1990 Léoville Las-Cases, 1990 Lynch-Bages, 2000 Lynch-Bages, 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou

A lovely dinner at Shang Palace, Singapore, on 31 July 2023 to dust off the Monday blues. The theme is evident with the 1990 Lynch-Bages showing best, proving once again that you need to wait at least 25-30 years before popping your top clarets. Many thanks!

2017 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Puligny-Montrachet, courtesy of Kieron. Tasted blind. Pale golden. Opens with a discernible trace of glycerin on the nose amid white tones, proffering a restrained floral lift. A little backward initially, though it did eventually flesh out with a gentle rounded presence of clear fruit touched with nutmeg and saline minerals, very well integrated with excellent precision and definition, the salinity taking on a bit of shiny glow as some of the signature Ramonet character came through.

2000 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, courtesy of Melvin. Opaque dusty purple. Highly attractive reductive pungency on the nose, developing a bit of leathery quality with overtones of dried tobacco leaves. Medium-full luxuriant palate, boasting layers of ripe darkish fruit imbued with lively acidity that impart brilliant biting intensity amid early secondary characters. Just entering its optimal drinking window.

2000 Château Lynch-Bages, courtesy of Russ. Dark crimson with some bricking. There’s a whiff of sweetness amongst the copious black fruits though the palate is slightly lean in spite of the density of fruit, producing very fine precision. Very dark leafy tone, fleshing out a little after some time with elegant supple intensity before shutting down into a sullen reticence. May need to lay down a little longer.

1990 Château Léoville Las-Cases. Deep crimson. Beautifully mellow with a fleshy presence of fruit that is still quite ample and vibrant, gently layered with subtle intensity, developing a bit of leathery texture over time. Lovely cool balance, almost to the point of aloofness. At full maturity and will not get any better.

1990 Château Lynch-Bages, courtesy of Kieron. Deep crimson, exuding darkish characters. The keen palate is still quite intense, brightly lit with dense graphite elements amid a deep core of delicious fruit. Very well developed and open, continuing to evolve with further notes of cinnamon and subtle tertiary characters, growing in stature by the hour in defiance of its thirty-three years. Simply irresistible. At its exciting best and will hold for many more years. Truly outstanding.