16 base. Pale to mid straw. Nicely rounded and quite full on the nose. A touch of crème pat. Fresher on the attack, quite crisp and fresh with good cut and without being overly shrill, but with a little air this does start to feel as if it could do with a splash more dosage. A touch of sherbert here. Interesting, but not sure about ageability. ***1/2

Dense, slightly cloudy ruby. Cabernet and mint nose, tending towards menthol though curiously this seems to lift completely after a couple of minutes. Similar to the 02 on the palate, just a little granier. Some mocha with air. Fresher with good acidity. **** Becomes a little soupy/diffuse after a couple of hours.

Slightly paler ruby, also quite cloudy. Darker and more mulberry fruited nose without the mint. Plush, smooth, finely velvety. Some Cab Franc complexity here. A little lighter than the 2000 and a bit thinner. Ginger after a while. The most ready, and holds its own nicely with air. ***1/2

Bright clear mid ruby. Lush and plush nose, mulberry fruit with a splash of cream. Cool fruit. Dense and quite savoury profile. Tannins and fine but very persistent. A touch of mocha. Nicely rich but balanced. Maybe ever so slightly,dry at the end, becoming muddier with air. ****/92, softening to ****/91

Slightly cloudy mid ruby. Again, mulberry fruit but less of a creamy note though it’s still there. A bit more savoury. Similar fine grip but a little more rounded, but also a little drier. More spice cf the 05’s cream. A cool finish. Nice line and shape here. ****

Creamy mulberry nose. Quite bright and clear. Nicely fresh with mid red fruit and a nice line. Bright with some energy. Just a slight sense of heat coming through on the finish that wasn’t there when opened six hours previously. On reflection is more VA than heat. Just a little too high toned for comfort. That said, still lots here, but would have been better without the extended airing. ****

Mid to full ruby. Nicely clear and bright. Quite dense. Young but so precise and balanced. A lot of class here. Reminds me of Margaux. Hugely floral. Violets. Dense and very fine. Needs a decade or two, but so balanced it’s a lovely drink now. *****

Mid old gold. Intense rose water nose. Mid weight, good acidity, not particularly sweet but quite harmonious. A slightly metallic edge to the line. Quite fresh. Decent, and I don’t like Gewürztraminer. Some interest here. Lychees coming to the party with some more air. ***1/2