Impressive depth of fruit and character on the nose the minute you give it a whiff. Blackberries, light vanilla, flowers, spices. Full-bodied, with excellent tannins that caress your palate. Best after 2007. 3,830 cases made. -JS

Big, smoky and very ripe fruit. Rich extraction. Plummy for Margaux, and well-extracted. Very good length and structure. Good future - still quite tannic.

Once the sole claim to fame of this estate was that it was the smallest, as well as one of the most obscure, of the classed growths. Now, its fame come from the quality of its wines. Winemaker Claire Villars-Lurton has crafted a wine that is dark and brooding, with big, powerful, intense fruit, dark flavors and solid tannins. Bordeaux in style, but has a great, polished, ripe feel too.