AJ | Dark, dense black-red. Fresh and curranty, enticing, open and scrutable, without the puzzling aromatic enigmas of the Grand Vin. Alongside the Dame de Montrose, moreover, this seems a little more refined. Excellent, truly excellent on the palate: a wonderful core of poised fruit intensity, lyrical and bright, driving, challenging. A grand and ultra-exciting second wine which seems (at this stage) to have a purity and freshness which has slightly eluded the Grand Vin, which is even more concentrated but tastes just a little confit alongside the second wine. I'm going to give them the same scores at this stage but it will be interesting to see how this 'Fasolt and Fafner' evolve! Woo ...Drink Dates: 2024 - 2034. 93
MS | Sweetly, almost headily ripe to smell, a touch of gravel aroma and clay density too; very full, fresh, finely but firmly tannic; a gently powerful second wine, sweetly ripe in core flavour, a touch warm, but quite close grained and long to taste, a bit ‘grippy’ and dry on the finish, from the slightly alcohol hardened /dried tannins. Good, if not exactly an ‘easy’ glass at table, I would think, the alcohol level just distracts somewhat. Not sure this will ever mellow completely. It will doubtless appeal to others more than me. Drink Dates: 2027 - 2040. 90