Andrew Jefford | Dark, opaque black-red. Warm, rounded, and oak-informed, though the friendly affability of the plum fruits still has the upper hand; some milk chocolate, too. Deep and sweet on the palate, with very low acidity and slightly drying tannins. It’s less evidently oaky than Virginie de Valandraud and built on a core of more compelling fruit, but the ripeness and oak-handling in both has slightly occluded intrinsic vitality this year. | 87

Michael Schuster | Warm, ripely fruited nose; ample, generous, light to moderate in tannin; easy, juicy, attractive lesser St-Emilion, with nice, light length. Accessible early, with the sunny side of this vintage much to the fore. Now to 2028. | 88