Wine Producing Countries

wines

You could easily mistake the 2022 Pavillon Rouge De Margaux for the Grand Vin here, and truth be told, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this actually evolve better than some of the Grand Vins from just over 10-15 years ago. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot (the second wine got all the Petit Verdot in 2022), it offers a deep, medium to full-bodied, seamless profile as well as solid framboise, darker raspberry, currants, sandalwood, and spice aromatics, silky tannins, and outstanding length. The purity and precision paired with this level of texture and richness far exceeds the vast majority of second wines out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDBeautiful vivid colour, bright and intense. Dark chocolate, cherries and subtle perfume on the nose. Bright and lively thought also lean and straight on the palate. A generous weight and intense grip to the tannins. It’s on the tense side, focussed with extreme precision to the fruit profile with racy acidity unpinning the tannins which are at the fore. Feels refined and elegant, more serious than some other second wines in its construction but is classy, juicy, sculpted and softly plush. The fruit has bite and tang, with liquorice and graphite edges and spiced accents giving angles but all enjoyable and really building to the whole. Great freshness and length. 7% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.61pH. 84 IPT - highest IPT, highest before was 2018 which was 82. 15% press wine. 31% production.Decanter | 94 DECRich and dense with lots of fruit and juiciness. Redcurrants, black berries, strawberries and orange peel on the nose. Full and layered with fine, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Big presence.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs quite a lot of swirling to bring out notes of blackcurrant pastilles, Morello cherries, and preserved plums, followed by hints of dusty soil, cumin seed, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers commendable grace and backbone, with firm grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing with a fragrant lift. pH 3.65, TPI 85, alcohol 14.8% - but you don’t feel it.The Wine Independent | 93-95+ TWIThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is deep and perfumed, wafting from the glass with notions of cherries, raspberry preserve, lilac, violets and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated palate that’s deep, rich and vibrant, with a tannic grain that resembles the grand vin this year. It represents just under a third of the estate’s production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is a rich, sumptuous wine. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender and blood orange makes a strong opening, followed by unexpectedly bright, saline notes that bring it all together on the mid-palate and finish. The Pavillon Rouge is an eye-opening wine that embodies the style of the year so eloquently. I especially admire the vibrancy here. The purity of the flavors and quality of the tannins really elevate the 2022.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

A bright yellow hue with green highlights, the 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard is expressive in its lacy perfume of jasmine, tarragon, salty earth, and bright green apple. Medium-bodied, it offers beautiful, pristine, ripe fruit, a pithy texture, and a delicate arch to its rounded mouthfeel, with no harshness. It’s refined and graceful, with a floral flourish of lemon blossoms lasting long on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2022 Lark Block bottling of chardonnay from Durant Vineyard is truly one of the finest white wines I have yet had the pleasure to taste from Kelley Fox. The bouquet is very precise and has a gently exotic floral sheen to it, offering up scents of pear, casaba melon, fresh almond, a beautiful base of soil tones, lemon peel, orange blossoms and a touch of honeysuckle. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb depth at the core lovely soil inflection, a fine spine of acidity and a long, vibrant and impeccably balanced finish. This is very easy to drink out of the blocks, but there is so much more lurking here right below the surface that I would definitely try to give the wine three or four years in the cellar to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. It is a great wine. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard blossoms in the glass as wildflowers and crushed apples give way to mint and crushed stone suggestions. This opens with a lovely inner sweetness and supple texture contrasted with zesty acids and crisp orchard fruits. It tapers off with amazing tension, grippy and cheek puckering with a citrusy concentration as savory herbs and a sensation of liquid stone fade.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The magnificent, carousel-like sweep of the hill of Corton – almost 100 m top to bottom, and revelling in every exposition save north – means that exact location on the hill is critical for quality. The white wines of Corton-Charlemagne come overwhelmingly from south-west- and west-facing vineyards, coolly exposed, so often these are among the least articulate of all Burgundy’s great white Grands Crus in their youth. Not, though, in the case of this wine from the generous 2022 vintage. It’s promisingly pale, but already compelling on the nose, with subtle oak, wild hawthorne blossom and refined grape and cool citrus. It has all the controlled breadth you’d expect on the palate with more white blossom and subtle, vinous, breath-freshening fruits. The finish is long and lingering, mingling ripe, fruit-bonded acidity with a quiet pulse of ripeness. It will, of course, be better after a decade in a cool cellar, but there’s nothing to stop you enjoying the wine soon, either. Alcohol 13.0%. (DWWA 2024). - Decanter | 97 DECFour plots all in Pernand. Pale in colour with ripe apple notes. The bouquet suggests a leaner style of wine than the palate delivers, which may be a question of being just after bottling. There is some complexity on the palate, a little lime, a phenolic touch. I don’t notice the 40% new wood, so there is clearly good fruit concentration.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

