89 2000 Chateau Malescasse Haut-Medoc 4/23/04($18)
Color: Deep purplish-garnet, young, of course.(3.5) Bouquet: Very forestal with clay, blackberry/cassis richness and an interesting floral component. Forward, but integrated tannins, give it a slight bitter edge.(3.0) Body: A lot of youthful tannins with fruit and complexity to match. Strong middleweight.(3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but less giving with more bitter tannins, still attractive and interesting.(2.5) Finish: Parallels flavor, step-for-step with floral component reappearing.(2.5)
Overall: Very good, bordering on excellent. An impressing cru bourgeois with an excellent future. Will probably reach its peak in 3-4 years. As a lesser cru it should be watched closely. Even now it is quite enjoyable with a steak, if you’re not overly sensitive to tannin. Significant sediment implies that it is not filtered.(14.5)