95 points Decanter

Some savoury elements on the nose, olive and black tapenade. Excellent concentration on the palate, less fruit forward at this point than the Demoiselle second wine, but excellent tension and power – really taut, all in line, straight, driven. A lot going on aromatically – cinnamon, cigar box, cedar, smoke and dark chocolate – really super-complex, with tannins that are smooth but present and a minty finish. Layered and precise, you can feel the sculpting of the fruits and the well-handled oak and extraction. Excellent.

95 points Jane Anson

Nuanced, concentrated, still very much in primary phase but full of Sociando character, back into the heart of what this estate can deliver. It will clearly age for decades, and it is gorgeous, laced through with cassis, black chcocolate, pomegranate, graphite, balanced and juicy. Harvest September 18 to October 11, 90% new oak, 12 months in barrel then 6 months in vat, 77ha in production. 43hl/h yield. A tribute to Jean Gautreau on the label (you'll find the words Hommage à Jean Gautreau), as he died aged 82 in October 2019. Consultant oenologist Michel-Bernard Couasnon.

95 points James Suckling

Redcurrants with sweet tobacco, hazelnut, mint and moist earth, following through to a medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and a palate that grows at the finish. Needs a minimum of three or four years to come around.