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The 2014 Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color and sings of crushed blackcurrants, warm plums and black raspberries with menthol, potpourri, chocolate box and licorice nuances—compelling. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with great freshness, finishing very long with mineral notions. This will be extremely long lived!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe largest scaled of the single vineyards is unquestionably the 2014 Madrona Ranch and this blockbuster comes from a vineyard at the base of Spring Mountain, just outside of St Helena. It boasts a huge nose of blackcurrants, charcoal, dried earth, and chocolate, full-bodied richness, a deep, layered texture, big tannins, and a huge finish. This massive 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and will certainly be one of its longest-lived wines as well. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLove the blackberries, tar, dark mushrooms and flowers. Perfumed to the max. Full-bodied, super velvety and refined. Glorious. Dense and so long yet vivid. What finesse. You want to take this home. Incredible length and texture. Blend of cabernet sauvignon (56%), cabernet franc (27%), petit verdot (9%) and merlot (8%).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2014 Madrona Ranch has developed beautifully since I first tasted it from barrel in spring of 2015. Specifically, the tannins have melded into the fruit as the wine has gained body and volume. In 2014, Madrona Ranch is quite dark and powerful. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s more floral red-toned character. A wine of sublime elegance and total finesse, the 2014 Madrona Ranch is a winner. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 97 VMIntense, featuring dark fig, blackberry and black currant paste flavors rumbling through, with extra tobacco, bay leaf, bittersweet chocolate and tar notes filling in, this sports obvious heft and muscle. Shows range, cut and drive nonetheless, with a buried graphite spine and sneaky acidity. Just give this a little space in the cellar to round fully into form. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2040. 389 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSFrom an important St. Helena vineyard, neighbouring Spottswoode and planted in 1980, ’85 and ’86, Abreu’s Madrona Ranch reveals a complex and still-primary bouquet of cherry, black raspberry and smoke, mingling with hints of espresso and rose. It’s rich and multi-dimensional on the palate, with an ample chassis of fine, savoury tannins and a nicely juicy quality to the fruit.Decanter | 94 DEC

This wine stood out at a recent vertical that stretched back to 1964. The 2014 vintage is an unqualified success here, with voluptuously ripe red and blackberry fruit, nuances of smoke and spice. The texture is silky and dense but perfectly balanced by a lovely freshness that carries the fruit to an impressively long finish. It is assembled from the three Rousseau parcels that total 1.42ha. Destemmed and fermented slowly on native yeasts before ageing in new casks.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECBy the time I arrived at the Clos de Bèze and Chambertin here, I was emotionally spent from the symphony of 2014 brilliance that had preceded them. However, both these wines are so profound that there is no doubt that they are the two red wines of the vintage this year! The 2014 Clos de Bèze soars from the glass in a brilliantly expressive nose of red and black plums, red and black cherries, gorgeous minerality, raw cocoa, gamebirds, violets and cedary new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with magical soil inflection, laser-like focus, enormous nascent complexity and a very, very long, tangy and fine-grained finish of enormous energy and seamless balance. Stunning juice. (Drink between 2027 - 2090)John Gilman | 99+ JGA towering well of cherry, raspberry, wild herb and mineral flavors are the hallmarks of this red, which possesses terrific energy and concentration on a slim frame. The fruit-, mineral- and spice-filled finish goes on and on, with an aerial component that drives the complex aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2045. 61 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA brilliantly discreet spicy nose consists of sandalwood, essence of black cherry liqueur, violets and a hint of the sauvage. There is seriously good size, weight and power to the imposingly scaled flavors that display almost painful intensity on the driving, explosively long and very firmly structured finish where a pleasing bead of minerality appears which helps to add lift to the finish. This is powerful and presently quite compact yet my sense is that despite being very tightly wound today, it should progressively unfold such that in 7 to 8 years, it may be sufficiently civilized to enjoy if you don’t wish to wait for its full maturity.Burghound | 97 BHSaturated, bright dark red. Knockout soil-inflected aromas of black raspberry, boysenberry, mocha and gibiers, with the wine’s 100% new oak element nicely integrated. Boasts outstanding sucrosité for the vintage but strong saline minerality and firm acidity perfectly counterpoint the wine’s sweetness. This very large-scaled, densely packed wine spreads out horizontally on the inexorable rising finish, saturating the palate with a fine dusting of tannins and shimmering minerality. This stunning Clos de Bèze has all the elements for greatness.Vinous Media | 96+ VM

Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between opens with tantalizing molten chocolate and liquid licorice notions over crème de cassis, candied violets, baked red currants, kirsch and black tea scents. The palate is full-bodied and firmly textured with ripe, grainy tannins while packed with floral and black fruit layers, finishing very long and minerally with an energetic red fruit lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPHundred Acre’s 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between, from Jayson Woodbridge’s Calistoga site, is a reminder of how expressive and rewarding his wines can be. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, smoke, licorice and menthol are all super-intense in this racy, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. Potent and full-throttle, the 2014 possesses tremendous aromatic intensity (a signature of 2014) to play off the dense fruit. I tasted the 2014 blind as part of a tasting of wines from Calistoga’s Kenefick Ranch district, where it was both impressive and distinctive.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2014 Musigny from Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier is going to be one of the wines of the vintage this year. It does not possess the surreal creaminess of the Rousseau Chambertin or Clos de Bèze out of the blocks, but it shares that same bottomless intensity of flavor and magical complexity and it will be a brilliant wine in the fullness of time. The beautiful bouquet offers up scents of red and black cherries, raw cocoa, mustard seed, incipient notes of gamebird, a magically complex base of soil, woodsmoke, roses and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deeper and fuller than the Amoureuses, but every bit as elegant, with a sappy core, stunning transparency, fine-grained tannins and absolutely perfect balance on the very, very long finish. A great bottle of Musigny in the making, but do not go wasting bottles before it has had at least a dozen years’ worth of bottle age. (Drink between 2028 - 2090)John Gilman | 98 JGThe 2014 Musigny Grand Cru is just being released. Wafting from the glass with aromas of rose petals, Egyptian musk, orange rind, peonies, warm spices and red berries, it’s full-bodied, velvety and perfumed, with superb concentration, lively acids and fine, powdery tannins that still