Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 2006

DECANTER: "Among the most seductive noses from Pauillac. Strong, cassis-stained palate with a lovely sense of upwards motion and smooth, silky tannins that are starting to ease into the structure. Another vintage that shows why GPL is such a consistent player."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. I raved about the 2006 Château Grand Puy-Lacoste when I tasted it from barrel ten years ago. It has evolved a really quite beautiful, very classic Pauillac bouquet with vivacious blackberry, raspberry and wild mint aromas that deftly absorb the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, perhaps a more forward "GPL" than other vintages, but there is genuine fineness to the tannin and that backward finish has great precision. There is the substance to suggest that it will be a long-term Left Bank and you could probably broach it after another 3-4 years. Tasted January 2016."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Firm, structured wine with a strict, tannic spine that is going to take another decade to soften and come around. I like the concentration and ripe, crunch, red fruits, but this is a very old school, classically styled Pauillac that will please some tasters more than others."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Granat mit lila Schimmer. Subtiles, noch zurückhaltendes Bouquet, feine Ansätze, delikate Toastnoten und zarte Zederntöne, viel Finessen in der Nase. Saftiger, feiner Gaumen, tänzerischer Balanceakt mit cremig-seidigen Tanninen, perfekt vinifiziert, im Finale Cassisnoten, Veilchentouch, ein verspielter, hoch feiner, sauberer Pauillac mit einer tollen Länge, wird schon bald Spass machen, trotzdem mit einem Alterungspotenzial von mindestens 20 Jahren ausgestattet, irgendwann vielleicht 18/20 erreichend."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2006 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notes of prunes and dried figs before giving way to scents of tobacco, cast-iron pan, dusty soil, and dried cranberries. The medium-bodied palate is soft and savory, with subtle flavors and a refreshing finish."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Looks quite evolved. Scented, seductive. Much more evolved than most with light tannins and great sweetness. Not the densest – oddly forward, but an attractive drink for the medium term."

WINE SPECTATOR: " Displays blueberry on the nose, with a hint of fresh tobacco and some licorice. Full-bodied, with chocolate, berry and toasty oak. Long and very silky. Very pretty and balanced."