98-99 Point Wines

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A deeper, richer, more powerful wine, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with a Pauillac-like nose of blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and lead pencil notes. It’s full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has the classic Howell Mountain tannic structure, and a gorgeous finish. Give bottles 7-8 years if you can and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe colour of the Howell Mountain Cabernet is noticeably darker than the Napa Valley bottling, showcasing an incredibly intense, mineral-driven profile. The tannins have an ironstone-like quality—firm, structured, and reminiscent of that "iron fist in a velvet glove" metaphor. The palate has remarkable density, balanced by a pure, vibrant mix of tart red berries and black cherries. The tannins become more assertive, but as they gradually soften, a rush of juicy blood orange acidity emerges. The wine carries intriguing layers of sagebrush, cedarwood, and warm brown spices, delivering ample power and complexity. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in stainless steel tanks, aged up to 32 months in 100% new French oak. The first vintage of Dunn Vineyards produced was the 1979 Howell Mountain Cabernet. Founder Randy Dunn’s son, Mike, joined in 1999. As of 2023, Ted Kizor was named winemaker, working in tandem with the Dunns.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is one of the most polished young wines I have ever tasted from Dunn. Blackberry, graphite, crushed rocks, lavender, espresso, licorice and spice saturate the palate. There’s plenty of Howell Mountain tannin and acid, but in 2021, those elements are totally woven into the wine’s heady, luxurious fabric. Even so, I would not plan on opening a bottle any time soon. The 2021 spent 31 months in 100% new French oak, pretty much the norm here. What a wine!Vinous Media | 97 VMDunn’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is richer, denser and more concentrated than the Napa Valley bottling but still hits the winery’s hallmark notes of cedar, cassis, blueberries, pine needles and rubbed sage. It’s medium to full-bodied, weighing in at just under 14% alcohol, but the tannins are ripe and relatively silky, and the wine finishes with tremendous length and ample harmony.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Lots of violets, cola and blueberries on the nose, complemented by a clay pot note. Fascinating aromatics. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with polished tannins. A cohesive and complete wine that’s angular and incisive, with subtlety, precision and elegance. Lots of personality in each detail. It needs at least four years to soften. But what a wine.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is the baby in the bunch, representing one of the newest additions to the Vietti portfolio, with the first vintage produced in 2018. The learning curve in Monvigliero is always steep, or so most winemakers tell me, because very few can go to 100% whole-cluster fermentation. Indeed, the 2021 Barolo Monvigliero sees 60% whole clusters. The Vietti team is experienced, and this wine is pristine. This vintage was harvested on September 30th, and maceration was a bit shorter, at 20 days. The wine shows a delicate film of pink salt with garden herbs, lemon leaves and spring flowers. It is a wine of extreme elegance, but I find that this vintage is especially Mediterranean in character. Production is 8,663 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Barolo Monvigliero is another step forward for Vietti. Aromatic and lifted, the 2021 is all class. The stems (60%) are evident but not as strong of a marker as they were in the first years. Stylistically, the Monvigliero is closest to the Ravera, with which it shares a taut, mineral-driven personality.Vinous Media | 95 VM

You could argue that this is the wine with the fasting growing quality trajectory because this vineyard site is one of those rare places in the appellation that appears to improve despite (or more likely because of) a changing climate. Ravera enjoys an open panorama (at 400 to 440 meters in elevation) that extends to the snow-capped Alps and benefits from cooler air currents, coupled with an amazing quality of light that you notice with the naked eye. The 2021 Barolo Ravera saw its fruit harvested later than the other wines, on October 11th, and continued with a classic Vietti-style fermentation with 20-plus days of skin contact. Simply put, what Ravera offers is complexity (and strength) with hints of bergamot, citrus, herbs, mineral and salt over a tightly concentrated mouthfeel. The quality of the tannins and the freshness of this 2021 are impressive, and that citrusy note continues with tangerine skin and kumquat. Production is 8,700 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2021 Barolo Ravera is one of the many standouts in this range from Vietti. Blood orange, chalk, mint, white pepper and slate all infuse the palate with notable persistence. Intensely saline and mineral, the Ravera is not an easy wine, as it is focused and taut rather than immediate. It’s a Barolo that demands a lot from the taster, but it pays that attention back in spades.Vinous Media | 98 VMLimpid and transparent, the 2021 allies vivacity with rigour. Hints of pepper lift red currant blossom and raspberry aromas. Sapid minerals tantalise the palate, which is awash with tangy sumac and succulent blood orange. The cool alpine air is palpable in the racy acidity and linear, chiselled tannins. Structure is still very much in control here but gracious enough to disclose future rewards. Vineyards in Ravera were purchased in 1995, when it was still considered too cold to reliably ripen Nebbiolo, but now this is consistently one of Vietti’s top bottlings.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECProtective and precise style here. Blood-orange and floral bouquet, restrained if not reductive, with cherry candy and chocolatey depth. Smooth attack to the palate with medium body, assertive acidity and refined tannins that turn dustier on the finish. Overall juicy and fresh, yet slightly stern. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 94 JS

