Essi Avellan: Deep golden. Ripe, deep nose of fresh fruit, spices and honey. Intense, well-built, firm, and strong palate that still has freshness. Fine up until the very finish: The aftertaste is pungent, mousy, and unpleasantly drying. Woody characters are lingering. The aroma development in the glass is not positive. 13

Andrew Jefford: Mid-depth of gold; steady and fine-beaded. Fresh, flowery, and light: very attractive scents. Faint, seaweedy, umami-like warmth behind, though there is also a slight cardboard note, which is less impressive. On the palate, this is a rich, chewy, super-mineral style, like drinking liquidized chalk sticks in a... well, not apple purée, because the apple fruit has been wonderfully transmogrified and rendered vinous, so mixed into a fine northern wine purée. This isn’t in any way classic; it doesn’t have a huge amount of nervy finesse; but if you’re interested in the way that wine can taste of stone and soil, it’s absolutely on the button. Big and “mineral”—the place just lifted up, rendered liquid, and lowered down on your tongue. 18.5

Tom Stevenson: Quite intense, but lacks finesse. 14.5