Stephen Brook: Very deep red, slightly evolved but with no brick tones yet. Lush but discreet nose, with black-cherry and blackcurrant aromas and a whiff of coffee. Very ripe and concentrated, with just a touch of herbaceousness, but this translates into a coolness on the palate rather than a vegetal character. A wine of considerable finesse, this is drinking well now, but there is no rush to drink it, and it still shows some freshness on the long finish. Lovely wine, with a claret-like balance (and claret-like alcohol: 12.5%). 17.5–18