Popular Wines

wines

The 2017 Pouilly Fumé Prédilection is from several terraces on Muschelkalk soils and located closer to the Loire, so they benefit from cool afternoon breezes and nights. The wine opens pure and crunchy on the nose when young, with stony aromas intermixed with notes of white fruit but gets more and more floral with bottle age. The palate is powerful, dense and complex, showing serious substance, tannins and length but also elegance and terroir expression. The finish is lush but also pure and salty and structured by very fine tannins. It’s a crystalline, refined and elegant style with a very long finish. Tasted in February 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis wine takes its minerality from the chalk soil in which the vines grow. It has considerable texture as well as perfumed richness and dense white fruits accented by spice. The wine is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEVery pure and smoky, with a peach, apricot and elderflower fragrance and a fabulously expressive mineral acid undercurrent.Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2017 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has more mineralité on the nose compared directly to the Sécher, attractive orange blossom and canned apricot scents emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with a tang of ginger on the entry, showing impressive weight and a taut, linear, quite persistent finish. This is excellent, fulfilling the potential it showed back in June.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautiful aromas of wet stones and limes, as well as grapefruit. The palate has a very succulent and attractive feel with lithe and linear acidity as a feature. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSAs usual, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu is the most blocky and broad-shouldered of the domaine’s premiers crus, revealing notes of smoky citrus oil, white flowers and oyster shell, followed by a medium to full-bodied, powerful palate that’s still youthfully firm, balanced by tangy acids and concluding with a distinctly saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP(Maison Joseph Drouhin Chablis "Mont de Milieu" 1er Cru White) A distinct whiff of the exotic can be found on the layered and riper nose that combines notes of apricot, white peach, lychee and hint of tidal pool. Once again there is plenty of citrus influence to the bigger and richer medium-bodied flavors that possess good muscle and punch, all wrapped in an impressively powerful, long and serious finale. This youthfully austere effort is clearly built-to-age and is going to need at least some forbearance. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 91 BH(Chablis “Mont de Milieu”- Domaine Drouhin Vaudon) Mont de Milieu is on the Right Bank in Chablis and this sector was far more severely hit by the late April frosts than was the case across the Yonne, so yields here are decidedly lower than was the case with the estate’s Sécher, Montmains or Vaillons. The wine is more forward out of the blocks in 2017 than the Sécher, offering up a precise and inviting bouquet of lemon, green apple, limestone soil tones, spring flowers and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with a bright, but easy-going structural chassis, fine mid-palate depth and a long, bouncy and complex finish. This is already very tasty, but seems to have the balance to age quite well, despite not being particularly steely in terms of acidity. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 91 JGA lift of citrus on the nose of this wine immediately sets a bright, fresh accent. The palate comes in with ripe, fresh Mirabelle abundance that enjoys the definition and texture reminiscent of white citrus pith. This wine focuses on fruit but manages to stay toned and defined. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

A step up over the 2018, the 2017 Condrieu Les Cassines has textbook aromas and flavors of honeyed citrus, tangerine oil, crushed rocks, and spice. Rich, beautifully textured, and balanced, it’s rocking Condrieu that I suspect will continue to drink beautifully for 3-4 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

Luminous straw-green. Slightly compressed but still perfumed nose of sage, thyme, gooseberry, lime and white flowers. Then excellent inner-mouth perfume of lime, passion fruit and gooseberries. Closes long, tactile and saline, not to mention very refined. Lovely wine from a recognized master of the Sauvignon Blanc variety not just in Alto Adige, but in all of Italy.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Alexandra Boudrot made this wine from a 6.18-acre parcel at Mambourg, a grand cru on the south face of Mount Sigolsheim. It has the clean balance of a vintage without extremes, a sweet adolescent beauty delivered in high-toned spice and meadow-flower scents. There’s underlying toasty richness, but the main element is a freshness that can carry off that glistening impression of sweetness. Decant it for chawanmushi (a delicate, savory Japanese custard) or serve it with a bacon-and-onion quiche.Wine and Spirits Mag | 94 W&SA concentrated nose of Damask rose and juicy peach makes for a heady opening on this wine. A hint of grapefruit-peel spice plays on the juicy, medium-sweet palate. Along with citrus freshness, this creates a lovely balance of richness and freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

