Andrew Jefford: Very deep black-red, especially for a 2012; this must have been a special wine for its creator. Warm and resonant in scent, though with fruit and vegetal aromas mingled, and it’s hard to say which has the upper hand. Not exactly classical, but not unattractive either. Dense, concentrated, and ambitious, and a good wine by all the weights and measures, but a little bit stewy and badger-like, without a lot of grace, charm, or lift. You could still have lots of fun with it, and it is holding up well. | 88

Jasper Morris: Red Sancerre in its 8th year and offering possibly the darkest color in the Loire section of the tasting. More a cause for concern than expectation, I suspect. The nose is on the extracted side with a little bit of menthol. For my taste, the fruit is rather stewed and the tannins severe in contrast. | 79

Catherine Petrie: Deep garnet. Despite being from the 2012 vintage, this doesn’t actually feel that much older than the other wines. What is most notable is the high level of oak. It has a resinous character and seems to have arrested the fruit expression. This is clearly made with some ambition, and the oak is impressive, but the tannins have too much of a chewy bite to persuade me they will integrate enough with the fruit. This lacks the delicacy and aromatic lift of others from the region. | 87