s most profound wines”.
Style: Harmony & elegance - Cab Sauv 45%, Merlot 37%, Cab Franc 18%
This 95ha estate is situated right in the middle of the suburbs of Pessac on the large gravel banks that lends it name to the region, Graves. The style of the wines while lighter than it’s illustrious counterparts further downstream are said to be very harmonious and elegant but have the ability to age with dignity and grace.
Style: Elegance, delicacy, femininity - Cab Sauv 70%, Merlot 20%, Cab Franc 10%
One of the largest and most northerly, bordering St Estephe, of the premium Medoc estates, Ch Lafite’s 95ha produce approximately 35,000 cases annually, including the sought after 2nd wine, Carraudes de Lafite. The vineyards lay on deep gravel dunes over marl and limestone. The wines are said to be never powerful but elegant, harmonious and balanced and at times difficult to understand, and I love this tribute from Coates, “To drink Lafite at its mature best is indisputably one of the great taste experiences in the world: round, soft and velvety, elegance personified”.
Style: Muscular, most powerful & long lasting Bordeaux - Cab Sauv 80%, Merlot 15%, Cab Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 1%
This famous 65ha estate with a very high cabernet content consistently produces an intensely tannic, opaque, and when young, impenetrable wine that requires substantial ageing. Coming from very deep gravely and well-drained soils, Latour also has the “uncanny knack” of producing good wine in bad vintages. Annual production is approximately 18,000 cases.
Style: Perfumed, feminine, understated chic - Cab Sauv 75%, merlot 20%, Petit Verdot 3%, Cab Franc 2%
This 86ha estate of sand and stone topsoil over gravely clay has remained under constant ownership since 1975, which has resulted in their wines being very consistent in both style and quality. Not as powerful as its northern 1st growth neighbours, these wines are renowned, as Hugh Johnson has stated, for being “the most seductive and fabulously perfumed” of the classed growths.
Style: Massive fruit, cedary oak, concentration - Cab Sauv 85%, Cab Franc 10%, Merlot 5%
The alluvial plains of the Gironde estuary leave the Mouton site with very deep gravel beds that sit over large stones, with the key feature being drainage. The high cabernet content, long ferments and long skin contact make for deep and concentrated wines. A large estate of some 75ha producing approximately 25,000 cases of Grand Vin was only granted first growth status in 1973. Some inconsistencies have been reported during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
Style: Big, sturdy, very rich wines - Merlot 95%, Cab Franc 5%
From the highest plateau in the Pomerol, this 11.4ha estate is now one of the most rarest and expensive wines in Bordeaux, but only 30 years ago this Chateaux was virtually unknown. Very old vines on clay soil, the wines are renowned for being extraordinarily rich, powerful and concentrated and very hard to get hold of.
Style: Richness, succulence, high merlot content - Cab Sauv 45%, Merlot 35%, Cab Franc 12%, Petit Verdot 8%
A so called 75ha “super second” from the deep gravel beds of southern Pauillac, the high merlot content make the finished wines more feminine in appearance, i.e. less tannic and powerful than its illustrious neighbour Ch Latour, but nonetheless still an immensely rich, succulent and very generous wine. Also a very consistent over achiever.
Style: Very strong, intense, luscious - Semillon 80%, Sauv Blanc 20%
As Parker has put so simply in a footnote to his Bordeaux tome, “Yquem, despite the existence of other outstanding estates, rarely has had any competition and must be considered the only Bordeaux wine in a class by itself”. Located on the highest hill in the region, this 110ha property has the best growing conditions in Sauternes. Only fully botrytised fruit is picked by a series of passes by very experienced hands. The wines are extraordinary complex and exotically rich yet with balancing acidity.
One of the intriguing factors that can make wine so very exciting is the variability of the weather, so not only are the great wines from the great sites in high demand; they are even in more demand when the weather is good to them.
As Parker has stated, “the great vintages of Bordeaux have always been characterised by growing seasons that have been abnormally hot, dry and sunny. So 1900, 1921, 1929, 1945, 1949, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1995 and 2000 have all shared several distinctive climates characteristics – heat, sunshine and drought like conditions” (Bordeaux 3rd Ed).
