This bottle of 1945 Beychevelle was not dissimilar to the slightly underwhelming one at the château the previous September. I admire the nose: stately and a little more complex with understated red and black fruit, loam and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with truffle-tinged red fruit. Like the previous bottle, it feels quite linear towards the finish insofar as it lacks the peacock's tail that you often find in '45s. Overall this is probably a little fresher in style, hence the extra point. Tasted blind at the "five" dinner at Domaine de Chevalier. -- Neal Martin