WTN: '89 Meyney

With grilled lamb chops tonight.

Fantastic nose, so Bordeaux you knew what you were drinking before taking a sip. Needed about 1 hour in the decanter. Briary dark fruit, some tannins on the finish, long finish and hard to beat for the price paid. I would drink this now or wait up to 5 years. This is my kind of wine, not toe curling but complex, well made and a B, 4-/5, 89/100 or in layman's terms, just a nice drink.

Walt

This was sadly missing at our Meyney vertical a few years ago, but I have heard it was one of the best vintages of Meyney.

Matt, we had the '89, it was my WOTN. It was the '90 we were missing (a good wine, but a step behind the '82, '86, & '89).

I think Walt hit it. Not a "toe-curler", but a very solid (if a tad foursquare) Claret.

Dale-

Now that I have dug out my notes, I discover you are absolutely right. The 1986 was my favorite of the night, with the 1989 just behind. 1982 and 1983 tied for third.

In the group voting the favorites were:
1989 (30)
1986 (22)
1982 (10)
1996 (7)
1983 (1)
1994 (1) - also voted overachiever of the night

By the way, has anyone had the 1996 lately?

I think last time I had '96 was that vertical. I have one left.

Pretty disappointed with every Meyney 1995-2002. Heard better re 2003, but my boat to Winex is really slow. Hopefully when fall shipping season is here they'll have my 2003 in and I can see if reports of resurgence are true.

Had this a couple of years ago, and it needed about 3 hours to begin to really shine.. loved it.. and I bought it for less than $50 fairly close to the time I consumed it.... terrific..

Pretty disappointed with every Meyney 1995-2002. Heard better re 2003, but my boat to Winex is really slow. Hopefully when fall shipping season is here they'll have my 2003 in and I can see if reports of resurgence are true.

Yes, I too have been quite disappointed with Meyney's recent bottlings. The '59 Meyney, consumed in '89 and '99, was a phenomenal wine, indicative of their tremendous potential IMO.

Mark Lipton

Not a "toe-curler", but a very solid (if a tad foursquare) Claret.

I haven't tasted the '89 in 6 years, and I understand teh "not a toe curler' comment, and the sold claret comment, but what is neant by "a tad foursquare?"

I haven't tasted the '89 in 6 years, and I understand teh "not a toe curler' comment, and the sold claret comment, but what is neant by "a tad foursquare?"

Ack, I'm using non-standard terminology!

Now I have to think about it, damn. To me, foursquare in Bordeaux is, I guess, the counterpoint to exotic (or "wow" factor). I like the '89 Meyney (actually all the Meyneys of the 80s) quite a bit. But it will never have the excitement factor of say the '82 Mouton, '83 or '85 Cheval Blanc, '89 LMHB, etc. All wines with a bit of exoticism (and obviously quite a bit more expensive). Too much exoticism is of course its own problem (I don't like '90 Troplong Mondot as much as others I've mentioned). I guess "solid claret" and "foursquare" is a tad redundant.

I think you are all right about Meyney, that it used to be a great insider's property, a Cru Bourgeois turning out very nicely styled wines which could go the distance. The 1989 is a bit of a classic and has been discussed on internet forums for years. It seems true that the Meyney of today doesn't quite live up to expectations pbased on performances from years gone by, but there are still good wines available from the estate. The 2003 has lovely flavour, although it is only for those looking for a lower acid, early and mid-term drinking rather than an ageing classic. There has been a change of hands in recent years, with Cordier-Mestrazet selling out to Credit Agricole, the French bank, so let's hope some investment and new management can bring about a change back to the old style of wine!

PS. I love the fact I am a 'just got here'. I have been browsing and admittedly infrequently and sporadically posting on wldg since about 1999!

Welcome Chris (you're the "wine doctor, " right? Enjoyed your site). Glad to hear that in '03 Meyney is somewhat back on track.

Welcome from me too Chris. I frequently refer to your website and post your reports here. The German ones are terrific!!

Thanks Dale and Bob for your kind welcome. I see wldg is as congenial as ever. I must try to post here more often.

Walt, do you know what you paid for the 89 Meyney? The reason I ask is that the owner of my local BAWS decided to unload a case or more back into his store. While it is his decision to do so, I am at liberty to have a comment on the dump back price of $89. I would think that the 1989 may have fetched $20 retail when released, and he got them for wholesale, so probably about $14. Needless to say I let others with more cents than I to buy them, and someone did.

I'd say release price of '89 Meyney was well less than $20. And current price is more like $70-75. But not sure what former has to do with current price. If I sell my house, it will be based on current market, not what I paid for it. I've never sold a wine, even one that appreciated a lot, but don't blame those that do.

I'd say release price of '89 Meyney was well less than $20. And current price is more like $70-75.

When I first read the above, Dale, I did a double-take: current price for Meyney is $70-75??? WTF?? Then I realized that you were talking about the current price for the '89 and I could breathe again. The day that current release Cru Bourgeois hits $75 is the day I start drinking tea with dinner

Mark Lipton

'89 Meyney went up last few years, was easy to find for $50 till a couple of years ago.