This sits at the top of the Valmur slope, but it surprisingly has a vein of clay soil, too, which contributes generously to this wine’s fantastic palate density. It’s loaded up with perfectly ripe fruits yet has plenty of palate architecture to boot. The flavors start with plumcot, feijoa and star fruit. The intensity of the crunch and length attest to this wine’s ability to age to benefit. (2024).Tim Atkin | 96 TAFèvre’s Valmur plots lie over marly Kimmeridgian soils, with the emphasis here on freshness and a degree of austerity. Very dramatic, dense and concentrated on the palate, and which exudes purity and drive. A great success in 2022 and great ageing potential.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2022 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru is very closed on the nose, perhaps the most austere of William Fèvres’ cuvées, steely and almost curmudgeonly at the moment. The palate is well-balanced with a palpable saline leaning, very estuarine in style, with touches of oyster shell towards the finish. The purists’ choice. Superb.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThe holding sits on the marly vein up top on the crest, looking east south and west. Pure light yellow, Excellent tension, crystalline fruit coats the teeth, a solid mass which is currently very much more tightly coiled than most. Really kicks on. Ten years minimum please. Drink from 2032-2040+. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMHere too there is slightly more evident wood that stops short of fighting with the ripe aromas of various white orchard fruit scents that are nuanced by hints of tidal pool, algae and oyster shell. The denser, powerful and quite serious big-bodied flavors possess a gorgeous texture if not nearly the same level of refinement while displaying superb length on the robust finale. This firmly structured effort is also pretty much a textbook example.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Massetino is considered the second wine of Masseto, but I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that it’s far more than that. It represents around one-third of the production of Masseto, and judging by the quality of this 2022, next year’s release of the grand vin could be absolutely phenomenal. Massetino has always incorporated a portion Cabernet Franc since its first vintage, 2017 – 10% in 2022. A cool and dry spring led to a slightly late budbreak, followed by 75 days of drought and high temperatures. Summer storms eventually came along to restore balance, and the cool September evenings were perfect for the grapes reach full ripeness. Each parcel was vinified separately and spontaneously in concrete tanks before undergoing malolactic fermentation in barriques, 50% new. After 12 months, the final blend was made and the wine spent a further three months in concrete before bottling. Bright and stony, there’s so much energy here. Zingy and sapid, it combines fresh Mediterranean herbs and poised fruit, with more verticality than Masseto 2021 and just as much concentration. Incredible precision and beautiful freshness, especially considering the vintage.Decanter | 97 DECThis is refined and fresh with hints of sandalwood to the beautiful blue fruits. It’s medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that frame the blue fruit and hints of crushed stone. Succulent and juicy with a crunchy personality. You want a sip right away. Second wine of the highest quality from Masseto. So drinkable and wonderful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is opulent, with a lush texture enveloping black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. Flashes of tar, iron and wild herbs add detail as this red builds to the long finish. Balanced and fresh, with sweet, lingering oak spice notes. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A markedly floral-suffused nose is both cool and strikingly pure with its airy aromas of essence of white orchard fruit, passion fruit and plenty of spice and citrus elements. There is first-rate volume to succulent but punchy large-bodied flavors that are rich to the point of opulence yet there is very good delineation to the powerful, sappy and palate coating finish where the only nit is a trace of warmth. I would point out that this is presently decidedly compact and tightly wound so this would best be purchased knowing that at least mid-term cellaring will be in order.Burghound | 96 BHThe 2022 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru emerges from holdings that straddle the Chassagne and Puligny sides. Super-elegant and refined, Boillot’s Batard has a ton to offer, even if it is rather reticent at this stage. White flowers, mint, spice and light pastry overtones add layers of nuance. The 2022 is unctuous, but not at all heavy. This really opens beautifully onto its explosive finish. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 95-97 VMA glowing pale yellow. Super-concentrated if not yet very yielding bouquet. Extra tension here, certainly some depth, but perhaps more in class than power. That will change with time – the class with remain but the depth will expand. White fruit, tension, some youthful bitters, but keeping itself to itself for the moment. Really very long finish though. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: December 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JM

