95-97 Point Wines

wines

The 2012 Côte Rôtie La Mouline reminds me of the 2011 with its upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist, it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis has a brooding feel, with layers of warm tobacco leaf, roasted alder and juniper, and sweet tapenade leading the way, backed by a dense core of macerated plum, black currant and raspberry fruit. The long, smoldering finish shows terrific latent grip. Best from 2018 through 2030. 415 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSuper peppery, very, very concentrated and immaculately fragrant Côte-Rôtie here. There's plenty of oak in the mix, too. It shows entrancing brown-spice aromas across red plums and darker black fruits. The palate's layered, smooth and supple, pitching concentrated flavors against precise, dense and very powerful tannin. Finishes on a smooth edge as its softens slightly, leaving a trail of spiced-custard and dark-plum flavors. Exceptional wine. Drink 2020-2030.James Suckling | 95 JSLurid ruby. Heady, intensely perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, incense, smoky minerals and lavender, accompanied by an Asian spice flourish that builds as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with sweet, seamless raspberry liqueur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and given spine by core of juicy acidity. Puts on weight and spreads out slowly on the strikingly long and precise finish, which features resonating mineral and floral notes.Vinous Media | 94 VM

A heady, exotic Burgundy, the 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is remarkably vivid for such a big wine, with freakish levels of concentration that are beautifully balanced by insistent veins of underlying minerality. Layers of pure Pinot fruit build through the mid-palate and finish as this voluptuous, racy wine shows off its fabulous pedigree. It simpy doesn't get too much better than this.Vinous Media | 97 VM(Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos St. Jacques”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2012 Clos St. Jacques chez Rousseau is another simply brilliant wine, and I was starting to get a bit worried, as I was already beginning to run out of numbers and I still had the Clos de Bèze and Chambertin to go! In any case, the 2012 Clos St. Jacques is a stellar example of the vintage, wafting from the glass in a stunning and very flamboyant nose of red plums, red and black cherries, cocoa, hints of the grilled meats to come, a brilliantly complex base of soil tones, exotic spices and vanillin oak. I think this wine was raised in sixty percent new wood this year, but the depth of fruit has positively eaten up the impression of new oak, and if you told me it was raised in twenty percent new oak, I would think that it was probably just about right! On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and stunningly suave on the attack, with a great core of sappy fruit, a very refined sense of soil, fine-grained tannins, outstanding focus and grip and a very, very long, unrepentantly elegant and velvety finish. The synthesis here of soil and gloriously sappy fruit is remarkable. (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 96 JG(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos St. Jacques" 1er Cru Red) There is a deft touch of wood to the reluctant but ultra-elegant essence of red pinot fruit, floral elements and wet stone scents. This is splendidly well-detailed with a terrific sense of underlying tension adding energy to the medium weight flavors that brim with a fine minerality before culminating in a balanced and stunningly long finish. This ageworthy effort is the most refined wine among these four 2012s and dances across the palate. In a word, dazzling. (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 95 BHTasted blind at the annual 'Burgfest' tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques from Armand Rousseau has the most sensual nose of the quintet, perhaps the ripest with maraschino cherries, fresh strawberry and fruits pastilles. This is certainly the most generous nose. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin, more modern in style but very pure and harmonious. The oak is a little more pronounced on the finish but that will be subsumed in time, and then it will be a Clos Saint Jacques that you'll wish you could drink every day.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM

A luscious red with dried berry, cherry and hints of cedar and tea. Full body, fine and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. This is compacted and tight with great depth. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Colore is on the market now. Production of 2013 and 2014 was skipped, and the next vintage we shall see (very soon) is 2015, which is also reviewed in this report. This vintage produced large berry sizes for Sangiovese—something Bibi Graetz is always happy to see because it is an indicator of elegance and finesse within the context of the house style. If you consider this wine, his observation makes perfect sense. This warm vintage is powerful and rich in its natural state, so any additional berry density might easily lead to overextraction and heaviness. However, the mouthfeel is objectively thinner and more compact in this vintage. Colore represents a blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino in equal parts. The bouquet is redolent of wild berry, dried cherry and toasted spice. This vintage offers a very attractive mineral note as well. Fruit is selected from three of Bibi Graetz’s favorite vineyards with ancient vines: Lamole (in Chianti Classico), Vincigliata and Siena. Only 5,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPMuscular and concentrated, yet with a sense of elegance derived from vibrant acidity, this red displays black cherry, blackberry, leather, iron and tobacco flavors. Consistent from the start to the long finish. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Best from 2020 through 2028. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA tricky year with a very hot dry summer that resulted in low yields, but also marked by a wet September. The sour-cherry nose is fresh and lively. It’s medium-bodied but still quite concentrated, and while no blockbuster, it has density. It lacks some flesh and weight of fruit, resulting in a somewhat hollow mid-palate, but it’s attractive and already drinking well. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2012 Richebourg was just a touch reduced at the time of my visit, but underneath is another legend in the making. The bouquet is a blend of cherries, red plums, cocoa, gamebirds, a very minerally signature of soil, woodsmoke, fresh nutmeg and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with stunning depth, fine-grained tannins, superb precision and a very, very long and tangy finish. This is a very elegant and refined vintage of the Hudelot Richebourg and it will be one of the greatest wines ever produced in the long history of this illustrious domaine. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru, which comes from a 0.28-hectare parcel planted in 1950, this year contains 20% whole bunches and the domaine were graced with five barrels. It has a very refined and distinctly aristocratic bouquet adorned with beautifully defined black and red fruits, perhaps leaning towards the former with aeration. Touches of seaweed and tilled earth emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. It does not have the charm of the RSV at the moment, but there is beguiling structure and symmetry with a long mineral laden finish. Superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPBright medium red. Darker and more primary on the nose than the RSV, showing lovely lift to the aromas of dark berries, violet and minerals. Quite tight and high-pitched in the mouth, with strong, ripe acidity accentuating the impression of density. The crop level here was a bit higher than that of the RSV, at 30 hectoliters per hectare, but the wine is still wonderfully sappy, taut and concentrated, not to mention beautifully balanced. Lovely lurking saline minerality here. Lay this one down for a decade.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThere is a whiff of reduction lurking in the background of the otherwise pretty and spicy red and dark berry fruit aromas that include hints of Asian-style tea, cinnamon and sandalwood. The middle weight flavors possess a sleek and nicely intense mouth feel along with good detail on the lightly stony, delicious and sneaky long finale. For my taste, while this solidly powerful effort could certainly be enjoyed now, there remains enough upside development potential to warrant holding it for another 5 to 8 years. Lovely and fashioned in an understated style.Burghound | 94 BH

