100-year-old vines! Just 537 sq m. 100% whole bunch. 100% new oak. Aged in a 205-litre cask (even smaller in 2011 and 2012) made especially for him each year thanks to Francois Frères’ computer which even cuts the wood. Blackish crimson. He gets going with the pipette (always takes samples from two casks and blends them in a small goldfish bowl) to ensure no reductive element. Something quite different and heady. Great concentration of meatiness and majesty. Some high-toned mintiness. Much more expressive on the nose than the palate which is all mass and surliness at the moment. Just a great future wine with life but total introspection at the moment, though you certainly don’t need to take anything on trust. You can see all the ingredients here. Almost raw but not quite. (JR)