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The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots, which is their proprietary red wine blend from Knights Valley, is a killer effort, and one of their all-time greats, ranking right up there with the 2007 or 1997. A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, there are 3,600 cases of it. The wine displays plenty of mocha, chocolate, blackberry, creosote and charcoal in an incredibly complex fragrance. Full-bodied and opulent, it shows, loads of tannin, a hint of unsmoked cigar tobacco and plenty of black and blue fruits. Opaque purple to the rim, this wine is in need of a good 5-6 years of cellaring and certainly has 30-40 years of life in it.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe energy and decadence in this wine is truly breathtaking with dried flowers, wet bark, plum, strawberry, and forest fruit. Full body, ultra-soft and velvety tannins. Savory and sappy. Juicy finish. Decadent and more-ish. A wine with a great future and richness. 69% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc, 9% merlot, and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 98 JSA great vintage for this estate’s grand, full-bodied flagship red (69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot). Powerful, opulent and complex, it’s deep and fruity, with smoky, tobacco undertones from its 18 months in oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECTightly coiled and slow to reveal its strengths, with dusty dark berry, licorice, road tar, cedar and graphite flavors, ending with a touch of mocha and creamy vanilla. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 3,650 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSPowerful and tannic in the glass, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is going to require considerable patience. All the classic Knights Valley signatures come through loud and clear, with beams of supporting tannin and acidity that give the wine its shape and overall feel. Black cherry, game, smoke, licorice and tobacco convey brooding intensity.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne.Vinous Media | 98 VMNervy and tight with notes of crushed almonds, chalk, white grapefruit, digestive biscuits, lemons and apricot stones. Hints of fennel and white pepper. Deep and mineral, with plenty of power. Very fine bubbles. Long drive at the end. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne’s bouquet is compellingly fresh and minty, revealing aromas of white fruit—notably pear and apple—marzipan and sweet spices, as well as a light touch of citrus mingled with classy autolytic notes. On the palate, this is a structured, tensile and ethereal Champagne with high acidity—a sign of a classic vintage—animated by a mousse of striking finesse and delicacy. Although already enjoyable, it should develop well for several decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Lastly, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is one of the gems in the vintage. I continue to find a Latour-like quality in this cuvee and the 2014 boasts a deep purple color, killer notes of lead pencil, charcoal, scorched earth, crushed rocks, and loads of dark fruits. Medium to full-bodied, elegant yet concentrated, impeccably balanced and with a big finish, hide bottles for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 2+ decades. This cuvee is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot that was brought up in plenty of new oak, and there are roughly 700 cases produced.Speaking about the recent vintages, this team loves their 2016s and calls them the purest expressions of their varieties they’ve seen. These are indeed beautiful wines that seem similar to the 2014s, yet with a touch more oomph and mid-palate depth. I loved the 2015s and these are classic wines from Napa Valley that lead with their fruit, yet like all the wines from Kapcsandy, remain beautifully balanced, if not restrained in this vintage. The 2014s are drinking beautifully today, with elegant, classic, even old-world styles, and they’re going to evolve nicely as well. These are all classy, regal wines.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDExtremely floral and complex on the nose with cedar, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco, stones, mushrooms... I'm simply running out of words here! Full to medium body and a tight and compact center palate. This is complete and dense. Extremely long and energetic. Drink in five years but a joy to taste. One of the best ever.James Suckling | 99 JSDeep medium ruby; more saturated than the Roberta's. Knockout nose offers aromas of cassis, black cherry, dark plum, shoe polish and espresso, plus an element of toasty oak. Remarkably plush, dense and seamless, presenting a compelling balance of sweet dark berry fruit and firming minerality, with complicating notes of tobacco and spices. Really sensational Cabernet purity here! The wine's substantial tannins hit the palate late and build, giving the very long finish an element of sweetness that makes the Roberta's seem almost dry in comparison. Lou Kapcsándy described 2014 as "a steady year in the middle of drought years, with a relatively cool August and a fairly stress-free harvest--and easier than the warm 2013 growing season." (13.9% alcohol; 98% new French and 2% new Hungarian oak)Vinous Media | 98 VMAlways an exceptional cuvée, there are 900 cases of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin, which is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. In 2015 there were 700 cases. This wine is even softer than the 2015, perhaps slightly less concentrated, but still at the top of the qualitative hierarchy in Napa Valley, with its terrific purity, nose of licorice, camphor, forest floor, blackcurrant and cedar wood. It is gorgeously fruited, full-bodied, but super-well-balanced. This is a beauty that can be drunk early, or cellared for another 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 96 RP

A perfect wine in every way, the 2015 Côte Rôtie La Turque comes from an incredible terroir on the Côte Brune and includes 7% Viognier. Stylistically, it normally fits between the more ripe, exuberant La Mouline and the more austere, tannic La Landonne. A deep purple color is followed by extraordinary notes of spring flowers, crushed violets, vanilla bean, and cured meats. This gives way to a full-bodied Côte Rôtie that has a stacked mid-palate, lots of ripe, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. Syrah, or red wine for that matter, doesn’t get any better! Hats off to the Guigal family for another magical wine. Give bottles 6-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDLike the La Mouline, the 2015 Cote Rotie La Turque comes across as slightly closed—I wouldn’t be surprised to see it inch up to a perfect rating in a decade or so. Lashings of ground spices—pepper, allspice, cardamom—are sprinkled over mixed berries, but this full-bodied wine is locked up tight, finishing with firm tannins. Give it at least 5-6 years, maybe even a decade or so, before pulling a cork.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDark plum, boysenberry and fig fruit is steeped with notes of anise, black tea, ganache and roasted apple wood. A warm cast iron spine drives the finish, pulling all the components together along the way. Delivers serious cut and drive, holding a deep well of fruit in reserve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 88 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe personality of this wine is in full, flamboyant flight in 2015 with such expressive aromas of fragrant spices, roses and violet flowers, orange zest, white pepper, dark stones, exotic baking spices and beautifully ripe blackberries, blood plums and some redder fruit notes. The palate delivers plenty of energy and depth with ripe, dark and juicy tannins, wrapped around a very rich, intense and fleshy blackberry core. Impressive and still just a baby. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSSaturated purple. Hugely perfumed aromas of dark berry preserves, incense, potpourri, smoky bacon and spicecake. Cola, olive and cracked pepper flourishes build with air. Youthfully and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, sharply defined black/blue fruit, spicecake, vanilla and violet pastille flavors that are brightened by a smoky mineral accent. Chewy and appealingly sweet on the extremely long, floral-dominated finish framed by youthful, slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMA darker, deeper, slightly more meaty style compared to La Mouline, the oak here more powerfully evident. Very grippy, very tight tannins. The alcohol feels a little raised, but generally there is a good balance between darks fruits, acidity and tannin, and the wine has great freshness, length and depth. Aromatically and texturally, the wine is dominated by oak at this early stage, though this aspect will soften and meld to some extent as it matures in bottle. Very long, juicy, intense finish. Fermented in stainless steel, 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking Window 2027 - 2039Decanter | 95 DEC

Made from 100% Merlot, the 2015 Merlot Roberta’s Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and gorgeous nose of black plums, warm blueberries and mocha with touches of anise, red roses and spice box. Medium to full-bodied and densely packed with layers of blue and black fruits and perfumed notions, it has a firm yet plush backbone to support and a very long, layered finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPSaturated ruby-red. Brooding, medicinal scents of dark cherry, menthol and licorice. Boasts outstanding breadth and density of material, with its expressive flavors of black cherry, dark berries, spices and bitter chocolate complicated by salty minerality and lifted by a subtle floral quality. This distinctly soil-driven wine is showing more personality today than the ’16 and should reach its plane of peak drinkability earlier. And yet my sample tightened up in the glass to show a rather powerful tannic spine. (14.4% alcohol; 100% Merlot; from fruit harvested three weeks earlier than in 2016; 88% new French, 3% new Hungarian and 9% second-fill French)Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2015 Merlot Roberta’s Reserve is a textbook expression of Merlot and it has a pretty, yet sexy style to go with lots of blue fruits, violets, leafy herbs and graphite aromas and flavors. Like all the 2015s from this estate, it has sensational purity of fruit, is impeccably balanced, and has ultra-fine tannin. Drink this terrific 2015 anytime over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA juicy and rich red with dark berries, hazelnuts and chocolate. Some tile, too. Full and juicy with lots of fruit. Hints of salt, crushed stones and oyster shell. A pure merlot this year. Layered and juicy. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JS

The smaller production 2015 Au Paradis is a more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated cuvée that checks in as 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc. Aged in 18 months in 50% new oak, it has a more masculine, mineral-laced style offering red and black currants, crushed rocks, chocolate, and spice. Deep, rich, concentrated, and in need of 4-6 years of cellaring, this Château Latour-lookalike is an awesome, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA bright and vivid red with aromas of terracotta, fresh herbs, currants and blackberries. Some mint, floral notes and a touch of chocolate, too. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are layered with ripe fruit. Love the length and beauty. Changes all the time in the glass. A fascinating wine.James Suckling | 98 JSPeter Michael’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis captures the essence of this well-exposed site on Oakville’s Upper Plateau. Dark cherry, plum, sage, mint, kirsch, espresso and chocolate are explosive in this plush, deeply textured Cabernet Sauvignon. The 50% new oak adds a dollop of sweetness without overpowering the wine. This is a gorgeous 2015.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is striking for its density, complexity, focus and range of flavors and textures, with initial scents of smoky oak running toward the seamless finish, offering notes of dark berry, cedar, crushed rock and fresh earth. Best from 2021 through 2032. 1,620 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFrom Peter Michael's only Napa Valley vineyard comes this polished, pretty wine with strong Cabernet Franc character. Explosive floral aromas lead to mouthcoating red and black fruits, suave tannins and an irony minerality. 100% new French oak.Decanter | 94 DECComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed blackcurrants, blackberries and mulberries with hints of menthol, violets, bay leaves and cloves, plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is energetic and yet tautly structured with firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone framing the muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy. Give it 2-3 years in bottle and drink it over the next 25+. 