disgorged spring 1999. a little thirsty so didn't really mull over this. perfect way to kick things off.

opened, decanted and served immediately. glorious perfume of tobacco and black fruits. light, elegant, almost feminine. can't really ask for a better wine as the first red of the evening.

opened, decanted and served within 10 minutes. incredible how well this stood next to the 61. still vibrant with excellent structure. not as perfumed and expressive but not a pushover either. perhaps started to fade a little after an hour, but what a revelation!

decanted for an hour. lots of funk, madeira and stewed fruits to start. nothing like my past experience with this wine, and certainly vastly different from the 61 and 73. got better in the glass but still no traces of st julien or even bordeaux! quite drinkable if you imagined it's a spanish or italian wine - i actually thought it was a vega!

another 73 revelation. decanted for half an hour (but probably should have just popped and poured). sensational first whiff. sweet, floral, gamey, light spice. stupendous stuff. in the glass it almost became burgundian-like with its mix of floral perfume, light colour and slightly acidic finish. incredible.

decanted for 2 hours. perfectly poised and balanced. wonderful structure. youthful and fresh. great wine.

decanted for 2 hours. still incredibly tight and young. some asian spice and mint, but a little too masculine for me.

decanted for an hour. completes the trio of 73 surprises tonight. who would have thought this could stand a chance against the 89 side by side? but it more than held its ground. in fact, for current drinking i might even pick this ahead of the 89! velvety, exotic, open and expressive.

decanted for 2.5hrs but still a little closed. rich and voluptuous but aromatically not as explosive as it should (or could) be. really sweet and ripe, almost a little grenache-like. definitely evolved for the better through the evening becoming more exotic and less alcoholic, but i'd stack this away for a few more years.

lovely end to a wonderful evening of great juice.