The other side of the climatic coin is that Bordeaux is also notorious for harvest storms and rain, which even from the best estates leaves the wine thin, mean and dilute. And just to add a little more intrigue, conditions for great red Bordeaux are not the same for magnificent Sauternes.
Tasting notes by Clive Coates, The Vine& Grand Vins (CC) and Robert Parker Jrn, The Wine Advocate & Bordeaux 3rd Ed(RP).
Rating: Coates – 19.5/20, Parker – n/a
The weather was cold for flowering, there was rain in July and then drought set in August, then there was sunshine until harvest was complete. The crop was miniscule but the conditions were nigh on perfect leaving wines that were intensely deep, concentrated with high extract, flesh, tannin and importantly acidity, making the wines slow to develop. What more could you want!
For Clive Coates doyen of English wine journalism, “it (the 1961 vintage) demonstrates in a superlative way all that I look for in a fine wine: ripe fruit, balance, concentration, a ‘three dimensional’ quality of flavour and character, and above all, elegance” (The Vine 230, 2004). And according to Michael Broadbent, both Chat Lafite and Margaux in 1961 were, “the gold dust of the wine world”.
Ch Lafite Rothschild 1961 – Now to 2008, Coates in full, “Full, mature colour. Very lovely complex, classy, fragrant nose. There is finesse in spades. Very fresh and harmonious. 100%Cabernet sauvignon let us not forget. On the palate this is very fine but it is not as fresh or intense as the Margaux. Medium to medium-full body. A little more substance but a little more astringency as well. Very fine indeed but not great.” CC 19.5/20 # 230
Ch Margaux 1961 – Now to 2010, “Full mature colour. Not perhaps quite the class on the nose of a grand cru. But lush and succulent. Fresh and not a bit dense or solid. On the palate this is fullish, balanced, intense, classy and gently oaky. Very good grip. Lots of vigour. Very fine”. CC 18.5/20 #204
Rating:Coates – 16/20, Parker – 90/100
Basically this vintage should not have worked at all, spring was warm and dry, and then there was a blast of intense heat in followed by six weeks of alternating rain and shine. Fortunately the grapes stayed healthy, the sun shined a bit more consistently and for Sauternes, the noble rot finally set in. Once harvested the wines had ample botrytis with good acid backbones.
For the Medoc producers, the unevenness of September gave way to hot and dry conditions leaving low yields but highly concentrated wines. Estates in the St Julien and Pauillac districts fared best with some commentators calling the best both majestic and classic, while other criticised the vintage as being austere and tannic. While the wines may have been “tough” at the time, long term cellaring has only highlighted the former critics commentary that these wines were in fact “majestic and classic”.
Ch Latour 1975 –Now to 2013, full tannic and masculine, a little brutal as this vintage often is. But has good richness underneath and good acidity. Very fine quality. CC Grand Vins
Ch d’Yquem 1975 –Now to 2025, 1985 tasting note from Coates “Youthful yellow gold colour; fresh, youthful, oaky nose, showing more sauvignon than the above. Quite powerful, young full wine. Not as much botrytis perhaps but sweet, peachy, Victoria-plum flavour. Very fine balance. Rich. Has a lot of depth” Grand Vins
However, across the Atlantic, Parker comments that, “The 1975 may turn out to be the greatest of the modern-day Yquems. When fully mature in another 25-30 years, it may rival the extraordinary 1937 and 1921. This wine continues to evolve at a stubbornly slow pace. It is far more backward than recent vintages such as 1983 and 1986. Nevertheless, it is awesomely concentrated, has perfect balance, and displays the telltale Yquem aromas of vanillin oak, tropical fruit, pineapples, honeyed peaches, and grilled almonds. There is exceptionally crisp acidity that pulls all of the massive extract into precise focus. This is a wine of astonishing power and finesse, with a finish that must be tasted to be believed. It is a monumental effort that may well justify a perfect score in another decade. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2060. Last tasted, 1/91. 99pts” Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Rating:Coates – 16/20, Parker – Pauillac 87/100, Pomerol/St Emilion l 84/100
After a damp and uninspiring August, catastrophe beckoned in the early Summer, but for those producers that held on and avoided the temptation to harvest early, the gamble paid off with plenty of warm and dry conditions that occurred towards the end of harvest. Both for those in Medoc and Pomerol who held off for the warm weather, the result was a small but classic vintage that importantly, produced wines of high acidity and good for longevity.
