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Aromas of dried fruits, raisins and Christmas cake. Some chocolate undertones too, plus licorice and wet earth. Full body, medium sweet with gorgeous depth and intensity of fruit. So long and beautiful. What an amazing finish already. So sexy. Drink or hold. But this will go on for decades.James Suckling | 98 JSSmells like freshly picked orchids, with loads of ripe, clean fruit. Full-bodied, medium sweet and very powerful and racy. It lasts for minutes on your palate. Yet there's a balance and class to this young Vintage Port. This is the greatest glass of Graham I have ever tasted, young or old. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 98 WSGrapy, unformed, black raspberry liqueur and licorice-infused cassis notes leap from the glass of this opaque purple-colored wine. Sweet, plush, rich, and accessible, it is a forward, lush, concentrated effort that should drink well for two decades. While not one of Graham's most profound ports, it should evolve rapidly, providing immense crowd appeal.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSaturated black-ruby. Superripe, bottomless nose of black fruits, mocha, bitter chocolate and flowers. Hugely sweet, dense and rich. A port of outstanding opulence and creamy texture; deceptively easy to taste. Substantial, sweet, spreading tannins are buried under a wave of fruit. Extremely long, fruit-driven finish.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Among the most saturated blue/purple/black-colored examples of the vintage, Taylor's 2000 tastes like a young vintage of Chateau Latour on steroids. Aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis and smoke jump from the glass. Spectacularly concentrated and enormously endowed, with sweetness allied to ripe tannin, decent acidity, and layer upon layer of fruit and extract, this is the leading candidate for the port of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis was perhaps the most prototypically “Taylor” wine of the vertical, with complex floral and spice aromas backed by firm, black cherry and berry fruit. The fruit is fresh and almost crunchy in character, underscored by solid tannins and a long, dusty finish. Immense power combines with intricate nuance and a supremely ageworthy structure. Hold.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBright deep ruby. Brooding, complex aromas of cassis, minerals, graphite, licorice and damp earth; distinct hints of surmaturite. Dense, chewy and powerful, with a saline impression of extract. At once strong and seamless, with penetrating, youthfully primary black fruit flavors that really expand and reverberate in the mouth and on the very long, gripping finish. Exhilarating late note of dark chocolate. By no means a painfully backward Taylor, but structured to evolve for at least 25 to 30 years.Vinous Media | 95+ VMBeautiful aromas of honeysuckle, violets, citrus and berries, plus hints of fresh herbs. Full-bodied and chewy, with refined tannins and a long finish. Lasts for minutes on the palate. An elegant, yet powerful and fruity style of young Taylor. Best after 2012. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Taylor Fladgate) The 2000 Taylor is a classic in the making, and while it does not possess quite the same flamboyance as the 2000 Vinhas Velhas, it will make a superb bottle at maturity. The bouquet displays typical Taylor reticence in its complex blend of cassis, black cherries, plums, tar, bitter chocolate, black pepper, earth and violets. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and structured, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm tannins, excellent acids, and a very long, very primary finish. The grip here is classic Taylor- firm, uncompromising and built to age gracefully for at least fifty years. This is a great vintage of Taylor in the making. (Drink between 2025-2100)John Gilman | 94 JG

A unique wine with iodine, red seaweed, mineral and dried fruits with hints of figs. Baslamic. You can feel the warmth of the volcanic soil. Full body with soft and silky tannins. Stylish and characterful. Better in a year or two. You need to try this.James Suckling | 98 JSI hope one day to have another chance to taste a vertical of Roccamonfina Terra di Lavoro because I have a strong feeling the 2010 will occupy a place among the very finest vintages produced on this tiny vineyard on the slopes of the Roccamonfina volcano. An exotic mélange of tar, smoke, graphite, blackberry jam and savory herbs explode from the glass. The 2010 is intense and full-bodied, yet also incredibly elegant. A big, breathtaking wine, the 2010 continues to build all the way through to a deeply resonant, expressive finish. I would choose to leave this uttterly beguiling Campanian red alone for the better part of a decade, but readers are going to have a very hard time excercising that patience. This is a fabulous effort from proprietors Arturo and Dora Celentano, and their long-time winemaker Riccardo Cotarella.Vinous Media | 97+ VMThe 2010 Roccamonfina Terra di Lavoro shows all the qualities of an excellent vintage. This is a pure and balanced wine that opens in a slow and seductive manner. The expressive bouquet shows layers of balsam herb, licorice, dark fruit, earth and crushed mineral. In fact, those volcanic Roccamonfina nuances are most distinctive in this beautiful vintage. The 2010 vintage also offers a generous quality of full and round fruit that sets it apart. This is a wine of great intensity, beauty and balance. It has many more years ahead to complete its evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA dark, beefy red, with layers of game, underbrush and wild herb to the dark blackberry, cassis and plum skin notes. Full yet fine tannins add grip, as the fruit and hints of mocha and ash highlight the finish. Best from 2014 through 2025. 