Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Also tasted at the château. Great colour and texture, voluptuous but precise, with classy aromas of cedar and great persistence. There’s a tad more body than the Calon-Ségur but not quite the same finesse. A future vintage classic. 18

Margaret Rand: Very good, finely grained tannins and very ripe, pure fruit. It’s big and intense as well as being classic in structure and elegantly balanced. 19

Michael Schuster: Black red. High toast, wood-dominated nose. Medium-full, moderately concentrated, very drily tannic. My sample, at the château, was so dominated by dry wood tannins that it was impossible to judge the wine properly. On this showing, not a top Cos, but others have been more positive… 15.5/16?