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The 2006 Messorio (Merlot) is off the charts. This extraordinary wine possesses a breathtaking combination of super-ripe fruit that has been achieved with remarkable freshness, vibrancy and clarity. There is superb transparency to the wine’s fruit, along with a sublime finish that lasts forever. Ideally a few years of cellaring are called for, but readers will have a hard time exercising such patience. This profound Messorio from proprietor Cinzia Merli and oenologist Luca D’Attoma left me speechless. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.Like many estates in Bolgheri, Le Macchiole has some beautiful wines that are coming into the market shortly. I visited the estate at the tail end of the 2006 harvest and already the early buzz in the air was palpable.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPMessorio (a 100% expression of delicious Merlot) is a wine that has already reached elite cult status and for very good reason. The opulence, richness and overall pleasure factor are unbeatable and the wine is sophisticated, elegant and balanced at the same time. The long fade is characterized by vanilla, chocolate, espresso, cherry and blackberry.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2006 is simply a flat-out great Messorio. Today it is the wine's density and structure that are most evident, but with time in the glass the inner perfume, minerality and sheer pedigree begin to emerge. This is a vintage that combines elements of sumptuous ripeness and structure to a degree that is highly unusual for Bolgheri. As such, the 2006 Messorio is best left alone for perhaps as long as another decade. When the wine finally emerges it will be spectacular. Hints of new leather, licorice and crushed rocks linger on the refined, classy finish.Vinous Media | 97 VMFresh herb and black olive aromas evolve into dark fruits and flowers. This is full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins and lots of new wood, but there's plenty of fruit underneath. Opulent and powerful, verging on blockbuster. An extreme style of Merlot. Best after 2014. 670 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSo much olive on the nose, like olive oil. And then I find dark fruits. Flowers too. Full and velvety, wtih beautiful tannins. And a long long finish. It’s a wine that makes you think.James Suckling | 93 JSThis complex, heady red developed a cult following as a merlot with intensity and ageworthy structure. The 2006 is tightly built and floral, with chocolate richness in the finish that gets shut down by its charry, youthful tannins. This needs several years of bottle age to mellow and show its best.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

Jean-Nicolas Méo unequivocally makes my favorite example of Richebourg in all of Burgundy, as I love the synthesis of intensity and elegance that he routinely achieves in this wine. The 2006 is another magical bottle, as it offers up a stunning bouquet of red and black plums, blood orange, cocoa powder, a profound base of soil, violets and a fine framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and utterly refined, with a stunning core of fruit, flawless balance, great acids and very fine-grained tannins on the endless and celestial finish. Simply a great wine by any stretch of the imagination- all this needs is time. (Drink between 2018 - 2060)John Gilman | 96-97 JGA rich, concentrated red, intense with black currant, blackberry and spice aromas and flavors. The sweet palate is matched to lively acidity and refined tannins, and this kicks in on the aftertaste with violet, cassis and mineral accents. Best from 2013 through 2035. 4 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDeep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black raspberry and dark chocolate. Suave and wonderfully vibrant, but with less obvious easy sweetness than the Vosne premier crus. This boasts an impeccable balance of acidity, minerality and tannic spine, not to mention an impressively deep, sappy core of fruit. Very restrained now, but very long on the aftertaste, with a powerful impression of extract and slowly mounting tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMA ripe and densely fruited nose displays somber and cool aromas of game, smoke, spice, violets, underbrush and sexy black berry fruit aromas. There is excellent verve to the powerful, serious and brooding middle weight flavors that culminate in a stunningly long, complex and balanced finish. Not surprisingly this is still exceptionally tight and not giving much today but it seems relatively clear already that this is built for the medium long haul. In sum, this is a classic Riche of sheer class.Burghound | 94 BHFine bright mid-red, not exaggerated. Gentle perfume at first, some dark cherry with brighter red notes, very youthful. A touch more oak emerges over time and while the wine is not too extracted, the tannins are currently a little obtrusive in the manner of 2006s at the moment. Give this 10 more years. Tasted Nov 2011.Jasper Morris | 94 JMDark cherry and black raspberry jam; dark chocolate; and burley tobacco fill the nose from Meo-Camuzet’s 2006 Richebourg, which then coats the palate with jam- and liqueur-like sweetness and viscosity of fruit, along with practically ineradicable chocolate, spice, tobacco, and toasted pecan. But for all of the sweet richness on display here, in contrast with most of the other wines in its collection, this displays hints of chocolate and fruit pit bitterness; crushed stone; roasted meat flavors; and primary, sappy fruit juiciness all of which not only add interest but offset the sweetness and keep the wine from becoming fatiguing or monolithic. There seems to be even more tannin here than in the corresponding Cros Parantoux, but it is well-integrated and fine-grained. I imagine myself directly tasting this wine’s high skin-to-juice ratio here. Meo thought that vis-a-vis the Cros Parantoux, his 2006 Richebourg was relatively inexpressive on the day I tasted it. If so, then obviously my score will have proven depressed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

From Grivot’s oldest vines, his 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots completely outclasses its fellow Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges bottlings for depth of flavor, polish, and balance. Blackberry, game, peat, and a decadent lily-like floral perfume on the nose persist on a glyceral-rich and silkenly smooth, yet energetically interactive palate loaded with inner-mouth florality; dark mineral and carnal notes; and ripe berry fruit. This finishes with impressively tenacious yet somehow gentle grip. I certainly have the impression of inhabiting a gustatory space between Vosne and Nuits when I taste it. It should be worth following for the better part of a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood deep red. Reticent but complex nose hints at black cherry and smoke, with a violet florality emerging with aeration. Round, silky and suave in the mouth, with captivating lift to the dark fruit, floral and mineral flavors. This really stains the palate on the long, subtle finish. The wine’s fine-grained tannins coat the incisors, and a whiplash of minerality leaves the palate vibrating. Grivot notes that some of the vines here date back to 1929, and that the average age of vines is 75, or a bit older than those in the family’s Richebourg holding.Vinous Media | 92 VMHere the nose is very Vosne in character with seductively spicy red and black berry fruit aromas nuanced by hints of warm earth and an animale character that is picked up on the detailed yet muscular and wonderfully rich flavors supported by sophisticated and fine tannins on the youthfully austere finale. I really like the intensity here and this is a classic Boudots in that it’s serious but not taciturn.Burghound | 91 BHFresh and elegant, with bilberry, raspberry and currant notes permeating the dense texture. The tannins are well-integrated, and the aftertaste is bright and lively. Best from 2012 through 2020. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

Subdued on opening, but with 30 minutes in a carafe it spills out rich pencil lead and liquorice notes, with blackberry fruits and smoky vanilla spice. Classic Margaux 2006, with fairly high acidity that emphasises a floral character, alongside refined tannins. Just beginning to evolve towards an older wine. An unusual vintage at Cantenac Brown, where they produced only 30% of the first wine, reflecting a new regime of greater precision in harvesting and sorting. 60% new oak. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2040Decanter | 93 DECA gorgeous nose of blackberry and plum jam, with a vanilla bean hint. Full-bodied and soft-textured, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit. A little loosely knit now, but will come together beautifully with age. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard, located in the Red Mountain AVA, is 100% varietal. Dark ruby/purple in color, it delivers an enticing nose of pain grille, pencil lead, earth notes, spice box, violets, and assorted black fruits. On the palate it is dense, ripe, full-bodied, and structured. Still a bit tightly wound, it will reveal its full potential with another 5-7 years of cellaring. It will provide much pleasure from 2015 to 2026 at the least.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDeep ruby-red. Sweet blackberry, cassis, licorice pastille and violet on the nose, plus a whiff of mocha. Very fresh flavors of crushed blackberry, bitter chocolate and menthol boast excellent definition and lift, with exotic floral and spice notes adding nuance. The most complete vintage yet for this bottling, finishing with suave, building tannins and complex notes of cocoa powder, dried flowers and incense. Not at all overly sweet. Especially remarkable in light of the fact that these vines were planted in 2001 and 2002.Vinous Media | 94 VM

