92-94 Point Wines

wines

Domaine des Closier’s 2021 les Coudraies is an absolutely superb and classically-styled young bottle of Saumur-Champigny. The wine’s aromatic constellation is deep, pure and very refined in profile, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, a complex base of chalky soil tones, pigeon, woodsmoke and gentle notes of tree bark in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and very elegant in profile, with a rock solid core of fruit, superb soil transparency and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, cool and very classy, impeccably balanced finish. This is great juice in the making. (Drink between 2033 - 2075)John Gilman | 94 JGAromas of raspberry, blueberry, violet, flowers and a touch of green pepper preface the 2021 Saumur Champigny Les Coudraies, a medium-bodied, satiny and ample wine with bright acids, powdery tannins and a long, mineral finish with hints of licorice. It was crafted from vines in clay-limestone soils.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A rocking little gem of a wine from winemaker Haley Wight, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lewelling Ranch has an up-front, fruit-driven perfume of black raspberries, plums, cassis, dried flowers, and spicy oak. These all carry to a full-bodied, opulent wine offering velvety tannins as well as the inherent elegance and purity of this great vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Lewelling Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with bold, up-front scents of crushed blackberries, blackcurrant jelly, and juicy plums plus hints of spice box, licorice, and sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with just enough freshness and a long spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

Emidio Pepe, born in 1932, lives by his motto ‘in wine, life’. His respect for his 18 hectares of vineyards, Abruzzo’s traditional winegrowing values, and certified organic and biodynamic techniques results in wines with a distinctive, genuine character. This Trebbiano, trodden by foot, is fermented in concrete vats where it ages for two years. Broom, golden plum and white pepper aromas lead to a delightfully savoury, full-bodied mouth, vibrant with vintage charm and pleasing balance.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

Made from a mix of 60% Domaine Eden and 40% Mount Eden fruit, the 2021 Chardonnay is always a sophisticated wine that overdelivers on its price point, with fresh floral aromatics leading to a medium-bodied mid-palate of beautifully oaked pear and hazelnut layered in juicy acidity. Ready to drink now, it should age equally well, from now through 2031 at least.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDComing from a plot at 1,600 feet in elevation, the 2021 Chardonnay also includes about 25% declassified fruit from the Mount Eden estate. Spice-laden and taut, a super-enlivening core of vibrant acidity and white pepper bitterness here conveys seriousness. Nuances of tangerine peel, spearmint, crushed rocks and clove emerge on both nose and palate, coasting through the driven, precise finish. Well done.Vinous Media | 93 VMCrushed rock, lime pith and a hint of tonic water show on the nose of this bottling, the sister project to the iconic Mount Eden Vineyards. There’s a zesty spray of citrus on the palate that enlivens the subtle peach flavors and earthy minerality. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2021 Chardonnay is initially tight on the nose, opening up to reveal flashy aromas of white peach, nectarine and crushed hazelnuts. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, with a charming finish of citrus flavors flanked with toasty richness. It is a solid example of what one can expect from this property year in and year out, offering terrific value and classically proportioned balance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPBig and bold, with plenty of toast, spice and butterscotch notes up front, plus a core of peach cobbler, poached pear and caramel apple. The plush frame offers a vibrant thread of acidity, keeping the flavors fresh. Drink now. 2,163 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Here too a discreet application of wood is present on the equally cool, wonderfully pure and exceptionally pretty aromas of essence of red currant, violet, lavender and a hint of earthiness. There is both excellent volume and mid-palate density to the intense and sleek mouthfeel that is again thanks to the polished tannins supporting the focused and sneaky long finish. As is often the case with the Lignier Charmes, it is a combination of power and finesse.Burghound | 92-94 BH

The perfumed nose is very pretty with a beautifully layered array of cherry, plum, spice and soft earth and sauvage nuances. The focused, intense and beautifully delineated medium-bodied flavors possess evident minerality that also suffuses the dusty and youthfully austere finale. This could use better depth but the balance is impeccable and overall, it should age gracefully for as long as anyone might reasonably want to.Burghound | 94 BH

