1989 Haut Brion

9 October 2010: Saturday night.  Grouse dinner, with redcurrant jelly, red cabbage and mashed swede.   After a disappointing half bottle of 1982 La Mission Haut Brion, which turned out to be bretty and showed very little fruit, drying out finish with rather unbalanced acidity, we decided to open a half bottle of 1989 Haut Brion.  The wine was rather closed initially.  After half an hour in the decanter and in the glass, it gradually revealed an exuberant bouquet consisting of ripe fruit, with notes of blueberry and blackcurrant preserve, complemented by a slightly burnt fruit note characteristic of this hot vintage, tobacco, gravel, leather, cedar, violet, and even a hint of dried fruit peel.  The well-knit structure of firm acidity and soft ripe tannin carried the fruity, spicy, chocolatey and minty flavours across the palate and they lingered to leave the impression of an intellectually serious wine, that spoke of majestic expression, purity, complexity and richness.  An opulent wine that required time and patience to understand perfectly.  The wine continued to improve over a 2-hour period.  Judging from this half botle example, I have no doubt this wine will continue to evolve over the next 15 years.  19/20