Red Wines

wines

No written review provided | 95 W&SIncredible as you look at these colours heading back to the 1990s; they are barely budging at all. Here I get quite a different quality the smoke, more like wet woodsmoke from a fire that has been doused, or the smoky aspect to Japanese green tea. A clearly powerful wine, one that has real depth and impact, with flavours that keep slowly building one on top of the other. More burly than some, this feels burnished under the Tuscan sun. I prefer the 2001 for its power that walks the line, this is resplendent but in full Super Tuscan mode.Decanter | 94 DECI am happy to see this holding on so well after not tasting it for years. It was always a richer and softer Sassicaia due to the hot growing season. I drank this in Cannes, France, yesterday with some friends and it now shows a soft and delicious character with dried fruits, spice and mushroom and hints of herbs. Full-bodied, silky and velvety. Round and clean. Drink or hold. But wonderful and sassy now.James Suckling | 93 JSIntense dark ruby. Dark berry fruit and exotic spice scents fill the high-toned, penetrating nose. Offers a deep core of beautifully delineated blackberry and blackcurrant flavors layered with bell pepper, dark chocolate and minerals. Smooth tannins frame the very long finish, leaving one with the impression of persistence and balance.Vinous Media | 93 VMShows its class. Loaded with fruit. Rich yet balanced, with lots of jammy and plummy character. Full-bodied, with round tannins and a silky finish. Exotic. Sass made excellent wine again in a less than easy year. Best after 2006. 16,600 cases made, 2,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

My favorite wine of this quartet is the 2003 Cariad, a proprietary blend (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc) that comes from David Abreu-owned vineyards, primarily the Madrona Ranch in St. Helena. Its dense color is accompanied by a big, sweet bouquet of charcoal, white chocolate, spring flowers, meaty, blueberry and blackberry fruit. This stunningly complex, rich, full-bodied 2003 is just entering its plateau of full maturity. Drink this beauty over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 97 RPA Bordeaux blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the grapes for this stunning wine came from David Abreu’s vineyard in the St. Helena foothills. It’s very complex, softer, more open and approachable than Colgin’s 100% Cabs, with a flamboyant spectrum of cherries, framboise, cocoa, violets, gingerbread and spices framed in supple, fine tannins. Beautiful, a feminine wine of great beauty. Drink now through 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEGood deep ruby-red. Aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, mocha and menthol offer great lift. Then superripe and densely packed, with great sweetness and inner-mouth aromatic character. The flavors of black cherry and leather are given definition by a strong element of liquid stone. Finishes extremely long, with lush, suave tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMRich and complete, yet shows the signs of the vintage with its austerity. Dense, with earthy currant, black cherry and wild berry fruit that’s tight and compact. Finishes with tight tannins and persistent flavors that return to the currant and earth themes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2007 through 2012. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Low yield and clear concentration, at 15 years old we can just start to see some early bottle ageing notes as it relaxes into itself, with dried rose aromatics and gorgouesly tight, bright olives, rosemary, grilled cedar and black pepper. Opens up beautifully in the glass, this has excellent persistency and is a clear success. 1% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 29 days skin contact. Cool temperatures and slow ripening in this year, longest recorded growing season at Opus, with harvest finishing on November 2. Drinking Window 2019 - 2034Decanter | 96 DECFrom a long, moderate growing season, according to Silacci, this is fully formed, with gently mulled cassis and cherry preserve flavors that move slowly, yielding hints of savory and iron along the way. A broad swath of tannins emerges on the loamy finish, keeping this firmly grounded in terroir. Gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.—Non-blind Opus One vertical (September 2019). Drink now through 2032. 22,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis famous wine, first created by the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild and the late Robert Mondavi, started off life as a very good, but rarely exceptional wine. Over the last ten or more years, the administration at Mouton Rothschild, particularly the team led by Philippe Dhalluin, has truly pushed the level of quality to the point where this is clearly one of the great wines of Napa. And after so many years, it represents the pinnacle of French viticultural knowledge combined with that of California and Napa’s Shangri La-like microclimate. The 2005 Opus One, a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, has a ruby/purple color and a beautiful, sweet nose of créme de cassis and spring flowers. Complex and medium to full-bodied, with silky tannin and superb purity and balance, this is exactly what Opus One was meant to be when it was first proposed. Of course, it is a popular wine to criticize, but the quality has never been better, and certainly 2005 is a beauty. It is reaching full maturity at ten years, but I think there is still another 10-15+ years of upside potential in this wine. It is full-bodied, opulent and, dare I say, delicious. Given its popularity and brand recognition, it’s nice to know that even at a major steak house you can probably find this wine and be thrilled to buy it and drink it.Robert Parker | 95 RPDeep, saturated ruby-red. Explosive nose combines currant, plum, dried cranberry and minerals, plus some suggestions of very ripe fruit. Plush, dry and classic; more minerally than fruity in the mouth, with complicating notes of herbs, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate. Not a particularly fleshy style; in fact, this very youthful wine is still a bit unyielding. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and terrific subtle energy, a hint of orange peel adding lift.Vinous Media | 93 VMSage, bay leaf, mint, plum, and forest floor on the nose. Full bodied, with a solid core of fruit and a nice chewy finish. Let this rest until 2012. 14+23+22+33.James Suckling | 92 JS

