Simon Field: Youthful yet restrained; woodsmoke, fig, and maybe a hint of bacon rind; the fruit held in check today, the spirit smothering even the tannic infrastructure. A pleasing, broad mid-palate nonetheless, prunes and even a little syrup; inky resonance, pointillist sketches, with plenty still to give. | 89

Andrew Jefford: Midnight black-red with purple glints; amply leggy, with plenty of purple-scarlet stain. Fiery, stony, warm, vigorous, and exuberant aromas: big, beefy, muscular, and forceful scents, if a little bit incoherent at present. Time needed! On the palate, this is a no-less-muscular and forceful wine than the aromas suggested it would be: searching, rangy, and powerful. There’s ample red and black fruit, but it’s powerful and volcanic rather than cool, fine-fashioned, and creamy. Perhaps a slight lack of fruit density compared to the very best of its peers, but it’s an impressive wine nonetheless. | 92

Richard Mayson: Deep, opaque, dark, and dense; heady, super-ripe fruit on the nose, withatouch of liqueur chocolate; rich and dense on the palate, with cherry liqueur and big, dense, broad tannins leading to a long, powerful, super-tannic finish, a tannic backstop, without showing much in nascent finesse at this stage. | 92