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Impressive depth of color and brightness from this Cerequio that comes with so much fruit. So fragrant and complex. Fresh brambly raspberries, red cherries, grapefruit and mineral. Pure, ripe and racy, with fully resolved tannins and a tense, compact finish. Expressive and impressive! Vegan. Already approachable for the depth of fruit, but better from 2027 for additional complexity.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2020 Barolo Cerequio once again confirms that buying this vineyard is one of the smartest decisions Vietti ever made. A wine of nuance and class, the Cerequio captures all the pedigree of this great site. Crushed red berry fruit, kirsch, blood orange, spice and mint soar out of the glass, all framed by nervy tannins that convey classicism. This is an exotic, racy Barolo.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThe Vietti 2020 Barolo Cerequio (with 3,866 bottles made) has a little more hot-vintage thickness or softness on the mid-palate and shows aromas of dark cherry, dried mint, licorice root and naval orange. The fruit is a little more one-dimensional in 2020, although the acidity is there and the fruit tannins feel velvety and chalky. The wine completes malolactic fermentation in barrique and then goes into large oak casks for two years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Perfumed, composed and agile with notes of cherries, wild strawberries, white pepper, frozen raspberries, dried flowers and some stones. Full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins and crisp acidity. Bright and vertical with controlled power throughout. Textural and subtle. Great tension and energy on the mid-palate and onto the long, focused finish. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Try after 2030.James Suckling | 96 JSThe Vietti 2020 Barolo Ravera offers dark fruit, cherry and blackcurrant enhanced by soft spice. You also get a sun-kissed note of eggplant, tomato leaf and ferrous earth. Ravera displays strong lines with good acidity and firm tannic backbone. It closes dry and ages in large oak botte only. This is one of the most eyeballed MGAs sites. Ravera, with its open mountain skyline and cool temperatures, is seen as one of the best sites in the appellation, especially as the climate changes. This vintage produced exactly 10,026 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPicked on October 9 and 10, the 2020 Barolo Ravera has plenty of Ravera classicism and tension, but also feels a bit light in the mid-palate. Ravera is never a huge wine in body, but the depth is often there, even if expressed in an understated and more linear manner. The 2020 lacks that depth. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and white pepper lend brilliance throughout.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2021 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is exceptional. Bright, red-toned fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and rose petal are all beautifully delineated. In recent times Vietti has focused more on freshness in their Barberas, and that is especially evident in La Crena—a wine that used to be very dark and heavy but is far from that today. Clean, mineral notes extend the vibrant finish. Give this a few years to develop the full range of its aromatic breadth. What a wine!Vinous Media | 96 VMAlthough best known for its Barolos, Vietti (now part of the US Krause Group) also releases a number of different Barberas. La Crena is from a 6ha site near the commune of Agliano Terme in the Nizza area. The vineyard, purchased in 1995, was planted in 1932. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel and the wine then spends 18 months in a combination of steel, large casks and barriques before bottling. Stephen Brook: Opulent nose, with dark fruits tempered with some stylish oak. Suave and juicy, fine texture, balanced by firm acidity, which gives some spice and flair to the finish. Vincenzo Arnese: Candied aromas of Morello cherry and wild strawberry, very expressive. Bold palate with robust tannins; time will smooth it, yet quite rich and pleasant. Sara Bachiorri: Cherry and juniper berry nose. Nice concentration, with intense Maraschino flavours and a touch of liquorice stick.Decanter | 95 DEC

Floral, non-fruity hints of crushed stone and talcum powder appear on the nose of Aubert’s 2021 Chardonnay Powder House, creating an attractive counterpoint to the wine’s honeyed richness and intense white-peach notes. Full-bodied and silky in feel, it’s a bit custardy in texture yet lithe, graceful and long, with an almost mentholated finish. There are 2,000 cases this vintage, from a Forestville vineyard planted in 2015 mainly to Hyde Old Wente, plus a bit of Mount Eden.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPLove the aromas of lemon-lime, gunpowder, kiwi, and dried lemons. It’s full, phenolic and solid. This is like red wine in structure. Long and persistent. One for the cellar. Give this some time. Best after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Powder House is elegant, polished and also a touch reticent. That won’t be an issue in time, but the Powder House is decidedly reticent today. Strong mineral accents are front and center, while the fruit feels pushed into the background. Mark Aubert’s Chardonnays have historically aged quite well. I expect that will be the case here as well.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

This shows a lot of class, with aromas of blackcurrants, graphite, blueberries, dried flowers, black truffles and a touch of forest floor. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with seamless tannins that goes on and on. Endless. Blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and violets with hints of fresh rose stems and light herbs. Velvety texture. A blend of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Napanook is one heck of a Napanook, offering complex notes of currants, cassis, graphite, leafy tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate. Incredible on the palate, it’s full-bodied and round, with supple, vibrant, incredible tannins. This is easily the finest vintage I’ve tasted of this cuvée and it’s the equivalent of many a Grand Vin from other producers.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2021 Napanook, tasted from barrel, is fabulous. Rich, deep and super-expressive, the 2021 captures all the best the vintage has to offer. A whole range of floral and savory overtones lend nuance. This vibrant, intensely mineral Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolute delight to taste today, and an especially fine edition of Napanook, endowed with big fruit and equally potent tannins.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Layered, elegant, vivid and mineral-driven, this full-bodied wine paints a distinct picture of one of Sonoma County’s oldest, most iconic chardonnay vineyards. Stone, kiwi and crisp apple notes fill the aromas, while light accents of butter and vanilla bean highlight the vibrant green apple and lime flavors. It expands on the palate and echoes for minutes in the finish. This wine is known to age well, so drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSElegant and precise, this crisp expression offers plenty to admire -- apple, lemon zest and Sumo orange notes, plus an aromatic punch of yuzu, orange blossoms and sweet grass. A quiet toasted brioche detail lingers in the background, as does a savory thread of freshly grated ginger and toasted green tea hints. Drink now through 2032. 774 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard is bright and focused, but also understated in feel. Sweet floral and citrus notes give the 2021 lovely aromatic presence to match the wine’s understated, mid-weight personality. Bright saline tones add energy and tension throughout. Lemon peel, white pepper and crushed rocks linger.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Very intense blue fruits with blackberries and hints of licorice. Flowers, too. Some pepper. Full-bodied with lots of bark, mushroom and forest floor. Creamy and polished tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is bright, punchy and super-expressive. Bright red/plum, blood orange, rose petal, lavender, spice and strong floral/savory accents add nuance throughout. The 2021 is an absolute joy to taste. The UV was done with entirely destemmed fruit, but its aromatic profile offers quite a bit of whole cluster-like character.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Pinot Noir UV was bottled in mid-July 2022. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it comes bounding out with youthful scents of black cherries, black raspberries, and wild strawberries, plus suggestions of violets, chocolate mint, wild sage, and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is fantastically light on its feet, with beautiful freshness and ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and savory. Planted to the Calera clone in 2001 by late vineyard manager Ulises Valdez Sr., right in the middle of Russian River, the soil on this site is a unique mix of sand and dense clay.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIGorgeous, with an inviting core of raspberry, blood orange and boysenberry puree aromas and flavors that stream through, flanked by singed apple wood, dried anise and black tea notes. Shows serious depth but also drive and freshness, as a racy mineral edge lends energy from start to finish. Best from 2024 through 2033. 949 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFrom a vineyard named for Aubert’s frequent collaborator, Ulises Valdez, and still farmed by his family, the 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard (1,000 cases produced, from a Laguna Road site that’s slightly warmer than Aubert’s other Pinot Noir sources) features bold notes of cherries, cinnamon and wood spice. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky across the mid-palate, finishing long and softly tannic. Nicely balanced and structured, it should age well for more than a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

