1985 Magdelaine

Tasted single blind at the 1985 horizontal tasting, the 1985 Chateau Magdelaine had a very well-defined, pastille-like bouquet that is very typical of the vintage. Reserved at first, it unfolds to reveal kirsch, raspberry coulis and cold stone scents. The palate is nicely balanced on the entry and then just when you expect it to soar away, it is as if this Saint Emilion loses mental concentration; and echoing Robert Parker's sentiments expressed in his tasting notes from 2003, the finish lacks the weight and the presence that would have completed this wine. It is a tale of two halves really, one for the nose and the other the palate. I wonder if there are superior bottles out there? Tasted July 2015. Jul 2016, www.robertparker.com