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Very rich and lush, but also extremely refined, this has a lightness of touch that some top Pomerols of the vintage lack. That has a lot to do with the stunningly fine tannins that glide through the long super-fine finish. Better than ever. Drink or hold (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 100 JSExceptional purity and a blockbuster nose of mocha, black cherry liqueur, mulberries and plums are followed by an extravagantly rich wine that seems to have a nearly endless finish. Truly haute couture of Merlot, so to speak, this wine has a finish that goes well past a minute, with wonderfully sweet tannins and a provocative, concentrated, broad mouthfeel that is remarkably luxurious. This is amazing stuff! It should drink well for 20-25 years.This is undeniably the greatest Le Pin I have tasted at such an infantile age. There are about 500 cases of this wine, which is made by the Thienpont family, the owners of Vieux Chateau Certan. One hundred percent Merlot, it continues to possess the exoticism of previous vintages, but the oak at present is far better crafted and integrated than in the debut vintage of 1979.Robert Parker | 100 RPThis is still very expressive, as is the vintage in general, with a core of glistening warm raspberry puree laced with anise, black tea and mineral notes. Brighter in profile than the ’10, and just as long. Harder to resist now, too, and just missing that little extra something through the finish that sets the ’10 apart. That’s splitting hairs though.--Non-blind Le Pin vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2035. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2009 Le Pin has a very gorgeous, mellow bouquet with plenty of red fruit infused with leather, mocha and light Cuban cigar aromas. This is not a million miles away from Petrus. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannin, slightly lower acidity than its peers yet remaining balanced. Gains depth and complexity towards the finish with touches of cedar and sage. I love the way this fans out and lingers in the mouth. Not a perfect wine, but an outstanding Le Pin. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMVoluptuous and silky, this is deceptively soft and open yet with singing acidity flowing through it, giving it grip. It’s extremely ripe and generous in fruit, with notes of ground coffee and cappuccino and great persistency. It manages to combine hedonistic appeal with thought-provoking moments, demanding that you slow down rather than gulping the whole glass. It manages to seduce without overpowering, but is certainly signature Le Pin. Drinking Window 2019 - 2046Decanter | 97 DEC(Château Le Pin) This will be the last vintage of Le Pin made in the quaint old chais in the middle of the vineyards, as plans are in place to modernize the facilities in the very near future. The 2009 Le Pin is a very good example of the vintage, as it offers up scents of ripe black cherries, black raspberries, chocolate, woodsmoke and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, fairly complex and impressively tangy, with a great core of fruit, plenty of ripe tannins and fine length and grip on the long and palate-staining finish. Le Pin has always had one hundred percent of its malo done in barrel, and it seems to me that one of the differentiating characteristics between this wine and the very greatest Pomerols such as Trotanoy or Vieux Château Certan is the less impressive signature of soil that seems to emanate from wines such as Le Pin in which all of their malos are done in barrique. This is certainly a superb wine, but it does not come close to moving me the way some of the other top estates in Pomerol have done with their monumental 2009s. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 92-93 JG

This is one of the greatest dry white wines I have ever tasted. The 1999 Ermitage l’Ermite is a liquid mineral, crystalline expression. It is the essence of its grape as well as terroir. It may be the greatest expression of terroir I have seen outside of a handful of Alsatian Rieslings (Clos Ste. Hune comes to mind). It has that transparent character that terroiristes talk more about than actually recognize. Drinking it is like consuming a liquified stony concoction mixed with white flowers, licorice, and honeyed fruits. It is frightfully pure, dense, and well-delineated. As I said last year, "There is no real fruit character, just glycerin, alcohol, and liquid stones." That’s about it, but, wow, what an expression! Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. This is for the connoisseur of rare wines. Along with Gerard and Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier is producing the finest expressions of white Hermitage. His single vineyard cuvees are to die for if you like these eccentric, idiosyncratic, mammoth dry whites.Robert Parker | 100 RPNo written review provided. | 93 W&SBeautiful. Thick, yet so reserved aromatically, with plenty of honey, mineral, macadamia nut, pear tart and passion fruit. What makes it a winner is the opulent, smooth texture. Drink now through 2010. 380 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(from 70-to-80-year-old vines planted on granite soil; done entirely in new barriques) Spiced apple, minerals and toffee on the nose. Bright, firm, minerally and quite stylish. Very fine in the mouth and on the suave finish, which features oak notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.Vinous Media | 90+ VMYou call it Hermitage, they call it Ermitage; regardless, this is one smooth, waxy wine with mature peach aromas and papaya flavors that spread across your palate like sea foam on the beach. The toasty finish is soft and subdued, with hints of licorice and pepper. Quite complex and idiosyncratic; it’s the polar opposite of “mainstream.” Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

