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The 2019 Chardonnay Laurelwood District comes from seven different vineyard sites throughout the appellation. It’s energetic, spicy and mineral-driven this vintage, with transparent aromas of white peach, beeswax, jasmine and flint. The palate pairs spicy fruit with exotic floral undertones. It has a satiny, expansive texture balanced by a spine of shimmery acidity, and it finishes long and expressive.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA crunchy and bright chardonnay with sliced lemon and honeysuckle, crushed stone and jasmine. Some lime and green mango too. Lovely acidity and hints of tannins give tension and energy to the wine at the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThis Chardonnay, made with fruit from the Ponzi family’s original 1970 plantings and a series of Laurelwood District vineyards, is quite a treat. Its floral qualities are almost too numerous to fit into a tasting note. Suffice it to say that honeysuckle, flowering tobacco and lemon catmint provide a heady amount of jasmine and citrus notes. Lighter-bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel, this lovely Chardonnay has flavors of Bosc pear, toasted filberts and a clean sea breeze. The acidity is lively, with a touch of butter on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA handsome Chardonnay that offers elegantly complex apple and spice flavors, with a steely hint of minerality as this finishes on a vibrant accent. Drink now. 722 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis perfumed white offers brisk Asian pear and apple blossom notes against a tonic mineral backdrop. It’s a bit more delicate and sheer in style compared to the producer’s more powerful, single-vineyard bottlings but delightfully thirst-quenching. The Laurelwood District in the Chehalem Mountains became an AVA in 2020 based on a petition by the Ponzi family to highlight the region’s deep, wind-blown loess topsoil over decomposed basalt.Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2019 Condrieu Chery is always a more steely, mineral-driven example of this appellation, but it packs a punch in 2019 and has powerful notes of buttered citrus, pineapple, honeysuckle, and a liquid rock-like minerality. These carry to a rich, full-bodied Condrieu with an opulent texture, moderate acidity, and a great finish. As with most 2019 Condrieu (and 2018s), it’s not going to be the longest lived, but who cares? Drink this brilliant wine over the coming 4-5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFrom 70-year-old vines, the 2016 Condrieu Chéry is a bit more concentrated than Niero’s Les Ravines bottling, but otherwise, it’s similar in its aromas of crushed stone and pineapple. Like the other wines at this estate, it’s aged 12 months in a mix of stainless steel (60%) and oak barrels (40%), giving it a rich, slightly oily texture. It’s harmonious and long, with pineapple and melon flavors giving way to gingery spice on the finish. (JCRobert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP

Elegantly complex and vibrant, with floral apple, lemon verbena and spice flavors that build toward a steely finish. Drink now through 2023. 424 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2019 Chardonnay “Hyland Vineyard” bottling from Résonance Wines is a lovely wine. It comes in at 13.5 percent octane and seems to show that a bit of the malolactic fermentation was blocked, as it has that lovely essence of pear aromatic note that one finds in many of Louis Jadot’s white Burgundies as well. The nose jumps from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, a touch of pastry cream, raw almond, a touch of vanillin oak and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a good core and soil signature, zesty acids and a long, nicely balanced and stylish finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2021-2030)John Gilman | 90 JG

The 2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is laced with the essence of crushed rocks, white pepper, orchard fruit, white flowers, chalk and mint. It is a bit less forthcoming than the Alpine Chardonnay. Saline notes build into the palate staining finish. This classically austere young Chardonnay just needs time in bottle. Tasted next to the Alpine, the Horseshoe has more mid-palate weight and feeling of phenolic intensity. The differences between the two are remarkable considering the sites are just 400 yards apart. The Horseshoe is planted on Monterey shale, while the soils at Alpine are Purisima, a formation that is about 8 million years younger. Such is the complexity of the Santa Cruz Mountains.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGRipe Meyer lemons, crushed stone, white flower, and exotic spice notes all emerge from the 2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard. Rich and medium-bodied, it has a beautiful mid-palate, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It shows the slightly more rounded, supple style of the vintage, yet I love its density and length. Give it a year or two and enjoy over the following decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Chardonnay “Horseshoe Vineyard”- Rhys Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains)) The 2019 Horseshoe Vineyard chardonnay from Rhys is one of the low octane whites from the winery in this vintage, as it comes in at a cool 12.3 percent. However, the wine is very expressive on the nose, wafting from the glass in a refined blend of apple, pear, fruit blossoms, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with lovely intensity of flavor and transparency, a fine girdle of acidity and a long, nascently complex and promising finish. This will need a few years to open up, but should prove to be a long-lived and lovely middleweight once it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2024-2035)John Gilman | 93 JG

