A revelation, this stunning wine (also reasonably priced) has turned out to be even better than I thought. Opaque purple-colored, with gorgeous ripeness and richness, a big, sweet mid-palate, and a seamless finish revealing loads of fruit, chocolate, glycerin, and ripe tannin, this opulently-styled 2000 will have few detractors. It is hard not to be totally seduced by this effort. Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez and his omnipresent oenologist, Michel Rolland. Bravo! Anticipated maturity: Now-2015.

Fully mature, this open, round, supple textured wine is filled with sweet, ripe, jammy berries, earth, cocoa, fennel, espresso, smoke and black cherries.

There is plenty of fine fruit in this wine. It has fresh, lively blackcurrant flavors as well as generous, soft, sweet tannins. It seems rather one-dimensional at this stage, leaving a question-mark over its development.——R.V.(6/1/2003)—— 87