95-97 Point Wines

wines

The Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aida Vineyard is becoming one of the most exceptional northern Napa Valley Cabernets, with a production ranging between 600-700 cases. An exquisite wine in the making is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Vineyard. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it exhibits an inky purple color in addition to a beautiful nose of graphite, creme de cassis, melted licorice, charcoal, and melted asphalt, terrific stuffing, silky tannins, a noble sweetness that comes from the purity and ripeness of the fruit, and a 45+ second finish. This fabulous Cabernet should drink well for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95-98 RP(14.8% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Truffley, musky scents of black raspberry, tobacco leaf, smoke, gravel, peppery herbs and licorice. Suave and surprisingly sweeet, conveying a gamey, truffley aspect to its dark berry and plum flavors. Nicely concentrated, fine-grained wine with a slightly roasted fruit element, a cooler medicinal quality, and substantial dusty tannins.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2007 Sassicaia (Cabernet Sauvignon) explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression. The 2007 is more than a worthy follow-up to the profound 2006. While it may lack that wine’s freshness, structure and potential longevity, the 2007 is immensely appealing today, and should drink beautifully pretty much out of the gate. That said, Sassicaia is always the most restrained of Bolgheri’s heavy hitters. This is a superb effort from Tenuta San Guido.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis iconic Italian wine from Bolgheri’s landmark Sassicaia vineyard (characterized by little rocks, or “sassi”) offers an elegant bouquet comprised in equal measure by mineral, fruit and spice nuances. The wine consists of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc and the finish is long, smooth and very fine. This is an ageworthy wine that should not be opened before 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEHere’s a wine of power, determination and confidence—as far as first impressions go. The 2007 Bolgheri Sassicaia leaves little hidden behind the curtain. It presents a frank and straightforward array of bold fruit, spice, leather and tobacco-like aromas that emerge from the bouquet with energy and force. The aromas are complete and genuine. The palate, however, offers more space for interpretation and review. It is finessed and nuanced, thus requiring more time to fully comprehend and appreciate. Silky tannins are followed by fine textural smoothness and a long finish. The outgoing nature of the aromas make for a fascinating contrast against the inward and reticent nature of the mouthfeel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPVery enticing aromas of spices, meat and berries. Full-bodied and juicy, soft and velvety, with a long, succulent finish. Best after 2011. 20,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is classy on the nose with subtle currant, sweet tobacco, cigar box and dried flowers. Cassis too. Full body, with refined tannins and a solid core of fruit. Polished and very pretty. Long and delicious already. But you have to wait on this. It has so much more to give. Try after 2015.James Suckling | 93 JSThere’s tension in this vintage of Sassicaia, its rich, generous fruit held within a tight, lean structure. Fresh scents of flowers and herbs come up from under the ripe fruit, tamped down again by a meaty smokiness that hints at Brett. Youthful and inaccessible, this gains clarity with air, as it will in the cellar. One of Italy’s most sought-after collectibles, this is suited to aging ten years or more. Kobrand, Purchase, NYWine & Spirits | 92 W&SA splash of sweet strawberry purée just slightly indicating the age of this wine, and it is a vintage that is already drinking well. Beautiful, dancing acidity and some attractive red fruits. But it doesn’t have the full complexity of the 2008 vintage. It has a complex array of tertiary aromatics and flavours, with full leather and soft black truffle. Gentle, with softly lingering flavours.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2007 Montevetrano is the product of an unusual vintage characterized by hot temperatures that were virtually uninterrupted throughout the year. Bright red fruit, flowers and spices are some of the nuances that emerge from this silky, beautifully balanced Montevetrano. The combination of explosive ripe fruit, richness and finesse are utterly breathtaking. The warmth of the vintage comes through in the wine’s generosity, yet there are no suggestions whatsoever of over- ripeness. This is a magnificent Montevetrano.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThe 2007 Montevetrano suggests a more prominent presence of Cabernet Sauvignon, aromatically speaking, compared to the other wines in this mini retrospective. The percentage of grapes used is the same but this impression is reinforced by the warmth of the summer growing season and the exuberance of the fruit. Blackberry aromas are followed by spice, leather and tar. There are subtle notes of balsam herb and green peppercorn as well. The wine is structured and firm but not astringent. The tannins are softly integrated and fine in texture.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPDark and sappy, with tightly wound layers of black currant, blackberry and plum skin. Hints of underbrush, ash and smoke are framed by firm tannins, which need time to resolve. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Aglianico. Best from 2013 through 2021.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2007 Les Pavots, a Bordeaux varietal blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, is brilliant. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeously complex aromas of melted chocolate, espresso roast, blackberries, and cassis. Full-bodied with a superb texture, a subtle note of oak, and fabulous concentration, it is more reminiscent of a Right Bank Bordeaux than one expects with this much Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. A thirty-year wine, its impeccable balance and the sweetness of its tannins make it accessible already.Robert Parker | 97 RPA little tight and firm. Some might call this lean but I like the dark chocolate and blueberry character. Finishes with some chewy tannins, wait until 2014. 14+23+23+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS(70% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc, 10% merlot and 3% petit verdot) Vivid ruby. Youthfully backward aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and tobacco. Chewy dark berry and bitter cherry flavors are framed by solid tannins and complemented by smoky mineral and sweet chewing tobacco elements. Tough to read but highly concentrated, showing a strong finishing licorice and smoky mineral character and a lingering cherry pit note. Give this at least a few more years of bottle aging.Vinous Media | 93 VMZeroes in on intense dark berry, graphite, mineral and cedary oak flavors, supported by firm, grippy and gritty tannins. The flavors are vibrant yet drying, suggesting that this should be drunk sooner rather than later. Both bottles of this noteworthy wine were good but not great. Slightly off the usual pace. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.—Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,060 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Deep garnet colored with just a hint of brick, the 2007 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard opens with compelling notes of baked plums, blackberry tart and fruitcake with an undercurrent of dried Provence herbs, menthol, beef drippings, unsmoked cigars and cedar chest. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is laden with minted black fruits and meaty/savory flavors, framed with a firm, grainy texture and wonderful freshness, finishing very long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(14.9% alcohol): Full medium ruby. Some slightly porty high tones to the aromas and flavors of black plum, espresso, licorice, violet and tar. Wonderfully suave, sweet wine with terrific depth of texture and harmonious balancing acidity. With its balance, energy and intensity, this wonderfully long, juicy wine is approachable and complex already, but will still improve and gain in nuance for many more years in the bottle. The ripe tannins saturate the molars.Vinous Media | 94+ VMA fragrant nose of deep dark fruits, cigar box, roasted coffee, vanilla bean, and hints of flowers. Full bodied and velvety with dark luscious fruits. Very round with a very soft palate and a velvety texture. Very yummy and delicious right now but will get even better after 2014. 14+23+23+32. Find the wineJames Suckling | 92 JS

