Château Léoville Las Cases 1990

Beautifully crafted red. Gorgeous plum, berry and smoky oak character. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long, ripe fruit finish. A joy to taste. — 1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.

This is so classic, with a beautiful nose of blackcurrants, bell pepper, lead pencil, herbs, blackcurrant leaf and tobacco. Elegant and very fine. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Turns to sweet berry fruit after a while. This has real Bordeaux soul. Drink or hold.

The nose of this wine had a very light whiff of TCA, but not enough to distract from what is clearly a monumental wine, enlivened by the richness of the vintage. So spicy and positively throbbing with life and potential. So long! (JR)

1990 is the best vintage of LLC for current drinking. The nose is striking, with its blend of black currants, dark red fruits, spices, cigar wrappers, and a hint of mint. The palate rises to the occasion, delivering a big mouthful of lively, peppery, chewy currants in a refined style that offers true staying power. Drink from 2024–2055.

A little less vibrant in colour than the 1982, this is closer to tawny than rose, with welcoming soot and hearth smoke on the nose, and on the first palate. The fruit is plum and loganberry, softened and autumnal, with dark spice – the Petit Verdot is making its presence felt in those early years, marking it out from the post-2005 years when this grape no longer appears. Elegant and precise, with fine tannins, it softens on the finish; this is in its drinking window, revs up halfway through and again has the precise elegance that makes it so St-Julien once in its mature phase. Great, but not as good as the 1982. 50% new oak. Michel Delon owner.

Another legend. The wine only truly opens up after a long decanting, then reveals a full, intense body with supremely refined tannins.