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Fantastic complexity here with aromas of toast, biscuit, lemon, almond, chalk and some fennel. It’s long, sleek and mineral, with tight, very fine bubbles and so much tension and precision. Very long and chalky finish. Disgorged end of 2023. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne’s bouquet is compellingly fresh and minty, revealing aromas of white fruit—notably pear and apple—marzipan and sweet spices, as well as a light touch of citrus mingled with classy autolytic notes. On the palate, this is a structured, tensile and ethereal Champagne with high acidity—a sign of a classic vintage—animated by a mousse of striking finesse and delicacy. Although already enjoyable, it should develop well for several decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Bottled end of February/early in March, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is incredible stuff, and while I suspect it’s the best vintage to date, it’s going to be great comparing it to bottles of the 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2015 over the coming 15+ years. This beauty offers a thrilling blend of kirsch, blackberries, smoked earth, graphite, and licorice on the nose. It's full-bodied, deep, pure, ultra-fine, and powerful on the palate and flirts with perfection. It’s a tour de force in Grenache that readers need to snatch up!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe terrific 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin has lived up to my expectations from last year's visit. It's 100% Grenache, includes some parcels planted back in 1912, and half was vinified with stems. From sandy sites, it showcases the ability of Grenache to ripen fully yet retain a sense of elegance and lightness. It's full-bodied and velvety but also vibrant, with black cherry fruit and hints of chocolate balanced by incredibly silky tannins and freshness on the finish. Really impressive stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is a profound expression of grenache with brambly, red fruit wrapped in wild herbs and flowers. Fresh, yet deeply ripe and expressive. The really succulent, deep and fresh tannins are a feature. Power with elegance! Brilliant. Pure grenache on sandy soil, from three parcels of vines, aged between 80 and 100 years. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSLurid ruby. An expansive, complex bouquet evokes cherry liqueur, blueberry, incense and candied flowers, along with a smoky mineral nuance that builds in the background. Shows outstanding depth and energy to the red and blue fruit and spicecake flavors, which become more lively and gain sweetness with aeration. Closes on a suave lavender pastille note, offering rounded, even tannins and emphatic, blue-fruit-driven persistence.Vinous Media | 95 VMDelightful plum, raspberry and blackberry compote flavors form the core, with racy, graphite-edged structure running underneath. Dark anise and tobacco notes check in throughout. The long finish lets the fruit linger. Best from 2020 through 2034. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Reminding me of a fresher version of the 2003, the 2016 Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Reservée is another magical wine from Laurence Feraud that could come from nowhere else. I still remember tasting (and loving) this beauty from barrel. It doesn’t quite have the sheer over-the-top decadence of the 2003, but it does have more elegance, while not giving up an inch with regard to texture and opulence. Dark ruby/plum-hued with a monster display of Provençal goodness in its garrigue, lavender, violets, kirsch, plums, and Asian spices, this full-throttle, ripe, sexy Châteauneuf du Pape has silky tannins, flawless balance, and a heavenly texture. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink well for at least 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDInflections of violetand rose petal mingle into crushed earth anddried mushroom in this deeply complex red. Blackcherry and black-currant flavors are profoundly ripebut muted by shades of leather, fur and garrigue. Anuanced, deeply satisfying wine, it offers both concentratedripeness and old-world restraint.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA singed chestnut accent leads off here, followed by a sappy core of steeped cherry, raspberry and plum fruit, infused liberally with tobacco, brick dust and garrigue notes. Reveals a brawny edge, but there's ample fruit in the end. A rock-solid old-school style that should cruise in the cellar. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 5,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSEvery year that I've tried the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée, I've liked it better than the year before, so I've gone ahead and peremptorily added the + sign to this year's rating. Black cherries and licorice pick up a hint of chocolate in this full-bodied, rich, velvety wine that should evolve nicely for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPDeep ruby. Assertive aromas of black raspberry, potpourri and spicecake pick up a bright mineral nuance and a hint of cured meat with air. Juicy and impressively concentrated, showing real energy and spicy lift to the sappy red berry, bitter cherry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors. Fine-grained tannins build on the finish, adding shape and grip to lingering, spice-accented raspberry liqueur, smoked meat and licorice flavors.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and in the same league as the perfect 2010. Awesome notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, charred meats, licorice, and violets all soar from the glass. It’s powerful, opulent, and structured, with building tannin, a huge mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish, yet it never loses its sense of purity and elegance. It’s an incredible achievement from this estate. The blend is 45% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah, all aged in 55% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA terrific effort, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. It’s dense and rich almost beyond belief, packed with super ripe fruit that comes dangerously close to being chocolaty and fudge-like, yet it retains a sense of balance. Earth, spice and dark fruit notes linger for minutes on the long, tannic finish. Give it at least a couple of years in the cellar, and drink it over the next decade and a half. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA remarkable combination of freshness, concentration and lightness of touch. Very long, with vivid aromatics and lovely balance. It’s hard to fault really, but is painfully young at this stage. The tannins are grippy but fully ripe, the acidity is juicy and precise, and the fruit is concentrated. Impressive. Drinking Window 2022 - 2037Decanter | 95 DECLurid violet. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, incense, vanilla and exotic spices, and a floral accent builds steadily as the wine opens up. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry, cola and spicecake flavors that are energized and given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Shows outstanding clarity and fruity thrust on a long, sweet finish framed by smooth tannins.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMCrisp sun-kissed cherry and wild-­strawberry notes introduce this floral, perfumed wine. Made from predominantly old vines, it’s intensely concentrated and forward in fruit yet shaded by hints of violet, lavender and bramble. This full-bodied, unctuous wine with fine, gripping tannins should improve through 2030 and hold further.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2019 Echo De Lynch-Bages is the second wine of Château Lynch-Bages and it’s beautifully done, with a more floral, perfumed, pretty style compared to the Grand Vin, yet it still brings plenty of structure. Red and black currants, sappy flowers, tobacco leaf, and gravelly earth all define the bouquet, and it’s medium-bodied, has integrated acidity, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. It’s beautifully balanced and already accessible, yet will nevertheless benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe second wine of Lynch-Bages shows all the power of this estate. The difference lies in the tannins and the ripe flavors of the wine. It has power without the tannins that demand long-term aging. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WELifted floral aromas, smells pretty and inviting, with a sweet note to the black fruit. Tannins are a little present, they’re not dry or austere, more on the smooth and chalky side but are just covering the fruit right now, although the blackcurrant and plum notes come back through. Chewy, ripe, fresh. This is lovely if just a bit shy at the moment. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030Decanter | 91 DECThe 2019 Echo de Lynch-Bages, matured in one-year-old barrels for 12 months, has a crisp blackberry, briar and cedar bouquet with touches of mint, quite vibrant and lively. The medium-bodied palate offers succulent tannins and mulberry and black plum flavors intermingling with black truffle and white pepper. Maybe just a little abrupt on the finish at the moment, but that will fill out in time.Vinous Media | 90 VMJuicy, featuring racy-edged plum and black currant fruit flavors that show nice purity, with lively anise and apple wood accents filtering in through the finish, where a subtle note of charcoal chimes. Modest in scale but nicely done. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

One of the whites of the vintage, the 2020 Château Pape Clément Blanc is based on 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and the remaining 1% Muscadelle, all of which was raised in a mix of new and used oak. This beauty stopped me in my tracks and offers a massive nose of honeyed limes, white flowers, tropical fruit, crushed stone, and orange marmalade. With the vintage’s vibrant sense of freshness, full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and a fabulous mouthfeel, this truly sensational white is an incredible achievement, and hats off to the team at Pape Clement! Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDI like the richness and focus to this with sliced cooked apple, lemon and light toffee character. Candied pineapple. Hints of meringue. Full-bodied and layered. Really delicious and flavorful now with a solid balance of phenolic structure. Classy. Agile. Drink after 2025 but hard to stay away.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a step up, as it’s larger in scale, brighter and more defined than most of its brethren, featuring long tarragon and thyme threads that pull gooseberry, star fruit and white peach notes along. Offers lots of energy through the finish, which ripples with sel gris and oyster shell echoes offset by a hint of salted butter. Really gorgeous. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Best from 2024 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2020 Pape Clément Blanc has a bright nose with scents of orchard fruit, orange pith and lime cordial scents, well defined and focused. The palate is fresh and mineral-driven, quite taut, much less oaky than other vintages and displaying more terroir towards the finish. One of the best whites from this estate that I have tasted. Tasted three times with consistent notes.Vinous Media | 94 VMA delicious Pape Clément blanc, this has flesh, power, depth, character and a ton of juicy minerality with white pear, peach, and a slate-filled texture that adds grip and saline freshness. Well balanced and easy to recommend. Tasted three times.Decanter | 94 DEC

The 2022 Rosé Clos Mireille Cru Classé is dreamy, wafting up with a perfumed blend of nectarine, sweet white flowers and white strawberry. Like pure silk on the palate, this soothes with its ripe orchard fruits, which are gently contrasted by a bitter tinge of sour citrus as juicy acidity adds fleshy depths. The 2022 cleans up beautifully as inner florals and confectionary spice echo throughout. This is a gorgeous Rosé today, yet it should evolve beautifully for years.Vinous Media | 93+ VMInstantly brilliant in the glass, the 2022 Cotes de Provence Rose ClosMireille, a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and the balance of Rolle (or Vermentino), exhales aromas of red berries, lemon, peach, guava and hints of curry leaf. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, combining fineacidity and a salty, penetrating, mouthwatering finish. It’s one of the moregourmand, fleshy, generous wines in the Domaines Ott range.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Beautiful, with a ripe, layered style, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers honeyed lemon, quince, crushed stone, and floral nuances that develop beautifully with time in the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a deep, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated acidity, and a great finish. It has a touch more depth and volume compared to the 2024 and is a sensational white from this fabulous winemaker that will keep for 20+ years if well stored. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA truly stunning white, offering layers of complexity, this is supple and generous, with sun tea and dried herbs cruising alongside warm apple and quince. Round in feel, with flattering notes of macadamia and spices, but this stays fresh. Bitter chamomile and grapefruit pith elements add contrast to the full, salty finish. Drink now through 2035. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis is a relatively full-bodied wine, with a pear and quince profile, slightly tingling acidity and salinity, and a touch of pink grapefruit. It’s certainly powerful, but it has good freshness and a mineral edge. The very long finish is lifted by the Bourboulenc and Piquepoul. Made from equal parts Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Piquepoul and Picardan; no malo; fermented and aged in stainless steel.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA creamy, well-rounded yet lively and citrusy white. It shows notes of fresh lemons, grapefruit, dried herbs, fennel and mild spices. It’s medium- to full-bodied. Plenty of volume on the ample palate, harmonious and poised. There is so much texture on the mid-palate with a caressing touch at the edge. Round and aromatic with a fresh, citrusy finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSCrafted from six permitted varieties in equal proportions, co-fermented and cold-settled for one night, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc from Clos des Papes exhales a delicate, complex bouquet of fennel, verbena, pear, iodine, herbs and acacia blossoms. Medium to full-bodied, pure and seamless, it’s built around bright acids, a layered, lovely structured texture and a long, ethereal, saline finish. The phenolic aftertaste adds a racy profile that I find particularly appealing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPVivid honeysuckle, lemon peel, ripe pear and spring blossom introduce the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Fennel and grapefruit add more layers to what is yet another captivating white Clos des Papes from Paul-Vincent Avril. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced by mild acidity, the 2023 closes with delicate salinity on the persistent finale.Vinous Media | 94 VM

All Grenache sourced mostly from the Chapouin lieu-dit with a splash from Janasse, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin shows a medium ruby hue followed by a pretty, perfumed, remarkably elegant profile. It has a core of sweet red and black berry fruits, absolutely heavenly Provençal aromatics of herbes de Provence, black olive, pepper, and flowers, plus ripe, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Partially destemmed and aged 12 months in 70% foudre and 30% demi-muids, this heavenly 2023 will drink beautifully over the coming two decades. There are roughly 1,500 cases produced. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDAs always, a pure Grenache Noir sourced from sandy soils, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin is a terrific effort. Mingling aromas of wild herbs, dark berries, baked mulberries and garrigue, it avoids the excesses of over-ripeness or overt spice, instead delivering a beautifully controlled expression. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it displays impressive concentration and a sense of coiled energy, its muscular core of fruit framed by a fine chassis of ripe tannins. The finish is long, delicately spiced and impressively persistent. This will reward patience, as time in bottle should bring greater harmony and finesse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPHuge in scale, with a potent, warm, sappy profile. Its opulent rush of ripe cherry and licorice is well-framed by polished, firming tannins. Alder, anise and lavender smoke stream through; the finish is well-supported and reined in. Concentrated and broad-shouldered. This is for fans of the hedonistic style yet still shows drive and complexity. Best from 2027 through 2040. 3,333 cases made, 112 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA solid, well-composed and flavorful red with cherries, sweet strawberries, warm herbs and a hint of baked orange. Full-bodied with fine tannins giving a refined texture. Juicy and driven, with a long, flavorful and well-structured finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSStrawberry compote, raspberry jam, licorice and crushed violets introduce the expressive 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chaupin, with ripe black cherry adding more complexity. Neatly structured through firm tannins, the full-bodied 2023 packs ample flavor concentration and density, doubling down with blackberry flavors and garrigue on the long, savory conclusion. This won’t need as much time to come around as the Vieilles Vignes from the same vintage tasted alongside.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Based on 100% Roussanne from the Vaudieu lieu-dit and aged nine months in 50% new French oak, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is a voluptuous, layered beauty offering honeyed orange, ripe stone fruits, brioche, crushed stone, and floral nuances. It has perfectly integrated oak, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a spectacular finish that rivals Beaucastel’s Vieilles Vignes Roussanne. This deep, medium to full-bodied white shows terrific purity and incredible depth, with roughly 125 cases produced. It will evolve beautifully for 20+ years. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDeep pear scents and honeysuckle, then a full-bodied, rich and powerful palate. An opulent wine that’s seen considerable oak influence, making for a finish that’s riven with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, with a very long finish. The acidity and freshness bring some balance, but this will always be a hedonistic treat albeit an elegant one. Limestone soils, fermented and aged in barriques, 50% new.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA stylish, golden-hued white, with a decadent robe of toasty oak around warm, spiced apple and juicy pear. Long and savory despite its opulence, with beautiful density and complexity. Salty intensity and a bitter kick of quinine build toward the finish, expertly offsetting the lushness. Tangy acidity keeps pace throughout. The oak will integrate with more time in bottle. Drink now through 2032. 450 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSBottled on the morning of my visit, the perfumed 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Les Vieilles Roussanne unwinds with prominent herbal tea, honeysuckle and a nuance of cedar. Open-knit and concentrated, the full-bodied 2024 carries impeccable freshness all the way through to the sapid close. Roussanne-lovers better line up for this one.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2024 Rosé Château de Selle is the brightest and most mineral-driven of the three estate Rosés from Ott. Vibrant and utterly refreshing, the 2024 smells like the sea, levitating from the glass with a briny, herbaceous, maritime-influenced bouquet highlighted by spikes of fresh jasmine and orange peel. The 2024 splashes across the palate with soft curves and palpable grip. Balance? You bet. This is a match made in heaven for freshly shucked oysters.Vinous Media | 92 VMA silky, streaming rosé, with hidden density behind its savory notes of salty lime, pink grapefruit and herbs. Offers loads of verve and poise before giving way to talc-fine mineral elements and a refined beam of acidity. Classy and delicious. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. 4,463 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2024 Bandol Rosé from Domaine Tempier is utter class. Flaunting its trademark perfume of grapefruit peel, savory herbs, white flowers and sea spray, the Tempier Rosé shines in a league of its own. The mineral intensity and concentration through the mid-palate is really on another level in 2024. Supreme balance and textural finesse are the orders of the day. This is wine I consider a must-buy every year, but the 2024 is easily the best edition of Tempier Rosé in recent memory. Best of all, it will easily age for years. (Drink between 2025 - 2034)Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2024 Bandol Rose from Domaine Tempier reveals an elegant, lively bouquet of pomegranate, grapefruit, ripe orchard fruits and guava subtly accented by delicate spicy notes. On the palate, it’s bright and medium- to full-bodied, with bright acids and a juicy core of fruit that culminates in a saline, ethereal finish. As always, this is one of France’s most meticulously crafted and benchmark rosés, combining precision, charm and age-worthy depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPConcentrated and beautifully sculpted, with peach, persimmon and light red berry notes sharing the stage with sea salt, flint and fresh herbs. Shows density as details emerge on the creamy palate, revved up with citrusy acidity. Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault. Drink now through 2030. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

While the Romassan is all plushness and the de Selle is all drive, the 2024 Rosé Clos Mireille is all about fine delineation and precision. The core of fruit here is so pure. White cherry, white nectarine, apricot and Seville orange are all crystal clear. Everything about the 2024 speaks to pedigree, calibrated winemaking and finesse. The Clos Mireille is superb and uncompromising in its balance. Provence Rosé at its finest.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe quiet nose draws you in with wet stone aromas that combine with peaches and cream and a tiny pop of citrus. The palate has a hint of pear with lots of citrus pith. This rosé coats your whole mouth and the finish leaves a lingering heat. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA refined, restrained style, with beautiful textural purity to the delicate notes of melon, rose water and herbes de Provence. Salty and mouthwatering through the well-meshed finish, which shows range, energy and mineral depth. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. Drink now. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThere is an Ott signature for all of their rosés, creating elegant silky wines with subtle differences reflecting the terroir of each estate. This one, from coastal vineyards surrounded by a nature reserve, seemingly has an extra salty tang from its proximity to the sea, and whiter, fresher fruit. A pale shell-pink, with delicate peach aromas; the wine opens up to ripe white peach and creamy nut richness (from slightly longer ageing on the lees) is balanced by a long, crisp, saline citrus acidity.Decanter Magazine | 91 DEC