The 1988 is probably a 30-year wine. Extremely hard and backward, but concentrated, long, and full-bodied, it reminded me of the 1975, only less savage. Let's hope the fruit holds up. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted, 5/93.

Dark plum/garnet, with a powerful nose of licorice, roasted meats, smoke, and sweet berry and black currant flavors, this medium-bodied, relatively austere but robust and concentrated Gruaud-Larose still seems like a young wine, and possibly will be longer-lived than its more renowned sibling, the 1989. There is an earthiness and underlying streak of herbaceousness, but there is plenty of depth, concentration, and power to this somewhat burly Gruaud-Larose. Anticipated maturity: Now-2025. Last tasted, 9/02.