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This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk–like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2037. 850 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSStill young for a wine of this caliber, this rich Champagne has an immense future ahead of it. The freshness of the wine will mature into the rich toastiness that is such a hallmark of this brand. Oak fermentation and aging have added to the great promise of this fine wine. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDisgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor, with a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2012 Grande Année is vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. Citrus peel, orchard fruit, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile are all finely knit in a Grand Année built on energy and persistence more than size. Readers will find a restrained Grand Année in 2012. There is plenty of the textural richness that is such a signature of the house style, but I am also struck by the wine's freshness. Best of all, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate. It is quite expressive today, even in the early going. (Originally published in August 2020).Vinous Media | 94 VM(Bollinger Brut - La Grande Année Red) A markedly restrained and decidedly cool yet strikingly elegant nose combines notes of spiced apple, pear, white flowers, citrus rind and a background suggestion of brioche. The wonderfully vibrant and intense flavors are supported by a notably fine effervescence that perhaps isn't quite as firm as one might think for such a young wine. This classy and ultra-refined effort should drink well earlier than usual though I underscore that it definitely is not at its peak. With that said, it could easily be enjoyed now for its youthful exuberance. Lovely. (Drink starting 2024).Burghound | 93 BHTexture is key here, with a fruit basket of indulgence tempting the senses, the predominant Pinot Noir adding plums, cherry and hints of cedar to the creamy, toasty core that has been bequeathed by the barrel fermentation. Energetic, vital and brimming with potential, its 8g/l of sugar is lightly worn. This is a seductive Grande Année, hard to resist in its youth but far from lacking gravitas and matière to secure a happy development. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DEC

A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer’s 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage’s bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it’s also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn’t as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it’s the 2013’s alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that’s so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region’s tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPIf you’re a Champagne lover and this doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will. A magical Champagne that’s just about as good as it gets, the 2013 Cristal Rosé reveal a lighter salmon hue to go with a rich yet also subtle nose of orange blossom, white flowers, toasted brioche, and chalky minerality. It takes some coaxing but is incredibly complex aromatically and offers more spice, dried strawberry, and library book-like nuances as it sets in the glass. Richly textured on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and has surprising opulence as well as a great mid-palate, all of which are balanced by a vibrant spine of acidity. It starts out seemingly soft and easygoing yet changes with air, and it possesses an incredible mix of suppleness, texture, and precision that is something to behold. It can be drunk today or cellared for 20 or 30 years, possibly even longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAromas of strawberry, iron, orange peel and brioche follow through to a full body with gorgeous fruit and sweet tannins that layer the wine. Strawberry-patisserie undertones. Rather juicy and chewy with very round, fine tannins. Savory, flavorful and lightly spicy. Caressing finish with lots of fruity flavor and dryness. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2013 Cristal Rosé is searingly intense right out of the glass, just like the Blanc, except it has a bit more fleshiness because of the skin contact on the Pinot. Cristal Rosé has one of the best track records for aging in Champagne. I suspect the 2013 will join the ranks of the epic vintages, but it is painfully tight today. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ) and 45% Chardonnay (from Avize and Mesnil) done in the classic Roederer infusion style in which Pinot Noir is vinified on the skins and then blended with Chardonnay to complete the fermentation. About 25% of the lots were done in oak, while malolactic fermentation was blocked.Antonio Galloni | 98 AG(Louis Roederer “Cristal” Rosé Brut Millésime (Reims)) The 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé is composed of a blend this year of fifty-five percent pinot noir and forty-five percent chardonnay, with all of the pinot hailing from the village of Aÿ and the chardonnay from Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger. Twenty percent of the vins clairs were barrel-fermented for this vintage of Cristal Rosé and the wine received a dosage of seven grams per liter. The bouquet is pure and very precise, wafting from the glass in a youthful blend of white peach, strawberry, rye bread, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, delicate floral tones and a gently spicy topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and youthfully complex, with a lovely spine of acidity, great focus and grip, supremely elegant mousse and a very long, racy and seamlessly balanced finish. This seems a touch more reserved out of the blocks than the regular 2013 Cristal and will demand a bit more bottle age before it starts to drink with generosity, but once it blossoms, it will be brilliant and extremely long-lived. (Drink between 2026-2065)John Gilman | 97 JGLike an orchestra that melds the voices of many components into one compelling song, this bright rosé offers precision balance, seamlessly knitting an expressive range of ripe nectarine and raspberry fruit, Marcona almond, blood orange peel and candied ginger flavors with racy acidity and saline-laced minerality. Plush and creamy on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2036. 