Ch Latour 1978 –Now to 2008,“Full, barely mature colour. Splendidly Latour on the nose. Surprisingly soft of the palate. Fullish, velvety-rich fruit. Very good grip. Above all real breed and complexity. Arsitocratic and harmonious. Slightly less voluptuous than the Lafute. The structure is more obvious. But this is classier. Very lovely finish. Excellent. 19.5/20” CC #195
Ch Petrus 1978 – Now to 2010, “This is splendidly impressive. Full bodied, marvellous fruit and excellent balance. Fat, rich and opulent. This is a very exciting wine. Very merlot in character.” CC 20/20, #195
Rating:Coates - 18.5/20, Parker – Pauillac 98/100, Margaux 86/100, Pom/St Em 96/100
A great year for both left and right bank producers, a mild spring that was perfect for flowering followed by a sunny summer and then the heat and drought set in for harvest. The crop was abundant, the harvest early and rapid and the wines: rich, opulent and intense. The only problem area was Margaux, where the vines sit on relatively thin soil, suffered terribly from the September heat.
Ch Latour 1982 – Now to 2020+,very pure, very rich, very classy. Full, rich and tannic. CC 19.5/20 #213. RP 100/100 #129
Ch Margaux 1982 –Now to 2010,Ethereal and complex nose. Very classy and multidimensional. Simply lovely. Great finesse. In its own quiet, delicate way this is well-nigh perfect. Marvellous complexity and balance. Still very, very fresh. Great wine. CC 20/20 #230
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1982 –2008 to 2040,according to Coates this wine is still immature, full bodied with good depth and class, long, vigorous and class. For Parker, “spectacular sweetness and opulence”. CC 19.5/20, #213, RP 100/100, Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Ch Petrus 1982 – Now to 2025, “fat and muscular, meaty, slightly earthy, exotic and densely textured, quite dense with very concentrated fruit. In 2002, this was still youthful but beginning to get accessible” CC 18/20, #213
Rating:Coates – na, Parker – Pauillac 86/100, Pom/St Em 89/100
Lots of tropical warmth and humidity in August followed by a fine September resulted in an early harvest that was uneven, prone to over ripeness and rot in some districts, especially on the right bank. Some producers who didn’t spray exacerbated the rot problem. For the Medoc, and especially Margaux, the vintage was a success with good acidity and levels of ripeness but the tannins were hard and aggressive.
Ch Cheval Blanc 1983 –Now to 2017, “A classic example of Cheval Blanc's style, the 1983 continues to put on weight and develop favourably in the bottle. A saturated dark ruby colour with some faint lightening at the edges exhibits less age than most right bank 1983s. The huge nose of mint, jammy black fruits, chocolate, and coffee is sensational, as well as surprisingly well-developed. The wine offers lusty, rich, unctuous fruit presented in a medium to full-bodied, low acid, concentrated, rather hedonistic style. There are no hard edges to be found, but there is plenty of tannin in the lush finish. Gorgeous for drinking now, this is a great Cheval Blanc that should continue to drink well, and possibly improve for another 20 years. The 1983 is far superior to anything Cheval Blanc has subsequently produced. It remains somewhat undervalued for its quality. Last tasted 12/97 95/100”. RP Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Rating:Coates – 17/20, Parker – Medoc 90/100
All did not start well for the ’85 vintage with heavy frosts in Winter, a stormy wet Spring, violent hailstorms in May/June followed by a warm and wet July, a cool but dry August and then the heat and dryness arrived for a late September harvest. The best results came from producers who rigorously hand selected their fruit. The best wines have been described as gorgeously seductive and charming, a delicious vintage to enjoy.
