Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Rather more reduced on the nose (and therefore simpler) than the Pontet-Canet or even the Lynch-Moussas. But what it lacks in body and texture it more than makes up for with tauter tannins, which are rather more St-Estèphe than Pauillac in character. A powerful wine with all the flesh expected of this growth, but no longer the only good wine in its class! 16.5

Margaret Rand: Tannic, with a very good finish – spicy, vigorous and long. It lacks a bit of weight in the mid-palate at the moment, but time might well sort that out. 17

Michael Schuster: Dense, ripe fruit, subtle gravel and oak on the nose. Rich, fresh, full-bodied wine, with a fine, firm tannin. Long, ripe, refined Cabernet and mineral flavour, quite complex, typically fleshy, generous, satisfying and very good. Better than its (still) disappointing 2003, this is Lynch-Bages on form again. 16/16.5