Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: We tasted this wine at the château – not blind – and were knocked out by the intensity and precision of its personality, forged of a substance and tannic foundation to rival a first growth. Its usual cedar and tobacco dimension is emphasised by the very high proportion of Cabernet (almost 90%), which gives it an almost Lafite-like quality – this wine is, if anything, even more energetic. The Clos du Marquis at this stage, powerful and fleshy though it was, was not as well defined in terms of body and flavour. 18.5

Margaret Rand: A dense, concentrated, ripe wine, chunky and powerful, balanced and with a huge finish. The flavour is all roasted spice, prunes and damsons – very rich and tight. 19.5

Michael Schuster: Blackberry and mineral ripeness, a persistent, dense fruit behind the terroir character. Rich, generous, ample wine with a fresh acidity and very fine tannin. Very long to taste, a beautifully harmonious mezzo forte expression of the terroir: sweet yet fresh ripe Cabernet, clear, refined minerality; prolonged, complex and graceful development across the palate, with a lovely persistence of fresh fruit and gravel aromas. Complete, aristocratic, grand-scale St-Julien; absolutely without excess this year. Glorious claret – a great Las-Cases in a classically elegant, restrained mould. 17.5