Ch Haut Brion 1985 –Now to 2010, excellent restrained aloof elegance, integrated and seamless personality. RP 94/100
Ch Latour 1985 –Now to 2012, open accessible, plump and seductive. CC Grand Vins
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1985 – Mature, for Coates its medium bodied, stylish but an absence of real power while for Parker, “Readers looking for a big, boldly constructed Mouton should search out other vintages, as this is a tame, forward, medium-weight wine that is close to full maturity” but still classifies it as, “rich, forward, long, and sexy”. CC Grand Vins, Parker, Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Ch Petrus 1985 –Now to 2015,“full, tannic, masculine, real potential” CC Grand Vins
Rating:Coates – Right bank 14/20, Left 18/20, Parker – Pom/St E 88/100, Graves 89/100, Pauillac 94/100
The winter was harsh, the spring damp and then the fine weather stepped in that resulted in a long, late drought affected harvest – just about perfect for cabernet in the Medoc. Unfortunately, an unwelcome storm swept through Bordeaux and the right bank left some producers picking early resulting in thin wines while those that toughed it out and waited for the late warmth, produced concentrated flavoursome wines, like Cheval Blanc. The resulting great wines proved to be long lived.
Ch Cheval Blanc 1986 – Drink now to 2017, lots of rich, unctuous but concentrated fruit, generally underrated. CC #204
Ch Haut Brion 1986 –Now to 2015, “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 possess a tell-tale smoky tobacco and sweet black currant-scented nose, in addition to subtle new oak and minerals scents. This medium to full-bodied, rich, intensely smoky wine has still not reached its plateau of maturity. It is unquestionably the wine of the vintage for Graves, and not far off the pace of the great 1986 first-growth Medocs. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2015. 93pts” RP Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Ch Latour 1986 –Now to 2030, rich but slightly austere, very fine fruit on the palate. Good length but not the greatest grip or depth. CC #199
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1986 –Now to 2040,very Mouton, very lush, succulent and lovely. Very fine, classic, long, excellent and very impressive. I think Coates likes it! CC 20/20 #213
Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande1986 – Now to 2025, Fullish, marvellously intense and harmonious. This knocks the spots off the 1990 and 1989. Fine. CC Grand Vins. From Parker, “The 1986 is the most tannic, as well as the largest-framed Pichon-Lalande in over three decades. Whether it will ultimately eclipse the 1982 is doubtful, but it will be longer-lived. Dark ruby/purple, with a tight yet profound bouquet of cedar, blackcurrants, spicy oak, and minerals, this full-bodied, deeply concentrated, exceptionally well-balanced wine is, atypically, too brawny and big to drink young. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2015. 96pts” Wine Advocate #95
Rating:Coates – 16.5/20, Parker – Pom/St Em 88/100, Graves 89/100, Pauillac 87/100
Pure and simply this was a year where many growers grew too nervous waiting for the sunshine, panicked and picked too soon, resulting in thin green wines. The season started with a damp winter that continued through to the end of June with flowering in less than ideal conditions.
When the sun finally arrived it was seldom hot, the heat arrived a little later in August but so did intermittent rain. Coolness in late vintage stalled the ripening of cabernet but the earlier ripening merlot flourished in these excellent conditions. This was a year to buy from the higher ranking producers and a year where high tannin, high acid ruled.
Ch Cheval Blanc 1988 –Drink now to 2018, a wine of firm tannins but real finesse, concentrated, elegant and complex, well defined fruit and excellent grip. CC #204
Ch Latour 1988 –Now to 2028, beautifully balanced, very ripe, almost sweet fruit. Almost ready, long, complex, intense and very, very classy. CC #199
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1988 –Now to 2020, very ripe palate, great class but underrated. From Parker, “staggering bouquet, in the mouth much firmer and tougher, more obvious tannin than the 1989”. CC Grand Vins, 89/100, RP Bordeaux 3 rd Ed
Rating:Coates – 18/20, Parker Pom/St Em 88/100, Pauillac 90/100
This was a huge vintage of fruity, opulent wine with high alcohol levels but correspondingly low levels of acid due to the extremely warm harvesting conditions (sounds like a standard Australian vintage). Cabernet did not fare well, but once again, early ripening merlot was once again stunning. The season opened with a mild and dry winter followed by torrential rain but a generally cool march. The crop was then retarded by miserably cold wet and at times frosty conditions in April. However the sun arrived in May resulting in early flowering. After a brief but worrisome cold snap the heat set in.
