Composite score ranking this wine in the top 0.05% of 3.29 million wines globally. Parker described a velvety, even voluptuous mouth-feel.
Château Lascombes 1990
Château Lascombes 1990
A thirty-five-year-old Margaux from one of Bordeaux's legendary vintages. 1990 closed the celebrated 1988–89–90 trilogy: an exceptionally hot spell in late August and early September concentrated a record harvest, and the fruit came in before the October rains. Wines from that year have defined cellars ever since — and properly stored bottles are now genuinely scarce.
Robert Parker found it "rich, medium to full-bodied, with excellent concentration" and a "velvety, even voluptuous mouth-feel", over exotic aromas of tropical fruit, cassis and new oak. Three and a half decades on, it sits at 92 points on Tastingbook — ranked in the top 0.05% of wines worldwide — with a drinking window running to 2035. Mature claret has a quality young wine can't fake: quieter, more haunting, entirely resolved.
Ratings: 92 Tastingbook · #1,670 of 3.29 million wines globally
At the table: Beef is the classic call — a simple roast or a good steak. Decant one hour before serving. Perfect for a milestone birthday, a 1990 baby, or the collector filling a gap.
- Margaux, Bordeaux · 2ème Grand Cru Classé, 1855
- Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon-led with a high proportion of Merlot
- The legendary 1990 vintage — 35 years of bottle age
- Drink: now through 2035 · decant 1 hour
- Only five bottles in stock
Unavailable
Sommelier's Note
The 1990 Château Lascombes belongs at the quiet end of a special dinner — beside Cantonese roast duck, or a properly aged hard cheese. Thirty-five years have carried it fully into tertiary character: dried fruit, cedar, tobacco leaf and sweet earth, with tannins that offer no resistance, only depth. Rated 92 on Tastingbook, ranking in the top 0.05% of wines worldwide. Robert Parker found a velvety, even voluptuous mouth-feel. A drinkable time capsule for milestone birthdays and 1990 babies.
Tasting Notes & Specs
Robert Parker: exotic, orange-scented, with ripe aromas of tropical fruits, cassis and new oak. Rich, medium to full-bodied, excellent concentration, low acidity, velvety even voluptuous mouth-feel. Now showing mature tertiary character.
Vintage1990
Classification2ème Grand Cru Classé, 1855
BodyMedium to full-bodied
TanninsFully Melted, Silky and Delicate
Key AromasDried Red Fruit, Cedar, Tobacco Leaf, and Sweet Earth
Blend & Terroir
Varietal BlendCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
TerroirGravel and limestone of the Margaux commune.
Serving & Care
Serving TemperatureServe slightly cool at 16°C–17°C (61°F–63°F) — old wine dislikes warmth
DecantingStand upright 24 hours before opening; decant gently 30–60 minutes off the sediment.
Drinking WindowAt peak maturity now through 2035. Store horizontally in a dark, temperature-controlled environment — critical at this age.
Ideal Pairings
Beef, Roast beef, Steak.
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About the Brand
The Estate: Château Lascombes is a Margaux Second Growth of the 1855 Classification. The 1990 vintage closed the celebrated 1988–89–90 trilogy — one of the legendary runs in Bordeaux history — and properly stored bottles from this era are now genuinely rare.
Pairs with your table
Cheese & Charcuterie
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Aged Hard Cheeses
The 1990 Château Lascombes belongs at the end of the meal, alongside a properly aged hard cheese. Thirty-five years have brought it fully into tertiary character — dried fruit, cedar and sweet earth — flavours that find real harmony with the nutty richness of an aged cheese. Its tannins, long since softened, offer no resistance, only depth. This is a wine for the reflective final course of a special dinner, not for pouring lightly.
Cantonese Roast Meats
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Char Siew
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Roast Duck
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Sio Bak
The 1990 Château Lascombes is a fitting companion for Cantonese roast meats. Thirty-five years have carried it fully into tertiary character — dried red fruit, cedar, tobacco leaf and sweet earth — flavours that sit comfortably beside the caramelised sugars of char siu and roast duck. Its tannins have long since resolved into silk, so there's nothing to clash with the dish's richness. A rare occasion for a rare bottle: proper roast meats with a proper vintage.
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