Jesús Barquín: Lighter color, with brickish rim. Serious, well-delineated, spicy and smoky nose with good definition; excellent. The palate offers notes of orange peel, underbrush, curry. Long, savory; a great wine. 18.5

Simon Field: Garnet tawny color, crepuscular hints. Powerful nose of incense, forest floor, and black cherry. Mid-palate concentration and pavonine structure rehearse quality. 17.5

Jancis Robinson: Lustrous dark ruby, with a rusty rim. Very gorgeous on the nose in an old-fashioned grand cru Burgundy way (lots of oak influence!)—so, luscious and faded glory, in the nicest possible way. So complete. Rose petals. Perhaps not quite as vigorous as the 1978, but with great integrity and complexity. Just a little dry and a tiny bit cheesy on the end, I thought initially, but it held its refreshment value to the end. Drink 1988–2008. 18.5