Alison Buchanan: Slightly odd ribena–esque nose – refreshing, though, and a very pretty colour – shimmering gold. The nose is slightly restrained with vague apple character – rather bizarre given the climatic conditions – whilst the palate is rich, full, creamy and ripe with a very attractive stone fruit lift, soft and supple. There is a lingering, slightly haunting, honeyed intrigue that may deliver something rather special mid–term – just slightly diffuse at the time of tasting. 16

Alex Hunt: Quite lively ultra–ripe Sauvignon aromas: melon and mineral. Taut and compact; well–controlled for the vintage. Fairly long, cohesive finish. 15

Andrew Jefford: Full gold. Tangily ripe fruits; almost butterscotchy. None of the wonderful aromatic finesse of wine 44 (2003 Gitton Père et Fils Les Romains). Simple and obvious. What a huge contrast with 44, underlining the fact that the vintage is very much just raw material, and the winemaker’s skill with that raw material is the gate to the sublime or the banal. 10