Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve | Great tannic intensity here, but the wine is still so well-proportioned that it should evolve in the best possible way. | 96–97

Michael Schuster | Slightly spirity in character to smell, sweetly raisiny ripe; full, crisp, firmly and drily tannic, the raisiny character on the nose is also there on the palate, but the wine is very gripped by the wood this year; you can taste the fresh fruit finesse underneath, and the terroir’s fragrance, but it is severely pinched by the wood texture; long across the palate nonetheless, and long to finish, with fine, sweet, aromatic persistence. As usual, the quality is there to taste behind the wood-dry texture. It remains difficult to separate style and quality here; it is not for me, but one has to assume there are plenty of drinkers for whom this is special, as it doesn’t come cheap! The delightful Delphine Rigal, who has welcomed me en primeur for 20 years, suggested a dark chocolate accompaniment. Pehaps that also says something about the style of the wine? 2035–50+. | 93–94