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Past vintages of this wine were called Roncaglie Masseria, but the word Masseria has been removed. The Vietti 2021 Barbaresco Roncaglie draws its fruit from inclined vineyards that produce fruit with finesse and elegance. This pretty wine opens to a note of fragrant flower or heritage rose that accompanies you over a long, silky close. In a good vintage like 2021, vintners could push skin macerations a little longer. This wine saw 25 days on the skins compared to 22 days in the 2022 vintage. Vietti recently purchased land in Rabajà, a site that produces profound wines, and this plot in Roncaglie has a greater presence of sand in its soils, creating more floral and delicate expressions instead. This matures in large oak casks for 24 months, and production is 6,066 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Barbaresco Roncaglie is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Blood orange, mint, cinnamon and white pepper open, but only with great reluctance. Brisk acids and pulsating tannins need time to soften. There’s fabulous density lurking beneath. This is a gorgeous wine in the making.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Fruit for this wine comes from a three-hectare parcel in Serralunga d’Alba near the village, with south and southwestern exposures in a small amphitheater. The soils in this area are older and thus more evolved, but they always create wines of strong character. The Vietti 2021 Barolo Lazzarito is easy to identify thanks to its salty mineral finish, which is almost metallic in taste, and its bright hints of sweet rosemary and wild herb. These delicate high notes form pretty framing to a dark core of elegant fruit. The estate counts five vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, but Lazzarito is the only MGA bottling. Production is a bit larger here, with 10,363 bottles made this vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA graceful and enticing wine with complex, assertive cinnamon, melon, watermelon, earth, strawberries and peonies on the nose. This is a wine that breathes, with a full body, great fruit concentration, restrained blood orange flavors, lavish, elegant tannins and long, lifted acidity. Slightly stern in the finish, as expected from a young Barolo. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Barolo Lazzarito is a potent, deep wine. Not surprisingly, it is quite closed in the very early going. Even so, all the natural power and intensity of Serralunga is very much on display. It is the most backward and forbiddingly tannic of these Barolos today. Then again, that is Serralunga. Hints of gravel, incense and charcoal peek out on the finish.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Tile, violets, wild berries and rose petals on the nose. Really pure and fascinating aromatics. The palate is subtle and delicate, but with concentrated and sophisticated fruit that’s succulent and precise. Linear acidity. A lovely wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSHailing from the MGA of the same name that’s more commonly called Altenasso and located in Castiglione Falletto, the 2021 Garblèt Sue’ is another stunner from Brovia, starting with its enticing nose of blue flower, perfumed berry, ground clove and fine tobacco blend. Showing great structure and restraint, the youthfully austere palate features red cherry, cranberry, star anise and menthol accompanied by firm, refined tannins. It’s well balanced, with vibrant acidity that keeps it energized. Showing great aging potential, give this time to fully unwind. Drink 2033–2051. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe Brovia 2021 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is beautifully sharp and refined, showing intensity, elegance and length. This is how you do Nebbiolo. The wine has extremely fine tannins but with glossy substance. They stay the course to give firmness from behind. The name Garblèt Sue’ is a local dialect expression for Garbelletto Superiore. This is a 0.8-hectare site with evolved Sant’Agata Fossili Marl soils. Given the wine’s structure, it ages in slightly smaller 30-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak casks. This is a release of 1,700 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is a super-classic wine from this Castiglione Falletto site. Strong mineral, floral and savory inflections run through this deep, potent Barolo. A wine of depth and textural intensity, the 2021 has so much to offer. Sadly, frost took with it 50% of the production. Shock from the cold led to an especially late harvest that served to fully ripen the tannins. The wine’s structure and personality emerge with time. Iron, sage, mint, white pepper and blood orange linger on the taut, salivating finish. This is a terrific effort in a very challenging year.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

