Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Tasted at the château. The grand vin contains the normal proportion of Merlot, which perfectly wraps the core, so pure but also so abstract, of the magical Cabernets. The wine therefore has ideal Lafite balance:power allied to finesse and subtlety of texture. Racy graphite notes are reminiscent of the 1988, but this has more body. 19

Michael Schuster: A dense, spicy, concentrated blackcurrant and mineral essence on the nose; and an ample presence to taste: full, fleshy, so finely tannic; long, ripe, graceful, juicy, but also complex and aristocratic, with lovely sweet length. A very seductive Lafite. 2018–30. 18