Andrew Jefford: Ebony black, with green notes at the rim. You expect, of course, to smell syrup of raisins—but happily you don’t. Instead, it’s a kind of fossil forest: ferns, moss, leaves, and twigs, all preserved by the lava-like force of these sun-metamorphosed fruits. The overall effect is singular, geological-mineral as much as fruit, or perhaps a mineral oil pressed from fruit. On the palate, it is weighty, supremely concentrated, caramelly at the end, a sugar-fest that began with a raisin. Time has given it an agreeably bitter balance, but it is so sweet and food-like that I find wine of this sort difficult to enjoy and to swallow, though I recognize that it is also awesome and majestic. It is great blending material, of course. I find this almost impossible to mark 19 for concentration and weight, but I guess one’s personal hedonistic index must be foremost. You can’t mark for sugar and intensity alone 16

Richard Mayson: Deep, opaque mahogany; the thinnest of green-tinged rims; liquid-raisin PX surely? Incredibly intense and concentrated, slightly burned and cloyingly sweet—another wine for blending or pouring over ice cream, but not for drinking. Delicious but.. 17.5 Jancis Robinson: Black, with a yellow rim; looks like a PX. Very long-aged aroma. Very thick. Tastes like a very ancient (and delightfully tangy) PX. Very concentrated. Bring on a Roger of The Harrow dish! Tastes like a culinary ingredient more than a drink but is very impressive. No excess of anything. A treat to taste this, even if it is unlike anything else so far in the tasting. Very clean finish. Drink 2000–20 18.5: