Stephen Brook | Mild apricot and apple nose, pleasing fruit but subdued and doesn’t exactly leap from the glass. Juicy attack, a touch broad but full of fruit. A touch too ripe for my personal taste, but many will enjoy this more opulent style. There is underlying acidity, but it does lack some drive. Seems a tad evolved for a young vintage. | 88

Andrew Jefford | Bright silver-gold. Pure fruits, but a little reductive smokiness, too, so for me this is a terres blanches wine that one might almost guess (if you were thinking in the traditional way) was from flint; though it may in fact be a varietal phenomenon (see introduction). In fact, this clears with five minutes in the glass, so we’ll assign it to typical reduction; sound though discreet aromatically once it’s gone. On the palate, this is quite a sinewy, limey wine, with less leafiness and less “stone” than many of its peers. Ample wealth and concentration, though; very sound. | 88

Stephan Reinhardt | This Monts Damnés opens intensely on the nose, with fresh oak aromas and a concentrated fruit. Powerful on the palate, this is a concentrated and rich yet well-structured Sancerre, with a long and lemon-fresh finish. Needs time, though. | 90