1990 Pauillac AOC Deuxième Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France

Clear, tart, almost cool, somewhat tomatoey bouquet with aromas of black and red berries, some tobacco, dried floral nuances, a hint of tobacco and restrained barrel notes. Taut and tart on the palate, fine-juicy dark fruit, again a little tomato, some acid bite and present, very fine tannin, nutty tones and a touch of dark chocolate, asphalt on the palate, dried-herbal nuances, lasting, fine-grip, some cocoa and increasingly salt, a little coffee, gains depth with air, lots of liver, elegant style, self-contained, softens with air, very good to long, quite firm, fine-juicy and -spicy, again mineral finish with cedary and minty tones. Once again more convincing and also more youthful than the bottle from 4 years ago.

Best to drink: Bis 2026+. What our ratings mean