I think the Rayas 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will turn out to eclipse the 2005. It is unequivocally the finest wine made here since Emmanuel Reynaud’s uncle, the late Jacques Reynaud, produced his brilliant 1995. This wine was just released this year, with the 2008 coming on the market in the next few months. The 2007 is a relatively dark ruby/purple-tinged wine, more intensely colored than most Rayas Chateauneufs tend to be, since they are made from 100% Grenache and color has never been one of their hallmarks. The extraordinarily youthful and still burgeoning aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles and licorice lead to a full-bodied, powerful Rayas with sweet tannin, adequate acidity, and an ethereal richness and unctuosity that delicately offers a sensual texture. It is full-bodied, concentrated and approachable, but won’t hit its peak for at least another 4-5 years and will last for 25 or more. This is a spectacular Rayas, the likes of which hasn’t existed at this qualitative level since 1995.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis was a brilliant showing by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve from Rayas, the finest bottle I’ve had to date. Offering a classic ruby color as well as gorgeous notes of kirsch liqueur, sappy green herbs, flowers, and rose petals, this beauty hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, yet also fresh and vibrant texture that carries nicely integrated acidity and fine tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in this great vintage and is going to have a long life. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBright ruby. Red berry, cherry and Asian spice aromas are lifted by sexy notes of rose petal and blood orange. Impressively pure and perfumed, with remarkable precision and cut to its concentrated but lively flavors of cherry and black raspberry. The weightless, mineral-driven character of this wine is something else. In a distinctly delicate, feminine style, with superb finishing cut and energy. This will probably cost a fortune when it lands in the U.S. , unfortunately.Vinous Media | 97 VMA very elegant, perfumy style, with shiso leaf and mulled spice notes up front, followed by silky black cherry, linzer torte and kirsch flavors that glide through the incense-tinged finish. There’s good latent depth and fresh acidity without the headiness typical of the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2022. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2007 Les Pavots, a Bordeaux varietal blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, is brilliant. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeously complex aromas of melted chocolate, espresso roast, blackberries, and cassis. Full-bodied with a superb texture, a subtle note of oak, and fabulous concentration, it is more reminiscent of a Right Bank Bordeaux than one expects with this much Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. A thirty-year wine, its impeccable balance and the sweetness of its tannins make it accessible already.Robert Parker | 97 RPA little tight and firm. Some might call this lean but I like the dark chocolate and blueberry character. Finishes with some chewy tannins, wait until 2014. 14+23+23+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS(70% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc, 10% merlot and 3% petit verdot) Vivid ruby. Youthfully backward aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and tobacco. Chewy dark berry and bitter cherry flavors are framed by solid tannins and complemented by smoky mineral and sweet chewing tobacco elements. Tough to read but highly concentrated, showing a strong finishing licorice and smoky mineral character and a lingering cherry pit note. Give this at least a few more years of bottle aging.Vinous Media | 93 VMZeroes in on intense dark berry, graphite, mineral and cedary oak flavors, supported by firm, grippy and gritty tannins. The flavors are vibrant yet drying, suggesting that this should be drunk sooner rather than later. Both bottles of this noteworthy wine were good but not great. Slightly off the usual pace. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.—Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,060 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Deep garnet colored with a lingering hint of purple, the 2007 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine reveals the most seductive crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and licorice notions with touches of violets, eucalyptus, chocolate box and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of cedar chest. Full-bodied with tantalizing opulence yet compelling restraint, the palate beautifully juxtaposes the rich, ripe fruit with wonderful freshness and a firm yet plush backbone, finishing beautifully perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP(14.5% alcohol): Saturated dark ruby! Ripe but reticent aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, bitter chocolate oak, licorice and mocha are very subtle and complex. Wonderfully pliant and balanced wine, with plush purple fruit and violet flavors displaying a smooth grain and superb depth. Spreads out to saturate the middle palate and builds slowly and inexorably on the aftertaste. This fully ripe, complete wine finishes with stylish tannins and outstanding length. There may still be more fireworks ahead for this beauty.Vinous Media | 96 VMAromas of blackberry, leather, lead pencil, and flowers. On the palate this is dense and velvety, with a gorgeous texture. Agile and balanced, this is hard not to drink right now. The finish is long, with notes of coffee and dark fruits. 15+24+23+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 95 JSYou have to count this as another great Insignia, dry and complex and ageworthy, although the tannins are fierce now, and it may lack just a bit of the glamor of, say, the 2004 or 2001. It's certainly a big wine that floods the mouth with blackberry, black currant, cassis and new oak flavors. The tannins and acids make it aloof, resistant, tough. It wants time in the cellar. Best after 2013. Production was a hefty 13,500 cases.