Very dark crimson with some age at the rim. Much darker than any of the lesser 1988s tasted alongside. Very warm and rich on the nose – was the château in its California phase then? Tannins are still pretty angular. An awkward blend of sweetness on the nose and extreme dryness on the palate. Perhaps it will eventually blossom when those tannins diminish but at the moment it is out of kilter. Quite a bit of acidity. Dry finish.

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The 1988 Mouton has an attractive aroma of exotic spices, minerals, coffee, black currants, and sweet oak. Much like the 1989, the bouquet is staggering, but the flavors are distinctly less profound. In the mouth, it is a much firmer, tougher, more obviously tannic wine than the 1989, with medium body and outstanding ripeness. A beautifully made 1988 that will last 20-25 years, its short finish keeps it from being sublime. The 1988 is somewhat reminiscent of the 1985, but with more tannin.

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Though I don't consider this a perfect wine, it has always been classic in quality. It's rich and fruity, with loads of currant, tobacco, smoke and new wood on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and an elegant finish.--1988 Bordeaux horizontal. 20,000 cases made.

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My wife and I enjoyed this bottle on my birthday at French 75 restaurant in Laguna Beach, Calif. When our server saw the bottle, she told us she was going to ask the sommelier to open it. He had little difficulty extracting the cork, considering this is a 23-year-old wine. It came out completely saturated, which had us worried for a moment, but smelled fine - no TCA at all. In fact, it had the classic Pauillac "sweet cigar box" fragrance, which brought a smile to my face. He poured the wine. The robe was a deep, almost opaque garnet and showed a slight meniscus. It had a big bouquet redolent of black cherries, plums and more of that sweet pipe tobacco fragrance. At first, the wine was quite hollow on the palate and had no finish at all. After a little swirling, we were able to coax more fruit out of our sips. Then, after about 20 minutes in a decanter, the wine was firing on all four cylinders, filling out beautifully, and showing a 20- to 30-second finish. Despite its fame, this wine impresses not through power or strength, but through its refinement and correctness. This is a perfect, easy-drinking, correct rendition of what a classic bordeaux should be (BTW, that's what you pay for in a wine of this caliber). The best words that come to mind are "classy" and "aristocratic." This was more of an intellectual exercise than a hedonistic experience, and I am richer for it.