Of the wonderful troika of wines produced at Château Climens in the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages, I have always had a very, very slight preference for the utterly classic 1988 over its two younger siblings. The 1989...
Of the wonderful troika of wines produced at Château Climens in the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages, I have always had a very, very slight preference for the utterly classic 1988 over its two younger siblings. The 1989 Climens, at this particular tasting here in New York in September showed very well, but perhaps just a tad lower than my very high expectations for this wine. The nose was very pretty, but a bit riper and more tropical than I remember, as it offered up scents of pineapple, honey, new leather, tea leaves, dried oranges and crème brulée. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and just a tad forceful in style compared to more classic vintages of Climens (such as 1971, 1983, 1986 or 1988), but with lovely mid-palate depth, fine focus and excellent length and grip on the complex and poised finish. The 1989 Climens has now reached its apogee of maturity, but should continue to cruise along beautifully for several more decades. (Drink between 2009-2030)