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1990: An extraordinary effort, Yquem’s 1990 is a rich and fabulously superb, sweet wine. This wine also possesses lots of elegance and finesse. The wine’s medium gold color is accompanied by an exceptionally sweet nose of honeyed tropical fruits, peaches, coconut, and apricots. High quality, subtle toasty oak is well-integrated. The wine is massive on the palate, with layers of intensely ripe botrytis-tinged, exceptionally sweet fruit. Surprisingly well-integrated acidity, and a seamless, full-bodied power and richness have created a wine of remarkable harmony and purity. Certainly it is one of the richest Yquems I have ever tasted, with 50-100 years of potential longevity. An awesome Yquem! Anticipated maturity: 2003-2050+.Robert Parker | 99 RPHard to contain this wine within the contours of the glass - this is exuberant, concentrated and luscious. Full of blood orange, nectarine, saffron, touches of caramelised ginger, truffle and crème brûlée. A see-saw of zesty acidity and luscious sweetness, this is a beautiful wine that still has decades ahead of it. Owned by the Lur Saluces family at the time, clearly showing why Yquem stands in its own category in the appellation. Drinking Window 2021 - 2050.Decanter | 98 DECTruly superb. Yellow with a gold hue. Intense spice, honey and dried orange peel aromas.Full-bodied, very sweet and very alive. Vibrant Sauternes that goes on and on on the palate. Doesn’t get much better than this. Beautiful now,but wait.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010. 18,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFull-blown aromas of caramel, toffee, honey, white chocolate and damp earth; slightly Tokaj-like. Hugely concentrated and layered in the mouth; extraordinary sweetness cut by harmonious acidity. As with the best vintages of Yquem, the finish goes on for a minute or more. Stains, and stuns, the palate. A huge wine, surprisingly extravagant on the nose (earlier bottles have been far more restrained) but completely unevolved and a bit musclebound on the palate. May ultimately merit a higher score.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Taittinger’s 2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is off the charts. I have tasted the 2002 now many times, and it has never been less than thrilling. A vivid kaleidoscope of pure Chardonnay aromas and flavors opens up in the glass. The 2002 is at once incredibly rich yet also totally weightless and impeccable in its balance. All the classic Comtes notes are there, but with a level of detail and nuance I don’t think I have ever seen before. The 2002 is breathtakingly beautiful today, but also appears to have the stuffing to age for decades. Personally, I would be looking to buy the 2002 in magnums if at all possible. Sadly, there is little wine to go around as 2002 was a very short crop. Readers who can track down the 2002 are in store for something truly great. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2042.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPTaittinger’s 2002 Comtes de Champagne (magnum) is one of the greatest Champagnes ever made. In magnum, it is especially explosive and heady, not to mention superb alongside Daniel Humm’s hors d’oeuvres, where the brilliance of the wine plays off the flavors and textures of the food brilliantly. What a great way to start this dinner.Vinous Media | 98 VM(Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut) The 2002 Comtes has been a legend in the making since its first release, and at age twelve, the wine is starting to really stretch its wings and aim for the stars. The utterly brilliant nose is still a tad on the reticent side, but as the wine warms up in the glass, it offers up a stellar constellation of pear, delicious apples, complex chalkiness, brioche, apple blossoms, incipient notes of pastry cream, plenty of smokiness and a topnote of lemon peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with stunning focus and balance, unrepentant refinement, elegant mousse, zesty acids and stunning cut and grip on the endless and dancing finish. I am hard-pressed to think of a finer young vintage of Comtes de Champagne that has ever crossed my path! It seems to me that it is still infanticide to be drinking this wine today, as there is so much more to unfold with more bottle age, and I would not touch a bottle until it starts to close in on its twentieth birthday. Chapeau! (Drink between 2020-2075)John Gilman | 98 JGA rich base of toasted brioche and briny mineral supports flavors of poached quince, white peach puree, fleur de sel, pastry and smoked almond. There’s a quiet verve to this wine, with a fine, silky texture throughout. Drink now through 2025. 150 cases imported. — ANWine Spectator | 94 WS(Taittinger Brut - Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Red) A beautifully elegant and ultra-pure nose serves up attractively layered and mature aromas of spiced pear, white rose, citrus, brioche and hints of green apple. There is very good if not stunning complexity to the moderately vibrant flavors that are supported by an impressively refined effervescence before terminating in a balanced, dry, clean and lingering finish. For my taste this has arrived at its apogee though it should have no trouble holding for at least another decade. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 94 BHThe latest release of the legendary Comtes de Champagne comes from a great vintage. It has full, toasty bottle-age notes that give the wine depth of flavor, with a ripe, rounded mouthfeel and taut acidity. An almond note combines with the citrus-driven acidity on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Champagne, France, White) From a warmer year, which is also transcribed into the glass. It’s richer and more concentrated, with some dried apricot and brioche aromas. It’s complex on the palate, with intensity and focus, showing a hint of vanilla alongside generous brioche and leesy characters. It has power and concentration, with some fruit development apparent, and a long-lasting finish. It was one of the favourites at the tasting, but I favoured the more elegant styles. (Drink between 2018-2030)Decanter | 93 DE

No written review provided. | 99 RPDoesn’t give much on the nose, with subtle lemon, honey, tangerine and apricot. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a long finish. Thick and compacted, with loads of mango and sweet candied fruit. Best after 2010. 150 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes.Vinous Media | 98 VMTasted almost two years after disgorgement, the 2006 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs shows a beautiful golden-citrus color and opens with a fascinating intense, floral, slightly reductive nose that develops enormously in the glass, offering lemon and lemon confit aromas along with flinty notes of crushed chalk and the iodine flavors of the Atlantic Ocean. This is an utterly complex and promising bouquet! The palate is terribly fresh but also rich, lush and intense, with the purity of the finest wines of the Côte de Blancs, the concentration of perfectly ripe Chardonnay and the suppleness of 2006. This has impeccable balance paired with high tension. The wine is very tight and still seems to be on its way right now. Although there is a first hint of aromatic ripeness, this should be a great Comtes de Champagne in a couple of years. The finish is tensioned, concentrated and mineral but keeps its talents in an almost bursting bubble. Disgorged September 2016; tasted May 2018 (lot L6316UM13600).