A beautiful wine if lacking a bit of ripeness and remaining somewhat austere. Still, this is filling out nicely at it matures and is very refined with excellent mineral cut and lovely dark red fruits. Layered and perfectly balanced and while the finish could be more complex, that may come with more bottle age. A complete counterpoint to the riper, showier '90 so it's a matter of style preference. 94+

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Dwarfed by its younger sibling, the 1990, the 1989 Chateau Margaux has a dark plum/garnet color and a big, sweet nose of new saddle leather, toasty oak, and weedy black cherry and cassis fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with relatively elevated tannins, outstanding concentration and purity, but a somewhat clipped as well as compressed finish. This certainly outstanding wine has put on a bit of weight in its evolution in the bottle, but it is hardly one of the most profound efforts from Chateau Margaux. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Last tasted, 10/02.

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