The 2012 Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is glorious example of both this great terroir and this historic vintage. The very pure and very sappy nose soars from the glass in a mélange of red and black raspberries, cherries, roses, fresh nutmeg, orange zest, Vosne spices, a very, very complex base of soil tones, duck and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with a greater sense of reserve (or is that resolve?) than the Clos Vougeot, very elegant tannins, tangy acids and laser-like focus on the perfectly balanced, elegant and endless finish. Glorious juice! (Drink between 2022 - 2065)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2012 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru comes from 0.48-hectares of vine planted back in 1920 It already boasts a show-stopping mineral-rich bouquet that offers astounding definition and focus. Terroir, terroir and terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with superb definition and so much freshness it does not know what to do with itself. Beautifully focused, refined and feminine, this might be the quintessential R.S.V. of the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPA buoyantly spicy nose displays elegant aromas of red currant, raspberry, sandalwood and soft floral nuances. As is almost always the case chez Hudelot this possesses the most refined mouth feel in the range with ultra-fine grained tannins adding to this impression. Notwithstanding the refinement exhibited by the mid-palate, the strikingly long and well-balanced finish seems to flirt with a touch of rusticity. Whether this quality will persist is hard to say but it would be fair to observe that 2012 isn’t the most refined vintage that I have ever seen for this wine.Burghound | 94 BH(totally destemmed but the stems were then added back for the vinification): Bright medium red. Knockout nose combines strawberry, raspberry, licorice, underbrush, spices and flowers. Plush and sweet but electric in the mouth, conveying terrific concentration to its sappy red fruit and spice flavors. The stems have contributed piquant energy but no herbacity. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and terrific building length. Made from a crop level of about 25 hectoliters per hectare, this wine should blossom beautifully in the cellar.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

