Simon Larkin :Some evident new oak discernible, the vanillin nuances quite overpowering. The palate shows ample ripe fruit, quite textual but lacking real freshness. There is a stewy quality that destroys overall harmony here, intense yet without refinement. A sound effort rather than spectacular, with some potential over the medium term, 15.5.

Nicolas Belfrage:Quite deep, but not quite suspiciously so. Heady, Porty nose of character. Middle-range quality, fruit okay and still reasonably youthful, firm acid for 1997 and good concentration. Good wine without being inspired. Drink from two to ten years, 15