92-94. Barrel Sample. There are plenty of tannins here along with fresh black currant fruits. This wine is structured and firm in the style of a Pauillac. But it also has a softer side, with elegance and light. This wine will develop relatively quickly over the next 10 years.

A bay leaf note leads the way, with a mix of violet aromas, black cherry and plum fruit, and black licorice and polished vanilla accents. Soft-edged overall, but showing some persistence, with the fruit taking an encore. Drink now through 2028.

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Reserve de la Comtesse is a little tarry to begin, with red and black fruits, herbs and damp soil scents. Medium-bodied, firm, fresh and chewy in the mouth, it finishes a little green and herbal.