Andrew Jefford | Dark, dense black-red in appearance, with some opacity. Cedary and refined: ultra-claretty claret. A touch more new wood than elsewhere this year, I would guess, but I’m grateful for it as it brings an inner warmth to the cool blackcurrant and blackberry fruits. Impressive concentration, depth, and drive: lots of ambition here. Fine shaping tannins, and ample cedary classicism once again; this will need half a decade to fully unpack its luggage. You can’t evade the vintage, of course, and the fruit is as Gothic in flavor as it is elsewhere, but this has width, as well as verticality, and it will always taste exciting inside a decade. | 91

Michael Schuster | A very nice nose in the 2017 context, rich, ripe, oak-cedary; medium-full, fresh in acidity, finely firm in tannin. This is firm, yes, but with a most attractively juicy core of fruit; the 2017 acidity is in no way obtrusive. This is long and fine and, given time, will be very rewarding. A most satisfying, subtle, long-term St-Pierre. 2028–40+. | 92