A classic, powerful example of Barolo. Very minty and balsamic on the nose, dark and intense, with complex and layered notes of macerated flowers, black cherries and prunes. On the palate it shows concentration, a full body, chewy acidity, firm, dusty yet ripe tannins and a flexible finish despite its extraction. Try from 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe organic Conterno Fantino 2021 Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped has pronounced notes of licorice and toasted aniseed that complement a core of dark fruit. More than the other wines in this portfolio, the Mosconi Vigna Ped has the richest textural build coupled with silky tannins and a point of soft, succulent fruit. You might try a food pairing such as slices of roast beef that are deep pink in the middle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped is the biggest and most powerful of these wines Barolos from Conterno-Fantino. Then again, this is Mosconi. Dark-toned fruit, leather, gravel, incense, licorice and graphite are all beautifully amplified in a broad, potent young Barolo imbued with the essence of place. All this needs is time.Vinous Media | 96 VMCherry, raspberry, violet and mineral flavors highlight this intense red, while tar and wild herb accents add depth. Feels open until the chewy tannins clamp down on the persistent finish, where this remains fresh and layered. Best from 2030 through 2049. 450 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The Ca’ Marcanda 2021 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in a supporting role. This a bold and beautifully concentrated wine with a brilliant character that is best described as Rubenesque. It shows supple texture and deep richness supported by sweet fruit and raspberry tart. The ripe, well-managed tannins cede to tingling freshness that adds energy and life.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Camarcanda is a fabulous wine from the Gaja family, the best they have ever made at their Bolgheri property. The wines here have been through some ups and downs, but there seems to be greater focus over these last few years. Silky, aromatic and wonderfully pure, the 2021 Camarcanda offers a super, contemporary expression of Bolgheri with plenty of coastal sunshine and warmth, but nothing excessive. Silky tannins frame the exceptionally polished, nuanced finish. The 2021 is so alluring.Vinous Media | 97 VMPure and elegant, with saturated flavors of violet, black currant, blackberry, licorice and iron. This is so beautifully balanced that it feels almost seamless, even at this young stage, offering a sleek profile and endless aftertaste that echoes the fruit. The oak is very well-integrated, with polished tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2045. 2,500 cases made, 333 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSBottled in July of 2022, the 2021 Ca’ Marcanda has a dark saturated ruby hue and seamless aromatics of graphite, black cherry liqueur, cocoa powder, and forest herbs. Full-bodied on the palate, with great structure, focus and length, and wonderful richness, it’s incredibly even in its balance and has a very long finish. It’s going to need a few years to improve and show its best, but this is a remarkable wine from this stunning vintage. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSince the hot 2015 vintage, Merlot has been omitted from Carmarcanda. It’s a stunning effort in 2021, with fragrant scents of dried cherry, sous bois and minty black fruits, which carry through onto the intense and vibrant palate. There’s a streak of balsamic herbs, and some raspberry and floral notes too. Poised and minty-fresh, this is a stunner.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA savory and juicy young red with currant, raspberry and boysenberry aromas and flavors that follow through to a medium to full body, with creamy and polished tannins and a pretty finish. There’s a freshness and focus to this. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 94 JS

Small yield, very concentrated, with masses of density on the palate. Plenty of drive and energy but has finesse to balance out the power. White peach fruit characters, vibrant acidity and a pronounced mineral, salty finish. Very long future ahead. Fèvre owns 4.1ha of the 25ha total within Les Clos. Its plots situated on the top of the hill, with 50% of the vines planted by William Fèvre’s father in the 1940s and 1950s.Decanter | 95 DECMostly from old vines, a good half planted between 1948 and 1952. Translucent lemon and lime colour. The bouquet is not ready to unfurl yet there is a sense of sublime purity about the nose. A wine in perfect harmony on its wide bench of white fruit. Just a little touch of spice behind, good acidity. Sign up for this! Drink from 2032-2045. Jasper Morris | 95-98 JMThis is aromatically quite similar to the Côte Bouguerots but with more floral influence. The rich, big-bodied and tautly muscular flavors are also seemingly chiseled from Kimmeridgian, all wrapped in a wonderfully persistent, very dry, balanced and stony finale. This is also extremely impressive and equally built to repay extended cellaring.Burghound | 93-95 BHThe 2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a surprisingly primal bouquet with gooseberry, melon, fruits de mer and citrus peel, with more oyster shell scents developing as it opens, though never quite achieving the flair of the Valmur. The palate is well-balanced, steely and strict, with fine intensity and a saline finish. But it doesn’t quite have the precision of Fevre’s best cuvées at the moment.