5,500 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis hearty blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso offers a compelling bouquet that is as savory and rich as it is elegant and composed. Dusty notes of crushed stone and dried fruit hold the wine together and give it momentum. The mouthfeel is bone dry, with loads of dark prune and tobacco flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta keeps me at the edge of the glass to take in its darkly alluring bouquet of dusty black currants and dried flowers, with hints of blood orange offset by sweet rose. While currently youthful and understated, it continues to open and deepen with each swirl. This is silky and cool-toned in feel, savory to the core, with a dense wave of mineral-tinged dark red fruits carried across a core of vibrant acidity. Autumnal spices form toward the close. The 2016 is inward and saturating, building in fine tannins that clench the palate through the finale, promising a long, long life. This is a masterpiece in the making, and while already bottled, it will not be released until 2023. Production was again down by 50% in 2016 due to hail.Vinous Media | 96-98 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

This is a ripe and fruity yet strucutred wine that has amazing aging potential. It offers a strongly floral element that contrasts with the tense, mineral texture and dense tannins. It is an immensely concentrated wine that will not be ready until 2029. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2016 Quinta do Noval Naçional Vintage Port comes (of course) from the famous parcel of ungrafted vines. Comparing it side by side, the Naçional does not have the immediacy of the regular Noval. It is darker, more introspective, more complex and beguiling, the black fruit complemented by subtle desiccated orange and marmalade aromas. What strikes first on the palate is the fineness of the tannins. This is utterly harmonious, silky in terms of texture, and extraordinarily cohesive. You don’t know whether to drink this or stroke it. It is an understated Naçional that almost deceives you into thinking that there is not power, but that crashes across the senses in the final third and on the aftertaste. It is a Naçional with a latent effect, its virtues becoming apparent not during but after imbibing. It is a quite profound Port, even though at this juncture you are just reading the first couple of pages of a very long and engrossing novel. Drinking Window 2034 - 2080Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is distinctive from the start, with a youthfully rambunctious display of dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit paste flavors liberally spiked with bramble, Turkish coffee and ganache notes. As the fruit pumps through the finish, a tarry spine adds a bristling, mouthwatering edge. Sports more obvious grip and is a touch drier in style than most of its peers. Best from 2035 through 2055.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in with 82 grams of residual sugar. This was in bottle for only about seven weeks when seen, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. It looks super, with plenty of room to grow in the cellar. Christian Seely likes to say that this regular Noval and the Nacional are not better than one another, just different. In fact, I usually prefer Nacional, but in this vintage I make a case for equality and endorse that view.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn’t show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it’s austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is super austere with vibrant acidity—by far the highest among the Gran Enemigo bottlings—and very fine, chalky tannins. This is remarkable, serious, balanced and fresh with a very, very long and salty finish. This fermented in barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 3,000 bottles were filled in July 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPPretty aromas of plum, blueberry, rose hip, lavender, sandalwood and oyster shell. It’s medium-to full-bodied with silky, seamless tannins. So pure and elegant with gorgeous layers of cool blue fruit. Saline and coffee notes, too. Long and evolving. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2017 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary has a 15% dash of Malbec from Gualtallary, Uco Valley and was 30% fermented in whole bunches before aging for 15 months in barrels and foudres. A rich, dense purple thanks to the altitude, the complex, ripe nose presents notes of sour cherry and blackcurrant along with country herbs, jalapeño and ash. Juicy and intense with a compact flow, the core resounds with freshness underneath finely grained tannins and an energy that keeps the wine going. The very definition of power and flavor in which the varietal has been shaped by the terroir.Vinous Media | 95 VM

This is well-packed, offering the vivid plum, boysenberry, cassis and açaí berry fruit profile of the vintage, along with a dark edge of tar, baker’s chocolate and salted licorice that courses underneath. The long finish lets the fruit play out, keeping singed alder and chai spice hints in the background. Smolderingly seductive. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2035 through 2060. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood vats. It comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. This was bottled in May 2019, about a month before tasting, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. Aromatic, wonderfully fragrant and laced with eucalyptus, this then shows typical Noval focus and power. A couple of hours in a glass simply increased the power. More intense than the very fine 2016, it grips the palate and shows rather significant astringency. As wonderfully aromatic as this is, there the 2016 might have the edge.Too closed and muscular once past the aromatics, this rather dry Port needs some time. It is harder to read than the 2016 was, but this should overtake it in time. Have some patience with this one.