Danny O'Brien

9.2

Raspberry, roses & tar on the nose, grippy tannins and a slight meatiness on the palate. Fruit is present but ever so slightly lacking for me, I wish it translated from the nose to the palate just a touch more. Overall very nice and enjoyable! — 21 days ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Performing very well tonight. A touch rustic, yet bright and poised. At peak. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

These are so good 15 yrs plus. In fact, insanely given the price point.

Again, a touch of bandaid on the nose that doesn’t affect the palate.

Grainy, fine M+ tannins.

It is rich, lush, ripe; blackberries, plum, dark cherries, raspberry hues & hints of strawberries & blueberries. Berry cola/licorice, mocha, caramel, black licorice, soft, layered baking spices, espresso, oak barrel powder, black tea, tobacco w/ ash, used/soft leather, excellent, soft, dark spices, melted dark chocolate to pudding, crushed rocks powder, dry rock, limestone/sandstone, some dry twig, candied dark, red flowers framed in violets with lavender hints, rainfall acidity, balance for days, nicely structured/tensioned, elegant & smart polish that lasts minutes and falls on fine grain minerals & dry top soil. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 2 months ago

Cameron Parry

9.2

Took about 2 hours to open. Dark & dried cherries. Acid still nice and firm. Tannins still going strong but clearly softer and more fine grained. Feels somewhat unbalanced - good acid, good tannin, not enough fruit. May have missed the optimal window. Still very enjoyable. Only a touch of Brett. — 14 days ago

Tooty Frooty

9.4

Classy indeed! — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium ruby garnet, quite thin garnet terracotta rim . Quite rich , with ripe red fruits , some tobacco , warm spiciness , cigar box , ripe cassis , sous bois , after a while touch of coffee. On the palate this also shows good roundness with ripe red and dark fruits, cassis , red plum , grafite , touch of earthiness . Balanced acidity and rounded sweet tannin . Quite juicy with a grafite edged finish . Pretty good length. This is at peak now . For now and over the next 5 -8 years. Quite generous and showy , ripe but balanced, a good showing. — 2 months ago

Jerry Raphael

9.5

I purchased this wine for $60 as a Bordeaux future offering from MacArthur’s in DC, with the hope of opening it when my younger son—born in 1982—was old enough to share it. We finally did just that this Thanksgiving, celebrating both him and the bottle.
The fill was mid-shoulder, but the family was together and it felt like the right moment. I gave it about an hour in the decanter before dinner. Early on it showed blackberries, a touch of veg, lead pencil, cedar notes and a smooth elegant finish. As the evening went on it opened a bit more, gaining some depth.
A few hours later I revisited the small amount I’d saved and found it had dried out some—but that was expected for a 43-year-old First Growth. Ultimately, it was a wonderful experience and a memorable way to share both the wine and the moment with family.
— a month ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Lovely, sweet mature fruit (dried redfruits), there might be a touch of Brett (but less than the 1995 Beaucastel I posted last week), suave and complex on the palate, lingering finish, excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its peak!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon , hints of gold , quite a healthy colour with fine pretty persistent bubbles still . This quite intense with candied lemon peel , brioche , oyster shells , touch of porcini . On the palate this is intense ,with good volume and vibrant acidity. Buttered brioche , oyster shell , candied orange and lemon peel . Really quite lovely and intense , long and toasted brioche , chalky finish . This is at peak now , but no rush from here over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 2 months ago