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPhelps's top red wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (88 percent), merlot and petit verdot, all grown at estate vineyards. Most of the fruit comes from the southern districts of Napa Valley—Suscol, a relatively cool site in South Napa, along with Stags Leap and Oak Knoll. That cool tone comes across in red currant flavors, in the quiet presence of a substantial wine. It's sleek with dark tannin that feels youthful and austere, hinting at a Christmas spice that predicts what holiday celebrations might be in store ten years down the line.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&SDense and tight, with a chewy core of mocha-laced blackberry and currant flavors, combining power with a measure of grace. Not shy on tannic strength, this has more power than finesse. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.--Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2025. 13,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Balanced and very spicy, with almond paste and apricot. Full-bodied, medium sweet, with a long, fruity, tangy finish. Layered and stylish.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WSBright, pale yellow-gold. Aromas of very ripe peach, honey and vanilla are a bit youthfully disjointed. Sweet, supple and fat, currently showing more spice than fruit. Finishes broad and spicy, with a suggestion of minerality.Vinous Media | 90-93 VMThe 2007 Rieussec is a blend of 87% Semillon, 4.5% Muscadelle and 8.5% Sauvignon Blanc picked between 13 September and 31 October. It has an almost Barsac-like bouquet with barley sugar joining the ginger and honeyed notes, quite powerful although I feel this is just going through a sullen patch at the moment. The palate is very pure and balanced with a wonderful seam of acidity that slices through the viscous botrytis fruit, quite spicy on the finish, although it does not possess the persistence of the 2005 or 2009, just cutting away swiftly. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

A very opulent, yet fresh nose. Perfumed with fresh mushrooms, currants, and blackberries. Full bodied with an amazing density of fruit, and ripe velvety tannins. So big and compacted, with a superb structure. Very 2006 in style but with much more intensity. The fruit amazing and intense. Leave this for another five or six years. 900 cases. Pull the cork after 2016. 15+25+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 98 JSPotentially a candidate for perfection, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest Bryant Family wine since the aforementioned 1997. Striking aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, flowers, smoke, truffles, and sweet berries lead to a wine with profound concentration, a silky, layered mouthfeel, perfect integration of tannin and wood, and remarkable depth, intensity, and balance. The finish lasts nearly a minute. This stunning Cabernet should age nicely for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPAt points rustic and rough-hewn, but also enormously complex and layered, with dense, elegant herb, olive, cedar, blackberry and wild berry fruit that is full-blown and tightly focused, rich and layered, gaining velocity on the finish while retaining a sense of wildness. Best from 2012 through 2024. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(14.9%): Healthy ruby-red. Wild plum, dark berries, musky espresso, mocha and graphite on the varietally expressive nose. Shows wonderful mineral verve but this utterly seamless wine still conveys a musky suggestion of reduction. It's also more red than black fruit in style and shows its site more than the vintage character. Really lovely inner-mouth aromatic perfume here. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely slowly building lift. This wine blew away many of the portier, clunkier examples in my 2007 group tastings but it may need earlier drinking than some vintages of Bryant. The silky, seamless finish features a light touch and terrific spice and mocha lift.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Blackberry, black truffles, red fruits, minerals and flowers. This is superb with a dense and powerful palate of dark fruits and minerals. Goes on for minutes. Tight and racy. Try after 2014.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2007 Barolo Brunate is likely to leave most tasters speechless. It is a fabulous, deeply-pitched, totally seamless Barolo of the highest level. The richness and depth of the fruit is almost obscenely opulent. Dark cherries, plums, licorice and menthol are some of the aromas and flavors that flow from this textured, brilliant Brunate. The length, persistence and definition are all spellbinding purity. This is pure magic in a glass, but readers will have to be patient to catch the wine at its peak. A recent magnum of the 1990 was stupendous. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2007 Barolo Brunate is likely to leave most tasters speechless. It is a fabulous, deeply-pitched, totally seamless Barolo of the highest level. The richness and depth of the fruit is almost obscenely opulent. Dark cherries, plums, licorice and menthol are some of the aromas and flavors that flow from this textured, brilliant Brunate. The length, persistence and definition are all spellbinding purity. This is pure magic in a glass, but readers will have to be patient to catch the wine at its peak. A recent magnum of the 1990 was stupendous.Vinous Media | 98 VMMentholated herbs and black cherry are the main flavor themes, with a touch of rhubarb, while a firm grip of tannins anchors the finish. A lean, sinewy 2007, with a long finish of tar and spice. Not the typical elegance of this cru. Best from 2016 through 2035. 270 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Vrucara represents a new, exciting page in the story of Sicily’s most important indigenous grape, Nero d’Avola. The purity of the fruit comes through loud and clear, and the wine doesn’t deliver that bittersweet finish you sometimes get. Instead, it shows cherry, spice and an elegant mineral tone.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2007 Nero d’Avola Vrucara is one of the more unusual Nero d’Avolas readers will come across. A blast of super-ripe red fruit hits the palate with authority as the Vrucara struts its stuff. This is a decidedly opulent, flashy Nero d’Avola that sits on the razor’s edge of ripeness. Soft and supple on the palate, the wine flows effortlessly towards the caressing, intense finish. Floral notes add a touch of lift on the finish. The Vrucara, a single-vineyard old-vine selection from high-altitude hillside vineyards, shows the extreme of ripeness Nero d’Avola is capable of. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2017.I tasted a wide range of wines from Feudo Montoni this year. The standouts are the two Nero d’Avolas.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPThe 2007 Nero d’Avola Vrucara is one of the more unusual Nero d’Avolas readers will come across. A blast of super-ripe red fruit hits the palate with authority as the Vrucara struts its stuff. This is a decidedly opulent, flashy Nero d’Avola that sits on the razor’s edge of ripeness. Soft and supple on the palate, the wine flows effortlessly towards the caressing, intense finish. Floral notes add a touch of lift on the finish. The Vrucara, a single-vineyard old-vine selection from high-altitude hillside vineyards, shows the extreme of ripeness Nero d’Avola is capable of.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

A profound blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec, with 56% of the fruit from Chalk Hill, 26% from the Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, 14% from Knight’s Valley and 4% from Bennett Valley, the 2007 is a wine of unbelievable intensity. It boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as notes of acacia flowers, graphite, licorice, blackberries, blueberries and a hint of burning embers/charcoal, superb intensity and purity, and abundant tannin in the finish. This massive wine needs 5-6 more years of bottle age, and is meant for 35-40 years of cellaring.Robert Parker | 100 RPA spectacular wine that defines the upper limit of California Bordeaux-style blends. Based on Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with splashes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this is delicious and complex, offering a blast of blackberry, blueberry-concentrate and mineral flavors. Comprised of fruit grown throughout Sonoma County, this is a masterpiece of the art of blending. Absolutely dry and very hard in tannins, drink this from 2013–2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE(14.4% alcohol): Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, tobacco leaf, licorice and violet on the nose; a bit like Cheval Blanc on steroids. Broad, ripe and plush but still a bit youthfully aggressive and in need of softening. Showing little easy sweetness; in fact, there's an inky, graphite mineral character that makes this wine seem a bit youthfully brutal. Finishes firm and alive, with the spine and energy for a long evolution in bottle. The broad tannins became increasingly chewy--even a bit youthfully tough--with air. This is still a baby. Extended time in the recorked bottle brought sexy game and coffee elements without any loss of freshness, and, if anything, the wine gained a bit in sweetness.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Composed of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, the 2007’s fruit came from four sources, Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, Knight’s Valley, Chalk Hill and Bennett Valley. This utterly perfect, flawless wine reveals great intensity along with a wonderful perfume of roasted coffee, blueberries, blackberries, spring flowers, forest floor and crushed rock. Full-bodied and viscous without being heavy, the wine possesses admirable precision as well as good acidity and balance. This stunning wine is developing beautifully. It contains 14.4% alcohol (one of the highest amounts) and a final pH of 3.64. It should last another 30 years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe blend is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with the other four classic Bordeaux varieties added for complexity. The grapes were sourced from vineyards throughout Sonoma County, and the finished wine was aged in 75% new oak. It's very fine, with concentrated, intense blackberry, cherry and crème de cassis flavors.Minerality, in the form of granite, lends a lick of stone. It's still extremely tannic, and needs much more timebefore it begins to come around.