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Ten Years On: The 1990 Vintage

The 1990 vintage was a success for many regions of Europe and further afield. It was certainly one of the greater vintages of the 1990s for Bordeaux, and thought of by many as the greater of the 1988 - 1989 - 1990 triumvirate. Read more of which communes saw success in my Bordeaux 1990 blind tasting. In Burgundy there was also success, for both red and white wines. Despite some initial difficulties with flowering, a hot and dry summer - drought-like in fact - resulted in ripe healthy grapes of a deep colour. The Rhone (see my Northern Rhone 1990 blind tasting), Champagne, Alsace and the Loire all saw success, as did Germany. Only Spain and Portugal faltered a little, although even here the vintage may be rated as good to very good - as opposed to excellent everywhere else - so there are still many wines from these countries worth drinking.

It was a similar story further afield. Good wines from California, much of Australia and New Zealand too. (4/12/00)

The 1990 Vintage - Tasting Notes

Tasted in August and December 2000. Click to locate stockists:

Alsace:

Marc Kreydenweiss Grand Cru Moenchberg Tokay Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive 1990: A slightly paler golden-yellow hue. This wine is in better condition, with some fruit evident on the nose. The palate reveals quite a level of residual sugar, a sweet and luscious texture, with soft but sufficient acidity. Delicious honeyed fruits, lychees, finishing with a slightly bitter note. 17/20

Bordeaux:

Chateau Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc) 1990: A tawny orange note to a moderately coloured wine. Coffee and tobacco leaves on the nose. Rich fruit on the palate, with toasty, smoky oak. Good balance. 16.5/20

Chateau Langoa-Barton (St Julien) 1990: A better colour. Rich, purple wine. A perfumed, stony nose, to me suggestive of St-Julien. Coffee and toffee notes. Rich blackcurrant fruit palate, well balanced, with nice smoky notes. 18/20

Chateau Doisy-Dubroca (Sauternes) 1990: Gorgeous orange-gold hue. The nose has sweet marmalade, with orange and lemon citrus notes. Some good characteristics of botrytis. A rich, not quite unctuous, but superbly balanced palate, with a fantastic streak of acidity. Finishes cleanly, leaving a wonderful length. When it's good, Sauternes can be very, very good! 18/20

Burgundy:

Domaine de la Maladiere Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 1990: A mid-gold hue, and a lovely nutty, butterscotch and cinder toffee nose. The palate has good structure - dry, just achieving a sense of balance, although quite alcoholic. More toffee and butter flavours. A slightly bitter, angular finish implies that this wine is now on its way downhill. Drink up. 16/20

Domaine de la Maladiere Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 1990: Another toffee and butterscotch nose. Beautifully structured, smooth, integrated palate, with a nutty, biscuity buttery flavour profile, and some good fruit. Lovely finish and length. A wine at peak - it makes the Premier Cru look positively rustic. 18/20

Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 1990: A mid gold colour. Significant oxidation on the nose, with some woody, cinder toffee notes. Lots of oak. Attractive body, but quite Madeirised on the palate, and quite woody. Disappointing wine, particularly in view of the appellation. 12/20

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru 1990: Good red hue, with some tawniness to the rim. Sweet, vanilla, orange peel and cigar nose. On the palate more sweet fruit, smoky vanilla, soft tannins and balancing acidity. Finishes with a spicy note. 16.5/20

Domaine Armand Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 1990: A slightly deeper red, again some tawny notes. Vanilla oak on the nose. Lovely, weighty palate. Good fruit, attractive spicy notes, noticeable alcohol. 17/20

Rhône:

Domaine Les Pallières Gigondas 1990: Red with some tawny. Good fruit on the nose, developing attractive liquorice notes with time. A spicy, herbaceous, high alcohol palate, which leads into a big and spicy finish. Good length. 16.5/20

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 1990: A rich, deep, mahogany red, by far the most richly coloured wine in this flight. Peppery black fruit on the nose. The palate has sweet, richly spicy and aromatic black fruit. Superb tannins and acidity. Tannins still very noticeable on the finish. 17.5+/20

Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 1990: The paler of the three wines, but with appealing mahogany tones. A vegetal bottle stink blows away in a few minutes. Initial tobacco leaf notes lead into a rich, gummy fruit nose, with hints of rubber appearing later. Quite a dry palate, with lots of fruit and lovely balance. Tannins are soft. It culminates in a big, fruity finish, and has good length. 18/20

Auguste Clape Cornas 1990: A rich, purple hue. Tobacco, coffee, liquorice and fruit on the nose. Lovely fruit on the palate, with a superb, refined texture. Good balance of tannins and acidity. Delightful finish. 18+/20

Albert Belle Hermitage 1990: A superb, rich, deep purple colour. More liquorice here, with prominent fruit, peppers, obvious toffee oak and coffee notes. Again a lovely texture and superb balance. Rich fruit, coffee, spices and black pepper. 18+/20

Languedoc:

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1990: Also quite a tawny, mahogany wine. Raspberry fruit, with some mineral notes on the nose. Rich and peppery fruit on the palate, with obvious tannins but good acidity. Quite spicy. 17+/20

Loire:

Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Moelleux 1990: A yellow hue. Attractive honey and musk nose. A honeyed palate, with toffee notes. A beautiful backbone of fresh acidity. Lovely alcohol. 18/20

Champalou Vouvray Moelleux 1990: A pale hue. Attractive, fresh lemony acidity on the nose. An abundance of sweet dessert fruit on the palate, with fantastic acidity. Beautifully fresh wine, with more good fruit on the finish. 18/20

Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Moelleux 1990: A richer, lemon-gold colour. A burnt fruit nose. A richer, more luscious palate, with toffee and spice. Also has superb, fresh acidity, and higher alcohol. Finishes beautifully. 18/20

Italy:

Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 1990: A tawny red hue. Notes of custard powder on the nose. Loads of fresh fruit at first, fading to leave just some slightly stewed fruit notes. Good fruit, good balance. Still some tannins on the palate, with lots of acidity. 16.5/20

Rocca della Macie Roccato VdT di Toscana 1990: A more tawny, mahogany-red hue, fading to an obvious orange at the rim. The wine gives off a pungent aroma of rubber, reminiscent of nothing more than Wellington boots, making this wine undrinkable to some tasters. With time this blows off to reveal some pleasant fruit. The palate has fading tannins, black fruit, and good acidity and balance. Finishes well. 16.5/20

Australia:

Leasingham Estate Shiraz 1990: A deep, deep purple. A rich fruitgum nose, with blackberry and blackcurrant notes. Lovely integrated tannins on the palate, with good acidity. A sensational amount of black fruit conceals the excellent structure of this wine. 17.5/20

Orlando Lawson's Padthaway Shiraz 1990: A rich but slightly paler colour. The nose is laden with sweet fruitgum and pastille aromas. Soft tannins and acidity on the palate, a touch of oak, in general a little more serious on the palate than the previous wine. 17/20

St. Hallett Old Block Shiraz 1990: A deep purple-red. On the nose there is black fruit, vanilla, spice coffee and cloves. Strong tannic backbone, with sweet fruit good balancing acidity. Superb finish. This wine has plenty of life left in it yet. 18/20

Martinborough Vineyards Pinot Noir 1990: A pale, strawberry red hue, with no apparent browning. A pungent, farmyard nose, with horse manure and cigars. The palate is big, fat, soft, and low in acidity. Some spicy, alcoholic notes. 17/20

California:

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 1990: A deep and youthful purple-red. Rich black fruits on the nose. The palate has rich, jammy, fruitcake spice. Smooth, integrated tannins. Good alcohol and a big finish. Another wine with a good number of years ahead of it. 17+/20