Tasted blind at Farr Vintners horizontal, the 2006 Le Petit Mouton was a bit of a revelation. It displays more intense red fruit compared to its Pauillac peers with pencil shavings littered over raspberry and strawberry. There is such an infectious sense of joie-de-vivre here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, crisp and tensile with good weight, showing fine elegance with a long, lightly spiced finish that does not seem to go dissipate after a minute. This seems to be blossoming in bottle, though my fear is that many will have already been consumed! Tasted April 2016.

There's some fruit and tobacco, but this is a little earthy and funky. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a tobacco and berry aftertaste. Best after 2011. 7,500 cases made. -JS

A smoky, perfumed wine, dominated by the proportion of Cabernet Franc. There is prominent wood here, particularly in the aromas, but they are challenged by the black currant fruits. The ripe, sweet fruit gives an immediate freshness and juiciness to the finish.——R.V.(3/1/2009)—— 89