JancisRobinson.com – 16.5

First bottle : Pretty dark crimson with already-pale rim. Looks as though there is considerable evolution. Sweet and delicate and very antiquated. Some dusty liquorice. Not without charm but it tasted so old ! Drying finish. Must be a bad bottle, we agree. Jean-Michel says he tasted this recently and it was much, much better. I scored this bottle 15, to drink between 1996 and 2004. Second bottle : Dark crimson. Fresh, subtle nose. A little fresher than the first bottle. Though not the most charming. Not lifted or exciting. A bit dry on the end. Sweet but drying finish. Some beetroot. [28/12/2010]

Anticipated maturity: 2000-2012

Robert Parker – 93

Tasted at the La Conseillante vertical at Chez Bruce. The first bottle is oxidized, the second better with an intense bouquet with hints of mint, coca and mocha, showing more Cabernet Franc character than recent bottles, with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied, quite fresh and vibrant with grainy tannins, good acidity and persistency with a meaty, savoury, Cabernet Franc driven finish. Very fine and it improves with time, with an edgy citrus finish and delicious dark chocolate/espresso decorating the aftertaste. I have had better bottles of the ’98, but this is still a lovely Pomerol that should enter its plateau in the next couple of years. Tasted December 2010. [Neal Martin, 01/12/2010]

Vinous – 87-90

Red-ruby. Expressive, liqueur-like aromas of kirsch, spicy oak and fresh herbs. Supple, sweet and plump in the mouth; not especially dense but has a firm structural underpinning. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and subtle, lingering black raspberry flavor. This should be the best Conseillante since the ’95. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/1999]