Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red, and still opaque at the core. Grand refinement here, and gravelly finesse; a super warmth, too. Old Master plums, plucked from a Dutch still life: the fragrance of the fruit has that kind of mellow, sweet patina to it. (Already.) Yet the vintage has left redcurrant zest and raspberry briskness in there, too: It all seems to flutter and billow like the flag on the label. Another big surprise from Pomerol. Deep, textured, vivid, and long, yet soft, too, with bright, glowing, satisfying, glowing fruits—only Pomerol seems to have managed to glow in this way in 2017. The concentration is impressive, yet it is wholly accessible here, neither forbidding in youth nor likely to grow prematurely gaunt with age. An exciting Fleur-Pétrus, yet typical of the property, too, in its grace, accessibility, tenderness, and scrutability. | 95

Michael Schuster | Ripe black fruit and subtle mineral on the nose; full, fresh in acidity, finely firm in tannin. A gently chewy texture framing a fine, fragrant, mouth-coating fruit of both subtlety and length, long across the palate, racy and complex and persistent. Beautiful, elegant, long-term, graceful Pomerol. There is so much to enjoy here that you could relish it early, with a bit of “grip” but it will surely blossom and become “finer” with time. 2030–40+. | 93