Chateau Troplong Mondot 1990

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A fabulous example, the 1990 Troplong Mondot is only equaled by such recent vintages as 2000, 2005, and 2008. The inky/garnet/plum/purple-colored 1990 exhibits notes of coffee, blackberries, licorice, camphor, and espresso. Rich and full-bodied with lavish fruit, high glycerin, low acidity, and stunning purity, it is still several years away from full maturity, and should last for another 10-15 years."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A blockbuster. Amazing. I love Port, and this is close. Dark color. Very, very ripe on the nose. Full-bodied and very chewy, with loads of fruit and concentration in tannins. Mouthpuckering. Needs time.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2006. 10,000 cases made."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, zarter Ockerrand, tiefe Farbe. In der Nase intensiv, nach Dörrobst, fast portweinähnliche Würze, etwas Bitterschokolade, Kräuternote. Am Gaumen sehr stoffig, fast ölige Textur, süß und kraftvoll, von einer guten Säure getragen, superkonzentrierter Stil, Nougattextur, bleibt lange haften, ein Wein mit großen Reserven, hat noch viele Jahre vor sich, dennoch in einem individuellen Stil."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Not as interesting as other bottles, the wine was full-bodied, concentrated, rich, lush, showy and leaning to flamboyant, but it was not as expressive or complex as previous bottles. Good but not great, still, it was a pleasure to taste. At 30 years of age, some bottles are simply better than other bottles. Such is life, and part of the game."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted alongside Pichon Longueville 1990, this was a great representative of mature right bank claret from a ripe vintage. Lots of luscious fruit with a strong streak of iron and blood in classic fashion. No excess of extraction, oak or sweetness,this seems to have been made before the winemaking exaggerations of the subsequent decade. Very well balanced and (just) fresh enough but it became just slighlty soupy in the glass. Drink up."