Nicolas Belfrage: Deep, virtually opaque. Wood and berry fruit on the nose; expressive but not that autochthonous. Big flavory wine, no palate, with some coffee grounds on the finish and a slight lack of acid-fruit balance. Fades on the finish. Constructed. Drink from 2015. 14

Andrew Jefford: Very deep and dense at the core, clearing to garnet at the rim. There’s a lot going on in the aromas of this wine, but to me it has mixed ripeness, with shaded-fruit herbaceousness—not a note I’m fond of. Something more perfumed and balsamic behind, however. On the palate, it has relatively soft tannins; again a grassy, herbaceous flavor note; plenty of soft, middle-palate fruit (currants rather than cherries); and a vivid finish. An energetic, generous, and accessible wine, but I wonder a little about the viticulture here: It seems to me that in a year like 2009 the ripeness should be purer and more consistent. 13.5

Franco Ziliani: Very intense, concentrated, very strange color, almost opaque and inky. Not in Nebbiolo style. Ripe, concentrated fruit, overextracted, with some oaky and toasty notes. Some strange oaky sweetness and maturity of fruit; bitter tannins; no elegance or harmony. 15