1990 Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts

The 1990 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts is deeper, firmer and more muscular than the 2000 that I drank alongside it, but nor could it match its younger sibling for aromatic range, finesse or charm. For the better part of an hour, it showed brilliantly, delivering complex aromas of spices, wild berries, orange rind, plums, smoked meats and creamy oak, but later in the evening, the rather roasted quality that often distinguishes the 1990 red Burgundy vintage became more and more prominent. It's a medium to full-bodied, nicely balanced wine with fine, chalky structuring tannins and tangy acids, but in the final analysis, it couldn't equal the performance of the 2000.