Medium ruby-red colour with some amber at the rim. The nose is wide and a little spicy and gamey with an undertow of spiced plummy red fruit. The palate is quite silky with plenty of of width and still some relatively silky tannin. The acidity is not absolutely seamless, but the wine has a good character.

Medium-plus colour right to the rim. The nose is a really interesting and characterful mix of chalk and chocolate, wide dark fruit and fainter floral elements – super. Smooth and rather linear in the mouth, but you are borne the dark-fruit finish on fine acidity. It lingers very well but the interest is today only on the nose and finish – maybe a few years will pad-out the palate too.

Medium, medium-plus colour – amber at the rim. The nose is like a junior version of the 1995 with a little added earth. The flavours are at quite a good level and the length is also rather fine. Medium-bodied, quite silky and totally open for business.

Deeply coloured. Mineral, crystallised dark fruit on the nose. Very fine texture, minerality and lovely acidity – the length is a match too. It’s tight and muscled and I reckon needs 5-8 years more in the cellar. I was smitten for the first 30 minutes, afterwards the nose was occasionally a little pruney – I ended up undecided.

Medium-plus colour. The nose is wide, mineral and earth inflected with a fainter undertow of fruit. Flavour-packed and exciting, super Mazis character and energy – the most impressive wine in this respect – so it’s a shame it’s not a little longer, though the fine acidity leaves your mouth watering for more.

Medium, medium-plus colour. High tones over a creamy base – slowly evolves cream before finally a little ripe fruit peaks through. A quiet entry builds in the mouth. Round and with (for the first time) creamy fruit. This has super length and still some tannin to resolve – a little plump, but excellent.

On opening, the cork and head-space was a 10 out of 10 textbook example of ‘corked’, so much so that it wasn’t poured until later, when surprise, surprise: Medium ruby. The nose is a mineral but with a savoury depth. More mineral than any of the other wines with an interesting width and still plenty of tannin. The creamy finish lingers well, though stylistically very different to the other bottles. Vintage or cork makes the difference? – I detected no cork…

Medium, medium-plus colour with amber at the rim. A slightly smoky element to add to the earth but a dense core of beautiful fruit is ascendant – a treat. The palate is slightly ‘confiture’, plenty of apparent concentration widening on the palate before narrowing into the finish which has a lingering fruit note borne on the acidity. Fresh and very lovely.

Medium, medium-plus colour but more mahogany than ruby. Wide and deep aromatics that are initially fruitless, more earthy. This is more structured than the 85 but smooth acidity is the hallmark that rescues the wine. The tannins still have a light ‘grab’ in the finish. Clearly not the most sophisticated, but very enjoyable.