By August the crop was looking huge and approaching ripeness, but unfortunately the grapes were full of sugar but lacked acid and ripe tannins. A problem very common in warm to hot New World vineyards where acidification is a common cure. Not really knowing what do, most picked early in either late August or early September, which resulted in the wines being rich and fleshy, high in tannins but extremely low in acid. Careful vinification and cellar management at the top end did however, produce some very influential wines.
Ch Ausone 1989 - Now to 2020,“The 1989 reveals amber at the edge, and a green tobacco and mineral-scented, hard-edged nose of musty wood and earthy fruit. This mid-weight wine is spicy and elegant, with moderate body, and a boatload of astringent tannin in the harsh finish. It requires a minimum of 10-15 more years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Score 88pts” RP #109
Ch Latour 1989 –Now to 2020, “Tasted from my cellar, the 1986 has consistently been outstanding, falling short of being sublime. The spicy, peppery bouquet reveals aromas of dried herbs and red currant fruit. Medium-bodied, austere, but youthful, vigorous, and concentrated, this wine still requires 4-5 years of cellaring. It is surpassed in this vintage (which favoured the northern Medoc and Cabernet Sauvignon) by its rivals, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. 90/100” RP #129
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1989 –Now to 2010, “The 1989 displays a dark ruby colour that is already beginning to reveal significant lightening at the edge. The bouquet is surprisingly evolved, offering up scents of cedar, sweet black fruits, lead pencil, and toasty oak. This elegant, medium-bodied restrained wine is beautifully made, stylish, and not dissimilar to the 1985. It is an excellent to outstanding Mouton that should be close to full maturity in 4-5 years; it will drink well for 15-20. 90/100”. RP #109
Rating:Coates – 18.5/20, Parker – Graves 90/100, Pauillac 98/100
The equation was simple enough, a mild winter followed by a cool spring, a hot may with early flowering then there was patches of warmth and cold and then came summer: hottest since 1947, the sunniest since 1949 and the driest since 1961. The crop was the largest in modern times with many top estates employing green-harvesting (dropping fruit) to cut down yields.
In the Medoc, cabernet initially suffered a little with lower acid levels until a fortunate rainstorm reinvigorated the vines and classic rich and well-balanced wines were made. For merlot, it was an outstanding successful year with moisture retention in the heavier soils producing wines high in sugar and with ample tannin.
Ch Cheval Blanc 1990 – Now to 2025, opulent, complex aristocratic, “the greatest release since the legendary 1982” explosive, ripe, vigorous and lush. Lovely. CC 19/20 #20
Ch Haut Brion 1990 –Now to 2020, real breed and complexity, subtle clean and concentrated, very well evolved, medium to full bodied, superbly concentrated, CC #213
Ch Lafite Rothschild 1990 –Now to 2030, in 2003 Coates writes that the wine is now “showing maturity, abundant nose, rich, very good grip. This is an exciting sample with lots of vigour. Very long. Excellent. Just about ready.” CC #213
Ch Latour 1990 –Now to 2035, accessible but still very vigorous, just about the perfect combination of fruit, depth, grip and structure. Super-duper. CC 20/20 #199. RP 96/100 #129
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1990 –Now to 2010, from descriptions like “tough and attenuated” to “puzzling, strangely un-concentrated”, the wine appears to be still relatively young and angular, which begs the question, will these tannins ever go away? CC 16/20 #213, RP 89/100 #109
Rating:Coates – na, Parker – Pauillac 86/100
Lead up to vintage was excellent with warm and hot summer and the prospect of drought. Then on September 6 th the clouds opened up and it rained for a month. Fortunately the grapes remained healthy due to thick skins but there was dilution but fortunately no rot. Careful triage in the vineyard and handling in the winery resulted in the top estates producing round and fruity wines of good colour and structure for relatively early drinking.
