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.

Medium cherry red colour. The nose is dense and tight, still with some oak apparent. Very concentrated palate with good acidity and very refined tannins. Superb length too, but this wine is as tight as a drum – definitely not a wine for drinking now. Will be superb in another 10 years.

Medium ruby with a cherry red colour at the rim. The nose is of red berries and a cedar note which grows with time. Lovely silky texture – more so than the 1999, though not instantly apparent there’s super fruit concentration – it’s just so well balanced with the acidity. Some slightly rasping tannin on the long and creamy finish – not quite as long as the 1999, but this wine is much more forward and drinkable. Lovely.

Two bottles in two months – only one left now. Medium-plus ruby at the core still showing some cherry red at the rim. The nose is understated with red berry fruit and floral elements. Similarly beautiful texture to the 1998 but without the tannic rasp on the finish. Fat with concentrated redcurrant and cherry fruit. Good acidity and refined tannins that only show on the long finish. The double decanting did the trick as this showed in much more exuberant fashion to the last bottle. Lovely now and still a long life ahead.

Medium ruby colour. The nose shows a little more wood than any other wine here, but there’s also a deep, deep fruit compote to fall into. The palate has superbly concentrated red fruit with excellent acidity for balance. Fine tannins and a long finish. This is excellent and a long way from the start of its mature phase – needs at least another 5 years.

Medium-plus ruby colour – the most opaque wine of the whole series. Whilst not as forward as the 1998 the nose has a slightly blacker impression to the fruit. Really concentrated, fat palate. Perfect acidity and fine tannins, though these are perhaps not as fine as in the 1996. This is a very impressive wine which I (just) prefer to the 1996.

Mature looking medium ruby. The nose is wide if not deep with a lovely focused note of raisins and stewing griottes – not cooked though – quite lovely. The palate doesn’t have the depth of many here, but with food has more than enough fat, good acidity and tannins which could still run for a few more years. Yet another example of an excellent ‘off vintage’ wine from this climat. This was a super wine with food.

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.