Nicolas Belfrage: Medium deep, with youthful rim. Fruit and herb dominate the nose, not strong but very characteristic. Tight wine, enters like a manystranded cable and only begins to unwind toward the finish. Tannic, with good firm acidity and plenty of cherry and strawberry fruit. Chocolate and coffee on finish, has length and will develop well. Drink from 2018. 92

Stephen Brook: Opaque red. Voluptuous oaky nose, black fruits, blackberries and cassis rather than cherries. Broad, lush, and rounded, a full-bodied style with ripe tannins and impressive concentration. It’s chewy and formidable, a bit extracted and chocolatey, but it has good density and weight of fruit. It’s already approachable, though will be better in a few years once the tannins have integrated further. A modern style, but with grip and persistence. 89

Andrew Jefford: Saturated deep black-red. Very classical, very attractive and amply forthcoming aromas of glowing red fruit, oak copse and crushed dry acorn, and fine supple leather. Pristine and spotless: a grand aromatic profile, and just what you hope for when you open a bottle of Brunello Riserva. On the palate, it delivers everything that the aromas promised: power, length, rigor, purity. Magnificent wine with a long life ahead. If you open it now, you will see the complexities just sketched out, in pencil; if you wait, the colors and the texture of the paint will deliver the complete portrait. (But I’d also love to try it after 24 hours in a decanter, just to see what the air could do.) 94