Type of Wines

wines

A wine that could easily be mistaken for a First Growth, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is an incredibly powerful, full-bodied wine by this estate’s standards, yet it nevertheless holds onto a terrific sense of elegance as well as perfect balance. A huge nose of blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco, lead pencil, and spice give way to a concentrated, blockbuster styled Margaux that has thrilling depth of fruit, masses of ripe tannins, and great length and finesse on the finish. This brilliant wine is just now seemingly on the edge of its drink window and offers immense pleasure, yet it has another 30-40 years of life ahead of it. Along with the 2015 and 2016, it’s the greatest wine made at this estate in the past two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep garnet in color, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is youthfully reticent and closed to begin, slowly unfurling to offer notions of underbrush, black truffles, smoked meats and tar over a core of baked black cherries, prunes and crème de cassis plus touches of iron ore and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with savory/earthy fruit, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPOne of the top Margaux wines, this is in top form, finely balanced and as elegant as it is powerful. It is darkly structured, dense yet balancing tannins with ripe black plums. It expresses the complexity of the vintage. A wine for serious, long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Rauzan-Ségla has a wonderful bouquet, very pure and engaging with wild strawberry, blackberry, rose petals and boysenberry jam. It just feels very focused and beautifully delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with lively red and black fruit laced with cracked black pepper and cedar. It is extremely balanced, almost symmetrical, with a precise and persistent finish. Bon vin. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMFlashy style of Margaux, with alluring warm cocoa and black tea aromatics followed by cashmere-textured plum sauce, steeped fig and blackberry confiture notes. The well-integrated structure makes this seem almost accessible now, but the ample length and a smoldering tobacco note make a case for cellaring. Best from 2014 through 2030. 9,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThere’s a wonderful deep and dark fruit to this second wine from Rauzan Segla, with hints of soft tannins. Lovely ripe fruit and a chocolate, light raisin at the end.James Suckling | 90-91 JS(Château Rauzan-Ségla) The 2010 Château Rauzan-Ségla is another fine example of the vintage, but much like the 2010 Château Rauzan-Gassies, a completely traditional approach once again in the cellars here would pay dividends in terms of even more profound expression of terroir. The bouquet on the 2010 is a very classy blend of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, gravelly soil tones, classy new wood and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and sappy at the core, with fine focus and a fair bit of firm, slightly dry-edged tannins on the long and bouncy finish. A touch of the tannins here seem derived already from the new wood, but the overall balance is splendid and this wine should have no difficulty carrying its wood over the long haul. A very successful, ever so slightly “overly-polished” example of the vintage. (Drink between 2020 - 2050)John Gilman | 90+ JG

A very savory version, exuding juniper, rosemary, licorice and black cherry aromas and flavors. Fresh, intense, concentrated and spicy, with a lingering mineral underpinning. Delivers terrific balance and length.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is the highlight of this retrospective. The Altesino 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli shows an intriguing contrast between its salty or mineral side and its sweet, fruit-driven side. These two elements play off each other to create a balanced and lifted bouquet. Given the salty notes that reflect schistic soils, I consider this to be one of the most terroir-driven vintages in this retrospective.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPBeautiful aromas of dark fruits and minerals. Full-bodied, succulent and chewy. It’s tight and stony. Lots of black olives and wet earth under the fruit. Bright and linear wine with beautiful layers. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli possesses gorgeous textural depth and resonance, both in the classic, mid-weight style of the year. Sweet red cherry, plum, tobacco, spice and savory herb overtones flesh out as the 2010 Montosoli shows off its distinctive personality. Finessed, silky tannins round out a finish laced with rose petal, cherry pit and pipe tobacco.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe Montosoli plot sits at 1,250 feet of elevation, and in 2010 it yielded an intensely fresh and fragrant wine. Polished tannins frame bright flavors of red cherry and pomegranate, even some guava and nectarine, spiced with notes of white pepper and lifted by lovely floral aromas. The wine feels cool and elegant, with a freshness that persisted for days after the bottle was opened.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 95 WSFrom Montalcino’s most famous vineyard site, this opens with aromas of cured meat, grilled herb and a whiff of mature olive. The palate offers red cherry, licorice, savory herb and a mineral note alongside youthfully assertive but fine-grained tannins that need time to unwind. Drink after 2018. Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOFrom Montalcino’s most famous vineyard site, this opens with aromas of cured meat, grilled herb and a whiff of mature olive. The palate offers red cherry, licorice, savory herb and a mineral note alongside youthfully assertive but fine-grained tannins that need time to unwind. Drink after 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Loads of tension and form. It can be cellared for decades, but it’s balanced and beautiful already. Lots of blueberry, licorice and blackberry character. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2010 Lagrange was picked from 29 September to 20 October. This is even better than the 2009 on the nose with beautifully defined brambly red fruit, crushed stone, violet and iris aromas, almost pixelated in detail. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, precise and focused with a silky mouthfeel. This fans out beautifully, certainly one of the more approachable 2010s but a wine full of class and immense breeding. Outstanding - a benchmark for the estate. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis again is a brilliant St-Julien - full of joy and finesse and elegance. Black fruits and smoke combine with a slate minerality - I love it.This is also one that offers good value for money and will be a perfect match for food. Can drink now, or wait, and will age. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 94 DECWith vineyards in the west of Saint-Julien, Lagrange produces wines that are polished and elegant. In 2010, that style has been suffused with tannins while also delivering a black currant flavor. The wine is rich and ripe, with just the right amount of tannic structure for the fruit.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis property, on the western plateau of St-Julien, includes 292 acres of vines on soils that vary from coarse to fine gravels, combined with sand or clay. Suntory purchased the property in 1983 and hired Marcel Ducasse, who restored it to prominence during his 24 years at the helm. Now run by Matthieu Bordes and Keiichi Shiina, Lagrange produces sleek wines. This is not a fat St-Julien, though their 2010 is succulent, opening over the course of several days to racy, dark plum fruit and a narrow course of tannins. Still youthful, this is approachable and lovely after long hours in a decanter, and it will reward patient cellaring.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SNotes of singed alder, graphite and charcoal wrap around the core of intense blackberry paste, warm plum sauce and currant preserves. Turns sleek and racy on the well-knit finish despite the notable grip. Best from 2015 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Lagrange) I did not have time to drop by Château Lagrange to taste the 2010 sur place, so I do not have a note this year on their fine second wine, Les Fiefs de Lagrange, but the grand vin was showing very well at the UGC event. The bouquet is deep, pure, refined and seems decidedly less ripe than several others, as it offers up a black fruity mélange of cassis, dark berries, gentle herb tones, tobacco leaf, espresso, gravel and a deft base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively seamless, with a ripe personality, lovely mid-palate depth, well-balanced tannins and very fine length and grip on the reserved and classy finish. A really lovely example of the vintage. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 92+ JGDeep garnet in color, the 2010 Lagrange gives up notes of baked blackcurrants, stewed plums and fried herbs with nuances of crushed rocks and balsamic plus a touch of fungi. Full-bodied, the palate has a firm line of grainy tannins and fantastic freshness helping to define the black fruit and earthy flavors, finishing a little lifted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Deep rich fruit aromatics on the nose, and a lovely plum colour that is holding firm, barely bricking around the edges. This proves once again that this is just a stellar vintage in Bordeaux, delivering on both banks. It’s high in alcohol and maybe a bit of a gamble to decide when to drink to make the most of the fruit before the alcohol flattens things out on the finish. But, there is definitely depth and width here with dark bitter chocolate notes and frm tannins - plenty to recommend. 50% new oak, harvest September 29 to October 19.Decanter | 93 DECWow. This is unknown with walnut, dark chocolate and dark fruit. Full body, Juicy and sexy. Velvety. Drink now. James Suckling | 93 JSChauvin produces a stylish wine, always exhibiting plenty of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue notes as well as hints of spice box and Christmas fruitcake in a medium to full-bodied, elegant yet savory and expansively textured style. The 2010 has a precociousness that gives it an up-front, sexy appeal, but then clamps down on the palate as the tannins begin to accumulate in the wine’s finish. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 25.Robert Parker | 90 RP

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is slow to open and I spent a good amount of extra time with this wine as a result. It was well worth the wait. The intensity inches up in baby steps. With time, the wine is splendent and focused with a very direct and impactful delivery of aromas. It also shows a specifically floral personality with dried rose petal or blue violet that I did not recognize in most of the other Brunellos from this classic vintage. There is power and determination behind those feminine aromas. The wine makes a lasting impression in the mouth, thanks to the textual tightness of its tannins and the refreshing crispness of the acidity. The Riserva sees fruit sourced from Il Greppo’s oldest vines (25-years-old and more) and the wine ages in traditional oak casks for three years. Some 13,600 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2010 Proprietary Red is very deep garnet colored with a hint of purple. It offers up wonderfully bold, expressive notes of crème de cassis, black cherry compote and mincemeat pie with wafts of bay leaves, incense, Chinese five spice and hoisin plus wafts of chargrill and yeast extract. Full-bodied, rich and opulent, the palate is laden with layer upon layer of exotic spice-laced black fruits with a firm yet plush frame and very long finish with some licorice notes coming through.