liquor doesnt age in the bottle like wine does.

macallan fine oak has a 21. but the sherry is more expensive and better IMHO. IMHO the 25 is worth the difference over 18. havent had 30 yet.

century? source? i dont recall seeing comparisons from before 1985, which it was said to be better than.

youre also supposed to wait on good dom. i just drank the 1996 a few months ago.

Interesting. You know, I never remembered seeing the 89, having had the 88 and 90. So before I posted, I looked it up in Juhlin, Wine Searcher and Cellartracker, then spent about 1/2 hour googling it, and I found exactly nothing about it- no notes, no prices, nothing. Which is a little curious. So please enlighten me as to where I should have been searching, because I am clearly inept.

Well, I have a clue on what I'm aiming at for the time being:

- Chateau Margaux
- Castelnau De Suduiraut Sauternes
- Chave Hermitage

So far, I'm leaning on more to the sweet wines, no champagnes though.. I didn't find something interesting I guess.. I'm also looking for recent wines to drink while the 89s are to age.

I'm curious though about the Brut La Grande Dame.. Any thoughts?

and >
Mouton Rothschild
Lafite Rothschild
Latour

Several Sauternes/Barsac wines that are comparable in quality/value to the Suduiraut and might be easier to find:

Ch. Lafaurie Peyraguay,
Ch. Climens
Ch. Raymond Lafon
Ch. Reiussec

'89 Haut Brion and '89 La Mission Haut Brion should certainly be in this list.

For somewhat less money, might I suggest the following Bordeaux which are damn near as fine, and better value than the first growths listed above (along with Ch. Margaux):

Ch. Leoville Las Cases (year in, year out, my personal favorite classed growth Bordeaux)
Ch. Pichon Longueville Baron
Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de LaLande
Ch. Ducru Beaucaillou
Ch. Cos d'Estournel
Ch. Palmer

is haut brion the one with less cab?

i just remember the 4 first growth that are mainly cab.

Haut Brion is typically around 40% Cab Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 20% Cab Franc, but the blend varies with vintage. It's also from an area, Graves, which is further south and distinct from the region, the Medoc, where Lafite, Latour, Mouton, and Margaux are from. Graves tends to have more gravelly soil, where the soil in the Medoc tends to be more limestone rich.

A lot of folks believe that in 1989 in particular, the wines from Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion in Graves were the best in all of Bordeaux - that particular vintage happened to be perfect in the Graves region. Conversely, in 1990, the Graves wines perhaps weren't quite as good as their more northerly brethren. Of course, this is all a matter of opinion and personal taste.

These are all great choices among the classified growths and you can still find them reasonably priced.

For my money and if you are looking for something a bit sweet, here is your bottle:

http://www.chambersstwines.com/Product.asp?id=1688

Nowadays, in major US cities, you could possibly find good 1989 Sauternes for something in the vicinity of $100 a bottle or so. Castelnau de Suduiraut is actually the 2nd wine of the property. You could maybe get the real article Ch. Suduiraut, which is much better, or some of the other wines I listed (Climens, Reuissec, Lafaurie Peyraguey, Raymond Lafon) for around the century mark per bottle, because other than Ch. Yquem, most Sauternes does not escalate in value the way the better Red Bordeaux tend to.

Although, I would tell you that, other than the need for the year 1989, at least as far as Sauternes are concerned, generally 1988 and 1990 are at least slightly better - although for other regions, 1989 was an equally great year. This is an issue I've personally come to grips with, being born in 1960, a year that was surrounded by the two legendary vintages of 1959 and 1961 which were both great years in most fine red wine regions - and 1959 was a great year in just about every European fine wine region, while 1960 was a bust almost everywhere.

I personally tell folks who wish to buy me a wine gift that my birthday was actually much closer to the 1959 harvest than it was the 1960 harvest, so I will be more than happy to accept 1959 vintages instead of 1960.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions and comments. I really appreciate your input!

I've decided on what to have, and I can't thank you enough for all the help sorting through the world of wines, liquors, and spirits.

Cheers!

Enjoy!