Medium ruby with some colour development towards the rim. Understated, almost closed nose – just a little red fruit. Lovely weight to the concentration – vying with 1995 here. Just a little more acidity and very fine and smooth tannins. Still far too young. I think this just gets the nod over the 1995 – but it’s a close call!

Medium ruby with amber towards the rim. Again an understated red fruit nose with a little coffee and cedar. Absolutely nothing understated once the glass touches your lips, big red cherry fruit assaults the palate – after the exceptional 1993 the flavours are perhaps a little diffuse. There’s almost good acidity and medium, slightly grainy tannin. Neither the fat nor the extra length of many here, but drinking now, and supremely elegant. Probably the best 1992 I’ve tasted and no rush to drink up.

The colour is a little more developed than the 1993. Deep nose of more roasted red fruits. The fruit comes through as roasted on the palate too. Fine concentration and fat allied to very good acidity and lovely, still drying tannins. Again a wine that is still very young. Nice if you have it!

Medium cherry red. The nose is sweet with warm red fruits – one of the rare wines in this line-up to show griottes! Rich and fat this wine shows beautiful red fruit, lovely acidity and medium, relatively refined tannin. A finish which I would describe as long in most line-ups, but merely average in this company. Whilst very primary, there is a drinkability about the wine which makes it ‘moreish’ today, but my remaining two bottles will have to wait at least until their 10th birthdays for the next viewing.

A wine that I certainly enjoyed, decadent and voluptuous, but perhaps a little over-ripe and at this stage not really showing as Griotte. A deep core of ruby red, fading, but barely to the rim. The nose starts nicely rounded with high flowery notes at the top, reasonable fruity depth and some complexity providing the width – the depth improves with more time in the glass giving raspberry and a slightly meaty note, slowly starts to show some Griotte character. Gorgeous soft texture, super sweet fruit – perhaps too sweet – and completely buried tannins. A long, long finish with just a hint of bitterness 2 minutes(!) into the finish – but this is transient. Personally I find this wine a bit too 1990 and not enough Griotte – I’d rather have 1993, 1995, 1996 or 1999 in the cellar – but wouldn’t be too unhappy if I had some of this 🙂