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The nose on this seems more concentrated than the 2000, and the purity of fruit is stunning, with blueberries, raspberries, fresh flowers, and hints of licorice. This is perfect and complete. Full bodied, with notes of forest berries and wild raspberries, this is thick and velvety with perfectly polished tannins. You can really feel the density on this, more than the tannic structure. This is a sleeping beauty that will be utterly captivating when it awakes. Don’t touch this until after 2015.James Suckling | 100 JSIn two recent tastings the 2005 Château Margaux has been nothing less than magnificent. A wine of stunning perfume and inner sweetness, the 2005 gradually opens to reveal layers of red-toned fruit intermingled with floral accents. It’s as if all the classic Margaux signatures have been amped up in a huge way. Dehydration on the vine concentrated the fruit, but also the impression of tannin and acid, such that the 2005 retains huge fruit density along with plenty of brightness as well. Vibrant and beautifully layered, the 2005 Grand Vin is off the charts and easily one of the wines of the vintage. Readers who own it or can find it are in for a real treat. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale. This is a stunner that can be approached already, but promises to be better in another 5-10 years and last at least 25 or more years.Robert Parker | 98+ RP(Château Margaux, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, Red) This extraordinary wine announces its brilliance at first glance, with a bright curranty fruit aromas that expand quietly at first until one realizes the depth of concentration and flavour it possesses, with exotic spices, smoke, leather, and earth. The blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged in new casks, produces a silky texture, perfect balance, and enough substance to give fantastic length without any heaviness. This wine was a unanimous favourite in the flight. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 98 DECFor a Château Margaux, this is an especially rich wine. The dense fruit, superripe but not overpowering, and the blackberry jam flavors show the richness of the year. There is wood alongside the juiciness and sweet tannins. Of course, it will age, but it’s so delicious to drink now.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEStill very tight, but there are whispers of alder, bay leaf, tobacco and singed sandalwood aromas here. They give way to a beautifully silky and refined, but extremely concentrated, core of cassis and blackberry fruit that has gained a lightly mulled hint. The long finish shows echoes of dark earth and iron that bring you back for more. A beauty, with a long way to go.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2025 through 2045. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAn extravagantly ripe vintage of Margaux, this has the first-growth scent of a wine at home in its new oak. The texture is succulent and generous, the aromas bright with floral tones and sweet fruit, a taste of fresh strawberries and blackberries macerated in liqueur. This is a beautiful wine, and it may reveal more of its structural power with time. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 94 W&S

Much better and more complete wood integration allows the beautifully spicy and warm-earth nuanced black fruit nose to complement perfectly the rich, full and well-muscled flavors that border on the robust on the concentrated, intense and palate drenching flavors. This is not a wine of great finesse but there is good balance and excellent length here.Burghound | 90-92 BH

The 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it’s still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it’s one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn’t own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP Here we are fully crossing the threshold into younger, more primary aromatics, but they are also well integrated, beautifully softened and gorgeous. This is sappy with a chalky minerality and fully pliable tannins. It’s powerful, with a smile-inducing purity of fruit expression and excellent persistency of exotic coffee notes. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window: 2017 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Montrose is spectacular. Bright, perfumed and vertically explosive, the 2005 possesses remarkable energy right out of the gate. In 2005, Montrose doesn’t quite have the heft that it can, but that actually works to its advantage. Readers will find a wine that marries elegance with power so well. Gravel, dried herb, lavender and mocha lend striking complexity to the dark fruit in this gorgeous, regal Montrose. If anything, the 2005 still needs more time in bottle!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is still a bit dark and brooding, with a charcoal frame around well-steeped fig and black currant fruit. The long finish lets a deep river of smoldering tobacco and warm stone notes course through. Austere and seemingly taciturn, yet thoroughly beautiful. May not be your style, but this is undeniable.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2022 through 2042. 25,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2005 Montrose continues to drink beautifully, with a complex yet powerful bouquet of blackcurrants, black raspberries, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and spice. This beauty has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, a supple style, sweet tannins, and is a charming, layered and ready to go Montrose that has loads to love. It continues to be surprisingly accessible and is a beauty to drink over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is so big it is blinding, a storm of mineral tannin and plum-skin extract. The volume is turned up high, and even as the tannic noise factor begins to diminish with days of air, the wine is still closed tight. The comportment of its power shows this to be a wine from a great terroir; the property, in fact, has some parallels to Latour, with its similarly shaped gravel promontory above the Gironde. Montrose consistently grows one of the staunchest, long-lived wines of the Médoc and though accommodations have been made in recent years to soften it, the tannic index in February 2006 read at 82, a force to reckon with over the decades to come. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 93 W&S

This is pure pleasure, with tiny pulses of electricity, brushed leather, sulphur, loam, truffle, blackberry, black cherry, with touches of silky tannins, smoked caramel and black chocolate. A wine that makes you smile, so much depth and power, barely out of its primary phase, but we are starting now to get the whole picture of what it will become. There is a lush edge to the tannins now that was not the case even two years ago. Such a different expression from the 2009 and 2010 Mouton, with this a little more old school in its charms, and for me you can now project yourself foraward, more like the 1986, a little dry and strict at first, but finessed and gorgeous, delivering grip, punch and magic. Eric Tourbier and Philippe Dhalluin on the technical team. 63% first wine, extremely low for the time (lowest since 1975, whereas today they are regularly below 50%). If you are going to open this anytime soon, think of it as a bottle to enjoy very slowly over four or five hours seeing the nuances develop. 100% new oak.Jane Anson | 100 JAThe 2005 Mouton-Rothschild has developed magnificently, and is even better than I remember. The final blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Stunning notes of crème de cassis, melted asphalt, roasted espresso and cedarwood are present in this young, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Mouton. Just beginning to enter its adolescence, it should hit full maturity in 10-15 years and last for 50 or more. The greatness of this vintage is increasingly apparent as the wines throw off their cloaks of tannin.Robert Parker | 99+ RPOne of the real highlights on the Left Bank, the 2005 Mouton Rothschild is a dark, potent Pauillac. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and leather all take shape in the glass. The 2005 is a dense, powerful and explosive wine endowed with tremendous energy and pure power. The fruit is just starting to emerge, but Mouton remains a very tight, super-classic wine. With time in the glass, some of the natural richness and radiance of the year starts to emerge. Even so, the 2005 is still very young and closed. A few more years in bottle will only be beneficial. Impressive. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGGorgeous, with singed alder and juniper notes starting to strut their stuff, while the immense core of steeped red currant, blackberry and plum fruit continues to wait in reserve. A light sanguine thread weaves in on the back end, which is driven by a serious bolt of iron. Shows terrific grip, length and cut. A brick-house Pauillac built for the long haul.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2050.Wine Spectator | 98 WS(Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Mouton was voluptuous and immediately appealing, with spicy ripe cassis and plum fruit that poured from the glass, surrounded by liquorice, coconut, and toasted cedar. The texture was not abrasive but very full-bodied and round. The tannins initially appeared fine-grained and silky, but with a bit of time, one realised the immense structure of this wine. Impressively concentrated and very long on the finish, this is still youthful and should age for decades to come. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% Merlot, with a touch of Cabernet Franc. The picking for the grand vin started on 21 September for the Merlot and finished with the Cabernets on 3 October. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 98 DECThis accelerates on the palate with incredibly ripe tannins and finesse. Full body, roasted fruit, leather and grilled meat. Dried flowers, too. It shows superb tannin backbone and polish. Tight and youthful. Just starting to open. Currant and berry undertones with lead pencil are impressive. Better in 2018 but so delicious now.James Suckling | 98 JSIf 2005 was a rich year, Mouton reaches the heights of richness. Almost too rich, too New World, but you have to be impressed by the aromatic intensity of the black fruits, the dense, firm tannins, and the superripe black juice and licorice flavors. The wood is still too overpowering and needs time to settle in.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Another absolute legend in the vintage is the 2005 Château Pape Clément, which is just now starting to hit prime time. Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep, powerful, incredibly seductive style to go with beautiful darker fruits, scorched earth, smoke, and chocolatey nuances. With velvety tannins, a flawless, full-bodied, seamless mouthfeel, blockbuster length, it should blow you away any time over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDOwned by Bernard Magrez, this great terroir a few miles from Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion has produced one of the superstars of the vintage. A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, Pape Clement’s 2005 has an opaque purple color and smoky barbecue and chocolaty notes intermixed with cassis and blackberries. There is also some underlying minerality in this full-bodied, super-concentrated wine, which has wonderfully sweet, well-integrated tannins. This majestic, multidimensional wines is one of the great, great wines of the vintage. It should drink well for at least another 25 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2005 Pape Clément is a blockbuster. Rich, heady and explosive, the 2005 packs a serious punch. Inky black fruit, new leather, spice, menthol, chocolate, gravel and scorched earth are all kicked up in this decidedly flamboyant Pessac-Léognan. The 2005 boasts tremendous depth, but equally lavish new oak. Even with all of the oak, the 2005 is fabulous. It just could have been more, a lot more. Ultimately, the 2005 is a wine of its era more than anything else.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark in color, offering wonderful aromas of licorice, berry, fresh tobacco and currant, with Indian spices. Complex and full-bodied, with supersilky tannins that caress every inch of the palate. Long and satisfying. A joy to taste this young wine. Best after 2015. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIn addition to the gravel soils, what distinguishes this historic Péssac property is an alluvial deposit from the Gironde, which left a layer of sand in some portions of the vineyard, a layer of clay in others. It was holy ground of the church in the 13th century; this latest vintage seems to reverberate with numinous warmth. It feels plump with fat currant flavor when first opened, developing more muscular structure over the course of several days. The tannins have a pebbly articulation, a terroir character that extends the flavor of the wine and seems to guarantee its greatness over the coming decades.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThis wine has great spice, nutmeg and black fig flavors. It is full of deep, brooding tannins, and packed with intense acidity. It’s fresh but has good concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This blockbuster 2005 is dense ruby/purple, with sweet black cherries, cassis, earth and white chocolate in both aromas and flavors. A strong, mineral-dominated, powerful wine (90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc), it is extremely backward, super-concentrated, and tasting more like blood of Merlot than any other Pomerol. Dense purple, super-rich, and stunning, this wine has at least a 20- to 30-year upside to it. An absolutely spectacular effort from this great terroir, it can be drunk now, but patience will be rewarded. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThis is from the first great vintage of the new era. By this point in time there were smaller tanks that allowed more accuracy between the vineyard and cellar, and more precision in harvesting with small baskets and fine-tuning of sorting (separating out parts of plots that they weren’t happy with, hence the arrival of L’Espérance a few years later). The 2005 is just right on the cusp between tight young fruit and a more complex array of ageing characteristics and it’s gorgeous. It has rich, sweet fruit, wonderful balance, clear liquorice alongside olive paste, chocolate and cassis puree, all still embraced by firm but flexible tannins. You’re going to want to get hold of this wine if you’re a fan of classic Pomerol seduction. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Trotanoy is still a very young wine. Even so, it has aged exquisitely, with all of the elements very nicely balanced. There is plenty of the tannic heft that is typical of this site, but the tannins are very well integrated into the wine’s fabric. Cedar, dried flowers, iron red berry fruit, mocha and dark reddish-leaning fruit all open with time in the glass. The stress of the warm, dry vintage is felt in the wine’s searing tannins. I would cellar the 2005 for at least a few years, and then give it a good decanting to help those tannins soften a bit. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGGorgeous, with fig bread, licorice root, ganache and loam notes, this sports a hefty profile, with dark, earthy components matched to a well of mulled black currant and blackberry fruit. Shows a strong spine through the finish, revealing a tug of graphite that won’t quit. Needs to wait.