The 2012 vintage is not one that I reach for right now, as this low yield and truly stunning vintage has been in deep hibernation for a few years already. This was true of the 2012 Chapelle-Chambertin from Cécile Tremblay, and yet its enormous potential was also manifest when she generously opened a bottle at the domaine in March. The very youthful bouquet is bottomless and loaded with sweet fruit and great soil signature, delivering a constellation of black cherries, sweet dark berries, gamebird, dark soil tones and smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with great focus, length and grip, ripe, buried tannins and a very, very long, still quite primary finish. This has the same potential for elegance and perfume as the stellar 2014 Chapelle here, but even more depth and length! A brilliant, brilliant young wine, but do not touch it for at least another decade! (Drink between 2029 - 2100)John Gilman | 97 JGTremblay’s daughter was born on July 28, and her new winery building was completed on September 10, in time for the beginning of harvest on September 15—so this was a busy year for Cécile. The 2012 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru is developing beautifully, having shed a touch of youthful reduction it exhibited on release to reveal, today, a youthful bouquet of wild berries, rose hips, exotic spices, musk and vine smoke. Full-bodied, velvety and textural, it’s a deep, powerful wine with lively acids and beautifully refined tannins. One of the least-evolved wines from this period of Tremblay’s career, the 2012 will continue to reward patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP(95% vendange entier): Medium red. Knockout deep nose combines small red fruits, sexy vanillin oak, a distinctly wild animal quality, soil tones and a note of menthol. Powerful but youthfully closed, with intense raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors complicated by sweet spices and a rocky quality. The explosive, ripely tannic finish builds and mounts. This soil-driven grand cru will need patience.Vinous Media | 93+ VMAn interesting and slightly atypical nose displays notes of wild strawberry, lavender, warm earth, spice and a hint of underbrush. The wonderfully precise and almost painfully intense big-bodied yet elegant flavors possess both plenty of minerality and underlying tension before culminating in a balanced, gorgeously complex and seriously long finish. This is distinctly austere at present but the ripeness is such that it shouldn’t last.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses from Christophe Roumier was showing just a touch of TCA on the nose. Yet the quality of this Amoureuses was not obscured, particularly on the beautifully structured palate that feels so long and tender. Damn those corks that try to ruin what is a fantastic wine clearly visible underneath.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPBright dark red. Pungent, high-pitched aromas and flavors of crushed raspberry, blood orange, white pepper and smoky minerals; this one has those ineffable high notes only a dog can hear. At once dense and bracing, showing razor-sharp definition and outstanding savory sappiness. This wonderfully taut, fine-grained Amoureueses finishes with almost painful rising length and chewy, utterly palate-staining intensity. Should be a cellar classic.Vinous Media | 96 VMAn exuberantly spicy nose combines both red and black pinot liqueur-like fruit, sandalwood, anise, violets and plum scents. There is a beguiling sense of freshness and energy to the very firmly mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors that exhibit terrific delineation and outstanding depth on the strikingly long finish. This is the picture of refinement from tip to toe and should also age impressively well. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 96 BHThere are only four barrels this year of this magical elixir, so starting pleading with your Roumier merchant right now! The brilliant, pure and sappy nose delivers an exhilarating blend of black cherries, damsons, cocoa, gamebirds, kaleidoscopic soil tones, violets, a hint of nutskin and just a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very, very deep and transparent, with a sappy core, supreme elegance, fine-grained tannins and brilliant length and grip on the laser-like finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2025 - 2065)John Gilman | 96+ JGA dense version, marked by black cherry, earth and mint flavors. This features a nice beam of acidity and a tensile frame, ending with a stony accent. Shows a fine sense of place. Racy, firm and long, this gets better with air. Best from 2018 through 2032. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Musigny Vielles Vignes Grand Cru from de Vogüé has slightly brighter and more vivacious fruit than J-F Mugnier, and in fact, the two wines seem to go in two different trajectories in the glass, this blossoming and the other becoming more occluded. De Vogüé’s Musigny is unashamedly floral in style, very elegant and yet delineated. There is a noticeable estuary scents, mudflats and seaweed, that begin to permeate the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, wonderful acidity and succinctly integrated new oak that is barely tangible. It is intense but elegant, long and tender in the mouth. It is a fabulous Musigny, one of the best that the domaine has produced in recent years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA brooding but gorgeously spicy nose is comprised of liqueur-like dark berry fruit scents that also display plenty of floral influence that includes notes of lavender, violet and, somewhat curiously, honeysuckle. There is outstanding concentration and punch to the seductively textured and marvelously intense big-bodied flavors that are borderline robust as the supporting tannins are dense but refined. I really like the Zen-like sense of harmony to the explosively long and pungent mineral-driven finish that really stains the palate. This is flat out remarkable.Burghound | 97 BHThe 2012 Musigny Vieilles Vignes from the Comte de Vogüé is also a brilliant wine in the making. The deep, pure and nascently complex nose wafts from the glass in a stunning blend of red and black cherries, raspberries, red plums, cocoa, a stunning base of soil tones, hints of the smokiness to come, pungent (morning) violets and a discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and perfectly focused, with a sappy core of fruit, glorious transparency, fine-grained tannins and impeccable balance on the very, very long, pure and perfectly focused finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGDeep, bright red. Brilliantly complex, focused nose offers scents of redcurrant, blueberry, crushed stone, spices, red licorice, menthol and botanical herbs. Boasts extraordinary sweetness and depth to its chewy, sappy red and dark fruit flavors. Really bulletproof fruit here! Spreads out on the back half to saturate every square millimeter of the palate, finishing with penetrating berry fruit and salty minerality. Remarkably long and tactile.Vinous Media | 96+ VMFractionally more evolution to the colour compared to their Bonnes Mares. The bouquet is reserved but suggest great depth. There is a sensuality to the nose, and an assured length, but still we are waiting. This will grow from here, and has the weight of sensual fruit that we want, albeit for the moment in abeyance. Tasted Jun 2022.Jasper Morris | 94 JM

(13% alcohol; 60% new oak): Bright medium red. Very ripe aromas of black raspberry, smoky minerality and dried flowers. Plush, highly concentrated, outsized wine, combining grand cru volume with a surprisingly airy texture. Finishes with wonderfully suave tannins that saturate the entire palate and give shape to the wine’s fruit. Really outstanding soil-driven depth here.Vinous Media | 95 VMGorgeous texture with plush, velvety tannins and focused flavours. A stunning Malconsorts that has vibrant intensity. (Drink between 2019 - 2026)Decanter | 93 DECThis was sufficiently reduced to hide the fruit though not so much that the floral characters could not be perceived. This is a big wine even by the considerable standards of a classic Malconsorts with an overt muscularity to the concentrated yet impressively refined mouth feel to the utterly delicious flavors that are shaped by markedly firm tannins that are so well buffered by the rich dry extract that the wonderfully persistent finish is once again not especially austere. This should be excellent if given at least 7 to 10 years in a cool cellar though note that it should continue to improve for several years after that.Burghound | 92-94 BH

