Chateau Pradeaux, Vieilles Vignes, Bandol

Really great wine. 34 years old and still youthful. It took about 60-90 minutes for the decant to enable it to open up and show its offering. I would think this wine’s drinking window could extend up to 5 more years. The cork was in great shape. Lovely wine.

End of AWE - Nopi and Estela menu (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand) : Absolutely stunning expression of Mourvèdre- not a trace of oxidation. The purity of the fruit, the layered complexities, and the (still) massive tannic backbone mark this wine as one of the glories of the 1990 vintage up and down the entire county.perfect fill, perfect cork. This is feral wine, but would not be embarrassed in the company of any great red produced in …

Drank at The Grill restaurant in NYC. Surprisingly quite youthful! Lots of fruit and firm tannins, the only hint at this wines age for me is the nose. Very good!

Drinking great right now. Cork was nearly jet black

Visitors from Wellington brave the wilds of Luggate (Luggate, New Zealand) : Spectacular showing for this tannic and savoury wine. Essence of Mourvèdre- tree bark, leather, game, animal, raspberry. Extraordinarily tannic (it made the Sangrantino look lightweight in this structural regard), but turning ethereal and transparent with age. This is vin de garde, and will last 50 years ( from vintage) in a cold cellar. Currently, there is not a hint of oxidation, but rather the layered and subtle complexities …

Decanted and poured. The cork was almost black, the wine in the glass a deep, dense red with a tawny edge. Leather, oak bark, pepper, mushrooms, dark chocolate, and some menthol on the nose. This is a deep and multifaceted wine that's drinking like a far younger wine. Paired with a filet and mushrooms, it was delicious and kept developing throughout the meal. If I had another bottle of this, I'd wait at least three years before opening it. Rated …

extremely complex, classic tree bark mouvedre, leather, earth, fresh radish and blackberries. There is also a hint of old wood on the nose which gives a very slight lifted musty note which was not TCA. In the mouth, spectacular balance, amazing savory flavours - leather and tree bark to the fore. Very very tannic - this wine is certainly mature but the tannins should see this refined wine with rustic and textbook mouvedre style continue to age for a couple …

OL w/Marco and Penny (Chablis, Allemand Cornas and Bandol) (Fringale Restaurant, San Francisco, California) : Dark, slightly cloudy, cranberry red color; lovely earth, berry, subtle bramble, tar, charcoal and black fruit nose; tasty, tart plum, mature, truffle, mushroom and mineral palate; medium-plus finish 94+ pts.

Dinner @ Fringale (San Francisco, CA) : This was a very nice example of a mature Bandol. Even more evolved flavors than the 99 Tempier La Migoua served next to it. Liquid tar, earth, pepper, mushrooms and dried raspberries in a silky texture, as the tannins seemed to be perfectly resolved. A round "almost milky" texture appeared with time, which was less than appealing; but this was delicious overall.

Jonathan Dinh's first annual farewell tour (231 Ellsworth Restaurant, San Mateo, California) : Inky color; black fruit and mineral nose; tasty tart black fruit, charcoal and minerals, with structure and good acidity; long finish 95+ pts. (decanted for 2 and a half hours)

Rhone OL focusing on '89 and '90 (Cote Sud, San Francisco, CA) : Dark purplish red violet color; beef jus and plum nose; elegant, black fruit, charcoal and graphite palate; medium-plus finish

Pulled cork a day in advance andthat really brought the fruit forward. In the glass and during the nite the wine blossomed and the rustic tannins at the finish went away. Really the best showing of this I've had and glad I cellared them all these years!

Chateaux Pradeaux Bandol V.V. 1990 - classic rich and ripe mouvedre nose - in the mouth not even close to maturity. Savage tannins and massive structure. This wine will have a long life in front of it, though I feel it will always be a tannic wine and one best enjoyed with food - much like the Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1983. 91+points