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 2,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis has a captivating nose of blueberries, spices, and fresh lilacs. On the palate this offers a full body, serious intensity, and great acidity and richness. This is a wonderful wine that shows great contrast and wildness.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Trotanoy) Ironically, as Trotanoy is one of my personal favorites in all of Bordeaux, I had never had the opportunity to cross paths with the 2005 Château Trotanoy prior to the Wine Workshop tasting. This is destined to be a great vintage of Trot, which I have little doubt will end up superior to the more muscular 2010 that seems to have caught the imagination of so many commentators. The combination of ripeness and outstanding acidity that is found in the very best 2005s is very rare, and these qualities are certainly on display in this very young and potentially profound Trotanoy. The very young bouquet offers up a primary blend of black plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, a touch of the gamebird to come, a lovely base of soil, incipient notes of nutskin and a lovely base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, young and rock solid at the core, with stunning focus and balance, ripe tannins, lovely, tangy acids and superb length and grip on the glorious finish. This will be a legendary Trotanoy, but it is going to take a long time to climb to cruising altitude. It should be almost timeless. (Drink between 2030-2100)John Gilman | 96 JGCertainly it is firm, with impressive power. But the smoothness of the ripe black fruits as they combine with the beautifully judged wood show a contrast of tension with the dense, chewy core. At its heart, this wine is dark and solid and concentrated, promising long aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2005 Valandraud is off the charts. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, the 2005 Valandraud possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Moreover, it has aged exquisitely. Inky red fruit, iron, smoke, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and blood orange infuse the 2005 with striking layers of nuance to play off all that unctuous fruit. This full-throttle Saint-Émilion is a prodigious effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGThis may be the most prodigious wine Jean-Luc Thunevin and his partner Murielle Andraud have made to date. Inky purple to the rim at age ten, this wine’s explosive aromatics include espresso, chocolate, plum, blackberry and cassis. The oak is well-hidden behind an extravagant, full-bodied, multi-layered palate. Stunningly pure, super-intense and just beginning to move into middle adolescence, the “Bad Boy” of Bordeaux has produced a legend in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.Robert Parker | 97 RPDark ruby in color, with intense aromas of blackberry, mineral and dried lavender. Full-bodied, very dense and layered, with powerful tannins. This is big and very rich. A bodybuilder. Needs time. Best after 2016. 1,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the likely candidates for promotion to Grand Cru Classé status, this is Jean-Luc Thunevin’s original estate. This year there is considerable restraint in what is normally an immensely opulent wine: it is elegant, rather than having a no-holds-barred attitude, that will make this wine a classic.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

While the 2004 is a finessed wine, the 2006 Barolo is all brute power and intensity. Raw and explosive, with tons of underlying structure, the 2006 simply dazzles from the very first taste. With time in the glass, a host of dark, balsamic-inflected notes start to blossom. Even so, the 2006 is a wine to bury in the deepest corner of the cellar and forget about for at least another 5-10 years, as it is very much still on the ascent. What a wine.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2006 Barolo is flat-out great. It possesses dazzling inner perfume, intense color, beautifully nuanced fruit and a classic, austere young-Barolo profile that will allow it to age gracefully for decades. The 2006 is shaping up to be a gem. Anticipated maturity: 2021-2036.Bartolo Mascarello was a true icon in Piedmont. Although Mascarello was famous for his wines, he was at least as well known for his outspoken views on everything from winemaking to politics. Mascarello’s best wines were legendary, but the quality of what was in the bottle didn’t always live up to all of the hype. Against this backdrop, it must have been very difficult for Maria-Theresa Mascarello to take over the family winery after her father passed away a few years ago. Not only has Maria-Theresa Mascarello suceeded in living up to her father’s legacy, she has taken the wines to a new level entirely. The Baroli in particular have been nothing less than stunning here over the last few years. The rebirth of Bartolo Mascarello (the winery) is one of the great, unheralded success stories in Piedmont over the last few years. I urge readers to do whatever they can to taste these great wines. Those who have an interest should make a point to visit the winery and taste from barrel. I also include notes on the 2005 and 2006 Baroli for readers who are curious to see how the wines are developing. The only wine that is disappointing this year is the 2008 Freisa Monrobiolo. The Freisa undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle and the summer of 2009 did not provide consistently warm enough temperatures for that to happen. The Mascarello Freisa is a staunchly traditional wine and often requires an especially forgiving palate, as is the case with the 2008.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPCantina Bartolo Mascarello, one of the feistiest and most historic estates in the Langhe, has crafted an amazing Barolo in 2006 that delivers both elegance and opulence. It’s a richly layered and complex wine with a natural fullness and generosity that really sits well on the palate. Cellar this wine 10 years or more.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA distinctive orange pekoe tea aroma settles into cherry, licorice and eucalyptus flavors as this rich red unfolds on the palate. It’s firm and closes down, but the sweet fruit lingers and this shows fine potential. Best from 2015 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Just as good as the de l’Orée, but in a very different style, the medium gold-hued 2006 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc has a complex, layered perfume of honeysuckle, orange blossom, celery seed, caramelized stone fruits, and acacia flowers. Just about pure perfection on the palate, it’s full-bodied, deep, and incredibly concentrated, with a stacked mid-palate, an unctuous, opulent texture, and a gorgeous finish. This is another magical Hermitage Blanc from the genius of Michel Chapoutier. Don’t miss it.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDFrom a warmer micro-climate, the 2006 Ermitage Le Meal blanc boasts extraordinarily intense fruit, glycerin, and tactile impression. Stones, cherries, red currants, quince, and honeyed citrus are all present in this colossal wine that is unctuously textured, very full-bodied, and super-ripe and long. It reveals less noticeable acidity than l’Oree or l’Ermite, and, like Les Granits, it is a wine that can be drunk early, but it should last for 25-30 years.While Michel Chapoutier produces some of the world’s greatest wines from single parcels of old vines spread throughout the northern and southern Rhone (see my ecstatic reviews of his 2007 and 2006 Chateauneuf du Papes in issue #179), he also has an impressive portfolio of value-priced wines that are often over-looked when this impressive producer is discussed. Following are some top-notch picks that all sell for exceptionally fair prices. Chapoutier has not achieved as great as success in Cornas as he has in the other northern Rhone appellations, although his Cornas wines get better with each vintage. There are four extraordinary single vineyard white wines, all of which are among the greatest dry white wines of the world. While all of them can be drunk young, they are meant for extended cellaring. Made from very small yields, they represent the essence of a varietal as well as a vineyard site. As the following notes demonstrate, 2006 was one of the greatest vintages for white wines at Chapoutier. The single vineyard selection parcellaire red wines range in production from 500 to nearly 1,000 cases. 