1,620 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Once again, the 2015 Tignanello is stunning. Sweet, floral notes give the 2015 striking aromatic intensity to play off a core of red Sangiovese fruit. In 2015, the Sangiovese is a bit higher than the norm, which comes through in the wine’s flavor profile. The tannins are also a bit biting at this stage, but that won’t be an issue in time. Bright red cherry, plum, blood orange mint and sweet floral notes build into a finish laced with energy and tension. The 2015 is utterly captivating. That’s all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGFantastic aromas of dark berries, sandalwood and Spanish cedar that are ever so deep. Full body, an incredible spin of polished tannins and bright acidity. Incredible depth. Like looking over the edge of a skyscraper. Powerful and structured. A great Tignanello. A little more sangiovese than usual. Best since the legendary 1997.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2015 Tignanello is a wine that opens, like a fully blossomed rose, right in front of you. This vintage is immediately accessible, generous and opulent. The wine will surely flesh out and gain focus with more bottle age, but one of the best qualities of this vintage is just how beautiful the wine tastes straight out of the gate. The fruit is beautifully ripe with fresh blackberry and cherry nuances, spice, leather, sweet tobacco and smoke. Up until this vintage, the various blending components that make up Tignanello were vinifed in separate lots. Starting with 2015, the wine is blended sooner in order to achieve better overall integration. The entire Tignanello estate counts 130 hectares of vines, but the single-vineyard "Tignanello" that makes this wine is 57 hectares. Some 340,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA rich, dense Tignanello, the 2015 features cherry and blackberry fruit, verging on plummy, with graphite and tar notes. Delivering beautifully integrated tannins, this is a powerhouse and should unfold for decades. Shows terrific balance and length.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2023 through 2040. 5,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSLeather, cassis, cedar, black-skinned berry and exotic spice aromas slowly shape the nose. Polished and savory, the refined, structured palate boasts an almost weightless elegance while still delivering layers of juicy black cherry, blackberry compote, licorice and a hint of tobacco. Fine-grained tannins lend seamless support. It’s also surprisingly fresh and balanced for the hot vintage. Drink 2020–2030.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe Tignanello vineyard shares the same hillside with the vines that produce Solaia (recommended above), and experienced a similar growing season in 2015. Primarily sangiovese, with small amounts of cabernets sauvignon and franc, the 2015 Tignanello achieves richness without verging into opulence, its ripe cherry flavors buoyed by acidity and laced with notes of tobacco, anise and damp earth. The tannins are suave, like soft leather, and a cool ferrous note firms up the finish.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&S

I love the meatiness to this wine, but also the purity of fruit; think charcuterie, prosciutto, bay leaf, capsicum, blueberries, blackcurrants and crushed stones. You just can’t get over the way this manages to deliver a powerful, muscular package with stunning finesse and poise. The tapestry of intricate texture and detail is wrought in a flashy but sincere and heartwarming style. The balance takes your breath away. Best ever from here. Impossible to resist now, but better from 2025. James Suckling | 98 JSSun baked earth, mature black plum, fragrant blue flower and leather aromas mingle with balsamic whiffs of camphor on this full-bodied, delicious red. Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese, the creamy palate is earthy and full of flavor, boasting juicy blackberry, raspberry, dried mint, cocoa and licorice. Taut, velvety tannins provide plenty of support and finesse. Drink through 2035. Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOSunbaked earth, mature black-plum, fragrant blue-flower and leather aromas mingle with balsamic whiffs of camphor on this full-bodied, delicious red. Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese, the creamy palate is earthy and full of flavor, boasting juicy blackberry, raspberry, dried mint, cocoa and licorice. Taut velvety tannins provide plenty of support and finesse. Drink through 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2015 Sammarco (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese) shines the brightest spotlight onto the Cabernet Sauvignon element, and you can immediately make out the distinctive sharpness and structure of that variety. The bouquet offers notes of black fruit, toasted spice and grilled herb, along with wild flower, terracotta and tilled earth. There is some spice on the close, and the tannins do leave their mark with youthful astringency. Give the wine some time in the cellar, and one day it will be fantastic with a tagliatelle and porcini.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is dense and muscular, revealing a tightly wound matrix of black cherry, blackberry, iron, earth and tobacco flavors. Balsamic elements of wild juniper and rosemary emerge as this extends on the finish. Though gripping, this is also very pure, fresh and balanced. Needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2036. 2,400 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2015 Sammarco is a wine of exquisite and total finesse. Understated and nuanced, as few wines are in 2015, Sammarco is sublime. Wild flowers, cedar, spice, leather and mint give the 2015 striking aromatic dimension. On the palate, the 2015 is subtle and classy. In 2015, the Merlot crop was a bit higher than normal as newer plantings entered production, and that is reflected in the blend here as well. Because of that, the 2015 is an unusually open, forthcoming Sammarco. In fact, I can’t remember tasting a young Sammarco with this much early appeal. I can’t wait to see how it ages. The 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Sangiovese, with the Cabernet and Merlot aged in concrete and tonneaux, and the Sangiovese exclusively in cask.Vinous Media | 94 VMWild nose, spicy with gamey notes, summer fruit and plums. Delicious with a juicy intensity, very polished, ripe and charming.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has shut down slightly since I tasted it last year, yet it’s still a magical, perfect wine. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, it offers incredible notes of pure crème de cassis, blueberries, camphor, crushed rocks, and lead pencil shavings. This rich, full-bodied beauty always reminds me of a great vintage of Château Margaux with its beautiful complexity, power, and elegance. As I wrote last year, do your best to give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and it should evolve for three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is still very tight and youthful, slowly unfurling to reveal a multifaceted wine with tons of black, blue and red fruit sparks—plums, cherries, black currants and red currants—with dark chocolate, cedar chest, black tea and red roses in the background plus wafts of pencil lead and prosciutto. Medium-bodied and firmly textured by superbly ripe, grainy tannins, it has a fantastic core of intense, complex layers, finishing on an edifying mineral note. Wow!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPSpottswoode, nudged about against Spring Mountain is situated on an ancient alluvial fan. The tiny vineyard has been owned and run by the Novak family since 1972. President Beth Novak and winemaker Aron Weinkauf are known for crafting Cabernets that paradoxically possess gentility and vivid concentration at the same time. The reverberating flavours always remind me of the sound of a church bell that someone has just struck hard. Wonderful exotic, spicy mulberry and cranberry notes. Fine tannin. Drinking Window 2019 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECSpottswoode's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely gorgeous. Medium in body, translucent and super-expressive, the 2016 is sublime, not to mention on the understated side of things for the year. Dark red cherry, red plum, mocha and espresso add lovely shades of nuance. The 2016 is racy, but also clearly holding back much of its ultimate potential. I imagine the 2016 will always be a wine of finesse, first and foremost.Vinous Media | 96+ VMBlended with small percents of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this vintage marks the winery's 35th year of making this wine, the grapes all estate-grown and organically farmed. Rich and grippy, it expands to reveal expressive notes of dried herb, leather and salty stone, at first demure in black fruit, with an elegant structure and undoubtable time to age. Enjoy best from 2026–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBeautifully rendered, with a focused beam of gently mulled red and black currant fruit that glides through atop a subtle but persistent loamy structure. Light tea and alder notes fill in throughout, ending with a wave of fruit that is alluringly lined with latent mineral tension. Best from 2021 through 2040. 4,030 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis blend of 85 per cent cabernet sauvignon, nine per cent cabernet franc and six per cent petit verdot has strikingly pure blackcurrant aromas and flavors. The palate has flavorful and fleshy, ripe mixed berries, cast in plush, seamlessly even tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

An enticing mix of incense, black tea, cracked pepper and red wild berries emanate from the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore. This is undeniably elegant, with its silky textures that seem to coat the entire palate in a seductive layer of violet-tinged fruits and suave lavender and chocolate notes. That said, this is not sweet nor overly rich; in fact, the 2016 is truly harmonious and poised, boasting tremendous concentration that‘s lifted by saline-infused acids. It leaves the palate completely saturated with cloves and allspice, as it tapers off structured and long. This is next-level Valpolicella Superiore, and it may even one day warrant a higher score. Marco Sartori uses 30% appassimento grapes in his Valpolicella, which are dried for twenty days. The wine is refined in a 50% - 50% mix of large oak cask and barrique, of which only about 20% are new.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe oak-aged Roccolo Grassi 2016 Valpolicella Superiore is a sharp and tight red wine with candied aromas of cherry and plum. The wine is dark and rich at its core with big fruit weight that wraps over the palate. Mild tannins and balanced acidity give the wine immediate drinking appeal. There is some dusty spice on the close. Production is 33,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPEarthy and peppery nose with very ripe red and black cherry nuances. Cedary on the palate, soft, with a crisp acidity.Decanter | 91 DEC

This is the second 100-point Vigna Le Rocche, following the 2015. What the former had in intensity of fruit and transparency, this has in structure and power. The purity of fruit is sensational in this young Barolo, offering blackberries, black truffle and iron. Rust too. This is so tannic and powerful with incredible structure. This may be the most structured Barolo from Bruno Giacosa I have ever tasted as a young wine. Speechless. Full-bodied and so intense, yet it remains fresh and agile. Traditional in every sense of the word, but this is clear and clean. A classic in the making. It will be in the market January 2022. Leave this for at least six to eight years. Try in 2027.James Suckling | 100 JSThe Bruno Giacosa 2016 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche sees its fruit sourced from the oldest vines in the Falletto cru. This wine boasts all the signature touches of Serralunga d’Alba with the massive structure, density and the long aging potential that comes with Nebbiolo grown in this village. The wine spreads evenly over the palate, imparting its considerable fruit weight and generally leaving a big impact. This Barolo is really quite lovely and beautiful. The bouquet is fluid and ever-shifting, showing new sides with firm fruit, blackberry, smoke, rusty nail and mineral with every swirl of the glass. I visited this vineyard site shortly before tasting this wine and marveled at the beautiful peacocks that roam free between the rows of vines.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

A beguiling mix of camphor and minty herbs, along with crushed stone, blows off slowly to reveal dark depths of black raspberry, licorice, autumnal spice and worn leather as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli unfolds in the glass. Its textures are unexpectedly soft and velvety-smooth, coupled with depths of intense red fruits that make an appearance just before a mix of brisk acids and tannins creates a more tactile and youthfully clenching expression toward the finale. This leaves the palate aching under the 2016’s structural heft, yet with plenty of primary concentration to balance, as wild savory herbs and earthy mineral tones linger for up to a minute. The potential here is off the charts, but readers will need to be very patient. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a cru selection of old vines that refines for 48 months in large French oak barrels of 33–52 hectoliters.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe estate’s oldest plot, Vigna Paganelli is a 12-hectare vineyard planted in 1964. It boasts a rich diversity of old Sangiovese clones which are used for newer plantings. Spiced plum, cured leather and a roll-call of marjoram, tarragon and basil beckon generously. Though hefty in size, this carries its girth with charming ease. There is a richness and sweetness to the fruit, while ripe, granular tannins provide a framework. A mineral edge emerges underneath all the layers. It will be hard to resist young, but I suspect intricate details will become more apparent in time. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECThis is the top-shelf wine from Il Poggione, and it's a must-have bottle for those who collect wines from this celebrated estate. From an icon vintage, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a beauty. It stands at the intersection of intensity, elegance and power. The fruit is shapely and dense with plenty of blackberry and black cherry, and you also get savory touches of campfire ash, tar, licorice, ferrous earth and balsam herb. Honestly, you get it all, including that distinctive Brunello power and abundance that is not easily achieved with such careful balance. The finish is structured, fresh and long, and with more time in the glass, the leathery or savory aromas become more pronounced (as does the alcohol). Production is 40,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA beam of pure cherry permeates this sleek, elegant red, shaded by floral, mineral, wild herb and orange zest accents. Well-delineated and long, this has the balance, grip and intensity for a long life ahead. Best from 2025 through 2045. 3,300 cases made, 750 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSCedar, forest floor and new leather aromas come to the forefront along with violet and dried botanical herbs. Full-bodied and enveloping, the savory palate delivers dried cherry, orange zest, licorice and white pepper framed in velvety tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe freshness and depth are impressive, with floral, dark-berry and cherry character that follows through to a full body with chewy tannins that are polished and solid. Flavorful at the end. Needs time to soften. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JS

Mount Eden’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon represents the essence of what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2016 simply has it all. A wine of tremendous depth and intensity. Readers, take note. This is world class Cabernet Sauvignon that in any other region would cost 2-3 times as much. Savory and expansive, with tons of mountain character and remarkable richness from low yields in 2016, the Cabernet Sauvignon is simply off the charts. It’s another utterly breathtaking wine from Mount Eden.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is blended with 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The nose offers pure cassis finely layered with Chinese five spice, dried rose petals, graphite and pipe tobacco with a wild, game-like undercurrent. The palate is seamless, opening to an array of detailed fruits and spices, with a silt-like structure and expansive juicy uplift. It’s a wonderfully balanced Cabernet that offers immediate appeal plus everything it needs for a long life in the cellar. 1,582 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe combination of high-elevation vineyards, oceanic influence and surrounding coniferous forest give Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet a singular profile, and few show it off as well as Mount Eden. Aged 22 months in 50% new oak, a mixture of French and American. Contains 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. American wood instils notes of candied orange rind and coconut flakes into an otherwise gravel-driven nose. The palate has a graceful, buoyant quality that gently floats across the palate. The finish is very dry and wound up like a spring, which will continue to be the case for the next several years. This is a wine to slowly let unfurl, both when ageing and consuming; open several hours in advance. Drinking Window 2024 - 2054.Decanter | 96 DECDried dark fruit, toasted cedar, shaved cocoa and sappy redwood tones make for a very dry expression on the nose of this classic bottling. Those elements meet with dense and dry blackberry and black plum on the sip, where dried herbs, black-pepper and soy flavors also arise. The elegant structure is such that this wine just doesn’t die, even after more than a week of sitting open. Drink 2022–2046.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENo written review provided. | 95 W&SThis shows a zesty mix of sage and grilled savory notes, backed by a sleek black currant, plum and black cherry core. The singed alder and mesquite frame shows on the finish, which is tightly focused and youthfully closed for now, with just a bolt of iron showing. When this rounds into form, it will be a winner. Best from 2023 through 2036. 1,259 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Rich and opulent on the nose, with yellow peach and honeycomb. Very full bodied, with that immediate internal sweet ripeness of fruit that often marks out this cuvée. Good balancing acidity here, with real intensity of concentrated sappy fruits. Huge length, impressive power and a great mineral expression. It coats the mouth, and somehow stays fresh despite its richness. Old vine Marsanne (over 70 years old) grown on the pebbly, sand and clay soils of the lieu-dit Les Murets. 80% is matured in demi-muid for 11 months, 15% new oak, and the rest in stainless steel. 