Impressively balanced, with the fruit rich, intense with a golden glow. The acidity is as important as the freshness, giving a delicious lift to the core of dry, concentrated botrytis. Obviously a great wine for long-term aging in a great Sauternes year. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA blend of 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, with 139 grams per liter of residual sugar and a pH of 3.7, the 2008 Yquem is pale to medium gold in color. It leaps from the glass with vivacious notes of lemon marmalade, quince paste, and kiwi fruit, leading to suggestions of lemongrass, wet slate, almond croissant, and fallen leaves. The palate is completely coated with citrus and tropical fruit layers, supported by fantastic tension and a satiny texture, finishing long and electric.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIBright light gold. Ripe cling peach, fresh apricot, spices, coconut, minerals and white flowers on the nose, with a note of vanillin oak emerging with air; subdued but wonderfully pure and precise. At once thick and light on its feet, showing an utterly seamless texture and compelling sweetness but also lovely inner-mouth tension thanks to its suave acidity and underlying minerality. The new oak element is in harmony with the wine’s fruit already. Really dusts the palate on the back end and builds inexorably. The explosive finish leaves behind a perfumed spice character. The clear star in my 2008 tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2008 d’Yquem reveals a complex, elegant bouquet with aromas of pineapple, exotic fruits, quince and orchard fruits, followed by both a balanced and medium to full-bodied palate, seamless and layered texture and a penetrating, fresh and delicate finish. With 139 grams of residual sugar, this is a classic d’Yquem that has real potential to improve in the cellar over the next 10 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBeautiful lemon cream, chamomile and fried pineapple notes, with a refreshing, almost floral edge running along as well. Creamy coconut and green plum notes fill in on the finish, which has admirable length. A restrained, lighter style, with lovely precision. Drink now through 2035. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A prestige cuvée I have struggled with for a while, a number of vintages being rather blowsy. This release shows a bit more restraint on the nose, flowery Chardonnay dominating. Aromas of lime-citrus dance across the palate, the Pinot Noir provides the structure and support for the Chardonnay top notes. An excellent Belle Epoque that has plenty in the tank, I would wait another few years before broaching a bottle. Slightly introverted in magnum (but with better finesse), we really need to wait for some generosity and complexity in this format (scores an extra point). Drink 2028 onwards. Tasted May 2020.Jasper Morris | 96 JMThis finely knit and lithe Champagne is smoky up front, opening into a lovely range of pastry, glazed apricot, lemon curd and candied ginger notes in the glass. Vibrant acidity drives the satinlike finish. Drink now through 2030. 10,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSPerrier Jouët Belle Epoque 2008 reminds me somewhat of the grace of the exceptional 1995, Cellarmaster Hervé Deschamps’ first solo vintage and still one of his best. Though the two vintages 13 years apart share the same grace and class, the 2008 is more mineral, reflecting a quite sunless summer season. Only the return of warmer weather at the start of September imbued the vintage with a freshness of great Chardonnay in tune with the subtly restrained power of Pinot Noir and a soupçon of rounded Meunier – that final little touch making the wine more pleasurable to drink soon, unlike other wines from the Champagne 2008 vintage, which need a lot more time. Chardonnay is from Cramant, Avize, and Mesnil, Pinot Noir from Ay and Ambonnay in the Montagne de Reims, and Pinot Meunier from Dizy. Shimmering pale gold with green lights, radiant clarity; persistent tiny bubbles: riot of white flowers scents, hawthorn, then more stone-fruit than citrus, reine claude (greengage) and elderflower. Vibrant mouthfeel, invigorating, expansive – perfect with saline fruits de mer.Decanter | 93 DECA strong Belle Epoque from 2008, this has an almost sultry air about it with deeply spicy glacé stone fruits and fresh bready notes. The palate has sleek, composed and well-weighted fruit and acid balance. Stone fruit pastry flavors run even and hold well into the finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe latest release in this series of wines with its Belle Epoque bottle is, as always, a blend dominated by Chardonnay. So although the dosage is relatively high, that is balanced by fine acidity and minerality. It is a stylish wine, ripe and with the maturity to drink now.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Pale gold, the 2009 Climens offers up a fabulously fragrant nose of green tea, chamomile, powdered ginger, lemon marmalade and fallen leaves with suggestions of spice cake and preserved mandarin peel. The palate is super intense with vibrant, energetic fruit and layer upon layer of perfume and spice nuances, finishing very long and incredibly youthful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPRich and opulent, but the Barsac terroir keeps it reined in. Exotic fruit notes, baked apple and confit fruit. Pure, velvety and unctuous but with a bite of citrus zest freshness coming in behind. Biodynamic estate. Drinking Window 2019 - 2050Decanter | 97 DECThe 2009 Climens has a clean and pure bouquet with honey and brioche aromas, like pure sunlight! The palate is fresh and crisp with superb botrytised fruit. Great tension and a dash of ginger and lemongrass spice up the detailed finish. This is a Climens that is only just beginning to demonstrate what is capable of. Bon vin! Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe superb palate boasts richness, with honey and orange zest notes. It shows fine balance between the flavors of orange jelly and the intense botrytis-driven notes. It has a light, delicate texture and acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WERounded and broad in feel for now, with richly layered toasted almond, ginger cream, brioche and glazed apple notes that all glide through the viscous finish, where a flash of green tea can be found. This has the buried zip for the long haul, which it will need to assimilate fully. There’s lots in reserve. Best from 2015 through 2034. 4,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2009 d'Alceo comes across as much more classic in style and structure than the 2008. According to Luca di Napoli, the trick to 2009 was harvesting on the early side. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, plums, mint and licorice all take shape in the glass Over the last few months, the 2009 d'Alceo has softened a bit, releasing expressive, floral aromatics, brighter shades of fruit and striking inner perfume, but it remains quite vibrant in the context of a vintage in which so many wines are quite a bit riper in style. The 2009 is a wonderfully deep, resonant d'Alceo that should offer a wide drinking window starting in a few years. It certainly looks like Rampolla nailed the vintage.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGA super generous red with spices, meat and berry character. Full body with round and velvety tannins. Rich and generous. Gorgeous wine. A blend of cabernet sauivgnon and petite verdot. Much better in 2015 when the tannins come together.James Suckling | 95 JSNo written review provided | 90 W&S

