95 1989 Chateau Brane-Cantenac (L.Lurton) 1/28/06
Color: Medium brown-black garnet with some onion skin and slight clearing, but quite admirable for 16+. Looks ready, but far from old. (3.0) Bouquet: Gray clay and forestal nuances jump from the glass combining with intoxicatingly sweet, rich and classy cassis fruit. (4.0) Body: Solid middleweight to light heavyweight with excellent fruit propelled by fine acidity and even a little tannin left. Fills your mouth with flavor, but does not coat. (3.0) Flavor: Cassis and acidity are prevalent here. Very tasty, but the terroir components of the bouquet don’t come thru here with the same strength. (3.0) Finish: Long and classy with complexity found in the bouquet returning. Enough tannin left to give some vigor. (4.0)
Overall: Another strong showing for the ’89 vintage. The best of them have power and longevity that surpasses the ’90s, whereas the ‘90s tend to be more fruit-forward delicious. I prefer the ’89 style at this point and the best of them, such as this one, are just hitting their stride. This one is perfect right now and is likely to remain this beautiful for a few more years. (17.0)