The purity of blackcurrants, blueberries, creme de cassis, and flowers. Hints of subtle spearmint. Iron. Blood orange. Medium-bodied with a compacted palate, like a cylinder of perfectly ripe fruit and fine tannins. A million layers of tight-grained tannins. It goes on and on. Such freshness and weightlessness to it. Ethereal. New classicism.

The 2020 Mouton Rothschild is a striking wine and one that I regretted not purchasing en primeur as soon as it landed in my glass. Offering up complex aromas of minty cassis, pencil shavings, loamy soil, cigar wrapper, espresso roast and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and layered, with terrific concentrated, beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Checking in at 12.8% alcohol, its incipient complexity, ineffable sense of completeness and exquisite balance mark it out as the purists' choice among the trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020. In this vintage, the lots that made it into the blend were largely confined to the core gravel terroirs that represent Mouton's heart, meaning that there's a little less to go around. This was the first vintage overseen by Mouton's new technical director, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, and he has begun with a flying start. (WK)

Intense, concentrated, powerful, deeply spiced, fleshy but restrained, this inches open and feels vibrant, pure, chiselled, seamless, with an electric charge. Expect plenty of smoked and grilled cassis, bilberry and damson fruits, sandalwood and mint leaf. Has the 2020 signature where flavours are classically serious and balanced but intense, just a monumental Mouton with the freshness and architecture of 2016, edged with floral aromatics, wonderfully enticing and with presence. 100% new oak. First vintage for Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy as director, following Philippe Dhalluin's retirement. One of the wines of the vintage.