Last of the case. Medium to full straw. Quite viscous. A touch of wet wool and lanolin. Semillon texture and flavour profile. Fills and puts on weight with air. Very decent for what it is. ***1/2

If not tip-top, a very good bottle of this after some variable experiences. Deep ruby. Dense cassis on the nose. A little richer and more rounded than the 90. Nicely rich with a good line. A touch of sandlewood. Really lovely. My no.2 of the night. *****

A step up on a previous bottle, but still a little four square cf the 89. Similar colour.similar blackcurrant nose with a slightly dusty top note. Velvety with slightly furry tannins. Classic, archetypal Pauillac. Very good but just lacks some flair if one’s being critical. ****

Beautiful sanguine ruby, slightly prunes element to the nose. A touch maderised? A little pinched on the palate too. Something not quite right here. Maybe low level TCA rather than oxidised? Stripped anyway. Shame, as this can be an absolute beauty. On this showing *** / 88

Similar colour to the 89. Nicely classical nose. Really lovely, rich and smooth. Silky to the LB’s velvet. Blackcurrant but with a nicely cool structure coming through. Just lovely. my WOTN. *****

Smooth, rounded. Classic tobacco, cigar box and warm gravel. Rounded, a little more weight than I remember from previous bottles with just a touch of heat.****

Smooth, rounded, cool fruited, nicely dense. A little darker and denser than the 89, but also a little more composed and assured. Cool elegance. A really good showing as I normally prefer the 89.****1/2

Quite a showing. Nicely cool, classical nose. More weight and padding on the palate. Sweeter fruited. Classic cassis and cedar. A touch four square cf the Talbot. ****

Consistent with a bottle five years ago. Classic claret. Lovely line. More elegant and complex than the Phelan. Nicely mature, just a lovely drink now. The right balance of maturity, vitality and sheer drinkability. ****1/2