Stephen Brook: Opaque red. Lush, resplendent, blackberry nose, marrying sweetness of fruit with sweetness of oak; a whiff of cigar box, too. Rich and sensuous, with a creamy texture, but the suppleness is backed by firm tannins. It’s concentrated, spicy, with excellent acidity and persistence. Clearly very youthful and needs some years of cellaring. I admire this seamless quality; it seems very complete, with all elements in place if not yet in harmony. Exceptional length. 18

Andrew Jefford: Saturated purple-black, still deeply opaque. Surprisingly soft and sweet-fruited: plum jam; indeed, almost tropical fruits. Attractive, but no sense of hidden aromatic resource. On the palate, by contrast, there is a kind of stewiness: inky and earthy. Very concentrated, serious, and grand, but will it unfold into grace and unction with the years? From this vintage, I’m not sure; it seems overly kinky, by contrast with the cool honesty and directness of the Haut-Bailly approach. Ambitiously striding between jam and stew, this seems a slightly overwrought wine for a vintage where lightness of touch was needed once the ripeness had been won. 16