1990 CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE BARON 1990

 Fully developed, this is a text-book example of a great Pauillac combining power, concentration, a touch of sternness to the tannins, and layers of ripe, spicy, peppery currants, tobacco leaf, cigar box, forest floor, and crisp, spicy red berries on the palate and in the finish. A short decant is all that is needed here.

The 1990 Pichon-Longueville Baron has always been one of my benchmark wines, one that never ceases to perform. Now at 27 years of age, it is clearly at its peak, and what a wondrous thing it is. Now showing some bricking on the rim, the bouquet is utterly sublime, with red berries, cedar, touches of graphite, crushed rose petals and incense. You just want to become enveloped by these aromas. The palate is perfectly balanced, perhaps not as structured as it once showed since the tannins have mellowed, but what you get is a Pauillac relishing its secondary phase, which is almost Burgundy-like in terms of mouthfeel. Suffused with tension, it gains weight in the mouth toward the slightly tart finish. It is a Pichon Baron that only knows how to give sophisticated drinking pleasure. I once wrote that Pichon Baron is better than many 1990 First Growth, and that is a statement I have no reason to change. Tasted April 2017.

 In the glass, this 25-year-old wine presents itself in a medium-strong Bordeaux red, slightly tending towards orange towards the edge. The nose is a spectacle as soon as you open it. Smoke, peat, leather, black currants, black olives, hints of dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco, you could just sniff for hours, great complexity. A nose to dive into, a prime example of a beautifully aged Bordeaux from the Left Bank, simply expansive, a dream scent. Very soft on the palate at the start, largely melted, excellently integrated tannins, ripe, warm fruit, red and dark fruity aromas, cherries, ripe plums soaked in vanilla, full-bodied, full-bodied but not plump, very well structured, the acidity supports, excellent harmony of all components. The finish is very long, ending with a subtle licorice note. This Baron is certainly at the peak of his enjoyment phase, but he is likely to maintain his level for a few more years. It is an archetype of a noble Bordeaux wine and is undoubtedly a great wine experience.

 Opulent, generous and simply delicious. This Pichon Baron is at its peak and singing from the bottle - dried fruits with notes of sweet spices and plums. A beautiful wine with a persistent finish.

 Fine, fruity, powerful nose. Mouth rich, but still firm.

 More tobacco and cedar character on the nose, with hints of ripe fruit. Full-bodied, yet fine and sophisticated, with elegant tannins and a long finish. This is always a top-quality red. 

 Dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, delicate ocher edge. Ripe dark berry fruit, a hint of black olives, candied orange zest. Substantial, sweet and elegant, fine tannins, delicate herbal spice, chocolaty aftertaste, pleasant plum fruit, fine nougat note in the aftertaste, extract-sweet finale.

 This is a wine that has shown extremely well in blind tastings, even next to the first growths, but to judge from this perfectly stored bottle, it may just be starting to lose its gorgeous fruit. Very deep, vibrant crimson. Rich, vivacious nose. Thick sweet and glorious. It clearly was absolutely great and I may be being mean to deprive it of a score of 18.