Jesús Barquín: Shy and restrained, with vinous notes and a hint of roasted apple. Not truly complex. The palate is somewhat drying, dominated by oak notes. Not our favorite style; lacks typicity, perhaps. 14

Simon Field: Full color, given its age. Nose rather mute, with hints of woodsmoke and green pepper. The palate is rather clumsy; a wine that has aged reasonably well but without the benevolence of natural forces, which becomes increasingly clear as the structure starts to fall apart. 14

Jancis Robinson: Dark crimson, with some evolution at the rim. Sweet tea-leaf/treacle aroma—very different from the wines tasted so far. This was presumably one of the early French oak-influenced wines. A hint of mint. Attractive and flattering, though less purely Rioja and complex than some. Very assertive. Neat. 1970 was their first vintage. Rather sickly on the finish. Drink 1985–2010. 15