Michael Schuster: Dense, ripe fruit on the nose; raw blackcurrant with a hint of sweet cassis, already; and clear gravel behind. The new oak is almost imperceptible, despite being at 100%. Rich, powerful, tannic wine—well balanced in its rather massive style, with an abundance of rich, sweetly ripe fruit, slightly bitter-cored behind the very firm but very fine tannins; long in flavor, with a marked roasted spiciness and a long, almost peppery length. Despite the alcohol not being that high (for 2009 claret), you—or, rather, I—do notice the alcoholic warmth here all the time, on the attack, across the palate, on the finish. Potent and impressive of its type. Will it mellow? It will surely take a while! 2020–35+. 16.5/17

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Super-ripe, meaty, deeply colored and rich. The oak seems to be all over the place, but experience shows us that it never betrays the substance of the terroir. This is a result of the practice of choosing a barrel sample that will please the largest number of people—something this famous property hardly needs to do. 17.5