($650-$950) Saturated deep red, with a hint of development at the rim. Roasted nose dominated by toffee and tobacco. Wonderfully silky but without quite the exotic ripeness of the '90. Still, this offers uncanny retention of primary fruit. Expands inexorably on the finish and goes on and on. A wonderful bottle that still improving. (The bottle in the blind flight was slightly less impressive: Good full red, with a hint of amber at the rim. Slightly medicinal aromas of red fruits, cedar and tobacco leaf; comes across as distinctly cooler than the '90. Dense but penetrating and still a bit closed in on itself. Less sweet and generous today than the '90, less exotic. But finishes firm and long, with a hint of dryness. I rated this bottle 93(+?).)

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Bright ruby with lots of development at the rim - really quite pale. Only lightly scented. Then very warm and rich on the front palate with a slight lack of focus. A bit smudgy and velvety. The finish is drying out a little. Definitely on the way down. Did it get a bit hot? Or was there a shortage of vat space? Clean minty finish. Fresh - it would be a lovely drink in isolation.... Pleasant without being a standout and certainly not robust.

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During its first 10-12 years of life, this was a perfect wine, but it now seems to be in a stage where the fruit is still present, but the previous exuberance and intensity have faded slightly. There is plenty of amber at the edge, and this medium to full-bodied wine shows notes of menthol, cedar, spice box, plums, and black cherries. Owners of 750 ml bottles should plan on consuming it over the next 4-6 years. Magnums should be less evolved, and merit a score 4 to 6 points higher.

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All in harmony. Deserves its reputation. Dark ruby. Smoke, black truffle, berry and cherry. Full-bodied, velvety and fine.--Bordeaux retrospective.

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