Michael Schuster: Dense, fat, rich, and soft—you smell the flesh and the weight even before tasting, but there is a clear gravel element as well; supremely elegant immediate impression—concentration, fresh definition, very fine-grained tannins, great tenacity of flavor; ripe fruit impressions dominate, with a slightly bitter, black, tarry character; very mouth-coating, very long to finish. A powerful presence of generosity, amplitude, power, alcoholic weight, grand-scale completeness—along with a touch of hot-climate warmth. Very impressive, slightly exhausting! 2022–40+. 18.5/19

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Sumptuously full, substantial body but with the signature tannins that are always perfectly polite, with seductive fruit and a wonderful generosity on the palate that makes it even more open and appealing than Haut-Brion. 18.5