The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a brooding blend of crushed black cherries, ash, mentholated herbs and autumnal spice. Soft textures are quickly offset by a saturation of tart red and black fruits while firming tannins add further tension toward the close. It’s long and structured with a liquid-stone minerality and a bitter tinge of clove.Vinous Media | 94 VMAged for six months in Slavonian casks, the lovely 2021 Rosso from Tricerchi opens with aromas of dog rose, strawberry jam and oak-driven spice. On the polished, savory palate, lithe tannins and fresh acidity accompany ripe Morello cherry, raspberry compote and licorice. Drink through 2026. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 92 KO

Savory herbs mix with brined olives, flowery underbrush and dried blueberries as the sultry 2021 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life in the glass. Silken textures and mineral-inflected red berry fruits envelop the palate as edgy tannins pinch at the cheeks. The wine tapers off long and structured, leaving a lingering tension and saturation of tart blackberry to fade slowly.Vinous Media | 93 VMCinnamon, red berries, orange rind and smoke. Medium-bodied, with chalky, chewy tannins that reveal a sense of delicate fruit toward the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

With 2.15ha, a blend from three plots in Chapelot, Montée de Tonnerre and Pied d’Aloup, with vines in the latter now 87 years old. As expected of Montée de Tonnerre, this will need a lot of time to come round. Powerful, primary and concentrated, with restrained mineral, stony notes. Great purity here, salty finish.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECLike the Vaillons, this is also quite firmly reduced though there is some wood influence present as well. The focused and beautifully refined flavors ooze minerality on the almost painfully intense, bone-dry and strikingly long but not especially austere finale. This is very stylish as well as classy. Well worth checking out.Burghound | 93 BHChapelot, Pied d’Aloue, Cote de Bréchain. Mostly tank. Very pretty lemon and lime colour. A clean, incisive bouquet, very pure and with class. Tension at the back, extremely youthful but definitely promising. Drink from 2025-2028. Tasted Jun 2022.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM

Crushed blackberries mix with sweet lavender and mentholated cherries as the sensual 2021 Brunello di Montalcino evolves in the glass. It is cooling to the senses with a lifted array of ripe plums and strawberries elevated by an herbal tea infusion. Youthfully structured and linear today, it has a balance for cellaring, as a pleasantly tart tinge lingers long.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of violet, ripe dark-skinned berry, dark spice and wild herb form the inviting nose on the lovely 2021 Brunello from La Poderina. Juicy and polished, the palate offers ripe black cherry, raspberry and licorice set against taut, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2028–2036. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KODriven by dark fruit and spice, the La Poderina 2021 Brunello di Montalcino carries a high-octane profile with sweet tannins and a clearly felt 15% alcohol that shapes the wine’s overall impression. There is a softer side on the palate with ripe plum fruit and an opulent, approachable texture, though the style remains fairly one-dimensional, favoring immediacy over depth in this warm-vintage expression. Aging follows a regime of 24 months in oak followed by 20 months in stainless steel, with fruit drawn from 12.5 hectares of vineyards. Production totals 67,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPToasty and fruity wine with assertive, leafy aromas blended into the red cherries and raspberries. Light- to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and firm, chalky tannins that are nicely poised, but turn dry on the finish. Try from 2027.James Suckling | 92 JS