The 2009 Guiraud is one of the gems of Sauternes this vintage, one of the finest offerings in recent years. It has a wonderful, beautifully delineated bouquet with expressive scents of wild honey, orange pith, Seville orange marmalade and just a hint of pineapple. The palate is beautifully defined with pure botrytised fruit, supremely well balanced with a vivacious, ginger and white pepper tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. Outstanding...Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is a bird of a different feather, with an exotic, vibrant aroma of toasted coconut, followed by an almond cream note that gives way to the core of green fig, papaya, Cavaillon melon and honey. There’s stunning richness and mouthfeel, with the power to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Very impressive. Best from 2015 through 2040. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 11,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSGorgeous aromas of dried apricots, apple pie crust and pineapple. Full-bodied, with medium sweetness. Dense and layered. Beautiful now but will improve with age. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSPale to medium gold colored, the 2009 Guiraud comes sashaying out of the glass with a wonderfully floral nose of jasmine and peach blossoms with an undercurrent of potpourri, dried mango, honey nut, baked pineapple and preserved ginger. The mouth is completely coated with concentrated baking spice and savory layers countering all the rich sweetness, finishing long and layered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a smoky, rich wine that shows evident wood aging. This feature adds weight, though the sweetness is currently muted. It is a wine with potential intensity; the fruit and acidity will emerge in several years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Château Guiraud (Sauternes)) The 2009 Guiraud is a terrific wine in the making, as it has perfectly captured the potential to make an elegant, refined and long-lived wine in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, complex and quite esthery in its mélange of bee pollen, pears, apples, delicate notes of pineapple, complex soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and shows great mid-palate depth, with bright acids, lovely, nascent complexity and outstanding length and grip on the elegant and focused finish. A superb Guiraud. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 92-93 JG

