Jesús Barquín: The nose offers strawberries in syrup and smoky and spicy notes. The palate is powerful and savory right from the start, later developing complex and concentrated gamey notes. A wine of impressive structure and body. 17.5

Simon Field: Color holding well from a famously hot summer; amber at the rim. Lovely wild strawberry and vanillin nose, hints of herbs and hearth embers. Delicious forward fruit; voluptuous and rich, perfect acidity and very fine tannins. Cerebral and sensual at the same time. Goya complexity. 18.5

Jancis Robinson Dark ruby. A bit of animal on the nose. Just the merest hint of cheesiness and lots of sweetness. But lots of impact and concentration. Great ripeness. Not that much subtlety. Not as subtle as the 1979. Big and a bit blobby and formless. The tannins are starting to insist, but there is not quite enough flesh to counteract them. If I had this on its own, I would very much appreciate it, but it is not as well balanced as the 1979. Drink 1986–2006. 17