Bruno Besa | Straw with green highlights. Open and intense on the nose, a touch vegetal yet mineral, clean, with fresh herbs, lemon, and grapefruit. Lively, mineral, clean citrus-fruit palate, with a long, herbal finish. | 90

Andrew Jefford | Impressively pale in color for its age. Light and initially shy on the nose; just a little oil of lemon and fragrant verbena charm. This takes a lot of scrutiny, though, and there are no false or tired notes, either. An impressive wine on the palate, clearly. Beautifully preserved for a 2014, and still fresh, fine, and aquiline; built around a core of intense, ripe acidity; and very classy in its flavor profile—that lemon and lemon verbena freshness comes singing out, pure and clear as a soprano aria. It’s concentrated and long, too—yet drinkable, gastronomic. Well done and worth seeking out. It may have had some oak—there is a whisper of vanilla and a richer fullness on the palate—but if so this has been very well managed to serve the intrinsic purity and character of the wine rather than dominate it. It works. | 92

Michael Palij | Pronounced and complex on the nose, with dairy (cheese, whey), herbs (mint), stone fruit (peach, nectarine), and honey. The palate is rich and fat, with a wealth of primary, secondary, and even tertiary character. This is a particularly impressive example—all the more so given the challenging vintage. | 89