The 1990 Chateau Margaux has turned into a sensational wine that eclipses both the 1988 and 1989...and then some. It has a gorgeous, ethereal bouquet with sumptuous red berry fruit, leather, camphor and licorice—it is the kind of nose in which you just immerse yourself. Is there a hint of brettanomyces here? If there is, I don't really care. The palate is soft and sensual with incredible depth. Fleshy and corpulent for Chateau Margaux, and yet surfeit with breeding and finesse, there are layers or red fruit, kirsch, sage and fig, later tobacco and cloves. I feel that this 1990 Château Margaux is at its peak and yet the harmony, the sheer swagger of this wine just wins you over. Magnificent. Drink 2016-2040.
I had this wine both in Seoul, Korea in February, and from my cellar in December, 2008, and it was remarkable how identical the wines smelled and tasted. It offers an extraordinary aromatic display of spring flowers, camphor, sweet red and black fruits, a hint of licorice, and no evidence of its 100% new oak cask aging. Round and generous with low acidity, but an opulent, full-bodied richness that is fresh with laser-like precision, this stunning wine is just beginning to reach its plateau of full maturity, where it should remain for another three decades. A sensational effort, it is one of the legendary wines made at Chateau Margaux.
The 1990 Château Margaux is really beginning to hit its stride at age 31, soaring from the glass with aromas of blackberries and cassis mingled with notions of licorice, cedar and violets, framed by subtle hints of vanilla and spice. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's seamless and complete, its velvety tannins and ripe acids entirely cloaked in a lavish but vibrant core of fruit. This is an especially dramatic, fleshy rendition of Margaux, yet it remains impeccably balanced and has decades of longevity ahead of it. 2015 - 2050
Bright ruby with a very pale rim. Quite focussed again (like the 2000 tasted alongside) - as though made slightly reductively. You have to search for the 1990 ripeness and gypsy abandon here. But it's there, lurking under quite a tight, rigorous cloak of still-tannic fruit. The tannins are a little dry - 2003-like almost - this perhaps shows the superiority of the damper more northerly soils. Bright but a little bit jagged. Difficult to decide on an ideal drinking window for this wine when the tannins are so obvious. But after an hour the fruit rode over the tannins. Drink 2005-2018. Date tasted 16th Oct 07.
A prototype Château Margaux that combines power and elegance, this wine which seemed to be sound asleep for nearly a decade, has begun to open over the last several years. Dense ruby/purple with a developing yet compellingly ethereal bouquet of sweet black fruits, violets, smoke, camphor and licorice, this medium-to full bodied, silky textured wine still tastes like a four or five year old barrel sample, but the aromatics are emerging and the wine has thrown off that somewhat monolithic, sleepy stage it was in for nearly a decade.Despite the fact that, analytically, the acidity is low , this wine reveals plenty of delineation, veryhigh levels of tannin, and tremedous concentration of ripe fruit, glycerin, and extract. The colour shows very few signs of development. The fabulousbouquet is just emerging, and the wine is full-bodied, opulent and very rich. It is a great acheivement in this vintage and should be drinkable in another 4-5 years and last for at least 3-4 decades. Anticipated maturity:2005-2040
The 1990 Margaux continues to be the quintessential example of this chateau. In addition to being profoundly concentrated, its ethereal bouquet of sweet black fruits, cedar, spices, flowers, smoke, and vanilla is remarkably well-formed and intense. In the mouth, there is not a hard edge to this classic wine, which is super-concentrated, soft, silky-textured, and opulent. It displays an opaque ruby/purple color, a compelling bouquet, and exquisite layers of flavors that cascade over the palate without any notion of toughness or coarseness. The acidity is low, although sufficient enough to provide vibrancy and focus. This wine's significant tannin level is remarkably well-concealed by the wealth of fruit. Although still an infant in terms of development, this fabulous Margaux is already drinkable. There have been so many great vintages of Margaux under the Mentzelopoulos regime that it is almost inconceivable that the 1990 could outrank the 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1995, but, in my opinion, it possesses an extra-special dimension. While it is approachable, it will last for 25-30 years. Last tasted 11/96
