Medium garnet colour going brick at the rim. The nose is beginning to showing signs of evolution with aromas of leather, game, warm cassis, dried plums and cloves. Medium to high acidity, medium body and medium to firm, fine tannins support earthy, blackcurrant-preserve fruit. Long finish. Drink now – 2030+

This still broods seriously, with dark plum, currant and blackberry fruit, studded with charcoal, singed tobacco and cedar notes and backed by a serious grip of roasted earth. The gorgeously long finish is driven by old-school tannins, with the smoldering edge going on and on. A brick house of a Margaux, with more charcoal than graphite, more austerity than elegance and more power than refinement.

The 1995 Chateau Margaux is a vintage that I have not tasted for several years. This bottle showed well, even if it was pipped to the post by the 1995 Ducru-Beaucaillou on the night. It has a youthful bouquet with more red fruit than previous bottles, infused with freshly rolled tobacco and pencil box, crushed violet and hints of rose petal. The palate is armed with filigree tannins that frame the pure black fruit, hints of blue fruit surfacing towards the second half. Certainly its velvety texture instantly seduces and the poise on the finish is exquisite. This clearly has plenty in the tank, as it has not rushed headlong into its secondary phase.