“Impenetrable, dark cardinal red. Enormous, concentrated sweet-sour cherry nose with malty notes. Bitter, stalky tannins framing the fruit. Intense, long and with amazing balance even if the tannins on the finish are quite dominant and the alcohol is 17%. This will need time (but I am told that the Valpolicella is much less pronto, and the Amarone ‘gia morbido’[already soft]).”

"Full, complex and multi-layered with candied mango, papaya, honey, peach and sweet spice flavours. Very zesty, mineral finish with gentle sweetness and great length."

"Complex wine bursting with mandarin, nectarine and poached peach flavours, refreshed by juicy acidity. Soft, complex, creamy and long - delicious!"

"...It opens slowly, keeping your attention all the while, with cherry and blackberry soon followed by spice, red rose and a bright touch of freshly chopped mint..."

"... The fruit is pressed very delicately and the wine made in stainless steel. Thanks to this hand-off approach, you are awarded a fresh and bright bouquet with direct primary fruit. This is an easy-drinking wine to pair with simple meat dishes..."

"...fresh and citrus-driven wine with crisp acidity and tonic layers of white peach, garden herb and blanched almond. The wine boasts a very strong mineral vein that comes forward with almost-salty intensity..."

"...The wine was aged in botte grande to maintain the brightness of the fruit and to prevent the wine from becoming too heavy. It shows a pretty level of fresh acidity and it also offers distinct mineral tones that come as a pleasant surprise. Aromas of crushed flint and campfire ash are followed by cola and balsam herb..."

"... Deep and rounded but still with a slight grip to indicate plenty of life ahead. You could broach it now but it has more complexity to come. Finely fresh on the finish..."

"... On the palate it's bone dry but again full of fruit, deep and persistent and with just the merest hint of tannin to give structure alongside the bright acidity. Refreshing, serious and long. Could be drunk on its own or at the table. Perfect balance.”

"A more elegant and slightly cooler nose combines notes of apple and pear with those of lemon rind and white flower. As one would reasonably expect, the mouth feel of the medium weight flavors is finer with a lovely texture to the lightly mineral-inflected finish. This is really quite good and worth considering."

"There is a touch of matchstick character to the floral and citrus aromas that introduce the intense, well-detailed and nicely concentrated flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the clean, dry and focused finale. This should drink well after only a few years of age but repay 6 to 8."

"...Here too there is a trace of matchstick character on the slightly riper aromas that feature notes of apple compote, lavender and hints of the exotic and citrus elements. The rich, generously proportioned and fleshy medium weight flavors possess more size and weight than is usual for this wine thanks to the copious level of dry extract that confers a sappy texture to the moderately structured and notably dry finish in the context of the vintage."

"A whiff of reduction isn’t sufficient to mask the pretty essence of pear and apple aromas that enjoy floral and citrus top notes. The beautifully textured, concentrated and sappy medium weight plus flavors are both sleek and delineated, all wrapped in a classy and impeccably well-balanced finish that flashes more minerality than is usual for Combettes."

"A riper but still quite fresh nose displays notes of white peach, floral, citrus and a whiff of the exotic. Yet again there is excellent volume to the sappy mouth coating flavors that also exude evident minerality on the lingering and well-balanced finish that isn’t quite as firm or complex. Still this is certainly promising and should reward mid-term cellaring."

"... The caressing and very refined middle weight flavors possess a highly seductive mouth feel that also brims with dry extract while delivering excellent length on the beautifully complex and persistent finale that, like the Combettes, is unusually dry relative to what is common for the vintage. Class in a glass."

"As is often the case this evidences a similar aromatic profile to that of the Pucelles and in particular with respect to the honeysuckle character. While there is a bit more size, density and mid-palate volume to the middle weight plus flavors they manage to retain the same heightened sense of refinement and particularly so on the sneaky long and focused finish. This is potentially really fine juice."

"... The mouth feel of the big-bodied flavors is notably more refined than usual yet the underlying power of a fine Bâtard is certainly present and especially so on the hugely long, firm and built-to-age finish. In a word, impressive."