This offers a perfect marriage of lightly mulled raspberry and boysenberry fruit, with delightful allspice, juniper and alder notes that are so fine-grained they have a cashmere feel. Hints of rooibos, bergamot and black tea weave in on the finish, where a light sanguine echo hangs like the tightly pitched buzz of a tuning fork. A pretty incredible display of length, too. Sublime.--Non-blind Le Pin vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2030. 500 cases made. JM

The 1990 Le Pin has more in common with the 1982 than most wines of this vintage. This wine exhibits concentrated fig, blackberry, creme de cassis, kirsch, roasted coffee, herb, and spice box characteristics, and incredible amounts of glycerin as well as velvety tannins. Still tasting like an adolescent, it rocks and rolls across the palate in a glorious manner. Anticipated maturity: now-2025. - Wine Advocate #183, June 2009

Though the Le Pin 1990 is deeper in colour than the 1989, you can immediately observe that the aromas feel slightly more advanced with scents of fig, brown sugar and mushroom embroidered into the black fruit. The palate has a touch more viscosity than the 1989, although it does not possess quite the same laser-like focus or the complexity. Still, if you prefer a more opulent, buxom Pomerol that personifies the word "sexy", then the Le Pin 1990 delivers...and then some. Indeed, the sweetness on the finish is almost redolent of the New World, Sonoma rather than Napa! Superb.

Even more opulent and sensuous since I last tasted it, the wine is clearly flashy, flamboyant, and showy with its textures and profile of mocha, orange peel, slice box, cocoa, black cherry and plum. The finish holds on for over 60 seconds which is a good thing, as you want as much of this supple, sexy wine as possible. Tasted Dec 2021