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(14.6% alcohol): Full bright ruby. Very reticent but pure aromas of cassis, licorice, violet, espresso and spices. Penetrating, tight wine with terrific energy to its intense flavors of blueberry, boysenberry, minerals and licorice. But still extremely unevolved and not yet showing its inherent complexity. Finishes with serious, firm-edged tannins that still need time to soften. The least yielding of the three Vérité 2007s, and the least sweet. But this very long Médoc blend has all the elements for a long and glorious evolution in bottle.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

Mascarello’s 2007 Barolo shows just how compelling this vintage can be, even now. Sensual, layered and totally voluptuous in the glass, the 2007 shows the more flamboyant side of Barolo. I find the wine’s voluptuous, engaging personality impossible to resist. Sure, 2007 is not a classic vintage, but when a wine is this good, I say: Who cares?Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2007 Barolo has grown tremendously over the last few months. Some bottles have been more closed than others, but what is certain is that the wine is putting on weight. The 2007 appears to have a long drinking window ahead. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2037.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPMascarello presents an outstanding 2007 base Barolo (with fruit sourced from the Barolo and La Morra zones) that is packed extra tight with generosity, concentration and rich chocolate, cherry and leather aromas. The long finish is soft and velvety, but the tannins and acidity guarantee a long future ahead.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

(Taylor-Fladgate) The 2007 Taylor-Fladgate is a beautiful synthesis of the inherent power of Taylors and uncompromising beauty of the 2007 vintage, and the combination is stunning. The refined, youthful and very complex nose offers up scents of cassis, black cherries, pepper, gentle tarry notes, woodsmoke, anise, soil and cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very light on its feet for a young Taylors, with great elegance and intensity on the attack, ripe, seamless tannins, and a huge spine of acidity that adds vibrancy to the fruit, purity to the soil expression and laser-like focus on the impeccable, long finish. This is a big boy that dances on the palate right from the outset, and is a remarkably stunning young bottle of Port. (Drink between 2035-2135).John Gilman | 97+ JGThis is a giant of a wine lurking behind fresh flowers and ripe fruit. Starts off in a friendly way, then takes hold of the palate, with intense blueberry and blackberry fruit and chewy yet fine tannins. Mouthpuckering, but impressively complex and long. Really kicks in on the finish. The best Taylor since 1994. Best after 2020.Wine Spectator | 96 WSEnticing violet and black currant aromas are followed by ripe plum and spice flavors. Maybe this isn’t the most powerful Taylor Fladgate vintage ever, but it is balanced, opulent, beautifully made, the tannins fine, layered, with exquisite final acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAt its best, this wine is a vibrant, huge young Porto knocking out all the others with its delicious power-a Master of the Universe wine. It’s a blast of schist, cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and black licorice, all held in a supple grip that slides down the throat just as slowly as the wine’s color slides down the side of the glass. At this stage, the score shows some restraint, the wine having gone into a funk after a day of air and becoming reduced and difficult, only to rebound the following day. Still, this demonstrates the potential to be one of the greatest Port wines David Guimaraens has made, coming from a balanced year with beauty rather than aggression in the tannin. It will be fascinating to compare this to the 2003 as the wines age over the next 50 years.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe Taylor’s 2007 is in a rather odd phase at the moment, its sweet, marzipan-tinged bouquet tending to dominate the ripe black fruit. The palate is much more controlled, with very fine tannins, supremely well-judged acidity and a very elegant, composed finish that has more purity and poise than the Fonseca. I would give bottles another decade to allow the aromatics to calm down. Tasted May 2013.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94+ RP-NMBright, deep ruby. Superripe but youthfully clenched aromas of kirsch, blueberry, black licorice, smoke and minerals. Densely packed, suave and thick; has the texture of liquid velvet but urgent minerality gives it outstanding energy and a light touch. Best today on the slow-building, firmly tannic, spicy, palate-staining finish, which shows more grip and thrust than the Vargellas. This gained in complexity and definition for upwards of 72 hours in the recorked bottle. The Vargellas is an outstanding site expression while this is a great blend-and likely to enjoy a slower evolution in bottle. As usual, this should be among the longest-lived wines of the vintage.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

