Andrew Jefford: Deep black-red in color, with some opacity. Slightly hot scents, toward the foxy end of the spectrum for this variety. A little stewed; a little confected. The palate is much as the aromas suggested: very warm, chunky, and massive, with slightly candied fruit, robed in white chocolate. This is just too burly, in the end; the variety is tasting a little hot and bothered here. It all ends rather spikily, with the elements coming apart in your mouth, though there is plenty of concentration, and nobody could accuse the wine of triviality. Australia? 12.5

Anthony Rose: Deep in color. This has a pronounced sweet aroma of mulberry, blackberry, and blackcurrant jam, suggesting warm-climate fruit. The palate too is sweetly fruity in blackberry- and loganberry-jam spectrum, with well-integrated spicy oak, and the wine is quite powerfully built, with a firm, almost chunky backbone of tannins and acidity. Still youthful, with tannins that cry out for meat and game. Australia. 16.5

Joanna Simon: Very ripe, black-cherry-jam aromas. Full and dense in the mouth; spicy, licoricey, jammy fruit. Low tannin, quite marked acidity. Powerful with high alcohol. Young and will improve, but it’s never going to be elegant. New Zealand? 14