Andrew Jefford | Deep, dark black-red. Dense, brooding, sweetly meaty; still a little closed, but plenty there. Ample, full, harmonious, serene, and unvulgar: plums and flowers. Give it time. On the palate, this is a rich, close-textured, amply ripe, sensual and dense wine of (once again) brooding aromatic force. The plum-sloe fruits are super-deep, almost down to a kind of smoky-liquid-iron depth that has nothing to do with oak; the ample tannins are very finely milled and ground. Where, you might wonder, is the limestone finesse that the plateau should give you? Well, it’s there, too, in an aromatic note on the palate that is almost floral, almost dried mushroom. It’s a sensual, low-acid wine that is happy with itself, and it’s hard to believe that a wine like this can also come from the same vintage that gave rise to some of the struggles over in St-Estèphe; the ripeness is absolutely uniform and serene here. Gorgeous wine, which just lacks a little great-vintage drive and force and roar but is admirable in every other respect. | 93

Michael Schuster | A fine, fragrant black-fruit-ripe nose; rich, generous, finely tannic, fleshy wine, a very nice balance. Deep, sweetly flavored, complex, gently spicy; long across the palate, always fine behind the quite firm frame. A long, powerful, impressive Clos Fourtet, very persistent to finish, which will need and reward time. 2027–40+. | 93