Nicolas Belfrage: Color code 6; almost bright. Lots of contour on the nose, with burned sugar, dried fruit, nuts, and herbs. High viscosity on the palate; syrupy sweet but with reasonably good acidity to balance. Dried bananas, dried mangoes, lots of flavor and mouthfeel, but somewhat out of balance. The voluptuous sort. Special, but not extra special. 16.5

Michael Edwards: Russet edging to tawny; dense; a little opaque in hue. Compote of stewed fruits, rich yet quite sharp on the nose. Does not lack character. Good rather than great. 15

Jancis Robinson: Deep fox red. A heady nose. Lots of sweetness, then acid, then astringency. Quite dense. Sweet and syrupy, without quite enough lift and tang for archetypal Vin Santo. Some rose-petal elements to it. Quite flattering but not very uplifting. A bit too sticky? Pretty astringent on the finish. Drink 2006–12. 16

Franco Ziliani: Very intense brown amber-mahogany color. Wild, mysterious nose, with earthy notes of mushroom, licorice, spice, and chestnut honey. The palate is very rich, creamy, and fat, with masses and masses of dried fruit, but the wine seems to be too rich and does not display the energy necessary to balance all this sweetness. 16.5