Tom - thanks for the comments on quercology - never say Nevers?

The old GdL wines from the same era (I think I still have one bottle of 1978 in
the cellar) never seemed to show the deleterious effects that you'd expect to
see from American oak use - damn fine juice. I have to wonder if BV did the
same sort of testing - the move to at least partially French oak that you
mention could be motivated by such investigations.