La Mission Haut Brion 1990

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 1990 reveals excellent weight and richness as it continues to fill out and put on weight. The color is an opaque, deep ruby/purple; the nose offers up forceful scents of toasty vanillin oak intertwined with aromas of black fruits, minerals, smoke, and hickory. There is wonderful richness, a sweet, expansive, opulent palate, a chewy texture, and a deep, persistent, splendidly rich finish. I grow fonder of this wine each time I taste it. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010. Last tasted, 6/93.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The first bottle is corked. The second bottle has a deep garnet core with dark brick rim. The nose is closed at first with overt black olive aromas, autumn leaves, gibier and a hint of mown grass. The intensity builds nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with superb delineation and lovely tobacco-infused black fruits, bitter dark chocolate and great length. This is beginning to remind me of the ’82, developing that subtle dried herb character on the aftertaste with just a touch of dried figs. Divine. Drink 2010-2040. Tasted May 2008.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Farr Vintner's La Mission dinner. Tasted on two occasions (both ex-chateau) one bottle was overtly more bretty than the other. The superior bottle has a broody bouquet that opens with modest encouragement to reveal blackberry, black olive, autumn woodland and bay leaf. It is certainly more backward than I expected. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm backbone, those tobacco-infused fruit still in place. It is very harmonious with perfectly judged acidity that renders this an effortless La Mission whose raisin d'etre is to give pleasure. Just give this a couple more years to let those aromatics flow. Drink 2015-2040. Tasted November 2013.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Much like its nearby rival, Haut Brion, the 1990 La Mission has always been relatively evolved, complex, and supple-textured. Even at age 3-4 it performed beautifully. The tannins are sweet, the acidity low, and the high levels of glycerin and concentrated fruit have always been present, and they show no signs of abating. A dark plum/blue/garnet color is followed by a sweet perfume of chocolate, rich, jammy, berry fruit, and hints of smoked herbs as well as meat juices. It remains a full-bodied, opulent, even ostentatious wine that should drink beautifully for two more decades. It really has not changed much over the last 6-7 years. Release price: ($1200.00/case)

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 1990 reveals excellent weight and richness, as well as surprising opulence. The color is an opaque, deep ruby/purple, the nose offers up forceful scents of toasty vanillin oak intertwined with aromas of black fruits, minerals, smoke, and hickory. In the mouth, there is wonderful richness, a sweet, expansive palate, a chewy texture, and a deep, persistent, splendidly rich finish. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

First tasted July 2000 when it just tasted a little stewed. But far better in September 2004 at the Farr 1989 vs. 1990 tasting. A more elegant reserved nose compared to the 1989, less extrovert. Earthy with a touch of black olives. Very harmonious on the palate with firm tannins. Very focused and structured: I was surprised to find only 48% of the final blend was Cabernet Sauvignon. Fig and dark chocolate on the finish. A lovely wine, but not as ebullient as the 1989. Drink over the next 10 years. Lastly at the Mission vertical in March 2006. Still a very deep garnet core, youthful appearance for a 1990. Just that lovely nose of baked cherries, black truffle, dates and leather: very complex and involving. The palate is suave and sophisticated with superb balance, without that hot summer, raisin fruit that typifies many wines. Just about perfect acidity, whilst the finish fans out in a myriad of flavours: black fruits, black olives, tobacco, cherry, figs. Motoring along just fine. For Mission-lovers with a decadent streak.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Surprisingly, the 1990 La Mission-Haut-Brion performed nearly as well as the 1989. Three of the tasters in the group of seven who participated in this blind tasting rated it higher than the 1989. I make this point because I think the 1990 is improving in the bottle, similar to the evolution of the 1990 Haut-Brion. The 1990 La Mission performed well-above my original score of 92. The wine is ostentatious, with a sweet, spicy, cedary, fruitcake, roasted black fruit-scented nose, admirable richness, a juicy, succulent, voluptuous texture, gobs of fruit and glycerin, low acidity, and a full-bodied, layered finish. This splendidly chewy, intense La Mission-Haut-Brion will come close to matching the quality of the legendary 1989. It will continue to drink well for another two decades.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 1990 La Mission Haut Brion is a wine that just gives so much pleasure that it seems almost immoral to criticize. For sure, it is not in the same league as the awe-inspiring 1989, yet it has such an engaging, quintessential La Mission bouquet full of warm gravel, chestnut, morels and bay leaf scents that you just fall instantly under its charms. It seems to just grow in the glass. The palate is beautifully balanced with great depth but is still a little grainy in texture, and I noticed how it evolved almost a Musigny-like personality with time in the glass. I suggested back in 2014 that it might improve with continued bottle age. Perhaps now I believe that it has reached the top of its plateau, yet the substance and the persistence—the energy—of this Pessac-Léognan suggests that it will give 20 years of drinking pleasure. No, it's not as good as the 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, then again, few wines are. Tasted May 2017.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Reminiscing over the 1989 and 1990 vintages, which I have followed from birth, there always seemed to be a dramatic difference in quality. Not that the 1990 was not a top wine, but in its infancy, I never thought it would come close to being as riveting and magnetic as its older sibling, the 1989. However, it has proven to be nearly as prodigious. One of the hottest years in Bordeaux, 1990, a vintage of enormous yields, even dwarfing yields in 1985 and 1982, produced a fabulously open-knit, seemingly fast track La Mission that, at age 22, shows no signs of fading or losing its grip. The color is slightly more mature and evolved than the 1989’s, exhibiting a lighter rim and a less dark blue/ruby/purple hue. Classic La Mission-Haut-Brion aromatics of camphor, licorice, scorched earth, hot bricks, barbecue, cassis, blueberry and kirsch are well displayed. Broad, expansive, velvety-textured and opulent with high glycerin and perhaps slightly higher alcohol (I don’t have the statistics to verify that), the 1990 is as delicious and open-knit as the 1989, with less density and possibly less potential longevity. Most 1990s have been quick to reach full maturity, and as brilliant as they can be, they need to be monitored carefully by owners. Currently in late adolescence, but close to full maturity, the 1990 should hold in a cold cellar for another 15-20 years. However, it is a fabulous wine to inspect, taste and consume, so why wait?

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Like its more elegant and feminine sibling, Haut-Brion, the 1990 La Mission has continued to build weight and richness and is now certainly one of the great La Missions of the last 25 years. The wine has a deep ruby/purple/plum color and a sweet nose of Provencal herbs intermixed with cedar, scorched earth, creosote, and black currant as well as blackberry. Very full-bodied, even viscous, with low acidity and layers of concentration, this is a spectacular La Mission-Haut-Brion that is already showing considerable complexity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2025. Last tasted, 1/03.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

This wine has evolved spectacularly over the last year and is now revealing considerably more weight and richness, as well as surprising opulence. The color is an opaque, deep ruby/purple, the nose offers up forceful scents of toasty vanillin oak intertwined with aromas of black fruits, minerals, smoke, and hickory. In the mouth, there is wonderful richness, a sweet, expansive palate, a chewy texture, and a deep, persistent, splendidly rich finish. This is a top La Mission that appears to be weightier and larger-framed than Haut-Brion's 1990. Surprisingly, it is not far from rivaling the other-worldly 1989. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1990 continues its epic trajectory. Here tasted in Holland, it has a scintillating bouquet with blackberry, black olive, warm gravel and touches of autumnal woodland that is just beautifully defined and gains momentum with each passing swirl of the glass. The palate is just wonderfully balanced, here with a slightly more powdery texture than before, but there is immense weight on the peacock's tail finish. This is a glorious La Mission and you know what? I think it is going to get even better. Tasted June 2014.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 1990 La Mission Haut-Brion is drinking brilliantly right now. Revealing aromas of truffles, spices, mocha, prune and a touch of tobacco, it’s beautifully balanced, satiny and sensual, with incredible concentration and a long, delicate finish. It’s a very beautiful 1990 with all the characteristics of this estate: finesse and elegance. I recommend drinking it now and until 2040.