At the end of the 80s decade Poujeaux was IMO punching well above its cru bougeois weight and continued in that vein until 1997 at least. There are reports that from about then up to the end of the Theil era in the late '00s, standards slipped. The last vintage I bought was 2001, which is delicious but lighter than most of its predecessors. I have finished my four 2000s which were in the first box opened after my move and didn't find them up to the standard of the 97s and older but they may have been too young.
I had a dozen '88s, a half-dozen '89 and four '90s, which have given enormous pleasure over the years and, if my last bottles noted below are typical, would still have the potential to give a lot more.
1988 Château Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (11/10/2014)
I have been drinking up my solitary last bottles of Poujeaux '89, '90 and now '88 in the last few weeks. They have all been very good with '89 & '90 in a more charming and generous warm vintage style and the '88 more classical, elegant and focussed with a touch of distinguished austerity. Some earlier '88 bottles were somewhat dour but this one was IMO at its peak and close to my ideal for bourgeois claret. Its aromas still seemed quite youthful with some lively red fruit enhanced by some marked but lovely forestal greenness (which IMO in small doses is indispensable to claret but tends to be missing in more "modern" cuvées). The palate was robustly medium/full bodied with some depth of mineral tinged savoury fruit, floral touches, lively acidity, an underlying roundness and still some firmness on the finish. Very, very good.
1989 Château Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (8/9/2014)
I had a lovely bottle of 90 about a week ago and, based on TNs which I have read here, was expected this 89 to be much less good. Lo and behold, it was holding up very well. It was maybe a touch leaner and more linear than the 90 with slightly more angular tannins, but it was far from mean and there was a lot of still quite primary cassis tinged sweet fruit, attractive aromatics both on the nose and palate, well balanced acidity and a well supported finish with noticeable but resolved tannins. In a note about 5 years ago, I complained about an excessively obvious oak patina but that is now fully integrated to the point of being nearly imperceptible. Decidedly Poujeaux was punching well above its cru bourgeois weight in the 80s though to the late 90s.
1990 Château Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (8/3/2014)
This is my last and best bottle of Poujeaux 1990; and it is the best of the Poujeaux from the 80s, 90s and early 00s which I have had in my cellar with the possible exception of a magnum of 1982. Colour was still quite deep with tawny tints. There was a rich nose of round ripe red/dark fruit with black currant, cedar and light varnish components and a medium/full body with good depth, shape and length, a velvety mouth-feel, ripe resolved tannins and secondary forest floor aromas complementing the fruit and aromas already noted on the nose. A lovely harmonious wine at its peak or maybe just past it.
Posted from CellarTracker
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