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFull medium ruby. Very ripe but reticent scents of black fruits, minerals, mocha, espresso and spices. Voluptuous and plush on entry, saturating the palate with a slightly unrefined wave of black fruits, minerals and mocha. This outsized, full-bodied, plummy wine shows lovely mineral verve, surprisingly restrained sweetness and a complicating saline element. Finishes with sumptuous, building tannins and terrific plum and graphite persistence. This wine is ripe enough to give great pleasure now but I’d still hold my bottles for the tannins to be further absorbed. It certainly has the stuffing to go on for many more years.Vinous Media | 94 VMA big and rich red with black currant and blueberry and chocolate. Full and vast. A more typical Napa cab of the period. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Power combined with elegance in the 2010. A dusting of dark cocoa powder, cola, mint, exotic sweet spices, caramel, toast and blackcurrants on the nose. Juicy and vibrant, more lean than I was expecting, tannins are fine and supportive with clear austerity and bitterness around the edge, giving a spiced frame that lets the fruit pulse through the middle. This is certainly on the intense side, but not weighty at all, concentration balanced by high acidity and a lovely stony minerality underneath that, really puts you in St-Emilion on the terroir. Direct and focussed, precise and lifted with a minty, liquorice finish. Feels like a very representative TrotteVieille though give this more time before opening.Decanter | 96 DECAn extracted wine, showing bitter chocolate as much as fruit. There is a core of dark tannins, very firm, with licorice, wood and a tight texture. Often Trottevieille shows this austerity when young, and this 2010 is no exception. It will develop slowly into a serious and concentrated wine.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEComposed of 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot, the 2010 Trotte Vieille is deep garnet in color and starts off with some sweaty leather notions on the nose, giving way to a core of baked black plums, dried mulberries and fruitcake plus wafts of fallen leaves and tobacco. Full-bodied, the palate has a taut line of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the baked berry layers, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2010 Trotte Vieille is very ripe and almost Mediterranean in style on the nose: black olives and liquorice infusing the rich red fruit, just a hint of hung game in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous, almost Châteauneuf in style with a pinch of spicebox and sage towards the finish. Drinking perfectly now, but where is it going to go? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VMDark and ripe, but nicely polished, with a dark tea and roasted cedar frame to the currant paste and fig notes. The solid finish is well-coated with ganache and smolders nicely with a lingering tobacco hint that should emerge steadily in this slightly old-school version. Best from 2014 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This is considered to be among the greatest vintages ever made in Montrose, right up with the 1929, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1989, 1990 and 2009. Harvest was October 15 to 17. The wine has really come on since I last tasted it, and it needs at least another 10 years of cellaring. The blend was 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine is opaque black/blue, with an incredible nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, with hints of incense, licorice, and acacia flowers. Tannins are incredibly sweet and very present. The wine is full-bodied, even massive, with great purity, depth and a finish that goes on close to a minute. This is a 50- to 75-year-old wine that will repay handsomely those with good aging genes. (Note: The Chateau Montrose website gives an aging potential of 2020-2100.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Montrose is insanely beautiful. A vivid, eternal wine, the 2010 dazzles right out of the gate with its explosive energy. Soaring floral and mineral notes are immediately captivating on the bouquet. All that carries through to the palate, where the wine is dense and expansive. Readers lucky enough to own it should be thrilled. This really benefits from aeration. What a wine! Vinous Media | 100 VMFabulous inky rich depths to the colour here, and right off the nose you feel it enticing you in. Spice is evident, as are the ripples of muscles and walls. This is in the Lynch Bages school of not being ready yet, the tannins are still fully standing to attention. Fruit is dark, tight, hiding its fleshier side for now, and it is extremely clear that this is a vintage with ambition and no intention of going anywhere for many decades. A great wine, needs to be opened for five to six hours if drinking soon, but my suggestion would be to put it away for another three or four years at least. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECRock solid, displaying a dense core of plum, steeped currant and braised fig fruit, with racy charcoal and ganache notes. Intensely chalky, offering flesh and refinement to match the bracing minerality, this shows hints of grilled savory, iron, warm paving stone and bitter orange on the riveting finish. Should age very slowly. Best from 2019 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA perfumed and pure Montrose, with lots of currants, berries and spices that evolve to chocolate and light coffee. Full body, with super racy tannins and bright and clean finish. Very fine and structured. A balance and freshness to it all as well as beautiful form and tension. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is such an elegant wine that has all the structure of the vintage. Surrounding the tannins, the wine is sweet and ripe, with smokiness from the wood. It’s powerful, elegant and sophisticated with a strong sense of poise. The tannins promise long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Montrose) The 2010 Montrose is another very, very good example of the vintage, but I suspect it will always have to live in the long shadow of the 2008 and 2009 wines from this estate. The wine is probably a tad riper than the 2009, as it weighs in at 13.6 percent, and at this very early date, it seems to have lost just a touch of focus and delineation at this slightly higher octane level. The bouquet is certainly deep and impressively complex out of the blocks, as it offers up scents of sweet cassis, dark berries, Cuban cigar ash, espresso, gravel, lead pencil and a bit of singed earth. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and truly massive in shape, with impeccable balance, a superb core, very substantial, but well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the powerful finish. There is a fine spine of minerality in the 2010 Montrose that promises very fine evolution on into the future, but the ripeness here seems to have taken just a touch of backend lift away from the wine in this vintage. It is a very good wine, and it may prove that after it has fifteen or twenty years of bottle age on it, I will have underrated it a bit. But at this stage, as good as the 2010 Montrose is, I would rather own the superb 2008 or 2009 vintages from this great estate. (Drink between 2027-2100)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The definition of poised and confident, this has pretty much consistently delivered since the very first taste during En Primeur. Deeply layered, textured, confident and powerful, both very Pomerol and very 2010. Coffee beans and bitter chocolate are the dominant flavours alongside cassis and blackberry autumnal berry fruits. Both gourmet and restrained. Just about ready to go but will hugely benefit from three to four hours in carafe first, and will further improve over the next few years, and indeed over the decades to come. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECGorgeous nose with lots of dark fruit like plum and blueberries. Crushed pepper and chalk with wild strawberries and vanilla. Dense and velvety on the palate with superbly polished tannins and great depth. It’s absolutely gorgeous now but needs at least five to six years of bottle age to really shows its great quality.James Suckling | 97 JSThe blend is largely dominated by 85% Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Cabernet Franc also included. Inky/purple-colored, the wine has an exceptionally full-bodied, layered, moderately tannic mouthfeel and impressive power. Loads of melted chocolate/fudge and black fruits galore along with some coffee bean, mocha, as well as some background oak are all present in this big, formidably endowed, masculine style of Pomerol that will take longer to shed its tannin than the 2009. I would give this wine 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years.The 2010 is another fabulous effort from this estate of just over 20 acres located in the sector named the same as the chateau, Clinet. Modest yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare produced a final blend that hit 14.4% natural alcohol.Robert Parker | 96+ RPThe 2010 Clinet is a baby, but man, what a wine. Checking in as mostly Merlot, with small amounts of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this deep ruby/purple-tinged beauty gives up fresh, tight aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth and forest floor, with its background oak buffered by serious amounts of fruit. Full-bodied, concentrated and deep, yet also elegant and layered, with the freshness, purity, and structure of the vintage, it sings even today with a decant, but is best with a few more year of bottle age. It’s going to keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2010 Clinet has a crisp, precise bouquet that is tightly wound but extremely well focused. It would benefit from decanting of preferably more bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, impressive backbone with black fruit laced with white pepper, sage and cedar towards the persistent finish. This is a serious Pomerol with huge potential. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThis showy, packed and well-endowed Pomerol pumps out notes of warm linzer torte, plum preserves and blackberry reduction, all supported by a broad, charcoal- and ganache-coated structure and deeply embedded acidity. Very muscular on the back end, this boasts a still-chewy feel. Among the most backward of the 2010 Pomerols, this requires significant cellaring. For those who enjoy more power than subtlety. Best from 2017 through 2035. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSNew wood mint aromas give this wine its great polished feel. The tannins offer a counterpoint of richness here, firm and dense. The fruit takes a while to show through, then brings the fine plum skin flavors suffusing through the wine.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

A wine with great beauty and finesse. Such elegance and ethereal quality for this estate. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a juicy delicious finish. Long and beautiful. This is the best Lynch in a long, long time. I love the precision here. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSStill a saturated ruby-black in hue, the 2010 Lynch-Bages offers up aromas of rich cassis fruit mingled with hints of pencil shavings, loamy soil and cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, it’s rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit that’s framed by firm, powdery tannins and lively acids. The most brooding, backward Lynch-Bages of the decade and one of the real successes of the vintage, this is a vibrant, tightly wound wine that is still an infant at age 10. Readers with bottles in their cellars might try one now out of curiosity, but this 2010 won’t begin to hit its stride until age 20.Robert Parker | 97 RPDeep inky purple in colour, this is a majestic Pauillac to be savoured by Bordeaux lovers. Again we are far from it being ready to drink and the tannins continue to be dominant, although not hiding the layers of rich earthy loam, slate, pencil lead and concentrated cassis that lie underneath. It’s impressive and built, muscular, taut and architectural. An excellent reflection of what 2010 brought to the wines in this corner of the Médoc. It’s not the most enticing for drinking today; give it another few years to soften and open further, or really allow it to have a good four to five hours in a carafe. But there is no mistaking the future of this wine. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050.Decanter | 97 DECRoasted cedar, tobacco and bay leaf notes start off this structured but lively bottling, with intense currant, blackberry and black cherry flavors at the core. The iron-laced grip and pleasantly austere plum pit and licorice snap accents fill in on the tar-tinged finish. Great range, character and typicity. If you ever need to explain Pauillac to someone, give them this. Best from 2018 through 2037. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis sumptuous wine is driven by perfectly ripe fruit as well as dense, dusty and dry tannins. Great swathes of blackberry sweep across the palate, followed by juicy acidity. Such a combination will make this impressive wine a delight to drink in 10 years and beyond. *Cellar Selection*Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Lynch-Bages has a stunning bouquet with pixelated black fruit, crushed stone and graphite aromas that soar from the glass. This is just amazingly focused. The palate is medium-bodied with concentrated black fruit curiously tinged with cough candy, which here I find just a bit out of place. The acidity is extremely well judged and there is immense persistence on the finish. Bold, brassy and ambitious, this is an extremely impressive wine, although I suspect that there are better bottles out there. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Château Lynch-Bages) The 2010 Lynch-Bages is one of the stars in the Left Bank this year, as the Cazes family has fashioned a superb and perfectly balanced example of the vintage. The deep and complex nose soars from the glass in a mélange of cassis, dark berries, espresso, cigar ash, a touch of lead pencil, gravel, leafy young cabernet tones and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and most impressively soil-driven, with a fine core of pure fruit, excellent focus and balance, bright, well-integrated acids and fine length and grip on the ripely tannic and beautifully delineated finish. A fine, fine vintage for Lynch-Bages. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 94+ JG

Massive, concentrated and powerful, this offers lush, heady flavors of dark plum, blackberry and cherry tart, with touches of anise. Shows plenty of grip as well, with a long, rich finish of dark chocolate, toffee and cream. Best from 2040 through 2060. 2,190 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSA powerful, spicy wine, luscious in its peppered berry fruits and sweet tannins. The structure is dramatic, offering a smooth texture as well as a drier core. With its weight, density and dark, final character, this is a wine for serious aging.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEBright, saturated dark ruby. Spectacularly multifaceted nose combines high-pitched medicinal cherry, briary black raspberry, pungent menthol, dried herbs, incense, Indian spices and a whiff of passion fruit. Boasts great creamy depth and vinosity to its black raspberry and licorice flavors, with huge sweetness buffered by spicy minerality. The note of passion fruit carries through on the palate. Really reverberates on the back end, finishing with powerful tannins and a rising whiplash of flavor. This got better and better with extended aeration, with the tannins making it obvious that it will be extremely long-lived.Vinous Media | 96+ VMVery grapy and leafy with hints of spices on the nose. Full body, medium sweet with fine, chewy tannins. Powerful, long finish with nuts and shaved chocolate. This young Fonseca has grip. 6,000 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 95 JS David Guimaraens blends this wine from three vineyards, the style focused on Cima Corgo suppleness from fruit at Panascal in the Távora Valley, along with Cruziero and Santo António in the Pinhão Valley. The 2011 is hugely powerful, presenting a solid wall of schist tannins with the gentleness of perfect ripeness. The wine shows no seams, just a vast, dynamic blackness, a meaty, tarry, berry fruit drama that will play out for decades.