1989 Wine

1989 Wine

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The 1989 vintage ranks among the century's great warm, sunny years in Bordeaux. A hot, dry summer brought the grapes to exceptional ripeness and prompted a very early harvest, yielding expansive, generous wines with supple tannins. The year's hierarchy is clear: the Right Bank leads the way, with Pomerol at the forefront thanks to Petrus, followed by the best Saint-Émilion wines, while the Graves wines of Pessac-Léognan reach great heights with Haut-Brion among their stars. The Médoc produced rich, full-bodied wines, with more variation from parcel to parcel. Alongside the reds, the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac enjoyed an outstanding year, thanks to high-quality botrytis (“noble rot”). To see where 1989 stands among the great vintages and choose the right bottle, consult our Vintage Guide.

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Our blog article on the 1989 vintage

Our blog article on the 1989 vintage
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Preparation of your order
Bordeaux - Grand Cru Classé from 1989

Bordeaux - Grand Cru Classé from 1989
Vintage Guide - SoDivin

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The FAQ

Was 1989 a good vintage in Bordeaux?

Yes, 1989 was an outstanding, sun-drenched vintage, particularly successful on the Right Bank and in Graves. The hot, dry summer brought Merlot to exceptional ripeness, producing rich, full-bodied wines with ripe tannins. Pomerol and the finest Saint-Émilion wines lead the field, followed by Graves and a more uneven but generous Médoc. Estates such as Château Haut-Bailly in Pessac-Léognan exemplify the vintage’s success. Most of these wines are now at their peak.

Can a 1989 wine be given as a birth-year gift?

Absolutely. A 1989 wine makes a wonderful gift to celebrate a birth year or an event from that year. Bordeaux’s great reds and Sauternes sweet wines, now mature, are especially well suited to a celebratory tasting. For a reliable gift, choose a bottle with an excellent fill level and a presentable label. A 1989 bottle combines the emotional appeal of the vintage with the pleasure of a wine ready to drink.

Which 1989 wines should you choose?

For both quality and aging potential, look to the Bordeaux classified growths of the Right Bank and Graves, which are at the heart of the vintage. Sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac offer remarkable drinking pleasure and reassuring longevity. Among age-worthy reds, the great Syrahs of the northern Rhône make an ideal addition to a selection. Finally, Alsace late-harvest wines offer a lesser-known but highly reliable introduction to the year’s sweet wines.

The 1989 vintage: a sun-drenched year from the Right Bank to Alsace

1989 is one of the great warm, sunny years of the late 20th century. A hot summer and pronounced drought brought the grapes to unusual ripeness and led to some of the earliest harvests of the era. Richness is the vintage's defining trait: expansive, generous wines whose balance favors fullness over austerity. The most striking successes came on Bordeaux's Right Bank and in Graves, extending to the sweet wines of Sauternes, an opulent Champagne vintage and outstanding wines from the northern Rhône, and culminating more quietly in the late-harvest wines of Alsace. It is a vintage to choose both for the immediate pleasure of its mature reds and for the aging potential of its finest bottles.

Bordeaux 1989: Merlot at its peak, from Pomerol to Graves

In Bordeaux, 1989 was above all Merlot's year. Heat and drought brought the grape to exceptional ripeness, with high alcohol levels for the time and ripe, supple tannins. Pomerol was the first to benefit: it is the vintage's standout appellation, followed closely by the best Saint-Émilion wines. The Graves wines of Pessac-Léognan also reached great heights, led by reds with remarkable length. In the Médoc, the picture is more mixed: the wines are rich and full-bodied, but some estates harvested their Cabernet a little early, leaving the greatest terroirs to produce the most profound bottles.

On the Right Bank, the great Pomerol wines set the standard for the year, while in Saint-Julien, Château Gruaud Larose delivers a dense, flavorful wine typical of the generous 1989 style. In Saint-Estèphe, Château Montrose ranks among the Left Bank's finest successes, with a precision rare for the vintage. Lovers of Graves will find, in Haut-Brion and Haut-Bailly, deep, refined reds that do Pessac-Léognan proud.