An extremely pure and elegant vintage for Seña. This is really fresh, nimble and floral on the nose with subtle cherries, plums, redcurrants and wild lavender. More red fruit here with lots of layers and just a touch of sweet spice. Very discreet and subtle, with the elegance, freshness and poise you’d expect from 2021. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with a bit more flesh and depth if you compare it with Roca de Seña, their second wine. The impeccable tannins show the supreme quality of the fruit this year. Persistent, seamless finish, but comes in a subtle way. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 27% malbec, 17% carmenere and 6% petit verdot. Effortlessly drinkable now, but it will age beautifully.James Suckling | 100 JSOne of the finest vintages of the iconic Seña wine, the 2021 Seña comes from a cooler year, following the path of 2016 and 2018, certainly cooler than 2020 and 2019. It has a super expressive nose that is elegant, nuanced, perfumed, subtle and pure, with aromatic finesse, layered and complex. It was picked a couple of weeks later than in the previous two years and still keeping the alcohol below 14%. It was produced with a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec (cooler years with more), 17% Carmenere and 6% Petit Verdot, fermented mostly in stainless steel and 10% in oak foudre. It’s fine-grained and structured but juicy, similar to 2018 but with more finesse. It has the spicy/herbal twist from the Cabernet, ultra-refined tannins that give it great elegance and with length, purity and delineation. Superb! 120,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe moderately cool conditions of the year have produced an intensely fragrant and concentrated wine on the nose - this smells powerful and expressive. Smooth, silky and seductive with crystalline, succulent and ample fruit - blackcurrants, cherries and strawberries, but mostly black fruit, with clear menthol, clove, cocoa and a liquorice tang. Bright and lifted, this has clear personality and such a stylish execution. Full and round, forward and intense, but delivered with poise. A delicious wine with so much to like not least the exceptional acidity coupled with the depth and width giving a complete wine with intensity and refinement. Everything feels carefully considered but still giving flavour and verve. Ageing 22 months, 90% French oak barrels (70% new), 10% in foudres. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, 17% Carménère and 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Winemaker Francisco Baettig.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2021 Seña is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with 27% Malbec, 17% Carménère and 6% Petit Verdot from Ocoa in the Aconcagua Valley. It was aged for 22 months, 90% in French oak barrels (70% new) and 10% in foudres. Purple with a garnet sheen. The nose presents vivid redcurrant and blackcurrant notes with a layer of garrigue against a cigar box backdrop. Dry in the mouth, refreshing acidity stirs up finely grained tannins to channel the palate. A lingering, fruity red that will grow in the bottle.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and troncoconic concrete vats, spent some 10 months in barrique, and then part of the wine (some 20%) was sent to the Stockinger foudres. The nose is reminiscent of a super elegant and sleek Bordeaux, pure and clean, less balsamic than in previous years and less herbal. It’s perfumed and floral, precise, fresh and elegant, with very fine tannins, and despite the grape, it is more Pomerol than Graves, with 14% alcohol on the label but without any heat at all. It’s velvety and luxurious, juicy and tasty, with fine-grained chalky tannins and the elegant stoniness that the best Maipos are capable of. It has structure and power, like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. This has to be the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster—it’s a wine of emotion. This is also my first 100-point wine from Chile! The final blend contains around 3% Petit Verdot from vines planted in 2005. There are some 10,000 bottles of this, and it was all bottled all at once on January 31, 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPBeautiful nose with lots of currants, red cherries, flowers, roasted chili and dark chocolate. A fine hint of balsamic. More red fruit than black fruit here with bright cherries and a hint of cigar box. Really even on the palate, with a medium to full body and effortless tannins -- plentiful and silky. Extremely fine-grained and long. Very young but the superb freshness and the tannin quality of this vintage makes you think this is already drinkable. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Viñedo Chadwick is a Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Petit Verdot (3%) from Puente Alto, Maipo. It was aged for 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels and 20% in foudres. The mild summer in the area helped to sculpt the vivid, nuanced aromatic profile: crystal clear blackcurrant notes with sour cherry and raspberry layers plus hints of pepper over a faint cigar box bed. Silky and dry in the mouth, the finely tuned Maipo tannins and refreshing acidity from the cool year make for a long-lasting, complex wine. A Bordeaux-inspired red that enjoyed the very Bordelaise weather in the region this year.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe moderately cool 2021 growing season gave a long, even ripening that preserved the acidity and gives this wine elegance and finesse. This smells wonderful, full of chocolate, salted caramel, vanilla, fragrant blackcurrants, roses and raspberries - simply gorgeous. Crunchy and chewy, the best combination of being fully flavoured and densely textured with high, mouthwatering acidity that lifts the mouthfeel and creates such a joyful expression. Direct and focussed, this doesn’t deviate too much from the centre of the palate, but it has energy and drive with a soft expansions of dried herbs, flowers and ripe berries. It’s more the texture and the finish that leaves such an impression - you just want another sip straight away, with cool refreshing mint, tobacco and liquorice spice adding the nuance on the persistent finish. Utterly sublime. Ageing 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels, 20% in foudres.Decanter | 98 DECA rich, slightly muscular red, built around espresso, pepper and baking spice nuances, with concentrated blackberry and cassis flavors that benefit from fresh acidity. Echoes the flavors on the finish around notes of ganache and fine tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS is profoundly scented of baked plums, cherry tart and warm wild blueberries with touches of cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and fertile loam plus an earthy waft of moss-covered tree bark. The palate is a hedonist’s fruit bowl of red, black and blue berry preserves layers in a full-bodied, decadently plush package, with an uplifting line of freshness to balance and an epically long finish. Pure sex in a glass!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPPacks a wallop, with a broad, deep range of flavors, from exotic, spicy, vanilla- and mocha-accented oak to a dense, vibrant core of wild berry and blackberry that flows smoothly, gaining traction and tannic grip on the finish.—Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2026. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2019 Dominus is blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged in 40% new French oak. Impressively dark-hued in the glass, it yields scents of cherries and cassis on the nose—or is it black cherries and redcurrants? Subtle notes of mocha, pencil shavings and almost Graves-like earthiness wind through the concentrated, medium to full-bodied palate, giving it a sense of savory gravitas, while the finish is silky and long, leaving a lingering residue of soft tannins and mouthwatering freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2019 Dominus is shockingly primary. A wine of tremendous density and power, the 2019 is also a wine for readers who can be patient, as it won’t be ready to drink for another 10-15 years! Dark fruit, leather, tobacco, incense, dried herbs and scorched earth lend striking complexity. The 2019 is a huge wine that needs time to come into its own. This is impressive, to say the least.Vinous Media | 98+ VMLots of crushed stone, lead pencil and licorice aromas that are extremely aromatic and bright. Black cherries, cloves and purple fruit, too. Full body and a round and ripe center-palate with a juicy interior. It opens at the end with a savory and juicy finish. Layered and beautiful. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.James Suckling | 98 JSA loaded wine, though reserved in style, with waves of dense cassis, plum reduction and blackberry preserves moving through authoritatively, while sweet bay leaf, warm loam and tobacco accents fill in the background. The long cast iron spine is deeply buried in the fruit, and this has superior cut and drive. Built for serious cellaring, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFrom a slightly more challenging year for this estate due to the heavy springtime rains, the 2019 Dominus is a classic blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc from this team brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. It offers a more ruby/plum and borderline opaque hue as well as a great nose of ripe currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and a touch of loamy earth. This round, supple, medium to full-bodied effort has soft tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s not going to match the all-time greats here, but it’s a charming, endearing Cabernet that will offer incredible pleasure with just 3-5 years of bottle age and drink well for 20+ years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

