Honestly its hard to go wrong with any Medocs from that year.
Lynch and Montrose are tasty at present. Lalande also good.
Chasse Spleen and Sociando Mallet are both very nice.
Ah yes, the great 86 Beychevelle.
Yes and no. Yes I wouldn’t buy any original release 86 Ducru. However, in 2011 there was a pretty large ex-chateau release of the 1986 where Ducru Beaucalliou sold bottles that had been analysed, recorked and reconditioned. I’ve been through over half a case of 12 and haven’t had a corked bottle yet (crosses fingers).
Thanks for all of the responses. Time to go wine shopping!
Regards, Scott
The Climens is superb. The Lafaurie is an excellent choice as well, often just as good for a fraction of the price. The Yquem from 86, which I just had recently for the first time, isn’t as strong as I was expecting. Still excellent and a special-occasion wine, but the 88, 89, and 90 are all better.
That’s my experience, too – some are softening up and others present as very tannic.
Very interesting. I didn’t know they’d done that.
How does slapping a new/fresh cork in wine that’s already been TCA infected solve anything, other than perhaps making their existing stocks marketable?
In any case, my personal (and infrequent) experience with D-B from that era has actually been positive. I think the only one we got hit with was a tainted 88 at some event.
No - but that’s not what they did. If the wine was corked they would dump it and if it wasn’t corked/ flawed then they would recondition it, recork it and sell it.
In the early 90s I was on a panel held at the offices of a local law firm, one that had been hired by the maker of the varnish. They presented us with three wines and asked us to comment. One of them smelled like bug spray, as I recall. The wine did not smell corked.
Wine can be treated with polyethylene, so (and I have no idea what happened at Ducru) one can fix corked wine. This is something I have seen done on a very large scale with giant sheets of PE. My bottle came from the chateau and was a gift.
By the way, the plastic wrap sold at Whole Foods is marked polyethylene. They knew I was coming.
1986 Figeac.
Not as good but still fine over the next 5 years: 1986 Trotanoy.
Recently drank a 1986 Chateau Margaux, still YOUNG, seems to have a long way to go! Decanted four hours, softened slightly, great nose, full bodied and notes of blackberries, blueberries and a hint of smoke. This wine has tremendous concentration.
Would allow a few more years to develop for additional pleasure, a long life ahead!
Data point:
I dug up this ancient thread after a friend served a bottle of '86 Ducru last night. It had a faint TCA taint and the wine was a bit muted, but drinkable. (My friend loathes the smell of TCA, but this was so mild she was OK consuming it.) The tannins were well along in resolution, there was good acid, but the fruit seemed a tad short (perhaps suppressed by the TCA).
No back label to indicate it was reconditioned. She couldn’t remember when or where she acquired it.
I wouldn t buy any Ducru B. 1985 to 1990/93, too many failures …
there are Gruaud, Talbot, even Meyney, Rauzan S. Leoville LC and Barton, Lagrange, Beychevelle (excellent), Cos, Duhart M, Clerc Milon, Pichon Lalande etc. - no need to gamble with Ducru B
Chasse Spleen 1986 is superb. I had less success with the Sociando Mallet.
Had the 1986 Gruard Larose on Sunday, opened by the original purchaser from release. It was superb. Every bit as good as the 89 LLC we had with it. My friend has the 86 GL in magnum as well, woohoo!
I am still noting all of this down(!) as I plan to do a 1986 tasting for a few friends for my 40th birthday.
Seems like my parents picked a decent year.
86 Montrose going down with some Berserkers in June.