I have always felt that the 1989 Branaire was better than the 1990, and that was once again demonstrated in this blind tasting. The 1989 was exhibiting far more power and intensity than I expected. It has always been an impressively crafted, elegant, seamless wine with cassis fruit nicely dosed by high quality oak. The wine is currently revealing more expansiveness, fuller body, and plenty of lusty richness, a sure-fire formula for producing a crowd pleaser. There are no hard edges to this opulently-textured, rich, ripe, complex, savory style of wine. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.

(75% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot; 12.5% alcohol): Medium-deep red with an amber edge. Earthy nuances complicate ripe red fruit aromas on the rather woodsy nose. Then fresh and clean on the palate, with a very juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, truffle and scorched earth flavors. Not the most complex or longest Branaire-Ducru ever made, but very nicely balanced and drinking splendidly right now. The grapes were harvested between August 31 and September 28.

The 1989 Branaire-Ducru appears youthful, not unlike the 1982 served alongside. There is plenty of perfumed blackberry, black olive and burnt toast scents, with time potent undergrowth aromas join the chorus line. The palate is medium-bodied with mellow tannin, rounded in the mouth thanks to the slightly lower acidity. It is just missing the complexity of the 1989 on the second half and regrettably runs out of ideas about two-thirds of the way through. Whilst not as good as recent vintages this would still be worth checking out. Tasted at the Branaire-Ducru dinner.