Simply put, Christian Moueix’s Napa Valley project Ulysses is a wine every collector of Napa Cabernet should have in their cellar. The 2021 release of the Oakville red is a knockout that is never too bombastic, entirely reserved even in its generosity, and one that will last a very long time. A dry winter and spring led to the second consecutive year of a drought that began in January 2020. Temperatures were warm and consistent and slightly above average. The vines produced smaller clusters of small berries with high phenolic compounds and tannin levels. 1,400 cases produced. Opaque purple-ruby to the rim. A wine showing all the best qualities you’d expect from a prime Oakville site. This is a beautifully balanced red, imbued with a tremendously fresh streak of acidity. The nose leads with prime, ripe, dark black fruits, cassis, violets, creme de menthe, and crushed slate.—medium to full-bodied with impressively fashioned tannins that are robust and build through the extravagantly long finish. Marked by ripe black cherry and spiced plum notes, the length is extended by zesty blood orange acidity. Fragrant with sage and thyme, nuanced by brighter cherry blossom freshness and mineral tension. Impressive depth and density with a core of pure, ripe, and juicy fruit. Exceptional. This was the last wine in a complete vertical tI tasted with Moueix and winemaker Tod Mostero in a tasting room tucked within the barn on the Ulysses Vineyard site. ’I’m thrilled,’ commented Moueix, ’There’s a real dignity to the wines.’ Moueix said that until this tasting, he hadn’t quite noticed the style signature but found it emerging, though cautioned, ’Even with our experience next door at Dominus, we are still figuring it out.’ For Mostero, ’Making these has been a discovery of place. With our mature vines, we’re just beginning to get a sense of the true resonance of the place. The 2021 typifies what we can expect. This arrow-like structure that is piercing, resonant, and strong.’Decanter Magazine | 99 DECThe reserved plushness comes out clearly with brightness, focus and very creamy tannins that give it muscle and tension. Juicy and flavorful but not overdone. Energetic and flexing but in a friendly way. Plums, milk chocolate, terra cotta and nutmeg. Almost all cabernet sauvignon with a touch of cabernet franc and petit verdot. Give it four or five years to soften. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a huge, dense wine. Copious dark fruit, menthol, licorice, plum, espresso and spice are amplified in a large-scale, ample Oakville Cabernet. The 2021 is very much a wine of power and structure. Sepia-toned notes lend darkness, while the oak imprint also appears to be quite present at this stage. Even so, the wine exudes balance but in a pretty extroverted style, especially compared to Dominus.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with around 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is opaque purple-black in color. It storms out of the glass with powerful scents of blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves, star anise, iris bulb, and dark chocolate plus suggestions of camphor, cedar chest, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a sold line of firm grainy tannins and bold freshness to frame the energetic black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. 1,400 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThere are 1,400 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers up charming red-fruited notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus some loamy-earth scents. While it comes across a bit more angular and more coarsely textured than its sister wines Dominus or Napanook, it also seems a bit lighter in body despite also weighing in at 15% alcohol. It’s impressively complete and balanced overall, adding savory, mocha-tinged notes on the lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

This is a single-vineyard expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Phoenix Vineyard surrounding the Matthiasson winery, situated on an east-facing steep hillside at the base of Mt. Veeder, on a promontory of rare ancient marine shale soils overlooking the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. Texturally and aromatically, it is so different from the Dead Fred Cabernet. This is super light and floral-driven and more like a Nebbiolo. It’s aged in foudre to preserve the fresh fruit quality. Multiple picks ensure ripeness and some are whole cluster pressed. It’s so pretty and pure it’s almost like mineral water that’s been flavoured. The wine has a natural grip and is laser-focused and linear. It is the epitome of elegance and a classy wine in a class of its own. During my tasting with Steve, he added some colour to the Phoenix Vineyard, explaining that it was planted in 1982, with more vines added in the late 1980s. The Cabernet Sauvignon is an old field selection massale from Mt. Veeder, with the oldest vines on AXR rootstock (sadly susceptible to Phylloxera) and next to those grapes, the same selection is grafted to 5BB, a slightly more drought-tolerant rootstock, which handles the hillside. Matthiasson bought the site in 2017, and the farms it organically and without irrigation. A delicious wine that will last for half a century.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECA technically light-bodied wine with delicious ripe fruit, great acid balance and moderate tannins to preserve it for many years while more complexity develops. Red cherries, blackcurrants, bay leaves and baked earth nuances build on the palate and linger on the finish. Best from 2028.James Suckling | 96 JS

Blended with 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard boasts a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling perfume of blue fruits, graphite, sweet tobacco, and spring flowers. It’s another rich, concentrated, powerful 2021 delivering building, ripe, silky tannins, flawless overall balance, and incredible length on the finish. For the tech sheet geeks out there, this came from multiple blocks, was fermented in a mix of wood and concrete, and spent 22 months in 74% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a very sexy wine. Rich, pliant and super-expressive, the 2021 races across the palate, showing exceptional balance and finesse. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and lavender are beautifully delineated throughout. Bright acids and sweet floral top notes brighten the finish.Vinous Media | 97 VMSo much black currant with terra-cotta and lead pencil. Very intense. Full to medium body, with firm and refined tannins. Like a block. But there is a form and seriousness here that gives this solid tannins and muscles. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97 JSThere are 350 cases of the 2021 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, which includes 5% Cabernet Franc. There’s a lively dusting of dried spices and dusty earth over the top of mixed red and black cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and elegantly framed by softly dusty tannins that fade away slowly on the lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA barrel sample of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon reveals an immense wine, well-endowed with powerfully structured tannins and an opulence of inky black fruit with plenty of wild herbs, cedar, coffee-bean and dried floral nuances that are still melding together. I will re-taste in early 2024. Winemaker Matt Sands relayed to me that consultant Michel Rolland thinks that 2021 is “the vintage of the century” for Napa Valley Cabernet.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