(this special cuvee is made from the southernmost of Faiveley’s three parcels in Clos de Beze; five barrels, three of them new): Good bright red. Very closed nose hints at rose petal and cinnamon. Wonderfully silky and sweet on the palate, with outstanding definition to the perfumed red raspberry and spice flavors. Finishes with explosive rising length and racy, fine-grained tannins. In its kernel of spice and its superb density and thrust, there’s something Musigny-like about this understated but potentially great wine.Vinous Media | 96+ VMThis is similar to the regular cuvée save for two aspects: this is a bit riper and notably more complex. The large-scaled flavors are also more concentrated with seemingly endless reserves of palate staining dry extract that also buffers the extremely firm tannic spine on the explosively long, balanced and powerful finish. This is stunningly good with massive potential though again, note that plenty of patience will be required.Burghound | 94-96 BH

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses from Domaine Robert Groffier was perhaps the biggest, and I should add, pleasant surprise of this marathon tasting. Whereas once I felt the wines could be over-extracted and too alcoholic, here was a wine that exuded elegance, finesse and terroir. It has a well-defined bouquet, raspberry and black berry fruit intermingling with black truffle and sous-bois scents. The palate is very "serious" on the entry, saline on the entry with touches of bitter cherry, brambly black fruit and a little tar. There is certainly very fine structure here and superb balance, although patience will be needed. What a fabulous example of the vintage. Bravo Nicolas Groffier!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(25% whole clusters): Bright medium red. Deep but reticent aromas of wild red berries, red cherry, cocoa powder and mint. Sweet and plush on entry, then savory and perfumed in the middle, with slightly high-toned raspberry and spice flavors lifted by notes of crushed stone, red licorice and flowers. Boasts considerable volume and density but finishes with a firm edge of acidity and a suggestion of peppery tannins. I would not be surprised if this wine evolved relatively quickly.Vinous Media | 92 VM

As for the 2012 La Mission Haut Brion, this wine (41% of the total production) continues to perform as it has for nearly a century. At first-growth levels of quality, this is s stunning wine that is full-bodied and very concentrated with notes of graphite, subtle charcoal embers, crème de cassis, blackberry and underlying subtle earthiness. The wine is full and powerful, rich and concentrated. And sure enough, the alcohol level tips the scales at 15% from a blend 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. This is a big, blockbuster La Mission Haut Brion that should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. However, the tannins suggest that this wine should not be touched for another 5-6 years, as its one of the more backward of the 2012 Pessac-Léognans. Bravo!Robert Parker | 97 RPContinuing to show brilliantly, the 2012 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is a quintessential Graves, boasting a deep purple color as well as heavenly aromatics of blackcurrants, tobacco, scorched earth, graphite, and licorice. It’s a big, full-bodied beauty yet has a weightless, elegant style, building tannins, and a great finish. It needs a solid hour in a decanter if drinking today and promises to evolve beautifully for another 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDOne of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion shows off a vertical sense of structure along with imposing tannins and serious depth. The flavors are dark, bold and extremely vivid. Dark red cherry, smoke, grilled herbs, graphite and blackberry jam are some of the many notes that come alive on the finish. This brooding La Mission needs a few years to settle down after which it will offer spectacular drinking for several decades. In a word: magnificent!Antonio Galloni | 96 AG(Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Red) Ripe roasted fruit with considerable extract and personality. Full, powerful mid-palate and length of flavour. This benefited in 2012 from the property’s early-ripening terroir. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is closed up, dry and tough on the outside. But you can feel the rich weight and the dark tannins along with the powerful structure. That makes this wine both replete with a firm character and also full of generous, concentrated black fruits. It’s a powerful wine, ready for good aging; drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEGorgeous aromas of stones, currants and blueberries. Very aromatic. Mesmerizing. Full body, silky tannins and a long finish. Dense and rich. Layered. Earth and bark character. Lots of structure for the vintage. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe rigid tar and bramble frame should eventually meld with the core of plum, blackberry and macerated black currant fruit, featuring ample energy and a graphite note through the finish. Just a little bit of patience required here. Best from 2018 through 2025. 5,176 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 L’Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Explosive and rich in the glass, the 2012 boasts superb depth throughout. Sweet floral and spiced notes develop first, followed by intense red and blue-fleshed fruit. Violets, mint, sage and sweet spices add nuance as the 2012 opens up, but it is really the wine’s vertical structure that stands out above all else. I very much like the pure energy that is so central to the wine’s personality. This is a superb showing, and one of the clear highlights of the year. Readers should cellar the 2012 for at least a few years.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis delivers a gorgeously pure and racy core of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, melded perfectly with singed black tea leaf, dried star anise and roasted apple wood notes. Velvety and alluring overall, but there’s a bright minerality buried on the finish. Best from 2016 through 2027. 1,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRich, ripe and dense. Expressive red berry nose with toasted oak evident. Sweet, plush mid-palate (heightened by 14.5% alcohol although that doesn’t show). Long, firm finish. A touch dry on the end. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 91 DEC

Extraordinary aromas of metal shavings, black currants and hazelnuts. Turns to roses and violets. Full-bodied, yet subtle and refined with a polished piercing tannin backbone. This makes you want to drink it. Sexy and elegant. A triumph. Try in 2019 but hard not to drink now. September release.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford AVA, has a dense black cherry and blackcurrant-scented nose with graphite and forest floor notes, beautiful purity, full-bodied mouthfeel and super-richness and power, but elegant and complex. This is classic Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and should age beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPDana’s 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard possesses remarkable structure and density, especially within the context of the year. Firm yet well-integrated tannins give the wine much of its energy, tension and focus. Black cherry jam, graphite, smoke and tobacco add nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. Far from an easygoing 2012, the Helms is going to need time to fully come together. There is so much to look forward to here. This is the first vintage since 2008 that was vinified in wood uprights, as was originally intended. The intervening vintages have been much shorter, so they were done in barrel. The 2012 impresses for its balance of fruit, acidity and tannin.Vinous Media | 96 VMDense and pleasantly earthy, with an edge of loamy earth and crushed rock minerality cutting through the core of currant, blackberry and mocha before the dense, earthy tannins fold in. The finish is long and engaging. Drink now through 2030. 284 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2012 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Storico wafts up from the glass with a dusty mix of dried roses, grilled herbs, exotic brown spice, plums and hints of camphor. This is elegance to the extreme, velvety and pliant, yet with a core of mineral-tinged black fruits, savory spices and brisk acidity that adds a lovely balance. The 2012 finishes structured and grippy, yet the mouth is left watering for more, as a resonance of tart wild berries and blood orange lingers on and on. At 10 years old, this is still just a baby, and with a potential that’s off the charts. The ungrafted, 80-year-old vines that create the Storico are planted in clay and sandstone soils derived from underwater volcanic eruptions. Drinking Window 2023 - 2032Vnous Media | 96 VMMade with ungrafted 80-year-old vines, this gorgeous wine opens with an enticing bouquet of perfumed berry, fragrant blue flower, baking spice, leather and a whiff of Mediterranean brush. The concentrated enveloping palate is still young but already offers blackberry extract, raspberry jam, licorice, dried sage and tobacco. Firm fine-grained tannins offer age-worthy support and a velvety texture. Drink 2020–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEReally soft and attractive texture. Delicious dark-berry, hazelnut and light chocolate character. Full-bodied, tight and well formed. Drink now or hold James Suckling | 93 JS

