The evident ripeness and outwardly juicy fruit that defines much of this bottling are not the stuff of classic Bordeaux, and, while they may be anathema to some, the rest of us will find plenty of pleasure in the wine's ongoing richness and depth. There are ample tannins at work, to be sure, but they are never abrasive or overly tough, and, as tasty as the wine is early on, it seems a very good bet to gain in complexity and polish if allowed to rest for another four to six years.

Good fresh red-ruby color. Reticent but pure aromas of plum, mocha and tobacco. This began sweet and dense but a bit sullen, then exploded with aeration to show sharply delineated flavors of plum, tobacco, hot stones and smoked meat. Wonderfully fat and full wine that spreads out on the back to saturate the entire palate. This makes the '07 seem peppery and high-pitched in comparison. Very long on the aftertaste. I asked technical director Teitgen to name his favorite recent vintages in Pessac-Le...

The evident ripeness and outwardly juicy fruit that defines much of this bottling are not the stuff of classic Bordeaux, and, while they may be anathema to some, the rest of us will find plenty of pleasure in the wine's ongoing richness and depth. There are ample tannins at work, to be sure, but they are never abrasive or overly tough, and, as tasty as the wine is early on, it seems a very good bet to gain in complexity and polish if allowed to rest for another four to six years.

Good fresh red-ruby color. Reticent but pure aromas of plum, mocha and tobacco. This began sweet and dense but a bit sullen, then exploded with aeration to show sharply delineated flavors of plum, tobacco, hot stones and smoked meat. Wonderfully fat and full wine that spreads out on the back to saturate the entire palate. This makes the '07 seem peppery and high-pitched in comparison. Very long on the aftertaste. I asked technical director Teitgen to name his favorite recent vintages in Pessac-Le...