assert themselves on the long, penetrating and gently chalky finish. This is a brilliant Musigny, but while Mugnier has done some of the work for his clients by aging the wine at the domaine for seven or eight years, it still demands a decade of additional patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPBright medium red. More expressive on the nose today than the Amoureuses, offering ineffable scents of black raspberry, lavender and flinty, smoky minerality. By far the plushest and deepest of these 2014s but still with outstanding definition and verve. This wonderfully fine-grained, classically dry Musigny boasts bulletproof fruit and finishes with impressive medicinal reserve. Beginning with the 2013 Musigny, Mugnier will be delaying the release of his top bottling for a minimum of two years--and possibly several years more than that--as he finds this wine especially hard to read in its extreme youth.Vinous Media | 96+ VMNot the deepest of colours and showing signs of maturing at the rim. Super elegant nose though, now really open for business. Could smell this for hours. First touch of forest floor but with all of Musigny behind. Sweetly beautiful at the end with a return of all the red fruit, wonderfully aromatic at the finish. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 94 JMThis is aromatically quite discreet with its subtly perfumed nose that is composed of plum, dark cherry, violet, lavender and orange pekoe tea plus the first hints of secondary development. This is at once silky but powerful with plenty of minerality characterizing the velvet-textured big-bodied flavors that coat the mouth with dry extract that also serves to buffer the markedly firm tannic spine on the balanced and hugely long but presently compact finish. This classy and very stylish effort is still sufficiently backward to need close to another decade in a cool cellar though with that said, it’s not so tightly wound as to be completely impenetrable if decanted for an hour first. I would add that I will want to see how the fruit evolves relative to the structure because based on this bottle, the nose is a bit more evolved.Burghound | 93 BH

The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThis shows terrific cut and drive from the start, with mouthwatering acidity and a chiseled graphite note leading the way, backed by a core of pure cassis and blackberry preserves. Licorice snap and sweet tobacco details flitter through the finish, where the graphite edge reemerges and sails on and on. Best from 2022 through 2040. 7,632 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis has aromas of black fruit, olives, wet earth, dried lavender, cloves and bark. Bitter chocolate and walnuts, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured, with great freshness and length. Cedar notes on the lighter mid-palate. Still a little tight and chewy. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years. Enjoy from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Latour captures the personality of the year in its linear, lithe construction. It’s a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, spice, mint and sweet tobacco open over time, but at this level, wines are more about a feel, an expression of place and a vintage. The 2014 Latour embodies all the best this cool, late-ripening growing season had to offer. I loved the 2014 when it was first shown, about five years ago, and I love it today. It is a super-classic Pauillac.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2014 Château Latour is still a baby and relatively closed and backward, offering darker, meaty black fruits, tobacco, truffly earth, and graphite on the nose. It’s much more dense and structured than I would have imagined from tasting on release and offers full-bodied richness, a beautiful mid-palate, fabulous overall balance, and no shortage of tannins on the finish. This vintage was terrific for the Médoc, particularly the northern Médoc, and this beauty warrants another 7-8 years of bottle age, after which I suspect it will have well over 3 decades of overall longevity. The blend is 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.2% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% alcohol.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReddish purple rim. Expressive on the nose; cocoa powder, truffle, soft spices, blackcurrant pastilles, black cherries and mint - the best Cabernet aromatics. Great delicacy here, this is so poised and elegant, a touch of soft sweetness to the red and black fruits. Tannins fill the mouth but this is well handled, less plump and round, more direct and linear but with a beautiful fragrance, delicacy and texture that fills the mouth but gently. Still so much juice and freshness as well as softly cooling mint tones. The fresh, vibrant flavour makes you think you could drink it now but it’s only the tannins that suggest it needs longer. Still, it’s lovely, with such well placed fruit flavours that hits all sides of the mouth and lingers long after the finish. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2049Decanter | 96 DEC

The Biondi-Santi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is initially a reticent wine and one that does not immediately subscribe to the overstated abundance and exuberance of the vintage. Give it time. I wrote this review after several tastings over several days so I could ensure a more accurate account of the wine’s elegant reveal. Contemplative and exceedingly nuanced in personality, with wild berry, underbrush, ferrous earth and candied orange peel, this has everything to look forward to in terms of its future evolution in the bottle. It displays a pretty ruby color that borders on garnet and polished copper. A silky, mid-weight palate is accented by beautifully managed and silky tannins (this aspect of the mouthfeel is extraordinary), bright freshness and long-lasting fruit momentum. The alcohol is a bit more powerful in this release (at 14.5%), but the effect is supple and smooth nonetheless. I tasted bottle number 256.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva pulls you close to the glass with a deep and seductive display of black raspberry preserves complemented by sweet sage, dried roses and pipe tobacco. With further coaxing, it gains in volume and lift, taking on hints of mint and camphor. This greets the palate with undeniable elegance, casting velvety waves of violet-tinged wild berries and sweet spices across a motivating core of juicy acidity, as a subtle coating of round tannins forms toward the close. While structured and incredibly long, energy remains high, as nuances of cherry pits offset by sour citrus and hints of cedar fade. It’s amazing to experience such energy and purity from a young Biondi Santi Riserva. As pretty as the Annata released last year was, I worried that the extended aging for the Riserva might rob the wine of some of its fruit; instead it is the complete opposite, as this contains the depth and complexity of the best wines of the vintage. I can’t wait to see how the 2015 matures over the next several decades.Vinous Media | 97 VMComplex yet pure, subtle and refined nose that gently evolves, with mossy red cherries, dried roses, chalk, tar and dried orange peel. There is a lift of clove and eucalyptus that makes it so distinctive. A powerful, medium-to full-bodied Brunello, but seamless and bright, with a fine, transparent mid-palate and restrained, mineral austerity. Understated complexity that will need time to bloom. Hold until 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2015 Riserva was born during the brief period between Franco Biondi Santi’s death and subsequent acquisition by luxury company EPI in 2016. Looking to make more accessible wines, Franco’s son Jacopo started picking on 21 September. By the estate’s historic standards, this is relatively late. The outcome is a generous and weighty expression that is less bracing than usual. It coats the mouth without being heavy and is hemmed in by firm, steely tannins. Sweet tobacco and bay leaf punctuate ripe red cherry and lead to a pleasant bitter twist on the finish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 94 DEC

This is the best Campo del Drago I have ever had. It really shows the unique character of the elevated single vineyard of 1.5 hectares. Black cherries and flowers with hints of sandalwood and tree bark. Always pure and beautiful. Medium to full body. Ultra-fine tannins. Lightly salty character to the cherry and berry flavors. Extremely long and beautiful. Drink after 2021.James Suckling | 98 JSOnly made in the best vintages, this release of 7,000 bottles represents the top-end wine from Castiglion del Bosco. Fruit is drawn from the magnificent Campo del Drago, which is a vineyard on a high plateau located in one of the wildest and most beautiful corners of the appellation, with endless views spanning toward the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago is robust and shapely with blackberry, plum, toasted spice and tilled earth. Showing beautifully balanced results, this cru offers good length and power to the mouthfeel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is rich and juicy, displaying cherry, blackberry and iron flavors. The tannins are well-covered by the intensity and ripe, fleshy fruit until the finish, where they flex. Delivers terrific overall complexity, balance and expression. Best from 2024 through 2042. 500 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAt first shy, a few swirls of the glass reveals pipe tobacco, sun baked earth, dark spice and menthol aromas. Enveloping and elegantly structured, it’s already almost accessible, offering baked plum, star anise and espresso alongside velvety tannins. Drink 2021 through 2027. Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOAt first shy, a few swirls of the glass reveal pipe tobacco, sunbaked earth, dark spice and menthol aromas. Enveloping and elegantly structured, it’s already almost accessible, offering baked plum, star anise and espresso alongside velvety tannins. Drink 2021 through 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBright, deep red with ruby tinges. Ripe, expressive yet delicate aromas of red fruits, menthol, flowers and wild herbs. Silky and round on entry, then slightly tougher and chewy in the middle, with some smoky oak showing at the back. Large-scaled but not yet creamy or filled in, finishing with some slightly tough oak tannins. Forget about this in your cellar for five years at least.Vinous Media | 92+ VMLush cassis on the nose with plenty of vanilla and cinnamon notes. Juicy and vibrant on the palate, firm tannins structure and great freshness with a core of ripe cherry fruit.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2015 Barolo Monvigliero is a wine of pure and total seduction. The warm vintage has filled out the wine’s frame beautifully. The interplay of ripe, succulent 2015 fruit and aromatic intensity from the whole clusters yields a positively stunning, breathtaking wine of the very highest level. Once again, Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero takes a place among the most compelling wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate!Vinous Media | 98 VMFabio Alessandria impressed with his Monvigliero 2014. In the cool, rainy vintage he was able to produce a Barolo with a Pinot-like elegance. He was one of the first producers to introduce a small amount of stalks to the Nebbiolo during winemaking. In the warm vintage of 2015 his Monvigliero is extremely pale and garnet-coloured yet full of fresh flowery notes such as peony, violet and rose, with rhubarb plant, wild strawberry and cinnamon candy aromas and flavours. Super elegant, it shows firm, velvety tannins with an austere finish yet a great integration of fruit. Rarely is it possible to taste such a balance of elegance and power.Decanter | 98 DECI mentioned that slightly wild side of Verduno in a previous review for Comm. G.B. Burlotto. For further clarity on this point, put your nose into the beautiful 2015 Barolo Monvigliero. This is a subdued and graceful wine that grows in intensity the longer it stays in the glass. The wine offers blue flower aromas with violets, wild rose, cumin seed, saffron and crushed mineral. This wine plays its best cards when you focus on the smallest details, and then suddenly, those tiny brush strokes explode into a big-picture, panoramic view of one of the most celebrated vineyard sites in Barolo.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPCompelling and fragrant, this gorgeous wine opens with intense aromas of pressed rose, fragrant blue flower, incense, pine and a whiff of smoky flint. The precise, structured palate is loaded with finesse, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, licorice and white pepper alongside tangy mineral and an earthy hint of black olive. It’s beautifully balanced, with enveloping, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2023–2040. Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOCompelling and fragrant, this gorgeous wine opens with intense aromas of pressed rose, fragrant blue flower, incense, pine and a whiff of smoky flint. The precise, structured palate is loaded with finesse, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, licorice and white pepper alongside tangy mineral and an earthy hint of black olive. It’s beautifully balanced, with enveloping, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2023–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAromatic, offering juniper, green olive, sandalwood and cherry scents. The fruit components expand in the mouth, but this red is savory overall. Firm, supple and elegant, with a lingering aftertaste of mineral and spice. Best from 2022 through 2040. 583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe swirling, aromatic nose is entrancing here. The flowery charm is undeniable and the palate has an ethereal frame of fine tannins, carrying beautifully defined, ripe red-cherry flavor. The use of whole clusters works very well here, adding life and lift to this riper vintage. This is a beautiful 2015. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.Vinous Media | 99 VMMonfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

Blended of 97.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot and 0.3% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Latour is exquisitely perfumed, displaying fragrant notes of crushed black cherries, raspberry preserves, cassis and black plums with nuances of roses, dark chocolate, garrigue, menthol and a waft of sandalwood. The medium-bodied palate beautifully struts its taut, toned, muscular fruit with a frame of very firm, smooth, rounded tannins and compelling freshness, finishing with alluring earth and mineral layers. At once intellectual and sexy, this truly evocative vintage brings to mind the Melanie Griffith line from “Working Girl," possessing a sultry “head for business and a bod for sin."Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPReally gorgeous aromatics, so perfumed, acutely aromatic, pristine, clear and precise with tobacco, cocoa, ash and liquorice. Round, heady, a sexy wine, with a lot to say, generous and open, smooth and layered - this deepens straight away vertically. I love the juiciness, there’s clarity to the raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, sleek and joyful but the texture is there with a wet stone and liquorice to the tannins that gives such grip and edge of power. Still youthful and quite serious but there’s something so appealing about it with a sexy character and complexity. Bright and sharp but also with sweetness from the ripe vintage and savoury notes of truffle, cocoa, dark chocolate giving contrast. Such enjoyable floral violet scents too that follow the wine from start to finish. Excellently controlled and delivered with supreme appeal. One you want to sit with and take your time over, and then gulp down! 69 IPT, 30% of production. Harvest 15 september to 10 October. Technical director Hélène Genin.Decanter | 98 DECAromas of iron, oyster shell, rust and stones with blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet ever so polished and refined. It rolls off the palate with fruit and salty flavors. Tight, focused and always refined. Pretty length. 