Andrew Jefford | Saturated dark, dense, black-red. Warm, earthy scents: the first dig of spring. Plus a little boot polish. Less classical than some, but fun. Lots of ripeness here for the vintage, and I can’t say that’s unwelcome: a mouthful of swimmy plum. Soft tannins and a savory finish. Better concentration than Potensac, the wine it followed in the tasting. I still don’t see it as a stayer, but it will provide much pleasure in the short term if not graspingly priced. I’m giving it the same score as Sociando-Mallet, but note that the latter is a much more “classical” wine. 2018–22. | 88

Michael Schuster | Ripe, gently plummy fruit on the nose; full, supple, lightly tannic; quite fleshy for the origin, ripe and, like the nose, gently plummy in flavor; generous, modest in complexity, but with good light length, and a generally “satisfying” character. Now to 2028. | 88