Jesús Barquín: Toasty, extracted nose, with meat-stew notes. The palate confirms this impression, with surprisingly civilized tannins for its power, and a certain alcoholic warmth. Difficult to assess at this young age, wanting integration, but in this specific case my impression is very promising. Needs bottle. 16.5

Alex Hunt: Someone has played sulfide poker here—and lost. This has an unbefitting eggy/garlic aroma. I like the licorice tang and the gentle freshness of the structure, but the aromas here are far from centered. 14

Andrew Jefford: Saturated black-red in color. Very sensual and enticing: a Priorat that wants to be a Pomerol. Gorgeously ripe fruit scents here; seductive yet fresh, too. It can’t be Merlot, yet it almost seems to have that Merlot roundness, those rosy cheeks, those plump contours. On the palate, by contrast, it gets a lot more serious and more typical of its place. There is still the ripeness and the fullness, but in fact the fruit doesn’t saturate and flood the palate as the aromas suggested it might; it falls away relatively quickly to leave something more sinewy, lithe, and athletic. And mineral. Excellent wine, full of character, full of charm, though I should warn you that the fruit is really very sweet. 17