The 2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with showy scents of violets, dark chocolate, juicy blueberries, and kirsch, leading to hints of menthol, cedar chest, and Chinese five spice. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of exotic spices and earthy nuances, supported by firm, lightly chewy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with epic length. That classic To Kalon power really comes through on the finish!The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard is supple and juicy, qualities that will be best appreciated on the early side. It offers tons of forward appeal, if not quite the dimension, power of intensity of the best years. There’s no way to get past the challenges of the brutal heat here.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2022 Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored it is quite closed at the moment needing a lot of coaxing to bring out notes of plum preserves blueberry compote and black cherries giving way to hints of tar star anise and cumin seed. Full-bodied the palate is dense with black fruit preserves layers supported by firm grainy tannins and just enough freshness finishing long and opulent. Houyi Vineyard was picked through the 2022 heatwave. This fruit needed a lot of selection (nearly 30% of the fruit was discarded) making this a stellar effort. Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown Review date: 2024-09-12The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard is a dense, explosive wine. It shows the radiant, solar style of the year but with the body and texture that so many wines lack. This is the first vintage Realm made following their acquisition of this site, and they conducted the heaviest sorting here. Super-ripe red cherry, red plum, mocha, spice, lavender and orange peel stain the palate. This is a stellar wine for the year.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Moonracer Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shimmies out of the glass with energetic scents of red currant jelly, Morello cherries, mint tea, and rose oil, followed by suggestions of clove oil, cinnamon toast, and graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lightly chewy tannins and impressive freshness to frame the baking spice-laced red berry flavors, finishing with a minty lift.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Moonracer is a pretty, open-knit wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Crushed flowers, red-toned fruit, mint, cinnamon and orange peel open nicely with a bit of time in the glass. Pretty floral overtones add freshness to this silky, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Grandfather Fernand Coffinet, who planted the almond tree on the edge of this plot, died at the start of the year, so this wine is something of a homage to him. Clear bright pale colour. The nose shows the muscle in a harmonious way. Almost lean at the front then with a growing flesh behind. Huge potential here, less charming than Dent de Chien but a fabulous finish as well, stretching out even further than does the Dent de Chien. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JM

This beautiful Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru has a subtle nose of bergamot and orange zest with notes of wild herbs. Excellent tension on the generous but focused palate, driving the very long, structured finish, which has a serious stony minerality. From a high-altitude site that may well become better known due to climate change. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThis white is creamy, with ample baking spice, butterscotch, peach and lemon cake flavors. Shows latent power yet remains fresh and long on the complex finish, where the fruit and spice elements echo. Drink now through 2030. 1,250 cases made, 350 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA discreet application of wood frames the pretty aromas of the essence of pear and apple compote, carnation and crushed fennel. The sleek and intense middleweight flavors possess both good richness and a subtle minerality that adds a sense of lift to the markedly zest-inflected finale that exhibits solid length. Once again there is enough gas to notice so a few minutes in a decanter would be helpful.Burghound | 91 BH

Very cool and and focused, this mouthwatering Saint Romain has an extreme chalky minerality. Only medium-bodied, but really concentrated. Super-fresh and focused finish with so much fresh herb complexity (think sage and thyme). Very long and polished finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2022 Saint-Romain Sous Le Velle is comparatively more backward on the nose, a little chalky in style with light Golden Delicious and orange pith scents. There is fine delineation with neatly integrated oak. The palate is well-balanced, with a tang of orange zest on the entry. This has a silver beard of acidity, lending real tension and matching the impressive depth towards the vibrant finish. Sous Le Velle is often one of the go-to vineyards in Saint-Romain, and this proves exactly why.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPalish lemon and lime. A fine and classy bouquet, floral but still with the racy freshness of St-Romain. Fresh apples on the palate, with an intensity that will demand a little bottle age. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

A good bit of this wine comes from Bishop Creek, up to one-third, though it includes five to six other sites. ‘The idea of this wine is to express both the Valley and the vintage,’ says Jean Nicolas Méo. It’s both a vineyard and barrel selection and 30% new oak. The aromatics are grounded in red florals, with touches of earth and a spritz of spiced blood orange. The palate is elegant and refined, with tart berries, a silken structure and a beautiful finish of savoury spice. We make the barrel selection for this wine first before we make our single vineyard wines. ‘These are the best sites and our best barrels from the vintage,’ says partner Jay Boberg.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Pinot Noir L’Ensemble is a top 100 Wines of the Year contender. Sporting a reflective medium ruby hue in the glass, it’s pretty and inviting on opening, with pure notes of wild berries, delicate spices, crushed stones, and fresh roses. Medium-bodied on the palate, it’s refreshing and light on its feet, with fine tannins, a clean feel all the way through, and a tapered, mouthwatering finish. Seamless and pure, this is a fantastic appellation wine to enjoy over the next 10-12 years. I would snatch up a case or two to enjoy more frequently.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDElegant and pure, this pinot opens with aromas of fresh cherries, red currants, subtle flowers, dried tangerine peel and savory herbs. The palate is medium-bodied and effortlessly balanced, with silky tannins and lively acidity carrying the wine to a long, smooth, slightly spiced finish. I like the mineral tension. Better from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSA steely version, with chiseled acidity and pinpoint notes of cranberry and cherry that are laced with stony minerality, forest floor and rose petal details as this gathers tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2033. 1,348 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis best barrel selection from prime Willamette Valley vineyards invites you in with aromas of rose petals, red cherries, sweet pea flowers and lemon. Crisp acidity awakens the palate to fresh flavors of boysenberries, rosemary and orange zest. L’Ensemble’s tannins are as silky as its texture. To quote the Fine Young Cannibals, the L’Ensemble is a "Good Thing." Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2022 Pinot Noir L’Ensemble is a total pleasure to take in, mixing wild blueberries and cherries with sweet spice and hints of cola. This is fruit-forward yet refined, with juicy acidity and bitter tinges of clove and citrus that add contrast throughout. It tapers off with medium length, leaving a tart cranberry crunchiness and a pleasantly chewy sensation that persists.Vinous Media | 92 VM

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

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

Ample, textural and flavorful. Flinty oak, apricots, minerals, nectarines and subtle grapefruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied for rosé, mingling spices and herbs at the center palate. Focused, tactile and well-built. Long and flavorful finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThere’s a fresh and floral-accented immediacy on the nose of the 2022, followed by flattering vanilla and hazelnut from the oak and an attractive whisp of resiny pine forest. The palate is flowing, rounded and textural with a persistence underscored by fine-boned structural grip. While it’s a match for the 2023 in elegantly contained power, it doesn’t have quite the same exceptional focus and drive. Interestingly, for Provence rosé overall, 2022 was the better vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThere’s a fresh and floral-accented immediacy on the nose of the 2022, followed by flattering vanilla and hazelnut from the oak and an attractive whisp of resiny pine forest. The palate is flowing, rounded and textural with a persistence underscored by fine-boned structural grip. While it’s a match for the 2023 in elegantly contained power, it doesn’t have quite the same exceptional focus and drive. Interestingly, for Provence rosé overall, 2022 was the better vintage.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECA sturdy, substantial rosé in a flattering style, with creamed mango, persimmon and bergamot flavors cruising alongside fleur de sel and smoky mineral notes. Shows grip at the end, with white tea tannins and silky acidity driving the smoky, focused finish. Grenache, Rolle and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

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

Now from bottle, the 2022 Cornas Patou is rocking stuff. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as powerful aromatics of ripe red plums, black cherries, roasted garrigue, violets, and pepper, it has full-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, the firmer, focusing tannins of the vintage, and one hell of a great finish. This sensational Cornas is going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and should have a solid two decades of overall longevity. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe old vines in the Patou climat owned by Gilbert and Nicolas Serrette are veritably old vines, as the youngest in their parcel were planted in the 1920s! Their 2022 Patou comes in at 13.5 percent octane and delivers a stunning aromatic constellation of red and black raspberries, smoked meats, pepper, a beautiful array of spice tones, a complex foundation of stony soil elements, hints of the lavender to come with bottle age and a topnote of distant bonfire. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine core of fruit, a good undercarriage of tannin, fine balance and grip and a long, youthful and extremely promising finish. I suspect that this wine’s lower octane level is a reflection of these old vines having shut down for a bit during the mid-summer drought, but there is plenty of fruit here to outride the tannins and in due course, this is going to be a gorgeous bottle of Cornas. But, it is a very traditionally-styled example and will require plenty of patience. My gut feeling is that ultimately, it will share much of the same size and shape as the beautiful wines from the 1988 vintage when they were ready to drink. (Drink between 2035 - 2085)John Gilman | 94 JGOffers a classic Cornas combo of dark fruit against a granite mineral wall. Keeps a freshness, too, alongside an expressive well of cherry, licorice, black pepper and allspice. Earth and salt notes layer in, bringing savory freshness. Graphite shaving and apple wood smoke details ground the full-bodied finish, which is firm and structured. Best from 2027 through 2039. 500 cases made, 90 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2022 Cornas Patou wafts from the glass with intense orange blossom, violet, raspberry compote, blackberry liqueur, cedar, hints of leather and crushed rocks. The 2022 is an intense Cornas framed by boatloads of ripe tannins, with secure aging potential. I’m quite curious as to how this will show from bottle.Vinous Media | 91-94 VMThe 2022 Cornas Patou, harvested between September third and fourth, displays an inky bouquet rich in spices, flowers and meaty aromas. It’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, offering a structured and firm texture, suggesting the presence of phenols that contribute to the meaty notes in the finish and underscores the wine’s robust character.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