As it usually does, this brings another dimension of complexity with notably ripe yet elegant, even airy red berry fruit aromas, earth, underbrush, spice hints and a touch of jerky, all of which are picked up by the layered, seductive, rich, and full-bodied flavors that are blessed with ample dry extract on the palate staining, velvety and impressively long finish.Burghound | 93 BHBright medium red. Strawberry, raspberry, game and a hint of rust on the nose. The silkiest and most opulent yet of these 2007s, with complex flavors of red berries, chocolate, animal fur and mineral dust framed by harmonious acidity. Offers lovely sweetness in the middle, but really excites the palate on the classically dry finish.Vinous Media | 93 VMLightly-cooked cherry and red currant, mingle on the nose of Claude Dugat’s 2007 Charmes Chambertin, then re-emerge on an infectiously juicy, silken, subtly sweet palate. When tasted immediately after his 2008s, this offers both striking and welcome contrast due to its generosity of fruit, textural polish, and spiciness. Faint hints of game add complexity and a slightly drying hint of tannin diminishes the otherwise impressively persistent finish slightly. Still, this ought to perform impressively for at least the next 5-7 years, and quite possibly beyond that, though I would want to monitor it in a few years’ time to properly assess that possibility.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aida Vineyard is becoming one of the most exceptional northern Napa Valley Cabernets, with a production ranging between 600-700 cases. An exquisite wine in the making is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Vineyard. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it exhibits an inky purple color in addition to a beautiful nose of graphite, creme de cassis, melted licorice, charcoal, and melted asphalt, terrific stuffing, silky tannins, a noble sweetness that comes from the purity and ripeness of the fruit, and a 45+ second finish. This fabulous Cabernet should drink well for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95-98 RP(14.8% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Truffley, musky scents of black raspberry, tobacco leaf, smoke, gravel, peppery herbs and licorice. Suave and surprisingly sweeet, conveying a gamey, truffley aspect to its dark berry and plum flavors. Nicely concentrated, fine-grained wine with a slightly roasted fruit element, a cooler medicinal quality, and substantial dusty tannins.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2007 Ornellaia is a masterpiece blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a tiny element of Petit Verdot. The intensity and purity are outstanding and the wine delivers beautiful notes of chocolate, black cherry, leather, cedar and spice. It’s a big, modern expression that closes long with luscious softness and opulent fruit. Hold 10 years or more.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThis has fascinating aromas of seaweed, oak, iodine, rosemary, and currants. A subtle wine at first, but then it takes off. A phenomenal wine that is full bodied, tight, then hits you with mint, berries, currants, and minerals. Pure class.James Suckling | 98 JS2007 was an old-school vintage whose steady growing season - sun and rain at the right times, no unwelcome surprises - culminated in a sunny but cool harvest period. This cool finale partly explains Ornellaia 2007’s really remarkable Peter Pan-like freshness and its benign but still purposeful tannins. The fruit has a tactile feel, the customary ’Made in Bolgheri’ silkiness given an unusually tight weave in this case, which holds your attention, not least because this is oak- as well as fruit-driven. And the fruit is generous, crunchy-smooth and stimulating. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2021 - 2037.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2007 Ornellaia is a wine of texture above all else. What the 2007 lacks in aromatic intensity it more than makes up for with its sumptuous, generous personality. Silky and inviting, with soft contours and seemingly endless layers of dark red-fleshed fruit, the 2007 is absolutely delicious today.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA wine that does everything right and puts it all in beautiful balance. Full-bodied, yet reserved, silky and elegant, with wonderful fruit and friendly tannins. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2007 Ornellaia is remarkably open and accessible, very much in keeping with the personality of the vintage. Clean, minerally notes frame a core of silky, perfumed dark fruit, mocha, spices, licorice, grilled herbs and leather that impresses for its exceptional length. Tasted next to the 2007 Le Serre Nuove, the 2007 Ornellaia shows more muscle (from the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon), but in terms of pure quality the wines are very close. The 2007 is not a big, massive Ornellaia, but rather a wine built on elegance and finesse, both of which are on full display. The 2007 should drink well with a minimum of cellaring, but whether it will make old bones remains a question mark at this point. The 2007 Ornellaia is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP