Michael Schuster: Deep purple; very strange nose for claret: a ripe, raisiny, slightly medicinal combination of Port and the bitter almond of Amarone di Valpolicella, along with slightly herbal characteristics; fresh, concentrated medium-weight with a very dry tannin and an alcohol 'hot' aspect; ripe, mineral-backed fruit, pure, complex and refined, if faintly raisiny; excellent length, but spirty. The issue here is not whether this is this good wine - it is, and indeed the class of the vineyard shows - but whether it is good claret, good Premier Grand Cru Classe St-Emilion? If it is, then most of the top properties in St-Emilion are out of step. NS

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: A monumental wine once again, with fabulous body and plump tannins. Almost flamboyantly ripe grapes make this a wine rich in alcohol but suave and irresistibly persistent, sure to win over even the most hardened ascetic. One of the samples seemed more tired than the others, setting off a dispute between English and American wine critics that raised a number of eyebrows in wine circles. 18