Cellaring potential: Most of the great 1989 reds are now at their peak and a pleasure to drink; well-stored bottles from the best terroirs of the Right Bank and Graves can wait a while longer. Check the fill level and condition of the cork before buying.

Sauternes and Barsac 1989: a trilogy at its peak, opulent sweet wines

1989 was an outstanding year for the sweet wines of the Sauternes region, the third in a trilogy with 1988 and 1990. A hot summer followed by a favorable fall allowed botrytis to develop and concentrate the grapes. The result is rich, opulent Sauternes and Barsac wines, with generous sweetness and enough acidity to maintain their balance. Their style is defined more by power and candied fruit than by tautness: wines to enjoy now that can also age.

In Barsac, Château Doisy-Védrines showcases the vintage's aromatic finesse, with its signature notes of apricot, honey and candied citrus. The leading names of Sauternes produced dense, refined wines worthy of their reputation in a warm, sunny year like this. These sweet wines are a pleasure to drink today and can continue to age with ease.

Cellaring potential: Ready to drink, the 1989 sweet wines will keep for many more years in the cellar; a sound cork and good fill level are enough to ensure excellent bottles.

Rhône Valley 1989: northern Syrah in all its vitality

In the Rhône Valley, 1989 was most successful in the north. The year's heat produced ripe, structured Syrah in Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Cornas: deep wines with firm tannins and aromas of black olive, pepper and dark fruit. In the south, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are generous and sun-drenched, as befits a fine vintage, though not always as consistently successful as those from the north.

In Hermitage, the La Sizeranne cuvée from Chapoutier captures the density and vitality of Syrah in this warm vintage. The greatest northern reds have aged well, and the best cuvées still have real potential to evolve; in the south, the most concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines rank among the year's finest.

Cellaring potential: The great reds of the northern Rhône are in an excellent drinking window and can still be cellared; prioritize bottles with impeccable fill levels.

Champagne 1989: sun-drenched roundness, now at maturity

In Champagne, 1989 benefited from a warm, sunny summer that ripened the grapes with ease. Widely declared as a vintage by the Champagne houses, it has a round, generous profile, more sun-drenched than taut. The third in the 1988–1990 trilogy, it has developed faster than its neighbors and is now fully mature.

The year's cuvées delight with aromas of ripe fruit, brioche and dried fruit, carried by fine, integrated bubbles. The house of Pommery and other leading producers made Champagnes suited to fine dining, ready to open for a special occasion.

Cellaring potential: Drink now. These vintage Champagnes are at their peak; choose well-stored bottles, ideally kept away from light.

Alsace 1989: late harvests and noble grapes, the year's hidden treasure

Often overlooked in vintage guides, Alsace deserves special attention in 1989. Recognized as a great year by the region's wine trade association, its success owes much to a fine late season and exceptionally high-quality noble rot. Conditions were ideal for late-harvest wines and Sélections de Grains Nobles—Alsace wines made from overripe grapes, sometimes affected by botrytis, and carefully crafted to concentrate sweetness and aromas.

The result combines power and luscious sweetness with the Alsatian acidity that keeps everything lively. These wines offer an accessible, reliable introduction to great off-dry and sweet wines, with considerable rarity: the cuvées are made only in the best years. Late-harvest Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris are the most sought-after examples.

Cellaring potential: The great 1989 sweet wines of Alsace are ready to drink now and age remarkably well; the most concentrated Sélections de Grains Nobles have the greatest staying power.

Which 1989 wine should you choose?

Choosing 1989 means looking first to the great reds of Bordeaux's Right Bank and Graves, now in an excellent drinking window, without overlooking the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, the year's generous Champagnes, northern Rhône Syrah and rare late-harvest wines of Alsace. It is a vintage that offers both immediate pleasure and aging potential in its finest bottles. To compare 1989 with neighboring years and find the right bottle, consult SoDivin's Vintage Guide.

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