You have to march back three decades to find the origin of this über-classic, Cabernet-driven Left Bank. If you enjoy savory, elegant, terroir-infused Bordeaux, this cellar-direct antique will deliver in spades. Coming from the acclaimed 1990 vintage, this 31-year-old Grand Vin evolved for 20 months in mostly new French barrels and spent the overwhelming majority of its life in Bel-Air Lagrave's cellar. To ensure the best quality, each bottle was quality checked, topped off, and re-corked right before shipping. 

Although the reconditioning of each bottle removed a good portion of the sediment, we still recommend a quick double decant (gently pour into a decanter, rinse the bottle, pour back into the bottle) before serving in large Bordeaux stems around 60 degrees. For us, the wine didn’t require much time to open up: Within 10 minutes, it was singing an incredibly savory tune of dried plum, black raspberry, dried cherries, blackcurrant, pipe tobacco, dusty gravel, bell pepper, damp herbs, pencil lead, myriad baking spices, and vintage leather. The palate offers a savory, medium-bodied Bordeaux that is impressively vibrant for its age; there’s still substantial structure and acidity here! Although it’s ready to drink today, I still see several more years of positive evolution. Overall, it's a definitively classic Left Bank that will greatly appeal to those unafraid of earth-driven Bordeaux bursting with secondary flavors. Cheers.