Jesús Barquín: Lovely amber, with copper hues. The nose displays wild herbs, nuts, and a slightly medicinal note. The palate confirms extremely old age but also greater volume than the rest, which makes me suspect it may be from Montilla. Grows on the palate, culminating in a long cathedral finish, with plenty of dry extract. 17.5

Andrew Jefford: A deep orange-gold in color. Savory, light, burnished, almost toasty; very lifted, full of the “fumositee” that Falstaff (and presumably his creator) loved. There’s a creaminess, too. Refined, like fine coffee. Wonderfully nose-teasing as first assayed. Yet later I go back, and it has slipped back a gear or two: nutty but now slightly rustic— I don’t know why (the mysterious chemistry of wine). Very intense and pure on the palate. It’s a light Amontillado in terms of the wide spectrum we are discovering as we taste, yet its concentration and density give it impressive force and mass on the palate. All apricots and nuts and basmati rice: nourishing at the same time as it piques and stimulates. Again, as first tasted; yet on a retaste, this seems a little tight, taut, and pinched, though indubitably concentrated. Not quite one of the greats today. 16.5

Richard Mayson: Mid-amber, with a glint of green-gold; well-defined Amontillado character, lifted, savory, quite pungent, yet with obvious finesse; long and lithe, not much richness here but great character, compact and well defined, with a long sinewy-savory finish. Not an easy wine, but there is purity and integrity here in equal measure (and I love it!). 19