Ooh – deep, ripe fruit, perhaps a hint of cola, actually more than a hint. In the mouth I find this has quite nice acidity, intensity comes in tandem – the flavour is long too for a villages. Clearly the fruit is very ripe and the tannin has a little rasp to the texture – unlike both the 2008 an 2010. Tasty, and certainly I prefer the flavours to the aromas, but overall I’d much rather drink the 2008 today – I expect also in 10 years but I’m happy to have the bottles to allow for that possibility

More density on the nose versus the 2010s – I won’t go as far as to say clumsy by comparison but clearly there is not the same deft focus. Another very silky wine, whose concentration slowly grows into an understated whole. Very good wine and far from the facile impression that some 09s currently present…