Bruno Besa: Dark garnet to tawny rim. Rather closed, earthy, cedar-wood, black-cherry nose. Full-bodied palate, with big yet refined tannins, black and red fruits, and a long, herbal, chalky finish. A touch unbalanced, but maybe time will improve it. 92

Andrew Jefford: Dark, translucent black-red, off-opaque but not by much. Warm, sweet, rounded, and harmonious; engaging—mulled wine in which the spices are born in the fruit itself. A lovely, unpretentious, but terrifically good aroma. Grand fruit qualities, surely ...Yes, grand fruit. Deep, driving, ripper, long, and hugely enjoyable. Soft, ample tannins and juicy acidity. No one will ever fail to enjoy a glass of this wine. It doesn’t have aromatic finesse, textural nuance, or any notable layering, but what it does it does very well indeed, which is deliver on the denominazione promise. 89

Michael Palij: Powerful nose, with baked black fruit including baking spices, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cloves, fig, prune, and dates. The combination of oak and overripe fruit make this wine very intense, but it lacks delicacy and poise. The fruit and alcohol make a formidable team but only at the expense of balance. Drink now but do not keep. 91