My three favorite wines from Margaux are Chateau Margaux, Palmer and Rausan Segla. It has been about three years since I last tasted a very closed 1986 Rausan Segla and in celebration of embarking on a new and exciting career tomorrow I opened the 1990.

The nose is complex and stunning with a mix of black currant, black licorice, roasted plums, violets and charcoal. A real joy to sniff and take in all of the beautiful secondary aromas, which reminds me of 1989 Palmer. A 95 point olfactory experience.

In the mouth the texture is soft with resolved tannins and a light to medium body, typical of a feminine Margaux. I picked up flavors of earth, charcoal and red cherry fruit. For me this wine is more about the bouquet than the taste. I see no reason to cellar this wine any further and would rate the total experience at 93 points.

I hope my bottles of 2000 develop at least as well.