TNs: A bunch of 1990s

  • 2013 Chevreux-Bournazel Champagne La Parcelle - France, Champagne
    100% Meunier, zero dosage and only 340 bottles produced. Predominantly green apples on the nose that reminded me of Bereche. The oak use gave some heft to the wine that balanced the elegant fruit well (which also brought me to 2013 as a guess for the vintage). Very.well-proportioned champagne with nothing out of place, made in an oxidative style but not overly so. Under 12% alcohol.
  • 1990 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    My first Las Cases. For a chateau with a reputation for producing wines that are never ready, this was surprisingly light and hedonistic, mainly because of the brilliant ripe red fruit character common across all the 1990s that I have encountered. Still a powerful wine mind, but the fine, silky tannins is what makes 1990 such a great vintage for me. And for this wine, the hauntingly long finish made it unforgettable.
  • 1990 Val di Suga (Angelini) Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Lago - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
    Strange bottle shape and even stranger that I’ve somehow never heard of this producer before. A great example of an aged Brunello, haven’t had many that aged so gracefully. A wine with everything amplified - fruit, acidity and structure. Mostly sweet tannins, could imagine this being an oaky mess when young, but age has integrated the wood. More immediate pleasure than the Las Cases but less complexity and depth.
  • 1990 Domaine Bart Chambertin-Clos de Bèze - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
    The colour had me worried - bricking and rather cloudy in appearance. A little rustic and savoury on the nose at first, but with air it gave way to a floral, rose petal nose. Bit simple and sweet without much interest on the palate but the acidity kicked in after a couple of hours. Not an earth shattering 30 year old Burgundy GC experience but still very pleasant.
  • 1990 Château Trotanoy - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
    Looking at previous CT notes, this might have been an off bottle as it was rather disappointing and a completely different showing from what others suggested this wine should be. Rather muted in comparison to the Las Cases, had a hard edgy character without showing much. The wine eventually put on weight and became more dark fruited but there just wasn’t much going on. Never threatened to eclipse the Las Cases.