Thoughts on 1986 Bordeaux?

[Howard_Cooper]

@Keith Levenberg

@Peter Hirsch

'86 is like '28. Took until the late '70s for the '28s to come around. Thinking of starting to enjoy my '86s in maybe the mid 2030’s. So 20 years to go. For me, they’re my 75th birthday wines…

I love vintages like this. They’re not of much use to people who brought them on release, but they’re great for people buying them after the people who bought them on release gave up on them.

Agreed. Three or four years ago I got some great buys on LLC and Pichon Lalande from 1975.

[Peter_Hirsch]

@Keith Levenberg

@Peter Hirsch

'86 is like '28. Took until the late '70s for the '28s to come around. Thinking of starting to enjoy my '86s in maybe the mid 2030’s. So 20 years to go. For me, they’re my 75th birthday wines…

I love vintages like this. They’re not of much use to people who brought them on release, but they’re great for people buying them after the people who bought them on release gave up on them.

+1

[J.Durham]

Had '86 Margaux and lalande this year. Margaux was rather dense and hard, without the elegance one would expect from ch Margaux. Lalande was typical of lalande, plenty of fruit but very youthful and tannic. I’m more optimistic with lalande than Margaux, but it’s probably a decade away from reaching a mature plateaux phase.
I’ve had leoville Barton and ducru in the past few years and found both tannic, dry, and disappointing.

[Alan_Strauss]

1986 Mouton is still the best young Bordeaux I have ever tasted! Only problem was it was 14 years old the first time I had it. Who knows when it will mature - I hope I’m still alive to enjoy it! I’m generally not a fan of the Cordier funk but I did have good luck with several bottles of 86GL. I have a case of the 86 Cos but it still is a bit of an rusty anvil of a wine IMHO. 86 LLC was impenetrable the last time I drank it (some two years ago). Got to go with - not my favorite year but it did produce a legendary wine (Mouton).

[Gene_Vance]

@rachel mcdonald

I was discussing Bordeaux vintages with a friend recently and we got into a discussion about 1986 and whether the wines would ever come around. He said he’s been largely disappointed by most 86’s, although he did have a few that he liked (Gruaud Larose), but overall seemed to think that the tannins would never resolve while there was still any fruit left. I’m a little more positive on it and have had some excellent ones (GL, Lynch Bages, Clerc Milon, Leoville Barton, Pichon Lalande, Vieux Chateau Certan, Sociando Mallet, Talbot and Palmer come to mind), but also think that some of them are just out of balance. My experience with them has been a bottle here, a bottle there, and I haven’t really had an opportunity to taste any single chateau consistently over its life.

Last had that vintage in 2009, mostly super seconds. Lalande and Les Cases were, to my palate, just gorgeous. Cos still had some edges, but very nice. Sociando was gone, Meyney was on its way behind it.

I also don’t agree with the “too astringent” label.