Chateau Cheval Blanc 1990

WEINWISSER: "Zu Beginn rauchig, sehr klar und superpräzise definiert, feinste Tabaknoten. Glockenklare und ausdrucksvolle Frucht – ein riesengrosses, buntes Pfauenrad an Aromen. Am Gaumen eine ebensolche hochnoble und verschwenderische Aromatik. Der gesamte Mund wird von der seidenen Oberfläche umschmeichelt; perfekte Konzentration und wunderbar ausgereifte Tannine. Vollkommen harmonischer Wein mit genialem Spiel von Frucht, Süsse, Säure, Tannin – kilometerlang. Richtig grosser Stoff – der sich in seiner gesamten Pracht offenbart. Gegenüber dem 82er heute deutlich überlegen – auch mit längerer Lebenserwartung."

DECANTER: "The standout wine of the entire tasting. Powerful, smooth, mouthfilling sweetness, still deeply coloured. You will find it hard to track down this wine on the market today, and even more difficult to avoid paying crazy sums for it, but I can assure you that it stands out for the intense, finely picked-out, fleshy fruit notes of sweet damson and plum unrolling against smoked coffee and liquorice notes. Truffles, tobacco and exotic spices are all here – and it’s hard to imagine how it can have done better. Oh, and Le Petit Cheval in this vintage was 98% Cabernet Franc, so another one to look out for if the beauty of the Cabernet in the main wine is anything to go by. Harvest 11-25 September, 40hl/ha yield. They made 76% first wine and 12% Petit Cheval, with the rest sold off in bulk. Drinking Window 2018 - 2032"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Einladendes Beerenkonft, angenehme Edelholzanklänge, exotische Gewürze, Nougat und tabakige Anklänge, sehr facettenreiches, attraktives Bukett. Hocheleganter Körper, extraktsüß, schwarzer Fruchttouch, perfekte, seidig wirkende Tannine, frisch strukturiert, mineralisch, komplex, feine Fruchtsüße."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Purity, hedonism, silk and velvet textures produced a wine that is best described as bottled sex. Long, pure, rich and intense, the wine doesn’t know how to quit. And you never want it to. I am sure Calligulus drenched his nights in this nectar. The finish sticks with you in an expanding show of ostentatious characteristics. Yes, I could have written a bunch of adjectives and descriptors here, but you can read those in previous notes I've posted. It is the overall impression you should focus on, as that is what matters most. This bottle was remarkable. Bought on release, stored in a cold, dark cellar and never moved showed provenance counts."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 1990 Cheval Blanc is fast becoming my favorite modern-day vintage of this Saint Emilion estate and perhaps the 1990 is now exiting the slip-steam of the feted 1982. This is unequivocally a brilliant wine. The nose holds nothing back, a line of senses all doing the conga towards your olfactory senses: macerated dark cherries, exotic kirsch-like aromas, leather, mahogany bureau, touches of crème de cassis and herbs all vie for attention. The palate is full-bodied and cloaked in a silky, velvety texture that leaves you a little ga-ga. There is so much fruit ram-packed into the bravura of a finish. Moreover, there´s just so much joie-de-vivre and decadence in this wine, but it never seems overpowering or ostentatious. This bottle came from perfect provenance, as it was served blind by winemaker Pierre Lurton at a private dinner hosted by a mutual friend in Bordeaux. Tasted March 2016. Drink: 2016 - 2045"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 1990 Chateau Cheval Blanc is fully mature at this stage, with a complex, Burgundian style in its forest floor, sweet red and black fruits, dried flowers, cigar tobacco, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. Possessing an ethereal, elegant texture, full body, resolved tannins, and no hard edges, it’s a heavenly example of this terroir that’s drinking at point today. There’s no upside here, but it should keep nicely for another 15-20 years."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is really wonderful and a big surprise for the tasting with wonderful flowers, dark berries and hints of currants on the nose. It’s full and very silky with a wonderful precision and finesse. Goes on and on. Wow. What a finish. This is a buy call. So outstanding. Just a baby but a joy to drink."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Extremely rich and smooth, but also notably appetising. This wine has been beautiful all its life. Dark and 'minerally' with a whiff of cordite. Wonderful combination of flattering richness and sweetness with freshness."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Dark ruby red. Superripe aromas of raisins, dried plums and intense truffle. Full-bodied, chewy and layered, with lovely ripe fruit. Such beauty. Serious Cheval.--Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 12,000 cases made."