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe 2011 Late Bottled Vintage Port is an unfiltered field blend that comes with a bar top cork. It comes in at 108 grams per liter of residual sugar and was bottled in 2016, according to the label. Rather gorgeous, this fresh, tight and powerful Fonseca is perfectly focused, extracted and tightly-wound, finishing with intensity of flavor laced with some herbs and a hint of garrigue. Yet, everything is always in a very controlled fashion brilliantly supported by its structure. This is a beauty, another super 2011 LBV.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Clinet has produced a blockbuster wine, even in the lighter, less consistent vintage of 2011. It reveals a dense purple color as well as an abundance of black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice, incense and a touch of camphor. Full-bodied, opulent and fleshy with a substantial finish, this showy, dramatic 2011 should drink well for 15-20 years. Brilliant!Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is alluring, with lovely blackberry, boysenberry and fig pâte de fruit flavors gliding along, lined with subtle charcoal and black tea notes and carrying through to a lush yet defined finish. A hedonist’s delight on the surface, offering inlaid grip for balance. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2015 through 2030. 4,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a rich Pomerol for the vintage with plenty of berry, chocolate and toasted-oak character. Full body with round, soft tannins. Needs two or three years to come together.James Suckling | 92 JSBlackberry fruits dominate this ripe wine. It is already delicious, with a round and well-cushioned structure.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2011 Clinet has a perfumed nose, quite floral and perhaps more Saint-Émilion in style rather than Pomerol, though I appreciate its mineral undertow. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly more pliant tannins, fresher than its peers with spicy red fruit with a bitter but focused finish. This is a fine Clinet that is drinking perfectly now, though many vintages surpass this in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Bright red cherries, cranberry, spices, mint, hard candy and anise all jump from the glass in the 2011 Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard. Hints of crushed flowers and tobacco follow, adding lift, inner perfume and a sense of sweetness. The de Villiers is the most open and radiant of these 2011s today, partly because it is the only single-vineyard Pinot in the range made from fully destemmed fruit.Antonio Galloni | 90+ AGTight, with a gritty, earthy edge to the firm strawberry, dark berry, violet, spice and cedar notes, gaining depth and ending with a persistent finish. Should gain with age.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

(Clos St. Denis- Domaine Dujac) I have a fair bit of Dujac Clos St. Denis in my cellar, but I cannot recall any previous vintage as promising as the 2011 showed at the time of my visit in November. This is one of the most elegant of all the grand crus in the Côte de Nuits and this has obviously dovetailed brilliantly with the style of the 2011 vintage. The stunning nose soars from the glass in a glorious mélange of cherries, blood orange, gamebirds, cinnamon, roses, beautiful minerality, cocoa, peonies and a discreet base of spicy wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and absolutely ethereal in style, with great mid-palate depth and nascent complexity, laser-like focus, suave tannins and magical grip and focus on the very, very long and very transparent finish. This beautiful wine already dances across the palate and it will be a legend in the years to come! (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 96 JGA model of elegance and finesse, the 2011 Clos St. Denis presents a hugely attractive fabric laced with orange peel, rose petals and sweet spices. The 2011 is an especially floral, lifted Clos St. Denis endowed with terrific energy and focus, while the mid-weight structure suggests it will drink well relatively early.Vinous Media | 95 VMDeep, profound wine with dark berries, cinnamon and spices. Velvety tannins and long finish. Terroir-driven, very intense flavours, amazing depth. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DEC(Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Red) Here too an adroit application of wood serves as a discreet foil for the more obvious floral aromas that enjoy added scope from the presence of pure, spicy and highly complex red and dark berry scents. There is an abundance of mouth coating extract that imparts a suave, even lush character to the very rich medium-bodied flavors that are an exercise in finesse and refinement while offering controlled power and outstanding length. A classic Clos St. Denis of class and grace. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 93 BHThe 2011 Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru is missing a little cohesion on the nose, rather loose-knit with broody, stony red berry fruit. Fortunately, it begins to come together with rigorous swirling of the glass and musters much better focus. The palate is medium-bodied with quite chalky tannins on the entry. There is a fine core of red cherries, pomegranate and attractive saline notes toward the masculine finish. It is more approachable than other vintages that I have tasted at this stage, but it deserves three or four years in bottle because there is a lot of potential here. Drink 2015-2025.I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

