Simon Field | Garnet going on amber, a gentle fade at the meniscus; then walnut, wild strawberries, and a distant recollection of school libraries, the text writ with lapidary care; white chocolate and damask roses, crushed pepper and a votive message; holds concentration well, building with Brucknerian conviction and finishing fresh, almost youthful, its cycle progressing with dignity, its job almost complete. Such generous fruit freshness, the primary notes still discreetly evidenced, poised and pure after all this time. | 95

Andrew Jefford | Pale, clear, and translucent now; clear russet at the heart, to a translucent old-rose at the rim. Warm, sweet, harmonious, and gentle; not quite an “old tawny” repertoire of scents, but not far off, with notes of dried flowers, pastilles, and plum jam. Less detail here than for some of its peers, but very beguiling nonetheless; those fugitive aromatic notes seem to dance in the air like dust motes in a sunbeam. Still very fresh and clean; no sense of tiredness. On the palate, it is poise and elegance itself, almost ballerina-like, with seamless mid-weight textures, some lively acidity to point up the sweetness, and lots of aerial floral notes to act as counterpoint to the cherry and the plum. It finishes very cleanly; you almost suspect there’s a little cleansing mint hidden underneath the sweet opulence, though I think I am imagining that. That acidity lends the fruit a freshness, and this is another wine that no one need hurry to drink. (The only wine of our 1963 cohort to display notable acidity.) If you’re looking for a “big” ’63, then this wine isn’t that, but if you want aromatic complexity, charm, and intricacy, this is absolutely there. | 94

Richard Mayson | Mature hue, turning tawny; slightly leathery, gamey fruit on the nose, with the spirit showing through, a touch of coffee bean; soft and smooth, tastes like a tawny initially, with a fine, spicy tannic build-up in the mouth and on to the finish. The fruit is fading but the wine is mellow, suave, and holding together to the end. | 91