Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron 1990

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Aufhellendes Granat, noch gut intakt, feiner Rand. Leicht grünliches Cabernet- Bouquet zu Beginn, voll geöffnet und mit recht viel Druck, zudem süsser und auch fülliger werdend. Im Gaumen Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen, viel Saft, gut balanciert und nach einem zweiten Schluck verlangend."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Am fortunate to taste the 89 and 90 Pichon Baron back to back at least once a year. It is a fabulous pair to compare because my favorite is always exchanging places. Tonight, the 1989 was a bit richer, with slightly more intensity. Still, the 1990 is full, rich, deep, long, expansive and combines power with lush characteristics. With depth of flavor, soft, ripe tannins and loads of cigar box, tobacco and ripe red fruits, this is a gorgeous wine that is everything a great Pauillac should be."

DECANTER: "Approaching its 26th birthday, this has an enticing grilled-fruit nose and still feels full of vivacity. The tertiary flavours are showing through with tobacco and hay, but are accompanied by welcoming cooked blackberry fruits. This is the exact blend of elegance and power that you want in an old Médoc. Full of crackling autumnal pleasure. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot. Drinking Window 2016 - 2025"

WINE SPECTATOR: "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. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. Drink now. 35,000 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "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."