90(+?)? Points | International Wine Cellar , March 2012

95% merlot and 5% cabernet franc; 3.46 pH; 71 IPT; 13.5% alcohol):  Dark red with a palish rim.  Aromatic nose offers delicate if somewhat inexpressive aromas of ripe strawberry, kirsch, superripe plum and faded flowers.  Then also monolithic and folded in on itself on the palate, showing a slightly bitter, metallic tinge to its saline, truffle and floral red berry flavors.  This Magdelaine comes across as an easygoing midweight, though there's also good underlying sneaky concentration and power.  The finish is long and smooth, but I found this Magdelaine a bit lacking in complexity and depth.  The 1995 vintage brought a huge crop of grapes (over 6.5 million hectoliters of wine were produced in Bordeaux), with the growing season characterized by very fine weather throughout most of the growth cycle but marred by September rains.  The wines are generally more even and consistent in quality than those of 1996 and it was an especially strong year for Pomerol.  According to Berrouet, this is another classic Magdelaine that still needs plenty of time.  Perhaps I caught the wine in an awkward phase, but I wonder.

91 Points | Wine Spectator

91 Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate