The 2009 Croft has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, black plum, and touches of glycerine and graphite that are well-defined but persistently broody. The palate is full-bodied with a burly, powerful entry. There is real structure and presence here – a Croft packed full of spicy black fruit with white peppers generously sprinkled over the finish. This is an ambitious Croft that could become a future legend – or might trip over its untrammeled ambition! Tasted May 2013.

Based on the Roeda vineyard, this opulent, fruity wine is dense, beautifully ripe, a powerhouse of sweet fruit, figs and raisins, plum jelly and the roundest, most generous tannins. It’s a wine that will show well in the next few years, but which should age magnificently.——R.V.(4/1/2012)—— 93