Simon Field: Powerful and spirity, a little de trop maybe, the burn of alcohol, for all its poetic potential, perhaps undermining the long-term pleasure. Paradise postponed. A little clumsy on the finish, for all that. | 85

Andrew Jefford: Dark black-red, and once again just off opacity at its heart. Bottle 1 has TCA. Bottle 2: Totally different from bottle 1, and very perfumed and characterful, with lots of bergamot and tea rose to give the black fruits lift, to almost startling extent indeed. On the palate, the wine is weighty, full, round, smooth (no forceful tannins here), and very luxurious: delicious wine, once one has got over the slight shock of the aromas. Among 2000 Ports, this wine is a ride in a limo: smooth, sumptuous, and faintly decadent. | 91

Richard Mayson: Deep, opaque, youthful purple rim. Closed or just flat on the nose? Giving very little away. Woody backdrop behind ripe fruit and big bold tannins, overextracted and rather rustic. Second bottle requested, and it is much better, with much more fruit definition and tight-knit spicy tannins. Finishes well, with plum-jam depth. | 89