“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” should have been the catchphrase for 1990, the hottest growing season since 1947. This was an extraordinary vintage for many top estates. Apart from the growing season being hot, it was also very dry in July and August, which would prove challenging for some of the deep gravel and sand-based soil types, and yet played to the advantage of soils containing clay and/or limestone.
Rains would eventually come in mid to late September into early October, delivering variable amounts of water depending on location and, therefore, heterogeneous quality. In some places, a little rain in the run-up to harvest was a blessing, providing much needed water to parched vines on free-draining soils and offering the wherewithal to complete ripening. Despite the dry conditions, yields across Bordeaux were very high in 1990, thanks to a bountiful fruit set.
From the get-go, the 1990 reds were showy wines packed with juicy black fruits and lower acidity. Even if the tannins were on the high side, these wines had an immediate appeal compared to 1989 and especially 1986. Some 1990s rival the ’82s, if in a very different style.”