Stephen Brook | There’s a welcome sucrosity on the nose, despite the lack of aromatic exuberance. This is clearly ripe if undemonstrative. The palate shows a fine silkiness that evens out the tannins, which are present but not assertive. There’s a fine elegance here rather than power or muscularity, and the freshness and balance should give it aging potential. Long. | 92

Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red. Translucent, but ample pigment here to draw on. Sweet-toned, with lots of classy confit cherry and a little soft unlit pipe tobacco, too. Moist, heady, and promising. Deep, grippy, almost a touch stewy: a very concentrated (and we assume ambitious) wine, and one with time ahead of it. I’d love to look at this again in a full five years: It’s a five-fathom wine for now, brimful of good things, but a little temporal sorting will bring dividends. The super depth and concentration could take it up further later; hugely exuberant and very rewarding. | 93

Michael Palij | Attractive nose, with notes of modeling clay, sweet spice, black cherry and plum, cedar, licorice, and tobacco, also showing concentration and intensity. The palate is ripe and fat, with attractive tannins and layers of discreet oak including cedar, toffee, caramel, and sawdust. The finish is long and complete, with the fruit and oak working together seamlessly to create a wine of real impact. Difficult to fault this. | 98