Andrew Jefford: Midnight black; hard to shine any light through this. Warm, throbbing, meaty scents; uncompromising, clayey, almost slabby. You feel it needs at least half a decade to rouse itself into aromatic articulacy, but there’s a huge amount here—the dragon, asleep in its lair. On the palate, it’s every bit as dragonish and, for the time being, as quiescent: a great carpet of rich, intense, deep-pile fruit and angora tannins. The flavors have tiptoed out to the edge of fresh ripeness, but they haven’t fallen off the ledge: pounded black fruits, pounded herbs, pounded stones. A reference wine, for which any mark must be provisional at this stage—but I’d just love to see it five years down the road. 17

Simon Larkin : Oddly disjointed aromas—high-toned, some stewed fruit. The palate follows in a similar vein, sour cherry, some astringency and a sense of angularity rather than of generosity. Yes, this is recognizably Châteauneuf, but there is something slightly aggressive in this showing. 9.5

John Livingstone-Learmonth: Dark robe, black center, purple rim, legs. Simmered black cherries lead aroma, its Syrah prominent. Minor reduction, game instincts, so decant this. The nose has the curvaceous shape of well-ripened 2010 crop, and good depth. The palate is a tasty affair: offers some waves of slightly charged liqueur-style black fruits; reaches out with continuity. It tightens and tapers a little as it finishes, takes on darker, more acidity, more tannic notes. A little cellar-worked, perhaps. Modern Châteauneuf. 16.5