Nicolas Belfrage: Deep, almost opaque. Fresh fruit rather than truffle or tar or other non-fruit aromas. A lot of concentrated, sweet, ripe fruit on the palate—part-fresh, part-dried—plus a hint of herb and spice make for an interesting wine. Licorice comes through on the finish, not very typical but well made. 16

Andrew Jefford: Very deep black-red with clear ruby meniscus. A kind of heavy, drenching, tropical rain of red fruits, qualified by wood and given time, thus very secondary yet nonetheless compelling. Oak evident, too. On the palate, this is another masterful, grandiose wine with huge levels of extract and depth, of resonance and provocation. It is also another very ripe wine in a very ripe vintage; there is no fresh, light, crunchy fruit to provide a sense of balance, and the ripe, fruit-saturated acidity is submissive, so that all the balancing work is carried out by the copious tannins, and by all the mysterious perfumes and aromas that are somehow hidden inside those tannins. The end result is rich, chewy, long, open, though some might find it a little over-elemental, primeval, even Neanderthal. You need to know what you are in for here. But another great wine, unquestionably, and there are huge complexities here for those who are ready to search for them. 17

Franco Ziliani: Deep ruby color. The nose shows a surprising premature evolution of the wine. Port-like or Barolo Chinato notes. Tobacco, spice, oaky licorice, dried flowers, leaf, aromatic herb notes, full of fall character. Very warm on the palate, but the tannins are too dry on the finish, and the wine lacks harmony and elegance. What will be the evolution of this wine? I don’t know 15.5