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is settling into a deeper presence. It has a freshness that really appeals, along with Taittinger’s signature toasty layer of autolysis, grilled nuts and praline. Plenty of flesh and weight on the palate. Acidity clasps ripe peach and mango fruits, finishing long, powerful and fine. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS(Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut (Reims)) The 2006 vintage of Taittinger’s iconic Comtes de Champagne bottling is a beautifully refined example of the vintage, offering up a pure and vibrant bouquet of apple, pear, brioche, complex, chalky soil tones, hazelnut, a touch of orange zest, white flowers and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and supremely elegant in profile, with outstanding mid-palate intensity, utterly refined mousse, bright acids and laser-like focus on the very long, nascently complex finish. Whereas many examples from the 2006 vintage are drinking very well at age ten, it is still very early days for this outstanding Comtes de Champagne and this wine will not peak for at least another decade, though it is already very, very easy to drink! I would be inclined to let it hibernate in the cellar for at least another five years, just to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. (Drink between 2021-2060)John Gilman | 96 JGA cold winter and scattered frost were followed by a hot, dry July. August rains cleared in time for the two weeks of dry, warm weather before a harvest in near-perfect conditions from 11 September. The Comtes is softly rich and lush, with an elegant, approachable ripe apple fruit, a hint of buttered toast and a firm mineral underpinning. Although the texture is somewhat soft, this wine has plenty of extract and potential for ageing.Decanter | 95 DECTaittinger’s prestige cuvée epitomizes the Chardonnay predilection of this producer. This now-mature bottling is elegant and very stylish. Toast and a soft texture combine with great complexity to reveal a wine that is poised and ready to drink. But with the acidity in the background, it could still age, so drink now and until 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA vivacious Champagne, with fine integration of the racy acidity and chalky bead, rich mineral character and creamy palate of glazed apricot, ground anise, biscuit and passion fruit flavors. Offers a firm, focused finish. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIn much the same fashion as the ’06 Rosé this is aromatically quite restrained with notably cool and elegant aromas that speak of citrus, floral, yeast and green apple nuances. The wonderfully refined mouth feel is enhanced by the beautifully fine effervescence that shapes the medium weight flavors that culminate in crisp, intense and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is not only a terrific effort but it’s an amazingly good 2006 as there are no exotic hints plus it offers exceptionally good verve. While this could certainly be enjoyed now I would be inclined to hold it for at least another 3 years and 5 will probably be the sweet spot.Burghound | 94 BH

The flagship release is the 2006 Champagne Rare, a 70/30 split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that’s a cellar selection from 8 different Grand Cru vineyards. Tight, backward, and straight-up structured, it offers brilliant notes of stone fruits, toasted brioche, white flowers, and obvious minerality. Needing plenty of air to show at its best, this beauty has a wonderful mid-palate, a racy mousse, and the balance and class to cruise for over two decades in cool cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDAromas and flavors of toasted brioche and grilled nut enrich the yellow plum, nectarine and grated ginger notes of this rich and creamy Champagne. Finely woven and beautifully integrated, with a firm backbone of mouthwatering acidity providing precise balance for the lush range of flavor. Drink now through 2029. 14,000 cases made, 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSPiper-Heidsieck’s luxury cuvée with its beautifully decorated bottle is a well-matured blend of mainly Chardonnay with some Pinot Noir. Great drive and energy comes from the ripe fruit with its hints of almonds and toast. Drink this wine now.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2006 Brut Cuvée Rare is a rich, gourmand rendition of this prestige bottling, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet that mingles aromas of yellow orchard fruit, pears and fresh pineapple with nuances of buttered toast, iodine and smoke. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and textural, while remaining fresh and surprisingly tight-knit at the core, concluding with a long and saline finish. There’s sufficient structural tension here to promise more than a decade’s graceful evolution, and although this is nicely balanced, it’s a generous, sun kissed rendition of the Cuvée Rare that reflects the warm vintage. The blend is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPiper-Hiedsieck’s 2006 Cuvée Rare is racy and polished to the core. Baked apple tart, apricot, lemon confit, vanillin and brioche infuse the 2006 with striking aromatic intensity and creaminess that builds with time in the glass. Sumptuous and forward, the 2006 offers tons of near and medium-term appeal.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGCellar master Régis Camus sums up each vintage at this tasting with a single word or phrase. In 2006, ‘sunny’ is the word, reflecting both the warm and sometime humid summer conditions, and also the style of the wine: bold and generous. It has a golden hue and seductive aromas of nutmeg, quince and tropical fruit such as mango and kiwi. He describes it as a vintage ‘gorged with the sun’, going on to outline the ‘ping-pong’ match of the palate which glides effortlessly between generosity of texture and freshness. Opulence abounds. Drinking Window 2019 - 2026.Decanter | 91 DEC

This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of praline and nuts on the nose. Fine and tight bead give the Champagne a luxurious mouthfeel. One for now or the cellar. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSAlways one of the great Champagnes, this comes from a year that is generally regarded as good but not great. And yet, with this Champagne is magnificent. The wine has some good bottle age, hinting at toast while also keeping the tight, mineral edge of a great wine from the Côte des Blancs. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2007 Comtes de Champagne is an astonishing Champagne. With aromas of dried flowers, chamomile and plenty of freshness, the bouquet is complex and dense. The fine and pure texture on the palate is supported by a chalk and iodine finish.Decanter | 96 DEC(Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime (Reims)) The new vintage of Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the 2007 and the wine is simply outstanding. The bouquet is deep, pure and very precise in its constellation of apple, pear, lemon zest, chalky minerality, incipient notes of crème patissière, a bit of fresh almond and a topnote of white lilies. On the palate the wine is brisk, youthful, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with a great core of fruit, superb mineral drive, utterly refined mousse, nascent complexity and stunning length and grip on the still very young finish. As is proper for the vintage differences, the 2007 Comtes is quite a bit more youthful out of the blocks than the very fine 2006 version was, but in the long run, this seems likely to be every bit as impressive with a bit more bottle age. (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 96 JGTaittinger's 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne continues to show very well, and it hasn't evolved appreciably since I last tasted it a few months ago. Revealing a pretty bouquet of lemon oil, lily pollen, dried white flowers, blanched almonds and crushed chalk, it's medium to full-bodied, chiseled and tensile, with excellent depth at the core, racy acids and a pure, precise and notably chalky finish. Tight-knit without being austere, it's a very classically balanced middleweight Comtes that has a long future ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAn intriguing 2007, this is 100% Chardonnay from grand cru sites in the Côte des Blancs, a small portion aged in oak barrels, the blend then aged ten years on the lees. Over that time, it developed mature tones of bottle age that add to its vibrant freshness. It’s a grand wine with floral notes of beeswax and nutty tones of yeast autolysis. Age it to let the inherent opulence develop.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&S(Taittinger Brut - Blanc de Blancs Villages Champagne/Sparkling) A relatively restrained nose reflects notes of cool petrol, green apple, citrus rind, white flower and a hint of yeast character. The beautifully refined and equally restrained middle weight flavors possess a really lovely mouth feel, indeed it's almost delicate thanks to the very fine mousse though I was a bit surprised to find a vague hint of sweetness on the nicely complex finish. This is certainly very pretty and I particularly like the mouth feel but I am partial to drier Champagnes and this, good as it is, isn't quite as crisp as I would prefer. I would further observe that this is at an inflection point in terms of its maturity and thus could easily be enjoyed now, or if you favor more obvious secondary influence, it could be held for another 5 to 8 years with no trouble. (Drink starting 2018)Burghound | 93 BHElegant and toasty, with a firm backbone of acidity structuring the brioche, lemon zest, poached apricot and spun honey flavors as they ride the lacy bead. Grated ginger and chalk notes detail the lively finish. Drink now through 2028. 20,000 cases made, 1,250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle, and an incredible, liquid rock-like minerality all emerge from the glass, and it develops more nuance, spice, toasted bread, and an almost Alsatian Riesling-like petrol character over the course of the evening. It’s a full-bodied, rich, powerful Champagne, yet like the top 2008s, it has brilliant precision, purity, and focus. It’s unquestionably one of the finest versions of this cuvée ever produced, although it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. It should keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDBollinger’s 2008 La Grande Année is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, ripe lemons, honeycomb, warm biscuits, dried white flowers and a delicate top note of walnuts and fino sherry. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a beautifully refined mousse, superb concentration at the tightly wound core, incisive acids and a supremely elegant intermingling of Bollinger’s oxidative stylistic signatures with fresh, vibrant fruit. The finish is long, precise and chalky. This is a Grande Année built for the cellar—the real excitement will come with a bit more bottle age—but this is already a thrilling Champagne in the making. Finished with eight grams per liter dosage, it was disgorged by hand in July 2018. This is also the first vintage of Grande Année to be bottled in Bollinger’s new narrower-necked 1846 bottle, which should make for a slower evolving wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPBollinger’s 2008 Grande Année is rich, ample and full-bodied, with all of the pedigree of the vintage on display. Dried pear, dried flowers, chamomile, red plum and mint develop as the 2008 shows the breadth and creaminess that are such signatures of the Bollinger house style. A whole range of brighter, more floral and chalky notes appear later, adding translucence and energy. The 2008 is 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay taken across 18 crus, and it is the Pinot that very much informs the wine in both flavor and texture. More importantly, the 2008 is one of the best Grande Années I can remember tasting. Bollinger fans won’t want to miss it. Disgorged November 2018. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGGilles Descôtes blends this from 18 crus, pinot noir making up 71 percent of the blend (mostly from Aÿ and Verzenay), the balance from chardonnay (focused on Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant). The base wine ferments in oak barrels, adding to this Champagne’s concentrated power. Its dark intensity has the coolness of Bollinger’s deep aging cellars, even as the wine sustains delicate notes of wildflowers, morels and the perfumed grace of pinot noir. Massive and still youthful, the flavors rounded into a sphere, this is a wine to cellar. Vintus, Pleasantville, NYWine & Spirits | 97 W&SEnticing hints of toasted cumin, ground anise and graphite waft from the glass of this harmonious, mouthwatering version, accenting the finely meshed flavors of crushed black currant, poached apricot, grilled nut and lemon curd. The texture shows a lovely viscosity, extending the flavor range, which expands on the lasting finish. Disgorged June 2018. Drink now through 2033. 833 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSPinot Noir, mainly from Aÿ and Verzenay, dominates the blend here (71%). Only the free-run juice is used for the fermentation in cask. After ageing under cork for more than nine years, it was disgorged with a dosage of 8g/L. The impression is youthful and fresh, with bright apple and spice notes and a hint of buttered toast. The texture is creamy and dense but very lively and very long. This is superb wine that will age for decades to come. (Drink between 2021-2041)Decanter | 96 DECA wonderfully elegant, pure and airy nose is beautifully layered with its pretty array of green apple, pear, white flower, rose petal, yeast and plenty of citrus elements. The elegance continues on the racy and intense flavors that are supported by a very fine mousse that imparts a lilting mouth feel to the notably dry, crisp and strikingly complex finale. This is an absolute knockout and a wine that should age for a very long time but because the complexity is so impressive, it could actually be enjoyed now. Even so, I will stash my bottles away for at least another 4 to 5 years.Burghound | 95 BHThis is the producer’s equivalent of a Vintage Champagne. Fermented and aged in wood and then kept for nine years before release, this wine comes from an exceptional vintage that manages to combine ripe fruit and acidity, meaning the wine can age extraordinarily well. Although the wine is just ready, it will be much better from 2022 and for many years after.