97% cabernet sauvignon gives this brightness. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSSeriously structured and yet also so smooth, this wine has great concentration and powerful tannins. There is wonderful juiciness here as well as dense, dusty tannins that are never hard, always velvet. It is going to be a great wine when it is released in maybe 10 years time. The wine comes only from vineyards that are biodynamic.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis packs some serious warm dark currant, fig and blackberry compote flavors together at the core, with charcoal, singed bay leaf, tobacco and roasted alder notes forming the foundation. Grippy for sure, but there’s already alluring perfume and violet elements weaving around here. This has put on some serious weight and dark fruit since the barrel tasting, but remains all tensile strength. It will be fun to watch this age. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2015 Latour has a sensual, richer and more exotic bouquet than its peers, featuring plush red fruit intermingling with raisin and fig, although there is no sur-maturité here; the wine is just crafted in a more opulent style for this First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. This feels very cohesive and focused, and more saline than its peers. Veins of brown spice and leather surface toward the complex, engaging finish. I would have liked a little more length, but otherwise this is very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Because the 2015 Ermitage les Greffieux is so approachable and not as forbidding as Chapoutier’s other 2015s, I wonder if I’ve underestimated it? It’s full-bodied and rich in raspberry fruit, there’s an intriguing herbal note and it’s already almost silky in texture rather than being dense and closed. It should provide a couple of decades of drinking pleasure.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2015 Ermitage Les Greffieux comes from vines located at the base of the hill, just under the le Méal Vineyard. Blackberries, blueberries, liquid violet, dusty minerality and hints of beef blood all flow to a ripe, sexy, voluptuous, heavenly effort that’s overflowing with fruit and richness. Concentrated, ripe, sexy and just incredible stuff, it will rival the 2006 as the finest vintage to date from this vineyard. Slightly closed and backward now, don’t touch bottles for 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSaturated violet. Highly perfumed aromas of candied dark berries, cola, incense and smoky minerals develop a suave Asian spice nuance as the wine opens up. Silky, expansive black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors display an impressive blend of richness and energy thanks to a mineral flourish that builds on the back half. Finishes juicy, sweet and extremely long, displaying lingering, spice-tinged dark fruit qualities and slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 96 VMVery suave, featuring a frame of loam, ganache and melted black licorice notes melded together, while the core of steeped plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavors bristles with energy in reserve. A violet detail throughout adds lift and range. Best from 2020 through 2035. 328 cases made, 14 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSVery composed, with aromas of sappy, black fruit, dark stones, rich baking spices and a waft of pepper. The palate has an assertive, dense core of rich, black cherries and dark plums, as well as hints of licorice and dark, chocolate-coated orange peel. Fine sheets of tannins. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JS

The crème de la crème from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Mouton Rothschild and this incredible wine flirts with perfection. Made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this inky purple-colored effort offers sensational Cabernet flare in its crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, floral, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. It is full-bodied, dense, and incredibly concentrated, yet still has the sexy, opulent, seductive style of the vintage front and center. It will be a candidate for perfection in 10-12 years and is going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Hats off to Philippe Dhalluim and his team for this incredible effort that’s a step up over just about every other northern Médoc out there!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDecadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPGorgeously confident and rich in colour, you can see the silkiness in the glass from the first look. This has 11% press wine, which tells you how good the skins were and how gently they extract at first. Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin and team have really succeeded in this vintage. It is beautifully integrated, and full of verve and sexiness, just stopping short of swagger. It approaches the heights of 2015 in the most successful appellations and will age well. Bottled in June, with zero oxygen added at bottling and just 25 ppm of SO2. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThis is a hugely opulent wine, packed withblack fruits, rich tannins and great concentration. It is a gorgeous wine that’s full of potential, with the dense, dark core showing how well this wine will age. Drink this complex wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEIn 2015, Mouton Rothschild is fabulous. A big, towering wine, the 2015 makes its presence felt with layers of super-ripe dense fruit and striking textural resonance that carries all the way through to the finish. The 2015 is much more reticent from bottle than it was from barrel, which is not at all surprising, but is something readers should take into account. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 Mouton is a wine of classically inspired proportions. I can’t wait to taste it in another 15-20 years. The 2015 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that spend 19 months in 100% new French oak.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGOffers a prodigious core of steeped fig, black currant and blackberry compote flavors, enmeshed with notes of smoldering tobacco, charcoal and licorice. Broad, deep and long, with a deep foundation of graphite through the finish. Despite the heft, this manages to show off some purity too. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

he Poggio di Sotto 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows extra muscle definition, power and heady layers of rich fruit. This is all in line with the personality of the vintage, which was sunny and warm with golden sunlight throughout the summer season. This wine stands out for its fine-gained texture, which is smooth and polished. This Riserva offers aromas of cherry and blackberry and shows the depth that you should expect of a classic Riserva bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2015 Brunello Riserva is austere upon opening and requires air to fully express its potential this early. It is perfumed and translucent, with raspberry fruit, leather, black licorice, and rose petal. The palate is structured with drying tannins and mouthwatering acidity, noted by violets, dried herbs and crisp cherry fruit. The warmth of the 2015 vintage is present, though it remains refreshing, tension-driven, and persistent. The 2015 Riserva was aged in large Slavonian barrels for 52 months, and only 1300 bottles were produced. It is a wonderful and immensely pleasurable wine that will be a joy to revisit if the unlikely opportunity should ever arrive. 2021-2051Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has gained significantly in richness and volume since the last time I tasted it. Sage, black cherries and camphor give way to crushed stone, mineral tones and dusty rose. This soothes the palate with silky, delicate textures, as ripe mineral-tinged red berries and savory spices cascade across a core of brisk acidity. It’s a well-muscled dancer of a wine, tapering off incredibly long and graceful with hints of violet and rose over a coating of fine tannin. The 2015 currently shows the textbook ethereal weightlessness of a classic young Poggio di Sotto Brunello, but it will require some time to reveal all of its charms. That said, a slight score upgrade is in order here.Vinous Media | 96 VMThere’s a leafy underbrush element to this red, punctuating the cherry, strawberry and earth flavors. Compact for now, yet balanced, with a taut, reserved finish. Offers tension and suppleness, with plenty in reserve. Best from 2024 through 2047. 500 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSExtremely perfumed with black-cherry, plum and red-cherry aromas that follow through to a full body with very fine, pretty tannins that follow through to a flavorful finish. Pretty balance and refinement. All about finesse. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JS(Poggio di Sotto, Riserva, Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Poggio di Sotto’s Riserva is a cask selection that typically corresponds with the estate’s oldest vines from its 20 hectares on the outskirts of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Truly a bit muddled and wild at first, Poggio di Sotto’s Riserva eventually comes into handsome focus with fragrant pepper, strawberry and tea. The palate takes on forest berry nuances along with an appealing twist of bitter roots and citrus peel, which make it all the more appetising. The tannins are graceful and accessible but I would still give this a couple of years to sort itself out. (Drink between 2023-2033)Decanter | 93 DECDelicate aromas recalling new leather, camphor, wild berry and dark spice slowly take shape in the glass. Racy and ethereal, the light-bodied palate features tart sour cherry, pomegranate and tobacco supported by taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2022–2027.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Love the aromas to this young red with blackcurrants, sage, cinnamon and five-spice character. Changes all the time. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with a ripe and rich tannin backbone that gives form and beauty to the ripe and beautiful fruit. Tight and very long. Approachable now but will reward more in five to six years. A classic Sassicaia.James Suckling | 98 JSHaving followed this wine’s evolution in barrel for the past few years, it is an honor to evaluate the final product. This Sassicaia has blossomed since my previous encounters with it as a young, awkward adolescent. The long-awaited 2015 Bolgheri Sassicaia represents a tremendous effort that comes together with seamless precision and focus. This is a confident and proud red wine from Tuscany. Starting with the primary material at hand, you sense the quality of fruit thanks to the wine’s beautifully dark appearance and the rich texture it offers to the palate. The acidity is integrated, but more freshness still would have been welcomed in my view (and would also contribute to its longevity). The bouquet is amplified both in terms of volume and length. Its playlist includes dark berry fruit, spice, leather, licorice and roasted coffee bean. Yet, the mouthfeel is extremely graceful and silky. The wine’s undisputed pedigree is showcased on the palate. It should also be noted that this edition of Sassicaia feels more ready and open to me. It will age and evolve beautifully, but the 2015 Sassicaia can also be enjoyed in the medium-term. This wine is all about the here and now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPRich and concentrated, this red features black currant, blackberry, violet, mineral and spice flavors. Dense yet lively, structured yet impeccably balanced, with vibrant acidity driving the long, fruit-filled aftertaste. The oak is beautifully integrated. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2042. 17,200 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe warm 2015 vintage in Tuscany helped to tame the naturally tart character of Sangiovese. However, located just 5km from the coast, the cooling influence of the sea breezes has produced an outstanding phenolic ripeness in the vineyards of Bolgheri. Sassicaia in 2015 shows a mix of dark and red fruits, with some restrained kiwi and cedar wood length underpinned by a lively, fruity acidity and tannins that are dense but not tough. An exceptional Sassicaia to cellar for decades. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 97 DECThis iconic wine’s blackberry, cedar and vanilla aromas fill the glass. The elegant, structured palate delivers juicy black currant, black cherry, exotic spice, crushed herb and menthol flavors alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. It boasts a fantastic combination of delicious, ripe fruits, balanced by remarkable freshness and agility for the hot vintage. Drink 2022–2035.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe warm and dry 2015 growing season produced some bold and beautiful wines from Bolgheri, and Sassicaia leads the pack. Fine-boned and silky, it radiates elegance and balance. Flavors of black cherry and raspberry are saturating yet seemingly weightless, warmed by lingering notes of licorice and subtle spice. The fruit has a very slight tartness that adds lift and suggests the grapes were picked at the perfect moment. The flavors continue to gain momentum and energy over several days, indicating the long life that lies ahead of this wine.Wine & Spirits | 97 W&SThe 2015 Sassicaia is incredibly elegant, perfumed and light on its feet. It has become even more wonderfully refined since I last tasted it. Sweet floral and spiced notes lead into a core of sweet red and purplish berry fruit. When it was younger, the 2015 was quite potent. Today, my impression is that, while the 2015 has gained some finesse, it is also starting to shut down in bottle. Wine is always a journey; the 2015 Sassicaia is a great example of that.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AG

Made with old vines that average 55 years-old, this fragrant, single vineyard Brunello boasts aromas of violet, menthol, wild berry and culinary spice. Loaded with class, finesse and structure, the delicious, full-bodied palate features ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, blood orange, licorice and a hint of coffee alongside polished, velvety tannins. A salty mineral note lingers on the finish. It’s well balanced, with bright acidity. Event though it’s already enjoyable thanks to the refined tannins, it will also age for decades. Drink 2024 –2046. Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOMade with vines that average 55 years old, this fragrant, single-vineyard Brunello boasts aromas of violet, menthol, wild berry and spice. Loaded with class and finesse, the delicious, full-bodied palate features Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, blood orange, licorice and a hint of coffee alongside polished, velvety tannins. A salty mineral note lingers on the finish. Drink 2024–2046.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WESmokey and intense, with crushed ashen stones, savory herbs, ground ginger and dried black cherries forming its dramatic bouquet, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo blossoms in the glass. This is velvety and texturally deep, with brisk acidity motivating its tart wild berry fruits as orange traces add lovely contrast. Its minerality comes through in the finish, long and intense, with hints of cacao and tangerine resonating over a coating of fine-grained tannins. The 2016 is shedding its baby fat and slowly coming into its own.Vinous Media | 97 VMDried cherries, oyster mushrooms, black olives and citrus oil. It’s full-bodied with sleek, ultra fine tannins and a lifted finish. Layers of sour-cherry, bark and umami notes. Burgundian sensibility with purity and intensity. Wait a few years for this to open up. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSThis special single-vineyard wine comes from a 3.5-hectare site with vines 50- or 60-something years old. The Argiano 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo (with only 5,000 bottles produced) opens to warm earthy notes that evoke the name of the wine: "vineyard of the soil." The fruit comes through in a second wave with dried raspberry, cassis and dried cherry. But that theme of earthiness permeates the entire experience and is evoked in the powdery dryness of the tannins too. These traits are characteristic of cement fermentation, which this wine does complete, but also of the calcareous marl soils of the site. This is an elegant wine that most certainly needs extra bottle time to gain in depth and volume. A special collaboration with tonnellerie Taransaud was started to create the custom 10-hectoliter oval casks used to age this 5,000-bottle production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2016 Vigna del Suolo Brunello opens with luxurious and complex aromas of incense, pure black cherry fruit, fresh Mediterranean herbs, and sweet tobacco. The palate is inviting, with velvety tannins, fresh black plum, tea leaf, and baked earth. Vigna del Suolo is sourced from 55-year-old vines at an altitude of 280-310 meters above sea level and aged for 30 months in specially selected barrels. This polished but pure expression of Sangiovese is inviting and approachable. Drink or cellar for the next 15 or more years. Drink 2022-2036.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAromas of wild rosemary and pine lead off in this racy red, which is permeated by flavors of cherry, raspberry and mineral. Vibrant and balanced, with the resonant tannins leaving a chalky feel on the finish. Shows fine intensity and length. Best from 2024 through 2047. 415 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSArgiano’s oldest site, Vigna del Suolo boasts 65-year-old vines of very rare Sangiovese clones. Recent soil mapping with Chilean specialist Pedro Parra has also revealed significant limestone underpinnings in the vineyard. The 2016 sports a smoky, earthy, dusty nose punctuated by dried fennel. Ripe, chalky tannins are currently front and centre, needing time to cede, while sun-soaked berries underneath speak unabashedly of its southern origins. There is much lurking in this textured, packed Brunello, including orange, mint and a twist of salty sea air.Decanter | 95 DEC

Here too there is just enough wood in evidence to mention on the gorgeously spiced and intricately layered aromas of essence of red currant, floral, plum, earth and a whisper of the sauvage. Once again the mouthfeel of the notably more imposingly-scaled flavors is sleek with excellent minerality that really comes up on the super-saline finish that goes on and on. But what I really admire about the ’16 Bèze is the texture because it’s at once muscular yet highly seductive and refined. This is a very, very powerful wine that is seriously impressive in every respect. In a word, brilliant.Burghound | 98 BHThe 2016 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is showing brilliantly from bottle, unwinding with aeration to reveal a deep and brooding bouquet of plums, cassis and cherries mingled with notions of grilled meats, ceps, peonies and iodine. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, textural and enveloping, with a muscular chassis of ripe tannin that’s cloaked in a core of vibrant and concentrated fruit, concluding with a long and thrillingly carnal finish. It will be fascinating to compare this with the qualitatively similar but stylistically very different 2015 vintage when both wines have 20 years on the clock.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis is lush and harmonious, featuring kirsch, macerated cherry, blackberry, violet and spice flavors. A fruity style, with lively acidity and a heady finish. Impressive, yet approachable at this stage, with a solid grip of tannins emerging at the end. Best from 2021 through 2038. 67 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2016 Clos de Bèze is another brilliant wine in the Rousseau cellars this year, and without any frost damage, the wine is able to deliver just a touch more precision and mineral drive than the Chambertin and deserves the moniker of best in cellar this year. The stunning bouquet soars from the glass in a vibrant blend of red plums, cherries, a touch of blood orange, stunningly complex minerality, woodsmoke, gamebird, beautiful spice tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and ripely tannic, with a stunning core, magical transparency and a very long, ripely tannic and tangy finish. (Drink between 2028 - 2075)John Gilman | 97+ JGThe 2016 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru is a little subdued on the nose with delineated red cherry, crushed strawberry and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, fresh and mineral-driven, almost Ruchottes-like in style with just a small attenuation towards the finish. Very fine, if not quite delivering the substance you might have expected. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe Clos de Bèze was very expressive when I tasted it, bursting with almost erotically sweet aromas of black cherry, liquorice, grilled meat, nori, dried cep and musk. On the palate the wine is very full-bodied, with a sweet core of fruit, an ample and deceptively firm chassis of tannins, and a long, intense and energetic finish. This is a very powerful wine which is hard to resist. In contrast, the Chambertin is the more poised and refined wine, unerringly precise in the face of the Clos de Bèze’s voluptuousness.Decanter | 95 DECServed after the Chambertin this year. A full crop unaffected by the frost. Full bright purple, less crimson than Chambertin. The nose has a toasty reduction. There is the expected intensity of fruit of but it is in a slightly undigested form at the moment, and the acidity is a little more prominent. This may show better a little further down the road. Tasted: October 2017.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JM

Aromas of rose, red berry and eucalyptus mingle with whiffs of exotic spice on the gorgeous, fragrant red. Loaded with finesse and tension, the elegant, structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, white pepper and star anise set against fresh acidity and taut, lithe tannins. It's already compelling, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is all about finesse with power. Such great length here with ever so refined tannins and precise strawberry, cedar, dried-rose and mineral character. Medium body. Fresh and vivid finish. Hard not to drink now, but wait until at least 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSI tasted this wine over two sittings, one at the winery and one at my home office a few weeks later. Although I can't claim any extraordinary differences between the two sessions, I noticed a few minimal shifts that are essential to understanding the wine's future aging ability. The 2016 Barbaresco starts off slow at first, showing a small margin of aromatic evolution in the glass. But come back two hours later, and you can almost hear the soft sounds of the symphony playing just below the surface. The 2016 vintage is characterized by the solid intensity and firmness of its aromas, which transcend fruit and veer toward balsamic herb, licorice, tar and smoke instead. The tannins offer a moment of sweetness and softness, before you are aware of their undeniable firmness. In all, there is a certain glossiness or satiny quality to the mouthfeel that underlines the wine's carefully crafted integration. I would describe this as a classic and also a somewhat austere Barbaresco that fully deserves extra cellar time to stretch those tight muscles and grow in volume. This wine will award those who wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe Gaja family calls 2016 one of the best vintages they have ever experienced, with a long, slow ripening period without heat stress or disease pressure. That balance comes through in this suave, elegant Barbaresco. It smells of soft rose petals and tastes of juicy cherries and spiced raspberries, the flavors gliding along smooth, ripe tannins. With air, the wine picks up energy and depth, moving into a long, vibrant finish.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SThis gorgeous red evokes rose, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, tar and wild thyme notes. Pure, sleek and intense, with a firm base of tannins and vibrant acidity for support. This should evolve beautifully. Be patient. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2016 Barbaresco showed beautifully, with a classical yet seductive and sweetly fruited style that's going to evolve gracefully. Medium ruby-hued, with a core of sweet red fruits balanced by classic dried flowers, licorice, asphalt, and medicinal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness that carries impress sweet fruit as well as building tannins. Barbaresco doesn't get more classic, and while it has a sunny, sweetly fruited style, it also has ample underlying tannins and structure, so give bottles 4-5 years. It should deliver the goods for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe nose is poised, displaying very ripe raspberry and black berry aromas. The attack has intensity, partly thanks to its pungent acidity, but there's no rawness and the tannins are ripe. This is taut and structured and needs time. While concentrated, it's not excessively so, and the wine retains its delicacy through the very long finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

Deep, glistening violet color. Highly perfumed aromas of fresh black/blue fruits, exotic spices, peony, vanilla and incense are complemented by a smoky mineral nuance. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, displaying alluringly sweet, mineral-tinged blueberry, cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors along with hints of licorice and cola. The floral and spice notes repeat emphatically on an extremely long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a resonating mineral flourish.Vinous Media | 98 VMProbably one of my favorite wines in the world is the La Mouline Côte Rôtie from the Guigal family. Coming from old vines and a warmer, steep, terraced parcel not far from the estate, it also includes a big chunk of Viognier and spent 4 years in new French oak. The 2016 Côte Rôtie La Mouline shows the more classic, elegant style of the vintage perfectly, offering a kaleidoscope feel in its classic jammy black raspberry fruits and notes of spice box, acacia flowers, bacon fat, and smoked game-like aromas and flavors. Possessing incredible elegance, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a layered, multi-dimensional texture, this heavenly Syrah can be enjoyed any time over the coming 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDLike the La Turque, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Mouline is about as approachable a young La La as you’re likely to find. Floral notes include hints of violet and hibiscus set against a backdrop of blackberries and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, it’s richly concentrated and textured, leaving behind a velvety, tannic feel on the long finish, accompanied by hints of cedary spice, mocha and salted licorice. It’s another beauty that should drink well for at least two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(E Guigal, La Mouline, Syrah / Shiraz, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, Red) Here the blackberry fruit is more to the fore compared to La Mouline 2017, the higher-toned aromatics and cedar notes are more in the background. This has a fluid, harmonious, light-touch - very well balanced. Perhaps not as concentrated as the 2017, but I love its easy balance. Particularly elegant and approachable with a little dark chocolate note to the cedar and floral display. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 97 DECSuave in feel, this lovely, beguiling wine offers perfumed black tea and incense notes swirling around a core of steeped cherry and plum fruit, all inlaid with notes of anise and juniper. The finish knits everything together nicely, with a mouthwatering mineral hint echoing. Best from 2022 through 2038. 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2016 Champagne Cristal is transparent and complex, with lovely aromas of fresh flowers. Medium-bodied and chiseled, with great texture, well-defined saltiness, and delicate notes of shortbread, it’s a shimmering and electric wine with fantastic detail. It has a concentrated, chalky profile and is flush with crushed stones. It will demand some patience, but this is a fantastic wine in this vintage for Cristal. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThis has wonderfully pure fruit aromas, such as peaches, Asian pears and golden apples, alongside lemon curd, gingerbread, chalk and jasmine. Rock salt and oyster shells follow on the palate, which is so seamless that you scarcely notice the super-fine bubbles. It’s concentrated yet gentle at the same time, with impressive resolution and integration of all components. Salty and creamy at the very-long finish. Fantastic! 58% pinot noir and 42% chardonnay. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThis iconic Champagne, first made in the 19th century for the Tsar of Russia, shows its typical stunning balance and poise between richness and concentration. It has a pure white fruit and honeysuckle aroma and tight, tangy fresh fruit flavors. Just ready to drink, the wine will age well, for at least 20 years. Organic.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WECristal 2016 represents a return to purity and classicism for this cuvée, even seen through the lens of 2016’s ripe, generous nature. It is discreet in youth, cloaking its ripeness in long, chalky, stony energy. Gentle mandarin, pale apricot and raspberry fruit sit under slowly maturing notions of floral honey and tight, smoky charm. An airy, flowing delicacy and persistence lifts this above some other expressions of this year. It’s a hugely promising Cristal, likely to stand as tall as the sought-after 2012 and 2013 releases.Decanter | 97 DECThe finest rendition since 2013, the 2016 Cristal has turned out beautifully. A vintage that Lecaillon describes as “difficult in the vineyards but beautiful in the cellar,” it had suffered slightly in reputation due to the gloomy mood during the challenging growing season, but the results are indeed impressive. The fifth edition produced entirely from organically farmed and certified fruit, and heavily based on Pinot Noir, the 2016 represents the contemporary quality of Cristal, combining the concentration of 2002 with the precision and cut of 2013. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it opens in the glass to reveal a bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and peeled almond, framed by youthful reduction. On the palate, it is bright and electric, with a pure core of fruit, pinpoint mousse and a textural attack, concluding with a long, saline finish. Drink it alongside the 2015, and it will illuminate its clarity and integration.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2016 Cristal is bright, aromatic and nicely lifted. Citrus peel white flowers, mint and a touch of chamomile all grace this understated, wonderfully refined edition of Cristal. Light on its feet and super-refined, the 2016 is exquisite in its understated beauty. I can’t wait to see how the 2016 ages and won’t be surprised it gains a bit of weight in bottle, as Cristal so often does. The blend is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, so a touch more Chardonnay than the norm. Of the 45 parcels that make up the Cristal domaine, just 32 were used for the blend. Verzy and Verzenay dominate the Pinots, then Aÿ. Avize takes the lead in the Chardonnays, followed by Mesnil and Cramant. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis leads with pronounced minerality on the nose, but then a bright burst of tangerine, blood orange and Meyer lemon flavors on the palate hold sway, joined by rich hints of crème de cassis, toast point, pastry cream and crystallized honey. Showing beautiful integration and a refined, lacy mousse, this is compact and statuesque, with a sense of restraint and the hint of more to come, while at the same time offering lovely expression in the glass today. Fresh and focused on the persistent finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2044. 8,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPIt’s very friendly and warm on the nose showing flowers, such as roses, and red fruit. But then on the palate, it lets you know how serious it is. Full-bodied, yet reserved, extremely tight and well-formed with super polished tannins that go on for minutes. A solid and typical Margaux with all the personality and beauty in strength. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSWith a rare 94% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, this wine is packed both with black-currant flavors and impressive tannins and acidity. It moves Château Margaux into a new dimension with its dense, dry core of tannins that will power the wine into a seriously long-term future. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2016 Château Margaux has an intense bouquet of blackberry, briar, crushed stone and subtle cedar aromas that enrapture the senses; hints of pencil box and sous-bois emerge with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and a touch of bitterness lends tension on the finish. Impressive – very impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMRefined and typically elegant, 2016 Margaux adds great depth, structure and concentration to the mix. This is a wine to drink in 30-40 years! Only 28% of the production made it into the grand vin and in 2016 much of the Merlot was left out of the final bland. The result is an intense, mineral, black fruit-driven wine with pronounced floral and leafy hints, smooth, ripe tannins and layers of subtle oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2060Decanter | 98 DECBeautifully rendered, with a lush and seamless flow of cassis, steeped cherry, warmed raspberry and gently mulled blackberry fruit flavors gliding through. Light lilac, savory, mesquite and mineral accents underline the finish, adding additional texture and length. Deep and long, with sublime definition and gorgeous fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040. 10,833 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 97 WSThe grand vin 2016 Château Margaux is a beauty and tastes like the essence of Margaux. Thrilling notes of blueberries, cassis, crushed violets, flowery incense, and spice notes all give way to a full-bodied 2016 that strikes an incredible balance between richness and elegance. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in new barrels, it’s more focused and elegant than the 2015, yet I suspect it’s just as concentrated, and readers are going have a blast comparing these two magical vintages over the coming 4-5 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JD

Moving to the grand vin, the 2016 Proprietary Red is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Tasting like a mix of the 2013 and 2014 with its incredible elegance and power, it reveals a deep purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of crème de cassis, crushed violets, lead pencil, and unsmoked tobacco. Ethereally textured, seamless, and full-bodied, it builds incrementally on the palate and is a monster of a wine that somehow stays light, graceful and elegant. It should hit maturity after a decade of cellaring and be a 40- to 50-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Sloan is dazzling. Soft and unctuous with no hard edges, the 2016 Sloan is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Sweet red plum, blood orange, spice, menthol and licorice are all melded together in a gorgeous, racy Cabernet Sauvignon that hits all the right notes. Unlike most top 2016s, Sloan can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring, although its true potential will only be unlocked with at least a few years in bottle. Spice, star anise, pomegranate and sweet red cherry overtones add an exotic flair.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is a barrel sample blended of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, to be bottled the first week of February 2019. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Proprietary Red opens with fragrant notions of candied violets, chocolate box and baking spices with a core of blackcurrant cordial, preserved plums and blackberry compote with touches of garrigue and menthol. Full-bodied, rich and packed with black fruits sparked by tons of cinnamon and cloves accents, it has a firm, velvety-textured frame and great freshness, finishing with epic persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-100 RPEnormously deep nose with an entire spectrum of black and blue fruit, plus notes of second-flush Darjeeling and mint. Widescreen Napa cabernet with a pronounced licorice note that’s not in the nose. Beautifully integrated, powdery tannins that almost perfectly support the lavish body. Long, plush and graceful finish. You could drink it on release, but this has great aging potential.James Suckling | 97-98 JS

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate (20 months in 80% new barrels) is seamless and elegant, with perfect balance and overall harmony. Classic notes of crème de cassis, green tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil all flow to an utterly seamless, silky 2016 that does everything right. It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s one of the purest, most seamless, and complete wines in this report. Given its balance and purity, it’s already hard to resist, yet it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to keep for 30-40 years. It’s a monumental wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe deep purple-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate opens with provocative notions of crème de cassis, baked blueberries and black cherry compote with suggestions of star anise, tilled soil, tobacco leaf and espresso plus a waft of lavender. Full-bodied and packed with black and blue fruits plus loads of earthy accents, it has a very firm, grainy frame and lively, long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate is voluptuous and racy in the glass, with an extra kick of flamboyant attitude that distinguishes it from the Aida. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, chocolate, cedar and menthol crescendo into a huge finish. All of the personality of this St. Helena site comes through in a dramatic, opulent Cabernet that will be impossible to resist young.Vinous Media | 95 VMBriary plum and mulberry aromas here with hints of tar, leading to a wealth of smooth, succulent and plush tannins that carry a bold, sweet plum finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JS