The 2011 Syrah is an outstanding wine that evokes the elegance of the Rhone Valley with that of the Rhone Ranger in California. But it also shows a true Tuscan heart with warm climate tones of ripe blackberry and spice. The wine’s appearance is inky black and its long list of aromas include cured meat, barbecue spice, grilled herb, black mineral and blackberry pie. There’s even a balsamic note of cola or rosemary oil that pops at the end. You can count on a long drinking window with this gorgeous Syrah. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.Stefano Frascolla and Tua Rita have almost single-handedly put Suvereto on Italy’s winemaking map. His latest releases are nothing short of spectacular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2011 Syrah is striking in its beauty. Despite the warm, precocious vintage, the 2011 screams with varietal character as expressed in Maremma. A wine of pure volume and breadth, the 2011 is going to be a lot of fun to follow. As of this tasting, the 2011 has just been bottled, so it is quite likely the wine will show even better in another 6-12 months.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGFascinating aromas of violets, blue slate and crushed raspberries. Full body, polished and silky tannins and a fruity, lightly wooded aftertaste. Needs time to come together, but already delicious. Better in 2015.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru, which comes from a 0.28-hectare parcel planted in 1950, this year contains 20% whole bunches and the domaine were graced with five barrels. It has a very refined and distinctly aristocratic bouquet adorned with beautifully defined black and red fruits, perhaps leaning towards the former with aeration. Touches of seaweed and tilled earth emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. It does not have the charm of the RSV at the moment, but there is beguiling structure and symmetry with a long mineral laden finish. Superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2011 Richebourg from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is another absolutely stellar example of the vintage, and this wine too has really benefited to my palate from the diminution of its new wood percentage. The reserved and very classy nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red plums, cherries, gamebirds, a touch of nutskin, a beautiful base of soil, citrus zest and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and again, very pure, with a superb core, ripe, suave tannins, very fine acidity and excellent focus and grip on the soil-driven, very long and perfectly balanced finish. A young Richebourg fully worthy of the exalted reputation of this cru. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 96 JGHere the equally broad ranging nose is actually similar to that of the Romanée St. Vivant but it’s both cooler and even more restrained with a bit more floral influence as well. The intensely mineral-driven broad-shouldered flavors are an exercise in refinement with tremendous depth of material that pushes the very firm tannic spine to the background on the palate staining, explosive and stunningly precise finish. This is perhaps on the lighter side in the context of the appellation but the laser-like focus and persistence is easily of grand cru caliber.Burghound | 94 BH(totally destemmed): Bright medium red. Pure but subdued aromas of strawberry and crushed stone lifted by an exotic floral note; like a number of these 2011s, this shows some very ripe notes. Sappy, dense and saline, showing surprising energy for its level of ripeness. Finishes very long, with noble tannins and more spine than the RSV. Charles van Canneyt, who prefers the estate’s 2012s to the 2011s, noted that he has been changing his style by vinifying with a portion of whole clusters, which he thinks contributes more life and verve. He started doing some vendange entier in 2011 but moved more seriously in that direction in 2012.Vinous Media | 93 VM

I have always been a very big fan of the Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, but now that the new wood here has been reduced to fifty percent, the expression of the underlying, magical terroir of this great grand cru has really jumped to the fore. I wish other owners of RSV could take their cue from this domaine, as it seems to me if there was ever a terroir in Vosne-Romanée that begged for smaller percentages of new wood, it is RSV. The 2011 version from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is stunning, offering up a beautiful nose of sappy raspberries and cherries, Vosne spice tones, a touch of woodsmoke, great minerality, cedar and a pungent topnote of roses. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, strikingly pure and rock solid at the core, with a lovely sappiness and transparency, ripe tannins and a very long, tangy and still quite primary finish. This will be a great, great wine in the fullness of time. (Drink between 2024 - 2075)John Gilman | 96 JGThe 2011 Romanée Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was just about to enter its drinking plateau. Gentle and leafy on the nose, there is a sense of rusticity here that complements the broody red berry fruit, almost Richebourg-like after five to ten minutes in the glass. The palate is finely balanced with tart red cherry fruit infused with sous-bois. I like the bitter edge that comes through on the finish, an approachable grand cru that is probably not going to be the longest lasting of the domaine’s wines but will give much pleasure over the next 12-15 years. Tasted November 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPMedium red. Very ripe, slightly exotic aromas of raspberry, mocha and underbrush. Highly concentrated and deep; opulent and lightly saline but a bit sullen today. Most impressive right now on the very long, slowly mounting finish, which really camps out on the palate. Vinified with 20% whole clusters but I never would have guessed it from this sample.Vinous Media | 92+ VMAn appealingly fresh nose combines various spice elements that include a prominent herbal tea character along with hoisin, red currant, plum and violet scents. There is a fleshy yet precise character to the brilliantly detailed and lilting flavors that are akin to pure silk on the palate, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is certainly very pretty yet it hasn’t developed the depth that I originally imagined that it would and I have lowered my score accordingly. To be fair, this has not yet peaked yet it’s not so far away from its apex that I have difficulty seeing quite that much improvement in such a short period of time. I would further note that there is noticeable gas on the finish so I would suggest giving this a thorough aeration first. Tasted twice in the last year with consistent notes.Burghound | 91 BH