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely.James Suckling | 98 JSThe new release of this iconic Champagne shows its richness to perfection. The floral aromas lead to a wine that has weight and density as well as a balance that encompasses ripe fruits that have now matured to reveal nuttiness, toast and a tight salinity at the end. Drink through 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA graceful Champagne, featuring fragrant notes of toasted brioche and grilled nut that are more subtle on the palate, with a rich underpinning layered with a pure chime of tangerine and accents of candied ginger, toasted saffron and lime blossom. This bundles a lot of concentrated flavor into a lithe frame, with the fine mousse caressing the palate through to the lasting finish. Drink now through 2035.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2010 Dom Pérignon is hard to get a read on today. I have tasted it four times over the last few months, and my feeling is that it is still not totally put together. Apricot, pastry, chamomile, mint and light tropical notes are all signatures of a hot vintage with a very fast final phase of ripening that trails only 2002 and 2003 in terms of sugars. Of course, the year had plenty of challenges. The first part of the year was marked by cold and very dry weather during the winter and spring. June saw heat and some stress in the vines. July and August were quite warm, with heavy rains on August 15 and 16 that caused a widespread outbreak of botrytis that accelerated rapidly in the days leading up to harvest. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon explained that Chardonnay was favored over Pinot because better aeration within the clusters helped fend off rot, while parcels that had been less stressed by the June heat also suffered less from the effects of botrytis. Perhaps because of the unevenness in the season, there is also something disjointed about the 2010. While sugars were high, so were acidities, just behind 2008 in the decade of the 2000s. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over time. It is the first vintage made under the direction of Vincent Chaperon, who worked alongside outgoing Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy for many years.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGSoft gold, with a gentle green luminescence and a paler rim. A fine bead and immediately reassuring nose…. classic DP this, citric fruit, slate, sourdough, soft spice and the softly whispered intimations of tropical decadence. Pedigree writ large. The palate continues the theme, albeit with great subtlety. Vincent describes sapidity, itself buttressing the fruit which now recalls nectarines and pineapple, maybe a hint of crystallised grapefruit. The finish unfurls neatly, a gentle phenolic kick of salinity underwriting structure and potential alike. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2010 Dom Pérignon is already expressive, wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp green apple, peach, iodine, freshly baked bread, orange oil and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, it's soft and round, with ripe acids, a moderately concentrated core of fruit and a pearly mousse, concluding with a saline finish. Open-knit and pretty, this is a giving Dom Pérignon that readers might think of as reminiscent of a less reductive version of the 2000 vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more flamboyant, sexy style in its caramelized pineapple, tropical, honeyed and floral personality. Big, rich and decadent, with fabulous fruit intensity and length, this rock star flirts with perfection and will keep for another 3-4 decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPVivid gold. Heady orchard and pit fruit aromas are complicated by anise, buttered toast and iodine, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Fleshy and deeply pitched, offering wonderfully concentrated pear, nectarine and melon flavors and a zesty jolt of orange pith on the back half. Closes with superb energy and a very persistent honeydew note. I’d love to try this superb wine alongside some heavy-hitters from the Cote d’Or.Vinous Media | 94 VMA matchstick hint gives way to creamed apple, melon, heather and salted butter notes. Offers weight, depth and definition, opening up pleasantly in the glass. The long finish has a creamy feel. Drink now through 2022. 27 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2012 Comtes de Champagne is gorgeous. Warm and resonant in the glass, the 2012 Comtes shows all the allure that makes this vintage so appealing. The combination of bright citrus, mineral and floral notes typical of Comtes, enhanced by the soft contours of the vintage, makes for an inviting, open-knit Champagne that is quite showy right out of the gate. Light tropical accents on the finish add an exotic flair. Usually I recommend cellaring just-released Comtes, but that won’t be necessary here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is showing beautifully out of the gates, offering up demonstrative aromas of sweet golden orchard fruit, buttery croissants, peach and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and enveloping, it’s a rich, textural, vinous Comtes somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant 2002. If it gains in tension and cut (as the 2002 did and as I suspect the 2012 will) with more time on cork, it will make this initial rating seem conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPMade from equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this still young Champagne is rich in the Taittinger style, with an elegant poise that is impressive. The wine, with its apricot and ripe apple fruit, is generously tempered by bright acidity and a crisp edge. Drink from 2021.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WERipe blackberry, pastry cream and lemon meringue notes are layered on the fine and creamy mousse in this lightly toasty, well-balanced Champagne. Bright and mouthwatering, with a sleek, spiced finish. Drink now through 2027. 7,500 cases made, 450 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A driven and serious DP with aromas of chalk, biscuits, apricot stones and lemons. Some spice and dried flowers, too. So sleek and sophisticated. Elegant. Yet, it’s long and powerful, with a sharp minerality. Tight and precise. Reminds me of bottles from the 1980s, such as 1988. It really takes off. Disgorged October 2021. Drinkable on release in January 2023, but better in a couple of years. A DP for the cellar.James Suckling | 98 JSVivid acidity and a chalky underpinning make a crystalline frame for finely detailed notes of ripe melon, mandarin orange, toasted brioche and candied ginger in this harmonious Champagne, which is expressive and expansive on the palate, but with a sense of finesse and restraint. Long and creamy on the mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2037.Wine Spectator | 96 WSDisgorged in October last year, the 2013 Dom Pérignon is a lovely wine, defined by the long, cool growing season. Offering up aromas of crisp stone fruit, tangerine oil, buttered toast, pear, almonds and clear honey, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, with bright acids and a pillowy, enveloping profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. Vincent Chaperon recalls that shatter at fruit set moderated yields and that a drying east wind in the weeks before harvest helped to maintain the good sanitation necessary to wait to pick at full maturity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2013 Dom Pérignon is quite delicate and understated. It reminds me of the 2004, but with a bit more mid-palate richness and a bit less energy. Apricot, tangerine peel, white flowers, jasmine, mint and light honeyed notes all meld together. There’s lovely vinous intensity as well as a feeling of openness that make the 2013 a delight to taste today. The 2013 doesn’t look to be an epic DP, but it sure is delicious right now.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed, and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey, freshly shaved ginger, marzipan, and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose, giving way to a core of pear tart, persimmons, and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse, featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances, finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity, soft-spoken expression, and impeccable crafting. It won’t disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes, yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer, toastier, more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIFor the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release.James Suckling | 97 JSI have tasted the 2015 Cristal three times so far - once as part of an extensive vertical I will be reporting on shortly, and then later in my office. Those tastings paint a portrait of a complex Champagne that is still finding its center. Tasted at the maison, the 2015 is rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous textural intensity and also a good bit of energy to back it up. Citrus confit, spice, ginger, chalk and dried flowers abound in a Champagne endowed with tremendous aromatic presence in a style that offers notable richness, but lighter than vintages such as 2012. There is a bit of the savoriness that is such a signature of the year, but it is nicely integrated in the wine’s fabric. Two later tastings in my office strongly suggest the 2015 has already started to shut down a bit, which is a shame, as it may be hard to read for some time to come. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: November 2022.Vinous Media | 96 VMIf the 2014 vintage was especially open and demonstrative, the 2015 Cristal is going to require more patience. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruits, white flowers, crushed mint and subtle hints of buttery pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a deep, concentrated and rather introverted core of fruit framed by chalky extract and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a serious, vinous Champagne that has considerable substance to age and may well evolve along the lines of the lovely 1985.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPAn open and inviting nose references cream, oatmeal and Amalfi lemon with the slightest edge of smoke. The palate immediately strikes with a mouthwatering lemon ripeness and a juicy, mouthfilling generosity reminiscent of yellow plum. It stays true to the trademark sleekness of Cristal and speaks of the concentration of 2015. Fine mousse accentuates the fullness and roundness of the wine while the long finish hints at chalky depth which, for now, is dominated by ripe stone fruit and more of that textured, rich notion of oatmeal. Definitely a Cristal to enjoy soon.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is slightly deeper in color. This has a gorgeous bouquet of lemon thyme, orange blossom and crushed stone, all very focused, followed by an emerging touch of mintiness. The harmonious palate is powerful, ripe and slightly vanilla-y; it just lacks a little breeding and panache. A bold and brassy yet cerebral Montrachet that will need a lot of time. This surpasses all my expectations from barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is youthfully restrained for now with exotic essence of lemon, lime and grapefruit. The intensity and purity of the aromas is really captivating. Strong, flinty minerals and stones, too. The palate has a very plush, richly textural and expansive feel with extremely powerful tension between exceptionally concentrated citrus fruit and extremely intense acidity. Wow! Try from 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSAs all of the vines for the Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet are on the Puligny side of the vineyard, the frost damage here in 2016 was less severe than was the case on the Chassagne side of this grand cru. Consequently, there was probably a bit less pent up energy here and the vigor was more easily harnessed in 2017. In any case, the 2017 vintage of the Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet is flat out brilliant, offering up a stunning bouquet of pear, apple, lemon, a hint of almond paste, complex, limestone minerality, crème patissière, vanillin oak and a lovely topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with superb nascent complexity, bright, vibrant acids and impeccable balance on the very, very long, racy and utterly classical finish. A brilliant example of Montrachet in the making.John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2017 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru was showing very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with aromas of Meyer lemon, tangerine, dried white flowers, green orchard fruit, beeswax and wet stones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and expansive, with considerable volume and breadth at the core that’s balanced by lively acids that lend the wine energy and tension. The finish is long and pure. This is a beautifully balanced Montrachet that I expect to show very well in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe Drouhins’ plantings are in the northern part of Montrachet - there’s even a plaque on the wall to show you where they begin - and were picked in three stages in 2017. This is plush and smooth, with less acidity and bite than some, but it’s spicy and dense with aromatic oak, a drizzle of honey, and pear and nectarine fruit. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECThis is also quite aromatically restrained with its decidedly cool and relatively airy nose that mixes a dollop of wood toast with plenty of floral, citrus and white-fleshed fruit scents. The super-fine but intense and tautly muscular large-scaled flavors possess a subtle minerality that carries over to the gorgeously complex, persistent and balanced finish. As it should be, this is very clearly built-to-age and a wine that should enjoy an extended maturity curve.Burghound | 95 BH

Molitor’s 2018 Riesling Saarburger Rausch Auslese *** (Green Capsule) is concentrated, fresh and coolish as well as stony on the lemon-scented nose. Rich and powerful yet refined and elegant on the palate, this is a highly concentrated, dense and textured Rausch Auslese with crystalline, mineral acidity that gives a linear course. This mouth-filling Auslese is rich and generous but tightly structured, and the finish has enormous length and stimulating salinity. The 2018 is far too young for the next 10 years, but if you prefer to drink it young, I recommend opening the bottle five to six days before you serve it. Otherwise, waiting for 10-20 years would be the much better option. Tasted twice at the domain in September 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RP

