Alison Buchanan: Deep black cherry, this is quasi-opaque and firm to a tight rim. The nose is slightly rank, a combination of blown blueberry fruit and some game character. The palate, rich and velvet-textured, is very youthful, with opulent fruit layered with mocha and vanilla cream. The tannins, powdery, are a tad dominant on the finish. 16

Jancis Robinson: Purple. Fresh, delicious Tempranillo fruit. Big, powerful, highly extracted fruit, fresh, lipsmacking acidity and tooth-coating tannins. Needs time but excellent structure. 17

Jeremy Watson: Deep, rich ruby. Another heavily fruit-driven wine of the new generation. There is a healthy discussion as to whether these wines should be called Rioja – not because they are not excellent, but because many do not reflect any of Rioja’s traditional characteristics. Some say they have taken the combination of new technology and best of tradition too far towards new technology. Nevertheless, a lot of these wines are extremely good and very serious food wines, as indeed are all Riojas. All elements are very powerful and the end result is pretty stunning, but is it/are they Riojas in anything but name? The extract is extraordinary, yet there is a subtlety about this wine that is not normally associated with the new wave. 19