Michael Schuster: Dark, brick-edged red; sweet-cored nose, persistent, ripe, concentrated, fine, almost juicy to smell; that delicious juiciness of fruit there to taste as well, backed by gravelly aromas, but also with a firmly chewy tannic texture as a distraction when tasted on its own. The tannins here are rustic by comparison with more recent La Missions; and a wine like this needs, and is complemented by, fairly rich food, which would mellow its rough edges and highlight its abundant fruit. Moderate complexity, because the year’s heat has smothered some of the aromatic interest. Drink now to 2013. Depending on the context, 15.5–17