This is amazing on the nose with blackberries, black truffle, dried cherries and hints of tobacco. It’s so complex on the nose that you almost don’t need to taste it. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a persistent, fabulous finish. The mouthfeel is magic. 80% sangiovese and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2013 Tignanello represents the beginning of a new chapter for Italy’s ultimate game-changer wine. The blend remains 80% Sangiovese with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc but Renzo Cotarella tells me "stylistically-speaking, this is what we wanted to achieve." The winemaking formula remains the same, but one of the major differences and benefits to this wine is vineyard age. The celebrated Tignanello single vineyard is now reaching 15 years old. In other words, it is in its production prime. This is a harmonious and beautifully integrated wine that reveals black fruit and baking spice. I’m told the 2014 Tignanello will have a greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 vintage will have more Sangiovese.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2013 Tignanello is a real knock-out. Rich and intense, but also linear in style, the 2013 is endowed with superb energy from start to finish. In this vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc character is especially evident, especially in the aromatics. Today, the 2013 is tightly wound and not ready to show all of its cards. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013, but the wine has plenty to say. Above all else, this is a remarkable level of quality for a wine with Bordeaux First Growth production (but not price) often in excess of 25,000 cases.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDefined by licorice and black currant aromas and flavors, this is intense and harmonious. A crisp, vibrant feel pervades as this winds down, showing excellent length and a minerally element.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2023 through 2043. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSWinemaker Renzo Cotarella declared the 2013 to be one of the most vibrant Tignanellos Antinori has ever made. It recalls 2010 but is a slightly less powerful package. The Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly evident at the moment, with well-defined nuances of blackberry bush. Notes of fresh dark earth, red cherry and minerality lurk underneath. The tannins are long and refined but not quite ready to relax their grip. Currently austere rather than generous, this needs time to knit together. Drinking Window 2021 - 2036.Decanter | 95 DECVibrant and loaded with finesse, this blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc opens with enticing scents of red woodland berry, new leather, Asian spice and a touch of menthol. The youthful palate delivers red currant, wild cherry, star anise and clove alongside a backbone of firm acidity and polished, tightly wound tannins. It will age majestically; drink 2020–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFlavors of black currant and tobacco bring the influence of Cabernet Sauvignon (15 percent) and Cabernet Franc (5 percent) to the fore in this Sangiovese-based blend. Ample alcohol lends a Bourbon-like edge to the wine’s oak-derived accents of vanilla and coconut, but Sangiovese’s firm, raspy tannins guide the wine back toward red cherry flavors and into a long, smoky finish.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Compared to the Le Vigne, the 2013 Aleste is slightly deeper and richer. Coming all from the Cannubi Boschis vineyard and aged 18 months in 500-liter French oak, it reveals incredible notes of black currants, blackberries, ground herbs, licorice, and smoked tobacco. Possessing medium to full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and serious amounts of tannin, it’s an incredible wine, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. Hide bottles for 5-6 years and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2013 Barolo Aleste is a wine of striking purity and nuance. It is also one of the most finessed, vivid young Barolos I have ever tasted from Sandrone. The translucence of Nebbiolo comes through loud and clear. Freshly cut flowers, mint and finely cut fruit are some of the signatures. This wine has developed beautifully in recent vintages as the oak influence is less than it was just a few years ago. Beams of tannin and bright, salivating acidity add finesse to this translucent, exceptional Barolo. Aleste is the new name Sandrone is using for the Barolo formerly known as Cannubi Boschis.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGFormerly known as Barolo Cannubi Boschis (the last vintage by that name was 2012), the 2013 Barolo Aleste has been renamed to honor the youngest generation of the Sandrone family, Alessia and Stefano. The wine name Aleste takes the first three letters from each grandchild's name. The move represents the culmination of more than 50 harvests completed by this legendary winemaker and his desire to pass on the torch. His grandchildren are at different points in their respective viticulture and enology university studies. Now under a different name, the wine obviously shows the same delicate floral nuances that you get with this wine (fruit from Cannubi is always harvested first). This is a complete and exciting wine with delicate notes of wild berry and smoke backed by licorice and blue flower.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFormerly known as Cannubi Boschis, this impressive wine boasts alluring aromas of crushed raspberry, baking spice, chopped mint, violet and woodland berry. The savory elegant palate delivers succulent Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, cinnamon, licorice and a hint of coffee. Fine-grained tannins and bright acidity provide polished support and great balance. Drink 2023–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAs of 2013, Sandrone's iconic Cannubi Boschis bottling has been rebranded with the fantasy moniker Aleste, which fuses the names of Luciano's grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. The grapes still hail exclusively from the Cannubi Boschis cru, aged for 24 months in French tonneaux, less than 20% new. It is already open and appealing, with well-defined aromas of sweet spice, cedar, black raspberry and rose. The palate shows earthy restraint and balance, with a promising future. Drinking Window 2020 - 2037.Decanter | 96 DECExtremely perfumed with blackberry and chocolate aromas. Hints of mushrooms. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows wonderful potential. This replaces their Cannubi Boschis bottling. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSWell-structured, revealing dark fruit flavors of black cherry and black currant, with accents of iron, tobacco and tar. Has grip and a fresh feel, lingering on the licorice- and mineral-tinged finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

