Simon Field: Dense of color and powerful of aromatic with notes of morello cherry, dark chocolate, and gunpowder. The palate is marked by high alcohol, a volatile temperament, and rather drying wood tannins. The weight of fruit is impressive, certainly, but the rigors of the élevage have rendered the almost Rococo decor somewhat overwhelming, imposing a perception in diametric opposition to the quantum of expectation - 14.5

Alex Hunt: Dark, mysterious, blackberry nose that nonetheless has an appealing peppery lift. The palate is tar-like and rather brutal, finishing with traces of horsey Brett. As the wine opens in the glass, the tar aspect spreads to the nose, manifesting as burned rubber. Despite a well-balanced structure, there’s little to enjoy here - 12.5

John Livingstone-Learmonth: Sleek, dark red, full to the brim. Weighty air that leads with dense black fruit takes you inside the pulp of the grape—ripe and profound. The attack shows reduction and game but carries an interesting honesty, the fruit a touch high, and reflects its ripe southern origins. The acidity on the finish is angular, but it ends with a degree of freshness. It drives along the palate and is not timid. Not yet all as one. Marks for honesty. Decent length. Mid-2013–20 - 14.5