Simon Field: Inky rich colour, then a nose still slightly reticent, blinking in the bright light of imminent bottling. Palate is somewhat foursquare but has real authority on the finish, its fundamental sweetness beautifully framed by subtle yet persistent tannins, which really take control at the end. A richly cerebral wine - perhaps almost too austere in a vintage of plenty? 17.5

Richard Mayson: Open, ripe, rather hot raw fruit on the nose. Well built; spicy-peppery tannins falling away a bit on the finish. 14

Jancis Robinson: Very intense purplish crimson. Big, broad, burly, with an attractively savoury finish. Perhaps a bit simple relative to some. Very fleshy and opulent - the weight of fruit all but masks the tannins that are certainly there but very fine. This is a little like the Noval Nacional but lighter. Remarkably light on the finish, oddly enough. Very sweet. 15