2017 is an exceptional year for de l’Orée.Decanter | 99 DECBrought up in just 18% new French oak, with 15% in stainless steel, the 2017 Ermitage de L’Orée is a big, rich, exotic effort that has loads of caramelized citrus, white flowers, green almonds, and licorice aromas and flavors. A wine that changes with time in the glass, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a rounded, layered texture, and a great finish. As with the Le Méal, it’s made in a slightly more fresh, focused style that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThere are a substantial 909 cases of the 2017 Ermitage de l’Orée. Sourced from Les Murets’ clay soils, it combines hints of struck flint with honey, pear and baking spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with a layered sense of richness and ample concentration, it’s a big but balanced wine. While it lacks the zest and freshness of the 2016, it should still drink well for close to two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPale gold. Intense, sharply delineated aromas of fresh nectarine, pear nectar, orange, honey and pungent flowers, along with a smoky mineral overtone. Deeply pitched citrus and orchard fruit, peach liqueur and honeysuckle flavors stain the palate and become deeper with air, picking up a hint of toasted almonds and showing powerful back-end cut. The mineral and honey notes repeat emphatically on a strikingly long, focused finish that leaves juicy pear and floral notes behind.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe freshness and vibrantly focused style here is super impressive. A stony and flinty nose leads to notes of freshly baked bread crust, white peaches, lemons and grapefruit with nicely delivered oak spice and nuttiness. The palate has a very composed core with fine, powerful and focused flavors of peaches, pears and grapefruit and a minerally, focused, lightly spiced finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

The 2017 Ornellaia Bianco is a slightly tweaked blend compared to the 2016 and includes a splash of Viognier. The blend is 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier, which is a combination you don't see often, yet it makes sense, and the Viognier plays the role of Semillon seen in Bordeaux Blanc releases. Coming from a dry, hot year, it has a beautiful bouquet of Meyer lemons, honeysuckle, flowers, and hints of barrique. This carries to a seamless, full-bodied white that's flawlessly balanced, has a bright core of acidity, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's one seriously classy white I'd be thrilled to drink any time over the coming 4-5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA really beautiful, layered white with sliced lemons, limes, stones and hints of steel. Some lemon curd. Tight and solid with fine phenolics that give it structure and focus. Extremely poised and dignified. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe previous vintage of this wine was made soley with Sauvignon Blanc, but as expected, the Ornellaia 2017 Ornellaia Bianco sees a small percentage of Viognier added to the blend. The exact percentage of the two components is 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier. If you are a fan of these grape varieties, as I am, this wine will appeal to all your basic pleasure points. Showing medium rich concentration and a creamy textural fiber, it reveals some of the weight that we associated with this hot and dry vintage. However, any trace of over-ripeness is mitigated by the cool soils that, in this case, consist of deep calcarious clay broken up by rocks at a breezy 80 to 100 meters above sea level. This consistency is perfect for locking in moisture even in drought vintages. The wine is fermented in oak, but no malolactic fermentation occurs, and the wine instead rests on the fine lees with frequent stirring. Orchard fruits and Cavaillon melon give the wine a sturdy center of gravity. Some 5,000 bottles were made, and this wine was released in April 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2017 Ornellaia Bianco is impressive, especially within the context of the warm, dry year. Bright and focused, the Bianco shows the natural richness of the vintage - that is impossible to escape - but it also retains quite a bit of energy. Orchard fruit, citrus and floral notes are beautifully delineated throughout. Once again, the Bianco is a wine of real distinction.Vinous Media | 94 VMSubtle peach, passion fruit, elderflower and earth flavors converge in this white. There is a touch of oak adding a vanilla accent. Though lush in texture, this is also intense and long, with an echo of passion fruit and salty elements. Drink now through 2024. 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Cherry, flower and cedar aromas follow through to a full body with lots of pure and juicy fruit character. Creamy and savory with a crushed bean and cherry aftertaste. Defining today’s Brunello with purity and perfection of fruit. Making the most of an outstanding vintage. A selection from a seven-hectare parcel of 50-year-old vines. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSWow, this wine steals the show. A new addition to the Casanova di Neri portfolio now in its second year, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Giovanni Neri pays tribute to Giacomo Neri’s father and represents a stylistic shift to the most elegant side of Montalcino. The wine reveals a very nuanced bouquet with toasted cherry pit, Luxardo syrup and balsam herb. There is dark slate and stony mineral that dovetail into a very clean and pretty earthiness. The tannins are slightly sweeter compared to other wines from this vintage, and there are fragrant tones of heritage rose and lilac. The ratio between tannin and fruit is excellent, and I can see this wine aging long into the future. Production is 9,600 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

This wine always stands out in my mind, and it’s worth dedicating a few words as to why. Poggio Valente offers us a rare opportunity to taste Sangiovese made according to the highest standards but from a territory—on the Tuscan Coast—that does not share a big legacy with monovarietal Sangiovese reds. The Fattoria le Pupille 2019 Poggio Valente was born in a happy vintage with a cool spring and a growing season that had plenty of underground water reserves to keep the vines hydrated well until the end of August. This is a full and generous wine with dark cherry and wild plum aromas that segue to tar, licorice and crushed slate. My sample (tasted a few weeks after bottling) was a little shy initially, but it quickly blossomed in the glass.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is very dense and structured with stone and blackberry character. Full-bodied and intense with chewy tannins that frame the wine. Flavorful finish. Smoky and lightly bitter, in a good way. Pure sangiovese. This needs time to soften. Better after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Poggio Valente is gorgeous. Bright and vibrant in the glass with terrific energy, the Poggio Valente is a fine example of the style favored here these days. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, spice and orange zest complement a core of Sangiovese fruit. I especially like the vibrancy here. The 2019 is absolutely delicious. That’s all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA red with intensity on a weightless frame, leaving plenty of room for cherry, blackberry, chocolate, nutmeg and white pepper flavors to shine. The tannins are present, yet uplifting rather than obtrusive. Sangiovese. Best from 2023 through 2032. 2,900 cases made, 400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Intense aromas of black cherries, black truffle, orange peel and Indian spices. The palate is full yet reserved, with very fine tannins that fly linear and deep in the wine. Caressing texture. Reserved at the end. A real beauty. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 96 JSBalsamic aromas of camphor and pine forest mingle with truffle and plum cake on the fragrant 2019 Brunello fro San Polino. It’s also delicious, with flavors of raspberry tart, plum cake, cinnamon and nutmeg accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins that lend seamless support. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2027–2039. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOFrom San Polino’s holdings in the northeast on loamy clay soil. Exuberantly youthful and becoming, the 2019 rings out with violet and oily balsamic herbs. It gives a midweight impression – yet is packed with brambly fruit. An orange peel flourish is heightened by zesty acidity. And as this opens, savoury iron depths are revealed. Promising but needs to come together. Solid, clayey tannins clamp down on the finish.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with a dusty blend of dried flowers and strawberries enhanced by lemon oil touches. This is racy and sleek with cooling acidity and vividly ripe wild berry fruits lifted by orange and cedary spice. Its acidity wins the day, maintaining amazing freshness despite the grippy tannins that resonate throughout. The 2019 finishes long and staining with a pretty air of inner violet flowers that linger. San Polino continues to raise the bar; this is lovely.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2020 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a crisp bouquet with crushed rock mixed with touches of dried flowers and a light sea spray note - classic Chablis really. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry. Touches of dried honey and chamomile, but underneath it all is a fine mineral spine and a decent, quite Les Preuses-like finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 91 VMThough ripe, offering aromas and flavors of lemon cake, melon and white flowers, there’s also a stony, mineral element underneath this balanced white, which ends with a light chalky sensation. Drink now through 2028. 712 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2020 Percarlo is a wine of nearly indescribable finesse and nuance. All the elements are so well balanced. In 2020, Percarlo is wonderfully understated, with mind-blowing balance and barely no perception of tannin. I don’t remember ever tasting a Percarlo with this much linear energy, tension and focus. The clean, mineral-drenched finish is unforgettable. The 2020 is, quite simply, spectacular.Vinous Media | 100 VMThe organic San Giusto a Rentennano 2020 Percarlo is born in a vintage of power, concentration and dark fruit flavors. All of these elements are delivered here, and as always, the wine shows impeccable Sangiovese balance with a spotlight on primary fruit, integrated tannins and bright acidity. The alcohol is high at 15%. In fact, the wine tastes young, and that’s not something you can say of most of the other releases from the 2020 vintage. This expression, however, still holds back just a bit and consequently promises an excellent cellar-aging evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

ean-Nicolas Méo’s 2020 Clos Vougeot is really, really refined this year. The wine delivers a complex and very pure aromatic constellation of red and black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, gamebird, violets, a touch of fresh nutmeg, complex soil tones and a nice foundation of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of sappy fruit, excellent mineral undertow and grip, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long, suave and classy finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2035 - 2095)John Gilman | 94+ JGApart from 2017, Jean-Nicolas Méo only makes one commercially available cuvée of his substantial holding of Clos de Vougeot. Even purple throughout. This is a sturdy, weighty, richly dark fruited, multi-layered wine, with great potential for the long term. Ripe but not exaggerated. Tasted: December 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMThe 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is very promising, unfurling in the glass with aromas of wild berries, cherries, orange rind, potpourri and loamy soil. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it’s seamless and complete, with superb depth at the core and a long, resonant finish. It will be fascinating to compare with the 2019 rendition in two decades’ time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru had to shake off a little reduction before revealing its minerally blackberry, raspberry and cassis fruit. Wilted rose petal emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, nicely focused yet surprisingly strict and linear at the moment. This will gain "shoulders" once in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-95 VMDiscreet but still perceptible wood-suffuses the ripe aromas of black cherry, currant, newly turned earth and a floral top note. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the palate coating and nicely detailed medium weight plus flavors that offers excellent depth and persistence on the relatively refined if youthfully austere finale. This is more structured than it usually is and is a wine that is going to require at least a decade of aging first.Burghound | 92-94 BH

Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale, it’s a mouthful of dark fruit flavors that gradually morph into something more savory on the long, silky-firm finish, adding notes of black olives and espresso. It’s really impressive, as it maintains a sense of elegance all along its path.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn’t get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it’s going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It’s an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has that tell-tale touch of soy to the plum and blackcurrant fruit so reminiscent of this cuvée. Fluid and juicy on the palate, this has great intensity and salinity without feeling heavy or overripe. Plenty of sweet, ripe tannin and balanced acidity. Only medium-bodied, there’s a touch of pepperiness on the finish, great freshness, harmony and balance. Sometimes a wine seems a bit too easy, a bit too effortless, and it can lull you into a sense that it lacks seriousness; this wine tries to do that, but I’m not inclined to underestimate it.Decanter | 99 DECPatience, please, but in return for that you will be given the keys to Hermitage heaven. This is extremely concentrated, but also extremely refined. Incredible finesse for this level of power with extraordinary density of ripe black fruits. Somehow this manages to smell and taste unbelievably fresh. And that freshness just doesn’t want to stop at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSMassive and full-throttled, with beautiful delicacy to the tannins, which gives this a sleek, velvety feel. Packs generous fig, plum and mulled cherry fruit flavors, with great tension and mineral intensity, while a graphite edge drives the length. The subtly chewy, nicely defined close is graced with warm earth accents, harnessing ample energy in reserve. Drink now through 2040.Wine Spectator | 97 WSDark purple. Potent dark berry preserve, cherry-cola, exotic spice, potpourri and mineral aromas convey impressive energy and acquire smoked bacon and licorice nuances with air. Sappy, deeply concentrated blackberry, bitter cherry, fruitcake and salty olive paste flavors stain the palate and show almost shocking energy for their heft. Closes with superb, floral- and mineral-dominated persistence and chewy tannins adding final grip. I also had the chance to drink the still-youthful and mineral-driven 2011 rendition of this wine, made entirely from fruit grown in Bessards, and was blown away by its balance and freshness.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

Fèvre’s largest grand cru, with 4ha located higher up in Les Clos, meaning this is cooler climate and with much more chalk than Kimmeridgian. 50% of the vines were planted by William Fèvre’s father in the 1940s. Perfect balance between precision, concentration, acidity and ripe fruits, with oak that’s not at all apparent. A fresh, glorious wine.Decanter | 97 DECChoosing a favorite among the last three grand crus in the Domaine Fèvre lineup is simply impossible in 2020. The les Clos is yet another stunning young wine, offering up a refined and complex bouquet of pear, tart orange, fresh lime, flinty, chalky minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and a nice touch of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and seamlessly balanced, with a beautiful harness of acidity, a great core of fruit and a very long, very minerally and oh, so complex young finish. A great wine by any measure! (Drink between 2032 - 2080)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is another brilliant effort from Fèvre’s immensely able winemaker, Didier Seguier, and his team. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, fresh bread, oyster shell, orange zest and crisp orchard fruit, it’s full-bodied, satiny and muscular, with a concentrated, tensile profile and a long, intensely saline finish. It’s the broadest and most powerful wine in the range, while remaining quintessentially Chablisien.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA cool, restrained and airy nose grudgingly divulges its combination of lemon rind, green apple, quinine and acacia blossom scents that are also trimmed in discreet wood. There is again excellent volume and concentration to the powerful and muscular flavors that also coat the palate with dry extract on the impressively complex and hugely long finish. This is classic Les Clos in that it manages to be at once big and overtly powerful while remaining refined and classy. This is, in a word, stunning.Burghound | 96 BHThe 2020 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 10 parcels scattered mainly over the top of the hill. It has a well-defined, crisp and (for the vintage) quite austere nose due to the location higher up the slope. The fresh palate is nicely detailed with lime and lemon thyme and good salinity. Quite strict on the mineral-driven finish. Good potential, but it will need time.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis lemon- and green apple–infused white stays lean, racy and long, combining power and intensity. On the austere side today, with a mineral underpinning and chalky finish. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

One of the whites of the vintage, the 2020 Château Pape Clément Blanc is based on 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and the remaining 1% Muscadelle, all of which was raised in a mix of new and used oak. This beauty stopped me in my tracks and offers a massive nose of honeyed limes, white flowers, tropical fruit, crushed stone, and orange marmalade. With the vintage’s vibrant sense of freshness, full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and a fabulous mouthfeel, this truly sensational white is an incredible achievement, and hats off to the team at Pape Clement! Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDI like the richness and focus to this with sliced cooked apple, lemon and light toffee character. Candied pineapple. Hints of meringue. Full-bodied and layered. Really delicious and flavorful now with a solid balance of phenolic structure. Classy. Agile. Drink after 2025 but hard to stay away.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a step up, as it’s larger in scale, brighter and more defined than most of its brethren, featuring long tarragon and thyme threads that pull gooseberry, star fruit and white peach notes along. Offers lots of energy through the finish, which ripples with sel gris and oyster shell echoes offset by a hint of salted butter. Really gorgeous. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Best from 2024 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2020 Pape Clément Blanc has a bright nose with scents of orchard fruit, orange pith and lime cordial scents, well defined and focused. The palate is fresh and mineral-driven, quite taut, much less oaky than other vintages and displaying more terroir towards the finish. One of the best whites from this estate that I have tasted. Tasted three times with consistent notes.Vinous Media | 94 VMA delicious Pape Clément blanc, this has flesh, power, depth, character and a ton of juicy minerality with white pear, peach, and a slate-filled texture that adds grip and saline freshness. Well balanced and easy to recommend. Tasted three times.Decanter | 94 DEC