From more basalt soils, the 2017 Chardonnay Frenchman Hills is another beautiful wine from this team that was fermented in a mix of puncheons and concrete and aged all in barrel. Lots of minerality, honeyed golden apple, brioche, and subtle caramelized lemon notes all flow to a medium-bodied, vibrant white that has bright acidity, plenty of richness and depth, and a great finish. It’s another age-worthy effort that will benefit from bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDPlenty of sliced apple and pear aromas with hints of cream and vanilla. Full-bodied, layered and nicely oily with a long, flavorful finish. Dried fruit and candied lemon at the end. All about purity of fruit. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA luscious texture blends with a crisp spine of acid that drives the apricot, honeysuckle and spiced golden apple flavors, ending with a plump finish. Drink now. 356 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSPale gold colored, the 2017 Chardonnay Frenchman Hills Vineyard seems the most subdued of the range this year, having faint hints of apple blossom, seared pears and citrus peel. Medium-bodied, the palate is short, straightforward and mineral-laden and leaves me wanting more vibrancy and precision before ending with a soft phenolic finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPBright yellow. Slightly reduced aromas of yellow stone fruits and nutty, toasty oak. Rich, ripe and a bit fat; offers very good mouth feel but not quite the depth of fruit or subtle complexity of the Moxee or Roza Hills Chardonnays. Finishes with a slightly dry phenolic edge, good length and a touch of baking spices. (from 28-year-old vines planted on volcanic soil at an altitude of 1,700 feet).Vinous Media | 90 VM

Musky apricot pit, peach and spicy vanillin oak on the nose. Densely packed but quite suave and fine-grained in spite of its saline thrust. A very sappy, refined midweight with lovely salinity and tactile length. Offers much more than just fruit: sexy oak, minerals, cyanic fruit pit. Fresh stone fruits continue to emerge as the wine opens with air. Finishes with a lovely spine of citrussy acidity and sneaky building length. No shortage of weight or palate presence here but very shapely and refined. This superb Washington Chardonnay held up brilliantly in the recorked bottle and should evolve positively over the next several years. (aged in French oak, 40% new; about 35% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation)Vinous Media | 93 VMAn impressive Chardonnay, the 2018 from Abeja offers lots of peach, apple, and lemon oil notes as well as a medium-bodied, rich yet also fresh style on the palate. I love its balance and it’s going to drink nicely for 2-3 years at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDLively and expressive, the 2018 Chardonnay begins with aromas of toasted oak, white peach, baked apples and pears with a waft of lemon crème brûlée on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is rich with a round edge and energetic acidity and displays a balanced structure across the mid-palate. The wine shows delightful complexity on the lingering finish with lasting sensations of citrus blossom, Anjou pear and peach skin followed by a nuance of graham cracker crust. Nicely done.Robert Parker | 90+ RPBright and elegantly easygoing, with apple and citrus flavors that linger toward a delicately spicy finish. Drink now. 520 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSA straightforward chardonnay with cooked-apple and lemon character. Some pie crust. Medium body. Easy to drink now.James Suckling | 90 JSThe aromas offer notes of toast, barrel char and stone fruit. The palate brings a ripe peach flavor that maintains a sleek profile out of the gate, filling out over time.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Lithe and vibrant, this finely-balanced Gewürztraminer glides across the palate with a lovely range of lychee, peach skin, jasmine and passion fruit coulis flavors. The well-cut, mineral-laced finish lingers, echoing the ripe fruit and spice notes. Drink now through 2028.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAromas of candlewax and lychee arise from the glass. On the palate, they’re met with luscious sweetness and racy (but not quite searing) acidity, as well as some cooked apple and nutmeg notes. Though a hair more acid would have been a welcome refreshment, this wine’s weighty, velvety texture and long finish are lovely.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

This gorgeous white walks a fine line between being rich and mouthcoating on one side, and bright and graceful on the other. The result is a vivid, medium-bodied version, with hints of honeycomb and candied ginger accenting flavors of peach, papaya, elderflower and stony minerals. Drink now through 2028.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 Chablis Village, matured for 12 months in 80% stainless steel and 20% used oak, has a vibrant, fresh, classic Chablis nose that many other growers were not able to achieve in this warm year. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, vibrant and zesty, showing a touch of spice on the elegant finish. This must surely be one of the finest Chablis Village of 2018.Vinous Media | 92 VMA touch of wet walnut accompanies pear and lemon on this wine’s fresh nose. Vivaciousness at the core belies the heat of the 2018 vintage. Yes, there is concentration and some midpalate weight, but salty, preserved-lemon freshness dominates the wine and bright finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2018 Chablis Vauprin comes from 1.7ha of 25-year-old vines and is raised for 12 months in 50% oak barrels and 50% stainless steel. It has a very harmonious bouquet of yellow flowers, mirabelle, crushed rocks and light hazelnut aromas that attain impressive intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity; there is real tension and race here. The finish fans out wonderfully and its persistence deserves applause considering the relatively unknown location of this vineyard. Highly recommended.Vinous Media | 93 VMResonant notes of roasted hazelnut on the nose of this wine sit well with the lemon brightness. The palate carries the same nuttiness but puts lemon freshness center stage. This slightly smoky combination is bedded on a smooth but cooling, yeasty texture, with beautiful length. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Pale, shimmering yellow. Fresh pear, honeydew, tangerine and pungent flowers on the mineral-inflected nose. Offers lively, sharply focused orchard and citrus fruit flavors that are complemented by emerging ginger and white pepper notes adding back-end lift and cut. Silky and impressively lithe, delivering solid mineral thrust and repeating florality on the long, incisive finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2018 Chablis Côte de Jouan 1er Cru has a gorgeous bouquet of lemon curd, orange pith and honeysuckle scents that seem to grab the olfactory senses. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and crisp, leading to a complex finish of sour lemon, kumquat and saline notes that linger on the aftertaste. Superb.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) is fabulous. Moreover, it shows the important strides that have been made here in recent years. A wine of depth as well as energy, the Oakville Cabernet is both complete and absolutely delicious. Time brings out a whole range of leather, spice and chocolate notes to play off a core of intense, dark-fleshed fruit. I would prefer to cellar the 2018 for at least a few years. In a word: impressive.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGShows intense raspberry and black currant fruit flavors with a good racy edge to match their concentration, while lively anise, black tea and savory details fill in throughout. This also has a nice mineral thread on the finish, which extends nicely as the fruit lingers. Best from 2023 through 2035. 24,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSReally intense scents of herbs, ripe black fruit, boysenberries, leather and wood smoke. Spicy palate with a vibrant acidity, balanced and layered. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 92 DECLots of dark chocolate, blackberries, blackcurrants, tar and dark spices on the nose. Violets and licorice, too. Medium-to full-bodied, dark and spicy with medium tannins. Drink after 2022.James Suckling | 91 JS

Limpid yellow-gold. Vibrant, mineral- and spice-accented citrus and orchard fruit and jasmine qualities on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering Meyer lemon, pear nectar and quinine flavors and a touch of buttered toast. Closes minerally and impressively long, delivering a resonating floral note and firm, spicy lift.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of slightly seared lemon peel, lime and grapefruit blossom show on the bright nose of this bottling. The palate is more toasty in oak flavors, but a lemon twist adds vibrancy.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Argenina is a total knock-out. Bright, aromatic and silky, the 2018 is pure class. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, licorice, tobacco and incense are some of the notes that grace this exquisite Chianti Classico. When I taste the best wines here, I often wonder why more producers aren’t capable of this level of quality. Stellar.Vinous Media | 93 VMPreviously bottled as an annata, Palazzino’s Argenina has now been elevated to Gran Selezione, meaning the estate’s entire Chianti Classico production now falls into this category. It comes from a vineyard in the southern reaches of Gaiole on limestone-rich, fluvial terraces. An autumnal whiff of chestnut is followed by fetching heather and cinnamon stick. Elegant and fine framed, it presents as midweight and linear at first, then fleshes out across the palate. Tangy acidity persists throughout, and there’s a subtle yet confident grip of tannins on the finish.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Argenina is herbaceous with pine, damp soil, and dried cherry. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins, a soft stony texture, and notes of plum pit and tea leaf., it is a pleasantly savory wine to drink over the next 5-7 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

The 2018 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru shows a little more definition and terroir expression compared directly with the Montée de Tonnerre. Lemon peel, touches of crushed stone and dried flowers almost reluctantly emerge with aeration. The palate is powerful and expressive, with a honeyed texture...Vinous Media | 92 VMThis is also quite cool with its restrained, airy and more elegant nose that features notes of mineral reduction, oyster shell and white flowers. The racy and beautifully well-delineated middle weight flavors deliver excellent persistence on the clean, notably dry and bracing finale where a hint of bitter lemon appears.Burghound | 90-92 BHThis has attractive peach and peach-kernel aromas with hints of flint and almond pastry. The palate has a very fleshy and succulent feel with apricot, mango and yellow-peach flavors. A steely-mineral spark below. Drink on release.James Suckling | 91-92 JS

The rosé 2018 RIPA Vino Rosado follows the same path as the 2017, 60% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo aged and matured in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels where the wine matured for 30 months. The vintage was quite cold, and the grapes were picked on October 20. The wine has a more vibrant palate and a lower pH, with more freshness. It’s quite marked by the long élevage, so it takes on a specific profile with more nutty and spicy notes and a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s spicy, vibrant, still round and lush, with a dark color, very different from the pale Provençal examples... 6,200 bottles were filled in December 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Bright straw. Lemon ice, orange peel, balsamic oils and herbs on the complex nose and in the mouth. Savory but juicy, with a very clean, sneakily concentrated mouthfeel and lots of density on the long, juicy finish. Another knockout from this estate in 2018.Vinous Media | 92 VMVery perfumed and quite intense pears and baked apples with some bright fragrance, too. The palate has a very smooth, supple texture and some bright, punchy pear and apple flavor. Smooth-honed and balanced. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSThe Köfererhof 2018 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner shows some extra plushness and softness in this vintage, with summer peach, lemon blossom, honey and cantaloupe melon. Whereas most of the white varieties in the Köfererhof portfolio present lifted and vertical aromas with many flinty mineral nuances, this Sylvaner offers a tad more opulence and fruity richness. That extra texture opens this wine to spicy exotic foods like Singapore chili crab.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Aromas of guava, dried lemon zest and pear skin with hints of cedar and crushed flint. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity. Flavorful and concentrated with a smooth, waxy texture. Mineral finish. Second wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Vibrant straw-green. Liquid minerals, jasmine, green apple and thyme on the enticing nose. Then rich and multilayered but also bright and fresh on the zingy mouthfeel. This outstanding, nuanced Müller-Thurgau finishes long, clean and mineral. Not likely to be the longest-lived Sass Rigais made by this estate, but will provide wonderful drinking over the next five years or so.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Fresh but fully ripe mangoes, apricot pie, Danish pasties, and then a touch of some subtle spices, such as cinnamon and turmeric. Very layered and full-bodied, but transparent and agile, with a serious impression of minerality on the long finish. Hints of salinity. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Riesling Herrenletten "VDP. Erste Lage" is clear, deep, pure and fresh on the stony/herbal, rather coolish but intense and even flinty nose of wet stone. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is an elegant and refined, salty Riesling with elegant power, stimulating salinity and good grip. Tasted in Haardt, December 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThis shows a little bit of oomph, with powerful acidity cutting through the creamy notes of apricot, roasted pineapple and grapefruit. Ginger and tarragon details emerge midpalate and linger on the persistent, well-rounded finish. Almost there, but better to wait a few more years. Best from 2022 through 2032. 115 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Both subtlety and ripe richness are conveyed with the mellow apple, hayflower and lemon aromas of this wine. The palate comes in with 2018’s mellow ripeness but presents a bundled, textured midpalate that shows off the ripe freshness and dry excellence of Riesling, all in a buffered and harmonious package.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Both subtlety and ripe richness are conveyed with the mellow apple, hayflower and lemon aromas of this wine. The palate comes in with 2018’s mellow ripeness but presents a bundled, textured midpalate that shows off the ripe freshness and dry excellence of Riesling, all in a buffered and harmonious package.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Light, bright yellow. Heady, mineral- and spice-accented aromas of ripe citrus and pit fruits and pungent flowers are complemented by a suave, building floral element. Silky and penetrating, offering intense white peach, tangerine and pear flavors that fan out through the mid-palate. Shows impressive energy and spicy cut on a long, smooth finish that echoes the floral note emphatically.Vinous Media | 94 VMSpicy gingerbread tones and bright, luminous white peach and tangerine extend from nose to finish in this glossy, concentrated Condrieu. True to form, it’s a classically zaftig sip packed densely with honeyed tropical fruit flavors and silken skeins of cream. Stunning in youth but structured enough to age beautifully through 2035 and likely further.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 Condrieu Chery from Niero is a solid effort that leans toward the more fresh, racy side of the spectrum while still holding onto plenty of fruit. Spiced citrus, honeyed limes, spice, and a touch of sappy floral notes all flow to a medium-bodied, mineral-laced Condrieu that stays tight and compact on the palate. It’s going to benefit from a year in bottle and keep for 2-3 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91+ JD