Deserves its high score by virtue of power and sheer flamboyant dazzle. Packed with ripe, sweet cherries and milk chocolate, with a decadently meaty taste, like beef tartare. Oak plays the usual role, adding a caramelly, buttered toast richness. The tannins are brilliant, so soft and sweet, they're like candy. Drink this flashy wine over the next six years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBeautifully done in an ultraripe style. Gushing, with a jammy berry pie mix of wild berry, blackberry and raspberry flavors that are complex and supple. Full-bodied, gaining depth and richness on the long, persistent, tapered finish, which echoes black licorice, loamy earth and spice. Drink now through 2021. 925 cases made. — JLWine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard, from a vineyard at the base of Howell Mountain, is deep, sensual and powerful. It shows terrific richness in its dark cherries, plums, mocha, licorice and tobacco. This is a totally gorgeous wine loaded with character.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a medium garnet color and nose of cherry cordial, cassis and blueberry compote with fragrant earth, candied violets and crushed rocks nuances. The palate is full-bodied, rich, elegant and firm with a lovely graininess and bold freshness, finishing very long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Defined by rich, plush, silky flavors of dark berry and mocha, this is remarkably elegant and polished, deep and persistent, gliding along with a seamless texture and a long, saturating finish. Drink now through 2030. 300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between is medium garnet colored and gives up black cherries and mulberries with earth and wafts of dried flowers, pencil shavings and cassis plus yeast extract. The palate is full-bodied, firm and finely grained with lovely mineral accents and a great core, finishing very long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between Vineyard has developed beautifully since I last tasted it from barrel. Mocha, espresso, exotic spices and orange peel all come together in this inviting, multi-dimensional Cabernet Sauvignon. Totally alive in the glass, the wine is constantly changing, and reveals different sides of its personality with each taste. Hints of sweet red berries and cloves add complexity on the long, polished finish.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