A style that is a complete outlier. Easy to spot for those who have tasted it. Like entering a Moroccan souk to the smell of incense, sweet dates, clove and tamarind. Sweet and supple, with pixelated tannins and a waft of gentle freshness. Not the best vintage? Drink now. Alkina Grenache Assembly tasting.James Suckling | 96 JSBright ruby-red. An exotic bouquet presents black raspberry, incense, Asian spices and blood orange. On the palate, sweet red and dark berry flavors become more tangy and spicy with air. Shows an impressive blend of depth and vivacity and finishes with outstanding focus and thrust and gentle tannic grip. Evidently this wine didn’t get the memo that 2011 couldn’t produce outstanding wines.Vinous Media | 94 VMFrom a bottle purchased in the Rhône, the 2011 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is a pretty, perfumed Rayas that shows the more moderately concentrated, open, and complex style of the vintage. Translucent ruby-hued, with a great nose of sweet kirsch liqueur, white pepper, dried flowers, and Provençal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a layered, silky, seductive mouthfeel, soft tannins, and outstanding length. Almost reminding me of the 2008, it’s a much lighter style of Rayas that checks in well behind the truly great vintages here, but it still brings that “je ne sais quoi” Rayas character that’s impossible to find outside of this hollowed terroir. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming decade or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Bright red. Pungent red berries and minerals on the nose, lifted by a floral note and a hint of pepper. Silky and fine-grained but juicy too; more pliant and extroverted--less wound up--in the mid-palate than the Beaux Monts. Finishes tactile and saline, with noteworthy balance and length. This really spreads out and glistens on the aftertaste. Grivot describes 2011 as "a very precise vintage of charm." It was a normal growing season but with all key events occurring three weeks earlier than average. "The foliage was finished at the end of August and there was little to gain by waiting to harvest. You could get higher sugars through concentration but that also brought heaviness and a loss of freshness. It was an error to pick later."Vinous Media | 92 VMViolet, black currant and black cherry flavors mark this elegant red, with spice and mineral elements emerging as this builds on the palate, ending with a lingering cascade of fruit and spice notes. Best from 2017 through 2030. 80 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAn expressive nose combines both wood and natural spice elements that add considerable interest to the notably ripe nose cassis, plum and violets. There is excellent richness, size and weight to the very round and suave medium-bodied flavors that possess beautiful depth on the mouth coating finish where the abundant dry extract renders the supporting structure more pliant than it really is. Lovely potential here.Burghound | 90-93 BH

Good bright, dark red. Black cherry and rose petal on the inviting nose and palate. Sweet, sappy and generous, offering considerable early appeal and terrific depth. Quite open-knit for this cuvee: will it shut down in bottle? Savory, dense and fine-grained, finishing with sweet tannins and tactile fruits and flowers. A beauty.Vinous Media | 94 VMTasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées 2011 from Jean-Nicolas Méo has a relatively simple bouquet at first, delivering nicely detailed fresh strawberry and red cherry aromas, but it gains complexity in the glass and after 5-10 minutes manifests a satisfying sense of minerality. The palate is medium-bodied with an understated entry, well-judged acidity and generous raspberry and blackcurrant fruit interlaced with tertiary notes. There is a sense of bashfulness on the finish implying that needs bottle age to come out of its shell. There is good potential here, but it needs time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe black currant and violet notes are shaded by earth and spice accents in this juicy red. Sandalwood and olive hints from the oak appear on the long finish. Impressive and graceful, but will require some time to fully integrate. Best from 2016 through 2025. 171 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSOaky but subdued nose showing sweet cherry fruit. Rich and forceful, yet quite rounded, enlivened by a crunchy, red-fruit character. This has plenty of energy, fine texture and admirable length.Decanter | 93 DECA markedly spicy and still very fresh nose is displaying almost no secondary character on the mostly red currant aromas that are liberally laced with clove, anise, sandalwood and soy nuances. The relatively robust and tautly muscular flavors exude a fine minerality on the wonderfully vibrant, delineated and complex finale that delivers excellent length. This is still developing and though it could be approached now with 30 minutes or so in a decanter, I would suggest holding it for another 5ish years.Burghound | 93 BH