A relatively young estate, Lavantureux is definitely a domaine to watch. Arnaud and David are now running things, with a recent 0.95ha acquisition in Vau de Vey. Farmed by hand, this is a delightful Premier Cru which emphasises the character of this steep, stony climat. Lovely density on the palate with an intriguing lime character, balanced by mineral, flinty notes and a touch of creamy oak adding more complexity. Subtle and nuanced. Drinking Window 2022 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of honeysuckle, lemon grass and citrus follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a fresh, bright finish. Lots of lemon rind at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey is a fine success, offering up aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, nutmeg and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chiseled, with fine depth at the core and a saline finish, this is certainly oak-inflected in style but integrates that patina more completely than the Vauprin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru has a lovely, pure, well-defined bouquet of mineral-tinged citrus fruit, dewy meadow and light flinty scents. The palate is taut and fresh with orange peel and a touch of yellow plum on the entry. There are hints of tropical fruit, but they are discreet, and the wine maintains wonderful focus on the finish. Delicious!Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2019 S De Suduiraut is straight-up brilliant and unquestionably ranks with the top whites in the vintage. Bright pineapple, honeysuckle, toasted spice, and chalky mineral notes all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, vibrant, integrated acidity, and a great finish. Clean, pure, flawlessly balanced, and just a classy effort, it can be enjoyed any time over the coming 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDComposed of 67% Semillon and 33% Sauvignon Blanc harvested from the 5th to the 10th of September, the 2019 S de Suduiraut Blanc is aging for nine months in French oak barrels, 12% new. The alcohol came in at 13.1%. The nose starts off a little shy before taking off with notes of freshly squeezed lemons, key lime pie and yuzu zest plus touches of marzipan and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate has a lovely suggestion of creaminess to the texture, helping to support the racy citrus flavors, finishing with an invigorating lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2019 S de Suduiraut Vielles Vignes is rich and ample in feel, with all of the natural richness of the old vines on display. White flowers, coconut, passion fruit, mint and dried flowers offer a striking interplay of tropical and savory notes. The 2019 is beautifully done.Antonio Galloni | 91-93 AGAlluring, with a lemon, peach and gooseberry core, infused with tarragon and verbena notes, framed with a stylish shortbread accent. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2023. 333 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WSPineapple, lemon, chopped apple, smoked almond and some caramel on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fresh acidity and a rich, nutty and flavorful palate. Excellent length. Sauvignon blanc and semillon. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSGorgeous, nuanced and expressive nose, showing honey and sweet lemon curd. Mouth-watering juiciness, red apple, pear and some gooseberry, a little less zesty and exotic. I like the immediate flavours of tangerine juice and orange. Quite bright, then settles before the wood comes in, overpowering the ending for now. Spicy and structured. Drinking Window 2023 - 2026.Decanter | 90 DEC

This estate makes incredible whites, and the 2019 Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes Blanc is well worth seeking out. Revealing a medium gold hue as well as great aromatics of white peach, pineapple, white flowers, and spice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, elegant texture, bright acidity, and a great, great finish. It’s stunning today and I suspect it will keep for upwards of a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBright and well-defined right from the get go, with both rich and racy green melon, green plum, white peach and star fruit flavors, laced with a lemon shortbread hint. The long finish lets the fruit play out, while a honeysuckle note adds range. Drink now through 2024. 