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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

Derived from over 70-year-old vines at the top of a south- and southeast-facing slope, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos opens with a deep bouquet of orange peel, Anjou pear, beeswax and jasmine, mingling with notes of warm stones. Full-bodied, multifaceted and layered, it is concentrated and enveloping, with a muscular core balanced by ample chalky extract that imparts a sensation of freshness, laden with racy acidity and culminating in a long, saline finish. Harmonious yet built for the long term, it will richly reward patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPYear after year, Fèvre’s Les Clos is among the great wines of Chablis. In 2023, the pronounced aromas range from grapefruit to nectarine and green apple, laden with pungent, salty mineral notes and a little smoky reduction – a bit of everything, really. The texture is dense, almost impenetrable at this age, but enlivened by a lovely hint of bitterness at the end. It is truly a wine for the ages. Ideally wait a decade before opening; this wine will last at least 40 years.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECAfter the fireworks of the les Preuses and Côte de Bouguerots, I always approach Domaine Fèvre’s les Clos as if there could not possibly be yet another level of quality here, but it always manages to land just a touch higher in the hierarchy than the two magical wines that preceded it in the tasting! The 2023 les Clos is stellar, offering up a vibrant bouquet of apple, pear, lime, beeswax, a gorgeous base of chalky soil tones, raw almond, citrus zest and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and perfectly balanced, with a beautiful core of fruit, a superb girdle of acidity, superb mineral drive and cut and a long, seamlessly balanced and complex finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2033-2070)John Gilman | 96 JGA more restrained nose grudgingly exhibits pronounced mineral reduction nuances that add breadth to the markedly floral nose of seashore, iodine and oyster shell scents. I very much like the mouthfeel of the powerful and concentrated larger-scaled flavors that are akin to rolling a small pebble around the mouth while displaying excellent length on the very dry, long, youthfully austere and balanced finish that is supported by overtly citrus-tinged acidity. Patience strongly recommended.Burghound | 94 BHA glowing lemon and lime colour. The bouquet is very backward at first, less demonstrative than Preuses. A greater richness of texture than Côte Bouguerots to add to the chiselled white fruit intensity and them a gorgeous, concentrated succulent aftertaste without sucrosity. Good acidity at the back. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 4 hectares of vines, mostly at the top of the slope on limestone-rich soils. Oyster shell and light sea spray scents on the nose entwined with hints of orange pith and wild mint. The palate is very concentrated and intense, more so than William Fèvre’s other Grand Cru. Very harmonious with a poised, stem ginger tinged-finish that lingers long in the mouth. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA chalky, stony mineral element leads off, with peach, yellow plum and orange Creamsicle, plus touches of herbs. This is supple and juicy, with charm through the persistent, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2034. 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDelicate aromas of lemon blossom, green apple and honeysuckle waft from the glass buttressed by zested orange peel. Fresh and bright on the palate, the wine is steely in texture with gentle acidity that refreshes without making itself the center of attention. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Didier Séguier has crafted an absolutely brilliant example of Valmur in 2023. The wine delivers superb complexity in its nose of pear, green apple, fresh lime, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, raw almond, citrus blossoms and a touch of beeswax in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and impeccably balanced, with a gorgeous core of succulent fruit, a great girdle of acidity, superb mineral drive and grip and a long, vibrant and very precise finish. (Drink between 2033-2070).John Gilman | 95 JGSourced from parcels just beneath the forest, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur opens with aromas of white flowers, pear and lemon oil, mingling with notes of oyster shell. Medium- to full-bodied, it reveals a chalky core and a layered, textural palate laden with racy acidity, concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThis wine knows its own strength but doesn’t flaunt it. Aromas of freshly-sliced golden apple, bread dough and lemon tart open on the nose complemented by white-peach blossom. The palate echoes the nose in equal proportion along with dried hay, forest floor and zested lemon peel.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2023 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru comes from the top sector on the incline with a south-east facing orientation on a vein of marl. That scent of shucked oyster shell permeates the nose and puts it above Vaudésir in terms of complexity. A superb reduction. The palate is taut and fresh, more complex and certainly more saline. There’s a bit of meanness on the finish, but that is not written pejoratively. For those seeking more traditional Chablis this vintage.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA laserlike profile tries to keep the lid on flavors of yellow flowers, quince, apple and bitter grapefruit. A mineral vein emerges on the finish, driven by vibrant acidity. Balanced and long overall; this just needs a year or two to relax. Best from 2027 through 2039. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRipe and airy if more restrained aromas are comprised by notes of green fruit, quinine, tidal pool, citrus rind and a touch of oyster shell. Much like the Bougros there excellent volume to the rich, even plush, broad-shouldered flavors coat the palate with dry extract before culminating in serious, compact, youthfully austere and built-to-age finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. This also has fine upside potential.Burghound | 93 BHRecently racked so a bit cloudy. Blocks the nose. A vast raft of white fruit, very spicy, liquorice notes as well, a volume of fruit over and above the Vaudésir, I can see why it is served afterwards. Quality reduction at the back, Drink from 2029-2038. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JM

In the hands of Fèvre winemaker Didier Séguier, premier cru Montmains has a certain initial reserve. But with time, the green apple and gooseberry notes, touched with acacia blossoms and spice, open up on the palate. The texture is lively and fresh, yet there is substance here as well. The grapes are assembled from 10 parcels throughout Montmains, including some in Forêts and Butteaux. Séguier explains that Butteaux is deep in the valley and further from the Serein so it ripens later. The grapes are fermented in tank and older casks for 40–50% of the harvest.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECDelicate aromas of white blossom, brioche, freshly-cut golden apple and dried grass draw in the nose with feathery opulence. The palate is rich with citrusy acidity that plays second fiddle to fall-ripened orchard fruit that washes across wet stone on the finish. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThere’s a sleek feel to this white despite its rich texture, revealing lemon, apple and flint flavors, plus a hint of honey. Harmonious and enticing, this ends with citrus and stone elements. Shows fine expression and length. Drink now through 2032. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Montmains from Didier Séguier is a beautifully classic example in this vintage. The wine’s aromatic constellation is complex and refined, delivering a mix of green apple, lemon, wet stone minerality, a touch of menthol, dried flowers and a topnote of lime peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and precise, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent backend mineral drive, fine balance and a long, zesty and complex finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2027-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGSourced from a large 3.8-hectare south- and southeast-facing site, where individual parcels are harvested and vinified separately, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains reveals aromas of Granny Smith apple, jasmine, pear and oyster shell. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is taut and racy, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPAssembled earlier today, so cloudy and this procedure also masks the nose. Classic Montmains behind, with the usual reductive grip, yet also some elegance, very persistent. The lees were first class, says Didier Seguier and this certainly has the makings of a first class Montmains. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMAn exuberantly fresh nose speaks of mineral reduction, prominent floral, oyster shell and essence of pear scents. There is again solid volume and richness to the seductively textured middle weight flavors that possess just a bit more finishing verve as well as more evident minerality. Here too there is a touch of warmth but it’s not really enough to materially impair the overall sense of balance.Burghound | 88-91 BH

There is a ripe apple and apricot fruit aroma, lush buttery notes and a hint of spice. The texture is very rich in a classic Bâtard style. Winemaker Lucie Coutoux explained that they did a strict green harvest in July, cutting back to five to six bunches per vine, which pushed the ripeness forward, and thus, this was harvested first. She used her usual techniques: crush the grapes and slowly press them, running the must into barrel (25% new) with all of the lees. 2023 is the first vintage for Niellon since replanting the Bâtard-Montrachet in 2016. The results are spectacular.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECHere too there is a smoky note to the spicy and markedly floral-suffused nose of various white orchard fruit aromas, especially pear, along with a subtle if still easily perceptible wood nuance. Like several wines in the range, the medium weight flavors are not monsters of concentration but they do possess a sleek texture along with a lovely sense of underlying tension on the dry and balanced finale. While not quite what it used to be, it’s good to have an old friend back!Burghound | 93 BHIts back! Very young vines, needed a green harvest, in fact twice as the grapes compensated after the first. Took off half, so the vine could look after itself. 0.1190, 2273 for Chevalier. Had to pick first, with acidity declining. Pale colour, toasty nose. A lovely quality of fruit right away on the palate, less energy behind, or indeed length, only to be expected. The barrel toast remains, so look to a promising future. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThere are three barrels of the 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, whose vines were replanted in 2020 after being pulled up in 2015. Half the bunches were taken off in July before véraison to control vigor, and the pH is a little higher than other cuvées. There is some reduction on the nose, but you can feel the nascent energy. The palate is well-balanced with a richer, slightly more viscous texture than the Chevalier-Montrachet, powerful and long with a dash of spice on the finish. Of course, this is the opening chapter of the vineyard, and you can feel that it’s not full power, but it represents a promising return.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Chevalier-Montrachet 2023 from Domaine Michel Niellon is among the luminous successes of the vintage. The initial restraint on the nose gives way on the palate to aromas of ripe pear and quince with a hint of marzipan and fresh white flowers. The texture is generous, almost voluptuous, but there is a balance and elegance that hint at its noble origins. The grapes are from 0.22ha of 60-year-old vines at the base of the slope near the Leflaive parcel. Ideally, one would wait 10 years for this wine to show its full potential.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECOnce again there is a smoky whiff on the pretty, cooler and much more complex nose of wonderfully spicy pear and apple scents that are liberally laced with citrus and petrol nuances. The sleek, intense and more concentrated markedly mineral-driven flavors terminate in a chiseled, youthfully austere and bitter lemon-inflected finale that just goes on and on. This is a powerful but impeccably well-balanced Chevalier that should easily reward a decade plus of cellaring. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 95 BHPlanted in 1963 Lucie thinks. A bit degenerate, so lots of millerand. Picked at the start. Just as pale in colour, however the nose has more character showing the white limestone soil. Very linear, a classic Chevalier in the mouth, with warmth and energy to finish, but this is like licking the rock itself, more than eating the fruit. Quite tightly wound, so well worth longer keeping. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has an intense bouquet with crushed limestone, slightly more malic than Niellon’s Chassagnes. A touch of nuttiness develops with aeration. There is a pleasing strictness here. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. There is a little CO2 in the barrel sample, yet the energy is palpable on the finish, and it feels long and sustained in the mouth.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

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

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

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