Glorious purity of fruit here with black currants, blueberries, dark chocolate, fresh herbs and forest floor. Hints of mint too, plus hazelnut and chocolate. Full body with seamless tannins and balance. Tight and compacted tannins with beautiful fruit and great length. Goes on for minutes. One of the best Opus’ in years. Hard not to drink now but better in 2018. October 2015 release. This is 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 2% malbec.James Suckling | 97 JSA near-ideal vintage, where all parts were perfect. Here we are at full peak Opus; satin-like in texture, packed with cassis, bilberry and crushed raspberry fruits, not overly concentrated but confident enough to take on its Californian peers. A sunny juicy richness to the wine is just lovely, and a menthol mouth watering finish makes this pretty irresistable. 2% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 18 days skin contact. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThe iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 96 RP Rich, powerful and seductive, the 2012 Opus One blossoms in the glass with superb textural richness and volume. Dark red and black fruit, smoke, cedar, new leather and tobacco all meld together as the 2012 shows off its personality. Fine, silky tannins support the huge, creamy finish. The 2012 has just been bottled, but it is superb. I expect the 2012 will offer a long and broad drinking window of pure pleasure. Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA Pauillac-like expression from Napa Valley, this features smoky, toasty oak from the get-go, framing the intense flavors of earth, crushed rock and gravelly dried dark berry. The dense core of fruit pushes through a front of rustic graphite and loamy earth. Finishes with a long, layered aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Drink now through 2028. 28,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Woodland berry, blue flower, sunbaked soil and a whiff of dark spice shape the nose. Structured and extremely elegant, the focused, impeccable palate doles out juicy red cherry, strawberry, baking spice and star anise set against taut polished tannins that provide seamless support. It’s well balanced, with fresh acidity. It’s already tempting but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2032. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA combination of savory and fruit elements, this red reveals cherry, berry, eucalyptus, menthol, tar and mineral flavors. Firms up, with monolithic tannins locking this tight. Patience is required. Best from 2023 through 2042. 900 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WSA rich and layered Barbaresco with cedar and plums, as well as light leather and rose aromas that follow to a full yet balanced palate and a chewy finish. Very polished. Drink in 2020, but already beautiful.James Suckling | 95 JSGaja’s 2015 Barbaresco is gorgeous. Deep, pliant and resonant, the 2015 exudes class from the very first taste. Today, the aromatics are not especially open or expressive, but it is the wine’s depth and overall sense of harmony that really carry the day. Hints of orange peel, spice and rosewater give the 2015 an exotic aromatic top register that is hugely appealing. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this gem. The 2015 is a wonderfully complete and harmonious wine, but it really does need a few years in the cellar to fully unwind.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2015 Barbaresco was to be bottled a week after I tasted this sample for review. Gaia Gaja was waiting for the right moon before commencing bottling. This vintage is not unlike the 2005 growing season that saw a good amount of rain in spring and scorching heat in the summer. The risk of downy mildew made vintners extra vigilant. Although the 2015 vintage was not ideal for color fixing Nebbiolo (indeed, this wine is slightly less intense in terms of its color saturation), it did prove an important year for power, structure and dry extract. This is a full and generous expression with a fine, loose texture and rich fruit flavors.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPClassic Nebbiolo perfume of violet and raspberry, followed by red cranberry and cherry fruit. Sweet, slightly creamy oak; this is approachable and – although it lacks the depth of the single vineyard wines – it’s still impressively long with gorgeous charm. (Drink between 2018-2032)Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2017 Maya is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc and was bottled one week before I tasted it. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens with profound earthy notions of truffles, damp soil, crushed rocks and tar over a core of Black Forest cake, black raspberries, blueberry compote and aged meat plus touches of wilted roses and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is solidly structured with firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness lifting the multilayered blue and black fruits with a long, perfumed finish. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2017 Maya is not only gorgeous, it also appears to have handled the rigors of the growing season more successfully than the others. Ripe red cherry and plum fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and spice all build as this racy, sumptuous wine shows off its considerable allure. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are just magic here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGTiny production from the eastern hills of Oakville. If you love Bordeaux wines it’s such a treat to taste a blend of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, something that you rarely see in the Médoc. It works extremely well, with an aromatic kick of raspberry leaf and violet flowers but the key to the body is coffee, bilberry, rosemary, mulberry and cloves. Great acidity set against power and concentration. The savoury edge that makes Cabernet such a delicious food-friendly wine is here, and is extremely elegant and refined but with a punch and undertow. Good stuff, with long ageing potential. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe plum and chocolate, as well as hazelnut and dried-flower character is prevalent here. It’s full-bodied, yet very refined with lovely, polished tannins and a long, crisp finish. Balanced and focused. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSSolidly built, with ganache, plum, fig paste, smoldering tobacco and loam notes rolled together, ending with a muscular feel on the dark finish. Reveals a strong tug of terroir. Will need some time to stretch out fully. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. 800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A fist of late summer cherries, raspberry and bilberry fruits set out their stall, all with the juicy character that confirms, even in a hot vintage like 2017, Opus can deliver balance and sculpted elegance. Beautiful grip, creamy texture with a strikingly powerful tannic frame. As the wine stays in the glass the floral aromatics begin to bloom up. A brilliant Opus. 20 days maceration - around half what it would have been a decade ago. 54% native yeast, as part of their native yeast project. 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec complete the blend. Harvest spread out over September 5 to October 8, just before the fires, by which time they had less than 10% of the fruit still out on the vines. 3.7pH. Drinking Window 2023 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECOpus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA remarkable wine for the year, the 2017 Opus One is a dense, full-throttle beauty. Plush fruit and soft, silky contours give the 2017 its racy personality. Exotic, beautifully perfumed and impeccable in its balance, Opus One is one of the most complete wines of the vintage. In 2017, Opus One has a distinctly red-toned fruit profile that distinguishes it from the surrounding vintages.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGLots of currant and floral notes on the nose. Hints of mint and spice. Medium-to full-bodied, round and savory with creamy, juicy tannins. Hints of citrus underneath. Bright, fresh and delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThis features currant and plum fruit, with tobacco, loam and singed savory notes, maintaining range and driving through the finish. The structure is fine-grained, delivering a lingering hint of acidity. A more subtle expression of Cabernet. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Best from 2022 through 2036. 27,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru shows some clever use of stem, quite focused and well-defined, wonderful Pinoté here, very fragrant and floral. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannins, fresh and quite saline with a vibrant, animated finish that has impressive sapidity for the vintage. There is a beguiling sense of completeness here. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMFrom holdings located exclusively in lieu-dit En la Chapelle, Trapet’s 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru offers up an inviting bouquet of cassis, plums, dark chocolate and pungent spices, framed by a deft touch of toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, it’s deep, layered and fine-boned, built around elegantly chalky tannins that are cloaked in a lively core of fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95+ RP(Chapelle-Chambertin- Domaine Trapet Père et Fils) Chapelle-Chambertin is quite a warm terroir, so I wondered how it would turn out in the torrid summer of 2018, but Jean-Louis picked this very early and the alcohol comes in at a quite classic 13.5 percent this year. The wine is ripe and powerful in personality, albeit, still with that characteristic Chapelle elegance, as it wafts from the glass in a gorgeous blend of plums, black cherries, grilled meats, cigar wrapper, chocolate, an excellent base of soil, vanillin oak and a distinct topnote of fresh nutmeg. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with firm, ripe and seamless tannins, excellent focus and grip and a very long, nascently complex and classic finish. This is outstanding. (Drink between 2030-2080)John Gilman | 95 JG(Domaine Trapet Pere & Fils Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) A deft application of wood sets off riper aromas of poached plum and black cherry liqueur that display a plenitude of floral and discreet spice elements. The relatively big-bodied flavors are rich to the point of opulence while possessing a caressing texture, all wrapped in a very firm and impressively long finale. I like the balance as the firm tannins are already well-integrated. Lovely stuff. (Drink starting 2035)Burghound | 94 BH

