A more unfussy than slick wine, less sumptuous than some as is often the case with this estate, but as you sit with it you start to realise there’s real quality here. It has a juiciness and integrity to the cassis and bilberry fruit, alongside brambles and hedgerows, with chewy tannins that build slowly through the palate providing a welcoming cushion of support. A good yield of 45hl/ha despite current conversions to biodynamics because Pauillac was hit later by mildew than the Villars-Lurton estates in Margaux. Certification expected in 2020. 40% new oak used. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040. 92 points

In conversion to biodynamic. Barrel sample. Black core with purple rim. Intense cassis aroma with a hint of dark chocolate. It seems rather woody on the palate, as if the oak is intruding here. Thick tannins and a pretty tough woody finish. Disappointing, especially on the palate – is it a particularly oaky sample? Here I found it impossible to tell how long this wine will age well. 15 points