SF | A wall of near-inscrutable color, then the equally provocative barrier of reduction. The palate repays the complement with firm, rather muscular tannins; little doubt in terms of the foundations, architecturally speaking, but a somewhat monolithic edifice, its intentions admirable but very focused on the medium term and, in all probability, much further. 90
AR | Remarkably youthful in color at this stage of its development, there's licorice-spice and blackcurrant in the aromas, while to taste, there is richly concentrated cassis fruit nicely shaded by oak, in a powerful structure whose ripe, dark fruit is soft enough, even if the tannins start to dry out a little on the finish. 89
DW | Dark-fruit compote, with a treacly, tarry note; intense and a little laborious, with a super-charged blackcurrant character. All very full-on, but not without its easy-fruited charm; hard to see how it will age. 88