100 Point Wines

wines

Tension of raw material and compactness for a Brunello for years an embodiment of balance and elegance. Juniper and eucalyptus aromas, with sensations of dogwood and dill jam. The taste is savoury and compact, with great balsamic chime and nuances of small fruits.Luca Gardini | 100 LGAnother perfumed beauty that shows rose, pine cone, red fruit and lilac aromas that follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and a lightly chewy finish. Savory and juicy. Best after 2027.James Suckling | 95 JSDepths of wild strawberry mix with flowery underbrush and crushed violets as the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino evolves in the glass. It is vibrant and racy in style, with crisp wild berry fruits and a cascade of inner floral perfumes. Nuances of sour citrus and inner cedar tones add complexity throughout. Its structure comes in late, crunchy and edgy, leaving a tart blackberry saturation that pinches at the cheek as steely mineral tones echo throughout. This is a high-energy Brunello from Sassetti with the balance for medium-term cellaring.Vinous Media | 94 VM

‘A classical vintage that perfectly suits the Opus style. Gorgeous vivid plum colour, sculpted, balanced, with a ton of lift, waves of rose petals, iris and peony, soft grilled cumin, sage and white pepper spice. Love the hidden power here and the supple slightly chalky tannins that are structured in their architecture with a precision and carved quality. Precise, layered and stretched out, a brilliant Opus, concentrated and yet delicate. Feels pared back and captures the spirit of early Opus, when it moved forward the conversation of what Napa could be. Michael Silacci director, 100% new oak for ageing extremely well integrated even now.’Jane Ansen | 100 JAAn enticing aroma of violets, cherry blossoms, fresh blue and black fruit and great structure define this beautiful, age-worthy wine. Subtle layering of fruit and oak spices between firm, fine-grained and supportive tannins gives it a calm intensity. So elegant and polished. Hints of cinnamon and graphite accent blackcurrant and blueberry flavors that linger and grow in a long finish. Already attractive to drink, but best after 2029.James Suckling | 99 JSTasted out of bottle, the 2021 Opus One is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and splashes of Merlot and Malbec. This rich, full-bodied, concentrated Opus exhibits a deep ruby/plum hue as well as textbook notes of cedar pencil, graphite, tobacco, and a Graves-like scorched earth character. In my view, this is one of the finest vintages of this cuvée produced, and while it’s accessible today, it has another 30+ years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and half a percent each of Malbec and Merlot. It was aged up to 19 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a seamless wine with balletic elegance and grace. From a deep ruby-crimson colour comes heady red and violet floral notes, sandalwood, and rich brown spices nuanced by graphite and dried sagebrush. Medium to full-bodied with ultrafine-grained tannins, almost powdery, with gorgeous cranberry and raspberry fruits and a kind of juicy, woody, crushed pomegranate seed character. You really can’t believe how light and ephemeral this wine is.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with gregarious notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, and redcurrant jelly followed by hints of cedar chest, sassafras, vanilla pod, and dark chocolate plus a waft of lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers shimmery red, black, and blue fruit layers with a firm texture of rounded tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThe 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-refined tannins, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, flowers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can’t wait to see how the 2021 develops. This is a stellar showing, certainly the best so far.Vinous Media | 97+ VMShows lovely range and good energy, with an old-school tilt to the savory, bay leaf and tobacco notes that lead the way for a core of gently mulled red currant and black cherry fruit. There’s a leathery strap of grip on the finish, plus a flicker of cedar. This is sneakily long and should age gracefully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2042. 25,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Moving to the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the balanced 7% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Insanely pure, it offers kaleidoscope-like aromatics of black and blue fruits, spring flowers, chocolate, burning embers, and bouquet garni. Full-bodied on the palate, it doesn’t get any better, and it’s concentrated, has building tannins, and a monster of a finish. Offering more generosity and opulence than just about every other wine in the vintage, this is a killer bottle of wine! It will make your eyes roll back in your head today, yet will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDEach year, the blend of Ovid wines varies depending on the vintage. Winemaker Austin Peterson prefers not to pre-plan the blend, instead approaching each vintage with a fresh perspective. Often, the wine needs more Cabernet Sauvignon to qualify as a Napa Valley varietal wine. The vineyard features an abundance of Clone 4, planted across four of its 17 blocks within the 6ha site. This clone contributes a distinctive savoury character and polish, evident in the 2021 vintage with its flinty minerals, green tobacco, and mulberry fruit, reminiscent of Napa Cabernets from the 1970s. Comprising 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the wine is aged 20 months in 66% new French oak. It is full-bodied with ripe, chewy tannins that assert themselves on entry but gradually soften, revealing a beautifully layered wine with mineral-infused mulberry fruit and green tobacco aromas. The wine exhibits notable tension, supported by a pH level 3.78, ensuring vibrancy and freshness. It is a pedigreed wine characterised by balance, intensity, and complexity.Decanter Magazine | 100 DECThe purity of fruit and class to this wine is really impressive, with roses, lavender. violets and blackcurrants and a sweet lift. Medium- to full-bodied with very long and racy tannins. They go from the front of your palate to the back. This is so beautiful and graceful yet structured. Give this at least four to five years. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Ovid is another exceptional wine in this range. Dark shades of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit open first, followed by hints of leather, lavender, spice, tobacco and incense that lend complexity. Deep and structured, with notably finessed tannins for a young mountain wine, the 2021 delivers the goods. This is quite impressive in the early going, especially with time in the glass.Vinous Media | 97 VMLike the 2021 Hexameter, Ovid’s 2021 Red Wine combines red and black fruits, bright acids and ripe tannins. Hints of redcurrants accent black cherries, joined by mocha and baking spices on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and framed by dusty tannins, finishing long and fresh. If I’ve been conservative in my rating of this blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it’s just because it comes across as a bit edgy, in need of several years of cellaring for it to show its best.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

Paul Hobbs’ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from their Nathan Coombs Estate was hand-sorted while still cold from night-harvesting, fermented in small, closed-top, stainless steel tanks with native yeasts, cold soaked for five days and macerated for 30 days with gentle pump-overs and délestage, aged 20 months in 96% new French oak barrels, including Darnajou, Taransaud, Boutes, Leroi, Baron, La Grange, Marchive, and Vicard coopers and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is an immaculate wine. It is positively brimming with incredible upfront drinking appeal, but this is a wine you could lay down for a generation. It’s a masterful creation, imbued with tension, density, ironstone, and black rock minerality so prominent that you taste pulverised igneous and metamorphic rocks in powder form. The mineral component is just remarkable. Medium-bodied with beautifully pure black cherry and blackberry fruits, black olive, and liquorice, underscored by such precision-focused tannins that the textural feel is so delicate, pixelated, and silky, the wine glides over the palate with ease. An undercurrent of expressive acidity keeps everything light and refreshing, and nuances of tobacco, brown baking spices, salty dark chocolate, and cedarwood layer in a tapestry of flavours that will meld together over the years to form a wine so pleasing it might simply be overwhelming.Decanter Magazine | 100 DECA great example of a 2021 from a district of southern Napa that often produces the coolest, most supple cabernets. So dense yet silky and elegant. Graphite, iron, seashell and espresso aromas meet super-concentrated flavors of blackcurrant, blackberry and cocoa, all wrapped in extra-fine tannins that structure it for long aging without being at all harsh to sip now. Fresh and balanced. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the estate’s best blocks, planted around 2002. Scents of blueberries, cassis, vanilla, loam, cedar and some faint floral elements appear on the soaring, complex nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated, almost creamy-rich across the mid-palate, then long and supple on the finish. Impressive for its concentration and energy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is a heady, exotic wine. All the signatures of this site are amplified to the core. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, cloves and chocolate all saturate the palate. Dense and potent, with tremendous mid-palate richness, the 2021 is a wine of sweeping grandeur and sheer intensity. Fabulous.Vinous Media | 97 VMRipe black fruits, iron, smoked tobacco, graphite, and a beautiful sense of minerality all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate, another insanely good wine from this winemaker. With full-bodied richness and a deep, seamlessly textured mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a thrilling finish, this has some accessibility today yet deserves a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. I suspect it will see its 50th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDRipe and lush, showing an expansive core of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry compote flavors infused with sweet bay, violet and dried anise notes. Sleek toast works in harmony, allowing the fruit to play out over a cast iron note on the finish. Extremely solid. Best from 2026 through 2038. 510 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Stupendous aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of mint, cedar and pine. Notes of iodine, tobacco and mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with solid tannins that spread across the palate and melt into the wine. They frame the wine and give it form and tension, and then the center palate is energized with pure, airy, bright fruit. Available in 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Promontory swans out with gregarious scents of juicy blueberries, fresh blackcurrants, and kirsch leading to suggestions of candied violets, forest floor, black olives, and cardamom with a waft of wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with electric black and red berry layers, framed by very firm yet beautifully ripe tannins and impactful tension, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIAn absolute legend in the making, the 2021 Promontory is one of the most massive, concentrated, structured wines in the vintage. Coming from a hot, drought year, it has a dense purple/blue hue as well as primary notes of pure cassis, liquid rocks, black olives, resinous herbs, and iron. This carries to a full-bodied Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon that has a dense, layered mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and flawless overall balance. It’s not going to hit full maturity for at least a decade, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve for 40-50 years if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDJust bottled, the 2021 Promontory is captivating. Readers will find a striking, translucent mountain Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with notable tension and delineation. From the very beginning, Promontory has challenged the model of what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is and what it can be. The 2021 is a total knockout. It’s exceptionally polished and drop-dead gorgeous.Vinous Media | 98+ VM