A tight, phenolic white with light tannins that give the wine form and balance. It’s full-bodied and lightly chewy with dried apple, lemon and peach. Minerally and chewy. Flavorful. From organic grapes. 90 sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA tight, phenolic white with light tannins that give the wine form and balance. It’s full-bodied and lightly chewy with dried apple, lemon and peach. Minerally and chewy. Flavorful. From organic grapes. 90 sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.James Suckling | 95-96 JSButterscotch, vanilla, a soft honeyed caramel, lemon and orange notes with green apple. Quite bitter straight away, the lemon and orange rind and grapefruit juice elements all to the fore alongside a hit of bright, lemon juice acidity. Then it settles, almost closes, or narrows into a funnel, quite tight and sleek, definite tension there, but there’s power and structure still with elegance. It’s not giving, generous and approachable right now but this has been well made - really focused and polished. Body, freshness and structure with lovely hints of minerality and such a wide aerial, aerated finish. It’s serious - this is bold but with something so special about it. Ageing 50% new oak, 50% one year old barrels, 12 months with three months in vats before bottling.Decanter | 96 DECSuave and caressing in feel, this drapes beautifully, with creamed yellow apple, gooseberry and lemon curd notes on the flattering side, offset by hints of tarragon, blanched almond and salted butter on the racier side. The finish is enhanced with paraffin and smoke hints. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2030. 2,400 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is superb. Élevage has done wonders in lending energy and brilliance. The 2020 shows the soft curves of the warm vintage, but it has tons of energy, too. That makes for an absolutely brilliant, compelling white that delivers on so many levels. The 2020 offers enough approachability to drink well now, but also the energy to develop well in bottle for many years to come.Vinous Media | 95 VMA strong effort, the 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of nectarine, pear, lemongrass, Sauvignon botanicals, toasted bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s rich and concentrated, with ripe acids and chalky structuring extract. It’s not quite as vibrant and precise as the 2019, but it’s a success nonetheless.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year - the eponymous project of husband and wife duo; viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. A beautifully scented nose full of rose and violet touches, the Cabernet Franc nuances leap from the glass - fresh and minty, full of herbal sun-kissed ripe fruit but pristinely delivered. Smooth and driving on the palate, crunchy, crisp flavours give a real bite to the palate - red berries, blackcurrants and raisins, all nicely integrated and balanced. This doesn’t feel super worked and polished, instead it gives crystalline iron-minerality, lifted acidity and fragrance throughout - real signatures of the terroir and the minimal interventionist winemaking style - the grapes speak more than the winemaking. I just love the sense of wildness, a smoked touch with blue fruits, Asian spices and slightly angular tannins but with ripe fruit giving the body and cool acidity giving the freshness. A stunning wine and welcome addition to the Place. Ageing in French oak barrels (50% new).Decanter | 100 DECFrom a north-facing site at elevation, the 2019 Cerro Sur is a bold, savory wine loaded with energy. This Cabernet Franc-based wine is bursting with tension. Floral, spice and mocha accents lend striking aromatic top notes. I am so impressed with the wine’s elegance and total sense of finesse. This is an especially savory wine with strong cool-climate aromas and flavors that are so captivating.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis mostly cabernet franc shows intriguing character of tar, graphite, ink and black berries, following through to a medium to full body with layered and slightly dusty tannins and a succulent finish. So drinkable now, but will improve with age.James Suckling | 97 JSComing from a higher elevation site in Coombsville and mostly Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Cerro Sur has a complex, gorgeous nose of pure cassis, currant buds, flowers, and chocolate. This red, blue, and black fruited beauty is medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins and flawless balance. Brought up in 50% new French oak, it’s an incredible 2019 readers will absolutely love. It will evolve for upwards of two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSuperjuicy and vivid, with lots of up-front violet, cassis and plum pâte de fruit notes backed by tasty licorice and sweet spice. Toasted finish, but the fruit wins out easily, with a flash of sweet bay leaf adding nice range. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2036. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSComing in at more than 70% Cabernet Franc—and aged in 50% new French oak—the 2019 Cerro Sur Red Wine is vaguely herbal, with black tea-like notes and hints of sage accenting black cherries and plums. Medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, this displays the hallmark Favia Erickson traits of balance and elegance—there’s absolutely nothing out of place here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

I’m splitting hairs here, because the level is so high in the Malbecs from the Piedra Infinita vineyard that it’s difficult to say, but the coup de coeur is the 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal, the single-plot bottling from the shallower soils with lots of rocks covered in calcium carbonate (hence the name: "superlime"). In a cooler year like 2019, this wine achieved a level of precision, austerity, elegance and balance that is amazing. The wine floats in the mouth, with an ethereal quality but with the clout and power from the place. The wine is juicy and fresh with a saline twist in the finish. This is approachable now because of its gobsmacking balance and elegance, but it has all the components and the balance between them to age for a long time in bottle. Bravo! 1,400 bottles were filled in June 2020. They told me that it’s always a challenge to decide the picking date for this plot, and they feel they hit the bull’s eye in 2019. And rightly so.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2019 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal from Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley was aged in concrete and made with grapes from a parcel of soils rich in calcium carbonate. It’s purple in hue. The 2019 has an austere aromatic profile in which clear fresh plum notes are accompanied by violets, lavender and bay leaf. It’s compact yet juicy in the mouth with a pure, chalky texture. The structure is linear for a Malbec, almost skeletal in fact, ensuring that the flavors at the back of the throat reverberate with a mixture of delicate aromas over the taut palate. This wine is a successfully executed statement about winemaking and the house style.Vinous Media | 98 VMDeep but scented nose of black cherries, blueberries, dried violets, graphite, ink and chalk. Very primary, and certainly all about the intrinsic side of the fruit. White pepper and fleshy, deep black cherries on the palate. The tannin is immaculate, but so powerful, with fine austerity, which is evenly distributed, but in an electric way, seeping into the naturally concentrated and succulent fruit. Violets and spices in the finish. Probably the most powerful of the three Piedra Infinita range of reds tasted. An intellectual, austere but resolved malbec. Look elsewhere if you are after oak plushness. Intrinsic and beautiful. Around 1,000 bottles made. Unique. Better after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JS

What a nose! Complex and brooding, yet subtle and layered. The array of aromas range from scented violets and blueberries to dried herbs and minerals. Full-bodied with racy dark cherries and blueberries on the palate. Incredibly zingy and fresh, coated by a plethora of fine, polished tannins that dissipate into the fruit. That said, this is quite assertive. Chalky finish. Long and intellectual. A little more expressive than the powerful Supercal. Drinkable now, but it will reward patience over the next decade.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal is an earthier wine with notes of graphite. It was selected from a plot within their Piedra Infinita vineyard around the beautiful winery in Paraje Altamira, where there are some 40 centimeters of soil and then the limestone-covered white and round alluvial rocks. It feels drier (despite all of them being dry) than the Piedra Infinita, which is a blend of soils, and little less refined than the Supercal that really shines in 2019. All these bottlings have achieved very high precision and purity, but somehow there is something that makes it less clean and precise than its siblings. 1,250 bottles were filled in June 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal from Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley was aged in concrete and made with grapes from a specially selected segment of gravel and a seam of calcium carbonate. It’s purple in the glass. The 2019 has an outgoing nose of violet, cherry and plum with hints of mint and herbs before late developing lavender aromas appear. In the mouth, it’s vigorous with a chalky texture that’s expansive initially before tightening up in a two-stage palate: at first one gets the sweetness and taut texture of the variety before the compact, finely grained tannins, provided by the soils of Altamira, take over. The combination of the two reveals how well judged the ripeness was this year.Vinous Media | 97 VM

