Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: A real winner: bags of class and complexity, with a dreamy texture and impeccably judged tannins. The Cabernet Franc (known locally as Les Bouchets) adds a crispness that serves as the perfect foil for the opulence and strength of the Merlot. 18.5

Michael Schuster: Deep purple; dense, ripe, blackberry fruit and new oak vanilla nose; middleweight wine with a lovely balance of freshness to richness and a very fine tannin; discreet, scented flavor, gently minerally, subtly complex, sweet-fruited within the lightly oak dry tannin, and with fine, scented length. A touch of Cabernet austerity here, but very nice—again that ’08 scent… 2016–26+. 16/16.5