Simon Field: A big, bruising rugby player, in the pack somewhere. The tannins are proud and forthright, the acidity crisp and persuasive, the fruit character dark and ripe, and the crescendo more than impressive. | 90

Andrew Jefford: Another monumentally dark wine, rivaling [the Ferreira 2016]. Gleaming, saturated black-purple red. Hugely attractive aromas of blackcurrant, bramble, black plum, brandy, and Christmas spice; poised, sustained, and refined. There is a faint tarry note here, but it is absorbed into the style and doesn’t disconcert. Complex and commanding. Dense, rich, riveting, and profound on the palate; the tannins here truly have a depth-charge force, and yet the wine is still deft, elegant, and well organized, with dry, aristocratic blackcurrant sweetened with just a little (not so much) blackberry and plum. An awesome effort, and destined for a very long life. | 94

Richard Mayson: Deep, opaque, with a ripe, heady, vibrant, hot-country character; licorice on the nose, not yet closed in; immediately full and opulent in style, lovely richness and depth backed by solid, powerful tannins that power through the finish. Impressive for its combination of richness, depth, and structure. For the long haul. | 95