Purple ruby. Red cherry, violet, cedar and minerals on the expressive nose. Juicy on entry, then densely packed and vibrant in the middle, with a fine-grained texture to its red fruit and floral flavors. This suave, very persistent wine needs more time in barrel to put on weight and gain in complexity. Its polished but youthfully rigid tannins also call for a few years of cellaring.

Tasted at the UGC. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot, this has a ripe, quite floral, feminine nose with bright black fruits, pencil shaving and a touch of cedar. Very Pauillac, refined and understated. The palate has slightly chewy tannins on the entry, giving way to a more succulent texture with a little aeration: blackcurrant wine gums, cedar, a touch of white pepper, foursquare with graphite on the finish. It could do with a little more depth and length, but I appreciate the balance and poise and I think this will round out during élevage. Tasted March 2010.

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice, bitter chocolate and spicy oak. Sweet, rich and vinous, with harmonious acidity giving shape and grip to the fine-grained flavors of dark berries, cedar, smoke and leather. Good structure and energy here. This firmly built wine spreads out nicely on the lingering aftertaste. A big success for this property.

Tasted blind. Warm tea on the nose. Sweet start and then a bit tough and dry and chewy. Not enough fruit weight in the middle. (JR)

[70CS/30M] Very ripe fruit on the nose; a rich middleweight with a firmly present tannin and the year's fresh acidity; a fine plump fruit core, warm, fresh, lively and very nicely defined; moderately complex, even, fine, gravelly and with excellent black fruit length. A slight Pauillac 'sinew', but a very nice Haut Bages. 2017-25+