($88-$116) Medium red. Slightly warm aromas of cherry, leather and earth; following the Ducru flight, this came across as a bit rustic in character. Very sweet, broad and powerful, with a roasted marzipan-like quality and fruit of steel. Plenty of structure here. Finishes long and ripely tannic.

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In many cases, the results of my blind tastings confirmed how much I underrated several 1990s. One wine I unquestionably short-changed is the 1990 Gruaud Larose. Over the last few years I had rated the wine 90 points several times, but more often Gruaud fell comfortably in the 88-89 point category. Gruaud-Larose was superb at the most recent tasting. Moreover, this might be a 1990 that is still affordable. The wine exhibits a thick-looking, plum/purple/garnet-like color. A sensational nose of jammy black-cherries, earth, cedar, and herbs has become far more intense and striking. The wine displays sensational richness and power, but not quite the burly, monstrous size and hulking weight of the 1986 or 1982. Yet it reveals impressive stuffing and power. The low acidity emphasizes the thick, juicy, succulent fruit in this backward yet rich, chewy wine. This was the finest showing yet for the 1990 Gruaud Larose.

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Jammy nose, with hints of beetroot. Round and juicy, with velvety tannins. Nice wine. But slighlty unexciting. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. Drink now. 32,000 cases made.

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