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Beautiful mix of richness, grace and drive. As always with Fèvre’s Les Preuses, this is elegant, long-living and fine. Ultra-stylish and very mineral. From two sections of vines. One situated low down on Les Preuses next to Vincent Dauvissat’s plot, on the flatter part facing south, the other on deeper soils, with both adding richness and totalling 2.5ha.Decanter | 96 DECSuch a fresh lime infused colour. The bouquet shows the soft creamy riches that you can find here in Les Preuses. There is plenty of bulk but the hectare plot which drops down into Vaudésir gives the mineral tension. A little lime and lemon coats the tongue at the finish. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2022 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is not unlike the Valmur on the nose: backward and a little sultry in style, with faint touches of crustacea coming through. The palate is more generous with orchard fruit, hints of apricot and wild peach, and fine acidity. It is very harmonious but without quite the same complexity as the Valmur on the finish. Still, this should give many years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA toasty nose features notes of smoky grilled shellfish, pear and algae. The dense and equally serious larger-scaled flavors don’t have quite the same power yet they are clearly more refined on the markedly bitter citrus zest finish that displays outstanding length. This is exceptionally classy and while it too could use more depth, that is all but assured if given a chance.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Floral character such as orange blossoms and cassis with lead pencil aromas that follow through to a medium body and a lovely balance of fruit and freshness. It’s long and caressing with everything in place. Crisp. Best ever? 60% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2022 Gloria, bottled in July 2024, has a tightly wound nose that is not as immediate as other Saint-Juliens alumni, though it gains harmony and purity with time. Pencil box and light sous-bois scents percolate through. This has wonderful precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture. It’s expressive in terms of Merlot (35% of the blend) with a splash of soy on the finish. This Gloria has much to offer but needs three or four more orbits around the sun in bottle.Vinous Media | 94 VMA gem in the vintage is going to be the 2022 Château Gloria, which comes from 50 hectares of vines and is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. Harvested between September 14 and 26, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, it offers an inky purple hue to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, ripe black cherries, spicy oak, and graphite. Hitting 13.8% alcohol and aging in 60% new French oak, it’s a pure, layered, elegant yet concentrated Saint-Julien that readers will love. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDA pretty violet note leads off before the core of kirsch, linzer torte and plum sauce starts to yawn awake. Licorice snap and bramble are injected into the finish, along with an apple wood accent. Shows grip and focus. For fans of the gutsy style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2038. 17,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSJuicy and alive, energetic from the start, bright and vibrant with juicy, well-integrated tannins plumped up concentrated dark fruit giving the strength and richness. Broad and full with lots to offer, appealing and easy to enjoy with a sweet succulence at the end that lifts the whole palate and makes you want to try it again. Some salty, mineral touches on the finish too gives a nice lingering mineral flavour. Tasted twice. 6% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. A yield of 34hl/ha. Harvest 12-26 SeptemberDecanter | 93 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Gloria starts off with a quiet intensity of kirsch and fragrant soil scents, leading to a core of warm cassis, black raspberries, and Indian spices plus a hint of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with black and red berry flavors, supported by plush tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with an invigorating lift.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWIA blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, petals and spices, framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a succulent, enveloping core of fruit and supple tannins, it’s a gourmand but nicely balanced Saint-Julien that will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

