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Lynch Bages 1989 Pauillac

11/99. Bought at auction, Jan-97 for $87.
To celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary, Dorit prepared a nice intimate dinner for the two of us at home.
Though I don't drink much Bordeaux (and even less often enjoy it when I do), I thought a good bottle would be more "appropriate" than, say, a (B) or a Rhone, to mark such a "formal" event. See, even I -- a self-confessed non-conformist -- am not entirely free of social conditioning...
We had figs wrapped in prosciutto and arogola-leaves wrapped in carpaccio for starters, a superb steak au poivre with chips for main dish and banana and pineapple slices in sour-cream for dessert.
COLOR: Opaque dark ruby with purple hues. Slight clearing around the rim. Massive 'legs' on the glass.
NOSE: Very deep and immensely rich nose that is not completely developed yet. Clean 'Bordeaux Nose' with black forest-fruit, spices, eucalyptus(?) and plenty of wood. Excellent!
TASTE: Mouthfilling, muscular and highly concentrated. Like a giant that is about to explode any moment but can't as he is restrained by handcuffs... Plenty of fruit and winyness all around, though these are somewhat inhibited by the still engulfing tannins. Very impressive now, but will become 'easier' with more aging.
LENGTH: Really strong and long aftertaste where both the fruit and the tannins linger.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A huge bodied wine. Powerfully constituted yet velvety in texture. A wine of massive proportions that is still too young to express a harmonious blend. When the tannins subside a little and the softer elements get a chance to shine, this wine will reach a perfectly balanced stage.
OVERALL: Superb now. But the amount of fruit, the depth of flavors and the winyness that surrounds them all, virtually guarantee that in time this wine will become truly outstanding or even extraordinary!
MARK: 18.5/20.BUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.