2006 Le Pin

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Le Pin seems to have evolved quite far on the nose, though it remains very sensual with scents of kirsch, rose petals, liquorice and mint. There is a warmth to these aromatics that leave you feeling a bit giddy. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit, underlying sage and cedar scents surfacing towards the finish. I am not totally convinced this is a long-term Le Pin, but it has wonderful precision and such charm that you almost don't care about the price tag. It's a lovely, almost sexy Pomerol, although I feel that it does not quite match the potential it demonstrated in barrel. Tasted January 2016. May 2016, www.robertparker.com

Mid crimson with a hint of development at the rim. Some rather too obvious oak notes on the nose. Lots of ripe fruit and a bit of agreeable black cherry. But pretty tart and taut on the very end. Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com

Exotic, as it often can be, with super-ripe mulberry and black cherry fruit to the point of near-kirsch liqueur, with notes of licorice, truffle, and forest floor, this is a full-bodied, concentrated wine with a slight tannic bite to the finish. There is good freshness, depth, and power, and despite the flamboyant aromatics, this wine needs a good 3-5 years of cellaring and should keep for 15 or more years. Wine Advocate.February, 2009