The white 2019 Certezas was produced with Sémillon from a plot of old vines from Finca Manoni in El Peral (Tupungato). Like the rest of the whites, it macerated with the skins for three days and then was pressed and fermented in 1,000-liter oak foudre, where the wine matured with gross lees for one year and then was transferred to used 500-liter barrels to mature for one more year. 2019 was cold and dry, and the grapes were healthy and ripened thoroughly to 13.7% alcohol while the wine retained very good freshness, acidity and balance. This is always the more Burgundian of the whites, with some yeasty and smoky aromas. It has a very balanced palate with pungent flavors and depth; it’s pure, complete, juicy and round, with very good structure. This is superb and has all the components and balance between them to age nicely in bottle. 1,500 bottles were filled in June 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

The 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru needed a little encouragement from the glass. Eventually it reveals captivating scents of honeysuckle, petrichor and pressed yellow flowers, an underlying spiciness that comes through with aeration. The palate has a beguiling symmetry from the start: a killer line of acidity counterbalancing the intensity of this Chevalier, gentle grip towards the spicy and "flowing" finish. Everything you could really want in a Chevalier-Montrachet Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is produced from Leflaive’s three parcels of Chevalier that total more than 1.8ha in the centre of the appellation. Most of the vines run from the top to the bottom of the vineyard to give a wine of regal balance. The grapes are lightly crushed and slowly pressed before fermentation in cask (25% new). The 2019 vintage delivered a wine of impressive concentration and freshness with a pronounced minerality yet the density and richness to carry it to a spectacular finish. The combination of finesse and power in this wine is truly striking.Decanter | 98 DECThis is even more aromatically elegant with its intensely floral-suffused aromas that include acacia, lavender and rose petal along with an array of white fleshed fruit, spice and subtle wood influence. The cool, intense and precise large-scaled flavors brim with both sappy dry extract and minerality, all wrapped in a tightly coiled, linear and remarkably persistent finish. This is incredibly promising and very clearly built-to-age.Burghound | 96-98 BHLeflaive’s 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with scents of Anjou pear, orange oil, clear honey, white flowers and freshly baked bread, framed by a deft touch of youthful reduction. Full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, it’s textural but taut, its satiny attack segueing into a deep, chiseled mid-palate, concluding with a long, electric finish. This is a brilliant Chevalier with a long life ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA concentrated white, this features vanilla, butter pastry, peach, hazelnut cream and apple flavors. Concise and bracing yet balanced, this should come together nicely in a year or two. Ends with a mineral flourish and a tactile sensation. Best from 2024 through 2030. 95 cases made, 19 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Enormously complex nose that marries so many flinty, savory and citrus aromas. Astonishing texture on the rich but precisely delineated palate, the concentration creeping up on you, building and building to a great crescendo. Enormously mineral aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, orange oil, almond paste, pineapple and fresh pastry. Full-bodied, satiny and textural, it’s rich and expressive, with lively acids and a charming, demonstrative personality.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThis is also aromatically cool and restrained with its combination of essence of white orchard fruit, especially pear, along with hints of wood, spice, mineral reduction and rose petal. There is excellent intensity to the textured, concentrated and quite powerful big-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the focused finish that is quite tightly wound. This is going to need at least 6 to 8 years of bottle age first.Burghound | 93 BH

The 2019 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is deep, powerful and packed. Lemon confit, crushed rocks, menthol, graphite, chamomile and vanillin infuse the 2019 with striking layers of dimension. Bright acids give the sculpted finish tremendous persistence. Montrachet clone on Riparia rootstock in a rocky site yields a Chardonnay of rare distinction and class.Antonio Galloni | 98-100 AGA lovely nose of fresh herbs and ground, peppery spice with fresh flowers, lime leaf and baked citrus. Full-bodied and speckled with white pepper and honeysuckle. Driving and well-balanced acidity is at the center of the palate and makes it hum with fruitful intensity. Such a pleasure to drink. Truly superb. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSA barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay Eastside sails out of the glass with zesty citrus scents of lemons, kaffir lime leaves and mandarin peel with an underlying jasmine perfume and a waft of blanched almonds. The palate is tightly wound and very finely knit, delivering loads of nuanced layers and a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.Eastside is a warmer site in Russian River, composed of very rocky, gravelly soils, forcing the vines to really struggle. It is planted to Montrachet clone. Aubert usually harvests this second, after Sugar Shack.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThis sings with rich toastiness to the ripe, juicy and powerfully structured white fruit and cooking spice flavors that are backed by firm acidity. Buttery midpalate, with a glistening finish that shows accents of dried tropical fruits. Drink now through 2028. 1,014 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

The 2019 vintage of Château d’Yquem has the highest proportion (45%) of Sauvignon Blanc in any modern Yquem. The Sauvignon Blanc adds to the freshness, acting as a great balance to the succulent, sweet and voluptuous palate. Intense peach and apricot, combined with lemon and orange zest, make this highly appealing to drink right away – an ideal vintage with which to start Yquem’s ‘lighthouse’ project. However, it would be a shame not to give this 10+ years maturation to see how it develops. Very well, I suspect. The growing season was both warm and wet, with mildew a big threat. After a mostly dry September, 40mm rain came at the end of the month, leading to a very short harvest window. All of the Yquem grapes were picked in two tries within a one-week period. Residual Sugar: 138g/L. Drinking Window 2025 - 2060.Decanter | 97 DECDistinctive, with jasmine and elderflower notes leading off, followed by a racy set of white peach, white ginger and lemon shortbread notes. Feels pure and streamlined through the very long finish. A beautiful wine. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2028. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA juicy Yquem with tarte tartin, salted caramel and dried oranges on the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied and medium-sweet with a creamy and round texture. Bright and vivid. Lovely texture. Long. Evolves to caramel and burnt vanilla sugar. 55% semillon and 45% sauvignon. 138g/L residual. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

Such a classic Corton Charlemagne! Stunningly concentrated and powerful, but also so graceful. Very racy at the long finish, which has so much mineral freshness. Takes your breath away! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is also quite promising, exhibiting aromas of pear, buttered citrus fruit, honeycomb, toasted almonds and white flowers. Full-bodied, satiny and rich, with a fleshy core of fruit and good underlying freshness, I hope it can repeat this fine performance from bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93+ RP(Maison Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru White) More elegant and cooler aromas are comprised by green apple, floral, citrus rind, wood and spice hints. The delicious and more vibrant broad-shouldered flavors are more tightly wound and certainly more mineral-driven on the youthfully austere and sneaky long finish. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc brings another level of everything, and this is a quintessential, legendary Hermitage Blanc. Quince, ripe stone fruits, brioche, green almonds, and crushed stone notes all define the aromatics, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture, incredible concentration, and a great, great finish. It’s one of those powerful, opulent whites that stays flawlessly balanced and weightless. Give bottles 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2020 Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto cruises at the same high altitude as the 2022. Loaded with succulent citrus fruits, honeysuckle, white peach, vanilla, cedar and underlying reductive elements, the 2020 showcases spot-on balance, vivid intensity and classic Ex-Voto scope. It concludes with a saline aftertaste on the persistent finish.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is looking very good, it’s very oaky for sure, but there’s good intensity and vibrancy. Long and with no excess alcohol, it’s nicely balanced beneath the oak, but it will always be dominated by it. 80% lieu-dit Les Murets (20-year-old and 60-year-old vines), 20% L’Ermite.Decanter | 96 DECPlenty of vanilla and a touch of coconut, but also deep Mirabelle plums and candied lemons. Very rich and powerful, the serious concentration enabling the wine to easily carry the oak. Then comes the vivid and stony finish that carries you away. Matured in 100% new oak for two years. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSAnother strong performance for this wine, the 2020 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc features scents of toasted grain, grilled pineapple and ripe pear. It’s medium to full-bodied, nicely generous and expansive in the mouth, with an extraordinarily long and textured finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP

The 2020 Château Valandraud Blanc is both deeper and richer, with a more concentrated, medium to full-bodied style as well as incredible aromatics of ripe melon, white fits, lemon, minty herbs, and chalky minerality. With integrated acidity, an almost red wine-like structured mouthfeel, and a great finish, this easily belongs up with the greatest whites in the vintage. It will evolve for two decades if you’re so inclined.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2020 Valandraud Blanc opens with the most gorgeous perfume of orange blossoms, honeycomb and allspice, leading to a core of pink grapefruit, lemon tart and lime cordial, with a waft of aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with layer upon layer of tropical and citrus fruits, supported by a crisp backbone and satiny texture, finishing with epic length and perfume. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2020 Valandraud Blanc, centered upon 60% Sauvignon Gris, an underrated variety, has a nicely focused bouquet with apple blossom, lemon verbena, chamomile and light pear aromas. The 80% new oak is neatly enmeshed. The palate is well balanced with a fine thread of acidity, quite complex with a modicum of spice and stem ginger. There is something different about this white Bordeaux emanating from the grape varieties, a wine with character and sufficient salinity to tempt you back for another sip. Just 3,000 bottles made.Vinous Media | 94 VMHerbal lemon, caramelised patisserie, baked lemon tart with some apple flecks. Round, unctuous, strong and bold, but clean and clear with a honeyed, caramel pastry tang on the palate balanced by a shot of zesty lemon, lime, orange and peach - the citrus fruits holding the backbone with high acidity and freshness. Richly layered and powerful but also friendly, generous and lively. It’s serious but with elements of fun!Decanter | 94 DECDense, complex white with sliced fennel, grapefruit, clove, burnt vanilla pod, green pineapple and herbs on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, textured and phenolic, with slightly bitter herbal and spice character. Better after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSJuicy and fresh, with lots of deliciously bouncy gooseberry gelée and lemon peel flavors streaking through. Laced with quinine and fleur de sel notes on the finish. Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2024. 350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis is a powerfully rich wine, with ripe citrus and yellow fruit flavors. Acidity is balanced by the dense texture and spicy undercurrent. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

I was absolutely blown away by the 2020 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes Blanc, a rich, powerful expression of Marsanne (there’s 10% Roussanne as well) from the L’Ermite, le Sabot, and La Tourette lieux-dits, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Revealing a vivid gold hue, it just about jumps out of the glass with its exotic nose of honeyed quince, acacia flowers, buttered pears, chalky minerality, spice, and licorice. The purity is off the charts, and it has full-bodied richness, a deep, plush, opulent mouthfeel, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. It’s the finest vintage of this cuvée to date, and readers who love the richer, powerful style of Hermitage should do their best to snatch bottles up. I suspect the acidity is moderate, but it holds onto a riveting sense of freshness and has this liqueur of rock-like sensation on the finish, and it will stand toe to toe with anything out there. I would enjoy bottles over the coming 4-6 years or so and then, at that point, do my best to hold off until 2032 or after. Predicting drink windows for great Hermitage Blanc can be tricky, but this is worth buying multiple bottles and drinking in its youth, then taking a chance with a few in the cellar. There are roughly 400 cases made in each vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDVery striking nose of toasted almonds and pistachio nuts that’s still full of youthful energy, even if the stone-fruit character (mostly mirabelle) is discreet. So much underplayed power and beautiful candied-orange character on the ample yet precisely delineated palate. Then comes the stony finish that doesn’t want to stop. 100% from the marsanne grape. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is a very pure and restrained version, featuring white peach, yellow apple, quinine, honeysuckle and verbena notes stretching out together through a finish that sports a light kiss of brioche at the very end. Approachable now, with charm and elegance. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2030. 