Simon Field | A purple black weave from the black widow, then a rather sugary, unformed nose. Raspberry compote, Turkish delight, and a syrupy labyrinth of sticky indecision. This may well sort itself out, but for the moment it is unabashedly sweet and rather coarse. | 87

Andrew Jefford | Saturated deep black-red in color, with lots of spicy, plump aromatic fruits, though a certain simplicity of aromatic constitution, too. On the palate, it is dense, vivid, deep, and energetic, but I’m not sure the fruit saturation is quite up to holding the fortification in check over the long term. Lovely depth and power for all that. This is a full-on vintage. | 89

Richard Mayson | Dense; still slightly raw on the nose; underlying intensity. A touch of greenness on the palate at this stage, peppery tannins rather austere in style all the way onto the finish. Good grip but a bit one-dimensional. | 87