A perfumed and enchanting wine that seduces you with its pure aromas of plums, peaches, cedar, sandalwood and roses. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that caress your palate and give a long and beautiful finish. Extremely silky and polished. Crunchy. A great wine that’s a benchmark for the vintage. One of the best ever. Very drinkable now, but better after 2028.James Suckling | 100 JSLocation La Melina, compelling bio label that opens to aromas on raspberry sensations, then black olives, peony and hints of eucalyptus. Drink juiciness and tension, savory tannins. It closes with memories of small fruits and balsamic sensations, accompanied by iodized hints.Luca Gardini | 98+ LGThe San Filippo 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucére reveals a darker color compared to the Comunali and greater fruit weight, adding depth and texture to the wine. Where the Comunali feels lean on the palate, Le Lucére shows breadth and a more individual character, shaped by its single-vineyard origin with distinctive yellowish sandstone soils. Flavors of wild plum and dark currant segue to light smoke and a flinty mineral note that reinforces the wine’s sense of freshness, while the tannins feel somewhat sweet (still very tight at the beginning, but they do soften) in this Brunello.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucére is vividly fruit-focused. It opens with a blend of crushed black raspberries and blueberries elevated by nuances of pine and rosemary. This wine displays lovely elegance and a velvety feel, with cooling acidity to balance as masses of ripe red berry fruits slowly saturate the palate. Sneaky tannins frame the finish as the 2021 takes a turn toward the serious side, structured and incredibly long. It leaves a bitter dark chocolate resonance and violet inner florals to fade slowly.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Prestigious cru, accompanied by a protocol aimed at preserving the tension of the raw material, with incisive juiciness. Black pepper in grains and red plum, then wild fennel, with minty and gardenia puffs. Rightly tannic, officinal and persistent sip.Luca Gardini | 100 LGThe 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Pelagrilli pours a brighter shade than the 2020 and shows a more vertical, tension-driven profile. The nose reveals red cherries, salted orange, leather, cedar, dried flowers, and that classic touch of incense that feels so Pacenti. Medium to full-bodied, it has ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and a long, mouthwatering finish, and it’s hard not to keep coming back to it. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDGorgeous aromas of blackberries, black cherries, cedar, bark and spices follow through to a medium body with fine, integrated tannins and a succulent finish. Shows drive and intensity at the end. Give this three to four years in the bottle, but it’s already beautiful. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSBalsamic black cherries blend with nuances of mocha, brown spice and minty herbs as the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli dominates the glass. It has the weight of velvet yet remains lifted and serene, with crisp red and black fruits that slowly penetrate, complemented by a twang of citrus. A bitter dark chocolate tinge adds tension through the close, further enhanced by edgy tannins, yet the 2021 leaves the mouth watering for more. Beautifully done.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe Siro Pacenti 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli shows concentration with dark fruit flavors framed by powdery tannins that extend through a medium- to full-bodied finish. Following fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures in French barrique, a choice that adds structure and polish to this bold expression. Sourced from 10 hectares of moisture-retaining clay soils in the northern part of the appellation at 330 meters above sea level, the wine delivers notable power and warmth, closing with an evident 15.5% alcohol. This is a release of 24,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Another absolute legend from the 2021, the 2021 Proprietary Red is based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in plenty of new oak. It brings another level of density, purity, and regalness, with awesome blackcurrants, iron, roasted herbs, tobacco, and a Latour-like graphite character all defining the aromatics. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, it has a seamless mouthfeel, absolutely incredible tannin, ample mid-palate depth, and flawless overall balance. While it certainly offers pleasure today, it’s going to take a solid 8-10 years of bottle age for this to hit maturity, and it will be a 40- to 50-year wine. Hats off to the team at Sloan.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Sloan is every bit as impressive as it was last year. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2021 is a gorgeous, ynamic wine. Sumptuous dark red cherry, red plum, rose petal, new leather and cinnamon give this plush, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon tons of character. The 2021 was only bottled a few months ago, so it has room to grow. It is a seriously beautiful, rapturous wine.Vinous Media | 98+ VM

The finest example of this estate I’ve ever tasted, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a flat-out sensational effort that hits perfection. Exhibiting a deep purple hue as well as a smorgasbord-like array of cassis, scorched earth, chocolate, and spicy wood, it has a Pauillac-like cedar pencil character, full-bodied richness, and voluptuous, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and sweet tannins. While there’s considerable structure, it’s concealed by the wine’s extravagant fruit, richness, and opulence. This prodigious, sensationally pure, heavenly Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and will have another three decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. Rich, deep and expansive, with tremendous depth, it has a ton to offer. Blackberry, gravel, incense, cloves, graphite and dried herbs saturate the palate. A deep, statuesque wine, the Staglin Cabernet is seriously impressive. All it needs is time. The warm, dry year produced small berries with thick skins and plenty of natural concentration. As a result, Staglin gave the 2021 an extra five months in barrel.Vinous Media | 97 VMBrambleberry, tile and dry-earth aromas follow through to a full body with layered and dry, velvety tannins. Wood is showing, but there’s plenty of fruit underneath to come out at the end. Solid young cab. 60 bottles.James Suckling | 94-95 JSNicely packed with blackberry and black currant paste notes that show underlying juiciness, while violet, melted licorice and sage accents fill in through the polished finish. Best from 2026 through 2038. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Miraculous plot located a stone’s throw from the center of Montalcino, one of the most traditional and elevated incarnations of the typology. Gardenia and red plum in jam, smoked touches with lavender and pepper leaf. Savoury and officinal when drunk, it ends in floral puffs.Luca Gardini | 100 LGDistinct notes of cherry, plum, flowers and spice. A model of Montalcino authority whose sapid, flavoursome and lengthy development express a rich texture, ripe tannins, visceral energy and dynamism. From a 560-metre-high historic estate adjacent to Montalcino’s 14th century walls and the Madonna del Soccorso Sanctuary (hence the name). Historic Montalcino oenologist, Enzo Tiezzi and daughter Monica, manage the six hectares organically.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Soccorso opens with a burst of spiced orange mixed with spearmint before giving way to tart cherries, wafting up with its seductive bouquet. It presents elegance and refinement, with fleshy textures and ripe red berry fruits offset by a slight dark chocolate tinge. The 2021 leaves a framework of sweet tannins and an air of violet inner florals while finishing potent yet remarkably fresh. Pure pleasure to taste.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis wine shows oxidative aromas of dried cherries, dried flowers and hints of prunes and smoke. Full-bodied, it shows vibrancy and tension with firm, chewy and grainy tannins, crisp acidity and a tight, youth finish. Try from 2028.James Suckling | 94 JSCamphor, underbrush, violet and spice aromas come to the forefront on the 2021 Brunello Vigna Soccorso. Full-bodied and showing youthful tension, the palate offers succulent Morello cherry, raspberry, ground nutmeg and cocoa set against fine-grained, coiled tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KOMore transparent in color with a red-orange tinge, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Soccorso is focused and spiced on the nose, with redcurrants, bergamot, dusty earth, and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied and vertical, with driving acidity, fine, coiled tannins, and a stony texture that firms up through the finish. It’s tightly wound today and will need another 6-12 months to start showing its best, but the structure is impressive. Drink 2026-2037.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JD

Composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 La Joie sports a deep garnet-purple color. It comes galloping out of the glass with energetic notes of fresh red and black currants, mulberries and candied violets, giving way to evocative wafts of cardamom, clove oil, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, delivering taut, muscular black fruit and very firm, finely grained tannins, plus a finely knit line of freshness, finishing long and energetic. It’s tightly wound and will require patience to allow the tertiary characters to blossom. Forget it for 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it over the following 30 years+.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIAlso inky black, the 2021 La Joie is packed with loads of licorice, blackcurrant, menthol, and polished leather. Full-bodied and plush, with a rocky texture, massive structure, and tremendous power, it will be a wine to cellar while you’re drinking the 2022s.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThe 2021 La Joie is composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, and the wine was matured for 16 months in 95% new French oak. It’s exceptionally pure and layered on the nose, its scents of blackcurrant and blueberry accented by tones of lavender and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is effortlessly seamless. It features Goldilocks ripeness, loads of powdery, suede-textured tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity. Though its flavors are youthfully coiled, it opens dramatically over several days, and it will be epically long lived in the cellar. 2,500 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RP

The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThere was no Petit Cheval in this vintage, the majority of the crop going into Cheval Blanc, taking 78% of the harvest, while 22% was sold as bulk wine (which was almost all press wine which is never included in the blend at Cheval Blanc) and there was not sufficient volume to create a Petit Cheval. A groundbreaking harvest here, beginning August 29th, the first time the Cheval Blanc harvest has begun before the arrival of September. The blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the élevage was shorter than usual, amounting to just 13 months, in 100% new 225-litre oak barrels. It was bottled in May, a couple of months ahead of schedule. This is just glorious on the nose, expressive but with fabulous perfume, with dense raspberry and red cherry fruits, with rosehips, vanilla and toast, pure and just leaping from the glass. The palate is beautifully composed, just so elegant and precise, with toasted summer berries, wrapped in pencil shavings and a touch of coffee bean, but the most significant finding here is one of beautifully coherent and elegant harmony, the wine filled with defined Cabernet energy, beneath which there is a fresh and peppery core of tannins. I see not a single hair out of place;overall this is a stunning Cheval Blanc, I think probably the most convincing and energetic young vintage I can recall tasting, and it is one you should leave in your cellar for a very long time before broaching. Perfection. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14%.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 Cheval Blanc needs a lot of shaking to wake up scents of fresh plums, blackberries, and violets, leading to hints of cedar chest, pencil lead, and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is so, so elegant and refined, with soft, silt-like tannins and seamless freshness supporting the mineral-laced black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed. Will require some patience but will be a real head-turner!The Wine Palate | 99 TWPLoganberry, boysenberry and blackberry compote notes give the core an almost outsized feel, but there’s restraint and focus, as touches of warm loam, licorice root and smoldering tobacco keep this well-grounded. There’s cut and drive too, even though this is dense and slow-moving, with alder smoke, Turkish coffee and bittersweet cocoa checking in. Then a lilting black tea and violet backdrop emerges at the very end, adding grace and sensuality. A marvelous expression of a distinctive vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2028 through 2050. 6,845 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSExtremely perfumed, showing red roses and violets as well as hints of flower stems. A touch of sandalwood. This turns to blue fruits with such pure grape character, like smelling must. Savory, light brine and black olives. The palate is tight and refined before taking off at the end. The perfectly integrated tannins melt into the wine, giving it fascinating tension and intensity. 53% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSExpressive aromatic profile, generous structure. The Cabernet Franc pulls its weight in terms of tension and freshness, infusing the luscious fruits with mint, roses and peony. Showcasing the opulent side of Cheval Blanc while retaining a finesse and classic uplift, pulses of electricity, as ever careful construction and just a ton of utter pleasure, harvest 29 August to 20 September, earliest ever, 3.8ph, 28hl/h yield. No Petit Cheval, and first year since stepping back from the classification.Jane Anson | 99 JAThe 2022 Château Cheval Blanc has turned out beautifully in bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of minty mulberries, licorice and rose petals mingled with hints of pipe tobacco and baking chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it’s layered and unctuous, with sweet, powdery tannins and a broad, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. Flamboyant but controlled, this blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon spent only 12 months in barrique. There’s no Petit Cheval this year, as what little wasn’t deemed up to the level of the grand vin was sold off in bulk.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPExtremely aromatic - floral and perfumed with rich dark black fruits, liquorice, crayon, blueberries, and purple flowers, lifted by hints of mint. Fresh and vibrant from the start, this has a defined core with tension and structure. Velvety soft tannins and precise, mouthwatering fruit with a creamy touch that adds to its sumptuous feel. Juicy and clean, with a vein of liquorice spice that adds seriousness. With air, it softens and becomes more chewy and round — gentle yet utterly moreish. Graphite minerality lingers on the finish. A charged yet charming Cheval Blanc that will benefit from air to fully express itself. 78% grand vin, no Petit Cheval with the remaining 22% (press wine) sold as bulk. 3.83pH.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2022 Cheval Blanc has a tightly wound bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, crushed stone and tea leaves, well defined with an assiduous use of oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a very smooth entry, fine acidity and very harmonious, with just a little savouriness on the mid-palate. Some Cabernet Franc in the blend? Just the right amount of dryness and structure on the finish maintains freshness and leaves you wanting more. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.Vinous Media | 97+ VMThe wine is very fine, elegant and impressive. It has depth and concentration, being very floral and offering great black fruits alongside the firm tannins. There is a lovely line of succulent fruit and acidity. Almost accessible now, it is really set for long-term aging. Wine Enthusiast | 97-99 WE

