Simon Field | Terra-cotta hue, darkening at the core, somewhat miasmic. The nose is a little troubled and tight; leafy and even a touch musty. The palate reverberates with similar inexactitude. A second bottle is called for, whereupon one is treated to the same cloudy indecisive profile; the textural integrity compromised and the fruit character somewhat perfunctory. A shame, as there appears to be something reasonably impressive lurking behind the arras. | 86

Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red in color, with the core just beginning to admit light, and translucent from the midway point up the glass; the meniscus still a deep red, nonetheless. Bottle one seems to have some corkiness, alas. Bottle two is a bit stinky when first poured, and it is hard to see fresh fruit beneath, or indeed any other aromatic allusions, but I’ll have a look after 10 minutes. Some 15 minutes later, this wine is still a little disappointing aromatically. One senses there are good things there, but they remain stuck at the bottom of the glass somewhere. Perhaps yet another poor cork has left this wine scalped rather than actually TCA-affected. On the palate, too, it has a faintly cardboardy note that suggests poor cork. Such a shame, as the Port underneath all of this cork misery is very good indeed: deep, resourceful, energetic, vital, ripe, and exuberant. So, I will score as if this was a perfect bottle in sympathy with the producer—but caveat emptor, obviously. | 92

Richard Mayson | Good mid-deep garnet hue, browning rim; some overtly floral fruit but marred by slightly musky undertones. (Second bottle requested.) Second bottle similar; soft and ripe initially, quite fleshy with peppery-chalky tannins building in the mouth leading to a long, rather lean, sinewy finish. Better on the palate than on the nose, perhaps a touch of bottle stink. | 85