2007 is a very good vintage for these selections, but 2006 has an edge. It is reminiscent of 1996 because of the wines’ freshness and acid levels, but Chapoutier’s 2006s are even more concentrated than his 1996s. Chapoutier’s four 2006 cuvees of single vineyard Hermitage are exquisite. Most of the yields were between 10 and 20 hectoliters per hectare, and the wines are extravagantly rich. The 2006 and 2007 luxury cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape Croix des Bois and Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac were reviewed in issue #179. They are all astounding wines, especially in 2007.Robert Parker | 99 RPPowerful—and slightly bass heavy for now—with apricot, peach and persimmon notes leading the way, followed by alluring piecrust, salted butter, yellow apple and mineral notes that stretch out the finish. Needs a little time to come together fully, but then should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2010 through 2025. 682 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSMedium gold. Deep, pungent aromas of honey, apricot pit and brown sugar, with a subtle lemon rind quality adding vivacity. Rich and fleshy, with nervy acidity lifting the ripe pit fruit and poached pear flavors. Finishes with a jolt of anise. This is very complex.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Cheval Blanc is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. It has the most floral bouquet of the four Serié A Grand Cru Classé: an explosion of crushed violets and potpourri, hints of leather and cigar box, the Cabernet Franc clearly lending this complexity and character. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels wonderfully structured and comes with an insistent grip that coats the mouth. This is backward and almost surly, but you have to stand back and admire the precision and arching structure on the mineral-rich finish. Top-dog Saint Emilion? That’s for sure. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 97 RP-NMDark chocolate and mocha flavors, very dark and intense, this is a big, concentrated wine, flavored with bitter cherries and structured. Certainly a great Cheval Blanc.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDisplays lots of milk chocolate, cedar, berry and cappuccino aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins, this is structured and layered for the vintage. Mouthpuckering. Needs time. This is one of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2015. 5,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA supple and heady vintage of Cheval, this gains power and amplitude over the course of several days. What sets it apart is the relaxed sophistication cabernet franc can yield from these 50-year-old vines. That adds vinosity to the Cheval’s tight build, while the beautiful richness of the wine is classic merlot. It’s the color of a black cherry, with the ripe flavor of that fruit darkened by the scent of figs, brightened by a floral note of violets. The tannins are supple, with a depth that will sustain the wine for decades.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SGood deep ruby-red. Captivating nose combines blackberry, menthol, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and a flinty, iron-like element. Densely packed and very fresh, with superb energy and definition to the complex flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice, menthol and minerals. A floral element contributes to the impression of vibrancy. This is more impressive than it was at any stage of its elevage, offering surprising chewy richness and sweetness for a brand-new Cheval. Finishes with broad, toothdusting tannins that mount slowly and saturate the palate. This wonderfully smooth wine gained in precision and floral perfume with 24 hours in the recorked bottle and should be at its best roughly between 2015 and 2035.Vinous Media | 94 VMA blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a classic wine from this under-the-radar vintage and offers a perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, earth, spice box, and tobacco. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, elegant texture, ripe tannin and impressive length, it’s approachable today yet will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSeptember rainfall hit St Emilion quite hard, and there was some dilution in the grapes, and careful selection and sorting were required. The 2006 Cheval Blanc has recently shown well but this bottle was not entirely satisfactory, though far from faulty. The nose is ripe and intense, with a grapy raspberry character and considerable poise and finesse. On the palate it’s still firm and tannic; it’s certainly concentrated, but quite grippy too and lacks the charm of the nose. A long chewy finish makes one wonder how the wine will evolve, but mature Cheval Blanc is unlikely to disappoint. Drinking Window 2019 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DEC

Lovely flavors of apricot, dried tangerine, pineapple and papaya rush along, supported by hazelnut, frangipane and coconut notes. Despite the depth, this is very, very pure, with filigreed acidity carrying the long, long finish. Drink now through 2037. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSMedium lemon-gold colored, the 2006 d’Yquem is a little reticent at this stage, slowly revealing notes of pineapple pastry, dried apple slices, orange preserves and spice cake plus nuances of crème brûlée, preserved ginger, nutmeg and baking bread. The palate offers mouth-coating tropical fruit and baking spice layers with a seductive oiliness to the texture and loads of citrus sparks, finishing with bold freshness and amazing length. Allow it just a couple more years in bottle to get over this slightly muted hump, then drink it for the next 25+ years. For number crunchers: 13.8% alcohol, 122 grams per liter residual sugar, and total acidity is 4.2 grams per liter H2SO4.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis is the rich wine of the vintage. With its intensen fruit, piles of spice, but excellent balance, this promises flavors of baked apples and intense dried fruits. The botrytis layer is discreet, a hint rather than overpowering.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2006 Yquem is initially tightly-wound on the nose before revealing enticing scents of mandarin, dried honey, quince and just a very slight adhesive scent. This is well-defined yet certainly demands more coaxing than its peers. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, a caressing viscous texture with desiccated orange peel and a touch of bitter lemon that counterbalances the richness. I noticed this 2006 becoming spicier with aeration. Excellent. Tasted at the Yquem dinner at Rick Stein’s restaurant in Barnes.