Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: A well-balanced and elegant wine, cleverly adapted for the modern palate and particularly the everyday consumer. Notes of cedar characteristic of this superb terroir combine with the impeccable tannins of a classically crafted Médoc and very pure, classy wood (courtesy of in-house coopers). But whether you could call this the ultimate expression of the terroir and the vintage remains debatable. 16.5

Michael Schuster: Pure, minerally Cabernet Sauvignon to smell; very nicely balanced, fresh, rich finely tannic middleweight; ripe Cabernet to taste, with a touch of Pauillac sinew; long, complex, gravelly, and with a fine, long aromatic finish. Satisfying, wonderfully natural, benchmark claret. 2018–30. 16.5/17