500 cases made, 80 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe honeyed and cedar-inflected 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes Blanc shows a bit too much oak on the nose, but it serves to structure the wine on the palate, pushing the pear and melon notes into something more focused and refreshing than it would be otherwise. It’s still a ripe, round wine, marked by oak spice and lingering wood on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Classic notes of quince, crushed stone, honeysuckle, toasted bread, marzipan, and white flowers emerge from the 2019 Hermitage Blanc, a rich, full-bodied white with a dense mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is head-turning stuff that has some up-front approachability, yet its tight, backward, concentrated core of fruit suggests that 2-3 years of bottle age are warranted, and it’s going to keep for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDCrackling campfire and toasted brioche accent flavors of preserved yellow peach, pineapple and crème brûlée in this masterful white. An 80/20 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne matured 12 months in oak foudre, it’s creamy on the palate, with a delicately warming, brandy-soaked kiss on the finish. Delicious young, the wine should gain even more nuance from 2030 through 2040 and hold further.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBaked apple, pineapple, peach, dried jasmine, lemon curd, flint, cardamom and spice on the nose. It’s full-bodied, complex and intense. Long, ripe, layered and wonderfully spiced, with a creamy, almost oily texture. Lingering notes of salted butter and minerals accompany a fresh lift on the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA rich and showy wine, with singed brioche and salted butter notes leading off, followed by creamed yellow apple, mirabelle plum, melon and mango notes all mixed together. The finish features a buttery hint, with an echo of macadamia nut. One for the hedonist crowd. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2024. 400 cases made, 5 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is all spice and lemon cream to begin, with undertones of almonds, pastry and jasmine that come through as it airs in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is textural and energetic, its citrus-and-mineral character and tangy acidity underpinned by nutty tones that drive the long finish. It has the freshness, texture and intensity for a long life in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is earthy, powerful and savory. Deep and complex, the Rinconada Chardonnay is beguiling, but also a bit eccentric. As such, it is a wine that requires attention and time because it is not especially forthcoming.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2019 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard has pure aromas of tangerine, lime peel and apricot with nuances of meringue, honey and almonds. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive, with rounded acidity and chalky mineral character driving the extended finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is an ethereal, gracious wine that captures all the pedigree of this old-vine section in S&B. White flowers, mint, lemon peel, orchard fruit, chalk, crushed rocks and white pepper give this translucent, nuanced Chardonnay myriad layers of nuance.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

The 2020 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Brand offers an intense and concentrated bouquet with candied lemon and lychee aromas intertwined with notes of crushed stones and lemon peels. Lush and piquant on the palate, with great intensity and beautiful bitters reminiscent of bitter oranges and kumquat on the finish, this is a rich, tensioned and vital Gewürz that belongs to the best I have had from granite soils. This is like a Sporen from granite soils. Stunning acidity here. This is nervous, vibrantly fresh and crystalline. Fabulous! Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2020 Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Dudenstein is another adorable wine from Jean Boxler. From about 70- 80-year-old vines on deeper, marlier soils with a granite layer, the 2020 shows a coolish, clear and refined bouquet of crushed stones, iodine and delicate citrus notes. On the palate, this is a vivacious, even nervous, vibrantly fresh and mineral Sonnenberg with bright and fresh Riesling fruit and a leaner, more vertical structure compared to Vanne and Eckberg. The Dudenstein is less powerful and rich compared to its brothers, but it’s a classic, stimulating and refreshing Riesling with great aging potential. This is about 14% alcohol, which we do not taste or feel. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

From vines planted in 1953 (which Boxler rented in 2019) that give small bunches with highly concentrated fruit, the 2020 Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Vanne offers a clear, deep and fresh, very delicate but also complex bouquet of cold, wet stones with coolish, herbal, lemon-scented notes. Beautifully defined, precise and elegant. On the palate, this is a tight, pure, crunchy and salty Riesling with great intensity, fine tannins and a dry and serious, almost aristocratic, endlessly salty finish. This is a Riesling from crushed stones. An amazing Sommerberg indeed. About 14% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2020 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from vines planted in the 1970s. It was matured for 12 months in 35% new French oak and finished with six months in stainless steel. This shows the impressive concentration and generosity that could have defined the style of the 2020 vintage before the wildfires hit. Youthful tones of crème brûlée and toast give way to citrus blossoms, lemongrass and apricot on the nose. The medium-bodied palate pairs generous, honeyed fruit and a luxurious, mouth-coating texture with laser-like acidity that compels you to take another sip, and although the Arista wines generally age well, there’s no reason to wait for this—drink it over the next 3-5+ years. 