1990 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Romanee Conti Grand Cru

Tasting note: (bottled barrel by barrel). Medium ruby color. Initially, this is aromatically tight and closed but after 2 hours in the glass, it absolutely explodes from the glass with a breathtaking panoply of Asian spices, exotic fruit aromas and a touch of earth followed by rich, lush, almost opulent flavors that melt in the mouth and coat the palate with a layer of velvet on the fantastically long finish.

Burghound Review: This is a dramatic wine in every sense of the word yet it's not at all showy but rather discreet and understated. I particularly like the sense of inner power and purity of expression and this is as good a wine as I ever hope to drink. It should last for another 50 years and if you ever have the chance, don't miss it! Consistent notes. Tasted: Jul 04, 2005 Score: 99 Drink: 2010 to 50

Robert Parker review:

(98 points) The 1990 Romanee-Conti should ultimately be the most compelling and complex of the DRC wines. Normally it possesses a lighter color than either La Tache or Richebourg, but in 1990 it boasts a surprisingly saturated color that is the equal of La Tache and Richebourg. The nose offers up sweet, clove, cinnamon, and blackberry aromas intermingled with toasty, smoky new oak. Lavishly rich and full-bodied, with abundant tannins, this profound, surprisingly large-scaled, tannic wine boasts more muscle than usual. Let's hope that the billionaires that buy it have as much taste as money. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025 .

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. Wine Advocate #83 Oct 1992