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A sensational effort, and one of the two finest Clinets made before the 2008, this prodigious wine made by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute has always been a sprinter out of the gate. Even at age 19, it continues to strut its stuff. A dense blue/garnet/purple hue exhibits slight lightening at the edge, and the gorgeous nose offers up aromas of sweet blueberries, licorice, smoke, acacia flowers, and camphor. Full-bodied with silky tannins, low acidity, and terrific purity, this 1990 has hit its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for another decade.Robert Parker | 97 RPMy previous encounter with the 1990 Clinet was out of magnum, circa the release of my Pomerol tome around a decade ago. It was impressive. However, this bottle suggests that this lauded Pomerol is beginning to stumble after 30 years. Rather volatile on the nose, the 1990 offers smudged black cherries, kirsch, green olives and dates, heady and ostentatious, though missing a bit of refinement. The palate is quite hedonistic, loaded with glycerine, a core of sweet black fruit with touches of fresh date and camphor, some VA just evident on the finish. Highly enjoyable for sure, though I would not leave bottles too long to drink. It is a Pomerol rather emblematic of the time.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautifully crafted red. Brilliant ruby color. Aromas of fresh berries, blackberries and chocolate jump from the glass. Full-bodied and chewy, but velvety and caressing. Lots of ripe fruit.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2002.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This wine goes from strength to strength, and is developing even better than I initially expected. More backward than most of the big, Cabernet Sauvignon-based 1990 Medocs, it is full-bodied and viscous, but not as thick or oily as the 1982 can be. The 1990’s fresh, pure black raspberry, incense, and minerality characteristics result in a young, legendary wine. Still deep ruby/purple to the rim as well as extraordinarily intense, it is 4-10 years away from full maturity, and should evolve for another 30+ years. It is an amazing achievement!Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 1990 Lafleur was similar to the bottle shown at the Lafleur/Petrus/Le Pin dinner. It is a vintage that I used to adore and in many ways, still do. However as I remarked during this vertical, it is one of the few vintages where the character of the growing season is translated over the signature terroir of Lafleur. Nevertheless, the nose is fresher and more vital than the previous bottle with glossy black fruit laced with undergrowth scents, this particular example exhibiting a light star anise aroma that intensifies with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with supple ripe tannin, layers of rich black fruit, powerful and voluminous. I feel that the Merlot is more expressive than the Cabernet Franc: smooth and sexy in texture, moderate acidity and glycerin towards the lush finish. It is a gorgeous Pomerol to drink, offering more sensory joy than intellectual stimulation. Hey, but sometimes that is exactly what you want. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.Vinous Media | 94 VMStill very closed, but big and rustic. Medium-red color. Aromas of meat, tobacco and fruit. Full-bodied, very chewy; mouthpuckering. Needs time.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2005. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

(Château Figeac) 1995 was the fiftieth vintage for Thierry Manoncourt and the château designed a special label to mark the anniversary. Happily, Monsieur Manoncourt was blessed with a great vintage to mark his fiftieth, as the 1995 Figeac is a stunning wine. The bouquet is deep, complex and blossoming beautifully at age seventeen, jumping from the glass in classic mélange of red plums, black cherries, Cuban tobacco, bitter chocolate, cigar smoke, sweet nutty tones, complex soil nuances and a deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and starting to really develop its secondary layers, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and complexity, bright acids and excellent length and grip on the perfectly poised and suavely tannic finish. A beautiful vintage of Figeac. (Drink between 2015-2055)John Gilman | 95 JGBest Figeac in years. Loads of blackberry, chocolate and stones. Full-bodied and concentrated with masses of tannins and fruit. Long, long finish. Needs time. Best after 2002. 9,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSTasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property from one of the last remaining imperials, one could argue that the six-liter format would have benefit the 1995 Figeac. Even so, that should not take anything away from this, the best vintage of that decade. Firstly, one notices that it is deeper in color than the underwhelming 1996. Then you fall into the aromatics, a beguiling concoction of blackcurrant pastilles, melted tar and tobacco all beautifully preserved after two decades. What differentiates it from the succeeding vintages is that here there is the fruit to back it up. The palate is fresh and quite dense in the mouth. The acidity is perfectly matched to the fruit, lively with a touch of piquancy on the ebullient, red cherry and wild strawberry finish that still has a bit of glycerin. The 1995 is the best vintage between 1990 and 2001, and represents a worthy wine to celebrate Thierry Manoncourt’s 50th vintage. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMVery good full color. Lively, thoroughly ripe aromas of redcurrant, sweet butter, minerals and spices. A step up in concentration from the last two wines; full and sweet, with a mineral pungency brightening the fruit. Offers lovely finishing sweetness and dusty, ripe tannins that reach more of the mouth. Very rich but graceful wine.Vinous Media | 91 VM

At 56% Cabernet Franc, this is a bright, floral Cheval Blanc, with white pepper, strawberry, mineral and oriental spice notes lingering nicely. Drinking Window 2015 - 2036Decanter | 95 DEC(a blend of 56% cabernet franc and 44% merlot; 40 h/h): Bright red. Fresh floral, white pepper, raspberry and strawberry aromas on the captivating nose, lifted by minerals and Oriental spices. Very fresh, balanced and pure on the palate, with bright red berry, floral and delicately smoky plum flavors. Very cabernet franc, and very Cheval Blanc! The lively, harmonious acids keep this wine light on its feet and really extend the flavors on the back half. The long finish features a subtly spicy kick and smooth tannins. A touch more density and it would have scored even higher. The harvest took place between September 28 and October 4.Vinous Media | 93 VMMedium ruby, with a garnet edge. Aromas of plum and fresh herbs, such as basil, that turn to cedar and cigar box. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins. Long and flavorful, with subtle chocolate, berry and light coffee aftertaste. Gorgeous.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe elegant, moderately weighted 1996 Cheval Blanc reveals a deep garnet/plum, evolved color. Quintessentially elegant, with a complex nose of black fruits, coconut, smoke, and pain grille, this medium-bodied wine exhibits sweet fruit on the attack, substantial complexity, and a lush, velvety-textured finish. It is very soft and evolved for a 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2015.Robert Parker | 90 RP

So much black truffle in the aroma here with blackberry and blueberry character, too. Full body, solid and stalwart. The layers of velvety tannins are impressive. I love the balance and energy to this. Underlines the greatness of 1998 for Pomerol and harks back to 1950. Just starting to be drinkable now.James Suckling | 98 JSComplex aromas of blackberry, fresh mushrooms, tobacco and wet earth. Full-bodied, soft and luxurious texture to this ripe and opulent wine. Long and decadent too. Just coming around now. Give it more time. L’Evangile at its finest.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS72% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc. This has real depth of flavour and intensity that keep you gripped from start to finish. Near to its perfect drinking window. Amazing freshness at 20 years old; you can feel the flesh of the soft autumnal berry fruit given an edge by the curling cigar smoke. A true Right Bank vintage – and even more clearly a true Pomerol vintage. Drinking Window 2018 - 2032.Decanter | 96 DECDeep garnet-brick colored and blended of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, the nose of the 1998 L’Evangile has the most intensely perfumed scents of potpourri, fallen leaves, Chinese five spice, camphor and new leather over a core of crème de cassis, prunes, star anise, dusty soil and tobacco with wafts of dried lavender and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, rich and decadent in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of spice and savory notions with a plush frame and refreshing lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPFull medium ruby. Fabulous nose combines black raspberry, sweet oak, bitter chocolate, truffle and mint, all lifted by a cool, slightly medicinal black cherry note of cabernet franc. Penetrating, pure, youthfully bound-up black fruit and licorice flavors. Densely packed and extremely backward. Finishes with very firm, oak-powered tannins. A superb, powerfully structured vintage for this wine, to drink between 2010 and 2025.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

No written review provided. | 97 W&SRich and decadent on the nose, with raspberry jam and Indian spices. Full-bodied, with an almost dusty texture. Long and seamless, with beautiful, firm tannins and a racy finish. Wonderfully delicate sweet fruit on the finish. Needs a few more years to open.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 1,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA fine offering, the 1998 has closed down, but there is no doubting its fabulous potential. The color is a dense purple. The wine reveals high tannin, huge body, and classy black fruits intermixed with minerals, spice box, cedar, and tobacco. A long, persistent, tannic finish gives this majestic effort a closed but formidable personality. Patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.Robert Parker | 92 RPBright ruby-red. Cassis, raspberry, cedar, lead pencil and spicy oak on the nose. Rich, sweet and deep, with firm acids giving grip and verve to the plum, raspberry, lead pencil and bitter chocolate flavors. Wonderfully concentrated, lively and very long. The yield here, according to Thienpont, was just 34 hectoliters per hectare.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Vieux Château Certan) As noted above, 1998 was destined to be the inaugural vintage of VCC for the new cépage of sixty percent merlot, thirty percent cabernet franc and ten percent cabernet sauvignon, but due to the season, the grand vin actually ended up being comprised of eighty-five percent merlot, ten percent cabernet sauvignon and only five percent cabernet franc. At age eleven the wine looks to be very promising indeed, but one has to wonder whether or not a VCC such as 1998 with so little cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon will eventually show the classic profile of this estate. The deep and vibrant nose jumps from the glass in a really lovely blend of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, espresso, soil and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and nascently complex, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins, lovely focus and great length and grip on the palate-staining finish. At this point in the wine’s evolution there is still a bit of oak tannin that needs to be more fully absorbed into the depth of fruit here, but the wine is impeccably balanced and this should only be a matter of a few more years of bottle age. This is a very strong and fairly classic example of the vintage that still demands many more years in the cellar before starting to drink it. It will be very interesting to follow this wine and see how it ultimately stacks up with some of the great past vintages of VCC. (Drink between 2016-2050)John Gilman | 92 JG

Readers who require immediate gratification will dislike this wine, which is one of the most concentrated behemoths and tannic blockbusters of the vintage. This is very much in keeping with the proprietor’s intention to make wines such as they made in the 19th century, and ones that can last 50+ years. Still young, with plenty of noticeable new oak, this 2000 tastes like a 3 to 4-year old St.-Emilion. Plenty of barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberry, and plum characteristics are present in both the aromatics and flavors of this broodingly backward, massive monster. While fascinating, it is not for everybody. I originally gauged its maturity to be around 2010, but I would push that back to 2015-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RP

Seven years ago I said this was a monumental wine, and at two different recent tastings, it was a true star of the vintage. Its stunning dark plum color offers up notes of caramelized red and black fruits, toffee, smoke, Asian plum sauce, sweet cherries, chocolate, and espresso. Its spectacular aromatics do not disappoint on the palate, as this multi-dimensional, highly complex, opulent wine seems to have hit a magical point in its evolution. Full-bodied, and concentrated, there is no issue with drinking this dazzling effort now, but those who own it can certainly cellar it for another 15 or more years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 96 RPThis is a ripe and intense red with a layered and intense character of chocolate and dried tomatoes. Full-bodied, layered and spicy with cloves and dried thyme. Very flavorful.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is rather dramatic, with lush, layered blackberry puree and mocha notes that just keep going and going, picking up juicy black licorice and Black Forest cake flavors along the way. This has the spine to pull it off but is really for the all-hedonism-only crowd.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 1,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFull ruby-red. Superripe, alluring aromas of raspberry, cherry liqueur, mocha, coffee, game, violet and truffle. Thick, concentrated and sexy, with perfectly integrated acidity giving the wine uncanny vivacity and lightness of touch considering its great ripeness and richness. Underlying minerality contributes to the impression of precision. Very intensely flavored and long on personality. An utterly captivating drink.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Incredible concentration and richness in this wine. This is good stuff, loads of complexity with notes of flowers, vanilla, and ripe fruit. Still drinking like a baby, this is full, soft, and long. Opulent and gorgeous right now but give this five years and you’ll be better off. Pull the cork in 2015. So much fruit for a Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.James Suckling | 99 JSA stunning wine with extraordinary concentration, but still somewhat backward, this 2000 needs much more time than I projected seven years ago. It boasts an inky/dark purple color along with an intense nose of kirsch, blackberries, licorice, caramel, and flowers. Full-bodied with abundant tannin as well as a multidimensional, thick texture, this unevolved Pomerol has not changed much since its 2003 release. Gorgeous purity and a natural mouthfeel make for a dazzling wine that will benefit from another 5-10 years of cellaring, and last for three decades thereafter. It is a legendary effort!Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2000 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked from 18 September and matured in 80% new oak. This has a magnificent bouquet with black fruit infused with bay leaf, smoke, freshly rolled tobacco and a touch of spice. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite firm in the mouth with blackberry, clove, allspice and white pepper. This has always been a very complex millennial Pomerol with a very grippy, quite masculine finish and therefore decanting is advised. Denis Durantou informed that this was the only vintage neither fined nor filtered. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis has everything. Super class and elegance, yet ripe and exciting. Fantastic aromas of blackberries, cherries, violets and minerals. Full-bodied, with incredible raspberry, cherry, mineral and silky tannins. Very long. Winemaker Denis Durantou is a purist, and it shows. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 97 WSOne of the wines that turned me on to the brilliance of Denis Durantou when tasted during a vertical with him and Michel Rolland back in 2014. I tasted it again this week and it more than lived up to my memories, with its understated power and rapid expansion through the palate as its exotic character becomes clear, coupled with the precise brush strokes that Durantou always managed to coax out of his wines. He died in May 2020, just as I was beginning to taste En Primeur 2019, and it seems only right to raise a glass to his memory. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECDenis Durantou’s obsessive search for perfection paid off handsomely with this stunning 2000. Despite the richness of the fruit, there is still a sense of lightness to the wine which makes it surprisingly easy to comprehend at this stage. The Cabernet Franc perfumes couterpoint the rich Merlot, while the wood underpins everything.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

Extremely young with an unbelievable deep purple color, the 2000 Troplong Mondot has hardly budged since I tasted it in 2003. Two recent tastings confirmed that this is the greatest Troplong Mondot between their profound 1990 and more recent vintages such as 2005, 2008, and 2009. Copious chocolate, graphite, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and ink characteristics are present in this full-bodied, powerful, massive St.-Emilion. While the tannins are noticeable, they are better integrated than they were seven years ago, and the fruit, extract, and richness clearly outweigh the wine’s structure. This 2000 will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring (longer than I originally predicted), and has at least two decades of drinkability ahead of it.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Troplong Mondot is another vintage that I have not tasted for a long time. This includes some Cabernet Sauvignon that was north-facing and subsequently removed for the 2001. The youthful bouquet of black cherries, cassis, marmalade and blood orange is vibrant and precocious and shows fewer secondary aromas than some of its peers. It opens nicely to reveal camphor and star anise aromas, almost Rhône-like. The palate is chewy, quite dense and backward but initially lacks a bit of charm. Licorice and sloes come through. Slightly granular in texture, it feels tight at first, but it deserves applause for its freshness and improves with aeration, loosening up and finally developing that missing charm.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SA soft, rich wine that bears all the classic qualities of the Valette family’s winery - a strength of line along and complexity. The fruit is ripe, ultra-generous, but is still tempered with layers of acidity and soft tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WELovely berry, cherry and spice, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a pretty mineral and berry aftertaste. A sexy and refined red. Best after 2009. 7,080 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS