Nicolas Belfrage: Color code: Occhio di Pernice? This wine is the nearest thing I have found to dried-grape syrup. Incredibly concentrated, it would be decried as disgracefully unbalanced were it not for the fact that it is absolutely delicious. You could stand a spoon up in it, as the saying goes. You feel more like chewing it than drinking it. The residual sugar level must be spectacular, which is why the acidity is left trailing. But it is truly a phenomenon of the (unfortified) wine world. 19

Michael Edwards: Very dense color, roasted coffee aromas, almost mocha-like in their intensity. Toward the end of the tasting, this really strikes the palate—extremely sensuous and hedonistic—but despite its strength, it has a lovely bright finish. A delightful surprise. 17.5

Jancis Robinson: Thick, blackish brown. Impenetrable color, though with some green on the rim. Licorice and tar on the rather impenetrable nose. Extremely syrupy. This really does taste like a syrup, a Vin Santo that has been boiled down. It’s an interesting wine in a way—like liquefied licorice—but has not the refreshment value of the best Vin Santo. Very sweet and sticky indeed. Perhaps one should admire it for the sheer residual sugar. There’s a hint of rose petals, and it’s not too astringent. A conundrum. Almost as sweet as Tokaji Esszencia! Astringent prune juice. I’m scoring it as a sweet wine rather than as a typical Vin Santo. Drink 2006–18. 17

Franco Ziliani: Brown mahogany in the glass. A mysterious and wild bouquet. Overripe nose, dried plums, licorice, tobacco, dried figs. The mouth is extremely intense, broad, and creamy and shows all the particularity of an Occhio di Pernice, with a finish that recalls rhubarb and chocolate, and never-ending intensity. A wine of fantastic substance and intensity that is not boring or one-dimensional and has strong personality. 18.5