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A blend of crushed plums and cherry sauce is complicated by sage and hints of camphor as the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino opens in the glass. Silky and refined, the 2013 is significantly more energetic and sleek than expected, with masses of tart wild berries and inner herbal tones that saturate. It finishes with medium length and is still lightly structured, leaving a saline tinge and hints of tangerine to slowly fade. This is entering a lovely place in its evolution.Vinous Media | 93 VMMastrojanni’s 2013 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a very precise and focused aromatic profile. This is a signature touch from this outstanding estate that, year in and year out, produces some of the best Brunello you can buy. Wild berries and cherries rise from the bouquet in an elegant flutter. Those tones are followed by spice, leather, rosemary and medicinal herb. The wine is streamlined, polished and smooth in terms of mouthfeel. Some 54,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis is plump, with cherry, plum, iron and tobacco flavors, nicely balanced by a dense matrix of tannins. Tips slightly toward the dry side on the finish, yet stays fresh and long. Best from 2022 through 2036. 1,170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAgronomist/oenologist Andrea Machetti has been managing this property since 1992, although it was purchased by the Illy coffee group in 2008. The vineyards are close to Castelnuovo dell’Abate, where the soil is predominantly clay with a complex mix of marine salt, tuff, river pebbles and sand. Besides flavours of tobacco, dried sage and forest berries, this has a saline edge and a tanginess that gives plenty of vibrancy and length. Nicely framed by well-managed tannins.Decanter | 92 DECPlenty of dried fruits on the nose with cedar and flowers that follow through to a full body, layered tannins and an intense finish. Hints of raisins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSForest floor, tobacco leaf, new leather and balsamic aromas unfold in the glass. The structured palate delivers dried black cherry, prune marinated in spirits and star anise framed in firm fine-grained tannins. Drink 2021–2028.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2013 Clos de Bèze is a magical young wine in the making. The stunning bouquet is a brilliant blend of red and black cherries, black raspberries, exotic spice tones, raw cocoa, lovely meatiness, black minerality, a touch of fresh nutmeg and a very discreet base of cedary new wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and almost racy in its tanginess, with a sappy core of black fruit, magnificent complexity, extremely refined tannins, laser-like focus and a very, very long, svelte and intensely flavored finish. Today, this wine is a profound middleweight in profile, but I suspect it is in the process of putting on weight and will be plenty full-bodied when it reaches its summit of brilliance. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 98 JGA bright and beautiful colour, clear and bright, with a riotously stylish nose. It is not massive in this vintage but all the class is there. Indeed, Rousseau’s Clos de Bèze was hard to spit as the balance is nigh on perfect. Glossy without being vulgar, showing waves of detailed fruit, with admirable precision at the finish. Drink from 2023-2035. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 96 JMSubtle if not invisible wood serves as a backdrop for the mildly reduced nose so again do yourself a favor and decant this if you’re going to crack one before 2020 or so. There is knock-out intensity to the gorgeously textured and mineral-inflected flavors that are imposingly scaled yet there is not even a hint of heaviness on the restrained, delineated and explosively long and mouth coating finale. This is a breathtakingly robust and powerful Bèze that is going to require all of 20 years to reach it zenith.Burghound | 95 BHGood dark red. More closed today than the Clos Saint-Jacques, showing a stronger oak presence to its reticent aromas of dark raspberry, strawberry and blood orange. Then hugely rich, opulent and pliant on the palate if still youthfully reserved. Completely different in shape from the Clos Saint-Jacques, conveying a strong impression of solidity and saline minerality. Finishes with big but ripe, thoroughly integrated tannins. This may not have quite the fruit intensity or verve of the 2014 but it still leaves the salivary glands humming.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