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

I had tasted the 2020 Pie Franco during its upbringing in barrel and couldn’t wait to taste the bottled version. The wine comes from the ungrafted Monastrell vines planted in 1942 by the current generation’s grandfather on a south-facing slope rich in limestone and gravels. In this dream vintage, they achieved a wine with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.47 and almost five grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine. The wine matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 16 months. There is precision; it’s like laser cut, with symmetry and nuance, and it feels ethereal with lots of inner strength. It has the aromatic herbal notes but they are a lot subtler, and the wine is a lot more elegant and floral. The 2020s are wines of texture, silky, fine and elegant. This is the essence of the Mediterranean. Truly outstanding, world class, the best wine produced in the Mediterranean and the best wine from Casa Castillo ever. I was trying to find reminiscences with previous vintages, and it’s different from 2017 and 2018, maybe a mixture of the two, but overall the 2020s are unique and have a combination of Mediterranean character and freshness more intense than any other previous vintage. José María Vicente told me the only vintage that could be compared a little with the 2020 could be 2010. I’ve seen this wine evolve every year since the initial vintage of 1998 to reach world class. Bravo! 7,800 bottles were filled in February 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.0% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs of lot of swirling to unlock the most gorgeous perfume of bright black and red cherries, fresh blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of roses, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and tightly wound, the palate shimmers with SO MUCH energy, featuring layer upon layer of floral, savory and crunchy black fruit notes, finishing long and minerally. This is a remarkably poised, seemingly effortless beauty that cannot fail to make your jaw drop. Forget it in the cellar for a good 3-5 years, at least, to allow all those nuances to fully emerge and then savor it over the next 30 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis biodynamically produced (certified from the 2020 vintage) red offers vividly bright aromas of ripe strawberry, sagebrush, coriander cream and cedar. Silken waves of red berry fruit, leather, brown spices and featherweight fine-grained tannins glide to a long finish punctuated by deep saline mineral notes. The epitome of elegance and beauty supported by such a firm backbone of juicy acidity as to age beautifully over time. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another incredible wine from this reference point estate in the Valley. Based on 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5 % Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that was raised in 65% new French oak, it has that classic Spottswoode refinement and elegance as well as medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, tobacco, sandalwood, and flowers. I don’t think this hits the heights of the 2013 or 2016, but it shines for its flawless balance, remarkable purity, and great finish. It’s going to have 30 years of prime drinking. There were 4,184 cases produced, and readers will love to have this in their cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDRipe blackberries, blackcurrants, cocoa powder, dried thyme and walnut husk on the nose. It’s full-bodied, chewy and compact with firm tannins and a broad, muscular palate. Structured, polished and well balanced. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSA bright, effusive wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is all finesse. Bright aromatics, vibrant red berry fruit and mid-weight structure give the 2019 its charming, sensual personality. I am surprised to see how open the 2019 is at this stage. I imagine it might close down a bit post-bottling, but the 2019 has superb balance to go with a real feeling of openness, at least today. Red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice shape the inviting finish.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGNot shy, this throws a pretty lush and gorgeous wave of warmed cassis and mulberry puree at you, carried by very polished tannins as violet, red licorice and sweet tobacco hints fill in behind. Shows good energy through the finish, too, with a subtle mineral hint to keep everything honest. Lovely. Drink now through 2037. 4,184 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Francis Egly has produced another profound Champagne with the 2013 Brut Grand Cru Millésime. If the monumental 2008 stands out for its power, structure and intensity, the 2013 is distinguished by its harmony, finesse and completeness; both vintages are very great wines but thus quite different in style. Wafting from the glass with scents of Anjou pear, crisp yellow apple, freshly baked bread, clear honey, iodine and fresh mint, it’s full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a layered, concentrated and effortlessly balanced core of fruit, uniting precision and sensuality to compelling effect. Girdled by racy acids and animated by a delicate pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. Is this the most elegant wine Egly has produced to date? It’s certainly among the most compelling that this high quality but initially underrated Champagne vintage has delivered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2013 Millésime Grand Cru is flat-out stunning, in fact it’s one of the best vintage Champagnes I have ever tasted. What I admire most about the 2013 is the marriage of power and transparency. Plum, kirsch, ginger, spice and dried flowers all come alive in a striking, vivid Champagne that delivers so much pleasure. It’s a riveting, captivating Champagne from Egly-Ouriet. What a knock-out! Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July, 2022.Antonio Galloni | 98 AG

So much dried flower, mushroom, iron, rust, sweet berry, and grilled orange. Full-bodied with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of place and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse and finish is endless. Production was 30% less than in 2011. Already so drinkable. A wonderful future. This is the new 1934 or 1964, two legends. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 100 JS

Enjoyed over dinner in Burgundy after tasting many truly lovely wines, this wine could erase your memory of anything else. It is a riveting tour-de-force, with a medium lemon-yellow colour and heady, incredibly forward aromas of ripe orchard and stone fruit with exotic spices, butter, and a bit of oak. There is fresh acidity, plenty of body and extract, and incredible finesse and elegance as well. The combination of youthful fruit, fresh acidity, and robust density carry this wine to an interminable finish.Decanter | 100 DECThe 2014 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a wine that leaves you lost for words - never helpful in this profession. It begs the question: Why are not all Corton-Charlemagnes like this? It has a stunning bouquet with a profound mix of yellow plum, Mirabelle, Seville orange marmalade, those liquid minerals and later, scents of cold wet limestone. The palate is incredibly powerful with stunning acidity. There are multiple layers of spice-tinged citrus fruit, just a faint tinge of marzipan, wondrous umami sensation in the mouth with grilled walnut and a hint of pralines towards the finish. This represents an astonishing Corton-Charlemagne that might end up touching the imperious 2005. Readers should note that Raphael told me that the release of this will be delayed, just like the 2005 and 2010. Put it on your wish list and wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe 2014 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was the first time I had tasted the wine in bottle after first sampling it at the domaine. It is more open than expected and displays less reduction than the 2005 tasted alongside, offering penetrating citrus peel, lanolin, crushed limestone and fragrant yellow flower scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with razor-sharp acidity and an extraordinarily saline, praline-tinged finish that electrifies the senses. It flirted with perfection in 2016 and it is still within a whisker now. Tasted at Otto’s restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 99 VMA still somewhat reticent nose grudingly speaks of discreet wood, smoky mineral reduction, petrol, green apple, white rose and spice elements. In the same vein as the nose, the dense and well-muscled broad-shouldered flavors are still moderately tightly wound while delivering an abundance of minerality on the massively persistent, highly complex and perfectly well-balanced finish that is quite dry yet not especially austere. This is sufficiently backward at present to need continued cellaring even though with say 30 or so minutes of air in a decanter, it could be approached. With that qualification duly noted, I would strongly advised holding this unicorn of a wine for another 5ish years. In a word, OK, two, absolutely brilliant.Burghound | 98 BH

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow is made up of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black colored, it sashays out of the glass with beautifully provocative black cherries, blueberry compote and warm cassis scents followed by candied violets, molten chocolate, licorice and fallen leaves plus hints of black olives and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals explosive energy wrapped in a silken carpet of exquisitely fine-grained tannins, finishing with amazing freshness and perfume. Gorgeous.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPGraphite, smoke, grilled herbs, lavender, licorice, black cherry and plum are some of the many notes that run through the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow. Savory and virile in feel, the 2016 boasts tremendous nuance and tons of pure character. Here, too, the new oak is a bit prominent in the early going. The oak needs time to settle down, but that should not be a problem in the long run, as the wine seems to have the underlying depth to handle it.Vinous Media | 96 VMBlack-licorice and blackberry aromas with hints of iron and hot stone. Full-bodied, dense and layered with a soft, succulent feel. Juicy and delicious aftertaste. Drink or hold. Better after 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSBroad and deep, with dark plum and blackberry preserve flavors rolling along, lined with ganache and roasted alder notes. Savory, bay leaf and tobacco hints flitter in the background, adding energy, texture and detail. Will need some time. Best from 2022 through 2040. 623 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAn old-school European style with a great nose of toffee, mocha with blackcurrants and dried herbs. Grippy structure and fresh acidity; this is a youthful wine that will age gracefully. Grown in the soils of a prehistoric river bed, these gravels drain well and the vine’s roots to penetrate deeply.Decanter | 95 DECFrom a five-acre section of the vineyard, this classic red is blended with 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Crushed rock, red fruit and warm baking spices combine around a grippy midpalate of leather, clove and tobacco—the power gracefully persistent. The finish is brambly and bright. Allow this youthful wine to age; enjoy best from 2026–2031. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENew oak gives this wine an initial blush of sweetness, but as the flavors open up, the impression is completely savory. This grows in a gravel wash on the south bank of Diamond Creek, a cool site tucked into a manzanita grove. In 2016, the vines were closing in on 50 years, and the wine they offered evokes roses, soil and manzanita bark more than any direct fruit. There’s a black olive tone to preface what fruit will emerge with bottle age; as for now, the wine feels youthful and restrained.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 92 W&S

Lastly, the 2019 Promontory matches the perfect 2016 from this estate and is legendary stuff. Ripe black fruits, chocolatey, lead pencil shaving, roasted herbs, and tobacco are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. It doesn’t get any better. This has the class of a First Growth from Bordeaux paired with a Napa sense of texture and fruit. It will evolve for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIPurple-fruit, dark-licorice and conifer aromas follow through to a medium to full body with firmness and a linear flow that goes on for minutes. Racy tannins and focus. Give this until at least 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Promontory is just as impressive as it always has been. Vertical in structure, with tremendous depth, the 2019 possesses notable textural intensity and tons of volume. Black cherry, plum, licorice, mocha, new leather and espresso are all amplified. Time has softened some of the Promontory edges. The 2019 is still very young, but it has come together very nicely.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThe 2019 Promontory offers up slightly darker cherries than the red-fruited 2018, couched in a bed of foresty-minty notes and underpinned by crushed stone. At this stage, it looks more intense but otherwise similar to the excellent 2018, finishing long, silky and elegant, with mouthwatering freshness. Collectors should enjoy comparing the two years for decades to come.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

Reductive at first before deep aromas emerge of mineral, fine herbs, white pepper, oyster shells, hibiscus, freshly chopped blueberries and forest berries. Really dissolved and transparent on the palate with great tension and immaculate tannins. Persistent, mineral-driven finish. Already approachable now but this has impeccable balance, allowing it to age effortlessly. Better give it two years to get rid of the reduction.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2021 Viña El Pisón had a similar élevage as the other wines, as they do not use the new barrels in the top wines like they used to do in the past; they try to have similar percentage of new barrels in all the wines. This is silky, a little riper and more aromatic than the 2020 and with a very long aftertaste. The wine is not oaky at all; it’s quite fruit-driven, and as usually happens with this wine, it’s quite austere, a little closed and backward. And despite its concentration and power, it doesn’t seem to weigh heavy. Persistent. It’s been in tank since June 2021 after it finished malolactic fermentation in barrel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos De Beauvenir Blanc is also incredible and, in this critic’s opinion, a perfect wine. Coming from a single vineyard just beside the estate and based largely on Roussanne, it has a slightly deeper gold hue as well as Montrachet-like richness in its notes of white currants, flower oil, pineapple, honeyed toast, and crushed stone. Rich, powerful, and concentrated on the palate, it nevertheless stays vibrant, fresh, and pure, with a gorgeous finish that just keeps going. It’s pure brilliance in Southern Rhône whites. I love it today with some air, but it should drink brilliantly for 7-8 years, then possibly go through a dormant stage, only to re-emerge at a later date. It’s unquestionably one of the finest whites from the region. Hats off to the team at La Nerthe for this incredible effort.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDSuper-fresh and so dynamic. A lovely brisk acidity propels the tangy lime fruit long into the finish. The oak is quite present but well judged and should integrate after a year or so in bottle. Impressive length and finesse. Parcel selection of old vines on sandy clay soil. Matured in demi-muid, with 15% new wood. Just 3,000 bottles produced.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir is made from certified organic grapes and aged for 7 months in a combination of 85% demi-muids and 15% new oak barriques. It bursts with aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon peel, white peach, pineapple, melon, pastry, cedar and freshly-cut fennel. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied, vibrant and shows a lively core of fresh acidity. This 2021 white concludes with a bright finish and a modestly salty aftertaste.Vinous Media | 94 VMBold and exuberant, with good definition to the white peach, quince and fresh melon notes and hint of ginger. Offers a thread of shortbread that adds richness to the round, lush palate, which is deftly offset by stony minerality and savory green herbs on the lengthy finish. Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Drink now through 2027. 20 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA 70-30 blend of Roussanne and Grenache, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir offers up scents of struck flint, citrus zest and white peaches. Medium-bodied, this largely barrel fermented effort is focused and linear in shape, finishing with ample freshness and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

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

Tasting Giuseppe Mascarello’s magnificent 2019 Monprivato stopped me in my tracks with its impeccable class, seemingly infinite energy and great balance between fruit, depth and finesse. Both fragrant and utterly delicious, it captivates with mesmerizing aromas of new leather, iris, spice and citrus while the full-bodied, racy palate boasts crunchy red cherry, juicy strawberry, black tea, and white pepper before closing on notes of star anise and salty mineral. An absolute stunner, this has it all. Drink 2031–2049. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 100 KOThis pure and stylish Barolo features rose, strawberry, cherry, mineral and underbrush aromas and flavors. Though silky in texture, this is well-structured, with integrated tannins and harmony. This is all about finesse and texture, with excellent length and a mineral aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2045. 1,541 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

The drop-dead gorgeous Barbaresco 2019 Asili Riserva from the Produttori del Barbaresco stuns with its extreme finesse and heady scents of wild rose, red berry, camphor, leather and brown spice. Full-bodied and vibrant, the elegant, linear palate delivers red cherry, blood orange, star anise and ground clove alongside youthfully tight but extremely refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced and energized, lending great tension. It’s a superb expression of this celebrated site and the fantastic vintage. An absolute stunner. Drink 2029–2044. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 100 KOThe 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a very pretty, silky wine that shows all the signatures of this site in its refined, mid-weight personality. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, cedar, mint and tobacco all grace this classy Barbaresco. The 2019 is classic Asili, with firm tannins from the year.Vinous Media | 94 VM

I’ve never before smelled a wine like this. The captivating aromas are amazing, with lavender, sage, dried potpourri, blackberries, tar, pepper and black licorice. Full-bodied with super tannins that fan out and caress the palate. It’s ethereal and endless. A pure syrah from the owners of Clos Apalta, from unique mountain vineyards. Just over 6,000 bottles made. Try to give this four or five years of bottle age. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 100 JS