Very aromatic and friendly and cuddly with apple pie, oyster shell, caramel and candied lemon character on both the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Vibrant acidity makes this energetic and lively. Dried apple and pear as well as ripe apple and toasted bread with butter and cinnamon. Rock salt. Love this. One of the best Hyde Chardonnays I have tasted. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is singular and expressive! Saline, lime candy, chalk and lemongrass aromas are underpinned by a pleasurable smoky reduction, and as it spends time in the glass, it continues to blossom and gain aromatic intensity. The palate is ethereal, seamless and silky, with a deep core of candied citrus fruit and chalky nuances that define the very long, very powerful finish. This vibrant, characterful Hyde Chardonnay will be long-lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA slightly bright yellow, the 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard has very pretty aromatics of lime blossom, fresh pear, and saline, and like the other Chardonnays from Kistler, it has a savory element to it. Medium to full-bodied, with a more delicate and ethereal nature, its floral perfume coaxes throughout the palate, with melon rind, white peach, and a hint of salty earth. Delivering fresh acidity and purity, it has fantastic lift and a more Chablis-like texture, with a note of crushed rock on the finish. Drink it over the next 10 or more years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis inviting, stunning mix of power and elegance opens with an apple tart note, offering whiffs of smoke, salted caramel and peach preserves, plus a drizzle of wildflower honey, nougat and Greek yogurt. Dried, crystalized fruit notes join a touch of crunchy sea salt, adding tension to the fresh thread of acidity. Everything is wrapped up in a luxuriously silky and smooth texture, with an epic finish. Drink now through 2035. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard gallops out with bold notes of crunchy pears, yellow apples, and lemongrass tea, followed by hints of baking bread, wet slate, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with impressive tension and loads of soft-spoken, mineral layers, finishing with a zesty lift.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is laced with the essence of tangerine oil, hazelnut, passionfruit, spice and lightly honeyed notes. All the exotic signature of Hyde come through loud and clear, but there’s tons of energy too. I especially like how this opens with time. This is beautifully done.Vinous Media | 95 VM

A fantastic chardonnay with super phenolic tension and purity of fruit with sliced apple and spiced pear. Reductive and tight. It’s full-bodied, but so reserved and structured with great phenolic tension that is polished and endless. Needs time to open and show you its greatness. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is scented of warm peaches, pie crust and spice with singular touches of white pepper and chamomile tea. The medium-bodied palate is incredibly powerful, featuring a satiny, mouth-coating texture balanced by vibrant acidity, a concentrated core of peachy fruit and an epically long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFrom the Moon Mountain AVA, the 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is a bright golden hue and reveals aromas of smoky earth, cardamom, and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with a lot of power behind it, it’s rich with concentration and structure and offers iron-rich earth, ripe pear, and more savory richness on the finish as well as a bit of almond and frangipane.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of fresh yellow apples, lemongrass, and lime leaves, giving way to wafts of struck flint, marzipan, and pie crust with a touch of ginger. The medium to full-bodied palate offers vibrant citrus and chalky layers, with a lively line and long, savory finish.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is a wine of grace and class. Time in the glass brings out hints of ginger, dried flowers and spice that lend an exotic flair. I would cellar this for a year or two, as the wine’s structural elements are front and center at this stage. There’s gorgeous aromatic presence that begins to emerge over time.Vinous Media | 96 VMShows a distinct savory thread, with dried lemon verbena, sage and tarragon overtones. A sesame seed detail complements the apple, pear and citrus flavors at the core. This gains momentum on the finish, where a honeycomb note and spice accents reveal themselves. Drink now. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Always a fantastic chardonnay with apple pie, nougat, vanilla, and flint aromas and flavors. Hints of salted caramel. Medium to full body with racy acidity and bright fruit. Complex and lively. Tight and reserved at the end. Needs time to open. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 Gaia & Rey (Chardonnay) is bright and beautifully textured. Lemon confit, marzipan, spice and a kick of French oak all meld together effortlessly. The 2021 needs time in bottle to fully open, but it is quite attractive. Vineyard sources remain sites in Treiso and Serralunga.Vinous Media | 93 VMA barrel sample, the 2021 Gaia & Rey is fresh with mineral lift, flinty reduction, and tropical aromatics of ripe peach, wildflowers, elegant wood spice, and pineapple. It is medium to full-bodied and balanced, with vibrant acidity and a rounded mid-palate. An energetic white with wonderful concentration and good length, there is a singularity to this wine that is hard to replicate. Produced from two vineyards and raised in Stockinger barrels followed by 10% new oak, it will be released in June 2023.Jeb Dunnuck | 92-94 JD

The floral bouquet is very fine and elegant but also quite delicate, suffused with touches of slightly candied citrus, but the telltale autolytic note of hazelnuts is less pronounced than usual. There is, however, some almond nuttiness on the palate, as well as racy rectitude and vivacity that give thrust to a long, surprisingly breezy finish. Will benefit from five to 10 years of cellaring. Disgorged January 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L. Elaborated from 146 wines and 11 different vintages, the oldest of which dates back to 2000. 40% reserve wines. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC

...The complexity and richness of Special Cuvée is unparalleled among the entry non-vintage blends of every Champagne house, short of ascending to the mesosphere of Krug. Its grand recipe explains why, built on incredible depth of 50%-60% reserves. Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it’s the dynamic freshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most affordable Champagne benchmarks.Decanter | 96 DECBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRestrained and very pretty aromas include those of yeast, Meyer lemon, petrol and green apple where the latter element is picked up by the utterly delicious, vibrant and detailed flavors that possess fine complexity on the agreeably dry but not austere finish. The supporting mousse is dense but fine and overall, this is a wine that could be enjoyed now or held for up to a decade. Excellent. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 93 BHOne of Bollinger’s great assets is a massive stock of reserve wine, including 600,000 magnums held under cork. Gilles Descôtes tends those reserves, working with the blending team to subsume the variations of the current vintage into Bollinger’s Special Cuvée by using a majority of reserve wines in the blend. The result is a rich and harmonious Champagne with deep reserves of flavor. Its substantial, formal structure feels polished, its flavors balancing the cool earthiness of a limestone cave and the sunnier, bright floral notes of fresh cream. Built for food, whether emphasizing the freshness with lobster bisque, or the depth with beef Wellington and chanterelles.Terlato Wines Int’l., Lake Bluff, ILWine & Spirits | 93 W&S Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger’s NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it’s a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s a pleasing, snappy quality to the acidity framing this elegant Champagne, enlivening accessible flavors of currant, Marcona almond and orchard blossom, with a minerally touch of saline-laced oyster shell that lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLots of biscuit aromas and a wide spectrum of fresh-citrus, candied-citrus, red-apple and red-berry notes. Mouth-filling creaminess, plus quite an imposing presence and powerful structure for an NV Brut. Long, citrus and chalky finish that’s very clean and properly dry. 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier. Almost 20% barrel fermented and 62% reserve wines. Based on the 2017 vintage and disgorged July 2021. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSFine bubbles combine nicely with the cooked apples, pie crust and lemon rind. Some biscuit, too. Full body. Layered and creamy with a crisp finish. Always delicious. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSDominated, as always, by Pinot Noir and with wood fermentation and aging, this Champagne has a great poise between freshness and richness. It is intense and ripe, with apple and minerality coming together. The bottling is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE (60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L1403801): Pale yellow. Toasty aromas of apple and pear nectar are complemented by hints of toffee, honey and orange zest. Full and expansive on the palate, offering ripe orchard and pit fruit flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerals and buttered toast. Smooth and gently spicy on the clinging, nicely focusd finish.