Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 1986

Rich and cedary with concentrated flavor that's tight. Hints of currant and black cherry complement the ripe Cabernet fruit. Tannic finish; needs until 1996.

You cannot get more “trad claret” that the 1986 Grand-Puy-Lacoste. From a Pauillac that takes time to reach its drinking plateau and a notorious vintage hellbent on testing the most patient Bordeaux-lover, after 35-years, it is finally waking up the idea that its raison d’être is to give us pleasure. This bottle was poured by the Emeline Borie when I visited the estate last June. It is a vintage that I have tasted three or four times previously, though not for five years. Many prefer to serve the ’82 at the moment, and Vinous readers will see a review of that from both bottle and magnum in the future, as well as a vertical of other vintages. This ’86 showed better than the example I drank five years earlier. Showing little signs of ageing, the nose is quintessential Pauillac with predominantly black fruit, cassis, mint and graphite. The palate is well-balanced, grippy and with a firm backbone, impressive in terms of weight and density. Cedar and tobacco infuse the black fruit and linger on its sapid finish. Whilst it just lacks the élan of the ’82 or perhaps the ’90, this Grand Puy Lacoste is now drinking well, though it deserves a 90-minute decant.

Rustic, beefy, tannic, but not completely without some charm, this old style, still youthful, tobacco, cedar, earth and cassis laden Pauillac is best enjoyed by tasters dismayed by the direction Bordeaux has taken today.

Another fully mature wine from the vintage that's showing plenty of life, the 1986 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has more spicy, savory herbs and cedar pencil nuances to go with medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. It has the classic, focused, almost old-school style of the vintage in its structure and tannins, but it has good ripeness, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length. As with most of the wines from this vintage, I don't see any upside, but it's drinking beautifully today.

Mushroomy bouquet, reductive, opening only reluctantly. On the nose it is compact and smoky, with wild Cabernet notes and a hint of greenness, reminiscent of a mineral-driven Napa. On the palate it is still tight, grainy and undeveloped—an almost blocked bottle that feels markedly younger than the other 1986s in the tasting, needing plenty of air, so decant for three hours.

87: Barrel sample (18/20): restrained, profound bouquet, very expansive. Massive tannic imprint, high and positive acidity. A real powerhouse! In 1995 there were few tasters who could warm to this wine. So I kept my enthusiasm to myself for this still-closed, characterful Pauillac. Just buy a case, pull the nails around 2004, then the cork from the bottle. And rejoice in such a great wine that cost so little. 98: Anyone opening this wine now won’t understand it. I had the bottle decanted two hours beforehand at a restaurant in Bordeaux: the reductive “Cabernet stink” was still almost unbearable. You suspect cork taint, old barrels and the like. But none of that is true. The truth is: one of the greatest wines of the 1986 vintage, like Mouton, Lafite, Latour or Margaux—only much, much cheaper… And only in two or three decades will passionate Bordeaux lovers experience it for themselves. I hope I’ll (still) be among them then, as a few regular bottles and magnums are waiting for me and my friends. 03: As in years before, the wine starts off dull with notes of wet forest floor, dried black mushrooms, and also truffle; yet the nose shows tremendous depth. Cigar scent, eucalyptus and reductive, meaty Cabernet. Firm on the palate, first terroir notes, lots of muscle and flesh; despite early signs of maturity, there is still a lasting astringency. Decant for hours—or wait longer (18/20). 06: Mushroomy bouquet, reductive, shows underlying depth but opens only hesitantly. Compact, smoky nose, wild Cabernet tones that also carry a hint of green and recall a mineral Napa. On the palate still firm, grainy, undeveloped—a nearly blocked bottle that seemed significantly younger than the other 1986s in this tasting. Needs lots of air—decant 3 hours. 09: Even after two hours of airing, still rather cool, earthy and aloof. Then I poured the wine from one glass into another and that helped. No fruit—only terroir, and in that sense more on the artisanal side. 12: A bottle in Risch that was terribly corked! 15: Decanted four hours. Still very dark, though you can see some mature reflections. Profound, smoky, earthy, showing a floral, rather cool Cabernet shimmer; a hint of oxidation peeks through underneath. On the palate mellow, a bourgeois Cabernet impression; tannins still powdery and grainy. In the finish it almost goes in the direction of Heitz-Napa. Not a flatterer—so exactly the opposite of today’s GPLs. It needs something angular on the plate. (18/20). 16: Medium-dark wine red, showing little maturity, but clearly lightening at the rim. Earthy start, cardboard, beef bouillon, a fine peat-like hint; overall only medium aromatic intensity. On the palate surprisingly soft, meaning the tannins are polished yet still show some muscle; in the finish it becomes a bit more coarse, with a sandy aftertaste. Aromatically it improved positively with air. (18/20). 16: Quite dark wine red. Right from the start it shows a great, classic, profound Bordeaux nose—indeed clearly Pauillac. Périgord truffle, tobacco, dark precious woods, and still hints of blackcurrant. Feels baroque at the outset. Firm palate, still astringent; the tannins suggest further potential. So it is likely only at the beginning of its drinking window and does not call for immediate consumption. That too is an achievement—after 30 years, after all. Decant four hours. (18/20). 17: Still very dark, little evolved. Mossy, rotten beam, spoiled dark mushrooms. On the palate it continues in a rather gruesome way. The substance itself is great. Unfortunately the wine has a musty accompanying note. Cork? TCA? No rating. To be absolutely sure, one should probably avoid this wine altogether. (17). The bottle was opened spontaneously and served blind. Everyone complained about cork taint. Had I known what it was, I would have told the host to drink it the day after tomorrow.

Spicy, powerful, elegant, classic bouquet, with small black cassis berries, cedar, rosemary, and a subtle hint of liquorice. Balanced, powerful, dense palate with dark aromas, finely sandy tannins, classic structure, and a long, aromatic finish. 18/20 drink by 2025

There is power still lurking here, even if hidden by the brambled fruits and earthy black truffle and tar notes. As it opens in the glass, the tannins begin to relax, showing depth and complexity to the spice and leather backbone. Deeper and more powerful then the 1995 even though a decade older, this is a juicy, classic and balanced wine that offers so much pleasure. Harvest October 2 to 16, 50% new oak.

The 1986 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is medium to deep brick colored. It comes tumbling out of the glass with fragrant notions of blackcurrant pastilles, plum preserves, and Christmas cake, leading to suggestions of red loam, dried roses, star anise, and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has soft, powdery tannins and a lively line supporting the mature dried berries and exotic spice flavors, finishing earthy. Classic.

Served after decanting, and at the table with a roast pigeon. A lovely deep red, slightly evolved. The nose is that of a great Médoc, opening fresh, then becoming more subtle. A bouquet is present. Full-bodied and very flavoursome on the palate, both fleshy and yet still structured through the final 10% of the finish. Very fine length. A wine that stands out. Ready to drink. Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc.

The 1986 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has an intriguing nose, much richer and more opulent than I expected (reminiscent of the 1986 Cos d'Estournel that I tasted earlier the same day.) Whereas the 1996 is strict, this 1986 is much more plush but perhaps does not possess the same delineation. The palate leans more towards the red fruit than black with a sharp tang of a black pepper on the entry, good weight in the mouth, nicely focused with firm grip on the tarry, gutsy finish. You could broach this now of course or drink this over the next 20 years. You could argue that it is "uncouth" compared to recent vintages under Xavier Borie, but it is still certainly worth investigating (if you can find it, since there is nary a bottle left in the château bins!). Tasted July 2016.