A bit of a compromise here: there is very little gadgetry behind Vinolent so it’s a cut and paste job. The scores are what they are. I’d rather describe wine than score wine but it’s part of the deal these days. The wines are listed in order of score (sort of), a couple of which I am tempted to change but this ridiculous integrity thing that my Dad nailed into me from about age five prevents me from doing so.
2014 is a good vintage. A vintage for cellars, for tables, for glasses. I enjoyed tasting them and those that have bought them will enjoy drinking them. Which is rather what it’s all about.
Haut Brion Blanc
A similar profile to La Mission Blanc though seemingly more restrained. There is more here than is immediately obvious. Very edgy – taut – in the mouth. Tinned peaches and grapefruit. Very, very precise. And long. Excellent. Focussed. Aristocratic. 96-98
Lafleur
A touch darker than the Pensees. Lots of lift; something underneath here. Something beautiful under silk sheets. Freshly crushed fruit. And just lovely in the mouth. Musigny plus plus. Grand, grand vin. Complete. So much to come from this. Poised. Crossbow taut. Laser-trained precision. Excellent. 95-97+
Pichon-Lalande
This is not quite as open as the Reserve de la Comtesse. There is some clear class hiding here though. Something defined, and something Pauillac. Defined, precise, svelte and taut. In the mouth this is, quite simply, Pauillac. Aristocratic, and a real sense of character. Fresh, balanced. This tastes of the terroir, not the sunshine: a good thing. Regal. A Queen. Very stylish, and very, very good. 95-97
Le Pin
Sweet richesse on the nose. Complex and playful at the same time. Cool black fruit. There is some decadence here. Sweet and silky in the mouth. Lots of power, sweetly cushioned. Like a modern, fruit-driven Musigny. Cool and precise. Ripe. Plums and apples and strawberry yoghurt. And goes on. A showboat of some considerable class. 95-97
Margaux
Relatively light in colour in that you can see through it. A touch of spice on what is a soft and elegant nose. More weight of sweet Margaux fruit in the mouth and this is very complete. The ripeness is a savoury, rather than a sweet one. There is clear potential to this: a power lurking underneath. Very, very attractive. Subtle, and not showing off. Very, very good. Savile Row tailoring. 94-97
La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
Some class here. Not as playfully bouncy on the nose as the Clarté: a more grown-up profile. Edgy. Some real dry extract in the mouth, and the flavour carries on and on. Lovely finish. Very, very good. 94-97
Cheval Blanc
A similar profile to the Petit Cheval though more weight, more depth. Cool purity. In the mouth that cashmere texture and lovely, perfectly weighted fruit. Some length here – this is serious. Structure. All here. Excellent. 94-97
Lafite-Rothschild
Very dark. Lead pencil and Christmas cake cherries on the nose. Some burnt fruit. More to it in the mouth and there is some definite power here, some muscle. This is very Lafite, and typically impregnable at this stage. Very long, and very raw. A concrete-like strength. Lafite is always tricky at this stage; this shows considerable promise. 94-96+
Eglise-Clinet
Some chocolately Pomerol depth here. A touch of coffee. All here. Chocolate cake and clay. In the mouth this is a league up. Chocco-Pomerol character with depth, power, breadth and length. Goes on and on. Chunky and deep. Muscle. Ornate. And a silky texture. Excellent wine. 94-96+
Montrose
More depth to this than the Dame, though it is quite closed today. Some lift, and some weight to lovely sweet fruit. In the mouth the sweetness and lift return and this is polished rather than glossed. The hint of some latent depth, This is impressive, and one of the wines of the day. Excellent. 94-96
Leoville-Lascases
Dark. And packed very, very tight on the nose. There is a great deal here though it’s hard to penetrate. Very, very dense and very Lascases in the mouth. Compacted. Very long and very good: lots here. Dense, dense, dense. Massive. Grand Vin. One for the cellar. 94-96
Conseillante
There is a depth to the perfume here. Very clear and focussed. Very inviting: you could sniff on this for hours. Very, very precise in the mouth. Cool. And then the power comes in like an arrow. All here and very good. Lifted and precise with a polished, pure finish. Very very good. 94-96
Pavillon Blanc
Very intense and pure on the nose. All here. This is very clean and fresh. A touch of cool fruit salad on the nose, and again in the mouth. Peaches, grapefruit. Real sherbet-like extract. As ever, it is hard to believe that this is 100% Sauvignon. Very very good. 94-95
Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
Very pale. Almost clear. There is character and depth here on the nose. Real class. Minerality. Flowers and wet stones. More in the mouth. Tightly packed citrus fruit with powdery dry sherbet extract. Very, very good. Depth. Goes on. Excellent. Grand Vin. 93-96+
Ducru-Beaucaillou
Some weight here on the nose. Power. Clean and complete and there is some depth here; a lot going on. Cool lift in the mouth. Meaty. Proper St Julien fruit. Fully ripe and complete. This is right at the top. Excellent. 93-96
La Mission Haut-Brion
A little closed though clear depth here. A hint of breeding. Some character. In the mouth there are the beginnings of real class and a proper La Mission signature. The tannins come in at the finish, along with considerable depth of fruit. Goes on. Very good and there is clearly some terroir here. Long. Deep. 93-96
Haut-Brion
This again isn’t giving much away. Dense and hard to penetrate, though some clear quality here. Comes through in the mouth, where there is depth and intensity of flavour, some length. The flavour persists and whilst this isn’t singing today there is clearly something impressive here. A clear Haut Brion signature. Very good. 93-96
Feytit-Clinet
Some immediate lift on the nose and a lovely bright colour. A touch of mocha on top of sweet Pomerol fruit. This is lovely in the mouth: a nod to Chambolle. Firm edges – there is some structure and definition here. Depth. Silky and creamy and a lovely savoury edge in the finish. Complete and really quite excellent. 93-96
Cos d’Estournel
More to this than the Pagodes. Some pepper, some fruit and some depth. Some latent character. In the mouth this has weight and muscle and more terroir showing through than in recent vintages. This has structure and a pleasingly savoury finish. Rather good and should get better. 93-95+
Pichon-Baron
There is depth and power to this and sweet punchy fruit. This is very Baron in style: more boisterous and more powerful than neighbouring Pichon-Lalande, though not quite the finesse. This has weight and muscle. One of the biggest and most powerful wines of the vintage. 93-95
Pontet-Canet
Dark: not viscous like previous vintages but you can’t see through it. Some juicy wine gum fruit on the nose. Spicy cassis. Power and weight. A tannic structure, and a hint of barrel in the background. A purity to the fruit, and the most Pauillac-like Pontet Canet since the 2010. This tastes more genuine than recent vintages, and is complete. 93-95
Mouton-Rothschild
Dark again. This is closed today though some character lurking underneath. Some cassis, some graphite. And some extract, and this again is very glossy. 93-95
Lynch-Bages
This stains the glass and whispers Pauillac on the nose. Punchy and clean in the mouth with a sweet Pauillac edge. Perhaps not the concentration or depth of some others yet this is cool, refined and easy. Some length and some subtle restraint. This is rather good and very “Lynch” in style. Tastes of Pauillac. 93-95
Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Cool and a touch closed on the nose though there is clear quality here. Lots and lots going on in the mouth. Blackcurrant fruit with a hint of mocha. Perfectly ripe though no “gout de solaire”, more a “gout de Pauillac”. Weight, fruit, density, class, balance, Depth. This is very, very good. 93-95
Leoville-Poyferre
This is a little reticent today though there is some very pure lifted fruit underneath. Cool. Precise and very attractive. And soft and supple in the mouth. Silky. Some depth here and this is very glossy, very Poyferre. Stylish. 93-95
Rauzan-Segla
Sweet and pure restrained nose. Very clean. And all here in the mouth. Savoury sweetness from what is perfectly ripe fruit. Structure behind it. A core of fruit held up by fresh acidity. Some depth, and some length. All correct. No bells or whistles, just a very complete and very good wine. 93-95
Canon
