Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: Splendid raspberry nose with nuances of aniseed, licorice, and cedar; velvety texture, lovely vinosity, and refined tannins. Not quite such precise definition at this stage as the two Léovilles, but overall as promising. 17.5

Michael Schuster: Fresh, ripe fruit and minerals to smell; fresh, firm, elegant, middleweight claret with a sweet Cabernet fruit, clear gravel aromas, a long, sapid, tight-knit flavor, and good, gentle aromatic length. In the firmer style of the vintage, so needing a good decade in bottle I would think; but this will make a fine, mature St-Julien. 2018–30+. 16/16.5