August 2020

Julienne Importing Company, Franklin Park, IL.

Crimson. This attacks fully and is still very solar, its baked richness captures the vintage and the dry conditions well. The texture is enveloping and the depth comes from within, an accumulation of smoky, dark berry fruit, with a light spicing. It motors with fresh drive as it finishes after four hours, reveals telltale lead pencil qualities. A broad and full-bodied wine, with presence. Now – 2030+.

December 2014

Twenty five years on.

Fullish ruby. It was a tale that had written itself already, the beauty (’99) and the beast (’89). When we last tried Baron ’89 in ’10 it was an opaque wine, hyper-concentrated yet mute, mighty yet disgruntled, still locked-up in its tannic structure.  But this example struck us as more positive, youthful but no longer young, not just expressive but centered.  All the heady warmth of the vintage is still on display: sirloin-y with a luscious char and what a enveloping fond on this one, deglazed to perfection.  You can look past the tannins and see the minerality now.  Dimensional, generous and long.  He’s not losing any of his thunder, just discovering his inner-filigree.  Arriving at its majority but don’t rush it; we can all grow old together with Baron ’89.  Now – 2035+.