Serena Sutcliffe: An enormous vintage of 52hl/ha; the Merlots, particularly, were very fine. This was a lovely wine, obviously now mature, but completely infused with spices. As this rolled over the palate, I remembered that Cheval Blanc’s great maître de chai of the past, Gaston Vaissière, used to employ this exact term for his beloved wine, so my note must have been suppressed auto-suggestion!