Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2011

A dense ruby/purple color is followed by an excellent Pauillac offering plenty of black currant and cherry fruit as well as spice box notes, good acidity and ripe tannin. Medium-bodied, rich, pure and textured, it is an impressive, forward, precociously styled effort to enjoy over the next 10-15 years.

This has an intense core of licorice snap, steeped red and black currant and plum pâte de fruit, backed by relatively bright toast on the finish. Shows ample grip. Best from 2015 through 2024.

93-95. Barrel sample. A wine that shows rounded, opulent fruit. Its structure has a dark side that's melded into its rich fruits. Weight and juiciness combine on the finish.

Intriguing. For a ‘lesser’ vintage this is drinking beautifully now. Has ripeness to the fruit, dark characters, some leafy notes and lovely tannins. The grand vin was a very small proportion of the total production in 2011. Ready now and has weight to last. Just a little bit too much extraction on the finish but that doesn't stop this being a fine result.

A red with perfume and character of sliced fruit such as blackberries and currants. Full body, chewy tannins and a fresh, clean finish. Very tannic but I like the fruit-acid balance. Better in 2018.

The 2011 Grand Puy Ducasse has a well defined bouquet with blackberry, briary and light tobacco scents, gaining complexity in the glass. The palate is simple, quite austere and lacks some depth, just a little green on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

Tight, tart and drying at this stage, the blackberry tinged finish is the best part of the wine. I'd let this sit in the cellar for a while, hoping that things will come together with time.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate hints of liquorice and candied purple fruit, subtle herbal savouriness, tobacco nuances, some cedar wood in the background. Medium body, black berries, fresh cherries, vivid tannins, salty-mineral finish, delicate astringency in the aftertaste.

Dark garnet, fairly dense at the core, with a ruby rim. Reserved bouquet; you sense more depth than fruit. Aromatic palate with dark malt and rye bread; a fleshy body with a slightly grainy extract, but unfortunately it feels a touch over-extracted. The potential would be 17/20.

Medium, herbaceous bouquet with black berries, charcoal, tobacco and liquorice. Medium-bodied, broad palate with fine, sandy tannins, good fruit, medium aromatic intensity, a masculine structure and a dry finish. 17/20 2018 - 2032

Aromatics closed at first, and this is showing a slimmer structure than the 2010 but opens up with a wave of cherry pit, cranberry and damson fruits, bitter chocolate, good balance. Needs time to open but it is charming. Anne le Naour technical director, Denis Dubourdieu consultant.

Deep colour, classic cedar notes on the nose, a straight, structured palate and firm tannins. The oak is still very much present.

Built on freshness, a supple, suave Pauillac—charming and already ready to drink. With good poise, the wine is elegant, medium-bodied, fairly light, with a slight tannic firmness.

The nose is fruity and offers a touch of freshness, fine concentration, a refined texture, as well as a slightly drawn-out/taut character. It reveals notes of juicy wild strawberry, fleshy redcurrant and, more lightly, fairly fresh small wild berries, combined with hints of violet and fresh pepper, along with subtle touches of fresh lilac and a discreet hint of fresh blond tobacco. The palate is fruity and delivers freshness, minerality, good definition, juiciness, a tangy acidic frame, and a juicy/crisp/fresh fruit profile. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, juicy/fresh redcurrant and, more lightly, small berries, combined with hints of violet, toasted almond, refined minerality, as well as delicate touches of vanilla. The tannins are elegant and refined.

Deep red colour with good intensity. The nose is moderately aromatic yet subtle, with ripe, fresh, vanilla-tinged fruit. The palate is juicy and flavoursome, with a rather airy body and a finish that is slightly austere, yet still well-coated. Best to wait.