Restrained aromas of red cherries, raspberries, dried flowers, licorice, prunes and tobacco. Full-bodied, juicy and savory, it shows a very tasty palate with velvety tannins and a chalky, refreshing finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is expressive in the glass, with notes of crushed black cherries, sage, mint, cedar shavings and white smoke forming its inviting bouquet. It soothes the senses with silken textures and cool-toned acidity, as ripe plums and wild berries sweep across the palate. Edgy tannins envelop the palate with youthful poise. The 2021 finishes long and spicy, leaving a pleasantly bitter tinge to linger.Vinous Media | 93 VMFramed by an earthy, dusty mineral tone, the Mocali 2021 Brunello di Montalcino delivers pressed blackberry and plum followed by spice and spent ember in a bold, upfront style. A hint of sweetness on the palate softens the texture and keeps the tannins accessible, though the wine ultimately feels fairly one-dimensional on the close. Aging takes place over two years in French oak botte followed by one year in large Slavonian oak casks, an élevage that clearly defines the estate’s stylistic imprint. Production totals 50,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is a youthful ruby red color and is expressive and nicely layered on opening, leading with aromas of cedar, toasted baking spice, redcurrants, orange peel, menthol, and cranberries. Zesty and refreshing, this medium-bodied Brunello has fine tannins, bright acidity, and notes of dusty earth on the finish. Drink 2026-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDIn Montalcino’s southwest, Mocali’s vineyards reach 400m above sea level on limestone-rich marls. The 2021 exudes its Mediterranean landscape with pine, strawberry bush and sundried tomato – hints of soy and vanilla add further nuance. Mouthfilling though not heavy, lush plum is swathed in soft, clayey tannins. Above all, the palate impresses with savoury, saline mineral appeal. Balanced and mellowed without lacking vibrancy, it will please upon release.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

This is aromatically similar to the Bressandes though as is typically the case, there are more spice elements in play along with a variety of floral nuances. There is also a bit more mid-palate density to the vibrant and tautly muscular flavors that flash good minerality on the balanced, long and mildly austere finale. This too is a lovely combination of refinement and power.Burghound | 92-94 BH

Blueberries, cloves, cola and dried herbs on the nose. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, showing delicate red fruit framed by chalky, chewy tannins that taper toward the cedary finish. From organically grown grapes. Needs a couple of years to soften.James Suckling | 93 JSHints of mint lift dank mineral earth, flowery underbrush and crushed strawberries as the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino evolves in the glass. It is delicate, nearly weightless, with bright red berry fruits and mineral tones riding a wave of brisk acidity. Inner rose tones linger through the long and spicy finale as edgy tannins resonate throughout.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is a medium red color and reveals enveloping aromas of baking spice, baked strawberries, toasted incense, and sweet herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it’s supple with polished tannins, a silky texture, balanced acidity, and an even finish. It has an appealing level of refinement in this vintage to drink over the next 10-12 years. Drink 2026-2036.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDMade with organically farmed grapes, the Collosorbo 2021 Brunello has aromas of plum, lavender, eucalyptus and dark spice. Bold and brawny, the palate offers dried cherry, prune, licorice and bitter orange before closing on the warmth of evident alcohol. Taut, close-grained tannins provide enveloping support. Drink 2029–2036. Abv: 15%Kerin O’Keefe | 91 KO

The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is dark and brooding, with nuances of crushed black cherry, savory herbs and ashen stone wafting up from the glass. It displays silky textures and notable weight, with mineral-inflected red berry fruits that slowly saturate the senses. Fine-grained tannins add an aching tension through the finish as the 2021 leaves a penetrating tart berry concentration that adds chewy depth.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis red displays fruit flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black currant, plus shades of violet, iron and tobacco. There are firm, dense tannins for support and ample acidity driving the long finish. Best from 2028 through 2042. 3,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Juan António Ponce told me 2021 is one of those vintages when you realize in wine you never know everything... He thinks the 2021 Clos Lojen is the most complete vintage ever for this wine, with unusual freshness (despite "normal" parameters like a pH of 3.7 and five grams of acidity) and 12% alcohol. It’s intense and has varietal Bobal typicity with good weight. It fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 4,500-, 10,000- and 15,000-liter French oak vats for six months. This is sharp and austere, with lower alcohol and is more mineral than fruit-driven. Incredible value. 60,000 bottles produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThis is a bobal with clarity and silken length, even as its scent fills the head with purple grape skins and bergamot spice. Friendly, in search of a chill for a summer night, this is a by-the-case buy.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 90 W&S

