The 1989 Vieux Chateau Certan has long been one of my favorite wines of that decade. The bouquet shows no signs of relinquishing that title with gorgeous black truffle, bay leaf, warm gravel and briary scents that are simply beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine line of acidity, "warm earth" on the entry, leather and truffle, great depth here with sublime precision on the finish, which is bridled with hints of mushroom and cloves. Maybe this is reaching its peak? Then again, it shows absolutely no signs of reaching the end of its plateau. This is nothing short of a wondrous Pomerol from Alexandre Thienpont. Tasted January 2016.

The last two tastings have been better than early tastings, suggesting I underrated the wine. It is still somewhat austere, with a rather evolved dark garnet color already revealing some amber. The wine shows some sweet plums, currants, with some dusty earth overtones and a hint of dried herbs. The wine is medium-bodied, sweet on the front end, but a bit astringent at the rear. The wine could probably benefit from several more years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2016. Last tasted, 1/02.