Andrew Jefford: Pale, limpid amber, with a touch of russet. Dry, lifted, relatively casky aromas over a sweet, liquid barley-sugar backdrop; some raisiny sweetness. That caskiness is questionably attractive; it almost has a TCA-like, cardboard component to it. Calm, settled, serene; no sense that any further aging is required. On the palate, this is smooth, light, graceful, gentle. In truth, the balance is a little sweet-and-sour, without a lot of central-palate richness and width; tangy barley-sugar, once again, with some citrus acidity. Gentle, graceful sipping wine, but I feel it may be a little overaged in the global fortified-wine context 12

Richard Mayson: Mid-red–tinged amber color; open, dried-fig character—quite rich with a very slight rustic casky backdrop; suggests long maturation in old wood. Soft, rich, dried-fig and apricot character, with more than a touch of rusticity reappearing on the finish. Not especially complex but quite rich, sweet, and satisfying 15 Jancis Robinson: Greenish tawny. Very sweet and slightly woody on the nose. Some rose-petal aroma and not especially well-integrated acidity. Not really particularly fresh fruit. Obviously long-aged, but it tastes as though it is on the way down now. Drink 2000–08 15.5