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta do Noval ever?Vinous Media | 97 VMThe straight 2017 Vintage Port is stunning stuff. It packs serious power and richness while staying beautifully polished and, dare I say, elegant. Notes of crème de cassis and liquid blackberries define the attack, but it offers an incredibly layered, nuanced, complex style in its notes of herbes de Provence, violets, spicy wood, licorice, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. While it’s no doubt a full-bodied Port, it stands out just as much for its incredible polish, balance, and purity. This a brilliant effort is more approachable than the Nacional bottling yet is nevertheless going to evolve for 50-60 years or more on its flawless balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBig grip in this wine with dark blackberries, blueberries and floral notes. Fine tannins. Ripe but sweet and pretty. Shows a lovely finish. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSNoval spills over into two valleys from Pinhão to Roncão which contribute two very different terroirs to the blend, though both predominantly south-facing. It displays heady Douro aromas of open, ripe, plummy fruit with a touch of dust and eucalypt, wild and aromatic. The palate is dense, smooth and seductive on the palate with firm, schistous tannins rising on to a fresh, linear finish. Beautifully defined and integrated. Just 3,500 cases declared. Drinking Window 2035 - 2060.Decanter | 96 DECThis is a solid wine with dark tannins and a definitely dry character that will allow it to age well. Its power and its density are impressive, with rich black currant flavors backing up the tannins. Drink from 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEJet black, this shows the arid vintage in its desert-rose scents and in the umami savor of tiny dried black currants. There’s black-cherry density inside the concentrated tannins, which need a decade to begin to relax.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It’s a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It’s 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it’s medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It’s still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I’ve ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThis is a plush, rich Cheval with blueberry and floral aromas and flavors. HInts of tar and fresh lavender. Full body. The depth and richness are impressive, as are the ripe yet fresh tannins. Very long and structured, yet controlled and in balance. This will be a great wine indeed. Release in September 2021. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 98 JS(Cheval des Andes, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, Red) Partnering 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira, this has less tannin, density and acidity than the 2017 release, but retains perfume, polish and depth. Floral and refined, with subtle coffee-bean oak, sculpted tannins, plum, raspberry and blackcurrant fruit. Classy stuff. This confirms Cheval des Andes’ standing as one of South America’s greatest reds, showing that, as technical director Gérard Gabillet puts it, ’we understand our terroirs better and better every year’. (Drink between 2024-2032)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 Cheval Des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec – half from Las Compuertas and half from Paraje Altamira – and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Compuertas. It was aged in barrels and foudres, 50% in new oak. Purplish red in the glass. It shows an expressively complex nose of plum, cherry and hints of spice, pepper, ink, blackberry, and blackcurrant. The oak provides a profound and subtle backdrop of sweet spice. In the mouth, it’s viscous and broad with a little juice, velvety in texture and with very fine tannins. The finish is long-lasting with a satisfying feel. A relaxed, delicate, extremely well-balanced wine with a more generous core than the 2017 vintage.Vinous Media | 96 VMContinuing the trend of more Malbec in the blend, the 2018 Cheval Des Andes is another remarkable wine based on 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon that was fermented in tank and aged in 40% new Bordeaux barrels, with the balance in larger 400-liter barrels and one larger 2,500-liter oak vat. While the cooperage here is mostly French, they do include a touch of eastern European oak as well. Tasting like the 2016, only better, this beauty has gorgeous cassis, black cherry, and black raspberry fruit as well as plenty of ripe tobacco, green cedar, rosemary, damp earth, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. As with the 2016, there’s an herbal, subtly green undercurrent here (although it’s more mitigated here), but this is just pure, focused, and impeccably balanced, with beautiful fruit, gorgeous tannins, and an undeniable salinity on the finish. A brilliant wine, it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDBig and rich, with expressive beef and earthy notes to the dark plum and roasted dark cherry flavors, which are backed by firm tannins and acidity. Creamy in the midpalate, with hints of dried green herbs and dark chocolate on the finish. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2026. 7,500 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