The 2018 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is more subdued on the nose than Faiveley’s Mazis-Chambertin: scents of baked cherry, bergamot, wild strawberry and quite pronounced sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, taut and linear. Some new oak momentarily just impedes the finish that detracts from the terroir expression, but it does cohere wonderfully in the glass. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2018 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is a magical wine in the making, and readers might think of it as a more elegant, structurally refined version of Trapet’s 1999 Latricières. Wafting from the glass with notes of cherries, cassis, dark chocolate, coniferous forest floor and rose petals, it’s full-bodied, velvety and layered, with an incisive spine of acidity, lively acids and terrific concentration, concluding with a long, resonant finish. This is worth a special effort to seek out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP(Latricières-Chambertin- Domaine Trapet Père et Fils) The 2018 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Trapet is another brilliant example of the vintage. As the microclimate here is cooler than in Chapelle, the wine is a tad less powerful in personality out of the blocks and is an absolute classic in the making. The nose is deep, pure and very precise, offering up scents of sweet dark berries, black cherries, meaty tones, a great base of dark soil tones, woodsmoke, espresso and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, soil-driven and shows off stunning mid-palate depth, with lovely focus and nascent complexity, suave, buried tannins and outstanding length and grip on the perfectly balanced finish. A gorgeous vintage of the Trapet family’s Latricières. (Drink between 2030-2080)John Gilman | 95+ JGJean-Louis Trapet’s 0.78ha parcel runs up the slope from the top to the bottom of the Grand Cru and was planted in two stages in 1937 and 1946. Exhibiting the freshness of the site, especially welcome in a vintage like 2018, this has appealing notes of clove and ginger spice, fine-grained 40% new oak, textured tannins, sweet raspberry fruit and a refreshing finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine Trapet Pere & Fils Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) This too presents a deft touch of wood on the slightly cooler and even more floral-infused aromas of wild dark berries, anise, tea and forest floor. There is slightly better energy and certainly much more minerality on the dusty, youthfully austere and sneaky long finish. As one would reasonably expect given the natural coolness of Latricières, this is less marked by the heat of the 2018 vintage. This too is really quite lovely and harmonious. (Drink starting 2035)Burghound | 94 BH

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 Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) An even riper nose features notes of mocha, roasted plum, baked cherry and a lovely range of spice elements. There is a bit more vibrancy to the broad-shouldered flavors that culminate in a dusty, palate coating and slightly firmer finale. This could use better depth, but the underlying material seems sufficiently strong to provide it in time. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 91-93 BH