Bruno Besa | Light garnet to tawny. Restrained, elegant, fairly complex small red-fruits nose, with orange peel, tobacco, nuts and rosewater. Medium body, slightly diluted red-fruit palate, yet a clean and inviting finish. | 89

Stephen Brook | Gentle raspberry nose. Medium-bodied, graceful, pretty for Monforte d’Alba, but supported by discreet yet polished tannins. Seems understated now, but balanced. Yet there’s a lack of drive here, and the finish is unpersuasive. Medium length. | 85

Andrew Jefford | Clear black-red. Warm, sweet fruits: red fruits like cherry, pomegranate, and redcurrant almost with a confit sweetness to them. Enticing in its own way, and there is some perfume and tar, too. An intriguing aromatic repertoire. Warm straw bales, finally. Very soft, sweet, fine-grained and rich on the palate; elegant, too. An impressive wine that just lacks a certain freshness and poise for the highest score levels; it’s tannin that provides all the balance here, it’s grippy-sweet. I like it a lot, though, and would love to spend time with it. | 91