Andrew Jefford: Saturated midnight black. Gorgeous aromatics here: thyme, lavender, orange blossom, tangerine peel, faint pine resin, bay leaf, even the dust that sticks to the wild thyme (because it grows so close to the ground in a dry place)! Stick your nose into this, and you’re in Provence seconds later. On the palate, it is rich, exuberant: a carnival of flavor. It’s less tightly sewn than some and less richly textured than others, but the old-vine fruit comes striding out in seven-league boots and leaves your tongue awash with the color of bright southern flavors. No need to wait, but you’ll find awesome presence, immediacy, and allusiveness. Arrestingly pure and direct; stages a commando raid on your palate. 17

Simon Larkin : Creamy, foresty fruits on the nose, with a discreet oak influence. The palate is laden with dark fruit, admirably ripe with fine backing acidity. Typicity may be suppressed by winemaking decisions here, but there is a sense of harmony nonetheless. There is a wealth of fruit that walks the tightrope between headiness and poise. It is well made in the genre, though once more I would prefer it if it were a valuable component to a broader blend. 14.5

John Livingstone-Learmonth: Dark red, some shine. Earthen, rather down-home note to the nose, a muddled bouquet for now—lacks precise features. There is an underair of simmered black fruits, a note of charge in them. The palate is similarly subdued and is in transition from its early fruit into its second, more measured phase. There is juice in the final stages, so this will be better from mid-2015. Simply not firing today. Needs to bind its acidity and integrate. Will pull through. 2015 to 2027/29. 16