1990 CHÂTEAU TERTRE ROTEBOEUF 1990

Two spectacular wines from these vintages, proprietor Francois Mitjavile's 1989 and 1990 are both exotic, opulent, unctuously-textured wines from this splendidly-situated vineyard that in English means, "the hill of the belching beef." Over the last year, the 1990 has exploded in the bottle. Both wines exhibit an opaque garnetpurple color, as well as amazing ripeness and intensity. The 1990 has been so stunning the last several times I tasted it, that it is inching its way up the scoring ladder. In fact, I am close to running out of points. The sweet nose of coffee, jammy berry fruit, smoke, caramel, and spice soars from a glass of this marvelously concentrated, viscous, layered, smooth wine. Whatever tannin this show-stopping, flashy wine possesses (I am sure if analyzed the level is respectable) is buried beneath the jammy fruit and glycerin. The 1990 is so dazzling that I would be a fool to suggest owners refrain from consuming it