The Brovia 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione takes us back to, again, one of my favorite sites in the appellation. I go crazy for wines from this MGA. This expression is extremely nuanced and delicate, especially at first. The wine builds intensity later. Finely stitched aromas of fruit, minerals and blue flower make for a classical Nebbiolo. It shows good power and structure at the back. You should age it longer than most. Fermentation starts off in cement, and the wine is racked into French and Slavonian oak casks (40 hectoliters) for aging. The Rocche di Castiglione vineyard is distinguished by its high presence of sand. This 1.6-hectare plot sits at 300 to 350 meters in elevation with southeastern exposures. The vineyard is extremely steep and, with the loose soils, is challenging to farm. Diano sandstone and Sant’Agata Fossili Marl put these soils on the "younger" side of the Barolo geological spectrum. This wine will be released in September 2025, with 5,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPFragrant and all about finesse, the radiant Brovia 2021 Rocche di Castiglione mesmerizes with its aromas of rose, perfumed berry, menthol and dark culinary spice. Full-bodied and showing elegant restraint, the savory, vibrant palate has a pristine quality, delivering crunchy red red, orange zest, star anise and black tea set against taut, refined tannins. It’s impeccably balanced, with bright acidity. What a beauty. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5%.Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThe 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a classic Brovia wine from this site. Aromatic, sculpted and vibrant in the glass, the 2021 has so much to offer. Crushed flowers, vibrant red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint and cinnamon are all beautifully lifted. There’s gorgeous inner sweetness that emerges over time. Silky, beautifully ripe tannins pull it all together on the closer. As always, Rocche is the most charming and sensual of the Barolos in this range. If I had to pick just one wine to encapsulate what Brovia is all about, the Rocche di Castiglione would be it. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMA saturated red hue, the 2021 Barolo Rocche Di Castiglione is complex and compelling on the nose and draws inward with notes of mocha, mint, cherry liqueur, fresh leather, and baked earth. The palate exhibits a focused energy and purity, complemented by refined tannins, refreshing acidity, and a ripe, medium-bodied frame. It’s a lovely wine that will only improve over the next 15 or more years. It feels the most complete of the wines presented by Brovia and takes the slight edge above the rest.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe estate’s first single-MGA bottling, Rocche di Castiglione has been produced since 1970. The steep, sandy southeast-facing site is gently warmed by the morning sun and is reputed to yield some of the denomination’s most refined examples. Indeed, Brovia’s 2021 is silky, elegant, even Pinot Noir-esque. It is surprisingly dainty for the vintage but not without substance. Beautiful perfumes of rose, lavender and lemon blossom echo on the raspberry-led palate. There’s a hint of wet soil and a delicious stony crunch, finely framed with velvety tannins. This may fill out a bit with time.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECDark aromas of violets, balsamic, eucalyptus, pomegranate juice and wild fruit. Smooth attack with a medium to full body, good concentration, refreshing acidity and thick, dusty yet ripe tannins. A classic Barolo that’s a bit old-fashioned in extraction, with a long, polished, fruity finish. Try from 2027, but it will be at its best from 2030.James Suckling | 95 JS

The gorgeous 2021 Villero from Brovia reels you in with its enticing fragrance of wild rose, cedar, pine forest and red berry. Elegantly structured and utterly delicious, the poised, precise palate features succulent red cherry, strawberry, star anise and white pepper before a salty finish. Firm, polished tannins provide seamless support while bright acidity keeps it wonderfully balanced and lends racy tension. This is a wine I would love to have in my cellar and follow its evolution over the years. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe Brovia 2021 Barolo Villero has that powdery or chalky element that I love so much from this site. It’s like crushed chalkboard, and it frames other more fragrant aromas of sambuca, aniseed, blueberry and lilac. This wine is beautifully complex, and it keeps going in the glass, unveiling new layers all the time. The same thing can be said of the long mouthfeel. Villero is 1.2 hectares at 230 to 350 meters above sea level with marl soils (a mix of silt and clay). The wine matures in 40-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak casks, and 5,000 bottles were created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Barolo Villero is a tight, reticent wine, as Barolos from this site often are. Spice box, dried flowers, mint and plum begin to emerge with a bit of time in the glass. This firm, classically austere Barolo feels rather shut down following its bottling. The Villero is always the hardest wine at Brovia to taste young. Even so, it oozes classicism. All readers need is a measure of patience.Vinous Media | 95 VMA bright red color, the 2021 Barolo Villero is lifted on the nose with notes of minty herbs, fresh redcurrants, cinnamon, and cedar. The palate offers nervous tension, with finely coiled tannins, vibrant, ripe acidity, and a long, medium-framed feel with refreshing lift. It’s going to take time to unfurl, but I anticipate it improving over the coming 15-20 years.James Suckling | 95+ JSThis wine has bright fruitness, with aromas of red cherries, strawberries, violets and cherry stones. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, showing a tight-knit structure of firm yet ripe, precise, dusty tannins and refreshing acidity. Warming finish. Try from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2021 Percarlo is every bit as stunning from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich and vivid in the glass, with striking complexity, the 2021 is a fine follow-up to the 2020. The 2021 is a bit tight relative to the 2020, but that is not a bad thing at all. If anything, I look forward to comparing these two monumental wines in a few years’ time. For now, the 2021 impresses with its purity of Sangiovese fruit and mind-blowing balance. Hints of kirsch, blood orange and pomegranate linger on the vivid, exceptionally polished finish. What a wine.Vinous Media | 99 VMThis fresh red evokes cherry, raspberry, iron, earth and tobacco flavors. There’s an impression of finesse driven by the lively acidity despite the firm tannins. As this builds on the palate, the cherry and raspberry flavors emerge, delivering a pure expression of red fruit. Balanced and long, but requires patience. Best from 2027 through 2045. 1,200 cases made, 220 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is a complex and deep wine, an old-fashioned sangiovese. There are multifaceted aromas of red cherries, dried cherries, raspberries, camphor, earth and elegant dried flowers. Full-bodied and velvety, with a weighty mid-palate and integrated but tense acidity. Meaty and savory flavors coat the tannins, with a long, precise aftertaste. From organically grown grapes. Almost drinkable now, but great potential for the long haul.James Suckling | 97 JS

Wow. The aromas are really something else with red fruits, black olives, spices like cardamon and nutmeg, as well as hints of tar and meat. It’s full-bodied yet in check and focus with fine, fine tannins that roll over the palate and create beautiful motion. Chewy yet silky and endless. A great young merlot and one of the best for a number of years. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSTua Rita’s flagship bottling is pure Merlot from Colline Metallifere, matured for 18 to 20 months in new French oak barriques. There’s chocolatey richness here but also fragrance, with some violet, plum and blue fruit scents. In the mouth its super-fresh, saline acidity invites an intense attack of spiced plum, blackberry and damson along with white pepper and clove, leading to a plush, velvety mid-palate with cocoa and wood lingering in the background and supported by fine, well-integrated tannins. Concentrated, vibrant and saline, this is an extraordinary Merlot with a gastronomic edge.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECPutting aside the thrashing Merlot got from Hollywood, there is in fact good reason to be skeptical of Merlot thanks to its general mistreatment from winemakers far and wide, apart from the heaviest of heavy hitters who made a few expressions that became the ultimate exceptions to the rule. But I always love an underdog story, and I love Merlot from southwest Tuscany, especially Redigaffi. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2021 Redigaffi is superb. Silky, dense and expansive, with terrific depth, it possesses striking nuance from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, espresso, licorice and menthol infuse the 2021 with tons of resonance. Here, too, the approach is quite a bit dialed back from the early days.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Tua Rita 2021 Redigaffi is a wine of thick character and dark extraction. This 100% expression of Merlot offers tension and extreme balance with very generous layers of dark cherry, plum, dried blackberry, spice and tobacco. It displays a spectacularly soft and velvety texture over a full-bodied approach. Redigaffi is often monolithic and monotone in its younger years, and it needs more bottle age to come into focus. This is very true for the 2021 vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPExuding black currant, blackberry, plum and iron flavors, this sleek version is also powerful, with beefy tannins, yet it’s the vivid acidity that drives the long, toasty oak–infused aftertaste in the end. Merlot. Best from 2027 through 2043. 1,250 cases made, 360 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Perfumed and structured, the compelling 2021 Ravera from Cogno entices with aromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, dark Asian spice, pressed rose and a balsamic whiff of camphor. Boasting succulent fruit, the chiseled palate features ripe black cherry, black raspberry, ground clove, cinnamon and licorice before a salty finish. It has great tension, with firm, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOMint, eucalyptus, plum, earth, oak spice and tar notes mark this lean, sinewy red, which is compact despite starting out with an open feel, featuring a core of sweet, ripe fruit midpalate. The assertive tannins require patience, while the aftertaste indicates this wine’s future potential. Best from 2028 through 2050. 625 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe bright red colour, obtained thanks to a marathon 40-day maceration, anticipates a symphony of aromas: rose petals, citrus, cinnamon, graphite, mint. In the mouth, a refined elegance. Persuasive and framed by silky tannins, the acidity is exhilarating and the crunchy fruit returns on the finish. Partly whole-bunch vinified, using yeasts indigenous to the Ravera sub-zone, then refined only in large barrels. A post-modern Barolo.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECThese vineyards in Novello open to the Alps and an exceptional panorama. The Elvio Cogno 2021 Barolo Ravera is made with the Lampia and Michet clones of Nebbiolo. The wine offers a distinct character with iron ore and crushed stone behind dark fruit and pressed rose. I also get a hint of exotic spice in this gorgeous wine. This is a 14,000-bottle release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Barolo Ravera is highly expressive and a standout in the range, revealing layers of depth in its underlying notes of balsamic herbs, and its fruit shines brightly with preserved strawberries, wild spices, and crushed flowers. Sourced from 80-year-old vines just below the winery, the palate is saturated with ripe tannins, sanguine mineral richness, a broad-shouldered mid-palate, and a long finish. It’s built to last over the coming two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAromas of orange rind with touches of red fruit and tar. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, very well constructed, with a fine line of acidity, a good core of delineated fruit and polished yet firm tannins. Lovely to taste now, but will be better from 2026.James Suckling | 95 JS

In the far southeast of Barolo, Giacosa’s 9ha monopoly shines in 2021. Made from vines with an average age of 35 years, Falletto flirts rather than flaunts. Red and black currants establish a backdrop from which iron, sage, bay leaf and liquorice root arise. Elegance, polish and precision are impeccably demonstrated, as is immense freshness, with racy acidity giving mouth cleansing vibrancy and energy. The tannins are fine-grained and silky, building up steadily in dignified strength around a core of pulverised stone. Pressed rose and lilac perfume the finish. 6,820 bottles and a few hundred magnums produced. The red label Riserva Vigne Le Rocche 2021 will be released in 2027.Decanter magazine | 98 DECThis is all about purity, with cherries, strawberries, spices, sandalwood, iodine, seashells and black truffles on the nose. Full-bodied but so balanced and focused, with layering and vertically that go on and on. The nebbiolo character is intense and gorgeous. Some pure fruit at the end, with notes of flint and gunpowder. Best after 2027, but it’s already a joy to taste.James Suckling | 98 JSA floral nose with violets and rose petals leading the way. This comes from two old vine sites in the Dundee Hills. It was not affected by the frost in 2022, winemaker Jim Maresh got to use his primary shoots, and that means the wine stays concentrated. Weber Vineyard is a quarter mile from Maresh Vineyard on Worden Hill Road. Gobs of fresh berries, savoury dried anise, and bramble fruits mark the palate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSupple in texture and loaded with finesse, this Barolo exudes flavors of raspberry, cherry, rose, iron, tar and spices, with a hint of licorice. The dense, fine-grained tannins emerge as this winds down on the long, languid aftertaste. Vibrant and complex. Best from 2029 through 2050. 600 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2021 Barolo Falletto comes from the lower portion of the slope and was aged for 34 months in big barrels and then six months in bottle. In the glass, it pours a jeweled red hue with a bit more pigment than the Barbaresco and is spicy on the nose, with a compelling feel in its notes of spiced cherries, fresh herbs, smoky incense, and hints of fresh leather. The palate is medium-bodied, with lovely purity and clarity that was a consistent thread throughout all the wines at this tasting. It features ripe tannins with a noble yet elegant feel, as the fruit shines brightly and carries through to a long and even finish. As it opens, it showcases its more noble structure, along with the ability to age over the next two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

Another release from St. Helena, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a rockier site not far from Dr. Crane (and Spottswoode), on the west side of the valley. Its saturated purple hue is followed by a slightly more floral/violet-tinged profile including black and blue fruits, notes of spring flowers, graphite, and earthy minerality, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It too will evolve for three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAbsolutely seductive, with incredible polish, precision, and opulence. Lead with youthful blue and black fruit aromatics. Full and plush on the palate with chocolaty tannins that are finely grained, imprinted with a palate-saturating richness of sweet, ripe, black cherry, blackberry and plum fruits, nuanced by tobacco, and a distinct earthy and chalky minerality that penetrates the senses from the nose to the finish.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECPlenty of pretty fruit, with blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of flint. Full-bodied with lots of fruit, but the polished tannins hem this in so beautifully. Graphite shines through. Polished tannins for La Piedras. Needs four to six years of bottle age. Drink after 2030.James Suckling | 98 JSThere’s a bit more oak influence evident in the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard than in Hobbs’s other Cabernets, but it works, those vanillin and almost buttery characters adding complexity and depth to the ripe black cherries and earth aromas. Full-bodied and plush, almost accessible despite the masses of soft tannins, the wine finishes long and velvety. Sexy stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPNotes of gorgeously ripe boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree stream through this serious Cab. Flanked by applewood and underscored with a well-buried cast iron spine, this wine is saturated but not bombastic, with a grip-filled yet fruit-redolent finish. Best from 2026 through 2040. 320 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is the most vibrant of three Beckstoffer wines in this range. Graphite, savory herbs, menthol, licorice, espresso and licorice abound in this potent, massively structured Cabernet. This is classic Las Piedras done in a modern, lush style.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This opens beautifully on the nose, with strawberries, cherries and some flint, terra cotta, peaches and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are ready. The consistency and length are so beautiful. You can drink this now, but it will age for decades and always satisfy. Available in January 2025. Try on release, but it’s going to be much better in three or four years.James Suckling | 99 JSThe Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barbaresco Rabajà comes in a bottle with a white label. Bruna Giacosa explains that although she came close to making a Riserva (or red label) in 2017, Rabajà is usually presented in a white label. Rabajà has more backbone and a greater sense of richness and density. The Asili site is characterized by sandy soils, resulting in elegant and finessed wines. Even though Asili is right next door to Rabajà, the soil composition is completely different. Here, you get darker fruit tones with a very pretty mineral or salty signature. This is a beautiful vintage, one that excels in focus and clarity of fruit. I really love this expression of Rabajà, but you are best off giving it more bottle time to evolve.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2021 Barolo Villero soars from the glass with intensely spiced, balsamic-tinged aromatics. Deceptively medium in body, with superb persistence and class, the 2021 is simply magnificent. Beams of tannin shape the unforgettable, persistent finish. This is another wine that demands patience. The Villero is not an easy wine, rather it is a Barolo that offers a more inward, at times intellectual, expression of Nebbiolo.Vinous Media | 98 VMSporting a more transparent ruby red color, the 2021 Barolo Villero is focused and lifted with enveloping aromas of medicinal herbs, fresh redcurrants, dried cranberries, and umami notes of porcini and anise. The palate is vibrant and pure, with fantastic energy and clarity, ripe tannins, refreshing acidity, and a great finish. This one steps things up a notch, and I would scramble to have a few of these in my cellar. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDCompared to the others, the Oddero 2021 Barolo Villero embraces a wider span of aromas that are more horizontal in approach, with dark fruit, licorice and spice. This wine expresses itself beautifully, especially as you give it more time in the glass. I am especially impressed by the quality of the tannins, which are firm, nervous and elegant. This release of 6,500 bottles sees a spontaneous fermentation with submerged cap and 60 days of slow maceration in oak casks. It matures in botte grande for 24 months.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAromas of rose and iris mingle with dark exotic spice and a balsamic whiff of menthol on the fragrant 2021 Villero from Oddero. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the palate delivers succulent black cherry, cranberry, star anise and toasted almond alongside close-grained tannins that grip the finish and leave a drying finish. Drink 2030–2041. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KO

All about finesse, the 2021 Monprivato is a captivating wine offering intense aromas of violet, wild rose, camphor, dark culinary spice and a whiff of new leather. Classy and showing youthful tension, the compelling palate beautifully expresses the celebrated site and the fantastic vintage, delivering layers of Morello cherry, raspberry, star anise and mentholated notes. Taut, refined tannins and tangy acidity keep it well balanced. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KO

Remarkably pure and fresh. Pristine black cherry and blackberry, layered with beautiful violet aromas. Everything builds with precision and focus, supported by gorgeously firm, taut, mineral-rich tannins that bring energy and drive. The wine is compact and tightly wound at this youthful stage, its intensity truly emblematic of the vintage. Drink: 2026-2060.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECRipe, fresh and focused, with a lovely beam of red currant plum coulis that stretches out alongside hints of savory, violet, tobacco and singed cedar. Finishes with a late twang of iron. Nicely done. Drink now through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDark fruit aromas of blackberries, bitter chocolate, dried herbs, blackcurrants, black olives and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with a textural, rounded mouthfeel and finely integrated tannins, leading to a savory, fruit-driven finish. Delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSHeitz is on a later release schedule than most other Napa producers, so the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was the current release when I tasted with Lawrence Wine Estates CEO Carlton McCoy in August 2025. It’s a classically proportioned wine, with cedar, vanilla and black cherries all delivered via a medium- to full-bodied palate. It shows excellent structure for an entry-level wine, firm but approachable, with a lengthy finish. It should be a steakhouse staple, and while not inexpensive, it is a solid effort for the price.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is fabulous. Plump and vibrant, with good up-front fruit and bright acids, the 2021 captures the essence of modern classicism that is typical of the Heitz wines today. This is a superb entry-level offering from Heitz. Floral overtones brighten the finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Always the most perfumed and elegant of all the single vineyard bottlings from Produttori del Barbaresco, the 2021 Asili Riserva is stunningly gorgeous. A textbook expression of this celebrated site and of the outstanding vintage, it captivates with intense aromas of violet, wild rose, ripe berry and cake spice. Elegant but still youthfully nervous, the palate delivers layers of ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, blood orange, star anise and nutmeg accompanied by coiled but refined tannins. It’s young but already wonderfully balanced, with bright acidity. Give this beauty time to fully develop. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is an alluring beauty that melds together the signatures of this site with the structure of the year at this address. Floral, bright and bursting with energy, the Asili is a star. Blood orange, kirsch, red-toned fruit, cedar, mint and spice rush from the glass. Here, too, readers will have to be patient. This is pure and total sensuality.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe graceful elegance of the Asili vineyard is apparent here, with wild strawberries, red currants, fresh and dried flowers, watermelon and restrained depth. Full-bodied, dense and powerful. Very chewy and vibrant, tense and tight, with a long, sleek finish and fine-grained tannins. March 2026 release. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

For the last few vintages, the Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico Riserva has been even more structured than the firm’s Montestefano, and the 2021 continues this trend. It’s also incredibly fragrant, delivering scents of camphor, new leather, blood orange, hazelnut and spice while the youthfully nervous palate delivers raspberry, black cherry, star anise, truffle and nutmeg alongside brooding tannins. This has the structure and tannic backbone of a Barolo. Drink 2031–2041. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is a tense, vibrant wine. Whereas in most vintages the Montefico can be a touch austere, the 2021 has plenty of energy, but also the textural depth to pull it all together. In that sense, the Montefico is a terrific example of the vintage here. Its concentration and persistence are the stuff dreams are made of. Hints of sage, graphite, chalk and mint explode on the back end.Vinous Media | 97 VMSpicy and aromatic, this is full of wild herbs and strawberries, licorice and mint. Fully focused on freshness yet restrained, showing balsamic and figs. Full-bodied, silky to velvety on the palate due to superripe tannins, with crisp acidity and a tight yet chiseled structure in the finish. Long and warming. March 2026 release. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

You’ll find compelling aromas of rosemary, hay, camphor and crushed mint on the intensely fragrant and fabulous 2021 Muncagota. Full-bodied and loaded with energy, the savory palate features ripe red cherry, black raspberry, citrus and dark spice as well as the rosemary note from the nose. Firm, well-integrated tannins provide support and give the finish grip. Drink 2029–2036. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOBalsamic style jumps out of the glass, with herb, eucalyptus and potpourri aromas alongside watermelon and mint-filled chocolate. The graceful attack shows ripe, elegant tannins, larger-grained in the end, with long, refreshing acidity and a savory finish. March 2026 release. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is laced with strong floral and savory notes. Brisk acids and beams of supporting tannin give the 2021 its driving, tense personality. I expect those qualities will be positives for the future, but today the Muncagota is pretty forbidding. Give this time. This is one of the most tense editions of this wine I can remember tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a towering wine. Just as it did en primeur, the 2021 dazzles from start to finish. The Cabernets are very high in the blend, and that comes through in a Saint-Julien endowed with ton of explosive vertical lift. Lavender, dried herbs, mint, spice, rose petal and a kick of orange peel are some of the notes that run through this striking Pichon Comtesse. The aromatics alone are compelling, but everything about the 2021 speaks to class personified. Bright saline notes extend the finish. In a word: sublime.Vinous Media | 98 VMCocoa powder, iris notes, pink roses and black fruits - so fragrant - you just want to smell the wines in 2021 for hours. This is a seriously impressive Comtesse and stands out as one of my favourite wines of the vintage with real promise. Power and depth from the get go, tannins are massy, softly fleshy but also provide support and structure, giving layers to the fruit and savoury elements that combine clove, cedar, cola, vanilla and cinnamon with teeth-coating liquorice and graphite too - the soft salinity entering towards the finish. It’s concentrated and serious with a tightly knitted core, a consequence of the tiny yields and strict selection as well as the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend since 2013. I love the terroir signature on show in the glass as well as an overall sense of retaining elegance and finesse. A top buy for me! 3.76pH, 75IPT. 18-19 months ageing. Tasted twice.Decanter | 96 DECThe wine’s structure is a major factor here. It brings out sumptuous tannins to go with the juicy black fruits and spice tones. Black currants sing from this wine with its dominating Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2021 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wafts from the glass with aromas of blackberries and minty cassis mingled with notes of violet, lavender, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished, it’s beautifully seamless and complete, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe acids and sweet, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the gently structured finish. This will offer a broad drinking window. It’s one of the vintage’s real successes, but it also represents only one-quarter of a "normal" production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPlush, warm and inviting, offering waves of cassis, crushed plum and blackberry puree that cruise through, while a fine-grained structure provides support. Shows alluring accents of black tea and alder on the finish, with the fruit keeping the upper hand easily. Very polished for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WSOne of the gems in the vintage is the 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blend that includes 10% Cabernet Franc and just 2% Merlot, aging in 60% new barrel. Yields here were devastated due to mildew and poor flowering, and the final wine comes from a horrific 15 hectoliters per hectare. The final alcohol hit 13%, and it has a healthy pH of 3.69 and an IPT of 75. In addition, a fair bit of press wine was used this year. Regardless of the numbers and technical data, the wine is brilliant and offers a pure, seamless, medium to full-bodied style carrying notes of dark currants, liquid violets, graphite, and chalky minerality. Possessing ultra-fine tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and be a long-lived Pauillac. It’s another incredible success from this team.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDThis is really spicy with peppercorns, cloves and Chinese spices, especially on the finish. Blackcurrants, too. Medium-bodied, firm and polished with a long, intense finish. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc and 2% merlot.James Suckling | 94-95 JSA blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Merlot, the 2021 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is deep garnet-purple in color. It springs from the glass with a beautiful perfume of violets, fallen leaves, and menthol, followed by a core of cassis, iron ore, and tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and a lively line supporting the delicately styled, mineral-tinged fruit, finishing with impressive length.The Wine Independent | 91-93+ TWI

A dark nose, serious and a bit closed, though there is such complexity on the palate. You get the tannic feel in the mouth straight away, mouthfilling, ample, generous and chewy - these tannins have weight and density but are lifted by the bright, high-definition cherry, strawberry and raspberry acidity underneath keeping things vibrant and fresh with a sour cherry and stoney minerality on the finish. Exceptional balance and sculpting, this has energy but also poise. Sophisticated glamour in full force, svelte and suave - this is a wine that aims to please. Definitely one of the most thrilling and captivating wines of the vintage! 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 36% grand vin.Decanter | 97 DECA Margaux with beautiful depth and grace and wonderfully well-placed, refined tannins, showing presence and a soft texture. They caress your palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and extremely long. Seamless. 87% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe wine has richness but its main attraction is the balance between acidity and the light touch that gives the wine great freshness. The touch of Cabernet Franc in the blend brings its own perfumed structure. This is a wine that, of course, will age but that will also give pleasure relatively quickly. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2021 Château Margaux is creamy and supple, a classy Margaux with the volume turned down just a bit. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal infuse the 2021 with layers of succulent depth. This is a quiet wine, but one that possesses notable richness for the year. Time in the glass brings out the aromatics, but this remains very much built on its fruit.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It’s a classic that will richly reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPI think the wine of the vintage is the 2021 Château Margaux, which comes from a miniscule selection of just 36% of the total production. The final blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all of which is resting in 100% new French oak. Reminding me slightly of a riper 1996, it has incredible purity in its ripe cassis and blueberry fruits as well as notes of liquid violets, spicy oak, graphite, and hints of sandalwood. As seamless as they come, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and with ample Château Margaux purity and finesse, this brilliant juice is as good as it gets in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed and broody to start, with notions of tar, licorice, fertile loam, and truffles leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries, plus a touch of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with a firm, fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness to support the tightly knit black and red berry flavors, finishing with loads of energy and shimmer. The first wine represents 36% of the crop this year and it came in with a phenolic index (IPT) of 75.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

The 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou captures all the potential it showed from barrel. A delicate, understated wine, the 2021 impresses above all else with its finesse. All the elements are impeccably balanced throughout. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s inner sweetness and gorgeous perfume. The balance with oak, at times a challenge here, is also flawless. With lower alcohol and therefore also less extraction from oak than recent vintages, the 2021 is shaping up to be a modern-day classic. The blend is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, the highest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon ever here. What a wine.Vinous Media | 98 VMBeautiful and beguiling nose, perfumed blackcurrants and dark fruits; damsons, plums, raspberries and rose petals. Lovely crunchy fruit, real bite and presence in the mouth. Excellent precision, tannins are succulent and ripe they fill the mouth with a juicy, intense granular texture. There is such depth to this - perfume, tobacco, earth, violets and concentrated fruits that have a verticality to them with an unprecedented 98% of Cabernet Sauvignon providing the support and the backbone. There is a crystalline purity to the fruit giving tension to the overall frame, it’s focussed and driven all with excellent definition. This is not a wallflower of a wine - it’s charming and confident, strutting its stuff right now and giving you absolut St-Julien terroir and vintage markers in the glass with slate, graphite and liquorice salinity on show. Skilled winemaking on show.Decanter | 96 DECFirm, structured and pure with a cool and solid core of dark currants, blackberries, tar, pencil lead and bitter chocolate. Hints of tobacco, too. Firm but silky tannins. Very pure, with a long, mineral finish. Intense and very focused. 98% cabernet sauvignon and 2% merlot.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThis is a wine with enormous potential with rich tannins and dark black fruits. At the same time, it has lightness that gives it a lift of fine black currant fruits. It will age, of course.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEI was also able to retaste a barrel sample of the 2021 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and it showed in line with my tastings last year. It’s a shockingly concentrated, medium to full-bodied, balanced Ducru Beaucaillou that I think will surpass most of the so-called petits millésimes of the past two decades, and that just goes to show the level of attention to detail and talent at this address.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDA wine that will delight Médoc purists, the 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blend of fully 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot and checks in at a mere 12.5% alcohol. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, violets, loamy soil and spices, it’s full-bodied, layered and velvety, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and powdery tannins. Complete and penetrating, it’s a true classic, reminiscent of a modern-day version of Ducru’s brilliant 1996—though today’s precision winemaking means that the 2021 is unlikely to go through so long a hibernation as that vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, was tasted as a tank sample just before bottling. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with notes of crushed blackcurrants, fresh raspberries, and Morello cherries with touches of dried herbs, mossy tree bark, pencil lead, and damp soil. The light-bodied palate delivers mouth-filling, crunchy, black and red berry flavors with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with an herbal lift.The Wine Independent | 92-94+ TWI

Without taking anything away from owner Alessandro Mori, it seems that since his son Iacopo joined him in the cellar in 2019, Il Marroneto’s wines have achieved even greater precision. Perhaps it is the result of having another equally meticulous pair of hands. Whatever the reason, this 2021 could be the estate’s best classic Brunello so far – definitely on a par with the Madonna delle Grazie bottling. Perfumes of rose, peony, lavender and lilac unfold from a sweet, earthy backdrop. It floats effortlessly yet with ample depth of dark red cherry and raspberry flavour. Juicy orange rings from the core. Exquisitely refined, suede-like tannins are long and silky, though denser than usual, while piercing minerality prolongs the finish. Drinkability that is delectably within reach.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECA dark and complex wine with aromas of black cherries, cherry pits, dried flowers, licorice and hints of leather and intoxicating violets. There is elegance as well as depth. Medium- to full-bodied with great density and concentration, sleek tannins of outstanding ripeness, graceful acidity and a super-polished finish. Licorice aftertaste. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with an exotic blend of crushed sour cherries and dried violets complemented by cedar spice box and nuances of incense. It is seamless and silken in feel, displaying notable weight while also coming across as graceful and refined, with a remarkably pretty blend of wild strawberries and a crunch of minerality. A raspberry sauce concentration and sour citrus twang remain as edgy tannins linger, offset by a bump of riveting acidity. This is a fantastic vintage for Il Marroneto’s Brunello, here taking on a level of complexity and concentration I usually associate with the Madonna delle Grazie.Vinous Media | 97 VMIl Marroneto’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is immediately captivating, showing lift and verticality that sets it clearly apart, with bright cherry fruit, grenadine and grilled watermelon underscored by an energetic, punchy edge. There is an appealing sweetness to the aromatics alongside hints of white peppercorn and pressed violet, with lifted tones that flirt with volatility yet remain controlled, carried by remarkably soft and polymerized tannins. The 2021 is distinctly austere and complex, etched with mineral precision and built with multiple layers stacked one atop another, gaining depth rather than breadth. Before fermentation is complete, the cap is soft and malic acid is not yet developed, and the wine is racked with residual sugar (from six to 10 grams per liter). The skins are pressed at 350 atmospheres in a vertical press, and the free-run juice is combined with the must to complete fermentation very slowly, over many months, bubbling happily along. It ages in oak botti for 42 months. This is a release of 22,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSpicy and floral, with a mineral graphitic tinge, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino offers a youthful look ahead to what is likely to shape up to be another fantastic vintage for Montalcino. It is plush, yet is pinned together with lifted acidity, and while there is significant baby fat at this stage, it offers a lot of immediate pleasure.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JD