One of the finest and more regular wines from Argentina, the 2018 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard is austere and shows restraint, with great freshness and gobsmacking balance and complexity, but in the context of the 2019 and 2020 vintages that I also tasted next to it, it comes thorough as slightly less refined but still with 13.5% alcohol and with very good parameters of acidity and freshness. It has a medium-bodied palate and a rare combination of power and elegance, with very fine, chalky tannins. It’s very long and has a salty and tasty finish. It matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 9,000 bottles were filled in July 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary also contains 15% Malbec, both from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, and spent 18 months in barrels. Purple in the glass. The vivid nose offers herbs, mint, red fruit, hints of plum and blackberry, lavender and touches of bell pepper and bay leaf rounded off by spicy aromas. In the mouth it’s broad with a layer of freshness and chalky tannins. Compact with a firm, juicy structure, it delivers good complexity and tension before the languorous, fruity finish.Vinous Media | 97 VMAromas of violets, almond blossoms, wild blackberries, blueberries, ash, tea leaves and nutmeg. It’s medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and finely knit tannins. Mineral, tea-like edge, supporting a fresh core of blue fruit. Refined and subtle, yet comforting. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSWell-structured, with nice elegance and tension, offering dusty floral and spice notes against a core of fleshy red plum and strawberry flavors that swell midpalate around fresh, mineral acidity. Shows notes of spiced chocolate on the finish. Drink now through 2032. 500 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAromas of red plum and dried herbs blend with small doses of vanilla. Made with grapes sourced from Gualtallary, it’s full bodied and energetic, with a herbaceous character demanding attention on the vibrant palate. Plum, blackberry and green bell pepper join oak spice. It finishes with notes of tobacco. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

This edition from the legendary Tenuta San Leonardo estate in Trentino is presented with an artist-signed label. The special release of 999 bottles features the surreal artwork of Simone Berti. From a cool vintage, the 2018 San Leonardo is incredibly fine and beautiful with a filigree of aromas that recalls wild blackberry, tobacco, pressed rosemary, cherry tartlet and orange marmalade. The wine’s elegance is extraordinary, and the mouthfeel is very fine and precise. This classic vintage will certainly appeal to San Leonardo purists. I recommend giving it a long runway to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP‘In July, we finally saw a brilliant sun, whose welcome heat warmed a season that was quite wet up to that point and with below-average temperatures,’ said Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of the 2018 vintage. The newest release of this standout northern Italian red offers complex scents of tobacco, spices, earth and rich, wood-imbued black berries. In the mouth it combines intense concentration with freshness in a vertical sensation of poise and sapidity. Dark, plummy, spicy hedgerow berries are perfectly balanced by bright, moreish acidity and ripe, grainy tannins, with spicy cedar, dried currants and a touch of balsam in depth. Still has so much to give.Decanter | 95 DECA mentholated freshness introduces the 2018 San Leonardo as it slowly blossoms in the glass. Swirling unlocks depths of dusty sage and violets, giving way to white pepper and black currants. This is elegant, lifted and potent. Sour citrus elevates ripe wild berries and savory spices. The 2018 doesn’t miss a beat, finishing long and lightly structured, with a framework of fine tannins that gently tug at the senses as blackberry and inner rose notes slowly fade. The 2018 is an understated and youthful beauty that will reward medium-term cellaring. That said, hands off for now because the best is yet to come.Vinous Media | 94 VMA graceful red, beginning quietly with a pure note of ripe black currant, with the palate slowly expanding to weave in flavors of bay leaf and cured tobacco, bitter cherry reduction, mineral, graphite and cigar box spices. The finely knit flavor range shows supple tannins, which emerge to define the elegant finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot. Drink now through 2033. 5,900 cases made, 1,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRoasted red chili pepper with tapenade, berries, cedar and tobacco leaves. Very juicy on the palate with plush, silky tannins and a long, fluid finish. Cool and gastronomic. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 vintage is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère (a high percentage for any grower) and 10% Merlot. The wine opens with aromas of ripe plum mixed with tart blueberries, worn leather, sweet spices and dried flowers. The palate is expansive and rich, showing the 24 months of aging in French barriques, both new and used. Firm yet opulent, the wine will continue to develop and retain its mark as one of the best Bordeaux-style blends from Italy. Drink 2025–2040. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

(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

Cheval des Andes continues its steady ascent towards the summit of the very best and most sought-after New World reds. I tasted this wine over the space of a day and was very close to giving it 100 points. Made from an equal blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines fruit from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira to brilliant effect. Aged in 50% new barrels and foudres,it’s effortlessly complex and detailed, with refined tannins,graphite and cut grass aromas, cassis and bramble flavours and remarkable palate length. Drink till 2040.Tim Atkin | 99 TAThe 2019 Cheval des Andes had a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald attributed to the reductiveness; it’s ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins. There’s more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. So, the wine might be less accessible when young and should develop slowly in bottle. It’s tasty and supple and has the ingredients and the balance for what they are aiming for. In the following vintages, they follow this path, and Gabillet feels that having more precision allows the wines to reflect the differences between vintages better. They keep producing around 100,000 bottles. It was bottled in late January 2021. The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA refined but spicy Cheval, showing charcoal, blueberries, wild herbs, lavender and hints of bacon and cedar. Medium to full body with extremely fine tannins that get dialed into the fruit with violet, spices and sweet blue fruit at the end. Long and subtle. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Cheval des Andes is a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira, Mendoza. The 2019 was 40% aged in 225-liter barrels, 40% in 500-liter barrels and 20% in foudres. It’s red with violet flecks in the glass. It has a fresh nose of plum and blackcurrant accompanied by hints of white pepper, mint and violets over a bed of cedar and sandalwood. On the palate, the feel is finely grained with a leaner, more agile flow than in previous years, while the freshness brings plenty of energy before the lengthy finish of fruit and country herb aromas.Vinous Media | 97 VMSmooth and so seductive, I love the texture here, supple but silky. Tannis give structure and support and the focus is on perfumed red and black fruits with a richness and concentration yet liveliness from sharp acidity. It doesn’t feel at all heavy but sintilates with fragrance and freshness. Easy to drink, lovely detail on show - blackcurrants, red cherries, violets with vanilla and liquorice hints. Very smooth and charming while still being a full wine. This has extreme delectability. Great winemaking on show. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045Decanter | 96 DEC

The deeper hued 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Cuvée Du Papet checks in as a blend of 75% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah that saw plenty of stems and aging mostly in foudre, with a small part in demi-muids and barrique. Straight-up sensational notes of blackcurrants, ground pepper, garrigue, leather, and graphite emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a concentrated, dense, powerful mouthfeel, building tannins, and a brilliant finish. It’s built for the long haul, and along with the 2016, it’s one of the finest wines I’ve tasted from this talented family. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following 20-25+.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDark in profile, but very seductive, with cassis, crushed plum and cherry reduction notes carried by a substantial yet very silky structure. Light floral, incense, black tea and warm earth details score the finish. Tantalizing now for its mouthfeel and expressiveness, but there’s no rush at all. Drink now through 2038. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBrilliant violet. A highly perfumed nose displays mineral- and spice-accented red and dark berries, licorice and a hint of potpourri. Sappy cherry, black raspberry and spicecake flavors show vibrant lift and take on floral pastille and botanical herb nuances as the wine opens up. In a lively style, finishing sweet, floral and extremely long, with fine-grained tannins adding final grip.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Cuvee du Papet is full-bodied, broad, expansive and generous on the palate. A blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah mostly from sandy sites and aged mostly in foudre, it’s over 16% alcohol yet shows no trace of heat or over-ripeness, with fresh, almost minty notes accenting ripe blackberries and black cherries on the nose and a long, silky finish that hints at cola and spice.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPSpicy nose with restrained nose of vanilla, thyme, smoke and black fruits. Ripe and round, very juicy and pure. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2038Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard is a Grenache-dominated field blend (80%) that also includes 15 other varieties. Brought up all in foudre, it boasts a dense purple hue to go with a sensational, full-bodied, multi-layered array of red and black currants, toasted spice, peppery garrigue, and new leather-like aromas and flavors. Slightly tighter and more backward than the classic cuvée, this warrants 4-6 years of bottle age and will be incredibly long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDGreat purity and serious concentration without overt weight. A very powerful, complete, driving style of wine, big in tannin, acid and alcohol with a long finish. Biodynamically-grown Grenache (66%), Syrah (12%) and Mourvèdre (12%), the rest being made up of Clairette Rose, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Terret Noir, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc, Muscardin, Bourboulenc, Picpoul Noir, Vaccarèse, Roussanne, Picpoul Gris, Counoise and Clairette Blanche! Grapes are grown across a variety of soil types in the lieux-dits Beau Renard, Cabrières and Coteau de l’Ange, vinified mostly in tronconic wooden vats, then aged in oak barrels of various sizes and ages, including 5% new oak.Drinking Window 2023 - 2035Decanter | 96 DECSaturated ruby. Red and dark fruit preserves, candied licorice, violet and exotic spices on the expansive nose. Stains the palate with sweet blueberry, cherry cola, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors that become livelier as the wine stretches out. Blends depth and energy with a steady hand and closes impressively long and youthfully chewy, with building tannins and a strong echo of cherry liqueur.Vinous Media | 95 VMRich and ripe, offering an alluring smoky edge throughout. Layers of warmed plum preserve and cherry compote roll through, picking up tobacco and warm earth notes along the way. Drink now through 2034. 188 cases made, 38 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDeep nose of damson plums and black cherries with subtle spice and tobacco-leaf aromas. Rich and concentrated with a ton of healthy tannins that beautifully support the full body, the mineral acidity lighting up the long finish. From 70 to 100-year-old vines of all the 13 varieties allowed for this appellation. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Boisrenard is 80% Grenache, with the balance a mix of the other permitted varieties. Fermentation took place in wood (including a small proportion of new barrels), with maturation in foudres. Scents of mint and garrigue accent black cherries and plum on the nose, and I thought I detected a hint of charred oak as well (tasted blind). Full-bodied, rich and velvety, this is a thickly textured, concentrated beauty, with a long, mocha-tinged finish. While it could use a year or two to soften, it should drink well for more than a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De La Reine des Bois is a deeper, more masculine wine with gorgeous cassis and blackberry fruits as well as graphite, licorice, crushed stone, violets, and lavender nuances. Rich, full-bodied, and incredibly concentrated, it has a brilliant sense of freshness and purity as well as length on the finish. It’s going to require 4-5 years of bottle age, but this straight-up thrilling Châteauneuf du Pape will have 20-25 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDBuilt for the cellar, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reine des Bois—a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% each Syrah and Vaccarèse—is full-bodied and firm. Concentrated and dense, it’s tight and structured, although it does offer up hints of mocha, vanilla, ripe cherries and chocolate on the nose, and finishes long and velvety. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPOpaque ruby. Expressive red and dark berry liqueur, cherry cola, licorice and floral aromas are complemented by exotic spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Broad and fleshy in texture, offering deeply concentrated blackberry, boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors that turn sweeter as the wine opens up. Finishes with impressive clarity, well-judged tannins and superb, floral-driven persistence.Vinous Media | 95 VMWell-built, with a very dense core of dark plum, blackberry and fig flavors scored by warm earth, singed alder and tar through the finish. Dark in profile and with a muscular edge, but this is well-defined and proportioned from start to finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Best from 2024 through 2038. 600 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Domaine de la Mordorée, La Reine des Bois, Grenache, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, Red) Dense aromas of concentrated berries and gamey notes. Intense on the palate, with firm tannins. Quite fleshy, with a long savoury finish. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is based on 45% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, with the balance Syrah, all destemmed and raised in 55% new French oak. Gorgeous cassis, violet, graphite, fruitcake, and peppery herbs define this brilliant effort, and it’s full-bodied, with a pure, seamless texture, wonderful tannins, and one heck of a great finish. This magical 2019 is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age (it’s brilliant even today) yet keep for 20 years or more. Châteauneuf du Pape lovers need to have this in their cellar!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDAlways the densest and richest of the cuvées at this benchmark estate, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes features scents of cedar and mocha layered against a backdrop of black cherries. This actually is a bit like Black Forest cake—that ripe, rich and dense, with chocolate and vanilla shadings—but remains dry and savory in the end, with velvety tannins and tremendous length. It’s approximately 50% Grenache (aged in tank), plus 40% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah (both aged in new barrels)Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPDeep violet. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, vanilla and candied flowers, along with Moroccan spice and smoky mineral nuances. Sweet and pliant in the mouth, offering assertive Chambord, boysenberry, lavender and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily through the back half. Plush tannins come in slowly, adding shape to a very long, blue-fruit- and floral-dominated finish.Vinous Media | 95 VMDrenched with the heat and sun of the 2019 vintage, this massively ripe, strapping wine is packed with flavors of roasted plum and black-cherry compote. Accented by whispers of camphor, sweet tobacco and cinnamon, the concentrated, hulking sip is ringed by fiery tannins. The wine needs time. Approach from 2024 and it should improve well through 2035. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco (a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese) is a real beauty and shows very nicely today based on advancing vine age alone. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah vines show great results after seven years, whereas Merlot and Sangiovese vines need a few more years before they start to show that extra degree of complexity, the winemaking team tells me. This is a complete and beautifully balanced wine that shows soft extraction and especially sweet tannins. It fermented in truncated conical oak vats and finished in barrique for 18 months. 60,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPDense and smooth, featuring black cherry, blackberry, plum, iron, licorice and menthol aromas and flavors. Fresh and featuring a spine of tannins, this finishes on the compact side for now. Shows balance, so be patient. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2025 through 2040. 5,400 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSBeautiful aromas of currants and blackberries follow through to a medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and a juicy finish. Lots of intensity and depth. Hints of fresh sage and bay leaf. From organically grown grapes. Wonderful to drink now, but even better in 2024.James Suckling | 95 JS