In 2010, Giuseppe Rinaldi adjusted the blend of their two Barolo to conform with the MGA labeling regulations. They now make a Brunate cru and the gorgeous Tre Tine. The backbone is 60% Ravera with Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo contributing 20% each. Fresh, pure and haunting, it effortlessly brings together earthy base notes with bright red cherry and lifted lilac and violet scents. The fine-boned structure is all about enduring grace.Decanter | 97 DECDelicately fragrant and incredibly refined, this stunning red boasts alluring scents of blue flower, rose, wild berry and a whiff of new leather. It’s captivatingly ethereal and elegantly structured, offering crushed strawberry, red cherry, cinnamon and white pepper. It’s also impeccably balanced thanks to firm, polished tannins and bright acidity. While it’s already extremely tempting, hold for even more complexity. Drink 2023–2043. Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KODelicately fragrant and incredibly refined, this stunning red boasts alluring scents of blue flower, rose, wild berry and a whiff of new leather. It’s captivatingly ethereal and elegantly structured, offering crushed strawberry, red cherry, cinnamon and white pepper. It’s also impeccably balanced thanks to firm polished tannins and bright acidity. While it’s already extremely tempting, hold for even more complexity. Drink 2023–2043.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2013 Barolo Tre Tine is a super-classic, vibrant wine that bristles with energy. Lithe and gracious, but with terrific intensity, the 2013 is also surprisingly accessible for a young Rinaldi Barolo. Perhaps the 2013 will shut down in bottle, but today, it is all polish. Although quite classic in feel, the 2013 is a bit lower in acidity than the 2010 and is also not forbiddingly tannic, both of which add to its immense appeal today. Scents of lavender, menthol, licorice and sweet red cherry develop in the glass, adding to the wine’s considerable appeal. Today, the 2013 is gorgeous.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis sleek red balances its rose aroma, ripe cherry and berry fruit, and leather, herb and iron flavors with a full, supportive structure. Stays fresh and focused on the lingering, mineral-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2035. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is a soft and sensual wine with long silkiness and smooth finesse. The 2013 Barolo Tre Tine offers less pulp and obvious fruit. Instead, the bouquet has already taken off towards ethereal aromas of cola, licorice and balsam herb. This wine is more immediate and less nervous next to the 2013 Barolo Brunate (that needs more time to relax). Yet, the Barolo Tre Tine already shows promising complexity and nuance. The firmness of the tannins at the back, however, remind you that this is a wine built to last.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2013 Syrah Per Sempre is another gorgeous wine from Tua Rita. This estate on the Tuscan Coast offers one of Italy’s top Syrahs. In vintages like this, it is in the running for the number one spot among Italian expressions of the Rhône grape. It opens to supremely finessed varietal characteristics of blackberry, chocolate, toasted espresso, smoked bacon and dark spice. The wine is aged in barrique for 21 months and no clarification is performed. In warmer vintages with early-ripening fruit, you risk that the muscular structure of the wine eventually overcomes the bouquet. This is not the case in 2013. The wine presents power and generosity in equal fashion across the senses. This wine was not produced in 2014 because the grape skins were damaged that year. Hold onto your bottles of 2013, because you need to make it last.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPI have tasted the 2013 Sirah Per Sempre several times over the last few months and it just keeps getting better. Intensely aromatic, Tua Rita’s Syrah is unusual for the Tuscan coast because of its distinctly floral/savory personality. Sweet tobacco, rose petal, sage, mint, wild flowers and red-fleshed fruit are some of the signatures. In the 2013 Sirah readers will find a wine endowed with tons of nuance and complexity. A final kick of aromatics married to rich Suvereto fruit leaves a lasting impression on the finish. Just bottled, the 2013 is quite raw and in need of time, but it is incredibly promising, not to mention delicious.Vinous Media | 95+ VMWonderful dried meat, spice, dried herb and earth character topped off with ripe fruit. It’s elegant and racy with great length and structure, yet also refined and gorgeous. So drinkable now. The Hermitage La Chapelle of Italy. Pure Syrah.James Suckling | 95 JSA meaty red, boasting blackberry, plum, black olive, smoke and vanilla aromas and flavors. Rich and dense, with a lingering aftertaste of herbs and oak spice. Drink now through 2023. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSSpicy and supple, this has aromas of cured meat, white pepper, toast and dark plum that follow the warm robust palate along with dried black cherry, coffee and licorice. Round tannins provide the supple framework. Drink through 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru was showing some quality new oak on the nose that still needs to be subsumed. It is tightly coiled but it just needs time because there is freshness, definition and beguiling complexity locked in here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well judged acidity and clever use of new oak lending body without compromising terroir expression. The finish feels focused and satisfying and the texture leaves you totally seduced. Class, class, class. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPIt has been six years since I last tasted the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, when I wrote "Class. Class. Class." I have no need to alter that assessment. With fragrant raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed limestone and flint on the nose, this has a transparency that is a wonder to behold. The palate is beautifully balanced, poised with a fine line of acidity, full of tension with vivid red fruit on the finish that belies the structure underneath. Magnificent. Tasted at a private dinner in Beaune.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin from Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg is another great example of the vintage. The bouquet delivers and outstanding aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, cassis, grilled meats, complex soil tones, espresso, woodsmoke, mustard seed and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave and refined on the palate, with a rock solid core, fine-grained tannins and superb backend energy on the very long and utterly classic finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2075)John Gilman | 95+ JGA markedly ripe nose presents notes of cassis, plum liqueur, earth, spice and a hint of the sauvage. As it virtually always is this is notably bigger, richer and more powerful than the Feusselottes with its sleekly muscular and equally mineral-driven flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration along with impressive depth and length on the youthfully austere finale. This is really lovely juice but note that patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 93 BH

So much purple fruit here like blueberries as well as minerals and black pepper. Full body, firm and silky tannins. Tight and compressed style with great persistence. Better in 2020, but so gorgeous now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2012 Proprietary Red Blend (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot) is fabulous with complex notes of plum, blackcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, licorice and very subtle background oak followed by a full-bodied, opulently textured wine. This has voluptuous texture, tremendous opulence and is a sexy beast. Perfect purity also highlights this marvelous wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 15 more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPA real knock-out, the 2013 Proprietary Red is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. A wine of tension, energy and opulence, the 2013 has all the signatures of the vintage in spades. Red cherry jam, smoke, licorice, spices and white pepper are some of the notes that meld into the super-expressive, delineated finish. The 2013 is the first vintage of the Proprietary Red that is more than 50% estate, while the rest of fruit was sourced from Stagecoach and Rancho Chimiles.Vinous Media | 94 VMAn amped-up style, with overt blackberry, açaí berry and black currant preserves, though time has settled this down just a touch, allowing for floral, wood spice and apple wood nuances to peek in. On the finish, the toast still holds sway, with roasted cedar and baker’s chocolate having the upper hand on the fruit. Fans of the showy style will dig this, for sure. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2030. 4,900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA powerfully rich and concentrated Bordeaux-style blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of four other Bordeaux varieties, this wine presents itself as juicy and fresh on entry, with high-toned sparks of cranberry, cherry and cassis. It takes on more strength and structure as it opens, suggesting its worth for the cellar. Hold until 2023–2028. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Along with the 2015, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is one of the greatest wines made at this property. Deep, powerful, layered, and incredibly concentrated, it has the classic bluer fruits of this estate as well as notes of graphite, chocolate, spring flowers, and bouquet garni. Opening up with time in the glass, it’s a rich, thrilling wine in just about every sense. Give bottles another 3-4 years and it’s going to have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBoth 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons are in bottle, and both are absolutely magnificent wines, probably the two finest Cabernets made by the Staglins to date. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford (14.9% alcohol) has a stunning fragrance of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers (or is it violets?), sweet blackcurrant and black raspberry fruit, and a layered, opulent, rich and full-bodied mouthfeel. Add to that striking purity, equilibrium, and serious but finely grained tannins, and this is their finest Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon made to date. It has at least 30-40 years of life ahead of it.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is still very young. Dark, powerful and quite brooding in bearing, the 2013 possesses notable depth and textural intensity. Blue/black fruit, gravel, scorched earth and grilled herbs add to a feeling of somber intensity. In this vintage, there is less Cabernet Sauvignon and more Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the result of higher percentages of those varieties in some of the co-fermented lots. Overall, the 2013 feels a bit compact today.Vinous Media | 94 VMA ripe and generous red with ripe berry, smoky meat and leather. Full-bodied, round and velvety. Extremely rich style for 2013. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

