The 1990 Château Calon Ségur is clearly fully mature, yet it has a beautiful core of sweet fruit as well as complex notes of red and black currants, sweet tobacco, cedar, and minty herb aromas and flavors. Nicely balanced, medium-bodied, soft, supple, and charming, it has a slightly metallic edge on the palate, but there's no denying this has appeal and length. It's not going to get any better, but this satisfying, enjoyable Saint-Estèphe should hold nicely for another 5-7 years or so and have a gradual decline.

1990: An amber/orange edge to the color suggests full maturity, and the aromas and flavors confirm it. The medium-bodied 1990 Calon Segur exhibits sweet cedar, currant, herb, plum, and kirsch notes along with a dusty earthiness. It lacks the concentration of the finest vintages from the mid-nineties as well as every top vintage from 2000 onward. No doubt high yields and a lack of a strict selection have resulted in a wine that has consistently been on a fast evolutionary track. There is a sensuality and sexiness to it because of its full maturity. Very pleasant at present, it needs to be drunk up over the next 4-5 years.

Mid-crimson with an evolved rim. Very very ripe and sweet and furry – as so often with 1990s, more expressive of the vintage than the property. Almost medicinal and mineral and with very attractive voluptuousness. Very sweet yet lively. Not enormous but beautifully balanced. At the end it is very slightly drying out which suggests it should be drunk sooner rather than later, but it's a lovely drink now. (JR)