Bruno Besa | Deep garnet to pink. Open, mature, black-cherry and prune nose, with dried herbs and road tar. Mature palate, slightly jammy fruit, massive tannins, and a touch bitter, black-tea finish. | 90

Andrew Jefford | A slightly darker red-black than most of its peers, but translucent and clear. Some aromatic constraints here, with rather a sinewy style, and with some grassy, dill-like notes, too. Deep, firm, primary, and concentrated on the palate, so this is a wine of some ambition. It’s a bit of a puzzle to score, as those palate qualities will be relished by many, yet the question concerning ripeness thrown up by the aromatic allusions suggest that the wine may not necessarily age well. What’s for certain is that this is a generous 2015 Barolo and contains much to enjoy. | 85

Michael Palij | A delicious and bold expression of Barolo, with a pronounced nose of black olive, coffee, dried blueberry, fig, nectarine, and tobacco. In the mouth, this has drying tannins supported by ripe black fruit and precise acidity. A great expression that encapsulates what it is to be Monforte. | 90