A ruby/garnet core with thin brick rim. The nose is just divine and ethereal. Minerals, oyster shells with an unerring pellucidity and transparency. An unerring freshness and vitality. The palate has perfect balance and acidity, with brilliant definition. Minerally, quite backward with an elegant structure. In some ways, still quite primal: this has got a long way to go. Brilliant. Tasted July 2005.

The 1990 Romanée St. Vivant was the best of these three wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. It showed great mid-palate intensity in the juicy, generous style of the year.

The 1990 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti continues to cruise along, blossoming in the glass with a lavish bouquet of black cherry, blackberry, sous bois, dark spice and a touch of game. On the palate, the wine is ample and full-bodied, with a chassis of fine, melted tannins—though just a few rough edges poke out on the finish (a function of arrested phenolic maturity?)—enrobed in juicy, vibrant fruit that lingers through the long and penetrating finish. Bottle number 7492.

The DRC's Romanee St.-Vivant is a tough wine to evaluate. I found the 1990 to have a pervasive earthy, cinnamon, clove, sweet fruit-scented nose intermingled with scents of spicy new oak. Although closed, the wine exhibits great depth, medium to full body, and copious quantities of hard tannins in the long, structured, austere finish. It requires a patient buyer. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2015. The DRC 1990s, all of which were bottled in April/May, are among the deepest colored wines from this domaine that I have tasted in the last decade. Moreover, they are firmly structured, with significant tannins from both the vintage and from the aging in 100% new oak barrels. For the fortunate few who have had the discretionary income to afford the other great vintages of the DRC from the eighties, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988, and 1989, the question is - are the 1990s superior? I am not sure they are any better than the 1980s, 1985, and 1988s, but they undoubtedly represent a classic, concentrated, long-lived style of wine. Moreover, all of these wines should have a more graceful evolution and broader window of drinkability than the tannic 1988s, as well as potentially greater longevity than the succulent and opulent 1985s. All of these offerings are outstanding, with that tell-tale complex, exotic fragrance that the DRC routinely achieves. NOTE: Prices had not been released (the wines will arrive in early 1993). I have inserted the same prices asked for the 1989 vintage as an approximation of what these wines will fetch. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA.

Tasting note: Extremely rich and ripe with explosive aromas of Vosne spice, earth and only a touch of secondary nuance followed by big, indeed even robust flavors that show good muscle but no rusticity and while this displays only a bit of the classic RSV velvet, this character will undoubtedly become more pronounced with age as there is plenty of mid-palate density. Quite long and still very much of a baby, the '90 RSV is most promising. I would try again in 2010 but this will live for 30 years, perhaps longer. Multiple and consistent notes.

An expressive and notably ripe nose features complex and well-layered aromas of Vosne spice, earth and moderate secondary nuance is followed by big and relatively powerful medium-bodied robust flavors that show good muscle but no rusticity on the mouth coating and lingering finish that exhibits just a hint of dryness. While this presently displays only a bit of the classic RSV velvet, I would expect this character to become more pronounced with age. Note that while I don't believe there is much, if any, remaining upside development potential, this should be an exceptionally long-lived vintage for this wine. Multiple and consistent notes. Drink: Now+
-Allen Meadows, burghound.com. Tasted: Oct 14, 2013

Brilliant ruby/rust. Very sweet and rich in classic DRC 'liqueur' style. Very lively and racy with wonderful depth. Really very good indeed, and one of the more open Romanée-St-Vivants. (JR)