Andrew Jefford | Dark, saturated black-red in color, still opaque at the core. Lots of sweet blackcurrant finesse, here: lifted, fresh, and fine. There are cologne spices, too, and a Virginia tobacco charm; fennel; licorice. No throb of warmth, of course, but the complexity and evolution (as well as what is evidently painstaking élevage) is impressive. As a commune, St-Estèphe is generally looking cooler than usual in this vintage, and this wine expresses that clearly; it is lean and incisive, though finely crafted. At this stage, the aromatic finesse outweighs that of the palate, but there is plenty of brisk blackcurrant and raspberry to enjoy, shaped by tentative tannins. Look elsewhere for wealth and warmth, however. | 87

Michael Schuster | A fine gravelly nose, slightly reduced; medium-full wine, fresh to lively in acidity, finely firm in tannin; a moderately rich blackcurrant fruit, long and fine and savory in its slightly 2017 austere style; dry, gravelly, aromatic, with some complexity, and with good, light length. But the acid definition is always clear. I’d give this at least 5–6 years. 2027–35+. | 88