1989 Gazin

The 1989 Château Gazin has long been a favorite of mine. It was a reminder of how great this estate's wines can be in a period when it was falling behind the pack. Here, the 1989 continued to show well, although I feel that it may just be on the downward slope. It still has a delightful, earthy, wild mushroom bouquet with warm terracotta tiles on a hot summer's day. The palate is medium-bodied and unashamedly rustic in style, a little frayed at the seams maybe, but still, at its core, there is delightful earthy red berry fruit, clove and bay leaf notes. The nose actually has more to offer than the palate these days, but it will continue to offer drinking pleasure over the next decade, even if recent vintages courtesy of Nicolas de Bailliencourt have been superior. Tasted January 2016.

Big, round, lively fruit. Packed with plump classic Pomerol fruit. Fully mature and bonny. A very good Gazin. 27 May 2004 (JR)

Shows impressive concentration of ripe fruit, with plenty of berry and chocolate character, and it's full-bodied, but the palate turns slightly papery and dry on the finish. This wine is going through a strange period. Tasted three times, with consistent notes.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now. -James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1999