BB | Garnet to tawny. A touch closed on the developed, tobacco, leather, and prune nose. Quite well-balanced on the palate, with ripe, sweet prunes and a fairly long, herbal finish. 92
MP | Empyreumatic nose, redolent of dark chocolate, coffee grounds, and caramel. Something seems to have gone wrong with this wine—perhaps overripe fruit or too much oak. In any event, it is out of balance, with too much alcohol, distended fruit, and little length. 87
AJ | Dark black-red, just off opaque, but with a sense of incipient evolution, too. Digested and refined, orderly, with attractive mushroomy complexities. Earthy; even underbelly and fur here, too. Dense, rich, gruff, with ample tannin and vivid acidity; another rather powerful, showy wine. Better and more intriguing than many in this muscle-bound style, but it still lacks some classicism and refinement for me. 87