The Rochioli family has been growing grapes on their property since the late 1950s, with the vineyard now farmed by the third generation. The 2021 Ramey Rochioli blend is sourced from 82% Mid-40 Block and 18% River Block. This wine delivers a gorgeous intensity of fruit and pressed wildflowers. On the palate, ripe lemon peel fruit expands into the mid-palate, where density builds alongside remarkable tension, all balanced by an extraordinary silky richness. Pure and riveting, laced with subtle vanilla accents, fantastic ginger character, and poached pear. A Chardonnay of intense richness and impressive length. (The first vineyard-designate release from Ramey was the 2015 vintage, though Ramey has been sourcing these grapes since 2008.)Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

Woolsey Road benefits from two pillars of the Chardonnay world: it originates from the Hyde family’s cuttings of Old Wente and is farmed by the third and fourth generations of the Martinelli family. This Chardonnay showcases a remarkable flavour intensity, with rich citrus fruit—lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest—woven with oyster shell minerality. Restrained yet brimming with tension, this wine has so much going on. A real depth of fruit and mineral integrity is evident, though it remains somewhat shy, biding its time. Make no mistake—this will blossom into a rich and excellent wine, fully deserving of its high praise. It is focused and laser-like in its precision, with remarkable restraint and tension. This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to Ramey’s specifications in 2007. According to Ramey, it lies directly south of the Martinelli Winery on Woolsey Road. The vines are spaced one metre by two metres on a northeast-facing slope. Planted on 420A rootstock, known for its low vigour, the vines are cane-pruned. The site’s Huichica clay loam over clay soil composition contributes to the wine’s mineral-driven precision. This cool-climate site was planted with Old Wente cuttings from Chardonnay vines Ramey originally planted at Platt Vineyard.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

Blending 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, and lovingly referred to as Baby Monte Bello, designated as Monte Bello since the 2008 vintage, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Monte Bello Vineyard is known for its weightlessness, made to be approachable in its youth with great intention. Barrel-aged for 17 months in 50-60% new oak to integrate and soften the tannins, it still has another 15-20 years of aging, if not 25.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe grape that founded the Montebello estate, the Ridge Cabernet, is a Montebello-grown wine made from fruit that doesn’t contribute to the flagship, Montebello bottling. It tends to be more accessible in its youth and is softer in its profile. 2022 was the third straight drought year, with low yields and concentrated, small berries with ample tannin. The wine sees 17 months in 50% new American oak, and you pick that up in the aromatics, with a note of sweet tobacco leaf. The palate, however, is loaded with verve, bright saline minerality and taut early-season black fruits on soaring fresh acidity.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

The 2022 Muscadet “Clisson” from Domaine de la Pépière is another absolutely great,wine in the making. These very old vines are now more than ninety-five years of age. The wineshows remarkable depth on the nose, wafting from the glass in a mix of breadfruit, green pear,ocean breeze, a beautiful base of granite minerality, white flowers, a touch of iodine and a lovelynote of leesiness from the wine’s extended aging prior to bottling. On the palate the wine is pure,full-bodied, precise and youthful in personality, with a great core of fruit, superb mineral undertow,zesty acids and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very, very classy finish. This superbMuscadet deserves at least five years in the cellar before broaching, as there are many more layersto reveal here with the passing of time! 2025-2065+.John Gilman | 95 JG

The first-ever Estate Pinot Noir from Ramey, sourced from the family’s home ranch, Westside Farms, which neighbours Williams-Selyem and Rochioli. This historic site has been farmland since the mid-1800s and borders a mile and a half of the Russian River. "Context is important, especially in a challenging vintage," says Alan Ramey. To illustrate this, they presented the wine side by side with an Échezeaux Grand Cru. "Temperatures are changing, and Burgundy is getting warmer. Our wine has nearly the same TA, pH, and ABV, yet the style is slightly different—and then there’s the value play… this Burgundy costs about $300 more than ours. We want to show that our wines can stand alongside those at much higher price points." Ramey ferments in stainless steel before transferring to a barrel, whereas the Burgundy was fermented in a barrel with 100% new French oak. The Ramey Estate Pinot Noir is aged in approximately 40–50% new French oak. The wine displays beautiful vibrancy, with a light- to medium-bodied character and a gentle sweetness to its red-fruited core. Blood orange acidity and elevated, velvety tannins add a crisp edge. The long finish carries layers of red berry fruit, blood orange, clove, coriander cream, sassafras, and pressed wildflowers, all underpinned by hints of loamy, sandy earth. Savoury and bone dry, with remarkable intensity balanced by freshness.