475 cases made, 16 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA bit lighter, fresher and easier to drink in the short term than the massive 2019, the 2020 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Blanc should still prove capable of lasting 20 years in a cool cellar. It’s medium to full-bodied, full of notes of ripe melon and pear, with a long, citrusy and briny finish that shows a less pronounced bitterness than the previous vintage. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe Maison Delas Frères’ 2020 Hermitage Blanc “Domaine des Tourettes” is a ripe wine in the style of this vintage, coming in at 14.5 percent octane. The white grapes for this bottling grow in the lieux à dits of l’Ermite, le Sabot and la Tourette on the hill of Hermitage. The cépages is ninety percent marsanne and ten percent roussanne, with the wine barrel-fermented and aged for nine months in cask prior to bottling, with the casks a combination of new, one or two years of age. The wine offers up a deep and complex nose of white peach, fresh pineapple, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, acacia blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a great core of fruit, good framing acids, fine mineral drive and grip and a long, well-balanced and impressively precise finish that carries its alcohol beautifully and only shows a whisper of backend heat. This is a lovely bottle of Hermitage Blanc in the making. (Drink between 2026 - 2050)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2020 Yattarna Chardonnay is an exercise in floral restraint, streamlined power and palate-staining intensity of flavor. The wine undulates over the mouth and through the long and lingering finish. Yattarna is routinely a sophisticated expression of Chardonnay—one of Australia’s finest—and the 2020 season is the perfect backdrop for the wine. If you headed into this wine expecting a big, powerful, obvious wine, you would be sorely mistaken. The power is coiled within the folds of phenolics and volumes of fruit in the mouth. Sixty-eight percent of the wine is sourced from Tasmania, the balance from Adelaide Hills; the clonal selection is largely Bernard clones 95 and 96. It is scintillating and composed, elegant and poised, but so seductively concentrated that it sort of forces you to sit back and contemplate it. At 12.5% alcohol, it is weightless; the power undeniable.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPPale yellow. Sharply delineated aromas of ripe citrus and pit fruits, pear nectar and tarragon take on honeysuckle, vanilla, chamomile and smoky mineral notes as the wine opens up. Silky and penetrating on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet surprisingly lithe Anjou pear, white peach and tangerine flavors and hints of toasted nuts and saffron. Juicy and tightly focused on the strikingly long finish, which features resonating hazelnut, vanilla and citrus fruit notes.Vinous Media | 96 VMRarefied and seamless, this austere wine draws you into its soft layers of complexity. The floral entry is gentle, with discrete white peach and citrus blossom. Fleshy pith clings to the palate, while a lick of strong lime juice frames the edges. It doesn’t exert the same power and punch of previous vintages, but the flavours drive long and true, being a defining feature of the distinctive acidity found in Tasmanian fruit, here blended with parcels from the Adelaide Hills. Released at A$175/bottle.Decanter | 96 DECThe oak is strongly expressed in this blend of Tasmania and Adelaide Hills chardonnay. Aromas of toasted hazelnut, as well as peach, lemon, grapefruit and wet stones abound. There’s nougat and spiced bread here, too. The palate holds an intense core of ripe-peach, grilled-lemon and nectarine fruit flavor delivered in a mouthwateringly intense mode, with flavors of grapefruit, grilled lemon, toasted nuts and a bracingly fresh, unwavering drive of acidity. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe sources for this 2020 Bin 144 Yattarna include Tasmania and Adelaide Hills. It spent eight months in French oak barriques, 86% new. It zips out of the glass with ready-to-go scents of fresh grapefruit, white peaches, and lemon curd, leading to hints of lemon butter and marzipan with a touch of orange blossom. Light-bodied, the palate is refreshing with racy acidity, lifting the bright, intense citrus and stone fruit flavors to a long finish. This tangy (3.05 pH), tight-knit style is built for aging, so give it a couple of years in the cellar to blossom and drink it over the following 15 years+.The Wine Independent | 95 TWI

This has so much depth and power, with complex notes of flint, oyster shell, white pepper, dried mango, lemon, papaya, apricot stone and chalk. Medium-to full-bodied. Bright, yet creamy. It’s so long and concentrated. Wait and see. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon, 5% sauvignon gris. From organically grown grapes.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is the white wine of the vintage, hands down. Creamy and layered, the 2021 offers all the qualities that make whites off this site so compelling, Nothing is out of place. It’s aromatic yet deep, fresh yet layered. Utterly mind-bending right out of the gate, this superb white hits all the right notes. Slate, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper linger. Magnifique!Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (90% Sauvignon and 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon) is similarly crisp, focused, and chiseled, yet has another level of concentration. Racy citrus, lime, and graphite fruit notes are support by beautiful minerality, minty herb, and sappy flower-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated white offering perfectly integrated acidity, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This beauty will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and have over two decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDLemon and lime, such purity and scintillating freshness, bright and sharp, so well positioned and poised with licks of mineral salinity on the finish. Great texture, weight and sense of life. I love this wine! The juiciness is moreish and this makes you want another sip straight away.Decanter | 96 DECA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, and 5% Semillon, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc soars from the glass with enticing scents of nectarines, lime leaves, and fresh grapefruit, giving way to notes of cedar, jasmine tea, and yuzu zest, with a touch of chalk dust. The light to medium-bodied palate has exhilarating tension, with loads of orchard fruit and citrusy layers, finishing with fantastic length.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Blanc has developed gracefully since en primeur, delivering attractive aromas of ripe pear, peach, lime tree leaves, verbena and mint intertwined with mineral, smoky nuances. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with a broad attack and fleshy mid-palate, it exhibits compelling purity and tension, concluding with a saline, mint-inflected finish. It has the potential to improve in the cellar over the next decade or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPlump, with an enticing edge to the mix of lemon curd, jasmine, honeysuckle and white peach flavors. Shows length too, with paraffin and salted butter details filling in. A touch shy on depth and cut overall, but this is still well ahead of the pack in this vintage. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2029. 2,400 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS