Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Deep colour and a spicy nose, with smoky, cedary notes. Robust and well balanced, but showing less complexity and density on the palate than the Lagrange. 16

Margaret Rand: Vivid fruit and lots of spice, with a long finish. It’s slightly closed in the middle now but seems to have everything it takes. 17

Michael Schuster: Ripe Cabernet to smell, with an almost grapey quality. Concentrated medium-full wine with firm tannin; a ripe, seductively fleshy, blackcurrant core, gently gravelly, with some complexity and good length. The fleshiness hides the fairly long-term tannins – but this is good, solid St-Julien. 15.5+