The 2021 Zinfandel Old Vines shows plenty of Lodi exuberance. Succulent red/purplish fruit, leather and sweet spice are front and center, with bright acids that perk things up on the mid-palate and finish. The 2021 is delicious and also a terrific value.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The white 2021 Cargol Treu Vi has notes of pollen and yellow fruit with some browning apples. It has contained ripeness and 12.4% alcohol with a very low pH and high-ish acidity but comes through as more evolved and somewhat riper than the phenomenal Principia Mathematica form this same vintage. It has pungent flavors and a medium-bodied palate, with some spice from aging in 300-liter barrels for 10 to 11 months. 2,100 bottles were filled in August 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru, 80% aged in oak, has a delightful bouquet with orchard fruit, lemon verbena and orange pith scents that burst from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite precise with a welcome touch of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on edge. Not a long-term Bougros perhaps, but finely crafted. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

I loved the 2021 Lirac Blanc, one of those whites that truly over-delivers. Beautiful notes of pear, white flowers, citrus, and some salty, mineral-like nuances define this beauty, and it’s medium-bodied, with terrific balance, integrated acidity, and a great, great finish. Bravo. Drink this over the coming 2-4 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThere’s a touch of oak on the nose and palate that helps to frame the tangy citrus notes, and lends a touch of spice, but it’s far from overwhelming. Full-bodied, classically Lirac in its breadth on the palate. Ends on a nip of grapefruit bitterness. Good acidity. Also contains Marsanne, Viognier and Piquepoul.Decanter | 92 DECBrimming with stone-fruit aromas with a touch of mango, this is a rich but very clean and crisp dry white from the Southern Rhone. Good concentration and a touch of positive tannin help it carry the generous body and 14.5% alcohol. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2021 Morgon offers open-knit raspberry and crushed strawberry fruit on the nose. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins, fine acidity and quite spicy red berry fruit mixed with white pepper towards the finish. Great potential here.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of cherries, plums and berries mingled with hints of peony introduce the 2021 Morgon, a medium to full-bodied, ample wine that’s a touch firmer and more structured than its Fleurie counterpart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90+ RP

The 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières takes more time to open on the nose compared to the regular Morgon. This is more introspective with scents of melted tar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-tuned tannins. There is a touch of spiciness and greenness but these elements are nuanced and merely lend complexity. A healthy dash of black pepper completes a very fine and cerebral Morgon.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières is a taut, structured wine that will demand a little patience, even in this giving vintage. Offering up aromas of plums, red berries, sweet spices and licorice, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and vibrant, with powdery tannins and tangy acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

Droin’s Montmains site is on a gentle slope with richer, deeper, kimmeridgian marl soils. A colder site, making the wine richer and with great density on the palate. Distinctly more weight than the Vaillons, giving the blend plenty of gravitas. 8-10 months ageing on fine lees adds a creamy character with acidity less pronounced than with the Vaillons. Classy.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2021 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a classic Chablis-like bouquet with scents of shucked oyster shell and light fumé notes emerging from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a saline, lemon rind infused entry, moderate weight, perhaps not quite as precise as the Vaillons yet with satisfying persistence. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMAn even more floral-suffused nose speaks of the pretty essence of pear and apple while offering better overall typicity. The palate impression of the middleweight flavors is also plump, round and fleshy with its reasonably persistent, dry and balanced finale that also could use better depth. This attractive effort should be approachable young yet also reward 4 to 7 years of keeping.Burghound | 89-92 BH

Droin’s Fourchaume is located in the Vaupulent sector, on deep, clay-rich soils. A warmer site, this is a;ready very appealing with nice touches of baked apples and stone-fruit on the palate, with softer acidity and concentration. Although accessible early, this has the concentration to age extremely well and will deliver more saline aspects with more bottle age.Decanter | 92 DECA whiff of mineral reduction is present on the nose of pear and apple compote where there is just enough Chablis typicity to be convincing. The succulent, round and palate coating flavors possess good underlying tension while delivering solid depth and length on the delicious finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth.Burghound | 90-92 BHThe 2021 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru shows a little more reduction on the nose compared to other cuvées but a pleasant flintiness develops with time. The palate is well balanced with a cohesive entry, fine weight although it doesn’t quite deliver the same precision as the Mont de Milieu at the moment. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Delicious and so enjoyable, this juicy, full-bodied red is one of the best Dolcetto’s out there, doling out flavors of ripe black cherry, black raspberry and white pepper. Taut tannins and fresh acidity keep it balanced. Drink through 2025. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KO