A blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, with 16% pressed wine and coming in at 13.9% alcohol, the Fugue de Nenin has a surprisingly reticent nose with crisp red-berried fruits, a touch of sandalwood and bell pepper, unfurling a little with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, slightly digestif tannins (that remind me of Tertre-Roteboeuf.) Soft and supple on the finish with cooked meats on the aftertaste. Fine. Tasted April 2010.

(a blend of 81% merlot and 19% cabernet franc; 13.9% alcohol; 20% new oak) Medium-dark ruby. Pure, vibrant aromas and flavors of blackcurrant, blackberry syrup and smoky plum. Fresh on entry, then juicy, clean and nicely balanced, finishing long and satisfying, with high-quality tannins. The best-ever Fugue I can recall, and a wine that should provide plenty of early drinking appeal.

The Fugue de Nenin is a delicious, soft, finesse-styled Pomerol with elegant mulberry, plum, cherry fruit. Dark ruby, with a hint of spring flowers, it is best drunk over the next decade.