Nicolas Belfrage: Deep, almost opaque. Tarry, herby nose of some force. Concentrated palate, rich and spicy, with very firm, old-style tannins (ripe) and plenty of licoricey herby fruit on the finish, which is quite long. Porty finish is cut by aggressive but ripe tannins. Has length and character. 17

Andrew Jefford: Very dense black-red, shading to clear red at the rim. This is a wine of huge aromatic energy: a boil of red fruits, but there is also something vegetal in there, and lots of creamy oatmeal, too. Not a subtle aroma at all! Yet very exuberant and arresting: a wine with much to say for itself aromatically, and we like that. On the palate, rich, full, deep, complex, nutty, and long. This isn’t one of the more close-grained of the wines we are looking at, but its wealth of flavor is hugely generous and resonant—it’s one of those Barolos that make you think that nothing anywhere else can really approach the grandeur and multidimensionality of Barolo. Is its exuberance excessive? Perhaps; there are subtler aromas in this tasting, and the tannins are almost vicious. Yet again, scoring seems totally beside the point: It may not be perfect, but it is a masterful statement of its place and its biotope, yet very different from its peers; how can one use the same scale? But one must. So, 17.5 for sheer, all-out generosity. 17.5

Franco Ziliani: Deep ruby-violet color. Overripe fruit, very warm and alcoholic impression, some sign of premature evolution of the wine, with some Port and sweet-wine aspects that are not so clear. Very rich, broad, and consistent, but dry bitter tannins. No harmony, no finesse or elegance; masses of ripe fruit; bitter finish. 14.5