154 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 97 WSA pale rosé color of this great Champagne leads to a wine that has toast, spice and layers of citrus and red fruits. Its richness is balanced by freshness that will take several years to fully mature. So, even at eight years, the wine has plenty of room to develop. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEIn keeping with the talents Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon brings to rosé Champagne, this offers joyous drinking in a serious wine. It’s pale pink in color with a floral highlight to the honey notes and fresh-picked raspberry flavors. A pink-chalk impression lasts, and though this is not at the level of the 2012, it is immediately refreshing and delicious.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Very pretty aromas with peach and crabapple character, as well as cotton candy and light nutmeg. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine bubbles that run the length of the wine and persist. Really fine and beautiful. Ultra-complex and refined. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSFresh and elegant, the pure salmon-colored 2013 Champagne Belle Epoque Rosé Brut has a lively and large bubbly appearance on opening and is very pretty with aromas of fresh redcurrants, orange zest, and fresh flowers. Made from 50% Pinot Noir (15% of that red wine from Ambonnay), 45% Chardonnay, and 5% Meunier, it has 8 grams per liter dosage. Medium-bodied, it’s elegant and long on the palate, with notes of sherbet and a light spice, while its pillowy mousse balances out its more linear drive. It has a fresh and refined pithy texture with chalk as well as a long, clean finish. Drink 2024-2044.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis famed Champagne in its Belle Epoque flower label remains a very fine wine. This latest release is still in its vibrant fruit stage, showing no signs of aging. The hints of strawberries are balanced against the fine texture. The wine is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis rich rosé Champagne is aromatic and minerally on the nose, with smoke and oyster shell notes that transition to accent the palate’s baked white peach, grilled plum, toasted brioche and lemon curd flavors. Bright, with well-honed acidity and a crisp, lacy texture. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWine is in the early stage of showing Vinous characteristics with fresh girottes, leaves and a touch of smoke. Focused and streamlined, buoyed by racy acidity. Perfect aperitif Champagne.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2015 Brut Vintage Rosé is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of peach, orange and pear mingled with hints of red berries, fresh bread and ginger. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it’s rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into an ample, fleshy core that’s girdled by bright acids and enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Long and expansive, it’s more generous and gourmand than its racier 2014 predecessor, but just as good.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPure and pretty notes of wild strawberry and nectarine fruit are enriched by hints of marzipan, chalk and pickled ginger in this graceful rosé Champagne. Lithe and expressive, with a fine, lively mousse, this shows lovely balance and a creamy, mineral-laced finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2031. 1,054 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Louis Roederer Rosé Brut Millésime (Reims)) The 2015 vintage of Louis Roederer Rosé is an outstanding wine in the making. The refined and youthful bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of strawberries, tangerine, a touch of blood orange, rye bread, chalky minerality, lovely spice tones and a nice touch of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and nascently complex, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent mineral drive, utterly refined mousse, bouncy acids and a long, seamlessly balanced and vibrant finish. This is approachable out of the blocks, but it is still a young wine and I would opt for tucking it away in the cellar for at least another five years before drinking it in earnest. (Drink between 2026-2055)John Gilman | 93 JGA short maceration with the grape skins adds color and vinous depths of flavor to this earthy wine. It opens to brisk and bold red-fruit flavors that one taster compared to a tibouren rosé from Bandol. Cellar this to bring up its complexities.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