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Westside Farms is the inaugural release of Pinot Noir from the Ramey family’s Westside Farms ranch. It comes from vines planted in clay-loam soils along the Russian River in 2001. The grapes were harvested on August 18 and 19, before the Labor Day heat wave, and only free-run juice was included. It was fermented in tank with 25% whole clusters and matured for 18 months in 45% new French François Frères barrels. It has a pale ruby color and open, inviting aromas of cranberry sauce, rhubarb, blood orange, allspice and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate surprises with its highly concentrated, layered flavors and is lent complexity by emerging earthy nuances. It’s structured by lacy tannins and vibrant acidity and has a very long, layered finish. It will benefit from several years in the cellar. It will be released in September of 2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2022 Pinot Noir Westside Farms is a bright red color and has a spiced profile with notes of ripe cherries, strawberries, toasted spices, and forest floor. The palate is highly elegant, with a medium-bodied frame, and it has an elegant freshness, refined tannins, and an even finish. (Ramey did a wonderful job of keeping elegance and freshness in this vintage.) It’s going to be released in the fall and will have a wide window for enjoyment over the next 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDWonderful savory, woodsy aromas and good, complex dark berry and black plum flavors in this full-bodied, moderately tannic wine. Elements of pine, redwood bark, bay laurel, black raspberries and wood smoke. Made using one-fourth whole clusters, with skin contact of three weeks and barrel aged for 20 months, all of which emphasize the savory aspects. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSOffers streamlined raspberry and blood orange coulis notes infused with a light potpourri accent through the finish, which is marked by pretty perfume. Drink now through 2027. 428 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2022 Chardonnay Westside Farms is a bright yellow/straw color, while the nose takes on more depth and a layered feel in its notes of beeswax, poached apples, elegant baking spice, wet river rock, and fresh flowers. The palate is packed with energy, and while it’s full-bodied, it has fantastic drive and a core of bright, tightly wound, laser-focused acidity driving the long, balanced finish. It will take another year or more to unwind and will improve over the coming decade. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSo elegant, layered and rich in flavor yet brilliantly balanced in acidity, so it’s tempting to drink now but will also age well for many years. Such finesse, with intricate layers of citrus, white peaches, crisp apples and hints of cream, nutmeg and vanilla bean. Very flavorful yet slightly restrained in texture, which makes it even more appetizing. Aged in 20% new French barrels. From the Ramey family property. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSSourced from Ramey’s 30-hectare ranch, which has been farmland since the mid-1800s and borders a mile and a half of the Russian River. The vineyard shares the same silty Yolo loam soils as Rochioli Vineyard, located just a mile north. This wine brims with fruit intensity and deep, layered flavours—citrus peel richness, toasted almonds, and a remarkable salty depth. Candied ginger and cedarwood spices weave through brown spice accents, but what stands out most is the noteworthy tension that gives this wine its drive. Sourced from Block 1 of the property, the last of the 1989 plantings, this Chardonnay is rooted in AXR rootstock, dry-farmed, and known to struggle in drought years. These vines won’t be around forever, making this a rare opportunity—if you can find it, this long-lived Chardonnay will reward patience in the cellar for years to come.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard comes from grapes planted in 1989 on silty loam soils on Westside Road. The grapes were harvested on August 19, before the Labor Day heat wave, and the wine was barrel-fermented. Matured for 20 months in 20% new French oak barrels, it has slowly unfurling aromas of peach, ginger, cashew, honey and matchstick. The palate balances lush, honeyed flavors with fresh acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPImpressive for its clarity and focus as well as the power from its concentration, with a core of candied lemon peel, Meyer lemon, lemon verbena and pear. Fragrant orange blossom, fresh-cut Honeycrisp apple and kumquat notes are matched by the vibrant acidity and smooth, supple texture. Expands further on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2039. 422 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria’s headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian masterpiece that is reminiscent of the great whites of Burgundy. The 2023 Cervaro della Sala opens to an elegantly reductive note of flint or crushed granite before sliding gracefully into silky fruit sensations, breakfast pastry and crème fraîche. It offers carefully balanced richness and textural importance...Part of the Chardonnay does malolactic fermentation, but the Grechetto does not. This gives energy and verve to the final results. Castello della Sala has recently planted more Chardonnay (now totaling 80 hectares) for flexibility in choosing the best clusters. Throughout its many reinventions, this is the best Cervaro della Sala I have tasted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPClassic Burgundian style. On the nose white chocolate, pink grapefruit, lemon zest and white flowers. Full-bodied, it shows weight, vibrancy and tension, with a silky texture and a salted citrus finish. Amazing balance in this vintage, with lemon peel bitterness in the aftertaste adding an extra dimension. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSYouthfully coy, the 2023 Cervaro della Sala blows off an air smoky reduction to reveal depths of crushed yellow apples, sesame seeds, pine shavings and nuances of vanilla custard. This is pure elegance in the glass, as silken textures envelop the palate. A bump of residual acidity maintains energy throughout, even as the 2023 tapers off tannic and potent, with a resonance of mineral-infused apricots. This is a suburb rendition of Cervaro della Sala.Vinous Media | 95 VMA vibrant white, with pleasing buoyancy to the acidity as it carries a finely woven range of poached apricot, toasted hazelnut, passion fruit and persimmon, with accents of vanilla, lime blossoms and mineral. There’s good tension and focus but also a sense of finesse as the profile waltzes across the palate and expands on the lasting, well-spiced finish. Chardonnay and Grechetto. Drink now through 2036. 21,669 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Grapes for the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley were harvested over the course of a month, from initial picks on September 13 to the last pick on October 14. It was barrel-fermented, underwent full malolactic conversion and was matured for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels. It has open, inviting aromas of stone fruit and pineapple, panna cotta, ginger, toasted brioche and honey. The palate combines concentrated, layered flavors with fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a very long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSourced from Lafranchi, Westside Farms, Sonoma Foothills, Martinelli Laughlin, Kilcullen, Dutton Sebastopol, and Frank Johnson—all cool-climate sites with low-vigour soils such as Goldridge loam, planted between 1978 and 2017 and aged for 12 months on the lees in barrel (10% new French oak). This is clean and sleek, a beautifully balanced medium-bodied Chardonnay with luxuriously ripe stone and orchard fruit. Exotic baking spices complement layers of guava, white peach, and macerated mango with apricot. But what’s most impressive is the intensity and purity of the fruit—so precisely delineated, profoundly spicy, and laser-focused. At $50, this is one of the finest, most balanced, and well-structured Chardonnays from the Russian River Valley at this price point.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECLeaps out of the glass with intensity, offering vibrant fruit flavors of crisp Meyer lemon, apple and pear. Aromatic details of tangerine, lime sherbet and lemon blossoms add complexity alongside fresh herbal accents of lemon balm and sweetgrass. Crushed rock minerality lingers on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2039. 13,549 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSEnergetic acidity and ample fruit flavors give this full-bodied wine a sense of strength and structure. After a blast of green apple, pine bough and citrus aromas, an array of subtle baking spice, ripe pear and baked apple flavors come out as you sip. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is sensational. Powerful and deep, there is almost no sensation of tannin, but it’s all there. Graphite, inky dark fruit, menthol, licorice, chocolate and sage are some of the many notes that infuse the 2023 with its character and personality. This is one of the most captivating wines I have tasted from Russell Bevan.Vinous Media | 98-100 VMThe 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard has a similar inky purple/ruby hue to go with sensational aromatics of red, blue, and black fruit as well as crushed stone, iron, baking spice, and leather. This wine is dense, rich, and full-bodied, with a monster of a palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s going to require just a few years in the cellar, but this is another tour de force from Bevan.