Ch Haut Brion 1993 – Now to 2020, “One of the great wines of the vintage, Haut-Brion's 1993 possesses a dark garnet/plum/purple colour, an expressive, fragrant, sweet, berry, blackcurrant, mineral, lead pencil, and earthy-scented nose, and medium to full-bodied, concentrated flavours that reveal none of this vintage's hardness or herbaceousness. This layered wine offers sweet tannin, good length, and outstanding purity. Its price is moderate when compared to more recent vintages of Haut-Brion. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and consume it between 2001-2020. 92/100” RP #109
Rating:Coates – na, Parker – Pauillac 85/100
Once again summer promised an excellent harvest as conditions were hot and dry then between September 7 th and 29 th 175mm of rain fell. The resultant large crop of dilute fruit required severe selection in order for “great wine” to be made. Colour and structure were good, but for cabernet, it tended to be austere and herbaceous with high tannin and lacking in finesse.
Ch Mouton Rothschild 1994 –Now to 2025, “The 1994 appears to be the finest Mouton-Rothschild made following the 1986 and before the 1995's conception. The wine exhibits a dense, saturated purple colour, followed by a classic Mouton nose of sweet black fruits intermingled with smoke, pain grillee, spice, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, with outstanding concentration, a layered feel, plenty of tannin, and rich, concentrated fruit, this wine is similar to the fine 1988. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. 91/100” RP #109
name |
year |
Coates Vintage Rating |
Parker Vintage Rating |
Coates 20pt Chat Rating |
Parker 100pt Chat Scores |
Ch Lafite Rothschild |
1961 |
20 |
|
18/19.5 |
84 |
Ch Margaux |
1961 |
20 |
|
18.5/20 |
93 |
Ch d'Yquem |
1975 |
16 |
90 |
|
99 |
Ch Latour |
1975 |
16 |
89 |
18 |
90 |
Ch Latour |
1978 |
16 |
87 |
19.5 |
90 |
Ch Petrus |
1978 |
16 |
84 |
20/19.5 |
83 |
Ch Latour |
1982 |
18.5 |
98 |
18.5 |
100 |
Ch Margaux |
1982 |
18.5 |
86 |
18.5 |
94 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1982 |
18.5 |
98 |
20 |
100 |
Ch Petrus |
1982 |
18.5 |
86 |
19 |
98 |
Ch Cheval Blanc |
1983 |
|
89 |
|
95 |
Ch Haut Brion |
1985 |
17 |
90 |
18.5 |
94 |
Ch Latour |
1985 |
17 |
90 |
17 |
88 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1985 |
17 |
90 |
17 |
90+ |
Ch Petrus |
1985 |
17 |
88 |
17.5 |
89 |
Ch Cheval Blanc |
1986 |
14 - 18 |
88 |
16 |
92 |
Ch Haut Brion |
1986 |
14 - 18 |
89 |
17.5 |
96 |
Ch Latour |
1986 |
14 - 18 |
94 |
18 |
90+ |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1986 |
14 - 18 |
94 |
20 |
100 |
Ch Pichon Lalande |
1986 |
14 - 18 |
94 |
18.5 |
94 |
Ch Cheval Blanc |
1988 |
16.5 |
88 |
17.5 |
87 |
Ch Latour |
1988 |
16.5 |
87 |
18.5 |
91 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1988 |
16.5 |
87 |
16 |
89 |
Ch Ausone |
1989 |
18 |
88 |
14 |
88 |
Ch Latour |
1989 |
18 |
90 |
18 |
89 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1989 |
18 |
90 |
18.5 |
90 |
Ch Cheval Blanc |
1990 |
18.5 |
98 |
18.5 |
93 |
Ch Haut Brion |
1990 |
18.5 |
90 |
19 |
96 |
Ch Lafite Rothschild |
1990 |
18.5 |
98 |
19.5 |
92+ |
Ch Latour |
1990 |
18.5 |
98 |
20 |
96 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1990 |
18.5 |
98 |
17.5 |
87 |
Ch Haut Brion |
1993 |
|
96 |
|
92 |
Ch Mouton Rothschild |
1994 |
|
85 |
|
91 |
Clive Coates, Grand Vins, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1997
Clive Coates, the Vine, Clive Coates MW, London, 2001-2004
Robert Parker Jrn, Bordeaux : A Comprehensive Guide, Third Edition, Dorling Kindersley, London, 1998
Robert Parker Jrn, The Wine Advocate, 1997-2004
Graham Wright
Valuer & Auctioneer
Oddbins Wine Auctions