Château Margaux 1988

This has both sinew and flesh, with taut dried red currant, blackberry and plum skin notes that are forced to expand outward as the core of black tea, charcoal, plum paste and dark humus fills in quickly behind them. The charcoal-tinged grip carries the finish, with more bass than treble at first, but there’s perfume here as well. Seriously long and the most overlooked of the truly great vintages here. — Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2025. Cellar Selection. Ranked #6 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 1991. Score – 95. (James Molesworth, winespectator.com, Nov. 30, 2014)