Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 1989

Vinous

97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe7/29/2022

The 1989 Haut-Brion is very, very good. All the telltale Haut-Brion signatures of dark fruit, minerals, herbs, gravel and spice are present, but this bottle is lacking the textural opulence and depth of the best examples. Readers who have had the 1989 know what an epic wine it usually is.

Wine Advocate

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byNeal Martinthe7/29/2016

There is a handful of wines that unite wine writers together in a chorus of praise, a handful that garner adulation and perfect scores irrespective of predilection. Think 1945 Mouton-Rothschild or 1961 Latour. One of those half-dozen is the 1989 Haut-Brion. To put this bottle into context, it was served next to the 1983 Palmer, what I consider to be one of the greatest wines of that decade. I tasted the Margaux and it prompted the usual superlatives. Then this came along and you are immediately struck by the different between a wine that might be perfect and a wine that unquestionably is perfect. It gave an unfair apparition that there is a gulf in quality between the two wines. It took a few minutes to conjure up suitable descriptors for a wine that is as much about emotion and sensory attributes. Moreover it is not a wine that demands respect. It is not aloof. It doesn't order you to kneel down and genuflect. It is utterly charming and utterly delicious. If it was not so magnificent you could polish off a bottle in not time at all because it is so seamless and balanced. Jean-Bernard Delmas made not just one of the great Haut-Brions of all time in 1989, but one of the greatest wines of the 21st century.

Wine Spectator

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/28/2005

Fabulous aromas of raspberries, minerals, tobaccco, chocolate. Complex. Full-bodied, with big velvety tannins but elegant and fabulous. Wonderful sweetness. Goes on and on. This has been 100 points since I first tasted it in barrel. It may age forever, but so good now. Love it. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. Drink now.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1997

Haut-Brion has been the most consistent first-growth over the last decade, producing top-notch wines, even in such tough years as 1987, 1993, and 1994. The 1989 is one of a handful of truly profound wines from a vintage that tends to be overrated, save for the Pomerols, a few St.-Emilions, and some overachievers in the Medoc. However, 1989 was an extraordinary success for Jean Delmas, the administrator of Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion. The prodigious 1989 Haut-Brion is one of the greatest first-growths I have ever tasted. It has always reminded me of what the 1959 must have tasted like in its youth, but it is even richer and more compelling aromatically. The wine exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, as well as a sweet nose of jammy fruit, tobacco, spicy oak, minerals, and smoke. Fabulously concentrated, with huge levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin, this wine is nearly viscous because of its thickness and richness. Low acidity gives the wine even more appeal and adds to its precociousness. The wine has not budged in development since it was first bottled, although it has always provided thrilling drinking because of its voluptuous texture. It needs another 5-6 years of bottle age before it will begin to develop Haut-Brion's fabulous fragrance. Expect it to hit its plateau of maturity around 2003-2005 and drink well for 15-25 years.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/31/1994

Tasted 10 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes The 1989 is the most profound young Haut-Brion I have ever tasted. While most producers made considerably more wine in 1989 than in 1988, Administrator Delmas made 30% less. Significantly concentrated, with a huge perfume, this is a monumental wine that may be a modern-day clone of the heroic 1959. Deep ruby/purple, with a roasted tobacco, cassis, smoky aroma, the 1989 has enormous depth, an opulent texture suggestive of the richest 1982s, great length, and a lavish, multi-layered feel. Charged with fruit and tannin, it seems destined to drink sublimely for the next 20-30 years. An awesome wine! Anticipated maturity: 1995-2015.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/31/1993

The 1989 is one of the most profound Haut-Brions I have ever tasted. While most producers made considerably more wine in 1989 than in 1988, Administrator Delmas made 30% less. Significantly concentrated, with a huge perfume, this is a monumental wine that may be a modern-day clone of the heroic 1959. Deep ruby/purple, with a roasted tobacco, cassis, smoky aroma, the 1989 has enormous depth, an opulent texture suggestive of the richest 1982s, great length, and a lavish, multi-layered feel. Charged with fruit and tannin, it seems destined to drink sublimely for the next 20-30 years. An awesome wine! Anticipated maturity: 1995-2015. Last tasted, 6/93.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/31/1992

Last Tasted 8/92 This wine, the best young Haut-Brion I have ever tasted, appears to have taken on even more richness after bottling. It should turn out to be a modern day clone of the 1959 and 1961. Haut-Brion, which will never have the color, tannin, or power of the Medoc first-growths, is uncommonly rich in 1989. The color is a healthy dark ruby/purple, and the nose offers up super-sweet aromas of minerals, black fruits, grilled nuts, and tobacco. In the mouth, there is a suggestion of the roasted quality often found in Graves wines in a torridly hot year. The overall impression is one of phenomenally sweet, ripe, concentrated fruit, with a great mid-palate and staggering length. This wine is crammed with fruit, glycerin, and tannin, as well as that undeniable Graves personality. This is a splendidly rich, impeccably balanced, opulent Haut Brion that is fascinating to taste now, but should evolve gracefully and effortlessly for another 20-25 years. A masterpiece!

Wine Advocate

98-100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1992

There are some vintages, for example, 1982 and 1986, in which the first-growths tower qualitatively above the other wines. In 1989, as good as they are, the first-growths are not as profound as one might expect. The one major exception is the phenomenal effort turned in by Haut-Brion. If you are going to buy only one first-growth, this is the wine to purchase. It is not only the richest young Haut-Brion I have ever tasted, but also the greatest. It possesses a multi-dimensional complexity and length that are rarely encountered today. This extraordinary effort may turn out to be a perfect wine with another 5-7 years of aging. For those lucky enough to have any of the legendary Haut-Brions, it comes closest to resembling the 1959 in its power and richness. Tasted three times from bottle and numerous times from cask, it has consistently merited between 98-100. While it is displaying the precocious, opulent fruit of most of the 1989s, I suspect it will close up after 2-3 years in the bottle. It should drink fabulously for 25-30 years.