The 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is another huge, tannic wine. Crystalline and so precise, the 2013 is deceptive, as the aromatics are quite inviting, until masses of tannin hit the palate. Tar, rose petal, spice and cedar open with a bit of time in the glass, showing just enough to make the wine pleasurable today. Even so, the best is clearly yet to come. Patience will be rewarded.Vinous Media | 99 VMSubtle aromas of cherry, wild herb and tobacco introduce this sleek, complex version, while cherry, strawberry, loam, iron and tobacco flavors build in intensity to the extended finish. But what truly defines this superb and silky Barolo is the texture and harmony, with a fine weave to the dense tannins. All the components come together on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2050. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSWarm aromas of plums, rose petals and spices with hints of sandalwood. Some tar. Full body, dense center palate with glorious fruit and a fantastic finish. Very, very polished and fine tannins. Vertical and deep. A great Monfortino. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 99 JSI have been tasting this wine from barrel for the past two years and now finally, abracadabra, the 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is safely housed in bottle. The wine was bottled in June of last year and will hit the market this upcoming October. The Barolo Francia was not produced in 2013 because Roberto Conterno diverted all fruit from that vineyard to this wine. Monfortino was not produced in 2011 or 2012, meaning that this 2013 edition follows directly after the absolutely stunning 2010 vintage (which earned a perfect 100-point score). The two vintages (2010 and 2013) are very similar, strikingly so, but the 2013 vintage registers at a slightly lower structural threshold. The tannins are slightly looser, or softer in the case of this wine. With up to six years in botte, the 2010 vintage is still crunchy and super sharp, while this wine is slightly more succulent and earthy. Some 20,000 bottles, 2,500 magnums and 400 three-liter bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPAfter the celebrated 2010, Monfortino is not disappointing in the cool and classic 2013 vintage as it suffers more in the warm vintages than the fresher ones. This Riserva is rich with fresh and savoury aromas of red cassis, cherry and blood orange, full of cinnamon spice and balsamic notes with a minty finish that’s intoxicating in its depth. On the palate it’s velvety with pleasant and ripe tannins and full and consistent structure. Overall, it’s perfectly balanced and will age for decades but is delicious for drinking now.Decanter | 97 DEC

The 2013 Syrah Per Sempre is another gorgeous wine from Tua Rita. This estate on the Tuscan Coast offers one of Italy’s top Syrahs. In vintages like this, it is in the running for the number one spot among Italian expressions of the Rhône grape. It opens to supremely finessed varietal characteristics of blackberry, chocolate, toasted espresso, smoked bacon and dark spice. The wine is aged in barrique for 21 months and no clarification is performed. In warmer vintages with early-ripening fruit, you risk that the muscular structure of the wine eventually overcomes the bouquet. This is not the case in 2013. The wine presents power and generosity in equal fashion across the senses. This wine was not produced in 2014 because the grape skins were damaged that year. Hold onto your bottles of 2013, because you need to make it last.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPI have tasted the 2013 Sirah Per Sempre several times over the last few months and it just keeps getting better. Intensely aromatic, Tua Rita’s Syrah is unusual for the Tuscan coast because of its distinctly floral/savory personality. Sweet tobacco, rose petal, sage, mint, wild flowers and red-fleshed fruit are some of the signatures. In the 2013 Sirah readers will find a wine endowed with tons of nuance and complexity. A final kick of aromatics married to rich Suvereto fruit leaves a lasting impression on the finish. Just bottled, the 2013 is quite raw and in need of time, but it is incredibly promising, not to mention delicious.Vinous Media | 95+ VMWonderful dried meat, spice, dried herb and earth character topped off with ripe fruit. It’s elegant and racy with great length and structure, yet also refined and gorgeous. So drinkable now. The Hermitage La Chapelle of Italy. Pure Syrah.James Suckling | 95 JSA meaty red, boasting blackberry, plum, black olive, smoke and vanilla aromas and flavors. Rich and dense, with a lingering aftertaste of herbs and oak spice. Drink now through 2023. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSSpicy and supple, this has aromas of cured meat, white pepper, toast and dark plum that follow the warm robust palate along with dried black cherry, coffee and licorice. Round tannins provide the supple framework. Drink through 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru was showing some quality new oak on the nose that still needs to be subsumed. It is tightly coiled but it just needs time because there is freshness, definition and beguiling complexity locked in here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well judged acidity and clever use of new oak lending body without compromising terroir expression. The finish feels focused and satisfying and the texture leaves you totally seduced. Class, class, class. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPIt has been six years since I last tasted the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, when I wrote "Class. Class. Class." I have no need to alter that assessment. With fragrant raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed limestone and flint on the nose, this has a transparency that is a wonder to behold. The palate is beautifully balanced, poised with a fine line of acidity, full of tension with vivid red fruit on the finish that belies the structure underneath. Magnificent. Tasted at a private dinner in Beaune.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin from Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg is another great example of the vintage. The bouquet delivers and outstanding aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, cassis, grilled meats, complex soil tones, espresso, woodsmoke, mustard seed and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave and refined on the palate, with a rock solid core, fine-grained tannins and superb backend energy on the very long and utterly classic finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2075)John Gilman | 95+ JGA markedly ripe nose presents notes of cassis, plum liqueur, earth, spice and a hint of the sauvage. As it virtually always is this is notably bigger, richer and more powerful than the Feusselottes with its sleekly muscular and equally mineral-driven flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration along with impressive depth and length on the youthfully austere finale. This is really lovely juice but note that patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 93 BH

Along with the 2015, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is one of the greatest wines made at this property. Deep, powerful, layered, and incredibly concentrated, it has the classic bluer fruits of this estate as well as notes of graphite, chocolate, spring flowers, and bouquet garni. Opening up with time in the glass, it’s a rich, thrilling wine in just about every sense. Give bottles another 3-4 years and it’s going to have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBoth 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons are in bottle, and both are absolutely magnificent wines, probably the two finest Cabernets made by the Staglins to date. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford (14.9% alcohol) has a stunning fragrance of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers (or is it violets?), sweet blackcurrant and black raspberry fruit, and a layered, opulent, rich and full-bodied mouthfeel. Add to that striking purity, equilibrium, and serious but finely grained tannins, and this is their finest Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon made to date. It has at least 30-40 years of life ahead of it.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is still very young. Dark, powerful and quite brooding in bearing, the 2013 possesses notable depth and textural intensity. Blue/black fruit, gravel, scorched earth and grilled herbs add to a feeling of somber intensity. In this vintage, there is less Cabernet Sauvignon and more Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the result of higher percentages of those varieties in some of the co-fermented lots. Overall, the 2013 feels a bit compact today.Vinous Media | 94 VMA ripe and generous red with ripe berry, smoky meat and leather. Full-bodied, round and velvety. Extremely rich style for 2013. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Estate Oakville is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak. This is perfection and an absolutely amazing effort. The wine is dense purple with sweet tannin, oodles of blueberry and blackberry fruit caressed by toasty new oak, and a full-bodied multi-dimensional mouthfeel -- akin to a skyscraper in the mouth, but without any heaviness. The finish goes on for a good 45+ seconds, and the wine is super-pure and majestic. Truly a tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon. Kudos to Plumpjack. Drink 2018-2040.Robert Parker | 100 RPA dark, sumptuous wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a total knock-out. Crème de cassis, blueberry jam, new leather, espresso and cedar flesh out effortlessly. The Reserve captures all the magic of this fabled corner of Oakville, where the wines boast texture, nuance and volume, but with no sense of heaviness. A prototypical modern Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2013 Reserve hits all the right notes.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA wine of considerable size and proportion, this is very dense, rich and focused, with an intense beam of lively, gravel-laced currant, blackberry, anise, sage and cedar flavors. Though the size of the wine merits cellar time, there’s a beauty within. Best from 2020 through 2033. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Nearly its match is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Raison d’Etre, a blend of 100% estate fruit consisting of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. There is more of this to go around the country – 200 cases. There is not much difference in power, massive extract, richness, length and profound aromatics and flavors, as this is just a prodigious wine. Perhaps the dosage of Merlot gives this more chocolate and espresso than the Pièce De Résistance, but it is a stunningly big, thick, juicy wine that somehow maintains balance and delineation. Drink it over the next 35+ years.Robert Parker | 99 RPCrème de cassis, menthol, licorice, lavender and spice notes emerge from the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Raison d’Etre. Inky, powerful and voluptuous, the 2013 captures all the best qualities of the Pahlmeyer style. Even with all of its obvious concentration, the 2013 preserves a good deal of freshness and plenty of mountain tannin. This is a terrific showing.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard, which is also 100% of this varietal, behaves similarly to how the 2013 Altagracia did compared to its older sibling. Inky, bluish purple with a beautifully pure nose of blueberries, blackberries and cassis with background floral notes, this full-bodied wine (14.8% alcohol) tastes a lot younger and less evolved than its 2012 counterpart. I’d think this was a barrel sample, then again, it’s only been in bottle for three months. Beautiful layers of fruit, velvety more noticeable tannin, exquisite purity and an almost endless finish make for a remarkable effort that needs another 5-6 years of cellaring and should keep 30 to 40+ years, particularly in view of how Eiseles from the early 1970s have lasted.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe aroma of dried rose petals is stunning. Hints of dark fruits too. Intensely perfumed. Full-bodied, deep and condensed with incredible depth and subtlety. Powerful tannins that are hidden under the beautiful fruit. The finish lasts for minutes. Precise and gorgeous. Very tight. Needs four to five years to soften and amalgamate. One of best ever from Araujo? The first wine from grape to bottle from the new owner, Francois Pinault, who also owns Château Latour.James Suckling | 98 JSA deep-pitched bouquet of fresh red-black fruit, deep soil tones and floral top notes introduces a youthfully primary wine with a refined, three-dimensional tannic structure and signature Eisele minerality. The first wine produced ’from berry to bottle’ by the Pinault regime is thus a great success, with notably superior barrel integration to some of its predecessors. The vineyard is now front-and-centre: on the label, and in the bottle. Drinking Window 2023 - 2045Decanter | 95 DECPure and pleasantly focused, driven by a supple core of dark berry, licorice, sage, underbrush and mineral notes that stand up to the cedary oak. Ends long, deep and persistent, echoing the core flavor themes.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is dark, intense and jammy, with good up-front richness and mid-palate depth. Today, the oak is a bit prominent, which is unusual for this wine. Araujo’s 2013 Eisele is solid, but doesn’t quite hit the high notes that are so typical of the year.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

Fantastic complexity here with aromas of toast, biscuit, lemon, almond, chalk and some fennel. It’s long, sleek and mineral, with tight, very fine bubbles and so much tension and precision. Very long and chalky finish. Disgorged end of 2023. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne’s bouquet is compellingly fresh and minty, revealing aromas of white fruit—notably pear and apple—marzipan and sweet spices, as well as a light touch of citrus mingled with classy autolytic notes. On the palate, this is a structured, tensile and ethereal Champagne with high acidity—a sign of a classic vintage—animated by a mousse of striking finesse and delicacy. Although already enjoyable, it should develop well for several decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

A vivid and bright red with intense blueberries and raspberries. Floral undertones and tons of citrus, too! Full-bodied, dense and layered. Polished tannins and fantastic fruit. The muscularity of the structure is what gives this wine focus and intensity. So serious for the vintage. Give it time to show its greatness. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSCasanova di Neri’s 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is celebrating its 20th anniversary (1993-2013), and a special gold-label edition of the wine was made to commemorate this important milestone. This is a bold and expressive Brunello that displays tightly knit aromas of Morello cherry, spice, leather and balsam herb that are the building blocks of the most beautiful Brunellos that come to mind. The Casanova di Neri house style implies a modern and sophisticated approach for sure. But the inner spirit and texture of Sangiovese is so fine and polished in its natural state that it hardly matters. The personality of the grape shines through with a loud and confident voice.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSweet, ripe strawberry and cherry fruit melds seamlessly with the dense, refined structure of this red. Saline, licorice and spice accents add complexity as this lingers gracefully on the finish. Terrific harmony and expression.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis 2013 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova has quite a heavily extracted style. The dark ruby/garnet color is much more youthful than on the 2012 despite only one year’s difference. The nose is clean, but is a bit closed at first with smoke, oak spice and a little tertiary, meaty, tarry note. The texture is very subtle and silky and this is followed by very atttractive, bright acidity giving freshness and lift to the finish. The tannins feel a little firmly extracted but are still quite fine and chalky in their nature. This is a muscular, powerful, traditional-style Brunello but it is very polished and still fresh and youthful.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIBright deep red. The youthfully reticent nose hints at flinty red cherry, blueberry, graphite, cedar and pepper. Then flavors similar to the aromas, and a tight acid spine and serious but polished tannins nicely extending and framing the brooding fruit notes and peppery flintiness on the long, deep, complex finish. A truly outstanding Tenuta Nuova Brunello that seems less fruit-forward and more shut down than usual but holds exciting promise. Interestingly, some of this wine’s elements, such as its flinty nuances, reminded me of Casanova di Neri’s Cerretalto Brunello (made with grapes grown at the opposite end of the Montalcino territory). I guess my palate needs to take a vacation. This knockout wine will age splendidly and will likely merit an even higher score in eight to ten years’ time.Vinous Media | 95+ VMTenuta Nuova hails from the Cetine vineyard, on a ridge near Sant’Angelo in Colle, in southern Montalcino. The Neri family developed this plot with clonal material from their Cerretalto vineyard. Ageing is in French tonneaux, with a small percentage of new oak. It’s an intense, compact wine - though not necessarily rich - offering captivating nuances of brambly blackcurrant, wild fennel, smoke, and coffee. The palate is vibrant, framed by muscular but sophisticated tannins.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

The 2013 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is an exceptional follow-up to the 2012. Naturally, the 2013 offers a bit more tension, cut and drive, all signatures of this late-ripening vintage. Chalk, slate, crushed rocks, citrus confit and hazelnut all race across the palate as the 2013 sizzles with tension from start to finish. This is still a baby. Give it time. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: January 2024.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis blanc de blancs is very pure and fresh, showing white flowers, light hazelnuts, peaches and grapefruit on the nose, with a hint of oyster shells. It’s sleek and chalky on the palate, linear and racy, with very fine bubbles and a bright acidic backbone. 100% stainless steel vinification. Chardonnay from Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and some Oiry. 4 g/L dosage. Disgorged January 2024. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

The best vintages of Solaia are 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and now 2013. Marchesi Antinori’s 2013 Solaia is a profound and meaningful wine that is based mostly on Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc in supporting roles. It sports a dark and thick texture with plump fruit and spice, grilled herb and black pepper. The bouquet is intense and layered with the kind of complexity that is best admired as the wine shifts and evolves in the glass. The textual impact is also impressive—you feel the inherent power and the structure, but these elements are never overdone. The best is yet to come; this Solaia is built for long cellar aging.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPLots of blackberry and other dark-berry character in addition to stones and currants. Full, tight and focused with chewy tannins and a long and linear finish. Needs three to four years of bottle age to soften. Powerful.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2013 Solaia from magnum is a special wine. I spent a month in Tuscany that year, so my memories of the growing season are many. In the glass, the 2013 is exquisitely perfumed, vibrant and wonderfully nuanced. I wouldn’t plan on opening bottles anytime soon, but it’s great to see that the 2013 is living up to its potential.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGOffers weight and presence, with black currant, plum and black cherry aromas and flavors. The structure is vibrant and harmonious. Herb, earth and spice accents complete the profile, with a lingering, savory finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2018 through 2033. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLike the Tignanello of the same vintage, the 2013 Solaia is restrained in character. It resembles a young Bordeaux, with top notes of cassis, hints of smoke and scents of plum blossom. The palate is quite complete, with pure dark fruit layering and coating the solid frame while fresh garden mint lingers on the finish. Ripe without being sweet, this classy wine has all the elements to suggest a long life. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DECThis blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc opens with intense aromas of black-skinned fruit, purple flower, oak and exotic spice. The taut, elegant palate offers black currant, black cherry, chopped mint and white pepper alongside bright acidity and polished, fine-grained tannins. It’s still youthfully austere, so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2020–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE Antinori’s 2013 Solaia feels poised and balanced. It’s focused on cabernet sauvignon (75 percent of the blend), with flavors of plum and blackberry edged in earthy tones of damp leaves, black tea and tobacco. The wine rested for 18 months in new French oak barriques, gaining notes of vanilla and sweet spice and developing finely polished tannins. The flavors gain energy and expression as the wine sits in the glass, indicating that this has good ageing potential.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S