I was able to taste the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin on two occasions, rating it one point higher on one of those as well. Incredible notes of red and black fruits, violets, scorched earth, ground pepper, and Provençal garrigue notes define the nose, and it’s a darker, richer, slightly more powerful wine than usual, while still showing the inherent elegance and finesse this cuvée always shows. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 15-20. Don’t miss it!Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis Grenache is sourced from the sandy soils of two prized vineyards, La Janasse and La Crau. Redolent of rose petals, smoky tea leaves and black cherry, the deeply penetrating wine pulsates through a long, long finish. Matured 12 months in large-format wood, it’s pure in fruit and satiny on the palate. Stunning young, the wine should gain complexity through at least 2040 and hold much further still.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Domaine de la Janasse, Grenache, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, Red) With more than 90ha of vines, Domaine de la Janasse’s flagship red – a blend of 65% old Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault – is sourced from several terroirs, including the La Crau plateau. With no pesticides, insecticides or weedkillers used, 80% of the wine is aged in traditional old foudres, and 20% in barrels, of which one third are new. Matt Walls: Lively and high-toned, with appealing fresh black cherry, raspberry and violet floral notes. Supple, pure and fine, very well balanced. Great shape and harmony, very good indeed. Tanguy Martin: Nose full of sweet spices and orange macerated notes. The palate is round and sweet – fruit compote followed by a meaty finish. David Round: Intense, bright strawberry fruit with exotic spices. Concentrated, ripe and fleshy, quite heady but rounded with ripe tannins. (Drink between 2022-2043)Decanter | 96 DECMarked by scents of garrigue, raspberries and black cherries, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin is full-bodied, rich and tannic but also incredibly ripe and long. The betting here is that the fruit outlasts the tannins and that the wine develops similarly to the stunning 2005.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Réserve Auguste Favier is based on 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault, all from the Les Serres lieu-dit, and was brought up all in demi-muids. Black raspberries, spring flowers, pepper, and loamy earth and mineral nuances all make an appearance here, and this flawlessly balanced, medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape has incredible finesse and elegance while still bringing beautiful richness and length. It’s not the biggest, richest wine in the vintage, but it shines for its complexity and seamlessness. It’s pure class.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDOpaque garnet. Expressive cherry, black raspberry and incense aromas are complemented by building floral and exotic spice nuances. Sappy, seamless and penetrating in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet red and dark berry liqueur and candied lavender flavors that deepen as the wine open up. Shows resonating red fruit character on the wonderfully persistent, floral-driven finish, which is framed by polished, interwoven tannins.Vinous Media | 96 VMMatured in demi-muids, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier is 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault. Offering up a panoply of floral, spice and herb shadings, it backs those with scents of raspberries and black cherries and just subtle notes of toast and pencil shavings. Full-bodied on the palate, it’s also silky in feel, with a long, mouthwatering finish and just a touch of friendly warmth. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis has a seriously endowed and remarkably pure core of cassis and cherry purée, underscored by light leather, red licorice and violet notes that emerge steadily as they move through the silky finish. Power and grace. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. Best from 2023 through 2036. 7,920 cases made, 660 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDeep and concentrated, flowing, but with a good sense of fruit freshness and liveliness on the palate. A big wine, that, like many of us, put on a bit of weight over lockdown! Grown on galets roulés on lieu-dit Les Serres, fermented in concrete, aged in demi-muid. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet’s second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPRipe, baked dark cherries with spices and some violets. Hints of graphite, cocoa powder, incense and black pepper. Dried rose petals. A slightly fuller Cheval des Andes with tense, silky tannins and a lingering, generous finish. Ripe, but still has lots of restraint and precision. 49% malbec, 49% cabernet sauvignon with a 2% petit verdot. 24% of the malbec comes from Altamira and all the rest of the fruit come from Las Compuertas. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it’s purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It’s dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year’s character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis almost half-half Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec with 2% Petit Verdot is rich and full in the mouth. Tannins are massy and filling, this has power and dominance with concentrated blackcurrant, plum and black cherry fruit. Highly spiced and sunkissed, this is intense and quite a force on the palate with liquorice, black pepper and tobacco tones and a flinty mineral aspect on the finish. The alcohol sticks out a touch, just lingering with heat at the end, but it has freshness and matches the altogether hefty frame and power from start to finish. Certainly a punchy and confident wine that’s out to shine. 3.83pH. Ageing 22 months, 40% in 225l Bordeaux barrels, 405 in 400l barrels, 20% in 2,500l foudres (50% new). Winemaker Gérald Gabillet.Decanter | 95 DEC

Proprietor Paul-Vincent Avril expects to bottle 100,000 bottles of something approximating this "final blend," tasted out of foudre. A blend of 55% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah and other permitted varieties, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape looked exceptional on this day, offering up scents of framboise and kirsch alongside dried flowers and Asian spices. Full-bodied yet weightless, silky and long, this is special stuff, complex and balanced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPA very Clos des Papes vintage,’ says Vincent Avril, and I know what he means - a vintage that naturally delivers the kind of fresh, elegant wines that this estate is famous for. A tasting of several foudres point to a wine with natural, easy balance. The Mourvèdre is excellent here this year, and adds great depth to the fresh and delightful Grenache that has notes of black tea, black cherry and iron. Elegant and very fine. (Drink between 2023-2042)Decanter | 98 DECBeguiling, with a plume of black tea and incense leading off, followed by black cherry reduction, cassis, melted black licorice, warm earth, singed tobacco and garrigue accents. Offers breadth and depth with a seamless feel, capped by a subtle mineral edge that lingers lengthily amid the beautiful fruit. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2024 through 2040. 8,000 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLooking at the reds, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a silky, elegant wine that shows the vintage to a T. I was able to taste through all the foudres of the cuvée as well as one that’s a final blend, with all showing beautiful red and black fruits, peppery garrigue, and floral nuances. The purity of fruit is remarkable, and this will be a medium to full-bodied, finesse-driven, yet still concentrated vintage for this cuvée that readers will love.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JD

Moving to the 2020s, the 2020 Gigondas La Louisiane is an absolute blockbuster of a wine that’s up there with some of the best Gigondas made. Based on 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cinsault and Syrah, raised all in foudre, its deep purple hue is followed by a kaleidoscope-like array of kirsch, blackberries, ground pepper, violets, sandalwood, and other assorted Provençal-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced, I love its tannins, and it has a stacked mid-palate as well as a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDShimmering ruby color. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes juicy red and blue fruits, incense and exotic spices. A floral nuance emerges as the wine opens up. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, its vibrant black raspberry, blueberry and spicecake flavors are underscored by a core of juicy acidity. Shows excellent clarity and firm, spicy thrust on a wonderfully long, sweet finish framed by velvety, even tannins.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Now the flagship of this estate, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is 75% Grenache and the rest Cinsault, Mourvedre, and a little Syrah. Sporting a deep ruby/purple hue, it offers a beautiful array of black raspberry and darker cherry fruit as well as lots of graphite, chalky minerality, Provençal garrigue, and spice. Beautiful on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied effort has a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, rock-solid underlying structure and concentration, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It needs to be forgotten for 2-4 years (although it certainly offers incredible pleasure even today) and will keep for two decades. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDIsabel Ferrando informed me during my visit that she planned to eliminate the Reserve Auguste Favier and Collection Charles Giraud bottlings, folding those lots and the "tradition" Saint-Prefert Châteauneuf into a single, combined wine under the Famille Isabel Ferrando label. The resulting blend she showed as the 2020 Famille Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf du Pape is a fine effort, with layers of cola-like spice and hints of garrigue layered against a lush backdrop of cherries and raspberries. Medium to full-bodied and almost creamy in texture, it finishes long, silky and mouthwatering.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThis cuvée replaces the three historical red cuvées of the domaine (Classique, Auguste Favier and Charles Giraud). Quite introverted for now, seems to have everything required but needs time to knit together. Freshness, energy, fine and plentiful tannins with good acidity. While the alcohol is warming it is balanced. Could be very good in time, hard to judge now, but early signs are good and I’d like to see this again in bottle. From the galets roulés of lieu-dit Les Serres, fermented in concrete and then aged in concrete, old oak and amphora. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2036Decanter | 95 DECApproachable out of the gate, with gorgeous red fruit, wild strawberry, licorice root, dusty earth and lavender flavors joined by floral highlights. Beautifully textured and silky on the palate, with mineral intensity building on the palate, imparting nice persistence and length. A polished yet honest, characteristic wine. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2032. 3,300 cases made, 1,007 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The flagship release, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard Blanc is based on 42% Clairette, 32% Roussanne, 11% Bourboulenc, 10% Grenache Blanc, and a small mix of other varieties. Slightly deeper gold-hued compared to the classic cuvée, it offers textbook notes of sauteed peach, honeyed citrus, flower oil, and hints of green almonds. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, it has good acidity and a great finish. It brings more richness and opulence than the base cuvée, but it remains to be seen which of these releases will be the longest lived. Both are brilliant wines.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD