Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red in color, and black-and-scarlet out toward the rim. A deep, brooding, meditative, and subdued but hugely promising aroma: all it needs is time. Everything is in there: fresh, pristine plums; meats; soils and stones. But it’s all very sewn-up for the time being so if you’re going to broach this wine at any time prior to 2026, make sure you give it four or five hours in the decanter. Resonantly promising. Even 20 minutes in the glass makes a difference, with some fleshy opening. Very deep-fruited and concentrated on the palate, with a lovely turning ball of plum and damson flesh. Poised, long, weighty, luscious yet finally fresh, too: complete. The tannins, in fact, are rather fine-grained and there is plenty of rounded acidity to point up the fruits. There is a stoniness, too, though it is covered by the fruit purity at present. It has an overall fruited richness which will surely turn truffley with time, though we aren’t there yet. Very good indeed. | 96

Michael Schuster | Sweetly ripe, lightly mineral, gently plummy to smell; full-bodied, fresh, finely tannic; deep and sweet to taste, refined and fruit-fragrant, fleshy and satisfying within its fine tannin frame, with a nice complexity of flavor and good length to follow. Very satisfying, benchmark Pomerol with such a crisply attractive juiciness! Could drink with pleasure already, but will improve. 2026–40+. | 93