Michel Bettane: Good color, complex ripe nose, excellent oak balance; intense, not as refined as some others in matter of texture and taste but with an excellent even if slightly earthy nobility: very Le Gay. 16.5

Thierry Desseauve: Rich color, rich nose, rich mouth: rich wine, indeed. But with style. 17

Michael Schuster: Dense, faintly new-wood-marked ripe fruit on the nose, a touch raisiny; rich and muscular expression of the terroir, a firm tannin around a vivid, concentrated ripe fruit; plenty of matter here, rich and long and complex and savory, all within a very firm frame. Will need 6–8 years to mellow. 2016–30. 17