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDBevan’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard comes from a site in eastern Oakville, alongside the Silverado Trail. This vintage shows Ribena-like purity in its cassis aromas, plus a delicate hint of dried sage. It’s full-bodied on the palate, chunky and intense but maybe lacking a bit of finesse compared to some other years. At this level of quality that’s a quibble, as it’s concentrated and long on the finish, a super example of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well for close to two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Ontogeny shows ripe, sexy levels of blue fruits, darker chocolate, graphite, and even a kiss of minerality. It’s full-bodied, round, lush, and layered, with sweet tannins and a pleasure-bent profile that’s hard to resist. Drink this hedonistic pleasure bomb over the coming 15+ years. As always, this is an absolute brilliant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that more than delivers the goods. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Red Wine Ontogeny is bold, punchy and super expressive. A blast of super ripe dark cherry fruit/plum fruit, spice, tobacco and chocolate are all beautifully amplified. Ontogeny delivers tons of Bevan personality and character. Floral and savory overtones extend the long, polished finish. The 2023 benefits from the inclusion of a few lots that I tasted last year separately that were later added into the blend, most notably the two Cabernets from Phelan Vineyard that I reviewed from barrel.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Another exceptional vintage for Smith-Haut-Lafite Blanc. It’s so complex and structured, offering a palate that feels similar to the texture of a red wine with a velvety tannin structure. There’s a lot going on here. Spice, crushed seashell and citrus blossom. Salty, too. Weightless and so long. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.James Suckling | 97-98 JSStrong aromatics, on the expressive side with herbal accents, spiced wood, green apple, quince, apricot, mango, peach honeycomb and elderflower. Very floral. Fresh and expansive, mineral and direct, but a good body full of fruit, freshness and honey characters. Definitely more opulent and exotic than the others in the range with hints of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango but also some lovely bitterness which adds tension to balance it out. A good combination, more vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity. Very good and very easy to drink. Ageing 50% new oak.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture, counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused, it’s somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish (perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white Pessac-Léognan.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMOne of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage, the light gold-hued 2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up a killer nose of orange blossom, honeyed citrus, toast, spice, and minty flowers. It’s medium to full-bodied and has a richly textured, layered mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a great finish. It’s probably the white of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, concluding with a mineral, fresh and long finish highlighted by delicate notes of thyme and garrigue. Comprising 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris and matured in 50% new oak, this blend is among the finest white wines produced at this address.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, the white 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is aging in 50% new oak. After a swirl or two, it prances out with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pineapple, and green mangoes, opening out to underlying hints of lime blossoms, wet slate, and fresh ginger. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and vivacious, with a racy backbone and a long, exotic fruit-laced finish. Yum!The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI

A juicy and savory red with aromas of blackcurrants, fresh sage and rosemary. It’s medium- to full-bodied with creamy tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Shows finesse and polish. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Needs two or three years to soften, but is already very pretty. Sustainable. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2023 Giusto di Notri is one of the more refined wines of the vintage at Tua Rita. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, new leather, rose petal, cedar and mocha makes a strong first impression. Silky tannins wrap it all together in style.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Aromas of blueberries, ash and stones with hints of blackberries, orange peel and chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with medium-round tannins that are polished and velvety but always in check. Cedar and baking spices like nutmeg on the palate. Lovely soft and silky texture with a long finish. Enchanting and delicious. 92% cabernet sauvginon, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2023 Napanook is deep, bold and luscious right out of the gate. Black cherry, lavender, dried herbs and graphite fill out its mid-weight frame quite nicely. I expect the 2023 will drink well with minimal cellaring, as it is already quite open and doesn’t quite have the tannic palate presence of more important years.Vinous Media | 93 VMDeep purple-hued and the second wine of this reference point domaine, the 2023 Napanook offers classic currants, leafy tobacco, graphite, and underbrush notes in a medium-bodied, very pretty, pure, elegant, and graceful style. Based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot and aged 20 months in 20% new French oak, it has ripe and polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and a great finish. This classic, classy Cabernet will keep for 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

A laser-focused, nicely lean and precise wine from a great vineyard that was one of Russian River Valley’s early chardonnay sites. It holds its crisp green apple and mineral flavors rather tightly now, suggesting a good potential for further aging. Full-bodied. Drinkable now and best from 2030.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard is a potent, intensely mineral wine, a Chardonnay that captures the personality of this site. Broad and ample on the palate, the 2023 possesses superb textural intensity and the drive to match. Slate, mint, white flowers, chalk and dried herbs linger on the polished, salivating close.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard has pure, expressive aromas of poached pears, quince, vanilla custard, matchstick and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is taut and energetic with mineral-laced flavors, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, bright finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is one of the stars in this range from Ramey. Creamy and layered, with superb persistence, the 2023 is a real standout. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and tangerine peel soar across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. What a stunner.Vinous Media | 96 VMA very pretty, fruity wine at first whiff, then it gets more concentrated, structured and tense on the palate. Medium-bodied and well braced by citrus acidity, with green apples, golden apples, baking spices and Bosc pears in a rich but lively texture. From a Martinelli family vineyard. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is exotic and perfumed! Peach, lime custard, lemongrass, pie crust and roasted almond aromas pour from the glass. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and sapid with youthfully flinty flavors. Racy acidity adds tension, and it has a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Ornellaia owns 13 hectares of white varieties, and this 100% Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the prime Bellaria vineyard at around 100 metres above sea level on limestone soils. ‘An original expression of this grape variety’, is how Marco Balsimelli describes it. Well balanced and very fresh, it has good body and plenty of energy, with ripe notes of guava, apricot and mango. The oak vinification with batonnage lends a creamy tone and texture but it remains poised throughout, with a sapid, mineral finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECMade with Sauvignon Blanc, the 2023 Bolgheri Bianco Ornellaia shows a softer more cushiony profile than recent editions. The Sauvignon Blanc is sourced primarily from the Bellaria vineyard at 130 meters in elevation. Parcel selection played a key role in 2023, with Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia showing more exotic fruit, and the estate choose to emphasize a distinctly Mediterranean expression with riper yellow fruit tones for this wine. Fermentation is carried out with great precision with strict protection from oxygen, followed by time in barrique, with about 30% new French oak, tonneaux and amphorae. The wine ages for 10 months on the fine lees with daily bâtonnage at first, then gradually reduced. This vintage outperforms the 2022 in terms of length and polish, offering notes of white pepper, ginger, lemon peel, exotic flower and spice. This wine is scheduled for release in March 2026.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2023 Ornellaia Bianco, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is soft, open-knit and ready to go. Scents of orchard fruit, sage, white flowers, mint and white pepper open with some coaxing. In 2023, the Bianco is quite soft and generous in feel. Exotic tropical notes run through the textured, creamy finish.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2045. 29,167 cases made, 11,083 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2023 Tignanello is a classy, polished wine. Soft and open-knit with lovely, forward fruit and bright acids, the 2023 is a total delight. Floral, spice and blood orange overtones meld into a core of red Sangiovese-driven fruit. There’s a touch more Cabernet Franc in this year’s blend. That comes through in the wine’s aromatic presence. The 2023 is a juicy, midweight Tignanello that offers tons of immediacy and sheer appeal. It’s finesse over power.Vinous Media | 95 VM