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Very good ruby-red. Spicy, expressive aromas of currant, leather and milk chocolate, plus a suggestion of stewed fruit. Sweet, lush and superripe in the mouth; the faint pruney quality repeats on the palate. Tannins are a bit tough. A whiff of damp earth on the finish detracts from the wine freshness.

The 1996 Beychevelle was served from double magnum at the property. The nose is fully mature with touches of mushroom, leather and sous-bois, though not quite as complex as say the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, though it is not as refined or as nuanced as its peers. This is from a period where I think that Beychevelle was not firing on all cylinders and I have been scathing with my reviews in the past. Even here it lags behind its peers, something that I feel has been rectified in recent vintages by Philippe Blanc and his team. Tasted July 2016.