Very pure on the nose with a hint of cool cream. Clean. Very correct, very precise. Lovely in the mouth. Cool sweet St Emilion fruit. No push: there is nothing wrong with this at all. Lovely. Balanced. Excellent. 93-95
Haut-Bailly
Clean. Poised and focussed on the nose. A touch of lift and some red fruit. In the mouth there is lifted minerality and pure Haut Bailly character. A touch of mocha. Nicely done. Depth comes though in the finish. Very good and very Haut Bailly: finesse and minerality. 93-95
Smith-Haut-Lafitte
Relatively dark and staining the glass. Some “Smith” density here. Lovely sweet fruit in the mouth. All here and there is structure to this. This is complete, and exactly as it should be. A touch of mocha on top of perfectly balanced fruit. Full. Not over-done; perfectly weighted. 93-95
Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc
Pure and precise with a hint of sherbet grapefruit on the nose. Restrained. There is depth here. The length of flavour is particularly impressive. Real depth. Energy. Excellent and there is more to come from this. Minerality. Another excellent Smith. 93-95
Pape-Clement Blanc
Tropical fruit on the nose. Oleaginous. Fat and rich. Unashamedly plush though very good within that style. 93-95
Palmer
Deeper colour and more powerful than the Alter Ego. More serious and less overtly juicy. This is chunky: it has structure. There is the sense of potential here. Another sensual Palmer that lacks only a little bit of zip. 93-94
Leoville-Barton
More lift and direction to this than the Langoa, though as always a little harder to penetrate. Some fruit, and some depth. A core of northern St Julien fruit. This follows in the mouth, where the breeding is clear. Plenty of weight. Broad, and very Leoville-Barton. Very good. Proper wine. 92-95
Gruaud-Larose
Clean. Some fruit and a hint of depth. Sweet, meaty and chunky fruit in the mouth. Honest, unforced and precise. Focussed, linear. Unforced. This is very good. 92-95
Angelus
Very dark: you can barely see through it. Black-ish purple in the centre. Creamy rich fruit in the mouth. This has been worked a little, but skilfully so. Clean and creamy and this stays in the mouth. Very Angelus, and complete. This should blossom. Very good. 92-95
Pensees de Lafleur
Lovely deep garnet. This already has something to it. A hint of chocolate powder on the nose, and a depth of sweet fruit. Very, very precise. Lovely pure almost Burgundian fruit to it. Clean, pure and totally unforced. Technically very impressive; sensually very seductive. Lovely. So, so pure. 92-95
Vieux Ch. Certan
Sweet Pomerol on the nose. Open and deep. Fresh, pure. Plump cushions. A savoury fruit profile. Chunky and sweet. Not the most elegant VCC though technically just fine. 92-95
Domaine de Chevalier
Dark: really stains the glass. Clean, with the beginnings of depth on the nose. Dark fruit and cool, wet cherry stones. Rich and energetic in the mouth, with depth and character coming through in the finish. Very good; all here and technically very correct. Nicely done. 92-94+
Ausone
This is a little closed – not bouncing out of the glass as it has done in the past. There is a great deal of depth here and the finish goes on and on. Intensely concentrated dark fruit. Of the vintage. 92-94+
Calon-Segur
Very dark and staining the glass. Some intensity here and some pure lift. Dense, sweet black fruit in the mouth. Pin-point precision. Savoury. Very good, complete. 92-94
Petit Cheval
More character here. Some intensity, or rather complexity, of perfume. Sweet and laid back and a hint of the Burgundian in the mouth. A touch of mocha. A soft texture and cool minerality. This is very good. 92-94
Figeac
Some punch here, some power. Sweet, lifted, pure and precise. Dense yet open. There is a good deal of weight here. Firm and savoury. 92-94
Pavillon Rouge
This is a little closed though has a smooth, sweet and creamy nose. A touch of sandalwood. Clean, pure and punchy in the mouth with a creamy mouthfeel. Complete and seductive, with a soft tannic structure behind the fruit. This is balanced and complete. Not singing or dancing, just very good Margaux. 92-93
Reserve de la Comtesse
There is some energy to this. Some fresh bounce. And density of fruit. This shows promise. In the mouth the energy is there again, and there is nothing sticking out: excellent balance. This is very attractive and very vinous and very Pauillac This could easily mix it with the big boys. Long. Very good. 92-93
Langoa-Barton
Vibrant colour and this stains the glass a little. Pure on the nose: clean cool fruit with a touch of spice. And in the mouth this is perfectly weighted with lovely St Julien fruit. Rather good, and absolutely as it should be. Complete, with a foursquare St Julien character. 91-94
Clos du Marquis
Clean and some muscle here. Chunky black fruit. And some real class to this in the mouth. Savoury again, and this is very grand for what it is. Dense and tightly packed. Very good. Muscular. Long. One for the cellar. 91-94
Branaire
A more natural style of fruit on the nose here. Broad. Some spice. This is laid back and unforced. Some volume to this. Honest, and good. 91-94
Talbot
Sweet fruit again on the nose. Clean. Tightens up in the mouth, and this is rather good. Sweet St Julien fruit. Complete. Good. Very St Julien in style. 91-94
Pape-Clement
Some depth here on the nose and there is power here too. A touch of burnt sugar and chocolate. And lots going on in the mouth. This is well-engineered and has the stuffing to cope with it. A points kind of wine, but a good one. 91-94
Quintus
A touch of ever-so-slightly jammy fruit on the nose. Some power to the fruit. Sweet and unforced in the mouth, with a touch of mocha on the finish. Impressive. 91-94
La Clarté de Haut-Brion
Lovely nose of lime and grapefruit. And again in the mouth with a waxy viscosity. Some lovely fruit with a weight and texture. Develops into sweet fruit salad. Very good. 91-94
Chapelle d’Ausone
A touch of lift and some class here. A hint of minerality. This follows in the mouth. Complete, and there is very little wrong with this. 91-94
Pavie
Deep black fruit and some power here. A touch closed but there is something here: some depth. And this is rich and full in the mouth, with a hefty lick of barrel. There is the fruit to match this, then a second wave comes along. There is certainly a great deal of wine here: this is very Pavie, and will split opinions. Well-executed if you like the style. 91-94
Clos Fourtet
Blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Clean, and some depth, some promise. Clean and pure juicy fruit in the mouth. This has some edges, some definition and some polish. Very good. 91-94
Troplong Mondot
Dark and sweet. Some edge. Clean, polished and intense. Concentrated, rich, jammy fruit. Well-executed and this should turn out well. Good. 91-94
Clinet
Some density here. Power and richesse. Chunky fruit, weight and depth in the mouth. Some real Pomerol character comes though at the finish. All here. Powdery sherbet tannins. Some real weight to this. Very good. 91-94
Petite Eglise
There is depth here, with dark fruit and mocha on the nose. Some class. And in the mouth this is excellent: very Pomerol. Lifted fruit. Very, very good. 91-93+
Carruades de Lafite
This is relatively dark. This stains the glass and there is a hint of pencil-box on the nose. A touch of cassis in the mouth and there is a definite Lafite character to this. The cassis carries through to the end. The best Carruades in years. 91-93
Petit Mouton
Pepper and spice and a smoky, meaty edge to this. Glossy and open fruit, and smooth on the palate. 91-93
Lynch-Bages Blanc
Clean citrus fruit salad on the nose, and again in the mouth. An intense zippy acidity to it, with some class and character underneath. Some dry extract in the finish; this is rather good. 91-93
Croix de Beaucaillou
A touch more spice here on the nose, which is clean, precise and focussed. Clean and bright in the mouth: there is some energy here, and again that clean and pure ripeness. A touch of structure in the finish; this is very good. 91-93
St Pierre
Some precise and focussed fruit here. Some gloss. Polished, sweet and pure. All here, and rather good. 91-93
Brane-Cantenac
Sweet, slightly scratchy fruit on the nose. Clean. Some purity here. And initially very clean and poised in the mouth. Not much wrong with this at all. Some Margaux silkiness and some structure. Good wine. 91-93
Carmes Haut-Brion
Dark and staining the glass. Dense on the nose: there is a lot here. Floral with a mineral edge. Sweet and dense in the mouth. Rich and full. A very impressive style. 91-93
Chapelle de la Mission
A touch more depth to the nose here. And in the mouth some proper Graves character with a touch of mocha. Long and complete. The finish persists with some very attractive barrel gloss. Good. 91-93
