Simon Field | Deep as the wine dark sea, fluorescent in its swell, and then elegant full-masted aromas of dark chocolate, balsam, and unavoidable decadence. The palate is a hymn to the virtues of the so-called cépages améliorateurs—ripe succulent fruit, mainly of the darker geni, but with complexity added by woodsmoke, licorice, and even a hint of seaweed. Oaky and rich, powerful and self-confident. Tightly wound tannins, a rococo masterpiece, with lots more to give. | 93

Andrew Jefford | Saturated, dense black-red in color: a midnight hue. Ripe, rich black-fruit aromas (ripe damson, plum, and bramble fruits) with a jam-pot bubble and sweetness, yet also a perfumed floral youthful freshness; a leather-strap savory quality, too. Not overripe for me, though; just an amply sweet, hedonistic appeal. No exaggerated oak, and huge exuberance and charm. Deep, dense, searching, and dramatic on the palate: wow! Truly a mouthful. But for me, this is magnificently generous Languedoc wine built for the long haul, with sumptuous (and aromatically complex) black fruits, modest but well-judged ripe acidity; magnificent tannins; and superb length and depth. There’s an authority, a spine, and a seriousness here that can only come from a site that has something special to offer—a total contrast, in other words, to an oak-sweetened fruit-first blockbuster. Chapeau! 2019–32. | 96

Jancis Robinson | Dark, dense purplish crimson. Savory, treacly nose with great intensity. Just slightly overextracted unfortunately. Too tannic. I think the fruit had the potential to make great wine, and a gentler hand on the tiller would have yielded something very special. The nose is promising in its concentration, but I suspect the wine will always be dogged by dryness. A frustrating wine that is certainly very ambitious and may well come right in the end. This may well be a famous wine. Serve with chewy food. 2021–26. | 88