Red Wines

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The 2019 Figeac is without question one of the wines of the vintage. All the promise it showed as a young barrel sample, is all there in bottle, too. Estate Director Frédéric Faye crafted a towering, statuesque Figeac built on vertical energy and a feeling of vibrancy that never lets up. Deep layers of red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers are framed by a super-classic expression of structure that keeps things in balance. There is a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year’s blend, and that definitely comes through. Readers who can find the 2019 should not hesitate, as it is truly majestic.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe wine is seriously rich with solid tannins. The tannins are softening into a more velvet texture that suits this style of wine well. It is giving a smoky character to the wine as well as richness. This is a great wine, very aromatic and concentrated. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2019 Château Figeac checks in as 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, and it’s another brilliant wine from Frédéric Faye. This deep purple-hued effort offers a beautiful Pauillac-like bouquet of ripe black cherries, cassis, damp earth, leafy herbs, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. It has classic Figeac herbal, earthy goodness (no doubt due to its high percentage of Cabernet) and is medium to full-bodied on the palate, has perfect tannins and flawless balance, all making for a brilliant Saint-Emilion that brings richness and power paired with finesse and elegance. Give bottles 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30+.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA gorgeous deep purple colour to the rim. Expressive nose filled with blackcurrant pastilles, really quite concentrated and ripe with soft floral hints and some savoury aspects - the Cabernet Franc making itself known. Such texture on the palate, smooth tannins that coat the mouth have a ripe and juicy blackcurrant flavour, backed by a mineral, wet stone, graphite edge. Liner and direct on the palate, this is focussed and controlled, so precise with a real sense of forward motion. Elegant and seductive in a quietly confident way with a long finish. Totally captivating. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThis is a really beautiful red with crushed-berry, plum, bark, mushroom and earth character. It’s full and creamy-textured with lots of tannins, but they are integrated and polished and flow across the palate. So much depth and intensity, yet there’s underlying grace and class. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Figeac has turned out brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, cassis, warm spices, violets and pencil shavings, framed by a deft touch of nicely integrated new oak, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, powdery structuring tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. Rich but vibrant, this 2019 reflects the new precision that Frédéric Faye has brought to Figeac; but while it’s richer and more polished than the wines of yesteryear, the estate’s identity hasn’t been lost.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPLarge-scaled, capturing all the rich and flamboyant cassis, steeped plum and blackberry reduction notes that are hallmarks of the vintage, along with a broad swath of loam and warm gravel underneath as tobacco and alder accents fill in wherever possible. Muscular and toothy along the edges but rock-solid in build, with enough fruit to round into form eventually. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 9,062 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Really smoky, coffee bean aromas on the nose with ripe blackcurrants. Great texture and flavour here, it’s full of herbs and liquorice-tinged black fruits (cherries mainly) but really well integrated so that no one aspect sticks out. Tannins are super fine and smooth and the acidity is well balanced carrying the density of the fruit as well as the freshness. It’s a big shouldered wine there’s no question, power but also poise. Harmonious, charming and elegant. A very complete wine that is balanced with generous fruit, tannins, acidity and mineral freshness. Feels well handled and just excellently executed. Has a real purity to it with sculpting and refinement. Great stuff and still so juicy and appealing at the end. A top buy. (Drink between 2027-2045)Decanter | 95 DECBeautiful clarity of crushed red berries with dried flowers and sliced oyster mushrooms on the nose. Full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins and juicy fruit. Chocolate and walnut character comes through, together with hints of vanilla bean. Beautifully curated. 76% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 4% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Fleur Cardinale is a real head-turner. Lush and voluptuous in the glass, the 2019 offers up copious dark fruit, along with hints of chocolate, spice, new leather, menthol and licorice. There is no shortage or richness or lushness. While the 2019 is certainly a very, very good wine it is not quite as expressive as it was in barrel. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGA consistently impressive Saint-Emilion, the 2019 Château Fleur Cardinale shows the vintage beautifully, with a medium to full-bodied, elegant style as well as classic darker cherry and mulberry fruits, notes of dried herbs, loamy earth, and incense, supple yet present tannins, and a great finish. It’s one classy, balanced 2019 to drink over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Fleur Cardinale derives from a late-ripening site on the north-facing side of Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau. Revealing aromas of jammy cherries, spices, dark chocolate and mocha, it’s full-bodied, broad and velvety, with powdery tannins and a generous core of lively fruit, concluding with a chalky finish. This is a fleshy, front-loaded wine in a contemporary style that will please consumers who favor power and richness, but which will leave purists wondering if less might be more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPRichly textured, with currant and fig paste notes rolling through slowly, laced liberally with humus, alder and tobacco. A touch burly, but the fruit has an unctuous hint as a counterbalance. This is for fans of the bigger style. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2037. 8,750 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA rich and smoothly textured wine, this is juicy with black currant fruits and ripe tannins. It has weight and plenty of dense fruit flavors along with tannins that have a fine potential for softening. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2019 Fombrauge is one of the best wines I have tasted from this property in some time. It shows all the richness that is typical of Bernard Magrez’s style but with less heaviness and a good deal of aromatic presence that helps balance things out. Sweet dark cherry, chocolate, leather, licorice and mocha build into the resonant, super-expressive finish. The 2019 is a classy Fombrauge.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2019 Château Fombrauge is terrific and has a good mix of richness, concentration, and elegance. Giving up notes of mulled ripe cherries, Asian spices, blackberries, tobacco, and cedar pencil on the nose, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered, pure mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just beautiful overall balance. It’s already drinking beautifully today yet will evolve positively for 5-7 years and hold for another 15-20 years. It’s another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage. This seemed more modern and polished from barrel but shows a very classic style now from bottle.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDWhile this wine is tightly structured, it also has plenty of generous black fruits that give succulent ripeness. The wine should certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis rolls through with a cashmere grace, offering cassis, steeped plum and blackberry purée flavors infused with black tea and incense notes. A late alder thread keeps this nicely grounded. Suave. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 23,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSPerfumed nose of dried flowers, sandalwood, pine cones, currants, cassis, cloves, walnuts and spiced plums. It’s medium-to full-bodied with polished, ripe and creamy tannins. Plush and velvety with a supple, fresh finish. Drink from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSFull, rich and ripe nose. This is heady with great drive and definition, a full, bold style with tannins and mouth watering acidity taking the fore right now leaving some astringency on the palate still. There is generous and ripe fruit - cherries, figs, blackcurrants underneath the tannins and a lovely fresh mint tone as well as liquorice to it but it needs at least a few years to soften and integrate. The length is impressive and overall it’s well structured suggesting a long life ahead. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2019 Fombrauge exhibits rich aromas of cherries, dark chocolate, plum preserve, licorice and new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that’s soft and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe acids and rich, powdery tannins. This is a generous, front-loaded Saint-Émilion from Bernard Magrez.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, heady wine. Even though it was just bottled, the 2019 possesses remarkable textural intensity. A whole range of floral and savory notes open as this statuesque Cabernet shows off its personality. This is an especially rich, bombastic Cabernet from Ric Forman. That is especially evident when tasted next to the 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMSimilarly hued, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley offers a classic, old school Napa Cabernet nose of darker currants, green tobacco, spring flowers, camphor, and new leather. As with the 2018, it plays in a more medium to full-bodied, elegant style, has ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. The 2019 is more accessible and open than the 2018 and should continue drinking brilliantly for another two decades if stored correctly.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

Aromas of sour red cherries, fennel and lifted floral notes of lavenders and potpourri. Medium-bodied and round textured with astringent tannins. Excellent length. Healthy and balanced. Try in 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSThe deep ruby-colored 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is more reserved on opening, with aromas of black cherry, leather, turned soil, and menthol starting to come through. Well-balanced and medium to full-bodied, its tannins are a touch firm, but it’s mouthwatering, with a more citrus-toned profile coming through to lift it along to its a salty finish. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Almost all Merlot, the 2019 Château Franc Mayne is a ripe, beautifully textured 2019 that does incredibly well in the vintage. Giving up lots of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and floral notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, the vintage’s pure, elegant texture, building tannins, and plenty of classic chalky minerality on the finish. It’s beautifully done. This estate has played on a different level starting in 2018, and these wines deserve your attention!Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Franc Mayne is a real head-turner. Ample and full bodied, Franc Mayne brings tons of black cherry/plum fruit, espresso, chocolate and licorice to the fore. The 2019 is sumptuous and exotic, with tons of intensity, with all the elements impeccably put together. It’s a terrific Franc Mayne.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGGorgeously rich, medium to full intensity in colour with plum fruit on the attack. This has extremely well judged balance between the exuberant fruit that Franc Mayne has as its signature and a more restrained supple frame in its tannins and lift. A really enjoyable wine, one of my favourites at this property. Winemaker Sophie Mage joined in 2018 from Frederic Engerer’s Rhône estate Fortboneau. Thomas Duclos new consultant also since last year. A yield of 43hl/ha.Decanter | 93 DECA fragrant nose of plums, dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets, bark and spice box. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced and velvety with a caressing texture. Plush and layered. 100% merlot. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Franc-Mayne is supple and charming, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherry and berry fruit mingled with hints of cocoa nib, warm spices and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with ripe tannins and succulent acids, it’s a generous, polished wine that will drink well with minimal bottle age. From a site next to Beau-Séjour Bécot that spans the limestone plateau, the slope and sandy clay below, it’s 100% Merlot, but Cabernet Franc has been replanted and will soon contribute to the assemblage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPMade entirely from Merlot, this is rich in vibrant black fruits. Spice and plenty of dark tannins are there to backup to what is going to be a full-bodied wine for medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

These village-specific wines are growing in popularity, and among the various expressions on the market today, this wine from Verduno is really quite special thanks to its highly distinctive floral aromas and its delicate sense of inner balance. A new project being inaugurated with this vintage, the Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno shows a fine, streamlined mouthfeel with polished tones of river stone, crushed rose and licorice root. The aromas are refined and fragile. This is a 20,000-bottle release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPFragrant and refined, Fratelli Alessandria’s 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno opens with enticing scents recalling dog rose, perfumed forest berry, cedar and eucalyptus. Lithe and elegantly structured, the savory palate reveals juicy red cherry, spiced cranberry and star anise accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins. It’s well balanced, with fresh acidity. Drink 2024–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThere is expansive perfume of anise, raspberry liqueur, rose petal, and chalky earth in the glass of the 2019 Barolo Del Comune Di Verduno. It is medium-bodied, with a persistent linear structure and fresh-driven citrus of orange peel, tea leaf, and cranberry. Allow another year and drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno is a dark, brooding wine. Dark-toned fruit, spice, menthol and licorice lend tons of intensity to this decidedly potent Verduno Barolo. There’s real density and mid-palate richness. This is far from an entry-level bottling, that is for sure. Patience is essential.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2019 Barolo Gramolere (with 7,000 bottles made) shows a slightly sweeter and riper fruit profile. This wine comes from the village of Monforte d’Alba, which is known for more structured and powerful wines compared to Verduno (where this winery is based), which offers lighter, more floral wines instead. Gramolere shows dark fruit, plum and spice, but it also has a pretty mineral note of rust or iron. However, within this portfolio, this wine may well deliver the longest drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPMore concertation of fruit can be found in the 2019 Barolo Gramolere. with raspberry liqueur, spice box, and licorice. It is medium bodied but has a more expanded feel. with notes of dried apricot, grenadine, blood orange, and tobacco. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDCedar, violet, Asian spice and ripe black-skinned fruit aromas lift out of the glass along with balsamic whiffs of camphor. Juicy and full-bodied, the smooth palate doles out ripe black cherry, almond liqueur, licorice alongside velvety, enveloping tannins. Drink 2025–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThe 2019 Barolo Gramolere, tasted from barrel, is the most elegant wine Vittore Alessandria has made yet from his family’s holdings in Monforte. Medium in body and transparent, the 2019 offers up black cherry, lavender, spice, licorice, dried herbs and menthol are all laced together in a layered, mysterious wine that captures the essence of Nebbiolo in Barolo. The classically austere finish is a thing of beauty.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

The 2019 Barolo Monvigliero shows a medium dark garnet appearance with an especially focused quality of fruit. There is wild cherry and Japanese plum, but the Monvigliero cru also delivers crushed rose, earthy iris root, candied orange peel with clove and dustings of black pepper. The wine is exceedingly silky and polished in texture, but its inherent complexity is never diminished. It should be interesting to revisit this bottle after the 10-year mark. This estate was the first to bottle a Monvigliero in 1978, and today 7,000 bottles are made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero is layered with cinnamon, red cherry, white pepper, and apricot and is dry, elegant, and medium-bodied on the palate, with fine tannins and mouthwatering salinity. Revealing notes of orange pith, warming spice, and pomegranate seed, it is long on the palate with a linear approach. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFratelli Alessandria’s 2019 Monvigliero is full-bodied and delicious, delivering flavors of raspberry compote, blood orange, licorice and tobacco enveloped in velvety tannins. It’s bold but also possesses an almost weightless finesse, and thanks to the fruit richness, you’d never guess this has an abv of 15%. Drink 2026–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero, tasted from barrel, is fabulous. Silky and elegant, with tons of energy, the Monvigliero is showing beautifully today, even as a sample from tank with low SO2 typical of this stage pre-bottling. Even so, all the translucent finesse of Monvigliero comes through loud and clear. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, blood orange, mint and white pepper lend brightness. The 2019 is shaping up to be a real beauty. It’s one of those young wines that is very hard to spit.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMFirst produced in 1978, the vines on this 1.4ha plot are now 50 years old. Traditional winemaking with long maceration and ageing in botti grandi. Dense and ruby in colour, the nose is restrained: earthy, with dried mushroom, rose and violet, cinnamon, and fresh pomegranate. Vibrant, savoury and delicate yet chewy on the palate, its tannins are extracted but polished, and a bit rigid on the finish. Not really ready to drink; a structure that defies time.Decanter | 90 DEC

This vineyard delivers slightly more concentrated fruit and a medium-dark appearance from loamy calcareous soils. The 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno delivers more oomph and power with ripe cherry, blackcurrant, dark spice and earthy aromas. Fratelli Alessandria makes some of the most harmonious wines in Verduno, and that quality comes through beautifully in this wine, despite the slightly more robust fruit weight delivered by San Lorenzo di Verduno. Only 5,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThere is a fresh mineral character in the 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo Di Verduno with wet asphalt, red cherry, orange, and clove. It is medium-bodied but takes on more structure and concentration, with ripe, fine tannins, dusty earth,and cranberry cocktail, and long with citrus on the finish. A nervy wine, it will benefit from another couple of years in bottle and drink well 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDCamphor, wild rose, ripe berry and new leather are just some of the aromas that you’ll find on Fratelli Alessandria’s fragrant 2019 San Lorenzo di Verduno. Full-bodied and buffed to a smooth sheen, the juicy, chewy palate doles out fleshy black cherry, crushed mint and licorice framed in tightly knit, velvety tannins. You’ll also detect the subtle warmth of alcohol on the finish, but the fruit richness easily supports it. Drink 2026–2034. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KO The 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno, tasted from barrel, is another potent wine from Alessandria. Heady and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous energy and drive from start to finish. Dark red fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth, rose petal, licorice and iron are some of the many notes that race out of the glass. The 2019 is wild and racy, sort of like a misbehaved child, but in the best sense! I can’t wait to see how it turns out.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

Orthodox in taste and vinification, a Brunello of intensity and tension. The nose shows hints of pomegranate, with touches of eucalyptus and juniper, then citrine thyme in the closing. Sip with salty-sapid tannins, with a return of balsamic notes and pomegranate.Luca Gardini (Gardini Notes) | 100 GNPerfumed with sweet berry, fresh flower and cedar aromas that follow through to a medium-bodied palate with firm and chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Very classy and structured. Extremely long. Give it time to open. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSShowing the intensity and concentration of the vintage but also the finesse that’s the hallmark of this storied estate, the 2019 Fuligni is a stunner. It opens with aromas of camphor, violet, dog rose and spice while the full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers succulent black cherry, crushed raspberry, dried mint and licorice alongside velvety tannins. Boasting a weightless elegance, it closes on a note of almond liqueur. Drink 2029–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOWith dark fruit balanced out by savory notes of tobacco leaf or cigar ash, the Fuligni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is rich and beautifully concentrated. In little time, the bouquet reveals a floral interlude with dried rose petal and a tropical note of hibiscus. This wine shows a lot of angles, all very pleasant, that work together. The tannins are dusty and finely textured with a hint of powdery cocoa to close. Production is 33,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDusty and floral, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a perfumed blend of dried roses, cherries, mint and lavender candies. It’s elegant and seamlessly silky on the palate, enveloping the senses with ripe red berry fruits contrasted by a bitter clove tinge. A core of brisk acidity maintains a lovely balance as a web of fine tannins saturates the palate, and a pleasantly chewy sensation remains. The 2019 is classic to the core.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Only in its second vintage, the certified organic Gagliole 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva addresses the need for a category that sits between the entry-level reds and the high-end Gran Selezione wines. Fruit is sourced exclusively from Panzano for an intense ruby color shaded by elegant darkness. Aromas recall blackberry, graphite, flint and white pepper. This wine prizes freshness, a streamlined mouthfeel and those pretty mineral notes that drive a very long and polished finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva takes things up a notch for a more complete and robust wine, with a rich perfume of pure black cherry, anise, and dried lavender. The palate is equally more concentrated, with medium to full body, fine tannins, and a silky mouthfeel that is long with juicy fruit. This is a pure, clean, sunny wine that is hard to resist now. Drink 2023-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDBeautiful aromas of roses and other flowers, together with fresh cherries and lemon rind, following through to a medium body with freshness and vivid intensity to the finish. Spicy at the end. From organically grown grapes.James Suckling | 93 JSThis red leads with black cherry, blackberry, mineral and oak spice flavors. Shows a solid spine of tannins and lively acidity for support, revealing a crisp, lightly astringent feel on the finish. Best from 2026 through 2045. 2,500 cases made, 850 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSNotes of licorice and black olive accent flavors of red cherry and tangy orange peel. High-toned and floral, with lingering spice notes on the finish.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&SThe 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva emerges from estate vineyards in Panzano. Sweet floral and spice notes add lovely inner perfume to this elegant, silky Riserva. This is an especially gracious, understated Riserva for Panzano. All the elements are nicely balanced in a Riserva that will drink well with minimal cellaring. The aromatics are especially expressive today. The 2019 spent 12 months in neutral oak followed by six months in cement. (Drink between 2023 - 2034)Vinous Media | 90 VM

Gaja’s 2019 Barbaresco was bottled only a few days before this tasting but it already has sweet roses and red fruits on the nose with very subtle, gentle spice notes. It has a great texture and flows gracefully across the palate. It feels very harmonious with plenty of refreshing acidity and finely integrated tannins. Sublimely elegant with a fine, silt-like texture to the tannins, it is poised, beautifully understated and charming. Keep for 2 years and drink for up to 20 plus.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIHeady aromas of rose, violet, forest berry and a whiff of oak-driven spice shape the nose. Smooth and full-bodied, the elegantly structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, licorice and coffee bean set against taut, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2025–2034.Kerin O’Keefe July 2022 | 96 KO(Gaja Barbaresco Red) Gaja’s 2019 Barbaresco is gorgeous. Bright and nervy, with fabulous balance, the 2019 captures all the best this tricky vintage had to offer. Gaja did not bottle any other Barbaresco crus, opting to use the best lots for this bottling. That decision paid off in a 2019 that sizzles with tension. The aromatics alone are captivating. Bright acids lend vibrancy to a core of beautifully delineated Nebbiolo fruit. I can’t wait to see how this ages. (Drink between 2025-2039)Antonio Galloni | 93+ AG

This is a gorgeous vintage that continues to flesh out beautifully. I added an extra point to my score since the last time I tasted the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda in order to underline the great potential of this vintage. This wine could legally be a Bolgheri Superiore, but Angelo Gaja prefers not to use qualifying wine terms such as Superiore, Classico or Riserva in his various wine projects spanning from Piedmont to Tuscany to Etna. Semantics aside, this is a gorgeous wine—one of the best made at Ca’ Marcanda for sure—with impressive intensity and balance. Dark fruit and blackberry are contrasted against spice, tobacco, grilled rosemary and Mediterranean bramble. The 2019 vintage saw favorable weather conditions and "just the right amount of rain," Gaja says.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPCa’ Marcanda is officially a Bolgheri DOC, not a Superiore, but it is handled as if it were the latter. The blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc (there has been no Merlot since 2015) - a small percentage whole-bunch - is aged in oak (10% new) for 18 months. Volume and vibrancy distinguishes this 2019. It’s super-floral on the nose, with a graceful violet aroma, restrained cassis, a smorgasbord of Mediterranean herbs, the leafy eucalyptus typical of Bolgheri, and savoury chocolate and tobacco. The attack is full, with refined crunchy tannins and brilliant acidity. An enticing wine worth waiting for. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035Decanter | 96 DECThis verges on thick yet remains balanced and vibrant, courtesy of the lively acidity. Boasts blackberry, dark plum and blueberry flavors framed by tar and toasty oak. The finish is both dense and clean, with a hint of licorice. Excellent length and potential. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,500 cases made, 225 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA very beautiful young red with blackcurrant, fresh herb and hints of cedar and smoke. It’s full-bodied yet very polished and refined with a lovely texture. Extremely long and graceful. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Camarcanda is a very good example of how much the wines have changed here. Medium in body with good depth, the 2019 Camarcanda is a tightly wound wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Dark cherry, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice build nicely, with pretty floral and mineral accents that liven up the finish. The 2019 is classy, elegant and polished. Give it a few years, as the tannins are pretty intense today, but this softens nicely with air.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AG

Cabernet franc makes up 60 per- cent of Magari, bolstering the blend’s structure and freshness (it no longer includes merlot). The wine’s flavors of blackcurrant and plum show a pleasant tangy edge, its earthy tannins firmly guiding the fruit tones without overwhelming them. Hints of licorice and graphite emerge with air, and the dark fruit mingles with iodine notes on the long, seamless finish.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe Ca’ Marcanda 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Magari offers a surprisingly subtle side to the three very powerful grapes that make up the blend. These are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The bouquet is generous and full, with an intricate embroidery of lavender flower, garden herb, black fruit, spice and tobacco. You might even detect a hint of black olive. Magari is structured and solid but never heavy, and it offers a good sense of fresh acidity that makes for a lively and bright finish. That more acidic vein is neatly folded into ample fruity sweetness and flavor.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a firm yet velvety-textured red with blackberry, sage, pine-needle and dried-flower aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a lovely mouth feel and a long finish. Drink after 2023, when everything will have come more together.James Suckling | 93 JSStarts out rich, yet underscored by vibrant acidity and a line of refined tannins, which provide the support for this red’s black currant, black cherry, wild herb and iron flavors. Finishes lean and firm. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

There are only 365 cases of Gandona’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which comes from the property’s terraced parcels. Richer and more concentrated than the Encosta bottling, there’s a bit tighter weave to the wine’s fabric and more room for aging, as well as richly concentrated notes of cassis, dark chocolate and earth. Long, tannic and intense, this should evolve nicely for 20 years or so.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Gandona has wonderful elegance and purity, and the tannin quality is a big step up over the Encosta. Black fruits, graphite, some floral notes, and background oak all make an appearance, and it’s full-bodied, has beautiful purity, silky tannins, and just loads of character. Drink it over the coming 15-20 years, although I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see it evolve longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The 2019 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has an attractive nose, more extrovert than others from this climat, displaying scents of yellow plum, pressed white flower, crushed rock and subtle Granny Smith apple. The palate is clean and fresh, a dab of bitter lemon on the entry combining neatly with the silver bead of acidity. Quite tensile toward the finish, which lingers in the mouth. This may warrant a higher score with bottle age. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2019 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a very pretty bouquet of yellow flowers, honeysuckle and light white truffle scents, plus a touch of flint in the background. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. This is certainly one of the more elegant Grand Crus in 2019, displaying admirable poise and a touch of spice toward the lingering finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A rich, full and heady nose. On the palate there’s ripe blackcurrant, red cherries, raspberries and strawberries but also some mint, black pepper and truffle. Excellent precision and density with a seductive dark chocolate edge. Feels well handled with a sense of classicism. A powerful, muscular and confident wine, but with suppleness - this has density but also grace with a cooling finish comprising liquorice, mint and soft salinity. A great wine. (Drink between 2025-2047)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Gazin has a convincing, perfumed nose of beautifully defined red fruit, light estuarine aromas, touches of crushed stone and even a hint of fig. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit. There is very good depth and substance here, and veins of dark chocolate and allspice toward the finish. The only minor quibble is that it needs a little more finesse. But it is a superb Gazin and a great Pomerol.Vinous Media | 95 VMA perfumed nose of mulberries, plums, chocolate orange and cloves. Hints of toffee, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Caressing, velvety and rich core of dark fruit. So supple and polished. 88.5% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 4.5% cabernet franc. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Gazin is a fleshy, dramatic wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe berry fruit mingled with subtle hints of truffle and violets, its new oak already entirely integrated. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it’s broad and textural, with lively acids, powdery tannins and fine length on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPWhile the 2019 Château Gazin isn’t going to match the 2018, it’s an elegant, solid Pomerol delivering spicy red and black cherry fruits, notes of cedary herbs and flowers, medium-bodied richness, silky yet building tannins, and a great finish. This elegant, nicely structured, balanced beauty will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

For the first time, Maxime Chuerlin decided to use stems in his crown jewel, the 2019 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, settling on 25% whole bunch for this year. This was an astute decision, because it lends freshness and more complexity to the bouquet of blackberry, undergrowth, tobacco and crushed limestone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, hints of peppermint behind the black fruit and touches of white pepper and sage toward a finish that fans out wonderfully. A slam-dunk for Maxime Churlin. Five barrels produced, matured entirely in new oak.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Georges Noëllat Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) In contrast to the expressiveness of the Echézeaux, this is aromatically more restrained and somber and only grudgingly reveals its more floral-suffused aromas of various dark berries, spice and lavender and violet scents. The sleek and impressively intense bigger-bodied flavors are also not especially dense with very good detail, all wrapped in a dusty, somewhat angular and short finish. Note that my score assumes that this become much more harmonious with a few years in bottle as the underlying material appears to be quite good. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru, matured in 80% new oak, has a very detailed, focused bouquet of blackberry, briar, raspberry jam and light orange peel aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly tarry opening, a smear of dark chocolate combining nicely with the dark berry fruit, but it is unapologetically backward and surly on the finish compared with the Echézeaux or the Vosne Les Chaumes, so give it some serious cellaring.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM(Domaine Georges Noëllat Vosne-Romanée "Les Beaux Monts" 1er Cru Red) A ripe but cool and even spicier nose offers up notes of anise and hoisin on the pretty aromas of black pinot fruit and violet nuances. The sleek, refined and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors are not especially dense though there is enough sap to buffer the moderately firm supporting tannins on the balanced finish. This isn’t quite as vibrant as the Petits Monts but it’s attractive in a riper fashion. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 89-92 BH

The 2019 Barolo opens to good balance between tart berry fruit and secondary aromas of toasted spice. Spaced out nicely in between are floral tones, crushed stone and rusty nail. The wine shows rich concentration and lots of dark fruit, yet it also gives room for the more nuanced and fleeting side of Nebbiolo. There is a salty or mineral note that adds a feeling of dryness to the polished finish. Some 15,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAlessandria’s 2019 Barolo is gorgeous. Sweet dark cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, rose petal, mint and orange peel lead into a core of soft, open-knit fruit. Silky tannins and soft contours add to its overall appeal. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but it is the wine’s overall balance that is most impressive of all.Vinous Media | 94 VM

A ripe and layered red with lots of currant and chocolate character, as well as some walnut and cocoa powder. Crushed stones, too. It’s full and layered with round tannins and a juicy and plush texture. Crushed velvet that turns to silk. Very cool and long. Plenty going on here. Give it three to four years to come together. But will age beautifully for years to come. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Giscours is every bit as compelling today as it was from barrel. Dark and sumptuous in feel, Giscours shows off its notable dimension and breadth. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, tobacco, menthol and licorice intensify as this gorgeous, beautifully layered Margaux builds with time in the glass. The 2019 is a big wine, but not quite as exuberant as the 2018. Tasted two timesAntonio Galloni | 96 AGGorgeous floral aromatics, so perfumed and pretty, really leaping out the glass with an amazingly vibrant pink/purple colour too. Such an excellent delivery of flavour on the palate, you have shiny, bright fruit and well-expressed terroir with smooth and supportive tannins. It shows the heat of the vintage in the density and deep core of spice-edged red and black fruit but also has a juicy, bright acidity that underpins the fruit and keeps things refreshing. Full of elegance, precision and confidence - all the elements in harmony with consistency and persistence. A wonderful wine. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot. Drinking Window 2025 - 2039.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Giscours has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berries, cherries, burning embers, lilac and violets framed by a discreet patina of new oak. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s polished and perfumed, with a velvety, seamless profile and bright animating acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Alexandre Van Beek and his team are taking this estate to heights it hasn’t hit since the 1970s, and this is another of the great bargains of the 2019 en primeur campaign.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPChecking in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, the 2019 Château Giscours is one heck of an impressive Margaux. Deep purple-hued, with a great nose of both black and blue fruits as well as sappy herbs, tobacco, and flowers, it has nicely integrated oak, medium to full body, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done. Hide bottles for 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDReally solid for the vintage, with a fresh edge to the mix of black currant, blackberry and fig paste flavors. This wine’s energy extends through the finish, where humus, singed cedar, savory and iron-tinged minerality add range and cut. Still shows the vintage’s excessive heat, but this manages it better than most of its peers. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2035. 23,000 cases made, 5,000 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Showing beautifully, with the polished, pure, elegant style of the vintage, the 2019 Château Gloria sports a deeper ruby/purple color as well as great aromatics of cassis and assorted blue fruits to go with smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, damp earth, and floral notes. I love its purity, and it’s just a quintessential, medium to full-bodied, layered Saint-Julien that can be drunk today or cellared for a solid two decades. It should be a no-brainer purchase for the wine lovers out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Gloria personifies classic Saint-Julien, offering blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and tobacco scents, maybe a little conservative in style, but unashamed about that. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite firm tannins. Fresh and saline, this gets the saliva going with a precise, persistent finish and leaves hints of graphite on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94 VMRock-solid, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood and mesquite frame around a well-layered core of black currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. The finish features dots of tobacco and tar that add range, but the real driver is a long bolt of iron, which gives this a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSuch a deep, concentrated nose, full of ripe blackcurrants and black cherries. Great intensity and concentration on the palate, some dark spicy notes, liquorice, black pepper and cinnamon around the edges alongside layers of juicy and succulent ripe fruit. A full, bold wine no doubt, real power here but stylish and energetic. If you like the gourmet style, this one is great. (Drink between 2024-2039)Decanter | 94 DECSweet berry and cherry aromas with violets, following through to a medium to full body with creamy, linear tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Tight and curated, in a structured way. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Gloria has turned out very well, delivering aromas of blackcurrants, plums, burning embers and a deft framing of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and nicely concentrated, with a vibrant core of ripe and fleshy fruit, lively acids and powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish, this shows considerable promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, all from the upper blocks in this vintage, is regal, and supremely polished right out of the gate. Inky blue fruit, crème de cassis, lavender, menthol and cloves are some of the many aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass. Silky tannins wrap it all together in style. Medium in body, gracious and elegant, the 2019 is so impressive. I can’t remember a Grace Cabernet with this much sheer finesse. Helen Keplinger has done a tremendous job in taming the tannins at Grace, historically one of the biggest challenges here. Epic.Vinous Media | 99 VMBlackberries, bramble berries, forest floor, bark and bay leaf. Cassis bush. Oyster shell. Mushroom. Full-bodied, and very structured. Compacted palate. Solid tannins that spread across the palate. Extremely well framed. Opens at the end. Give this some time but already gorgeous. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSBeautiful any way you look at it, and a truly great wine, the flagship 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers a refined, incredibly elegant style while still showing the expansive, sexy, layered style of this brilliant vintage. Cassis, currant buds, smoked tobacco, violets, baking spices, and brambly herb notes all define the profile, and it s full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, has velvety tannins, and a great finish. All Cabernet Sauvignon from a site just north of St. Helena, aged 21 months in 85% new French oak, this sensational, singular beauty will continue drinking spectacularly well over the coming two decades. Hats off to winemaker Helen Keplinger for an utterly brilliant wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDark and winey, this has a tightly coiled core of red and black currant preserves mixed with licorice, alder, juniper and sweet bay leaf. Shows extra flickers of mulberry and warm earth through the finish, where a buried cast iron note peeks through. Some patience is needed here. Best from 2024 through 2040. 82 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS