Along with Haut Brion, this is one of the two candidates for the wine of the vintage. The wine is approaching full maturity, yet still seems so atypical for a 1979, a phenomenally concentrated, thick, massively endowed wine with huge levels of extract, tannin, and power. The wine still has some dusty tannins and a huge nose of sweet black truffles intermixed with blackberries, plums, figs, and minerals. Very powerful, as well as enormously endowed, this is a remarkable effort in this vintage. I am still not sure off if the tannins will ever resolve themselves, but this wine, which is just approaching full maturity, should go on for at least another 25 or more years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2030. Last tasted, 11/02.

Very tannic still, but with lots of fruit. Smells of crushed black olives. Medium-bodied, it tastes sweet and ripe, but is a bit lean on the palate.--Chateau Lafleur vertical. Drink now through 2010. -PM

Along with Haut Brion, this is one of the two candidates for the wine of the vintage. The wine is approaching full maturity, yet still seems so atypical for a 1979, a phenomenally concentrated, thick, massively endowed wine with huge levels of extract, tannin, and power. The wine still has some dusty tannins and a huge nose of sweet black truffles intermixed with blackberries, plums, figs, and minerals. Very powerful, as well as enormously endowed, this is a remarkable effort in this vintage. I am still not sure off if the tannins will ever resolve themselves, but this wine, which is just approaching full maturity, should go on for at least another 25 or more years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2030. Last tasted, 11/02.