The hot dry twin Bordeaux vintages of 1990 & 1989 still elicit opinionated responses as they mature. We did a 25 year comparison of them reported on February 22, 2016 linked here. Preferably you have to go by your individual property assessments in those two vintages. Your scribe through his wine experiences prefers 1989 over 1990 for Pichon Lalande & Mouton and leans to the perfection of both Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion as well. The opposite preference of mine is for 1990 in Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton, Lafite, Latour, and Margaux – except that 1989 Palmer is a super star. Many properties produced excellent wines in both vintages like Montrose, Pichon Baron, and Lynch Bages. La Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver helpfully organized an update on October 20, 2025 at Boulevard Restaurant for a dinner featuring 1990 Left Bank red Bordeaux.
A key exciting attraction was the attendance of NIcolas Glumineau Directeur General of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande providing valuable insights. Lots of your Blog postings on Pichon Comtesse back to June 18, 2013 here plus June 15, 2020 and February 14, 2022 for further detailed background.
Our recent 1990 Bordeaux event commenced with an unusual sweet aperitif of the quality 2009 PHILIPPONNAT SUBLIME RESERVE SEC of 100% Chardonnay using only first press of all Premier & Grand Cru vineyards with degorgement January 2022 (12+ years on lees) adding a high 30 grams/liter dosage.
Limited production of this Blanc de Blancs of only 7500 bottles makes a statement of honeyed apricot/peach and candied mandarin with a round leesy creamy butterscotch flavour. Interesting opener but would show better IMHO with a foie gras course or light fruity dessert.
The finale was Wine of the Night with the memorable 1990 CHATEAU D’YQUEM SAUTERNES LUR-SALUCES as the sweetest most powerful last one of that historic trio. Amazing blockbuster with so much complex flavour length already but what a future of ever more developing nuances of complexity! Wow.
Two vintages 2019 & 2015 of CHÂTEAU CARBONNIEUX BLANC Grand Cru Classé de Graves from the Perrin Family in Pessac-Leognan worked marvellously with the exquisite Lobster/Burrata first course. Like how this blend of 65/35 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with wood aging at only 13 abv shows bright acidity being so serviceable and matches well with food. Still relatively good value too. Preferred the fresher younger 2019 but both quite similar and no rush to drink up. Will soften up and show more of the Semillon character with further aging. Lovely drinking young or older.
Seven properties 1990 in two flights showing off their attributes at 35 years of age plus a mystery wine is exciting anticipation. Some thoughts:
1990 CHATEAU PAPE CLEMENT: Bernard Magrez has brought attention to this old estate from the 1300s in Pessac-Leognan particularly since the late 1990s with strict grape selection, less new oak, full fruit, and best winemaking know-how. This 1990 has a paling edge with a prominent unusual open charcoal bouquet. Quite approachable even though structured balance but lacks somewhat in complexity. Some Graves styling. Drink currently. Popular in first flight voting.
1990 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER: Darker depth with a lovely clean tertiary nose of leather and tobacco. Stylish smooth fruit of plums with rounded tannins elegance. Property often surprises you with its longer ageability. Prefer the more textured sweet tannins integration since Stephane Derencourt started consulting after this from 1998. A bit smoky yet clean. Good bottle before the more consistent use of Diam closures for white in 2015 & red in 2016. Ready on a plateau of enjoyment perfect with the delightful homemade pasta course.
1990 CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE BARTON: First of three St. Juliens showing much better than at the vertical of this property last month – linked here at posting October 7, 2025. Big fruit depth and energetic concentrated “Claret”. Perhaps a shade too young and earthy with not enough elegance but is really solid. Believe this will improve and throw off some of that still big fruit, acids, and young tannins still not perfectly integrated. No rush. Potential.
1990 CHÂTEAU GRUAUD LAROSE: Deep dark look. Full opulent softening cedar with mint textbook St. Julien from a property known for ageing ability. Developed nicely and showing clearly the best of the first flight tonight but not the group fav in this admirable flight.
1990 CHÂTEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES: Lots to admire here.My favourite red of the horizontal. Dark black currant cassis is so rich yet so elegant and complex. Starting on a long wonderful plateau of amazement. End of the 7% Petit Verdot contribution that was adding to the precise blend definition. Nicolas likes the generous style of 1990 but perhaps generally prefers the 1989s.
1990 CHÂTEAU PICHON LALANDE: A problem year with the General passing and the winemaker changing but mainly the omission of the needed press wine for depth and more body. Nevertheless every time I try this wine recently it shows the Pichon Comtesse darker than I expected with old days elegance and definitely the unique terroir. Best bottle yet though the fruit is starting to dry up so enjoy it currently. Nicolas is looking now mostly for freshness with a more prominent Cabernet focus. Toast to May de Lencquesaing 100th birthday on May 17, 2025!
1990 CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD: Another underperformer in 1990 with a historic Francis Bacon label. 81CS/10CF/9M does show a refined lighter Mouton cadet bouquet but as their website notes does have that ripe forwardly “mature prunes macerated fruit” styling more forwardly drinking. Beautiful with the striploin.
1981 CHATEAU PICHON LALANDE: Served double blind as a mystery wine. Herbal, earthy and mellow. Everyone is thinking it is probably another 1990 or maybe a different Pichon vintage. I guessed 1979 Pichon because of the higher acidity showing protecting the still dark maturing red colour. Surprised it was 1981 an underrated fav of mine that usually has more fruit than this bottle and less bitter characteristics – this is more like the leaner 1979 style. Fun.
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