Quinault l’Enclos
Some sweet fruit here. Fragrant. No force. Some cool lift. This follows in the mouth with a depth of flavour. Concentrated. Ripe and playful. 91-93
Clos du Clocher
Sweetness and Pomerol class on the nose. Some cool mocha cream. A sweetness of fruit with a mineral lift and a hint of depth. Chocolate powder. Broad. This is very Pomerol in style and very good. 91-93
Carillon d’Angelus
Some crackle to this. A hint of energy. Clean creamy fruit on the nose, and again in the mouth. Fresh and cool fruit. A touch of cream again with a hint of mocha. This is bright, lifted and unforced. Playful. Good. 91-93
Bellevue
Pure sweet fruit here. Fresh and bouncy. This follows in the mouth: fresh, lifted and sweet. Unforced, with a touch of jam in the finish. 91-93
Larcis-Ducasse
Complete: a breadth of fruit on the nose. Creamy, and this follows in the mouth. A touch of depth, Refreshingly unforced. Good. 91-93
Pavie-Macquin
More weight to this than the Larcis. Some lifted power. Sweet jammy fruit and a touch of force in the mouth. Cool. The fruit persists. Good again. 91-93
Pagodes de Cos
There is some depth here and the beginnings of some class. And some texture to it in the mouth. The fruit is very ripe and soft yet with a silky precision to it, This is easy and very pleasing. Ever so slightly Vosne-esque. Good. 90-93
Haut-Batailley
Pure and clean and fresh with a nose that is pure Pauillac. And it gets better in the mouth. Sweet blackcurrant fruit. Complete, and ripe, and perfectly unforced. Cool and crisp. Very, very good. 90-93
Petit Lion de Lascases
Again a savoury edge to the black fruit. Pure, precise and clean. A cassis sweetness to the fruit. A clean tannic structure in the background. This is good. Chunky: some weight and some depth to this. Broad. Very good. 90-93
Batailley
Some weight of fruit here. Clean and poised. A hint of depth to this. Sweet, complete and pure fruit. Some character and some length here. This is very Pauillac. Stylish. Good. 90-93
Chasse-Spleen
A little closed. Floral on the nose with fresh and vibrant fruit. Round and well-defined. Elegant. Impressive. 90-93
Clarence de Haut-Brion
Stains the glass a little. There is some character here. Open, unforced and laid back. Unforced, complete fruit character in the mouth. Some real Graves character again. Good. 90-93
La Chenade
Sweet fruit and kirsch on the nose. Very pure and lifted. Focussed, sweet and pure in the mouth. Vibrant: there is energy here. Sweet purity. Excellent. 90-93
Les Cruzelles
This is loose-knit with a lovely mocha nose. Very inviting. The mouth follows with broad, sweet fruit. And some depth. This is impressive, and keeps on going. Complete. Very good. 90-93
Moulin St Georges
More depth still some stuffing. Sweet fruit and a completeness in the mouth. This is all here; these are all very nicely made, as you would expect. 90-93
Gazin
More here. Some clean fruit, some poise. A touch of depth and some energy. Balanced, complete, and not without character. Good length. 90-93
Haut-Simard
A touch more serious than Fonbel. And sweet black fruit in the mouth. Lots here. This is broad and open. Good. 90-92+
Alter Ego de Palmer
Dark with a vibrant colour. Sweet fresh fruit on the nose with a touch of bubblegum. This follows in the mouth with sweet and elegant Margaux fruit. Lacks the bounce that a great vintage would have but impressive nonetheless. 90-92
Dame de Montrose
Clean, cool and pure on the nose. And not a little closed. A touch of creamy fruit. And follows in the mouth with cool, pure, concentrated fruit. Blackcurrants. All here and very impressive. 90-92
Echo de Lynch-Bages
Very clean again with a hint of Pauillac fruit. Cool and creamy. Complete in the mouth with a tannic structure in the background and a hint of barrel. Nicely Pauillac in style with a hint of “Lynch” character. 90-92
Moulin Riche
A touched more closed than Le Crock. Clean and pure fruit, with a touch of spice. Clean St Julien fruit in the mouth. Lifted and fruit-driven. Soft, poliched and attractive. Glossy. 90-92
Gloria
A touch of power to this. A rather extracted style. A touch of heat in the finish then the fruit takes over. Some winemaking here. Decent. 90-92
d’Issan
Clean and restrained on the nose. A little closed but the hint of potential here. A savoury edge and a very pretty wine. Mature fruit in the mouth. Some length and a savoury clean finish. Rather good. 90-92
Sociando-Mallet
Meaty nose. Bacon. Chips. Better in the mouth though still that sweet and sour edge. This is rather good and very much in its own style. 90-92
Lafon-Rochet
Clean and slightly scratchy nose. Some fruit underneath. Clean and pure in the mouth with a hint of extraction. 90-92
Prieure-Lichine
A pretty, floral, Margaux nose. Ripe fruit. Light in the mouth though no shortage of weight. Sweet fruit. Good. 90-92
Dragon de Quintus
Light and unforced colour. Soft fruit on the nose. Pleasantly inviting, and softly attractive in the mouth. Vinous. Long. Good wine. 90-92
Saintayme
Very ripe nose. Lots of sweet fat. Punchy. And sweet and ripe in the mouth. All here. And comes together beautifully in the finish. Like a magician’s trick. Very impressive. 90-92
Montlandrie
Castillon escaped the rain. Purity, depth of fruit and a hint of concentration to come. This is serious wine. Lots of structure. Dry extract. Big and juicy. All here, and very impressive. 90-92
Fonbel
A little more edge than Simard with brambly, scratchy fruit. Some punch; some power. This follows in the mouth, which is very much in the Vauthier style. Some texture to this. A touch of depth. Good. 90-92
La Clotte
More lift and a hint of austerity to this. Creamy lifted black fruit and the house style continues. Grainy tannins and complete fruit. Very much of the vintage in its restraint. 90-92
Ormes de Pez
Sweet lift to the fruit here. Clean, creamy and polished. Cassis. This follows in the mouth: this is clean and very well-made stuff. Nothing wrong with this at all: balanced and very nicely put together. 90-91
Potensac
Dark. Black fruit on the nose. Clean, focussed and savoury. And clean and poised in the mouth. All here and, again, complete. A savoury edge. This is proper claret and has character. Juicy. Some muscle. Good. 89-92
Lagrange
Clean fruit. A litte restrained. Pure. Clean, sweet and polsihed. Rather good, and no sense of force. Good. Pleasantly simple. 89-92
Beychevelle
Very sweet and ripe plummy fruit to this. A touch of St Julien jam. And very ripe and sweet in the mouth. Lacks a bit of precision. 89-92
Fombrauge
Sweet fruit with a hint of something more to come. A touch of jam. Sweet and jammy in the mouth though the style is well-executed. There is some energy, and some Fombrauge character. Good if you like the style. 89-92
Capbern
Stains the glass a little. Some raspy fresh fruit on the nose. Clean and fresh. A touch of cream. Fresh, with clean and dense fruit in the mouth. A hint of tannin in the finish. Very good for what it is. 89-92
Duhart-Milon
This is weightier and sweeter than the Carruades on the nose, with a hint of castor oil on the nose. Some extract here, and some muscle. 89-91
d’Armailhac
Some salt and pepper and a touch of ripe and polished fruit on the nose. Bubblegum fruit and cream. Polished. 89-91
Clerc-Milon
This is darker and totally different in profile to the d’Armailhac. Spicy sweet fruit. There is some fruit here, some extract, and lots of gloss to this. 89-91
Tronquoy-Lalande
Relatively dark and staining the glass. Fresh, chunky fruit on the nose. Clean and pure. This follows in the mouth with bouncy black pure fruit. Clean and concentrated with a touch of spice. Probably the best ever from here. Long and spicy. 89-91
Lalande-Borie
Focussed and clean fruit on the nose is followed by rich and sweet fruit in the mouth. Some texture to this, and a tannic structure in the finish. All good. Clean and weighty. Very good as usual. 89-91
Le Crock
Some energy to this. A cool buzz. Clean and cool. Fresh and sweet in the mouth. All here and rather good. Some alcohol, some glycerol. Some texture. Polished and appealing. 89-91
Simard
Clean sweetness on the nose. A touch of matchstick. Buzzy, energetic fruit in the mouth – the house style is here. A touch of bourbon biscuit. Long and decent. 89-91
La Pointe
Clean and pure black fruit. Lifted and a touch creamy in the mouth. Some Pomerol clay comes in. A wee bit short. 89-91
Petit Village
Some weight and density on the nose, which has a very clean, lifted profile. Complete, and there is not much wrong with this. Good Pomerol. 89-90
Lacoste Borie
Clean and fresh. All here. Pretty much flawless at this level. Very drinkable. Excellent. 88-91
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