Recent releases: Prearrival I paid $17 for the 2000 (I guess ok Bdx, but a poor effort considering the year) and $22 for the 2003.

Walt, do you know what you paid for the 89 Meyney? The reason I ask is that the owner of my local BAWS decided to unload a case or more back into his store. While it is his decision to do so, I am at liberty to have a comment on the dump back price of $89. I would think that the 1989 may have fetched $20 retail when released, and he got them for wholesale, so probably about $14. Needless to say I let others with more cents than I to buy them, and someone did.

Bob,
I paid $13.25 per bottle but bought it on futures in late '90. I am a patient man when it comes to wine, buy early and hold. This does not apply to anything else in my life.

Agree it is not a good wine recently so that is why prices have not risen that much for current releases.
Walt

[Jenise]

PS. I love the fact I am a 'just got here'. I have been browsing and admittedly infrequently and sporadically posting on wldg since about 1999!

Chris, indeed you have--but our new software doesn't have the benefit of history to tell the difference between old friends and new, so it takes us humans to say welcome back old friend. After five or ten initial posts, you'll get promoted.

[Jenise]

And current price is more like $70-75.

Right. Just over two weeks ago, I saw three bottles within an overall big cellar offer from Benchmark wines in Napa for $59. Ten minutes couldn't have passed before I responded to buy them, but they were already gone.

I'd say release price of '89 Meyney was well less than $20. And current price is more like $70-75. But not sure what former has to do with current price. If I sell my house, it will be based on current market, not what I paid for it. I've never sold a wine, even one that appreciated a lot, but don't blame those that do.

Dale, I guess that I see things like flipping wines some different than others do. If the wine had been placed back for resale at a realistic price (say $45) I might have even picked one up. This at $89 is IMO more than plain simple gouging. And it does not give me any warm and fuzzy feelings when the owner of the store does it. It in fact lowers my opinion of both him, and the store's practices. You and any others who disagree though will know that this view, is mine and (maybe) mine alone.

Right. Just over two weeks ago, I saw three bottles within an overall big cellar offer from Benchmark wines in Napa for $59. Ten minutes couldn't have passed before I responded to buy them, but they were already gone.

I think its a good wine for $59, I still have a few, so not in market. I see Cellaraiders has one bottle at that price, and JJ Buckley (aka WineCommune) has it also.

Overall, though, am I alone in thinking Benchmark is seldom competitve since Stefan left? They've had some ridiculous pricing on offvintage wines, wines from good vintages but that were designed to be drunk in 5-10 years, etc. A quick glance at last week's email shows things like:
1982 Pitray 750mL ~ 36 @ $59 
1982 Labory (Fronsac)750mL ~ 12 @ $106 
1967 La Tour Carnet 750mL ~ 26 @ $83 
1981 Larose-Trintaudon 750mL ~ 36 @ $51 
1988 Fontesteau 750mL ~ 12 @ $65 
1993 d'Angludet 750mL ~ 13 @ $50 
1966 de Sales 750mL ~ 6 @ $153 
1966 Gazin 750mL ~ 36 @ $224 
1992 Magdelaine 750mL ~ 24 @ $65 
1997 Pavie Decesse 750mL ~ 36 @ $83 
1983 Magdelaine 375mL ~ 6 @ $54 

Plenty of other examples. Would I consider paying half that for any of these? Maybe the '83 Magdelaine 1/2, or the Pitray.

[Jenise]

Overall, though, am I alone in thinking Benchmark is seldom competitve since Stefan left? They've had some ridiculous pricing on offvintage wines, wines from good vintages but that were designed to be drunk in 5-10 years, etc.

You know what, I used to buy quite a bit from them, and I pretty much stopped. The order I placed two weeks ago would have been the first in more than a year. I became dissuaded from dealing with them because every, and I mean every, no exception, every order I placed with them got f*ed up somehow. The problems were various--short shipments, wrong bottles, sending some winery's cheap second label when the wine was listed as the flagship wine, shipping in sub zero temps--a different problem every time but the breadth of them suggested a very poorly run business, and not once did they catch their own mistake. You'd think the guy in the warehouse who packed one bottle of '86 Pichon Baron instead of the three that were on the receipt/packing slip would actually guess the buyer might notice (@ $140 ea) and have a fit, wouldn't you?

Yet I still look at their mailings and for the most part am not tempted--and it would take the confluence of right wine and good price to tempt me, suggesting that prices have for the most part not been tempting and you could well have named the reason.

How's Stefan's new business working out, if you know?

How's Stefan's new business working out, if you know?

I'm on Blicker-Pierce mailing list, and have bought a few 80s Bordeaux from them. Prompt, good service.

I haven't had any major problems with Benchmark, on the few occasions I saw prices of interest. Biggest issue was they billed me for wrong older Zilliken, and couldn't get the right one by time I noticed. But apologized and quickly charged back card. I've got a few bottles pending fall delivery, hopefully all goes well.