The colour is similar to that of the Gevrey – mature looking. The nose showing a musky, textured, almost cushioned depth. In the mouth this has a growing intensity and whilst very linear it quietly impresses with its length. There are no fireworks, but they’re not needed – this is very tasty.

I just knew the football would turn out badly after I opened this hideously corked bottle. A 1998 Antipodean shiraz served as a less than adequate replacement, much like the bunch of people who were supposed to be England footballers…

The aromas are wider again and dominated by red fruits. There is plenty of intensity here and a super mineral length too.

Decanted 1 hour before pouring. Only a little more than medium cherry-red colour. The nose starts as a relatively forward blend of red cherries and darker oak-toast and herbal aromas. Time releases a more floral note, suggesting violets. Fresh flavours that also show a dark-oak edge and medium-grained tannin with a little astringency, the mid-palate has a little saline impression. The finish is quite narrow – linear – but very long, giving only a dark mineral/saline oaky impression. Interesting, though missing a certain ’spark’ to make me consider bolstering stocks…

Medium-plus colour. Brooding aromas of dark cherry and cassis that are framed with warm, sweet coffee. Mouth-filling, slightly acid-shy but good texture and fantastic length. There’s a slight bitterness that mingles with the creamy fruit in the mid-palate, tannin is fine with the merest leading-edge of astringency. Really, this a bottle to wallow in rather than intellectualise over, yet the IQ is there if you want to challenge it. Very impressive indeed.

Medium cherry-red colour. High-toned, slightly volatile red fruits over a faintly gunflint and vanilla base. Red fruit that is not so concentrated, but pretty striking. Plenty of oaky flavour and really impressive length, though that’s also a little heavy on the vanilla. Softly textured, this has the intensity of a 1er cru, but it really does have the complexity of a grand cru. It’s a relatively cheap bottling, at that price it’s an easy rebuy nomination.

A very pretty nose, almost a glossy dark-fruit compote. Ripe with very silky texture and darker flavours – really quite complex. The finish is excellent – full-power, then slowly lingering. This is a very good Latricières!

Some reduction with ripe red-fruit aromas – just a little diffuse. Fine tannin that sticks to the mouth, helping prolong the red fruit and savoury finish. I think this is not showing very well…

Deep aromas edged with a little dark oak. Some spritz, linear and perhaps not as fat as some but linear and muscular and shows excellent length.

Deep colour. The nose shows more than a passing resemblance to the Combottes but is more tightly wound – it does take on a more musky and heavy impression with time but never opens out to the level of that wine. Über-concentration, achingly intense in the mid-palate and super-long. Behind is (almost) hidden tannin with just an edge of grain. This is Combottes’ bigger brother, seems less mineral and focused but then that could the masking effect of the extra concentration. Leave the glass still for a while and it fills with toasty oak aromas. Very expensive, but very impressive too.

High toned nose with cherry and quite raw alcohol at the top end and earth at the bottom. The palate shows lots of Gevrey earth, medium density and medium length. Good acidity and tannins, but to my palate not fantastic.