Nicolas Belfrage: Fairly deep with garnet rim. Plummy, going on pruney, notes on the nose. Good persistence. A powerful blast of ripe, juicy fruit on the palate; ripe tannins and acidity at a good level. Considerable length, with good complexity. Drinking soon. 16

Bruno Besa: Garnet core to tawny rim. Intense, mineral, spicy, complex nose of road tar, small black fruits, cinnamon and graphite. Full body, with sweet, small-black-fruit palate and refined tannins. Complex wine with a long life ahead of it. 17.5

Andrew Jefford: Deep, limpid garnet red. An earthy backdrop, while the fruits in the foreground are pruney, a touch raisiny. Articulate and inviting scents. Intense, concentrated wine, with plenty of sinew and thrust to it. Ample, deftly extracted tannins. Plenty of cut and authority here, in sum; a very good wine indeed. All that holds me back from awarding a very high score is the fruit quality, which has toppled a little way beyond perfect freshness (though there is no deficiency of acidity); some might find it a little stocky in girth. Nonetheless, this is a wine I would drink with enormous pleasure. 16