Coming from the Les Murets lieu-dit and 100-year-old vines, with 20% from L’Ermite, the 2022 Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc is a heavenly white offering quince, candle wax, crushed stone, and orange blossom-like aromatics. Based on 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne and aged 24 months in new French oak, it shows incredible depth and purity, with full-bodied richness and a focused, balanced style. This monumental Hermitage needs a year or two and should have decades of longevity. Hermitage Blanc doesn’t get any better! Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe fabulous 2022 Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto unwinds with vivid lemon flesh, yellow apple, white peach and honeysuckle. Flinty subtleties add a deliciously reductive touch. On the palate, the 2022 dazzles with remarkable depth and intensity, all backed by refreshing levels of bright acidity. What an awesome Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto! Readers should note that no 2021 was produced.Vinous Media | 96 VMVery youthful, but the concentration, firm structure and vitality are already very impressive. This shows ample toast and vanilla-oak aromas plus pronounced oak tannins, but all of this is integrating beautifully. Stunning interplay of restrained creaminess and intense stony minerality in the long finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property’s elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it’s medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it’s the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt’s vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac’s terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPAn incredibly impressive wine in 2022 shaping up to be the wine of the vintage not only as it seems to defy the hot and dry conditions in every way but delivers such confidence and charm it makes it hard to resist. Gorgeous aromatic expression on the nose, open and alive, generous scents of bright bramble fruit and floral notes as well as graphite and cedar. Smooth, supple and generous on the palate, tannins are silky and perfectly weighted giving roundness but also structure with a red berry juiciness and saline bite that is so compelling. Vibrant, dynamic, balanced and precise, the energy is outstanding yet there’s still depth, weight and power underneath. There’s not a single thing out of place - utterly seductive and totally moreish. A great effort from the estate now proudly displaying their upgrade to St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A for the first time as of the new classification. 3.7pH. 8% press wine. 82% grand vin production. Harvest 1 - 26 September, the earliest ever. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECThe 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend (as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and with plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé "A".Vinous Media | 97-99 VMThis is the earliest ever harvest for Figeac and the fruit is something else. Flowers such as violets. Blackberries. Currants. Cherry blossom. Full-bodied with lovely freshness and depth. Crunchy and juicy. Perfect al dente fruit. 35% merlot , 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 97-98 JSA blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is deep garnet-purple in color. It rolls out of the glass with eager-to-please scents of juicy blackberries, plum preserves, and warm cassis, followed by hints of cardamom, chocolate mint, and cumin seed with fragrant wafts of rose oil and violets. The concentrated, medium to full-bodied palate is simply electric, shimmering with red and black fruit layers and loads of mineral and floral sparks, framed by firm, grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and energetic. This is so vibrant it tingles on the palate! pH 3.70.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIA beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. The wine has a vivid purple hue as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98+ JD

A dark, inky wine, the 2022 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard is perfect in its bouquet of herbal, fruity, epic perfume alone. On the palate, there’s grip and tension, allowing just enough crisp, high-toned red fruit to surface and speak. The wine is fresh and buoyant beyond measure, finishing in a heartbreakingly beautiful array of white and black pepper that will stay with you for days. Though it will be hard to hold onto for long, the wine will age with ease another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDBold and mineral-driven, this syrah shows a striking mix of cracked pepper, dried thyme and graphite, underpinned by ripe blackberries and smoked ham. The midpalate feels supple with layers of dark fruit yet is framed with firm, lightly chewy tannins. The structure leads to a deeply earthy, saline-tinged finish that lingers with hints of iodine and iron. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best after 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSAiry and highly aromatic, the 2022 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard bursts from the glass with a perfumed blend of dried violets, lavender, camphor, cedar shavings, dusty earth and exotic spice. It envelops the palate with a savory wave of red and black fruits, taking on a crunchy mineral character as nuances of rosemary and sage swirl throughout. The 2022 tapers off with medium length and a pleasantly chewy texture, leaving a savory tart blackberry tinge.Vinous Media | 95 VMBrooding and deeply structured but not ponderous, with expressive flavors of blueberry and raspberry highlighted by licorice, black olive and savory meat tones as this builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2035. 468 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Just 4.8 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon are planted on this 18.21-hectare estate, situated on the steep, southeast-facing slopes of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. Purchased in 1999, the property is also home to Jayson Woodbridge’s striking underground Ring winery and caves. I awarded the 2021 vintage a perfect 100 points, and this 2022 Ark continues that legacy—it’s the most polished of Woodbridge’s single-vineyard Hundred Acre wines from the vintage. If Morgan’s Way is supreme elegance and Few and Far Between is deep, brooding, and muscular, then Ark sits perfectly in between—balanced and impressively saturated. The palate bursts with red-berry fruit, beautifully scented with brown baking spices, black tea, walnut, and a striking ironstone minerality. “This is superpower wine,” Woodbridge asserts as we taste. “This is a Corporate Hostile Takeover—you go in with this wine. If you’re working on the biggest buyout in history, you drink this just before you short the S&P 500… and then you go skiing in Switzerland. You drink this before and after.” (Drink between 2025 - 2040)Decanter Magazine | 100 DECBlack currant, hints of mint, lead pencil and black cherry aromas follow through to a full body with very fine tannins and an endless finish. The texture leaves me breathless and speechless. Incredible length and depth. Hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 100 JSRipe black cherries, cassis, black olive, salted meats, and smoky tobacco all shine in the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark, which is aged 32 months in 100% new French oak. It’s full-bodied, has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, shows classic Hundred Acre polished tannins, and delivers a great finish. It’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, and while it’s beautiful today, it will shine for at least two decades. It’s another gorgeous effort from Woodbridge that’s as good as anything in the vintage. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

An unusually bright, light-gold color with hints of green in it distinguish this rare wine from the first glance before rich, layered and complex aromas lead to even richer poached pears, hazelnuts and cream on the palate. Full-bodied but light on its feet, the wine shows deft balance, great depth and incredible length on the finish. Best from 2028.James Suckling | 100 JSDrouhin’s Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche is always a classic expression of Montrachet, and often among the best ’bargains’ from this site. The 2022 has exotic aromas of ripe peach, nectarine, green apple and hints of acacia flowers, star anise, and beeswax. The texture has the weight of the vineyard and a creamy opulence, yet there is enough freshness to carry the wine to a charmingly persistent finish. The grapes from the Laguiche holdings are from five parcels totalling just over two hectares, picked in three passes by the Drouhin team. (Drink between 2030 - 2070)Decanter | 96 DECStill on its fine lees. A fine fresh very pale primrose colour. Super discreet nose, just offering some light floral notes at first, but you know there is so much more to come. It is not over exuberant but the fruit comes across the palate in little wavelets, perfectly balanced acidity, the oak subsumed into the intensity of the fruit. The 2022 Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet bows out with a wonderfully long and fine finish. Drink from 2034-2045. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMThe 2022 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru was harvested in three picks this year. Exhibiting aromas of pear, peach, honeycomb, toasted nuts, baking spices and buttered toast, it’s full-bodied, ample and unctuous, with a richly layered core of fruit, lively acids and a long, resonant finish. Tasted from a barrel sample before an aerating racking, it displayed fine tension.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPSmoky notes of mineral reduction add breadth to the cool and airy nose of mildly exotic white peach, citrus confit and a plenitude of floral wisps that are trimmed in discreet oak influence. The refined medium weight flavors possess good if not genuinely special density but with a positively gorgeous texture that carries over to the stony bitter lemon zest finale that possesses stunningly good length and terrific complexity. This is very classy and a wine that I suspect will add weight with bottle aging.Burghound | 93-96 BH

I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it’s a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDAnother excellent showcasse for this estate run by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. Supple, lively, fresh and round, a nice controlled core of red and black fruit - blackcurrants, cherries and violets with juicy acidity and lean tannins that are fine and well integrated. This feels powerful and concentrated no doubt but the strength comes underneath the fruit and acidity, like a creeping tiger waiting to pounce. Lovely frame and execution, feels on the more opulent and potent side but the acidity and tannin definition is brilliant and this has a really drinkable and moreish quality. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.87pH. 9% press wine. A yield of 33.4hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted three times and was impressed each time. Ageing 18-20 months in French oak barrels, 80% new, 20% second fill.Decanter | 96 DECA very solid LP with black berry, blackcurrant, crushed stone and lavender character. Full and really well structured with a linear length to it. Focused and so polished. Thoughtful. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe 2022 Leoville Poyferre is made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 33.4 hl/ha. It bursts onto the scene with gregarious scents of blackcurrant preserves, wild blueberries, and rose oil, leading to wafts of candied violets, licorice, and crushed rocks with a hint of cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, plush, and impactful, delivering beautiful tension and very respectable, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and opulent. This is a show-stopper! pH 3.87, TPI 93.The Wine Independent | 96-98 TWIThe 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that’s ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn’t perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

A stunning Margaux in 2022 with a bright and vibrant core, deep and persistent, alive and bright with layers of silky but firm tannins that give a gentle grip, powerful and concentrated black fruit, with a clearly defined structure that supports and doesn’t overwhelm. Despite the power this has a delicacy which I love, so pure and clearly charming. Opulent yet racy, really walking the line between heft and sleekness. The acidity really lifts the expression with spiced liquorice and wet stone nuances while staying cool and fresh. Generous, stylish, punchy and polished. An incredibly complex wine that really works. 3.6pH. 88IPT. 18% press wine. Ageing 18-20 months, 100% new oak. No Petit Verdot in the blend. Highest alcohol and tannin level for the grand vin.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2022 Château Margaux is a total stunner. Ripe, opulent and explosive, the 2022 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity from start to finish. There’s a purity to the fruit that is just striking. The 2022 is a dark, unusually opulent Margaux, with a dense core of fruit, but a good deal of vibrancy to balance things out. Black cherry, lavender, spice and a kiss of new French oak build in the glass, but it is the wine’s delineation and intensity that are most captivating. Vibrant saline notes linger on the seamless, supremely elegant finish. Unforgettable.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMThe Grand Vin 2022 Château Margaux checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc that’s pulled from just 40% of the total production. It’s a classic Château Margaux with its overriding sense of elegance and purity, yet it’s certainly in the style of the vintage with its depth, richness, and concentration. Cassis, blueberries, acacia flowers, and spice all define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The alcohol hit 14.5, and I suspect the pH is relatively high (which is common in the vintage), yet this remains pure, balanced, and is absolutely show-stopping stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2022 Chateau Margaux, composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It shoots from the glass with an initial firework display of redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and fresh, juicy blackcurrants, followed by an array of iron ore, lilacs, black licorice, and sandalwood-inspired scents, plus a hint of wood smoke. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich, concentrated, muscular black and red fruits, supported by exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous effort that should be immortal. This represents 40% of the crop. "It’s been a long time since this much has made it into the First Wine!" commented winemaker Phillipe Bascaules. The pH is 3.61.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIA blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 2022 Château Margaux is one of the most powerful wines ever produced at this estate, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, violets, burning embers, smoked tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s rich, velvety and seamless, with a bright core of fruit and a long, heady finish. With the highest analytical measure of tannins since 2010, and an alcohol level a touch above 14%, this is certainly a larger-scaled Château Margaux, yet at this early stage, everything appears to be kept in check.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-97 RPVery dark purple color with a ruby edge. So much crushed blackberry and blackcurrant with violets. Exuberant. Full-bodied and very tannic with incredible muscle. This is a thought-provoking wine. The biggest Margaux I have tasted in my career. Seems a little overdone for Margaux. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 95-96 JS

Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that’s still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDOne of my favourite 2022s, technically very brilliant but it’s the texture that wows, generous, fruity, sleek, supple, it gives stone and graphite touches putting the terroir in the glass and overall this just screams elegance and finesse and above all drinkability! Smooth and shiny, silky, sleek, delicious from the first sip. Mouthwatering acidity combined with tannins that have the perfect balance of flinty grip, fleshy fruit and cool minerality. Certainly not shouting, they haven’t pushed too far at all, more restrained and refined while still delivering a gorgeous mouthful of wine. Classy and refreshing. Concentrated but clean, pure and vibrant. Wonderful, magical - giving the concentration of the hot vintage which is want you want, but this is moreish and so succulent. One you’ll want to finish the glass and then have more immediately. 16.4% press - 4% above normal, usually at 12-13%. 49% grand vin. 3.89pH. 76 IPT. Aged 100% in new barrels. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECThe Mouton-specific creme de cassis is all there. Al dente, too. The grapes must have been picked at near perfection. Depth and complexity. Black berries, earth, violets and other flowers. Full-bodied yet very hemmed-in with tight tannins, which are precise and polished. You can taste the grape skins and dust of the soil. The length is rather endless. 92% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 Mouton Rothschild, 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, is aging in 100% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is incredibly closed to start off, needing a lot of shaking to wake up subtle notes of blackcurrant jelly, ripe blackberries, and fresh mulberries, leading to hints of espresso, crushed rocks, iris bulb, and star anise. Compared with the nose, the mouth wows with explosive, intense flavors of cassis, black cherries, and licorice that fill the palate, framed by very firm, beautifully ripe tannins and a lively backbone, finishing very long with mineral and floral sparks. It is amazing how classical this Mouton this is, considering the extreme vintage. A legend in the making. pH 3.89, TPI 76.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIA brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate’s production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-99 RPThe 2022 Mouton Rothschild was picked 1 to 26 September with one of the highest Cabernet Sauvignon contents in years, matured in 100% new oak as usual. Very deep, almost opaque in color. It is stubborn on the nose, at first, backward, then opens after 10 minutes with black plum, cassis and violet aromas. It is more voluptuous than the 2022 Lafite-Rothschild which is what you expect. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy and quite strict tannins (the IPT is 76), that frame layers of black fruit laced with tobacco and graphite. Powerful, almost burly, it is perhaps how the 1986 tasted in its youth. A Mouton-Rothschild determined to make a statement and it certainly does that. Feels a bit like tasting Thor’s hammer at the moment, but it will just require considerable cellaring. 14.05% alcohol.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

A real success of the vintage that manages to deliver a bold, structured, concentrated and powerful wine with real terroir signature. You get the impression it’s from a warm vintage, but I love the fact you have texture, volume and weight but keeping the finesse. Fragranced black fruit and purple floral notes with soft medicinal herbal touches on the nose. Sleek and supple, tannins make the impression with juicy blackcurrants, black cherries and strawberries. Excellent tannin definition, they’re filling, massy and round, almost plush but accented by acidity and freshness. Strong signature, you know you’re in gravel with Cabernet. Juicy, clean, pure, but with bite and intensity. I love the dark savoury notes too, the cough syrup, liquorice, clove, tobacco and cigar box elements, complex and captivating. 4% press. 3.65pH 30% whole bunch Petit Verdot in the blend. Potential upsore in bottle. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak barrels;Decanter | 97 DECThe polish, texture, complexity and patina are very impressive and fascinating. So spicy and interesting with so much going on. Medium body with wonderfully integrated tannins that are cut and nicely chiselled already. Lemon and violet. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSMoving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. This ripe, powerful, concentrated wine reminds me of the 2010 with its structure, concentrated mid-palate, and just sheer density and regal, full-bodied style on the palate. Despite its size, it stays balanced, has a beautiful perfume of sweet black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers, building tannins, and a great, great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte was cropped at 29hL/ha between 5 and 30 September, undergoing half the extraction, aged in 60% new oak for a planned 18 months. It is fragrant and very pure on the nose: beautiful blackberry, raspberry and liquorice. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very elegant and focused, fine-boned with an exceptionally pure and caressing tobacco-tinged finish. This is going to grow to be a wonderful, delicious Smith Haut Lafitte. 14.5% alcohol.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 29 hl/ha and aging in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of shaking to wake up notes of blackcurrant jelly, redcurrant preserves, boysenberries, and pencil lead, followed by suggestions of lilacs, Sichuan pepper, and cedar chest. The full-bodied palate is built like a skyscraper, delivering mouth-coating black fruits with red berry sparks supported by rock-solid, firm tannins, finishing very long and with a refreshing mineral lift. pH 3.70.The Wine Independent | 95-97+ TWIThe 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte opens in the glass with attractive aromas of cassis, spices, tobacco, graphite and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate that is deep and layered, with good depth and powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot will require some patience, given its somewhat extracted style.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-95 RP

A perfect wine, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard comes from an incredible site just outside of St. Helena that excelled in 2023. Aged 22 months in 70% new French oak, it delivers a truly special bouquet of cassis, scorched earth, Asian spices, and graphite. Full-bodied and incredibly concentrated, it has ripe, building tannins and massive mid-palate depth, yet it carries its power with striking precision and balance. This is a sensational 2023 with thrilling intensity and a seamless elegance that just keeps you coming back to the glass. Give it 4-5 years in the cellar and expect two decades of longevity. Drink 2029-2049.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDFrom Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, the grapes underwent extended maceration for up to 28 days, followed by fermentation in stainless steel, then 22 months of ageing in 65-85% new French oak. This is always an early block for the winery, notes winemaker Jennifer Porembski. The wine is vivid and aromatically pitch-perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon, offering pure black cherry and blackberry lifted by sagebrush, a touch of capsicum, and the graphite-stony minerality that defines Dr. Crane. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, with generous warm berry fruit framed by expressive, fine-grained, powdery tannins that linger and build through an extraordinarily long finish. Deep dark berry fruit carries the length, marrying power and elegance in a classic expression of the variety from this exceptional site. Fresh and crunchy, it has the structure and vitality to cellar comfortably for three or four deCades, with blending typically taking place closer to bottling. Arrow&Branch was established in 2008 after Steve Contursi and Seanne Contursi purchased Tony Soter’s Little Creek Vineyard, approximately 2.4 hectares in Coombsville, in 2007; the winery is located in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, west of Highway 29, with Jennifer Williams serving as winemaker and Michael Wolf as viticulturist.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECBrooding aromas of blood plums, black currants, licorice, graphite, salted beef and tobacco. The palate is densely packed with real depth of fruit, supported by melting yet firm tannins and mouthwatering acidity. This typifies a warm site in a cool vintage, with savory and mineral nuances balancing the dark fruit. Made from 100% 337 clone vines that are 35 years old, bringing depth and purity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane is a classic wine from this St. Helena site. Silky tannins and floral aromatics wrap around a core of red/purplish fruit. Medium in body and pliant, with tons of site character, the Crane is a total delight.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2023 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons rockets from the glass with super-intense notes of lime blossoms, fresh yellow apples, orange peel, and chalk dust, plus hints of struck flint and grapefruit oil. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with citrus and stone fruit flavors, supported by fantastic tension and a satiny texture, finishing long and zesty. If served to me blind, I might mistake it for a Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIRemarkable, powerful and complex, with smoked butterscotch, pear, tangerine, white peach, apricot preserves and dried mango, plus floral accents of honeysuckle and orange blossoms. Notes of pineapple upside-down cake, candied ginger and sweet cream add richness and elegance. The freshness from the acidity amplifies the flavors on the epic finish. Drink now through 2038. 1,289 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is classic Hyde. Just textbook. Orange confit, lychee, burnt sugar, baked apple tart and apricot are dialed up all the way. Flashy, exuberant and opulent to the core, the 2023 is a great Hyde from Mark Aubert. An archetype.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2023 Chardonnay Lauren Estate needs a lot of swirling to bring out evocative scents of Bosc pears, honeydew melon, marzipan, and honeycomb, plus hints of chalk dust and lime blossoms. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers intense, profound orchard fruit and savory layers, supported by beautifully knit acidity and a silken texture, finishing long with a spicy kick.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2023 Chardonnay Lauren is the Mark Aubert wine par excellence. Creamy and layered, the 2023 is so sensual and alluring. Orange confit, mint, baked apple and a kiss of French oak all grace the palate. Lifted, precise and so elegant, the Lauren impresses with its seamless personality and compelling balance.Vinous Media | 99 VMGrilled lemon and pineapple are a bold opening, with litsea oil and lemon balm notes giving way to flavors of ripe peach and apricot, plus a hint of green cardamom. Makrut lime leaf, lemongrass and lemon basil details linger on the long, aromatic and expressive finish. Drink now through 2040. 1,218 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WS

The 2023 Chardonnay UV-SL has vibrant notes of pink grapefruit, fresh pineapple, and peaches, giving way to nuances of Marcona almonds, wet slate, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is compellingly silky with wonderful freshness, filling the mouth with layers of citrus, tropical, and orchard fruit flavors, finishing with epic length and depth. Stunning!The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2023 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is a wild, exotic wine. Lifted tropical notes meld into a core of green orchard fruit, mint and lime zest. As is so often the case, the UV-SL is defined by its textural presence, layers of fruit and plush, enveloping curves.Vinous Media | 96 VMOffers a stunning mix of crème brûlée, orange curd and peach preserves, with so much depth and complexity to the range of details, including wildflower honey and apricot pastry, plus spicy accents of nutmeg and Saigon cinnamon. Toffee and a touch of smoked salt linger on the finish. Drink now through 2035. 2,357 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS