Stephen Brook | There’s opulence and complexity on the nose, with vibrant sour-cherry fruit and a beguiling smokiness, as well as a whiff of tobacco. It’s broad and juicy on the palate, with good depth of fruit and concentration. This shows more power and assertiveness than most but is none the worse for that, as there’s no excessive extraction. A hedonistic style, with integrated and polished tannins. Very long. | 95

Andrew Jefford | Deep, clear garnet red. Sweet, milky currants, cherries, and spice: pretty scents. The palate brings a Brunello in that same soprano style: fresh and light-toned in terms of the fruits and the soft, almost sweet-edged acidity; ample but relatively feathery tannins. A delicious mid-term choice and a very sage reading of the vintage, embracing its freshness but without ever shading off into excessive structure or a more austere style of fruit. | 90

Michael Palij | Dominant baked fruit aromas emanate from the glass with fig, prune, and date all in evidence. Given the nature of this vintage, it’s difficult to see where such ripeness originates, and the palate shows coffee, tar, and a caramel note that individually seem destined to remain at arm’s length. It fails to coalesce into more than the sum of its parts. | 86