Po's 1990 Bordeaux dinner

• 2008 Fortnum & Mason Champagne Brut Vintage (Louis Roederer) 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  A magnum served blind. Really in the zone (perhaps more than you'd hope for a 2008 magnum at this stage of its life). Pale straw appearance and fumey nose. A good core of freshness, with quinine and gooseberry compote as well as cream and Comte. A nice surprise to start.

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• 1990 Château Haut-Bailly 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Mature in all respects - dry, savoury, restrained. Good structure and a long finish, with some slightly unusual and disparate notes such as raw meat, warm earth and acetone. I liked the fresh, food-friendly style, but others preferred this tonight.

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• 1990 Château Pape Clément 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Although this wine wasn't hugely interesting on the palate, without particular complexity or definition, I just loved the nose, which variously offered musk, purple flowers, campfire, tobacco, pine needles, incense and something I noted down as 'sweet underbrush' that might actually not exist. An inner core of sweet, juicy red fruit and an attractive floral finish. My #3 tonight.

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• 1990 Château Clerc Milon 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Truffley nose, showing some Brett. Thin on the palate at first, although filled out a little with time in glass, obvious but welcome acidity, a note of Asafoetida. Probably my least favourite tonight.

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• 1990 Château L'Evangile 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Not hugely expressive or giving. Smoke and damp undergrowth on the nose. Reasonable power on the palate but it felt a bit tucked in. Sherberty red fruit and a truffley finish. Nice wine, but overpowered by the Trotanoy tonight.

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• 1990 Château Trotanoy 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Exotic and powerful wine, with Turkish Delight and aniseed on the nose (I noted fennel when I had this last year), and spice, candied red/black fruit and burnt ends on the palate. A solid core and a subtle hint of caramel, but sufficiently elegant with it. Very ample, long finish. My #2 and the group's #3.

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• 1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Seemed a bit light, especially following the Trotanoy, and the suggestion was that the Chateau overcompensated for the ripe vintage and undercooked the wine. Nevertheless certainly an attractive and distinctive wine, and actually the best of the flight with the food, with vanilla cream on the nose, and tomato stalk, Bloody Mary, autumn leaves and some salinity on the palate.

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• 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  I had been looking forward to this, but to me it showed quite tight and reticent. Vague wafts of truffley smoke on the nose. There was more to the palate, with beef broth, modelling clay, very black fruit and good acidity. Subtle but tenacious, and good with the food, but I was surprised that the group voted it #2 tonight.

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• 1990 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This seemed like a step-up from the previous flights on first sniff, but actually never quite caught fire. Super-classic in style, with jewel-like red fruit, good acidity, some truffle, and still the occasional reminder of tannin. Perhaps lacked a bit of stuffing compared to its flight-mates.

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• 1990 Château Léoville Las Cases 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Pukka Claret! Seemed a bit green at first, and buttoned-up, but it fanned out beautifully to reveal a stealthily seamless wine, with all its elements beautifully integrated. Spicy and well-proportioned. Of tonight's wines this is the one I'd want to follow over an evening with only 1-2 fellow drinkers. My and the group's WOTN.

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• 1990 Château Montrose Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Heat-affected and seemed off. I got an airy, mentholated scent that then became reminiscent of Chinese food, but others got stagnant pondweed, and others still actually enjoyed it...!

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• 1990 Château Montrose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Seemed much more typical and what we'd have expected than the first (likely heat-affected) bottle. Solid, a touch of Brett, still some tannin noticeable on the gums after drinking it. Smoke, truffle and purple fruit. Excellent wine, but not as exciting as I suspect this wine can be (perhaps because it wasn't decanted, being a back-up).

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• 1990 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very deep and dark, with coffee, cassis and spice. Hints of the exotic. A very long finish. This would have shone in isolation, but coming after so many other wines, and next to the LLC and Montrose, it was a bit overshadowed.

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• 1990 Château Guiraud 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Deep amber colour. Marmalade, lime and buttery pastry. I quite liked this, but there was a rawness to it that suggested it might have been better when younger.

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• 1990 Château Climens 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Seville orange, rose water, brown bread, sweet and creamy, with a tangy finish. More ponderous than I'd have liked, but sweetly attractive enough to make a nice pairing with the dessert.

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The reds were surprisingly homogenous. With only one flawed bottle, and everything showing well to very-well, we were fortunate even though none of the wines was hugely exciting or justified its current market price.

The sweetbread and chantilly were probably more delicious than any of the wines!