Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: A wine that always gives us the slip when sampled young in a blind tasting. So discreet as to seem diluted. It would be nice to know why this wine also starts out on such a neutral, timid note. The score we gave it is irrelevant since it bears no relation to what the wine will be in 10 years. NS

Margaret Rand: Rich, concentrated damson fruit, supple and very ripe, and a cashmere and silk texture. Juicy, dense and fascinating. 19.5

Michael Schuster: Dense, ripe, and very minerally nose (black cherry and violets). Beautifully balanced, rich, middleweight wine – fleshy, elegant, creamy textured, with a very fine, firm tannin and a fresh defining acidity; a sweetly ripe core of fruit, very long to develop across the palate and with a quite lovely perfume. An effortless combination of the juice of very ripe grapes and the mineral elements of the soil – followed by splendid length. Great, classic VCC. 17.5+