The biggest, richest wine in the lineup is the 327-case 2013 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard, which comes from the 4.8-acre Selleck Vineyard (this is one of the warmer terroirs on the estate). It was harvested from September 24th to October 4th, spending 18 months in 30% new puncheons before being bottled unfiltered. This is a blockbuster, rich, concentrated and textured Pinot Noir that has bright acidity, a huge core of fruit and layers of framboise, red currants, forest floor, mint, dried flowers and exotic spices. Needing air to show at its best, this beauty is up with the 2012 and absolutely one of the finest Pinot Noirs coming out of California. This totally profound wine will be better in a year or two and drink well for over a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA wild, exotic wine, Calera’s 2013 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard is spectacularly rich, flamboyant and intense. Beams of tannin and phenolics give the wine its structural backbone and more than enough structure to handle the intense, super-ripe fruit. Today, the 2013 is very, very young. I can’t wait to see how it ages.Vinous Media | 97 VMFragrant lilacs and plump mulberries mix with black clove, allspice, pine needles and dark earth tones on this bottling by Josh Jensen from this 4.8-acre vineyard. The palate presents hearty sagebrush spice and an easily enjoyable character of black cherry that lead into the more complex pine sap, bay leaf, wild thyme and euclalytpus components.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAn exuberant style, with an expressive mix of zesty blackberry and wild berry fruit, offering alluring floral scents of violet and spice. Holds focus and glides along gracefully on the finish, where the tannins give the flavors traction. Drink now through 2022. 317 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThere is a whiff of menthol sitting atop the overtly spicy and notably ripe essence of red pinot fruit and cherry-scented nose. The very rich, concentrated and sappy big-bodied flavors possess excellent size, weight and power while delivering fine length on the palate coating finish that also evidences just a touch of tannic edginess. This is very firmly structured and very clearly built-to-age, indeed this is going to need it. I should further observe that this manages to carry its elevated level of alcohol quite well, indeed there is only a trace of warmth. Note well though that patience will definitely be required. In sum, if your taste runs to big and bold, this qualifies.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2013 Romanée Saint Vivant Grand Cru has a gorgeous bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, wilted rose petals, a touch of lavender coming through with time. There is real vigor and generosity here. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a firm structure. There is wonderful depth and body that forms the foundation of this wine, coming across a little more masculine than the 2014, exerting a firm grip with a slightly curmudgeonly finish that just needs time to mellow. This is excellent.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2013 Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat was another late malo finisher and the wine was still on the grumpy side at the time of my visit, with a fairly expressive nose currently coupled to an out of sorts palate impression, but this will clearly be outstanding. The bouquet offers up a fabulous constellation of raspberries, cherries, blood orange, beautiful spice tones, lavender, complex soil nuances, fresh nutmeg and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and quite poised (despite its grumpy nature at the time of my visit), with fine mid-palate depth, nascently complexity, ripe tannins and superb length and grip on the tangy finish. This is going to be very, very special when it reaches its zenith. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 95-97 JGDeep red with ruby highlights. Sexy aromas and flavors of primary dark berries, black raspberry and cocoa powder complicated by spicy oak tones. Thick yet lively on entry; a youthfully imploded but utterly seamless wine with outstanding energy and depth. For all its density, this tactile, saline wine shows a magically light touch. Really builds and lingers on the superb rising finish, which features noble tannins. Still a baby, this grand cru has a great future.Vinous Media | 94+ VMRelative to the expressive example that I originally reviewed, this has begun to shut down and the nose is now brooding and only grudgingly gives up its spiced aromas of plum, dark currant and violets that are trimmed in hints of Asian-style tea and sandalwood. The sleek and ultra-refined mouth feel adds substantially to the sense of elegance though the balance is slightly impaired due to a tangy finish that is mildly lean and drying. This is without question quite classy but it’s not without a nit or two.Burghound | 91 BH