650 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPLeans into tropical notes of pineapple and mango, with fresh citrus accents, an elegant, soft body and fresh acidity that gains momentum on the long, expressive finish, where a touch of toasted green tea and honeyed, toasted sesame lingers. Drink now. 650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2020 Chardonnay Powder House is ethereal and gracious in feel. Effusive aromatics give the Powder House its lifted personality. White pepper, chalk, mint and lemon oil add quite a bit of brightness. The balance here is driven by energy and vibrancy more than by volume.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

A cool, late-harvest site relative to Aubert’s other sources, the 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons also sees a bit less new French oak (50%). Readers will note that the oak made virtually no impression on me, as the wine bursts with aromas of ripe, honeyed melon, balanced by bright lime notes. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, this is just a pleasure to drink, finishing long and zesty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis stunning version opens with a rich impression, with candied ginger, marmalade and honeyed overtones to the core of fresh fruit flavors, including notes of pear, apple, melon and citrus. Hints of orange blossoms and minerality mingle with fresh acidity, while a nutmeg-dominant wave of spices gain momentum on the long finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,538 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA big and juicy white with cooked apple, pear, honey, and mineral. Flint. Full and layered with a flavorful and delicious finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS

From Hohen-Sülzen in Rheinhessen, Battenfeld’s 2020 Kirchenstück Riesling GG is pure and elegant on the nose that shows ripe and intense fruit along with great complexity in a rather "Burgundian" style. Amusingly, the wine seems open and reductive at the same time. Salty, vital and tensioned on the palate, this is a juicy, elegant and persistently salty Kirchenstück with a pure and salty but sustainable finish. Outstanding and surely the finest Kirchenstück I have ever tasted from HO Spanier! Tasted in Wiesbaden at the end of August 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis super-elegant GG is hard to resist right now, due to the fine, peachy fruity, plus the delicate notes of citrus zest and white flowers. So sleek and polished on the palate, in spite of the considerable concentration. Such a light touch at the refined, salty finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Chardonnay El Enemigo from Gualtallary, Uco Valley was aged in oak with flor for twelve months with 15% coming from other years. Yellowish green in the glass. The nose presents notes of hazel and chestnuts accompanied by green apple and expressive whiffs of chamomile and pineapple. In the mouth, it’s taut with heightened freshness and a compact character from the flor exposing the skeletal acidity.Vinous Media | 94 VMShows Viognier-like floral notes of gardenia and honeysuckle, with an elegant yet rich body of peach and pineapple. Reveals hints of thyme and mineral on the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,600 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was barrel-aged for 16 months. Greenish-yellow in the glass. The intense, layered nose presents bold aromas of green apple, pear, hints of linden blossom and ginger with touches of lemon and herbs. In the mouth, it’s concentrated, rooted in a lively, heightened freshness while maintaining the variety’s expansive flow, which also delivers salinity and long-lasting flavor. A thrilling white that defines this nook of the Uco Valley.Vinous Media | 97 VMLemon zest, pineapple, white pepper, cloves, jasmine, crushed stones and chalk on the nose. Medium-bodied, focused and phenolic. Very fine, mineral and tight with persistent energy and vivid acidity. Creamy, with salted-almond notes at the end. Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSI had the opportunity to taste two vintages (2020 and 2021) of the top whites side by side and could see the differences of the two years quite clearly, as the wines express the natural conditions of the year quite faithfully. The 2020 White Stones Chardonnay is riper than the other three wines; it’s a very good wine, but it shows the warmer year with a rounder mouthfeel, faintly creamy, still a little closed in the nose, which slowly reveals yellow fruit and some spice. The palate is quite gentle, with 13% alcohol and very good balance. 7,500 bottles produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPCatena Zapata was founded in 1902, with a focus on high altitude plantings in Mendoza. Its famed Adrianna vineyard sits above 1,450m, ensuring a quality crop with good acid retention as a result of the cool night-time temperatures. The wine is 100% Chardonnay from a small selection of vines on stony, free-draining soils with a topsoil of oval-shaped white stones. Fermented in French oak, the wine also goes through partial malolactic fermentation before ageing 12-16 months in seasoned French oak barrels with batonnage throughout. Amanda Barnes: Great purity and wet stone character. Vibrant acidity and great tension on the finish. Ben Gubbins MW: Fresh, light and vibrant with red apple skin, lemon, good intensity and tension. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW: Graceful and attractive with lovely aromas of citrus fruits, yellow plum, star fruit, fresh dough and hints of sweet spices. Refined, silky texture and beautiful underlining freshness. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2032Decanter | 95 DECRestrained and elegant, with floral citrus and melon flavors and powerful minerality adding texture and expanding its presence. Ends with spicy details and hints of cream. Drink now through 2026. 540 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard opens with lemon and saline tones before blossoming to exotic streaks of panna cotta and honey. Medium-bodied, silky and richly fruited, it offers a balance of concentrated, ripe fruit on a bright, translucent frame and finishes with great length and anchoring texture.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPClassic high-quality Chardonnay notes of orchard fruits, classy oak, brioche, and honeysuckle all emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard, a medium-bodied, pure, balanced, straight-up impressive white from this team. With plenty of mid-palate depth, it brings bright acidity, good precision and focus, and outstanding length, and while I like it today, I see no reason this won’t evolve for 7-8 years, if not over a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2020 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard is bright, airy and lifted. In this vintage, the Los Alamos Chardonnay has a bit more texture and mid-palate pliancy than is often the case. That’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, orchard fruit, white flowers, spice and tangerine oil build in the oily, beautifully textured finish.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGGavin Chanin’s Los Alamos chardonnay in 2020 is a departure from prior vintages, which are notable for their lean energy. This wine starts off with a rich attack, warm and fresh, bearing beautiful salted lemon fruit flavors. It’s the sort of wine that takes days to open, the richness and smokiness receding with air as the wine falls into an elegant balance.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SLight pear flesh, lemon butter and chiseled sandstone aromas show on the nose of this bottling. Warmer flavors of pear flesh, lime juice and chalk make for a fresh, fun and approachable palate.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This estate makes a brilliant white, and their 2020 Château Couhins Blanc is pure gold, offering a bright citrus and lemon zest core as well as lots of white flowers and honeyed mineral-like nuances. Medium-bodied, bright, racy, yet also concentrated, it’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFreshly shelled peas on the nose with green apple aromas. Zingy and full of life straight away, vibrant yet so well controlled. A beautiful glass of wine with excellent acidity, weight and texture. It has a lovely salty, iodine tang to the lemon, lime, orange rind, pineapple, grapefruit pith and green apple. Thrilling and vibrant but clean and crisp. So well worked, focused so give this a year or two for it to settle and expand but this is a great white from 2020. A wine to buy, and more importantly drink and enjoy.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2020 Couhins Blanc, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is bright, crisp and super-expressive. White pepper, sage, mint and tomato leaf play off a core of citrus-infused fruit. I very much like the energy here.Vinous Media | 93 VMExtremely perfumed and vivid with sliced lime, lemon and hints of grapefruit. Full-bodied, yet linear and racy. Always nicely done.James Suckling | 92-93 JSThe insider’s choice among dry white Bordeaux, the 2020 Couhins Blanc unwinds in the glass with aromas of nectarine, mint, white flowers, lemongrass and pastry cream, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive palate, with racy acids and a chalky, passion fruit-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A masterclass in purity and delicacy for this 2020 vintage which manages to convey the beauty and allure of Yquem in a toned down, subtle and beguiling way. Aromas of white blossom and honeysuckle, gently caramelised Mirabelle plums and fresh apricots with flecks of clementine and grapefruit pith abound on the nose - richly scented in their individual aspects but delivered quietly, almost sultry and shy. Immediately mouthfilling and unctuous, streamlined and fresh with a sugary hit hitting first before mouthwatering acidity follows giving sumptuous succulence and vibrancy. Apricot, peach, fleshy mango and sharp pineapple give the exotic fruit zing balanced by a salty, flintiness that adds faint angles to the expression. Juicy, bright, clean and complete with hints of cinnamon spice and just-toasted bread providing the frame and structure reminding you that this is built to last. It’s not as opulent as some vintages, much more understated and relaxed - and coincidentally one of the lowest in residual sugar at 135g/l - but this is a wonderful expression with control and confidence on show. It also has supreme drinkability even now with tension, clarity and energy so don’t be afraid to open and enjoy this in its joyful youth. The 2020 is the smallest production since 2000 with an equivalent of 35,000 bottles made. All stock will be released for sale on 23rd March with only a small number of bottles kept back for the estate’s library collection. 3.79pH. The vintage was challenging in terms of viticulture with tropical spring-like weather delivering early budburst and high mildew pressure, especially given it was the estate’s first year of official organic conversion. June was wet and cool followed by a hot, dry summer. Botrytis arrived in mid-October but there was only a small window of five days and two separate passes to harvest grapes with perfect noble rot.Decanter | 96 DECVery transparent and elegant with white peaches, lilacs, and light caramel. Medium-bodied, sweet and agile with salted caramel and dried orange character. Spicy botrytis at the end. Give this three or four years to come together.James Suckling | 96 JSThis has a broad and unctuous feel, with nectarine, apricot and mango notes creating an opulent feel, while racy bitter almond, orange blossom and elderberry accents add contrast and range. The lush finish is carried by notes of mango and piecrust. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2028 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

On another level, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Grand Vin Blanc is a deeper, richer white that still stays incredibly focused, pure, and balanced. White peach, toasted brioche, spice, honeysuckle, and more stone fruits define the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has just about flawless balance, a gorgeous texture, and the depth, balance, and class to evolve for 15 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe oak is present and integrated but not excessive and it doesn’t rub out the fine definition and terroir expression. Long and straight, this is bold but drinkable, with a good sense of fluidity and freshness to the wine, but enough salt and extract to age well. The wines from Nalys are improving quickly, which is not surprising given the quality of the terroir: Bois Sénéchaux, la Crau and Grand Pierre. Fermented and aged in a variety of sizes of oak barrel, including 18% new oak.Decanter | 95 DECWith a higher proportion of Roussanne than the Saintes Pierres bottling, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Grand Vin Blanc should drink well through 2030 or so. Scents of toasted grain, roasted cashews, grilled pineapple and pear emerge on the nose of this medium to full-bodied effort. Open, lush and long, it’s a fine example of this appellation, whose white wines are steadily gaining in quality. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSleek, spicy and dense, with an inviting display of ripe, juicy pear and warm apple interwoven with dried thyme and garrigue that add a nice savory detail, with a kiss of meringue on the lush palate. Shows a salty beam of flinty minerality that cuts through the richness and concentration. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Picpoul and Picardan. Drink now through 2028. 600 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is also terrific, with a deep, rich, concentrated style that carries classic Roussanne apple and stone fruits as well as honeyed toast, spice, and subtle floral nuances. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and fabulously well-balanced, it’s going to drink well for 4-5 years, then probably shut down, only to re-emerge in another decade with a more mineral, honeyed, nutty, complex profile.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBarrel-fermented and matured in 50% new oak, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne boasts layered, nuanced aromas of toasted grain, ripe pear and mouthwatering pineapple. Full-bodied and lush, it finishes long, with a silky texture and sexy vanilla overtones. Like the other white wines at this estate, I’ve lengthened the drinking window, as they appear to age so well.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

This is marvellous. Blain crushes the grapes lightly and avoids sulphur until after malo. His way of working produces this subtle, elegant wine with notes of ripe pear touched with acacia blossom, a touch of smoke and his trademark minerality. The texture is dense but never heavy, and the wine lingers elegantly on the finish. Blain explains the difference between Bâtard and Criot, just across the street: Bâtard has deep clay, while Criots has a stonier soil and one always senses the minerality.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2020 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru comprised just three barrels in this vintage, which is three more than most growers. It was picked on 21 August. There is wonderful tension on the nose with scents of lanolin and fern, beautifully defined and vibrant. The palate is very complex with touches of ginger complementing the citrus fruit, building all the time in the glass and fanning out on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is relatively firmly reduced so if you’re tempted to try a bottle young, be sure to give it some air first. Otherwise, there is good power and underlying tension to the medium weight plus flavors that retain solid delineation on the impressively long finish. This will need to add depth with time in bottle, but the material is present for that to occur.Burghound | 93 BH