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Jean-Nicolas Méo unequivocally makes my favorite example of Richebourg in all of Burgundy, as I love the synthesis of intensity and elegance that he routinely achieves in this wine. The 2006 is another magical bottle, as it offers up a stunning bouquet of red and black plums, blood orange, cocoa powder, a profound base of soil, violets and a fine framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and utterly refined, with a stunning core of fruit, flawless balance, great acids and very fine-grained tannins on the endless and celestial finish. Simply a great wine by any stretch of the imagination- all this needs is time. (Drink between 2018 - 2060)John Gilman | 96-97 JGA rich, concentrated red, intense with black currant, blackberry and spice aromas and flavors. The sweet palate is matched to lively acidity and refined tannins, and this kicks in on the aftertaste with violet, cassis and mineral accents. Best from 2013 through 2035. 4 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDeep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black raspberry and dark chocolate. Suave and wonderfully vibrant, but with less obvious easy sweetness than the Vosne premier crus. This boasts an impeccable balance of acidity, minerality and tannic spine, not to mention an impressively deep, sappy core of fruit. Very restrained now, but very long on the aftertaste, with a powerful impression of extract and slowly mounting tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMA ripe and densely fruited nose displays somber and cool aromas of game, smoke, spice, violets, underbrush and sexy black berry fruit aromas. There is excellent verve to the powerful, serious and brooding middle weight flavors that culminate in a stunningly long, complex and balanced finish. Not surprisingly this is still exceptionally tight and not giving much today but it seems relatively clear already that this is built for the medium long haul. In sum, this is a classic Riche of sheer class.Burghound | 94 BHFine bright mid-red, not exaggerated. Gentle perfume at first, some dark cherry with brighter red notes, very youthful. A touch more oak emerges over time and while the wine is not too extracted, the tannins are currently a little obtrusive in the manner of 2006s at the moment. Give this 10 more years. Tasted Nov 2011.Jasper Morris | 94 JMDark cherry and black raspberry jam; dark chocolate; and burley tobacco fill the nose from Meo-Camuzet’s 2006 Richebourg, which then coats the palate with jam- and liqueur-like sweetness and viscosity of fruit, along with practically ineradicable chocolate, spice, tobacco, and toasted pecan. But for all of the sweet richness on display here, in contrast with most of the other wines in its collection, this displays hints of chocolate and fruit pit bitterness; crushed stone; roasted meat flavors; and primary, sappy fruit juiciness all of which not only add interest but offset the sweetness and keep the wine from becoming fatiguing or monolithic. There seems to be even more tannin here than in the corresponding Cros Parantoux, but it is well-integrated and fine-grained. I imagine myself directly tasting this wine’s high skin-to-juice ratio here. Meo thought that vis-a-vis the Cros Parantoux, his 2006 Richebourg was relatively inexpressive on the day I tasted it. If so, then obviously my score will have proven depressed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

The 2006 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a pure black cherry and cranberry scented nose, more floral than expected, hints of iodine and green olive emerging with time but always well defined. The palate is supple with a fine bead of acidity, quite linear and maybe lacking the depth of a 2005 or 2009 (for example). But there is commendable length and freshness, if not the complexity that would warrant a higher score. Tasted from an ex-domaine bottle at "42" restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe tender, ripe cherry fruit; marrowy, clean meatiness; and subtle creaminess of its immediate palate impact mark the Dujac 2006 Charmes-Chambertin as a contrast with the corresponding Combettes. Vanilla and licorice add allure. This lives up to its name until a point where some faintly drying tannin creeps into its finish. That said, it should prove memorably perfumed and delicious in the proper contexts over the next 4-5 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP(Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin) The 2006 Charmes was also very much in need of a racking at the time of my visit, and was pretty reduced. Underneath the wine offers up notes of red and black cherries, grilled meats, herbs, earth and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and long, with good acids and ripe tannins. This will certainly be very good, but it is impossible at this time to really get a sense of just how fine it will be. (Drink between 2016-2045)John Gilman | 91-94 JG(Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) This is shut down tight with thick reduction blocking any reasonable evaluation of the nose though the relatively big and weighty flavors are concentrated, serious and solidly structured. This seems quite promising as the underlying material is impressive but note that this will not be a precocious example of Charmes. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 90-93 BH

From Grivot’s oldest vines, his 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots completely outclasses its fellow Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges bottlings for depth of flavor, polish, and balance. Blackberry, game, peat, and a decadent lily-like floral perfume on the nose persist on a glyceral-rich and silkenly smooth, yet energetically interactive palate loaded with inner-mouth florality; dark mineral and carnal notes; and ripe berry fruit. This finishes with impressively tenacious yet somehow gentle grip. I certainly have the impression of inhabiting a gustatory space between Vosne and Nuits when I taste it. It should be worth following for the better part of a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood deep red. Reticent but complex nose hints at black cherry and smoke, with a violet florality emerging with aeration. Round, silky and suave in the mouth, with captivating lift to the dark fruit, floral and mineral flavors. This really stains the palate on the long, subtle finish. The wine’s fine-grained tannins coat the incisors, and a whiplash of minerality leaves the palate vibrating. Grivot notes that some of the vines here date back to 1929, and that the average age of vines is 75, or a bit older than those in the family’s Richebourg holding.Vinous Media | 92 VMHere the nose is very Vosne in character with seductively spicy red and black berry fruit aromas nuanced by hints of warm earth and an animale character that is picked up on the detailed yet muscular and wonderfully rich flavors supported by sophisticated and fine tannins on the youthfully austere finale. I really like the intensity here and this is a classic Boudots in that it’s serious but not taciturn.Burghound | 91 BHFresh and elegant, with bilberry, raspberry and currant notes permeating the dense texture. The tannins are well-integrated, and the aftertaste is bright and lively. Best from 2012 through 2020. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This is a fabulous edition of Clos du Mesnil. The pure chardonnay is magnificent with density and agility at the same time. Apple and mineral notes with cream and biscuit character. Citrus and hints of mirabelle. Chalky, yet stony at the same time. Layered, yet linear and really long. But remains subtle. The acidity is so precise and focuses the flavors and nature. Lasts for minutes. Even better than the 2004. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThis delicious, youthful wine opens with notes of ripe apple, hawthorn, and cream suffused with a bright minerality. The texture is hedonistically creamy and supple, yet there is backbone here as well and enough substance to last for decades. The Chardonnay for this superlative Blanc de Blancs was picked on 14-16 September before cask fermentation and ageing 12 years on the lees of the second fermentation. Disgorged with an extra-brut dosage in the summer of 2019.Decanter | 97 DEC(Krug “Clos du Mesnil” Blanc de Blancs Millésime (Reims)) In the summer of 2006, the Clos du Mesnil vineyard was picked between September 14th and 16th. The 2006 vintage of Clos du Mesnil was aged sur latte twelve years and was disgorged in the summer of 2019. The wine offers up a beautifully ripe and pure bouquet of pear, fresh apricot, hazelnut, chalky minerality, fresh-baked bread, delicate floral tones and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and still fairly youthful, with a rock solid core, lovely soil signature, zesty acids, utterly refined mousse and a very long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. The 2006 Clos du Mesnil is certainly approachable today, but there are more layers of complexity to unfold here and it will be an even better drink a decade down the road. This is stunning juice. (Drink between 2021 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGSlated for release later this year, Krug's 2006 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil unwinds in the glass with aromas of buttered citrus fruit, crisp green pear, warm pastry, freshly baked bread, apricot and licorice. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, the 2006's comparatively extroverted and gourmand bouquet is in contrast to its deep, chiseled and tightly wound palate, and it's here that the site really dominates the vintage signature. Long, sapid and penetrating, complemented by a pillowy pinpoint mousse, this is a brilliant Blanc de Blancs that has been well worth the wait. By the standards of young Clos du Mesnil, it's already quite approachable and can already be drunk with considerable satisfaction.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2006 Clos du Mesnil was harvested over three days, which is remarkable for a tiny parcel measuring 1.84 hectares divided into five blocks that are often picked over a wider timeframe. Soaring in the glass, the 2006 is stratospheric in its beauty. The richness of the year contrasts so beautifully with the flintiness and energy of Mesnil. With time in the glass the mousse softens, releasing layers of vinous intensity. Tangerine oil, pastry, lemon confit and marzipan all build effortlessly. The 2006 is sumptuous, racy and exotic to the core, with all of that richness supported by a phenolic, intense frame. This is Krug ID: 319030.Vinous Media | 97 VMA stunner, displaying all the lithe grace of a ballet dancer that belies the underlying powerful musculature. Sleek acidity creates a mouthwatering impression throughout, seamlessly knit with the fine, creamy texture. Expressive lime blossom and spice aromatics are layered with fruit flavors of poached apricot, dried cherry and a touch of passion fruit coulis. Long and minerally on the racy finish, echoing rich, savory notes of grilled nut and espresso. Disgorged summer 2019. Drink now through 2036. 1,381 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

A sensational effort, the 2006 Mouton Rothschild exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a classic Mouton perfume of creme de cassis, flowers, blueberries, and only a hint of oak. Dalhuin told me that in whisky barrel-tasting vintages such as 1989 and 1990, Mouton was aged in heavily-toasted barrels, and they have backed off to a much lighter toast for the barrels’ interior. I think this has worked fabulously well with the cassis quality fruit they get from their Cabernet Sauvignon. The full-bodied, powerful 2006 possesses extraordinary purity and clarity. A large-scaled, massive Mouton Rothschild that ranks as one of the top four or five wines of the vintage, it may turn out to be the longest-lived wine of the vintage by a landslide. The label will undoubtedly be controversial as a relative of Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud, has painted a rather comical Zebra staring aimlessly at what appears to be a palm tree in the middle of a stark courtyard. I suppose a psychiatrist could figure out the relationship between that artwork and wine, but I couldn’t see one. This utterly profound Mouton will need to sleep for 15+ years before it will reveal any secondary nuances, but it is a packed and stacked first-growth Pauillac of enormous potential. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+.Ever since owner Philippine de Rothschild put Philippe Dalhuin in charge at Mouton in 2004 there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of wine produced under the Mouton Rothschild label. The selection process has been ratcheted up to the level of other first-growths, and that is reflected in what is clearly the greatest Mouton produced since 1982 and 1986. As I indicated in my barrel tasting notes, only 44% of the crop made it into the 2006 grand vin, which is the lowest percentage in more than fifty years. The final blend includes a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) and the rest Merlot (13%). No Cabernet Franc was utilized in 2006, and purchasers will have a long wait until this wine reaches full maturity. Keep in mind that, where well-stored, the 1986 currently tastes like a 4-5 year old wine, and the 1982 is just beginning to enter early adolescence. If you extrapolate from that, the 2006 will need at least twenty years to reach a teen-age status, and probably will not hit its plateau of maturity for three decades.Robert Parker | 98+ RPAt the time it was shown as a barrel sample in early 2007, this was the best wine of 2006. That accolade remains. It has all the power of the Cabernet Sauvignon in Pauillac, which was the greatest success of the vintage. That power comes from the dense tannins as well as the black plum and spice flavors and minerality. The texture becomes velvet, giving a final richness, but never losing its long aging potential. In a year that is good, but not at the top, Mouton has made a great wine.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis is in an interesting spot right now, still sporting some youthful blackberry, cassis and plum fruit, with only secondary hints starting to emerge. Yet those secondary hints are very tantalizing, with well-worn cedar, tobacco and sanguine notes adding range and cut. There’s a freshness throughout, yet also a supple edge, which allows the fruit to drape prettily on the finish.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2034. 15,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe breadth and depth of this wine is impossible to ignore. Tobacco notes blend with cappuccino, cedar and grilled almonds. This is classy, with just the right amount of abandon. Grilled black fruits are very Mouton, but with the touch of austerity and pulled-in, pared-down tannins that tell you it’s 2006. Complex and complete. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThis is an eye-opener with a tight core of complex fruit character as well as subtle chocolate and spices. Full body, firm tannins and a classy finish. Holding back. Much better than expected. A vintage forgotten. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2006 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and intense, with firm tannins that need time to soften. This is an especially dark, somber Mouton. Dark black fruit, smoke, menthol gravel and cured meats are some of the signatures. Slight vegetal notes underpin the fruit. I am not sure the 2006 has enough freshness to be a long-term ager or the depth of fruit to outlast the tannins. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested between September 20 and October 5.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is in a great spot. Baked apple tart, spice, chamomile, marzipan, slate and chalk confer tremendous vibrancy and power throughout. Bright saline notes play off the natural exuberance of the year. The 2006 was spectacular on release. It is all that today, too.Vinous Media | 98 VMTasted almost two years after disgorgement, the 2006 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs shows a beautiful golden-citrus color and opens with a fascinating intense, floral, slightly reductive nose that develops enormously in the glass, offering lemon and lemon confit aromas along with flinty notes of crushed chalk and the iodine flavors of the Atlantic Ocean. This is an utterly complex and promising bouquet! The palate is terribly fresh but also rich, lush and intense, with the purity of the finest wines of the Côte de Blancs, the concentration of perfectly ripe Chardonnay and the suppleness of 2006. This has impeccable balance paired with high tension. The wine is very tight and still seems to be on its way right now. Although there is a first hint of aromatic ripeness, this should be a great Comtes de Champagne in a couple of years. The finish is tensioned, concentrated and mineral but keeps its talents in an almost bursting bubble. Disgorged September 2016; tasted May 2018 (lot L6316UM13600).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is settling into a deeper presence. It has a freshness that really appeals, along with Taittinger’s signature toasty layer of autolysis, grilled nuts and praline. Plenty of flesh and weight on the palate. Acidity clasps ripe peach and mango fruits, finishing long, powerful and fine. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS(Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut (Reims)) The 2006 vintage of Taittinger’s iconic Comtes de Champagne bottling is a beautifully refined example of the vintage, offering up a pure and vibrant bouquet of apple, pear, brioche, complex, chalky soil tones, hazelnut, a touch of orange zest, white flowers and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and supremely elegant in profile, with outstanding mid-palate intensity, utterly refined mousse, bright acids and laser-like focus on the very long, nascently complex finish. Whereas many examples from the 2006 vintage are drinking very well at age ten, it is still very early days for this outstanding Comtes de Champagne and this wine will not peak for at least another decade, though it is already very, very easy to drink! I would be inclined to let it hibernate in the cellar for at least another five years, just to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. (Drink between 2021-2060)John Gilman | 96 JGA cold winter and scattered frost were followed by a hot, dry July. August rains cleared in time for the two weeks of dry, warm weather before a harvest in near-perfect conditions from 11 September. The Comtes is softly rich and lush, with an elegant, approachable ripe apple fruit, a hint of buttered toast and a firm mineral underpinning. Although the texture is somewhat soft, this wine has plenty of extract and potential for ageing.Decanter | 95 DECTaittinger’s prestige cuvée epitomizes the Chardonnay predilection of this producer. This now-mature bottling is elegant and very stylish. Toast and a soft texture combine with great complexity to reveal a wine that is poised and ready to drink. But with the acidity in the background, it could still age, so drink now and until 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA vivacious Champagne, with fine integration of the racy acidity and chalky bead, rich mineral character and creamy palate of glazed apricot, ground anise, biscuit and passion fruit flavors. Offers a firm, focused finish. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIn much the same fashion as the ’06 Rosé this is aromatically quite restrained with notably cool and elegant aromas that speak of citrus, floral, yeast and green apple nuances. The wonderfully refined mouth feel is enhanced by the beautifully fine effervescence that shapes the medium weight flavors that culminate in crisp, intense and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is not only a terrific effort but it’s an amazingly good 2006 as there are no exotic hints plus it offers exceptionally good verve. While this could certainly be enjoyed now I would be inclined to hold it for at least another 3 years and 5 will probably be the sweet spot.Burghound | 94 BH

From ungrafted vines and one of the truly exceptional wines from Tarlant, the 2006 Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Vigne d’Antan Brut Nature is expressive in its bouquet of honeysuckle, toasted brioche, lemon curd, and white peach. Full-bodied, it fills the palate with wonderful depth and purity, offering ripe fruit and fantastic freshness. A complete wine, it has a refined mousse with refreshing acidity and wonderful salinity on the finish. This exceptional wine is my favorite from Tarlant once again, and it will be a treat to revisit over the coming decades. Drink 2023-2043. Disgorged June 2022.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA dense and almost chewy Champagne with a richness and length with cooked apple and hints of strawberry character. Lots of pie crust and savory cookie undertones. Some mineral and iron, too. From a single vineyard of chardonnay, ungrafted vines. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Mascarello’s 2007 Barolo shows just how compelling this vintage can be, even now. Sensual, layered and totally voluptuous in the glass, the 2007 shows the more flamboyant side of Barolo. I find the wine’s voluptuous, engaging personality impossible to resist. Sure, 2007 is not a classic vintage, but when a wine is this good, I say: Who cares?Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2007 Barolo has grown tremendously over the last few months. Some bottles have been more closed than others, but what is certain is that the wine is putting on weight. The 2007 appears to have a long drinking window ahead. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2037.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPMascarello presents an outstanding 2007 base Barolo (with fruit sourced from the Barolo and La Morra zones) that is packed extra tight with generosity, concentration and rich chocolate, cherry and leather aromas. The long finish is soft and velvety, but the tannins and acidity guarantee a long future ahead.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

Good full red. Flamboyant, soil-inflected nose offers raspberry, minerals and iodine, with exotic suggestions of white flowers and apricot. Then lush, silky and utterly seamless, combining an exotic perfume with great inner-mouth energy. The wonderfully subtle, kaleidoscopic finish throws off scents of raspberry, minerals, flowers and minerals and goes on and on.Vinous Media | 95 VMStill very young, this is showing the proper staying power of a powerful wine. The structure is complex and dense, the plum and cranberry fruits are wrapped in tannins and hints of wood. The wine powers through the palate, promising long-term aging. A great success for the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WERose petal, fennel, licorice, raspberry and dark cherry, and decadent gaminess in the nose of Bouchard’s 2007 Chambertin Clos de Beze lead into a correspondingly complex palate that combines a silken texture with bright, penetrating fruit of a sort rare in 2007. Persistently alluring rose and peony perfume lends persistent allure as this finishes with delightful and profound interaction of fruit, mineral, floral, and animal elements. It should be worth following for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPAs it usually does, this offers another level of aromatic complexity with a highly spiced nose trimmed in a subtle touch of wood that does not interfere with the overall transparency of either the nose or the palate as this is pure, classy and refined. Moreover, the tannins are also more refined, which is unusual, and this completely stains the palate on the hugely long finish. A balanced, stylish and beguiling Bèze that is built to age, and improve, for up to two decades.Burghound | 93-95 BH

Potentially a candidate for perfection, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest Bryant Family wine since the aforementioned 1997. Striking aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, flowers, smoke, truffles, and sweet berries lead to a wine with profound concentration, a silky, layered mouthfeel, perfect integration of tannin and wood, and remarkable depth, intensity, and balance. The finish lasts nearly a minute. This stunning Cabernet should age nicely for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPA very opulent, yet fresh nose. Perfumed with fresh mushrooms, currants, and blackberries. Full bodied with an amazing density of fruit, and ripe velvety tannins. So big and compacted, with a superb structure. Very 2006 in style but with much more intensity. The fruit amazing and intense. Leave this for another five or six years. 900 cases. Pull the cork after 2016. 15+25+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 98 JSAt points rustic and rough-hewn, but also enormously complex and layered, with dense, elegant herb, olive, cedar, blackberry and wild berry fruit that is full-blown and tightly focused, rich and layered, gaining velocity on the finish while retaining a sense of wildness. Best from 2012 through 2024. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(14.9%): Healthy ruby-red. Wild plum, dark berries, musky espresso, mocha and graphite on the varietally expressive nose. Shows wonderful mineral verve but this utterly seamless wine still conveys a musky suggestion of reduction. It’s also more red than black fruit in style and shows its site more than the vintage character. Really lovely inner-mouth aromatic perfume here. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely slowly building lift. This wine blew away many of the portier, clunkier examples in my 2007 group tastings but it may need earlier drinking than some vintages of Bryant. The silky, seamless finish features a light touch and terrific spice and mocha lift.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Bright medium red. Strawberry, raspberry, game and a hint of rust on the nose. The silkiest and most opulent yet of these 2007s, with complex flavors of red berries, chocolate, animal fur and mineral dust framed by harmonious acidity. Offers lovely sweetness in the middle, but really excites the palate on the classically dry finish.Vinous Media | 93 VMAs it usually does, this brings another dimension of complexity with notably ripe yet elegant, even airy red berry fruit aromas, earth, underbrush, spice hints and a touch of jerky, all of which are picked up by the layered, seductive, rich, and full-bodied flavors that are blessed with ample dry extract on the palate staining, velvety and impressively long finish.Burghound | 93 BHLightly-cooked cherry and red currant, mingle on the nose of Claude Dugat’s 2007 Charmes Chambertin, then re-emerge on an infectiously juicy, silken, subtly sweet palate. When tasted immediately after his 2008s, this offers both striking and welcome contrast due to its generosity of fruit, textural polish, and spiciness. Faint hints of game add complexity and a slightly drying hint of tannin diminishes the otherwise impressively persistent finish slightly. Still, this ought to perform impressively for at least the next 5-7 years, and quite possibly beyond that, though I would want to monitor it in a few years’ time to properly assess that possibility.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

One of the great vintages from this estate, surpassing even the 1990, 2000, 2001, 2003, and maybe the 2010 (time will tell with this one), the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape from Vincent Avril delivers everything you could want from a wine. Full-bodied, intense and beautifully concentrated, with plenty of muscle and depth, it shows the hallmark elegance and purity of the estate, with sensational notes of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, incense, smoked meats and Asian spices. The blend is the normal 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the rest a mix of permitted varieties, brought up all in older foudre, and it’s just now entering its prime drink window and has another two decades of longevity.Robert Parker | 100 RPTaking the better part of the evening to open up, and really not shining until the second day, the monumental 2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape has shed some of the bombastic levels of fruit it possessed on release, and is developing into a textbook Clos des Papes that exudes richness, as well as finesse and elegance. Loaded with kirsch liqueur, licorice, crushed rock, flowers, and sweet spice, this full-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape hits the palate with a wealth of fruit and glycerin, yet remains perfectly balanced, seamless, and incredibly fresh and light. There’s no shortage of tannin or structure, and this needs a solid 4-5 years of bottle age to really start to hit its stride. It should be very long lived and any southern Rhône lover needs to have this wine in the cellar!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDAbsolutely stunning, with a deep well of crème de cassis that’s thoroughly pure and captivating, while black tea, fig cake, hoisin sauce, incense and graphite notes weave throughout. The supervelvety finish lets blackberry, boysenberry and crushed cherry fruit take an encore—as if this needed any more fruit. A fantastic display of precision in a very opulent year. Best from 2010 through 2030. 8,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSDeep ruby. Powerful, pungent aromas of kirsch, dark berries, smoky herbs and spicecake, with notes of black olive and tobacco coming on with air. Chewy, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are complicated by bitter chocolate, licorice and black cardamom. Acts like a 2005 today, with serious structure but also superb depth of powerful, densely packed fruit. A hint of cherry skin adds grip and refreshing bitterness to the long, smoky, focused finish. Not an easy read right now: this demands cellaring.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

Medium garnet in color with a hint of purple, the 2007 Maya Proprietary Red Wine possesses the most alluring nose of blueberry compote, Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, licorice and espresso with suggestions of truffles, beef drippings, dried sage and forest floor. Powerful, rich and substantial on the palate, it explodes with profound black fruits and earthy layers with a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2007 Maya is deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of blackberry pie, creme de cassis, and black cherry preserves pop from the glass, followed by hints of cinnamon toast, red roses, and fallen leaves. The full-bodied palate is packed with bold black fruit layers, supported by plush, beautifully ripe tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and opulent. Andy Erickson started here in January 2007 and it was also the first year of organic farming.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIWhat a difference a year makes. The 2007 Maya is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Sexy and racy to the core, the 2007 captures the sensuality of the year in spades. Raspberry jam, white flowers, mint and spices are nicely shaped by silky tannins. Production was tiny, at around 270 cases, partly because 2007 is the vintage in which Dalla Valle introduced their second wine, Collina Dalla Valle. It’s great to see Maya back on track after the less than stellar 2006.Vinous Media | 96 VMShows a juicy side to the loamy earth, tobacco, cedar and tar flavors. Complex and layered, if starting to show signs of age and a drying edge. The initial burst of fruit is captivating. -- Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now. 300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS