Tim Atkin | First bottle oxidized. Second bottle still at the bigger, riper end of the spectrum. Second bottle fading fast. Dry, tannic, and evolved. Won’t age. | 82

Simon Field | Bruised apple, oxidized, slightly tiring; maybe a sample issue, because behind that there is weight of tar/damson/fig personality, with no lack of generosity or grip. | 85

Andrew Jefford | Dense, dark black-red; opaque at the core, with a rim that has only just transitioned from purple to garnet. [Bottle 2 requested and noted] There is some plum pudding and Dundee-cake charm, though the fruits are more dried than fresh. Sweet, therefore, and questions are being asked about oxidation, though for me this is not a particular issue here—indeed, it seems to me that there are floral notes behind the raisin-sweet fruit. It’s not a multidimensional aroma, but give it time and it might be. Ample ripeness. In the mouth it is concentrated and long, with fresher fruits than I was anticipating. As with many other 2016s, acidity does more of the structuring work than tannin. I think (though my distinguished colleagues may disagree) that this is a worthwhile 2016: fresh, lively, and lifted, with poised if ripe fruits and better tannins than many. | 90