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The tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Secret Des Sabon is a field blend of mostly Grenache brought up all in wooden tronconique barrels. It’s closest in style to the Prestige Cuvée yet brings another level of opulence and richness without losing any sense of elegance or class. Blackberries, peppery herbs, graphite, crushed violets, and a liquid rock-like minerality all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible depth of fruit, full-bodied richness, and ripe yet building tannins. While the acidity is technically quite low (the pH is 3.8), it holds onto an undeniable sense of freshness and purity. It is just a thrilling, magical wine from this estate. While young and unevolved, with 3-5 years of cellaring required, it is a modern-day legend capable of evolving for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA top-notch effort, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon—a blend of two old-vine Grenache parcels from sandier soils—offers up some floral and raspberry notes set against a dark backdrop of plums, mocha and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, dense and rich, it’s almost fudge-like in intensity, but with adequate freshness, a deeply plush texture and tremendous length on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPShimmering ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented black raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas are complemented by incense, licorice and potpourri flourishes. Juicy, sweet and impressively concentrated, offering palate-staining red/blue fruit, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Brawny yet surprisingly lithe as well, showing outstanding clarity and youthfully chewy tannins on the strikingly long, floral and spice-tinged finish.Vinous Media | 96 VMJuicy, dense and packed, yet remarkably defined, with a mix of plum and racy-edged blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry reduction flavors, all laced with a licorice snap thread. Black tea, garrigue and humus accents underscore the finish as the fruit sails through with aplomb. A beauty. Drink now through 2038. 125 cases made, 42 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSVery dark, powerful, slightly tarry and roasted with a very intense - almost too intense - acidity. Surprisingly dark for Grenache on sandy soils, extremely concentrated. A driving, focussed, mineral expression that will take some time to reach its peak. Long finish. 3,000 bottles made. Mostly grown on sand, fermented in stainless steel, then aged in tronconic wooden vats. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DEC

Sassicaia 2019 spent 25 months in oak (one-third new). ‘We are going longer in oak in the past few years,’ said Carlo Paoli, managing director of Tenuta San Guido. Quite pale in the glass, the nose is extremely graceful and intense with a lavender note enhanced by restrained bramble fruits, fermented citrus peel, an intense violet aroma and graphite minerality in depth. The attack is soft and full, the flavor savoury and cedary through to the finish, with integrated velvety tannins and lifted acidity. A perfectly woven structure is bound with signature freshness and fruit vibrancy, making this one for the long haul. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050Decanter | 100 DECThis 2019 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is really very special. A subtle change has occurred and the typically aristocratic and elegant finesse of Sassicaia now has a little more joie de vivre. It is intense and deeply concentrated without being heavy and with very fine, beautifully integrated tannins that harmonize with the body of the wine. Carlo Paoli, MD and head of winemaking, views 2019 as “one of the great vintages of the last decades. Although it was not generous in quantity (about 15% less than in 2016), for the quality of the grapes… it is to be considered exceptional.” The winemaking team are at their peak in terms of understanding and managing the vineyards and the more extreme vintage variations they face due to climate change... The 2019 reminds me a lot of the sublime 2016 but somehow it is bolder with even more energy, vivacity, and exuberance. Drink from 2024-2050.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2019 Sassicaia is a thing of beauty. It showcases everything you would expect from this iconic wine, balance, precision and gorgeous fruit character are all on display. It begins with expressive aromatics of dark cherries and blackberries…. On the palate this is even more impressive, as it shows a remarkable combination of elegance and finesse, alongside a richly textured mouthfeel that is backed by beautiful ripe fruit. Pure and expressive, this goes on to show a wonderful sense of freshness that builds all the way through the long, persistent finish. This has it all and it is a simply thrilling release which offers plenty of upfront appeal, but will also thrive for decades in the cellar. I love what this vintage has to offer at this early stage and would expect the 2019 to ultimately be mentioned in conversation with some of the greatest vintages of Sassicaia ever. International Wine Report | 100 IWRThe purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is exceptional here, with character and sensibility that’s reminiscent of some of the great Sassicaias from the 1980s, such as 1982 or 1988. But this is much more precise and clean. Aromas and flavors of currants and berries with cedar and earth. Sage and minty character, too. It’s full-bodied yet there’s so much polish and balance, together with structure, elegance, and refinement. Hard not to drink at this stage, yet give it time and respect. This will be a classic Sass and reminds me why I love this wine. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSEnticing aromas of blue flower, cassis, camphor and spice are front and center in this stunning red. The lithe, savory palate features black currant, red plum and star anise while tobacco notes linger on the long finish. Elegant, polished tannins and bright acidity keep it beautifully balanced and focused. Drink 2025–2044.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine’s strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we’ve seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPSupple and beautifully defined, with black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit augmented by tobacco, iron and thyme. Firmly structured, tightening up as this lingers with an aftertaste of dark fruit, graphite and spice. Shows a sense of elegance as well as power and intensity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2019 Sassicaia is restrained and also a bit reticent in its first impression. Rose petal, dried herbs, blood orange, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and cinnamon give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. The 2019 is a mid-weight, very classic feeling Sassicaia that is going to need a number of years to open. There’s good fruit depth, but the tannins are not as polished as they usually are. That could be a result of lingering stress from frost that year or recent bottling. The 2019 saw 18-20 days on the skins with natural ferments. Malos followed in tank. Aging was 25 months in barrel (1/3rd new), a longer elevage than normal. The 2019 shows beautifully with a few hours of aeration, so I am optimistic for the future. Let’s see what happens. Antonio Galloni | 94+ AG

The 2019 Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and warm cassis burst from the glass, leading to suggestions of Chinese five spice, dusty soil, sandalwood, and unsmoked cigars. The decadently concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. This is a beauty!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Proprietary Red is a monster of a wine that’s unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Blackberries, truffle, earth, chocolate, iron, and even a hint of black olive defines the nose, and it’s full-bodied, deep, rich, and incredibly concentrated on the palate. It has lots of background oak but more than enough fruit, with a dense, layered mid-palate and velvety tannins. It’s one of those wines that brings an incredible amount of richness and depth yet somehow stays light on its feet and balanced. It needs to be forgotten for at least 2-4 years and should keep for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 Sloan is a silky, sensual beauty. Creamy and ample in the glass, with superb balance, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of dark fruit, spice, mocha, espresso and licorice. Cabernet inflections are quite present today. Then again, this plateau above Rutherford is one of the most special places in all of Napa Valley. The 2019 shuts down pretty quickly in the glass, which is probably a good sign for its prospects in the cellar. It’s another gorgeous wine from the team at Sloan headed by Winemaker Martha McClellan.Vinous Media | 97 VMSloan’s 2019 Proprietary Red is deep and rich, with scents of dark loam, woodsy notes, hints of cedar and vanilla, plus dark, plummy fruit. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, dense and decadently velvety but with a slight dried-fruit character. It’s awesome in that idiom but lacks the vibrancy and freshness of the valley’s absolute best wines. To this taster, it comes across as impressively complex, concentrated and long but also a bit heavy and warm on the finish. What foods would one pair this with?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. 2,500 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIComposed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. This will warrant 3-5 years cellar to express its full potential over the following 20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2019 La Joie is striking on the nose with its pure, alluring scents of violet and iron. As it spends time in the glass, it gains intensity, blossoming to aromas of crème de cassis, mint chocolate, licorice, truffle and softening new French oak spices. The palate is bursting with concentrated flavors characterized by energetic acidity rather than weight or extraction. It features tremendously velvety tannins and a very long finish with ringing graphite and violet tones.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe purity of fruit with currants, spices and flowers is very impressive, as is the long, creamy texture. Full-bodied with medium, round tannins and a fresh finish. Oyster and iodine notes come through. Excellent. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThis Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend shows the balance of the 2019 vintage. As serious as it gets. Predominantly Cabernet (84%), with lesser parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Both elegant and showy, with fantastic aromatics. Capsicum and savoury herbs introduce pronounced black fruit aromas. A vintage that produced small berries has resulted in a wine of great concentration, wild anise, black cherries and dark chocolate. Finely knit with elegant, savoury character marked by bay leaf and mountain scrub. Fresh, this wine is where finesse meets concentration.Decanter | 96 DEC

Blueberries, blackberries and crushed stones. Pure fruit. Full-bodied with round tannins that have powdery character. Creamy and round mouth-feel. Very unique. Great finish. 90% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% malbec. Best from 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 La Muse offers a luxurious and layered perfume of red apple, sweet tobacco, and fresh leather. The palate is generous, with velveteen texture, noes of cassis, violets, and fresh earth, and a weightless feel. The most open of the three presented by Verite, this is an incredible wine and will be fantastic to check in on over the next two or more decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 La Muse is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it skips out of the glass with bright scents of freshly crushed black and red plums, boysenberries, and Morello cherries, plus hints of garrigue, cedar chest, wet slate, and truffles plus a waft of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is super intense and firm with a solid wall of ripe tannins and compelling freshness holding up a ton of expressive earth and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length. 2,500 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 98+ TWIThe 2019 La Muse offers the purity and layering of the best 2019s from Sonoma County. The nose opens with generous aromas of mushroom, underbrush, licorice and garrigue complementing a core of Morello cherry. The medium to full-bodied palate is silky and plush with pixelated tannins. Its fruit is still somewhat coiled, driven by graphite tones at this stage, although it offers plenty of refreshing acidity that gives a weightless, ethereal feel to the fragrant finish. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA Merlot dominant blend with whispers of Cabernet Franc and Malbec (5% each). More generous than dense with ample structure, silken texture and elegance alongside understated power. Aromatics are marked by espresso beans, irises, violets, and crushed stone alongside cedar plank and cinnamon spice. The palate is elegantly outlined, with fine tannins, mocha powder, blue fruits denoted by huckleberry and fig and a sinuous streak of graphite across the finish.Decanter | 95 DEC

The EABA is more Syrah-dominated and checks in as 65% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, and the rest Viognier that saw plenty of stems and close to two years in 50% new French oak. Its inky purple hue is followed by a sensational bouquet of bloody blue fruits, black raspberries, iron, ground pepper, baking spices, and who knows what else. Incredibly complex and nuanced (yet intense) aromatically, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s certainly one of the biggest, richest wines in the lineup, yet like all of Jim’s wines, it remains light on its feet, has brilliant purity of fruit, and is as drinkable as could be.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2020 EABA ("end all be all"), still in barrel, is a blend of 65% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 3% Viognier. Made using 70% whole clusters, it comes from several vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, including Bien Nacido, White Hawk, Larner, Slide Hill and Alta Mesa. It will mature for around 22 months in 50% new and 50% used French barriques. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the 2020 EABA has gorgeous scents of blackberry and blueberry jam, dried herbs, lavender, coffee, licorice and loamy earth. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet light on its feet, its youthfully concentrated fruits unfolding as the wine glides through the mouth. It has abundant, finely grained tannins, integrated acidity and loads of spicy and floral accents across the long finish. Tasted May 25, 2022, it will be bottled in mid-August 2022. Around 750 cases and a few magnums will be made. It will be packaged and sold as a three-bottle set ($330), and each magnum will be sold in a box set with the 2020 Andremily Grenache.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 EABA is a dense, super-ripe wine that very much shows all the radiant intensity of the year. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, chocolate, new oak and lavender are dialed up to the maximum. This is a classic Andremily wine built on textural opulence and intensity. The 2020 has developed beautifully since I tased it from barrel.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Bright and lively on the palate, such beautifully expressed raspberry and red cherry fruit flavours alongside high-shining acidity that is so clean and precise. A supremely joyful expression with hints of caramelised strawberries and fresh mint. So sharp but so well defined with a clarity to the palate that is gorgeous. Really delivers a sophisticated, charming, characterful wine that is balanced, easy to enjoy with plenty of life. A more structured and perhaps harder to understand wine than Testamatta this year, but both have their own lovely personalities. This is so complete and abundant, muscular but controlled and full of complexity and detail - there’s weight and density without heaviness. A sensational wine. Ageing 12 months in 500l French oak barrels.Decanter | 98 DECThe subtlety and perfumed nature of this wine is enchanting, offering flowers, orange peel and cherries. Wonderful ripe strawberries, too. Full-bodied, but not over the top, with tannins that are polished and run the length of the wine. It’s tight, but gives you every indication of a terrific wine. You want to drink it now, and you probably should do, because it’s so alluring. Yet it will age beautifully as well. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe Bibi Graetz 2020 Colore is a pure expression of Sangiovese all sourced from old vines that are carefully selected in various parts of Tuscany. Much of the fruit comes from a high elevation and cool site in Lamole, or from 70-year-old vines in Bagno a Ripoli or Vincigliata near Fiesole. A small percentage of old vines in Olmo is also used. Bibi has a preference for old vines, and you can taste the lovely depth and complexity that comes through in the Colore. Compared to his other wine Testamatta, this wine has seen fewer stylistic changes over the years, and the goal has always been elegance and finesse. Colore boasts a pretty luminous quality with dark fruit aromas and wild berry. There are hints of licorice and mint as well. Mineral flavors and bright acidity are what set Colore apart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bibi Graetz Colore has beautiful, appetising aromas of savory wild herbs, wild-flowers and Mediterranean shrub with a light peppery note and on standing there is an aroma of strawberries warmed in the sun. The palate is round and soft, then mouth-wateringly fresh, then it finishes with savory, salty tannins. What I love is that the flavours are clearly delineated and remind me of Sangiovese and the Tuscan landscape with bitter cherry, light sea salt, iron tonic and wild herb notes. The flavors are quite fragile but persistent, the texture is fine and silky and there is a lot of savory, mineral tension in this wine.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2020 Colore is spiced and pure, with vibrant ripe cherry, cinnamon, and cedar. There is elegance and ripeness within its medium frame, revealing notes of wild raspberry, dried herbs, and orange zest. There is another level of refinement from the Testamatta that will continue to improve over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2020 Colore is pleasantly unexpected and is a total feminine beauty. When I anticipate power, it delivers grace with a stunning bouquet of freshly cut roses, blood orange, wild strawberries and sweet smoke. It’s deeply textural, yet not heavy, feeling like crushed velvet gently draped across the palate, leaving mineral-tinged blackberries and currants in its wake. This finishes on a note of elegance with fine-grained tannins without slowing its momentum as spice notes slowly fade. The Colore is all old-vine (70 years or older) Sangiovese from vineyards Lamole, Vincigliata, Olmo and Siena.Vinous Media | 94 VMCherries, strawberries, raspberries, seaweed and soy sauce mingle with the scent of freshly paved road, gun flint and pencil on the nose of this wine. It offers a very cherry palate, with wet stone, white pepper, rose petal and chocolate-covered orange slice. A bright and lively wine, it balances structure with playfulness, and delivers fruit that is mouthfilling without turning velvety.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis red reveals a mix of earth, cherry and wild herb flavors that ride a bright, fleshy profile. Features a juicy midpalate, with vibrant structure and well-integrated tannins. The finish firms up, where cherry and spice notes linger. Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2035. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

2020 was a challenging year that gave them a lot of work in the vineyard, but it it paid off. The 2020 Laurel feels very elegant, balanced and fresh, a little lighter perhaps, with perfectly ripe tannins, a little in line with 2016 or 2013. It might be a little unusual for the house style or perhaps a slight change, as they are gradually going for softer vinifications; you don’t really need to extract in Priorat, because the wines are powerful enough on their own. It’s still extremely young and has a lactic touch (that blows off with a bit of time in the glass); it was only bottled at the end of May 2022, three months before I tasted it. Even if it’s the second wine here, it’s a wine that needs a little bit of time and improves in the bottle. Having said that, the 2020s feel more open, expressive and approachable than the 2019s, which are more tannic and powerful while the 2020s feel a little more Burgundian if you like. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Laurel so far. After some time in the glass, the aromatics of the Syrah (which was perhaps a little more this year, some 12% versus 8% in 2019) made an appearance—violets, smoked bacon. Daphne Glorian told me that everything was easy, that the wine was expressive and open from day one and that the fermentations were smooth. There are some 19,000 bottles of this.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The flagship from this great estate is the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard, which is based on 80% Grenache and small doses of 17 other varieties. This deeply hued beauty offers a stunning bouquet of blackberries, scorched earth, licorice, ground pepper, and sappy garrigue. I always find a Burgundian-like texture on this wine, and the 2020 is no exception – this is one to put into a blind tasting of Grand Cru Red Burgundies and shock your friends. Medium to full-bodied, ultra-pure, with grippy, sappy tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish, it’s pure class all the way. It’s going to need at least 4-6 years of bottle age, but this is a wine you don’t want to miss, and one of the finest wines I’ve tasted from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDFull and generous on the palate, no lack of fruit or depth here. Powerful and plentiful fine tannins and a great, rising sense of energy and freshness. Impressive, with real finesse and precision - no excess weight, but great surging intensity and freshness. Contains at least 1% of all the 18 possible varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grapes are grown across a variety of soil types in the lieux-dits Beau Renard, Cabrières and Coteau de l’Ange, vinified mostly in tronconic wooden vats, then aged in oak barrels of various sizes and ages, including 5% new oak. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2037Decanter | 96 DEC

Aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, hints of graphite, wet earth, and lavender. Sandalwood. Full-bodied with an impressive and refined structure that runs deep and vertical in the wine. Chewy. Hints of chocolate and hazelnut at the end. Needs five or six years to soften.James Suckling | 98 JSAn excellent wine, even if not a great Dominus, the 2020 Dominus delivers waves of dark fruit—think predominantly cassis. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, it’s full-bodied and richly textured, perhaps a bit warm and open-knit because of the summer’s heat, but with a long, velvety finish attractively tinged with mocha and dark chocolate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis throws off dense kirsch and linzer torte aromas and flavors, along with a mix of smoldering tobacco, leather, warm paving stone and licorice root hints that provide a brooding edge on the back end. Surprisingly backward for the vintage and impressively done. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. 1,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Aromas of currants, blackberries, fresh mushrooms and flowers. Medium-bodied with compacted fruit and integrated, fine tannins. Ripe fruit with reserve. Attractive and alluring. Excellent structure. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. Give it at least five years to open and soften, but very attractive now.James Suckling | 95 JS

A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L’Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also exciting the palate through a core of zesty acidity. A staining of minerality lingers as the 2020 finishes with epic length and potency. Grippy tannins tug at the perimeters of the palate, leaving nuances of black licorice and clove to resonate. This radiant beauty has a very bright future. It’s a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 97 VMDark chocolate, a bit animalistic, so brooding and dark. Sumptuous texture, rich and deep yet vibrant too, this is plush and opulent but there is refinement here, you can feel the sculpting of the fruit and the tannins, there is nuance and detail to the different aspects. It’s still quite massy and bold, it’s a big style, lots going on with plenty of power and punch but a deliciously bright and lifted understone with acidity to keep it from being too heavy. Strawberry touches, blackberries, cinnamon, pepper, toast, tobacco and cocoa, all melding together with a lingering piquancy that lasts and lasts. A classic and memorable wine. Ageing 15 months in French oak (80% new, 20% one year old).Decanter | 97 DECThe 2020 Estate Cuvee is the flagship and checks in as 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. It has a big, black-fruited bouquet with lots of graphite, smoky oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality. This carries to a full-bodied wine revealing the more savory tannins of the vintage, plenty of mid-palate flesh, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It picks up a beautiful sense of salinity with time in the glass and is unquestionably one of the top wines in this vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReally impressive depth here. Violets, blueberries, blackberries, graphite, ink and chalk to the nose. Rich, voluptuous and flavorful with firm, but silky tannins. Concentrated, restrainedly plush and muscular with a lingering finish that goes on and on. 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96 JS

Lastly, the 2020 Torre Muga just about jumps out of the glass with its complex red and black fruits, savory flowers, tobacco, lead pencil shavings, and graphite-like aromatics. Plush, full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, it shows the softer, more rounded style of the vintage and has ripe tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDTorre is a bolder, more concentrated expression of Rioja from Muga. Meaty and tarry nose with smoked bacon. Lots of grilled herbs and some dark sweet spices. Powerful, broad and full-bodied on the palate with lots of vertical, dusty tannins that lead you towards the long, juicy finish. Tempranillo, mazuelo and graciano. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThe more modern wine in the portfolio is the 2020 Torre Muga, which has notes of toast, smoke, sesame seeds, smoky bacon, spices, herbs and ripe berries. It is a wine they started producing in 1991, and the change in style also influenced the quality approach and selection of vineyards, grapes and oak for the barrels that they later applied to other wines. It has a polished palate with very fine tannins, chalky and elegant. It’s a more approachable vintage, round, velvety and soft, though perhaps without the aging potential of 2021, but it’s very pleasant. It’s long. They didn’t bottle the 2020 from Aro, so some of those grapes might have finished in this bottle. It was bottled in December 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe garnet-hued 2020 Torre Muga is a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano sourced from Rioja Alta, aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. Its ripe aromas reveal balsamic and clove notes, featuring a delicate core of plums with hints of cedar and vanilla. On the palate, it is dry and plush, with a lingering juicy sensation and a fairly chalky texture. This is a complex Rioja wine that nods to a riper Bordeaux style.Vinous Media | 94 VMA bold but poised red, with fine, chalky tannins. Lively acidity lends definition and tension to the panoply of flavors, which partners savory game, espresso, cured tobacco and iron notes with ripe boysenberry, crème de cassis, cocoa powder and licorice accents. This should age nicely, but why wait? Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2034. 3,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The Ornellaia 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) is a generous and darkly toned red blend that has the extra fruit fiber, sweetness and generous plumpness of a warm vintage. The fullness of the fruit is on full display, but in a very relaxed and natural manner. The wine never feels like too much. The tannins are yielding and velvety, and this purebred Tuscan red wraps thickly over the palate. It’s poised for near- and medium-term drinking.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPProduced from 44% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2020 Le Serra Nuove Dell’Ornellaia is expressive with floral notes as well as dried lavender, sage, and black cherry. The oak (30% of which was new) is present but not out of balance and will benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle to integrate. The palate is full bodied, with fine tannins and refreshing acidity. It is long on the palate and cleans up with a soft texture, and there is ripe fruit through the mid-palate. This wine offers tremendous value packed in dollar-for-dollar. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDThis muscular red is saturated with cherry, plum, vanilla and earth flavors. As solid and sinewy as the tannic structure is, the fruit matches it step by step on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2043. 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Promontory is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars out of the glass with notes of fresh black cherries, crushed blueberries, and kirsch, followed by hints of wet slate, Indian spices, candied violets, and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit, with so many mineral and floral nuances intertwined with the red and black fruits, supported by very firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. There is so much energy here, it practically vibrates in your mouth! A masterpiece.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIIncredible aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, black olives, lavender, violets, hazelnut and black tea. Forest floor. So complex. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that are ultra-fine and melt into the wine, spreading across the palate. Perfectly meshed. This has real presence and energy. Cool wet stones, mountain air, and dark fruits make up the palate. November 2024 release. It will need three to four years to come around. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2020 Promontory is a medium to full-bodied, concentrated 2020 that certainly does well in the vintage, even if it lacks the vibrancy of a truly great vintage from this estate. With everything harvested by September 21, it has a rich, powerful bouquet of ripe black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and subtle violet and floral notes. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth, lots of minerality, and firm tannins, which are common in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The 2020 Sassicaia is a bold, rapturous wine. Dark, fleshy and expansive on the palate, the 2020 offers up scents of blackberry jam, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and crème de cassis. Potent tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Sassicaia is never a huge wine, the 2020 does seem to have an extra dimension of textural intensity. It’s an intensity that is hugely appealing.Vinous Media | 97 VMFrosts damaged the the earlier-developing Cabernet Franc in late March, leading to reduced production but superb quality fruit. Spring was mild and summer was generally warm, but a rapid acceleration of maturation in late summer forced the team to begin picking in the first week of September to avoid any overripeness. A traditional 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc blend, its blackcurranty, dusty, leafy and cedary character is brought into focus by an intense and balsamic palate. It’s poised and light on its feet with super-fresh acidity and a fine-grained, almost imperceptible tannic structure. Ripe and tangy raspberry and blueberry fruits linger on the mid-palate, leading to a long, fresh finish with some cream and chocolate notes. This will reward cellaring into the 2050s, yet you’ll get plenty of pleasure from it in its youth. ’We advise to keep it at least 10 months in the bottle before opening,’ states third-generation Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta.Decanter | 97 DECA very perfumed Sassicaia on the nose with forest floor, citrus and deep dark fruits. Blackcurrants. Cedar and black tea. Some balsamic. Pine needles. Full and very succulent. Really long, structured and complete. Tangy and energetic with a linear line of fresh tannins and acidity. Very Sassicaia throughout. 85% cabernet sauvignon and the rest is cabernet franc. Very attractive now in a youthful and vibrant way, but this will be better in three to four years. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. This vintage is a precise reflection of Coastal Tuscany, as opposed to a more generic "Tuscan" wine from elsewhere in this large central Italian region. You taste the ripeness and soft fruit weight that comes from a coastal appellation with especially bright luminosity and warm Mediterranean offshore breezes. Sassicaia from the cool vintages is a famously reticent or withholding wine in its earliest years, requiring a long lead time before it eases into an ideal drinking window. That’s definitely not the case here. This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine’s immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn’t get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Very attractive nose with ripe blackcurrants, spiced chocolate, grilled thyme, hazelnuts and bacon. Notes of tobacco and cedar, too. Full-bodied, so refined and polished with layers of finely chiselled tannins spread evenly across the wine and beautifully integrated. Blooming fruit with spicy herbs, peppermint and violets. Very long and persistent with a steady, mineral sensation in the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSWhile there are subtle secondary notes present, this remains largely primary and still quite fresh with mostly red berry fruit that is cut with nuances of earth, roasted cherry and stone hints. There is moderate austerity to the relatively precise and energetic medium-bodied flavors that are presently somewhat lean and while not hard, it’s clear that this is not yet ready for prime time drinking. Save for one recent bottle that was hard to the point of being unpleasant, I have had consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Biserno is one of the best wines I can remember tasting here. Rich yet vibrant, the 2020 presents a much more restrained style than was once the norm. There is still plenty of intensity, but energy and vibrancy have replaced volume as signatures. Espresso, menthol, licorice, cloves and leather are some of the many notes that build in this powerful, elegant Maremma red. Gorgeous Franc aromatics open the finish effortlessly.Vinous Media | 96 VMSmells wild - herbal and gorgeously floral on the nose with ripe black, bramble fruit aromas. Round and supple, fully flavoured and textured with just fleshy tannins that also have a cool, mineral chalky edge giving some minerality to the palate and freshness offsetting the ripe, sweet black and blue fruit. I like the lingering powdery element and this has a certain sharp, sophistication - cool blue fruits, cola, vanilla, cedar and toast. I’d be hard pushed to put it in Tuscany though, it does smell and taste more like old-school Bordeaux or Californian wine. Massy, heavy, pushed with both oak and extraction. It has purity, but lacks the Tuscan charm that these wines can offer. Quality is there and this is enjoyable. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Director Niccolo Marzichi Lenzi, winemaker Helena Lindberg.Decanter | 94 DECA powerful red, with a saline element underlining the black currant, blackberry, plum, leather, iron, herb and tobacco aromas and flavors. Reveals muscular tannins that shore up the finish, which has a lingering mix of fruit, herbs and spices. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the gals, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb.Vinous Media | 98 VMLaced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Best from 2027 through 2045. 11,083 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe currants and spices are very pretty, with some hazelnut undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very structured for a Tignanello, with medium chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very polished and curated with a deft winemaking hand coming through. Needs three or four years to soften, but it’s all there.James Suckling | 96 JSTignanello is a southwest-facing 57-hectare vineyard on lime-rich soils in San Casciano Val di Pesa. The blend – predominantly Sangiovese with dashes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – has remained the same since 1982. Individually vinified in conical vats, with malo in oak barriques, the wines then age in mostly new French oak barrels plus a small percentage of Hungarian oak barrels, for few months before blending and further ageing; around 15 months in total. Ripe red and black berries and a herbal waft rise from the glass. Intense, grainy and vertical, it has impressive freshness of both acidity and dark fruits, with streaks of coffee and sous bois, and a sprinkling of peppery spice and dried herbs. The sapidity on the mid-palate combines with a soft, creamy chocolate and black fruit finish to create a deliciously approachable and gastronomic wine that will, of course, repay further ageing.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2021 EE Red Wine is ripe and powerful, with smoky red and black fruits as well as lots of background oak, graphite, espresso, and dark chocolate-like aromas and flavors that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has plenty of background oak, the building tannins of the vintage, and a great finish. A gorgeous wine, it will benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard offers up a wonderful range of dark fruit—black cherries, cassis and blackberries—couched in hints of dark chocolate. Like almost all the Bevan wines, it’s full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety in texture. This one finishes long, with a mocha and cocoa-stained finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2021 Red Blend EE is one of the more overt wines in the range. Super-ripe red cherry, blackberry, chocolate, spice, gravel and licorice are all amplified in this heady, exotic Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. The 2021 is a powerhouse.Vinous Media | 93-96 VM

The 2021 Cariad is another First Growth Bordeaux look-alike from Colgin. Darker currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, bouquet garni, and some exotic, meaty notions dominate the bouquet, and it’s massively concentrated on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, polished tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It actually has some upfront appeal due to its incredible balance and texture, yet smart money will still hide these for 5-7 years. It will have 30+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDSo much graphite here with blackcurrants, black olives, black everything. Some orange peel, dried violets and iodine. Volcanic and pumice-like. Amazing aromas. Full-bodied but so tight and polished with crushed stone, iodine and cashmere. Leather undertones. A distinctive masterpiece for the vintage that will age for infinity. Try after 2030.James Suckling | 100 JSColgin’s 2021 Cariad is explosive, effusive and all charm. All the elements are so well put together. Deep, sweet floral and savory spice nuances lift a core of red/purplish fruit, all wrapped together with broad, chocolatey tannins. Elegant, vivid and impeccably balanced, the 2021 has a brilliant future. It will be interesting to see where this goes over time.Vinous Media | 99 VMLike the 2018 version, Colgin’s 2021 Cariad is wonderfully vibrant and fresh, with hints of dried sage accenting purple raspberries and cassis. It’s full-bodied and velvety in texture yet taut and energetic. Nearly indescribable spice and earthy complexities fold in on the long, elegant finish, all wrapped in a cocoon of dry, silky tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 Cariad is just a little bit closed to begin. With patient swirling, notes of cassis, black cherries, and mulberries slowly emerge from the glass, followed by hints of dark chocolate, iris, and spice cake, with a waft of underbrush. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with concentrated black fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Tantalizingly decadent!The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThis is dense, fleshy and generous in feel, all while maintaining form, as its core of well-steeped black currant and blackberry fruit rolls through, flecked with charcoal, alder and savory details and supported by a long tug of warm cast iron through the finish. Its grip offers a finishing kick of succulence, which bodes well for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2042. 851 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 IX Estate needs a lot of shaking to wake up notes of warm cassis, boysenberries, and juicy plums, giving way to nuances of iron ore, wild sage, tapenade, and lilacs. The full-bodied palate is tightly wound with very firm, ripe, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness framing the dense black fruits, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIColgin’s 2021 IX Estate is a rich, opulent example, with layers of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate punctuated by hints of sage and bay leaf, plus some vaguely floral notes (violets?). Full-bodied, concentrated, velvety and long, it’s another terrific wine that showcases the potential of Pritchard Hill, the investment by the owners and the talent of the winemaking team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPRed currant, lead pencil and terra cotta aromas with some bay leaf and sage. Full-bodied with tight, firm tannins that are polished and very fine. Turns to graphite. Extremely long, refined, polished and exquisite. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 IX Estate is such an elegant wine. Sleek, aromatic and refined, the 2021 is one of the most polished young wines I have tasted from this site. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mint abound. Silky and delineated, the 2021 is exceptionally beautiful and balanced. Clean saline notes and veins of tannin extend the explosive, sublime finish.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2021 Syrah is another incredible Syrah here and I d put it up against any Syrah out there. Inky-hued with a La Landonne-like nose of ripe black and blue fruits, smoked game, chocolate, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a dense, powerful, compact mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following decade or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThere’s some gorgeous flow to this red, with an overriding velvety feel to its crushed blackberry, açaí and loganberry fruit core, contrasted nicely by an underlying cast iron note. Alder, sage and sweet bay hints flicker seductively amid the fruit on the lengthy finish. Best from 2025 through 2045. 1,899 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Simply a wonderful wine, the 2021 Maya oozes class, with deep, complex aromas of violets and cassis, earthy loam and hints of tobacco and mint. It’s just medium to full-bodied, cool, silky and finessed. Supremely elegant but concentrated, just reined in, restrained. She’s the "perfect" girl, the one so special a younger me would be afraid to ask out. The current me is married, so... I’ll just sit here and drink it in. Readers should drink it in too. All of it, from the upfront fruit to the lingering, savory finish. While approachable now, this wine should continue to drink well for two decades or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPIt comes from the Maya blocks on the house’s southern side combined with Cabernet Franc that abuts the Peter Michael Au Paradis vineyard. A wonderfully dark, opaque ruby colour in the glass leads to fragrant boysenberry and kirsch notes, cedarwood, and rose petals. Full-bodied with super firm and structured tannins that have a pixelated density that would make the latest iPhone jealous. The finish is very long, and even for all the wine’s compactness and weight on the palate, there is a lightness to this wine that is striking. Maya Dalla Valle, the daughter of founder Naoko Dalla Valle, is the winemaker with Andy Erickson and Michel Rolland consulting, while Edgar Alfaro manages the vineyards.Decanter | 99 DECThe 2021 Maya, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It sails out with graceful notes of violets, fresh blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles giving way to wafts of pencil shavings and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, with fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2021 Maya is young, but so promising. A wine of density and stature, the 2021 offers striking vertical depth, with bright acids and plenty of tannin. All the elements are so well balanced. Intense red fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and cedar all meld together, but it is the whole rather than the sum of parts that is most impressive here. A blast of vibrant fruit explodes through to the finish. Unforgettable.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThis gorgeous red is streamlined in feel, with the vivid boysenberry, mulberry and black currant fruit profile of the vintage, though in a slightly more reserved style, as a strong tobacco thread and cast iron spine keep its energy in reserve for now. There’s lovely tension through the finish, with a mouthwatering iris detail lingering amid the fruit and earth notes. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2045. 800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is the usual blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon and a selection of Cabernet Franc that will spend 24 months in 80% new French oak. It has a more floral, exotic style in its blue fruits, spring flowers, incense, and peppery herbal nose as well as a stunningly pure, elegant, polished, seamless style on the palate. It’s another magical wine in the making from this terroir.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDDeep, dark-fruited character with plums, blackberries, chocolate and walnuts. Full-bodied, textural and velvety, with succulence and depth to its fruit. Structured, wide and super refined with a long, encompassing finish. It’s well integrated and balanced with a lively freshness, yet it needs some time. Better after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JS