1989 Bahans Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
The 1989 Bahans Haut-Brion is so good that one wonders why Haut-Brion bothered to produce a second wine in this vintage. More immediate than Haut-Brion itself, the Bahans bursts from the glass with aromas of roasted black fruit, burning embers, Cuban cigar and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's charming and expressive, with melting tannins, ripe acids and a long sweet-savory finish. Today, Bahans Haut-Brion is showing better than all the Médoc first growths.
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Robert Parker
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The four finest second wines (wines made from declassified first-growth cuvees) I have ever tasted are the 1982 and 1990 Forts de Latour, 1989 Bahans-Haut-Brion, and 1995 Pavillon de Chateau Margaux. I am amazed by just how delicious the 1989 Bahans-Haut-Brion continues to be. Although it is approaching full maturity, it reveals no signs of amber. The 1989 is a textbook Graves in its sweet, blackcurrant, tobacco, roasted herb-scented nose. Medium to full-bodied, with succulent texture, rich, fleshy flavors, and low acidity, it is a pure, beautifully made wine. It should continue to drink well for 5-8 years.|| Both the 1989 and 1990 Bahans-Haut-Brion represented splendid bargains when they were released. I suspect quantities still exist in the marketplace. Wine Advocate.February, 1997
About the producer

Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.