The 2016 Gigondas Les Souteyrades checks in as 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre that was brought up all in foudre. It's another powerful, concentrated, awesome wine that has slightly more exotic notes of black raspberries, crushed flowers, spice, and sappy garrigue. I almost always find a citrus note in this cuvée, which is full-bodied, opulent and mouthfilling on the palate, yet always stays graceful and lively.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDEven among a lineup of fantastic peers in a fantastic vintage, this bottling of Les Souteyrades is a stunner. It’s intensely rich, bursting with mulberry and cherry flavors, yet not brawny or dense. Finessed and fine in texture, it’s marked by soft, chalky tannins and bright, sunny acidity. The finish is long, offering lingering hints of crushed earth and garrigue. A treat to savor now– 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre grown on north-facing gray clays, the 2016 Gigondas les Souteyrades has closed down since bottling and now looks was if it will need short-term cellaring to bounce back. It's full-bodied, rich and tannic, with peppery notes accenting the intense raspberry and stone fruit flavors that come to the fore on the finish, always a good sign for the future. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPLimpid violet color. A suave, expansive bouquet evokes ripe cherry, raspberry, floral and exotic spice qualities and picks up subtle garrigue and earth nuances as the wine opens up. Alluringly sweet and seamless in texture, offering palate-staining red fruit liqueur, star anise and candied violet flavors that put on weight through the mid-palate. Discreet, polished tannins lend shape to an impressively long, smooth finish that emphatically echoes the floral and spice notes.Vinous Media | 94 VM

As with the 2017, the 2016 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles comes from vines inside the village. It’s noticeably deeper in color than the La Gille and gives up a huge bouquet of blueberries, violets, smoked duck, and crushed rocks. Deep, full-bodied, concentrated, and multi-dimensional, it has building tannin and a huge finish. It needs time, but wow, what a wine. Hats off to the Perrin family for this utterly sensational wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDAged entirely in foudres, the 2016 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles is an amazing effort that may equal Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape this vintage. You taste all the components—raspberries, cherries, tree bark, blueberries and spice—but they also merge together seamlessly into a wine that’s full-bodied, rich and long yet weightless and supremely agile. Yes, there’s early-drinking appeal, but it should age easily through 2035 or so.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSaturated ruby. Intensely perfumed, smoke- and mineral-accented black raspberry, cherry pie, blueberry exotic spice and candied lavender aromas show sharp delineation and pick up a smoky mineral nuance with air. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet lively red/dark berry liqueur, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors and hints of licorice and musky rhubarb. The extremely long, energetic finish shows vibrant mineral cut, an echo of sappy red fruit and velvety tannins that sneak in late.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Bottled at the same time, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes gives up more cassis, tapenade, underbrush, cured meats, and earth, and it’s a slightly more dense, backward wine compared to the Chaupin. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, with tons of structure, it stays fresh and elegant, has sweet tannins, and a blockbuster finish. It's an incredible, borderline perfect wine from this estate that will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDBuxom and heady, this is a delightfully rich, hedonistic blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Sun-drenched mulberry and black cherry flavors are explosive on the palate yet it's an elegantly extracted, surprisingly charming wine edged with nuances of violet, dried thyme and earth. The tannins are soft in feel, making it hard to resist young, but there's plenty of time for improvement here too.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WETime will tell if this wine equals the stellar 2015; it's certainly very close in quality. The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is a blend of approximately 75% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Syrah and the rest other permitted varieties. Tarry and deep on the nose, it delivers waves of blackberries and black cherries on the palate, framing those flavors with plenty of richness, layers of silky tannins and a long, elegant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis is packed with plum, raspberry and blackberry confiture flavors that are youthfully wound up, while warm stone, anise, bay leaf, garrigue and tar notes fill in throughout. Dense but juicy, with a long, smoldering feel on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSPart destemmed and fermented in concrete before being aged in foudre and demi-muids for 12 months. It has an agreeable nose, brooding and promising. Violets, liquorice and blueberries can be coaxed out with air. In the mouth it is full-bodied and dense with a full tannic load and beams of acidity holding it up. It's very tannic, but they're ripe and so should soften in time. The rest of the elements are there in quantity, meaning a wait is in order, but it should flourish in time to bring great complexity. A serious wine for long ageing. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECThere’s a very intense core of dark fruit. A deep, ripe and quite savory palate with spices and dark herbs. Bitter chocolate, too. Real depth and power here. Super-fresh, dark spice and cola give a real spark to the finish. Thrilling. A blend of four old-vine parcels from a variety of soils. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 96 JSOpaque ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented blackberry and cherry aromas are complemented by incense, licorice and potpourri flourishes. Supple, sweet and impressively concentrated, offering palate-staining red and dark berry, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and lavender pastille flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Plush yet surprisingly lithe for its brawn, showing a suave floral note and outstanding clarity and velvety tannins on the strikingly long, smoke- and spice-tinged finish.Vinous Media | 96 VM

I was also able to taste the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Da Capo, which comes mostly from older vines in the La Crau lieu-dit and spends an additional year in a large foudre. The 2016 vintage was truly magical for the region, and this Cuvée Da Capo is unquestionably one of the finest vintages for this cuvée ever made, in the same league as, if not surpassing, the 1998, 2003, 2007, and 2010. Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come. Traditional, classic Châteauneuf Du Pape doesn’t get better. I hate to be the guy who throws out the “best to date” line very often, but this is truly magical stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAs impressive as the Cuvée Réservée is, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo brings an extra level of intensity. Turn that volume up to 11 or even 12. Waves of black cherries, plums and chocolate wash across the full-bodied, velvety palate, lingering nearly forever on the finish. As big and bold as it is, it remains breathtakingly elegant and fine. It should evolve gracefully through at least 2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPBlack-cherry and plum flavors are ripe but pertly balanced in this Grenache blend. It’s spicy and intensely aromatic, wafting of cloves, allspice and caramel, yet revitalizing and mineral too. The finish is endlessly long, fringed by fine, taut tannins. It’s stunning now but should improve through 2036 and hold further still.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEAll 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There’s some complexity and interest on the nose already, with aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries and a touch of tobacco leaf. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but without any heaviness, with sublime freshness and piercing acidity. This has real life, and a lightness of touch which delivers real drinkability. Very fine, abundant ripe tannins work like a lattice through the fruit. The fairly raised levels of alcohol don’t give a sense of imbalance in the wine, and it finishes on a lifted note. The best Da Capo in a long time. Real elegance. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 97 DECVivid ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry, cherry preserve and licorice aromas are complemented by hints of game, exotic spices and candied lavender. Deep, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering densely packed raspberry, cola and floral pastille flavors and a strong suggestion of spicecake. Shows superb clarity and power on a ridiculously long, sappy finish that eventually leaves behind cherry liqueur and bitter chocolate notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is richly fruited, with succulent plum, boysenberry and fig preserve flavors that are seamlessly layered and laced with warm anise, black tea and smoldering tobacco notes. The long finish features well-embedded chalky grip that gives this cut to match the lush fruit. A beauty. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is the second year in a row that the Férauds have bottled this rare cuvée, made only in exceptional vintages. The 2016 is even more intense than the 2015, with a bright energy that makes it inviting despite its size. A blend of all 13 red-wine varieties permitted in the appellation, fermented in whole bunches with ambient yeasts in tank, it uses stemmy herbal notes to lift the masses of dark, figgy fruit, taking it into higher, fresher registers of roses and seedy strawberries, cracked peppercorns and garrigue. The tannins and alcohol are not harsh, but intense enough to suggest this is best left untouched in the cellar for five years, or even 15.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SAn impressive wine for the concentration and punchy fruit impact. Pears, melons and assertive lemon citrus weighs in on the palate. The length and purity is stunning. A gently savory, pastry-like edge to the finish. Will age superbly. Try from 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

A perfect wine that’s up with the top handful of wines in this incredible vintage, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud (60/40 Grenache and Mourvèdre) boasts a sensational nose of currants, cured meats, kirsch, exotic spices, and sandalwood. Deep, full-bodied and powerful, yet with an incredible sense of elegance and purity, it just glides across the palate and, despite its awesome intensity, it never seems heavy or over the top. Give it 2-3 years, and it will keep for two decades or more. Proprietress Isabel Ferrando has taken her Saint Prefert estate to France’s highest level, and she’s unquestionably making some of the most profound wines on earth today, including both reds and whites. The estate is located in the southern portion of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and covers roughly 55 acres, from which she releases five cuvées: two whites and three reds. Looking at the reds, the classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape is always a rough blend of 90% Grenache (from 70-year-old vines) and the balance Syrah and Mourvèdre aged in demi-muids and smaller barrels. The Reserve Auguste Favier comes from 60- to 100-year-old vines and is based largely on Grenache with around 15% Cinsault, aged all in older barrels. This cuvée always shows a seamless, elegant profile. Lastly, and what I would consider her top wine, the Collection Charles Giraud is always a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, with the Grenache aged in tank and the Mourvèdre in demi-muids. I’ve also included her Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis cuvée here, which is released under the Isabel Ferrando label. It’s 100% Grenache from the sandy soils of the Colombis lieu-dit located on the western edge of the appellation. As I’ve written in the past, readers looking for the essence of Grenache shouldn’t miss this beauty. While the style changed slightly in 2009, when she started including more stems and harvesting earlier, these latest releases show sensational depth of fruit and texture, and are almost overflowing with Provençal charm. Today, she is assisted by consultant Baptiste Olivier, who’s increasingly working with the top estates in the region. Madame Ferrando is at the top of her game. (Drink between 2021-2041)Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has a large core of well-steeped plum, blackberry puree and warm cassis flavors, inlaid liberally with ganache, graphite and Turkish coffee notes. There’s a wide swath of tobacco and roasted alder detail through the finish, matched by racy acidity for balancing focus. This is very deep and very long, capturing the intense yet fresh fruit feel of the vintage to a T. Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud is a 60-40 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, fermented with all the stems. There’s a hint of cocoa, but raspberries and strawberries are the dominant fruit flavors in this lively, zesty wine. Trace notes of mint, lavender and tea leaf add complexity. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, it’s intensely concentrated and rich yet not overly heavy or overripe (it weighs in at 15.5% alcohol), with a lingering, elegant finish. It’s a tour de force that should age for two decades or more, and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the perfect 2010 after it’s had a few years in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPVivid glistening violet. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-tinged red and blue fruit preserves, incense and exotic spices, and a sexy floral nuance gains power as the wine opens up. Fleshy, seamless, appealingly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering densely packed, finely detailed raspberry, boysenberry, lavender and candied licorice flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Suggestions of five-spice powder and smoked meat appear on the penetrating finish, which shows outstanding clarity, finely wrought tannins and endless red fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMFresh, lifted violets and blueberries with a touch of liquorice on the nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, concentrated juice that is very precisely tailored. Everything is in the right proportion: acidity, fruit, ripe tannin. It’s big but not massive, and very well balanced. A consistently strong performer, this will be a really good wine, generous in fruit but structured. (Drink between 2020-2032) | 96 DECThe hedonistic favorite among this producer’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings, this weighty blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre juxtaposes pristine mulberry and plum flavors against a creamy, voluminous palate. Flamboyant and explosively fruity, its immediately appealing style is accentuated by fine, ripe tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

This rich, wood-aged wine comes from 40- to 50-year-old vines on an estate at the southern limit of the Madiran appellation. It brings together dense tannins and old-vine concentration. The acidity, black-plum flavors and tannins will keep this wine developing for many years. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2017 Gigondas Le Lieu Dit is, as always, the most finesse oriented and elegant in the lineup. Coming from a sandy, cooler parcel just outside the domaine and all Grenache (70% destemmed) brought up in old demi-muids, it offers a more ruby color as well as a massive perfume of wild strawberries, kirsch liqueur, dried soil, and flowery incense. Full-bodied, incredibly pure, and perfectly balanced, it’s another straight-up thrilling wine from Brechet that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSaturated crimson. Intense aromas of red berry liqueur, exotic spices and incense pick up a smoky mineral nuance as the wine stretches out. Sappy and energetic in the mouth, offering impressively concentrated raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors and a strong suggestion of candied lavender. Finishes seamless, alluringly sweet and extremely long, with resonating red fruit and floral notes and supple tannins that add shape and discreet grip.Vinous Media | 94-95 VMThis mixes red and black currant fruit with notes of sage, alder and tobacco, ending with a tug of chalky minerality. Features perfume, flesh and a little more grip than most in the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2032. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2017 Gigondas le Lieu Dit incorporates 30% whole clusters yet shows no green, stemmy characters at this stage of its evolution. It’s loaded with purple raspberries, framed by incredibly silky tannins, lush and ripe without any warmth evident on the long finish. Tasted twice, showing more tannic grip and woody notes on one occasion.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Based on a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% each of Carignan and Cinsault, the 2017 Ventoux L’Argile is a stunningly complex wine from the Ventoux that offers a kaleidoscope-like array of spicy red berry fruits, sappy spring flowers, white pepper, and Provençal garrigue. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a seamless texture, building yet ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It displays the cooler, fresher style of the Ventoux region, yet still brings tons of richness and depth as well as length on the finish. It can be enjoyed today, but it will have 15-20 years of overall longevity. It’s a beautiful wine in every sense.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

As always, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache (from La Serres, La Crau, and La Guigasse) that was not destemmed and was brought up all in used demi-muids. It’s an extraordinary wine, offering a mammoth bouquet of kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, ground pepper, white flowers, and spice. Full-bodied, concentrated, and opulent on the palate, with silky tannins, it’s not going to match the 2010 or 2016, but t’s a magical, elegant, layered wine that does everything right.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is lush and inviting in feel, with waves of warmed raspberry reduction taking center stage, while plum paste and cherry skin notes add range. Underneath the fruit, notes of anise, red and black tea and gently mulled spice notes course along, all supported by perfectly embedded acidity. A gorgeous wine that’s hard to lay off now because of the fruit, but there’s absolutely no rush. Best from 2023 through 2040. 375 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBrilliant ruby-red. An expansive, spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe red fruits, incense and potpourri, and a smoky mineral element adds urgency. Juicy, seamless and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that firm up slowly and turn spicier on the back half. Shows serious heft, but there’s a distinctly graceful quality as well. Finishes sappy, gently tannic and extremely long, leaving a suave lavender pastille note behind.Vinous Media | 94-95 VMRich and almost painfully intense, from yields that were reduced by coulure to only about six hectoliters per hectare, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is steadfast in being all Grenache and all whole cluster. Licorice, chocolate and super ripe plums appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and velvety, with a long, warm finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAnother string release under this label, showing rich dark fruit and earthy notes with plenty of spice. Tarry notes as well. The palate has a very plush, ripe and rich feel with juicy, ripe dark berries and plums, really bathed in deep, long and smooth-honed tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

Showing consistently to last year, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is a rich, powerful white that does everything right. Coming from a single parcel of very old Roussanne and aged in 50% new oak, it offers a stunning bouquet of honeyed pineapple and stone fruits as well as notes white flowers, green almonds, honeycomb, and a kiss of toasted bread. It’s rich yet also fresh, has flawless balance, and a great finish. It’s geared for the dinner table and should evolve for another decade or more. It’s stunning white and one of the finest examples of Roussanne out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne is a not-so-subtle dark straw in hue, with obvious toast and honeyed aromas alongside hints of mocha and malt. All barrel-fermented and aged, it’s fleshed out on the full-bodied, velvety-textured palate by flavors of tangerine and pineapple, which show remarkable freshness and verve on the lingering finish. In one of my notes on this wine, I actually wrote the word "long" three times. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RPRipe and enticing, featuring creamed melon and yellow apple flavors, laced with nectarine, heather, ginger and warm brioche notes. The long and opulent finish sails through beautifully. A hedonist’s delight. Drink now through 2022. 28 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WSSourced entirely from a single vineyard of limestone soil, this varietal Roussanne offers bold white melon and apple flavors swathed in honey, vanilla cream and spice. Fermented and matured en barrique (50% new), it’s an unctuous, waxy sip etched by lingering woody tones. Flamboyant in its youth, but it should gain elegance through the next decade and beyond.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Good complexity on the nose, chocolate, cherries, plums and blackcurrants. Succulent straight away, it makes you suck your cheeks in, the tannins are abundant and fill the mouth but with a soft, juicy chewiness that’s really pleasant. I really like this density, it feels full without being too much - all in balance. A really enjoyable wine, good to have with food and will age well continuing to integrate and soften, but I like its fruit-forward confidence right now. A bit of milk chocolate sweetness, some chalkiness and then a herbal element too - everything you need in a good claret! with typicity and approachability. Top value too. Drinking Window 2023 - 2033.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Laffitte-Carcasset is gorgeous, just as it was from barrel. This mid-weight Saint-Estèphe impresses with its nuance and delineation. Bright red fruit, iron, menthol, anise, cedar and rose petal lend uncommon complexity, while fine grained tannins give the wine proportion and drive. This polished, under the radar gem is a real delight. Laffitte-Carcasset is an especially delicate wine for the appellation.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThe estate on the plateau of Saint-Estèphe is well situated to produce this rich, full-bodied wine. Broad tannins give the dry core essential for aging. They are balanced by black-currant fruits from the 50% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It will age well; drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEBlackcurrants, brambleberries, walnut husks, dried leaves and dark spices on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Fresh and structured. Crushed stone comes through in the aftertaste. Better from 2024.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2018 Anjou Violette is deep, rich and very intense but elegant on the pure and refined nose, with dark fruit, tea and kumquat aromas. Full-bodied, deep and generous on the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich and generous, silky-textured, refined and tensioned Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blend that is one of the highlights of the vintage. Fabulous! A must buy! Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSvelte, moderate tannins envelope plum and cassis notes in this medium-bodied red, with details of loamy earth, savory spice, tobacco and forest floor. Complex and harmonious. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. 500 cases made, 98 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2018 Anjou Cuvée Violette is full-bodied and rounded, offering a soft embrace. True to its name, it does smell of violets as well as wood smoke, spice and dark black fruits. There’s concentration here, no doubt due to the low yields off 70-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines and the 45-year-old Cabernet Franc. The tannins have been well handled and provide a frame of chalky structure. The merest whiff of barnyard meets the florals on the finish, but it’s kept in check.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The star of the show in 2018 is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous and it has an incredible mix of complexity, power, and elegance that’s something to behold. Sporting a deep purple/plum color as well as a killer bouquet of blackcurrants, lavender, peppery garrigue, graphite, and white chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, incredible tannins, and a gorgeous finish. This is a good as 2018 gets and while it’s already impossible to resist, it’s going to evolve for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous features electric aromas of garrigue, exotic stone fruit, pomegranate, black cherries and perhaps even a touch of rose petals. Full-bodied and rich without being overly weighty or dense, plush and velvety on the finish yet vibrant and complex, this magnificent effort should drink well for at least a decade. From vines planted in 1905, it’s approximately 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Vaccarèse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOpaque ruby. A powerfully scented bouquet displays mineral-accented boysenberry and Chambord scents complemented by suggestions of pungent flowers, Indian spices and incense. Intense red/blue fruit preserve, cherry cola and fruitcake flavors show superb definition and silky texture. Comes off graceful despite its depth and finishes on a repeating floral note, displaying outstanding persistence and bright, mineral lift.Vinous Media | 95 VMA mix of steeped plum and black cherry fruit mixes with tobacco, chestnut and melted licorice notes. There’s a touch of burl at first, but this quickly unwinds with air, showing a velvety edge on the finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse. Best from 2021 through 2033. 409 cases made, 45 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Like the 2017, Guigal’s 2018 Cote Rotie La Mouline boasts incredible aromatics, with highs ranging from violets and peppery spice to ripe blueberries and raspberries. The oak is in the background, supporting the supple fruit. Full-bodied, lush and silky, La Mouline seems to have it all in 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPScheduled to be bottled early in 2022, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a blockbuster of a wine offering full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, espresso, and violets. Coming from a steep, terraced, warmer terroir and fermented with 10% Viognier, it’s always the sexiest, more exotic, and seamless, as well as approachable, of the flagship releases. The 2018 will unquestionably pure a smile on your face as soon as it’s released, but it will ideally be given 7-8 years of bottle age and drunk over the following 30+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDExpansive aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, potpourri, incense and smoky minerals pick up an exotic nuance as the wine opens up. Broad and seamless on the palate, displaying sharp delineation to the sappy, mineral-inflected black raspberry, boysenberry, candied violet and spicecake flavors. Shows a distinctly suave character and finishes extremely long and appealingly sweet, with discreet tannins framing lingering blue fruit liqueur and floral notes.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

Tasting like the 2015, yet with perhaps slightly more elegance, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Turque reveals a saturated purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, white flowers, candle wax, graphite, and spiced meats. It’s a huge, full-bodied, blockbuster styled effort as well as another magical wine in the making.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDDark violet. Deeply perfumed black and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of Moroccan spices, potpourri, olive and smoky minerals. Densely packed cassis, bitter cherry and violet pastille flavors show excellent definition and are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. The mineral and floral notes repeat on a wonderfully long and subtly chewy finish that’s shaped by dusty, steadily building tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMShut down tight on this occasion, the dark, impenetrable 2018 Cote Rotie La Turque is clearly dense and packed with potential. Cedary notes, dark, concentrated fruit, potent tannins and a long, dusty finish suggest plenty of upside for the patient.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96+ RP

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

Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige Blanc offers a more Burgundian, chiseled, mineral-laced style to go with beautiful notes of caramelized peach, white flowers, crushed stone, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and elegant on the palate, it still packs plenty of oomph and has incredible length on the finish. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA rich, alluring style, with a brioche note leading the way for creamed yellow apple, candied lemon peel, white ginger and quince notes. An accent of acacia honey lines the finish, where the brioche edge takes an encore. Showy and delicious. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Drink now through 2023. 56 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is outrageously flamboyant but hard not to like. There’s great concentration and it’s highly expressive already showing some complexity. It has a nutty macadamia note and a subtle flinty reduction with rich pear fruits that shoot through with oak spice, but it’s the fruit that has the upper hand. It’s very full-bodied but has enough pep and acidity to keep things upright and rolling. A cuvée that can be overly marked by malolactic fermentation, but not this year. Grown on sandy soils, 80% fermented in concrete, 20% in new barriques. It’s matured for 14 months in old barriques, concrete and 20% new barriques. Drinking Window 2019 - 2024.Decanter | 95 DECThe brassy-hued 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Prestige shows ample oak on the nose and palate, allied to ripe, luscious fruit. Predominantly Roussanne, fermented and aged in one-year-old demi-muids, it has developed hints of sweet corn and notes of grilled pineapple during its elevage. Opulent and lush, it’s enormously seductive now, although I suspect it will drink well for at least 4-5 years based on its impressive concentration and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

(The 100% Grenache 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Amiral G. is totally brilliant, and I’d put it up against anything out there. Deep ruby/purple-hued, with an incredible bouquet of blackberries, ground herbs, cured meats, and peppery spice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ripe, seamless tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This is pure Grenache magic and will most likely warrant a triple-digit score in 3-5 years and drink well for 15+.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDAs always, super ripe, opulent Grenache gives the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Amiral G an air of decadent richness. Scents of dark chocolate, espresso and barrel char accent notes of blackberries and cassis on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated and rich, even velvety, the flavors and texture showing great intensity and length on the finish. Like the other 2019s at this estate, it could use a little time in bottle to soften the tannins, and then it should drink well for more than a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPLush and inviting, with a caressing feel to the waves of cassis, cherry pâte de fruit and raspberry reduction backed by lingering anise and sweet tobacco notes on the long finish, which echoes with fruit. Best from 2022 through 2035. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

I loved the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Clairette de Gabriel and this beauty is up there with the finest whites in the vintage. All Clairette planted in limestone soils, this vivid gold-hued beauty offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, balanced style as well as classic notes of white flowers, dried pineapple, honeycomb, and subtle waxy nuances. It’s rich yet stays weightless and elegant, with a terrific sense of freshness (although I suspect the acidity is quite low) and purity. It’s going to evolve for 10-15 years or more, although there’s no need to delay gratification.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAlluring, with lemon curd, heather and macadamia notes out front, followed by yellow apple, white peach and mirabelle plum notes. The long finish is both showy and defined, with a hint of white truffle lurking, ready to blossom with cellaring if that’s your bag, though hard to lay off it now. Drink now through 2027. 111 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis has a smoky, spicy nose with all the softness of Clairette behind. The oak regime is robust, but unusually this Clairette has the concentration and presence to handle it. It adds a toastiness and accentuates the citrus dimension. Intense and driving, almost outrageously flavoursome for Clairette. 1,600 bottles made. Pure Clairette Blanche grown on limestone in lieu-dit Vaudieu, fermented and aged half in new barriques, half in older ones. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 95 DEC

As always, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Val De Dieu has a modern vibe without losing its Southern Rhône soul. A blend of 58% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 12% Mourvèdre that’s brought up 30% new demi-muids, it offers a pure, full-bodied, perfectly ripe style that carries lots of black raspberry and cassis fruits, notes of peppery spice, some background oak, silky tannins, and a great finish. As always, the purity of fruit is top notch. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 15.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDRipe, juicy and well-formed, with a core of raspberry and plum pâte de fruit pumping along, while black licorice, black tea and roasted apple wood accents weave in and around the fruit. Everything knits nicely through the juicy, well-delineated finish. This has some guts too, so cellar a bit to let it unwind fully. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2024 through 2036. 886 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Val de Dieu is an assemblage of 58% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 12% Mourvèdre, aged in a mix of demi-muids (70%) and new barriques (30%). Offering up complex notes of baking spices and cocoa-dusted cherries tinged with cedar and vanilla, it’s full-bodied, concentrated and tannic, with a rather open-knit feel and a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP