1990 Château La Conseillante

The 1990 La Conseillante is a vintage that I have tasted several times. The most recent bottle was opened at a private dinner in Bordeaux and mirrored previous showings. It has a precocious, slightly blurred bouquet with kirsch and wilted violets scents noted on previous bottles. The palate is full-bodied for a Pomerol, sensual with an underlying wild mint note that surfaces with time. Traits of black truffle continue to come through on the plush and sensual finish although it is becoming a little loose-knit with bottle age, especially compared to the regal 1989. It will not improve further unless you are lucky enough to own large formats. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.

The 1990 La Conseillante is fully mature, and totally brilliant. Its medium ruby color is followed by a perfumed, complex bouquet of sandalwood, cedar, ripe cherries, licorice and Asian spices. Upfront and not holding anything back, it reveals loads of sweet fruit and is incredibly complex and nuanced aromatically. This gives way to a full-bodied, integrated and seamless Pomerol that has resolved tannin, perfect balance, an opulent mouthfeel, and a great finish. This is Pomerol in all its elegant, yet seductive glory and while I don’t see any upside, it’s going to continue drinking beautifully for another decade.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Harvested from 22 September to 1 October. Yields 48 hl/ha. Fermented in stainless steel, fully temperature controlled and vatted for 28 days. 80% in new French oak barrels for 16 months. pH 3.6. Tasted blind. Slightly less yellow than the 1985 from 75-cl bottle. Again, like the 1985 from double magnum (rather than the 1985 from bottle), this seems less directly aromatic and more occluded. Hint of putty. Fairly lightweight and a little tired. Definitely drying out on the end. Just a little dull. But slightly resembles 1985 double magnum in structure! (JR)