Medium deep crimson-purple, the bouquet is soft and ripe, at this stage, I think I may be preferring the barrel. The sweetness comes through, then a drier note. This is still a gorgeous wine, but without quite the same chiselled limestone note which demonstrated the authority of the barrel-aged Clos des 60 Ouvrées.

Once again, the Amphore demonstrates its advantages in very ripe vintages as the nose is appealingly fresh with an even spicier array of plum, violet, anise, and cinnamon scents. The delicious middle-weight flavours possess a gorgeous texture if perhaps not quite the same complexity on the balanced and overtly stony finish. I suspect that more depth will progressively develop over time. Drink: 2031+