The wine is quite darkly (medium-plus) coloured – though far from young in shade, most 02s still look younger. The nose starts in that awkward slightly toasty oak way that Fourriers (to my bemusement) often do – they don’t see that much new wood, particularly the toasted type – I think it is reduction that needs to blow off. Less than 5 minutes in the glass and the oaky character is gone, now we have a deep, quite dark impression and a hint of cream gone lactic – it’s a hint so it’s still nice – a slight suggestion of dry forest leaves before a fruit note builds from the core, the fruit becomes ever-more prettier. In the mouth this has a silken texture and a concentration that builds as you head into the mid-palate. Initially I find the acidity not quite seamless – I’ll wait a little, hoping for either my palate or the wine to come together. The almost absent tannin only starts to reveal itself as a late bitter component in the mineral finish. The balance improves with food but I find the mid-palate flavours a little lumpen – smells great though.

Medium ruby-red colour that’s just turning to offer a hint of mahogany at the rim. The nose starts with red fruit but also a dark, reductive undertow that initially makes one (wrongly) think to oak – it takes a little over 90 minutes (without decanting) to disappear. Over time the nose becomes lovely and transparent, just a little powdery and young though. From the start there is sweetness coupled to perfect acidity – it’s relatively narrow at the entry but there’s a tight core of concentration in the mid-palate – this also shows a dark, reductive flavour for as long as the same lasts on the nose. This is about transparency rather than impact and is exactly to the Fourrier ‘template’, if arguably not to the terrior. The finish a good one, if not really remarkable. Very tasty, indeed I would say its balancing of sweetness and acidity make it delicious.

A lovely fine and elegant nose of quite some complexity – red fruits and earth. The palate is long, faintly mineral and very wide in the mid-palate and into the finish. Perhaps a little unruly – let’s say over-exuberant as it finishes but much complexity here too. An impressive and characterful wine.

Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose starts wide and creamy – I though a little lactic too but this was transient – quickly taking on a forward cream coverd red cherry aspect and eventually coffee notes too. Understated, concentrated and tons of mid-palate dimension – many of these wines are one-dimensional in comparision. The fruit is so well done that it completely buries any necessity to discuss acidity or tannin. The creamy finish is understated but very long. Really top-class wine.

Medium ruby-red colour straight to the rim. The nose starts deep and rather oakier than I normally associate with Fourrier, above the oak the vista slowly opens with higher tones and an impression of sweet vanilla. Slowly a core of red fruit starts to develop, but if anything it becomes a little more diffuse. You really need 24 hours to see the oaky veil lifted a little and some weighty depth with floral hints and deeper savoury notes- this should be the final transformation of the oak. The palate is fatter, smoother and sweeter than the Jadot, less direct but equally intense from the mid-palate into the finish. The finish is also a little vanilla influenced and also very slightly bitter – though less-so than the Jadot. In its first hour and despite the extra plushness of the palate I’m leaning toward the more athletic, focused and precise pose of the Jadot. With time the intensity and depth are more apparent than the vanilla.