(Magnum) Medium-plus colour and actually a faint shade darker than the 2005 if not quite the same level of purple reflections. The nose starts with mild 2004-specific aromas, but they build, eventually masking what is only a suggestion of concentrated fruit. This starts with enought dissolved gas to make it hard to judge – swirling reduces the problem, leaving you with a similar licorice/olive impression in the mid-palate and into the finish. There is also the 2004 flavour to martch the aromas. Impossible for me to love this.

(Magnum) Medium-plus colour to the same depth as the 2005, though with a more yellowing rim. Dark, muscular aromas are augmented with spice and licorice – becomes quite comforting and enveloping – riper but very similar to the 2005. Riper in the mouth too, but balanced. The dark fruit is still in the ascendent, but I see some red here too, also, for the first time, we have some obvious tannin structure, but the grain is fine. It is a big and quite mineral mouthful with dark, spicy and slightly saline quality of many in this series.

Medium-plus colour but a little younger looking than the 2003. The nose starts rather tight, only a few – though fine – higher tones. It’s wide and mouth-filling with a very nice impression to the slightly redder ripe fruit. Only from the mid-palate onwards comes the more typically mineral and spicy impression of previous wines. Still a bitter chocolate finish. The nose by now has added a small coffee-inflected dimension above a resonant red fruit note.

(Magnum) A medium-plus colour – slightly more mature looking. The nose is back to the 2005/2003 archetype; wide, spicy, mineral, white pepper and just maybe a hint of violets. Again this is a mouth-filler and like 2005/2003 shows the dark, mineral and slightly saline character. Super length again and at this age it has lost all trace of bitterness in the first-class finish. After a while there’s a slightly disconcerting coconut aroma, but a quick swirl dissipates it. A super bottle.