Andrew Jefford: Dense black-red. A big wall of aroma, with some intriguing mentholated notes woven into the citrus peel, sweet thyme, and crushed stone: altogether what you want. Lively, intense, lots of vigor, almost fresh; an aromatic palate; concentrated, too, with acidity as present as tannin; hitting all the bull’s-eyes, which technical tasters might want. It’s not a wine that I can fault in any way… but not quite, for all that, my dream of Châteauneuf. (Maybe Châteauneuf has to have something excessive about it to be great.) Make no mistake, though; this is very good indeed; very pure and concentrated, too. 15.5

Simon Larkin : A deep nose of brooding, almost Porty dark fruits. This is a bold, intense wine with admirable ripeness and good poise. It possesses copious dark red, black fruits, hints toward licorice, with grippy yet fine tannins and a good acidity. There is the merest suggestion of surmaturité, though it avoids too much excess. I think this could evolve well, because there is a balance and a complexity that captures garrigue and notes of spice. Welcome relief in a far headier flight. 16

John Livingstone-Learmonth: Dark red, some black in the robe. Broad, toasted, grilled aroma—possesses prune, ripe, mulled fruiting with a little sideline of Provence herbs. The palate fruit is liqueur-like, a Grenache texture that combines smoothness and a little potency. Old-vines center to this— that depth is here, and a set of rather gummy tannins accompanies it. Could have been enhanced by more Mourvèdre to give it greater “glint.” Reveals local garrigue notes and herbs toward the finish. Marks for character. Decant. From 2015 to 2027/30. 16.5