I love the botrytis spice character to this wine with dried apricots and tropical fruits. It’s full bodied, medium sweet with a long intense finish. It’s very layered. Sweet wine of the vintage.James Suckling | 95-96 JSStructured firm, very spicy, while also showing fresh pineapple acidity. Concentrated and packed with botrytis.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA muscular version, with dacquoise and marzipan notes leading the way for creamed orange, white peach, ginger, mirabelle compote and tangerine accents that pump through the piecrust-filled finish. Has the vintage’s raw oomph, as well as range and cut for balance. Best from 2018 through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2010 Rieussec is similar to the previous bottle a couple of years ago. It has since opened with saffron-tinged honeyed fruit, dried honey and almond shavings. This example is more vanillary and oaky than previous ones, and that actually distracts from the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied; again, the new oak feels more prominent than previous bottles, prompting me to lower my score. It’s utterly seductive but articulates more of the winemaking than I would like...Neal Martin, Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) Château Rieussec has turned out one of the most elegant and refined examples of the 2010 vintage and this wine is an unqualified success. The nose is a bit less obviously botrytized than many of its neighbors this year, as the wine offers up scents of tangerine, pineapple, bee pollen, lovely, chalky soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and dancing, with fine mid-palate intensity, excellent focus and a really impressive lightness of step on the long, complex and tangy finish. In a vintage prone to heavy-handedness, the ethereal quality of the 2010 Château Rieussec is most impressive. (Drink between 2015-2035).John Gilman | 93 JGPale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Rieussec is evolving at a good clip, boasting roasted nuts, toffee apples and dried apricots scents with hints of beurre blanc, manuka honey and candle wax. The palate is a powerhouse of sweetness, with soft acidity and loads of savory/nutty layers, finishing on a praline note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Bright, deep ruby-red. Slightly high-toned scents of raspberry, coffee, milk chocolate and rose petal, plus some Old World hints of meat and earth. Utterly fine-grained and seamless on entry, with perfectly integrated acidity and a floral element giving clarity and lift to the red fruit, spice and mineral flavors. A first sample of this wine showed some porty high tones but this one is refined and pure, rich but not a bit heavy. In fact, it’s wonderfully delineated, aromatic and fresh in the style of a top Pomerol. Finishes with firm, dusty, nicely buffered tannins, terrific thrust and sneaky rising floral perfume. This wonderfully elegant, pure, broad wine comes across as less wild than the Le Désir and La Joie bottlings. It should continue to evolve gracefully on its balance and palate-saturating breadth. Wow! Held up beautifully with aeration.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2010 La Muse (14.4% alcohol) is a blend of 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the more soft, opulent, precocious wines I have tasted from this estate, it exhibits abundant notes of spicy oak, plum, Asian soy, new saddle leather, barrique, black cherries and black currants. Round and generous with considerable fat and succulence, it can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15-20.Robert Parker | 94 RPRipe and mature-tasting, with decadent cooking spice notes to the brooding dark currant and dried berry flavors. Green olive details show on the viscous finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Massive, concentrated and powerful, this offers lush, heady flavors of dark plum, blackberry and cherry tart, with touches of anise. Shows plenty of grip as well, with a long, rich finish of dark chocolate, toffee and cream. Best from 2040 through 2060. 2,190 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSA powerful, spicy wine, luscious in its peppered berry fruits and sweet tannins. The structure is dramatic, offering a smooth texture as well as a drier core. With its weight, density and dark, final character, this is a wine for serious aging.