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG(NV Bollinger “Special Cuvée” Brut NV (Aÿ)) The current release of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” is composed of its customary blend of sixty percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot meunier. It was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter and offers up is classic pinot-shaded bouquet of white peach, apple, bread dough, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core of fruit, a good spine of acidity, elegant mousse and a long, well-balanced and classy finish. This is still a young wine and I would tuck it away in the cellar for at least a few years and let its acids relax a bit and its secondary layers of complexity emerge. (Drink between 2020-2040).John Gilman | 91+ JGNotes of flowery beeswax, white fruit, and quince on the nose. The palate has a flinty austerity with Braeburn, white pepper and subtle spice followed by yeasty richness and brisk finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025.Decanter | 90 DEC

A very complex nose here with ripe, deep lemon and grapefruit aromas on offer plus some restrained chalky elements, biscuit, some roasting herbs, hints of pepper, then a little tobacco too. Very complex and full of fresh characters. The palate has a wealth of different fruit flavors like lemon, peach, nectarine, and plums. The finesse in terms of structure, detail and precision is staggering; sherbet-like elegance with immense concentration and power. A great Grande Cuv‚e. Incredibly satisfying. Based on 2006.Krug ID 14024.James Suckling | 96 JSThis mouthwatering Champagne shows a lovely sense of finesse, with firm acidity deftly married to a rich profile of crème de cassis, toasted brioche and lime blossom, accented by hints of café au lait, singed orange peel and exotic spice. Long and plush on the finish. Disgorged 2014. Drink now through 2024.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA distinctive nose with honey, toast and cashew leads to a palate that’s just as powerful and pronounced, with an exotic, dry, umami richness comprising dried crystalline fruits, peach, biscuit and cream, and a touch of well-executed oak. Good acidity and terrific length. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.Decanter | 95 DEC(NV Krug “Grande Cuvée” Brut NV (Reims) ID #212018 Base Year 2004) This release of Grande Cuvée was disgorged in the spring of 2012 and is comprised of a cépages of forty-four percent pinot noir, thirty-three percent chardonnay and fully twenty-three percent pinot meunier, making this blend one of the highest in pinot meunier in the last decade of Grande Cuvées. As is the case with the blends from the base years of 2006 and 2005, the oldest reserve wine used here was from the 1990 vintage (though of course, this does not mean that each of these blends included the same reserve wine from 1990!) and the wine shows the racy precision of the best wines from this excellent Champagne vintage of 2004. The bouquet is flat out gorgeous and really at a fine moment in its evolution, as it soars from the glass in a constellation of tangerine, white peach, hints of lavender, stunning spice tones, brioche, a complex signature of soil, gentle smokiness and a topnote of fresh almond. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly refined, with a rock solid core, seamless structure, elegant mousse and outstanding length and grip on the complex, vibrant finish. One of the finest recent releases of Grande Cuvée. (Drink between 2015-2040)John Gilman | 95 JGThe NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013. The blend is: 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier. Krug ID: 113001.Vinous Media | 94 VMWith its minimum of six years’ bottle aging, this is a beautifully integrated, mature wine. It has a wonderful toast character, layered over sliced pears and ripe acidity. With its complex poise between lightness and richness, this remains an intensely impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA brisk and powerful release of Grande Cuvée, this has the masculine charm of a linebacker as it pummels the palate with lime and seashells, lemon and tangerine flavors. The wine’s intensity and richness has a mouthwatering effect in the finish, lasting in resonant layers of flavor—powerful, yet gracious in the end.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SOddly, the most consistent Krug wine I have been tasting lately is their non-vintage Brut Grand Cuvee, a big, boldly styled Champagne with smoky, earthy, pear, apple, and spicy aromas as well as flavors, loads of effervescence, and fine body and depth.Robert Parker | 93 RP(NV Krug Brut Grande Cuvée Champagne/Sparkling) Strong petrol aromas presently largely dominate the background notes of citrus, yeast and apple. The relatively full-bodied flavors possess admirable richness and solid power while displaying a moderately fine mousse shapes the dry but not austere finish. Some may find the distinct petrol character of the nose more than they like though I suspect that with age it will dissipate. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 90 BH