Andrew Jefford: Saturated black-red. Refined, pure, and ethereal compared to some of its peers, the notes of pine and mint here lift and shape the fresh, dark fruits. On the palate, the wine is dense, smooth, svelte, fresh, and exuberant, though perhaps the layers of black fruit are less heavily and intimately freighted with tannins than for some of the other wines. (On the other hand, maybe the tannins are just a little softer.) Shapely, fresh, and poised; lots of charm, yet plenty of bottom, too, for the long term. Deft, graceful, beautifully blended: bravo! 17.5

Richard Mayson: Very deep opaque black color, thin purple rim. Closed, withdrawn, but something very slightly musty (cork?) on the nose, and again on the palate. Big, deep, intense, and dense, fine-grained tannins powerfully piling up in the mouth but with just a hint of something extraneous. Second bottle fresher, with lovely underlying purity of fruit that still needs time to emerge. Big, powerful, ripe, fine-grained tannins pile up in the mouth; finishes with a flourish. This is a wine with a long future ahead of it 18.5 Jancis Robinson: Dark crimson, with a slightly weak rim. Rich, slightly volatile, evolved rim. Polished and dense and explosive. An interesting contrast to [Quinta do Noval 2000 Vintage Port]. More of a Fonseca style in its opulence. Lots of fun! Great richness. I would love to discover that this, in fact, comes from somewhere other than Portugal! Complete. Drink 2015–40 18.5: