Delivers fabulous aromas of crushed red fruits, with leather, tar, tobacco and mint. Full-bodied, offering supersoft and silky tannins, as well as a beautiful polish. Open and luscious, with amazing richness of fruit and decadence at the same time.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now.

A classic, old school Saint-Julien, the 1989 Château Gruaud Larose offers a smorgasbord-like array of red and black fruits, saddle leather, cigar box, and smoke tobacco. Medium-bodied and nicely concentrated, with good mid-palate density, it's not the most elegant wine and still has some present tannins, but it sure brings plenty of character. It opens up nicely with time in the glass as well, and while it's unquestionably drinking at point, it certainly has another 15 years of evolution.

Tasted at The Ledbury Gruaud Larose lunch, the 1989 was one of the standout wines of the tasting. It displays wonderful definition on the nose, more clarity than the 1990 alongside, with hints of sandalwood, Provencal herbs, white fennel and a touch of mint. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, demonstrating a tad more composure than the 1990 with good weight on the linear finish. I like the control here, the sense of finesse. Drinking perfectly now.

The 1989 Gruaud Larose is evolving very slowly, and its impressively youthful structure and vibrant flavors auger very well for its future. Offering up aromas of sweet berry fruit, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and cedar, it's medium to full-bodied, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and fine but still present tannins. As this develops in the cellar, it's showing more plenitude and mid-palate volume than it did a decade ago, and for patient readers this is emerging as a comparatively underestimated 1989 Médoc. - William Kelley