Along with Leoville Barton 1990 this is one half of one of the great contrasting Bordeaux pairs. The 1989 has always been a more upright wine, slightly strict. The kind of claret that never really takes it coat off but you get the sense that there is a brightly coloured shirt underneath. It is still deep and dark at over 30 years of age. It is initially quite tight and needs well over an hour in the decanter to show its promise. Wonderful breath on the palate. The tannin is well integrated but there is no hiding that this wine is still very young. There is a concentration here that leads me to think that the wine is still not at its peak. It is very enjoyable now with plenty of air but I suspect you will not miss the wine if you still have some in the cellar in two decades time.

The 1989 Leoville Barton is deep garnet-brick in color. It jumps from the glass with notes of unsmoked cigars, warm cassis, new leather, and iron ore, followed by hints of dried bay leaves and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, the palate is intense, spicy, and impactful, delivering loads of mature fruit layers and a lively backbone, with a sturdy, chewy texture and a long, mineral-laced finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

It has been a little while since I tasted the Château Léoville-Barton 1989. Now at 25 years of age, it has an open bouquet with vestiges of brambly red fruit, scorched earth and chestnut, touches of fireside hearth developing with time. There is something almost comforting about Anthony Barton's wine, its familiarity putting you at ease. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that have softened in recent years and it gently builds to a saline, rather austere finish. Gentle, but classy Saint Julien, you can enjoy this for another 15 years without worry. Tasted June 2014. - Neal Martin