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEBright, saturated dark ruby. Spectacularly multifaceted nose combines high-pitched medicinal cherry, briary black raspberry, pungent menthol, dried herbs, incense, Indian spices and a whiff of passion fruit. Boasts great creamy depth and vinosity to its black raspberry and licorice flavors, with huge sweetness buffered by spicy minerality. The note of passion fruit carries through on the palate. Really reverberates on the back end, finishing with powerful tannins and a rising whiplash of flavor. This got better and better with extended aeration, with the tannins making it obvious that it will be extremely long-lived.Vinous Media | 96+ VMVery grapy and leafy with hints of spices on the nose. Full body, medium sweet with fine, chewy tannins. Powerful, long finish with nuts and shaved chocolate. This young Fonseca has grip. 6,000 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 95 JS David Guimaraens blends this wine from three vineyards, the style focused on Cima Corgo suppleness from fruit at Panascal in the Távora Valley, along with Cruziero and Santo António in the Pinhão Valley. The 2011 is hugely powerful, presenting a solid wall of schist tannins with the gentleness of perfect ripeness. The wine shows no seams, just a vast, dynamic blackness, a meaty, tarry, berry fruit drama that will play out for decades.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe 2011 Late Bottled Vintage Port is an unfiltered field blend that comes with a bar top cork. It comes in at 108 grams per liter of residual sugar and was bottled in 2016, according to the label. Rather gorgeous, this fresh, tight and powerful Fonseca is perfectly focused, extracted and tightly-wound, finishing with intensity of flavor laced with some herbs and a hint of garrigue. Yet, everything is always in a very controlled fashion brilliantly supported by its structure. This is a beauty, another super 2011 LBV.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A big, broad, powerful style, with piecrust, roasted almond and hazelnut cream notes framing the core of apricot, creamed peach and dried mango. Picks up extra fig and pear details through the toasty finish. Needs a bit of time to finish sorting itself out. Best from 2017 through 2030. 5,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now, with so much for the future. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Suduiraut 2011 has a muffled nose at first: dried honey and quince, wet wool and marzipan scents that gradually open up with aeration. Coming back after 10 minutes there is a heartwarming gingerbread note. The palate is viscous on the entry and full of tension. There is a keen line of acidity here, quite linear at first, but it fans out nicely toward the finish and offers notes of honey, mandarin and even a touch of rhubarb! This is a class act, a Sauternes that does not need to shout about its inherent qualities.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMHeady apricot and mango nose. Concentrated and creamy, with density and weight of fruit. The oak is integrated and the wine is harmonious in a rich rather than racy style. Long. Drinking Window 2016 - 2050.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Suduiraut (Sauternes)) The 2011 Suduiraut is one of the most delicately styled and dancing wines of the vintage in Sauternes. The deep, pure and very clean nose soars from the glass in a classically glazed mélange of bee pollen, pear, fresh pineapple, honeycomb, chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and crisp, with very good mid-palate depth, fine focus and balance and a very long, light on its feet and complex finish. I really like the elegant style and shape of the 2011 Suduiraut. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 93+ JGVery fresh and strongly fruity, with just the right amount of dry botrytis, this is already approachable. However that botrytis does promise aging, with peach and ripe orange flavors pushing forward. Drink this attractive wine from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2011 Suduiraut, picked from 12 September to 5 October in three tries through the vineyard, has an intriguing bouquet. It does not possess the thrilling intensity of the 2014 and 2015 tasted alongside, replicating the wet wool, almost Loire-like bouquet that I picked up upon in previous encounters. The palate is well balanced with a slightly viscous texture. This is a gentle Suduiraut, missing the complexity of a top vintage but fresh and generous. It is linear in style, some might say conservative with just a touch of gingerbread on the finish. Fine. 148gm/L residual sugar, 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Ambrosan wafts up extorverted and opulent, with exotic spices and medicinal cherries giving way to mocha and sweet pipe tobacco. This is silky-smooth and soothing, balancing both savory and sweet while coming across as autumnal in character, as rosy inner florals form. There is so much depth and focus here, showing citrus-tinged plum skins with coffee grinds and dark chocolate. This just goes on and on, lightly structured and incredibly long yet balanced. The 2011 Ambrosan is a thrilling wine to taste.Vinous Media | 96 VMVery pretty balance of fruit and tannins with freshness and finesse. Medium-bodied with beautiful, round and polished tannins. Really refined and elegant with lovely length. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSCedar, dark-skinned fruit and vanilla aromas form the nose on this hearty red. The chewy palate offers baked plum, coconut and star anise alongside pliant tannins. Drink through 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

A blend of 61% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, the 2011 Palengat Vineyard has a great bouquet of sweet plum liqueur, blackberry, graphite, lead pencil shavings and toast. This is followed by a full-bodied effort that has beautiful concentration (especially in the vintage), loads of texture and ripe underlying tannic structure. Reasonably approachable now, it will nevertheless evolve gracefully on its overall balance. Enjoy bottles over the coming 10-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP(a blend of 61% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% petit verdot made from Palengat and Champoux vineyard fruit): Good full ruby-red. Dark, inviting aromas of blackcurrant, black raspberry and cocoa powder. Shows the lush, fine-grained texture of topnotch Merlot, not to mention the black fruit and dark chocolate notes of the variety, along with sexy floral lift from the Cabernet Franc. Seriously good, gripping wine with terrific density and chocolatey length.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A style that is a complete outlier. Easy to spot for those who have tasted it. Like entering a Moroccan souk to the smell of incense, sweet dates, clove and tamarind. Sweet and supple, with pixelated tannins and a waft of gentle freshness. Not the best vintage? Drink now. Alkina Grenache Assembly tasting.James Suckling | 96 JSBright ruby-red. An exotic bouquet presents black raspberry, incense, Asian spices and blood orange. On the palate, sweet red and dark berry flavors become more tangy and spicy with air. Shows an impressive blend of depth and vivacity and finishes with outstanding focus and thrust and gentle tannic grip. Evidently this wine didn’t get the memo that 2011 couldn’t produce outstanding wines.Vinous Media | 94 VMFrom a bottle purchased in the Rhône, the 2011 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is a pretty, perfumed Rayas that shows the more moderately concentrated, open, and complex style of the vintage. Translucent ruby-hued, with a great nose of sweet kirsch liqueur, white pepper, dried flowers, and Provençal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a layered, silky, seductive mouthfeel, soft tannins, and outstanding length. Almost reminding me of the 2008, it’s a much lighter style of Rayas that checks in well behind the truly great vintages here, but it still brings that “je ne sais quoi” Rayas character that’s impossible to find outside of this hollowed terroir. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming decade or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

There are 5,180 six-bottle cases of the 2012 Padrone. This is a fabulous wine, meant to evolve over three decades. It offers up notes of charcoal, scorched earth, blackcurrant, blackberry, chocolate and a touch of espresso. A wine of great intensity, full-bodied opulence and a multilayered mouthfeel, this is a formidably endowed, serious Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine from vineyards with some of the best fruit on the estate. Drink it over the next 30 years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Padrone is dark and sumptuous from start to finish. Mocha, plums, smoke, new leather and French oak all flesh out in this brooding, intense Cabernet Sauvignon. The style is explosive and full of 2012 vintage exuberance. There is a lot to look forward to.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

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

This has a lovely copper color with aromas of cloves, spiced apples, raspberries, gingerbread and pastries. Delicious yeasty and spicy undertones. Excellent density and focus, with fine and firm bubbles, yet it’s light on its feet and so fresh. Long, chalky and salty at the end. Chardonnay and pinot noir. 3.8g/L dosage. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elizabeth Salmon offers up hints of red berry fruit, ginger, spice, rosewater, mint and crushed flowers. There is a feeling of classic austerity that runs through the 2012. I would prefer to cellar this for at least a few years, as it is quite reticent at this stage. Chalk, mint, white pepper and bright saline accents linger on the pointed finish. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: first trimester 2023.Vinous Media | 96 VMElisabeth Salmon 2012 shows all the signs of being a true classic for Billecart-Salmon, beautifully balanced between the most alluring Pinot aromatics – black cherry juice, peach melba and fresh raspberry – and an engine of pure, persistent Chardonnay energy of bright clementine and zesty length, all lifted with subtle details of allspice, rose petal and nougat and delivered on an effortlessly silky mousse. Open for business, yet without the showiness that the wines of this vintage can sometimes display, it’s a rosé of assured refinement and quiet intensity that seems set for a long future. 55% Chardonnay from Chouilly, Avize, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger with 45% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Ambonnay, with 8.3% red wine addition from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. 2.9% fermented in barrel, and released after 115 months on lees with a dosage of 3.8g/L.Decanter | 95 DEC

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

The 2013 Cappella is dense, young and full of energy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and licorice are front and center. Still young and vibrant, the 2013 is seriously impressive. It can be enjoyed now, but another few years in bottle will help soften the tannins further. What a stellar wine it is. The 2013 is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. At this stage, this is the most approachable 2013 in the range.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it’s a small cuvée from this vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. It displays sweet espresso notes, loads of white chocolate, blackberry, Asian spice and incense. It is full-bodied and opulent, with the tannins surprisingly silky and well-disguised, which is somewhat unusual in this vintage of extraordinary power and density. This is a 35- to 50-year wine.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis has the broad-shouldered persona of the vintage, but its muscular physique is deftly cloaked in velvety structure, with loam, warmed cassis, alder, steeped plum and sweet tobacco notes that are seamlessly layered. The long finish shows latent drive as a graphite underpinning plays its role, giving the fruit the support for a lengthy encore. There’s plenty of life ahead for this too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2040. 239 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

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

The highlight in this range, the exquisite 2014 Tignanello is all about persistence and understated class. The aromatics alone are captivating. Sculpted, finely delineated flavors add to the wine’s vivid personality. Because of the challenges posed by the growing season, the blend leans more heavily toward Cabernet Sauvignon than is typically the case. Above all else, though, the 2014 is all about harmony, and there is plenty of that here. Unfortunately, production is down 30%.Vinous Media | 96 VMExotic spice, cedar, purple flower, forest floor and wild berry are some of the aromas you’ll find in this fragrant, focused red. It’s loaded with finesse, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, cassis, star anise and white pepper with remarkable precision. It’s fresh and balanced by vibrant acidity and elegant, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2019–2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEReally pretty aromas of currants and roses follow through to a medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Very well done for 2014 and a wonderful Tignanello to drink now or later. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSTignanello has this amazing ability of always being, well, Tignanello. Its very DNA makes it among the most distinctive and recognizable wines in the world. I’m happy to report that this is also the case for the 2014 Tignanello that faced very different growing conditions compared to most. The wine is beautiful and balanced with sweet tannins and a supporting oak texture that is neatly folded at the back. The wine is all about measure and proportion, and it aspires to these goals with an impressive sense of natural harmony. This is not an overtly powerful or muscular expression. Instead, it shows a tasty, almost savory form of elegance. This vintage was made with 75% Sangiovese, which means that the Cabernet presence is a tad bigger than normal. Ultimately, this wine is more finessed and delicate, and I appreciate the careful tannic management on display here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA fresh, linear style, displaying cherry, iron, earth and spice flavors on a slim frame. Fine length.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2021 through 2035. 5,000 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 91 WS