Rather intriguing bouquet of tapenade, black fruits and earth. Undistinguished on the palate, with good structure but not enough fruit to cover the bones.

This wine was open for business, particularly when compared to the 2000 and 2005. A lovely bouquet of roasted dark fruits, lilly and spicy oak. Medium-bodied, with a lush texture, fine concentration, good depth, and rather heady finish. Is this one for long-term aging, or a desert flower?

A fine effort for the vintage, offering up notes of herb-tinged dark fruits, flower and spicy oak. Medium-bodied and made in an elegant style, but with ripe tannins and a focused finish.

An unevolved purple core, with a promising nose of ripe black fruits, tapenade, black truffle and earth. Medium-bodied, with excellent concentration, good depth and impressive focus. Clearly this is still quite tannic, although the tannins are ripe and (almost!) velvety. Revisit in 2015!

Direct form the Chateau's cellars. Youthful appearance, with a purple-ruby core and turning to ruby at the edge. Notes of ripe dark fruits, fennel, white truffle and cedar. Medium-bodied, with classic structure, impressive focus, good concentration and a complex and well delineated finish. Showed much younger than bottles from my cellar.

Comparable appearance to the '86, but the similarities end there. Rather straightforward bouquet, with notes of ripe red fruits, earth and subtle spice. Medium-bodied and somewhat austere -- due to lack of concentration rather than an abundance of acid or tannin -- with a focused finish.

Direct from Ch. Beycheveille's cellars. Ruby-red core with some amber at the rim. A striking bouquet, offering up intense and complex notes of weedy blackcurrant, cedar, and spice. The fruit is beginning to fade and a bit angular on the palate - the acidity is taking hold - but this certainly exceeded my expectations. No doubt this was better 10 years ago.

A dark ruby core; no amber at the rim. A bit shy on the nose, reluctantly offering up notes of tree bark, black fruits, and spice. Seemed somewhat closed; it did not open up much over the course of the dinner. Medium bodied, with a lush texture; lacking some concentration and a bit short on the finish. Quite nice, but I had expected more from this wine.

Purple ruby core turning to ruby red at the rim. The nose is still quite primary, offering up scents of ripe black fruits, toasted oak and earth. Somewhat full-bodied for Beychevelle, with good concentration, outstanding depth, classic structure and good delineation. Still needs time though; should be better in 5 years.