This impeccably structured version shows a simmering intensity that remains graceful on the palate, with detailed raspberry flavors that draw in accents of forest floor and rose petal as this builds tension and richness toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034. 553 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe Summum comes from the lowest-yielding vines in the La Source parcel and this wine is made with 33% whole cluster. The aromatics balance elegance with deep umami character. Elements of turned earth and smoky rose petals play off against tart blackberries and blood oranges. The palate shows a concentration of fruit yielding freshness throughout. Plum skin and blackberries with mint are given over to savoury herbs, mouthfuls of dried violets, turned earth, smoked sea salt and a hint of nori, a wonderful display of umami and forest floor.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECMade from the oldest vines on the Seven Springs property, this medium-bodied and complex wine seamlessly blends savory notes of black tea and bay leaves with tart cherry, strawberry, raspberry and mushroom undertones. Best from 2027.James Suckling | 96 JSThe newest Summum is a showstopper. Fresh, floral aromas of mainland roses and tropical plumeria flowers join together with tart red raspberry and roasted pork shoulder notes. A crisp mouthfeel and texture showcase flavors like Rainier cherries, lime and bittersweet dark chocolate. Pour this with grilled portobello mushrooms and Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.”Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2022 Pinot Noir Summum is perfumed with peppery florals and dusty lavender, complementing crushed wild berries. This is full of energy, cooling and racy, with depths of tart red fruit cascading beneath an air of violet and rose. It takes on a grippy sensation as fine tannins mount toward the close. The Summum is fermented using 30-40% whole clusters and refined in 60% new French oak.Vinous Media | 95 VMFermented with whole clusters, the 2022 Pinot Noir Summum unfurls dramatically on the nose, wafts of tar and underbrush giving way to cranberry, autumn leaves and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate has a concentrated core of nuanced fruit. It’s structured by silky tannins and vibrant acidity and has a long, bitters-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2022 Summum Pinot Noir is an outstanding young wine. Like the la Source bottling this year, the wine comes in at 13.2 percent octane and offers up a superb and utterly refined bouquet of black cherries, sweet dark berries, raw cocoa, dark soil tones, pigeon, woodsmoke and a gentle framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, tangy and precise, with a great core of black fruit, superb soil transparency and grip, ripe, fine-grained tannins and laser-like focus on the long, complex and nascently complex finish. As I have mentioned before, the Summum bottling is made from the same parcels of vines as the la Source, with the team at Evening Land making a vineyard selection of the very finest bunches to be dedicated to this cuvée. This will need an extended period of hibernation, but it will be outstanding once it is ready to go. (Drink between 2037 - 2075)John Gilman | 94 JG

Justin Willett’s transparent, focused winemaking style is well-suited for this site, endowing the 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard with compelling crystalline purity. A beautiful, nuanced nose of clementines, petrichor and white flowers gives way to a precise, lively yet pillowy palate, concluding with a fine-grained chalky finish that remains bright and rounded simultaneously. A graceful, understated expression of this site, I suspect some additional weight and dimension will come from a year or two in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is another stellar wine in this range from Tyler. Complex, layered and nuanced, the S&B Chardonnay has so much to offer. There’s gorgeous texture here, not to mention tons of S&B character. Clean mineral notes extend the finish.Vinous Media | 95 VM

There’s extraordinary energy in this wine. It displays a dark nose of black cherries, bramble fruit, violets, forest, licorice, bark, carob and leather. Density and tension dominate the full-bodied palate, with firm, velvety tannins. It’s slightly austere in the finish at the moment, yet it’s crunchy and full of potential. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSTignanello is one of Tuscany’s most iconic wines and the 2022 doesn’t disappoint, starting with its captivating aromas of fragrant purple flower, cake spice, camphor and ripe plum. A blend of mainly Sangiovese with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the smooth, utterly delicious and elegantly structured palate delivers succulent black cherry, cassis, vanilla, mocha and graphite alongside well-integrated, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity lifts the rich flavors. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KODelightfully approachable on the nose right away, with warm mocha notes and cool graphite aromas against bing and black cherries, and a palate that’s equally outrageously delicious and easy to love even in its unbridled youth, with more cherries, blackberries, raspberries and chocolate inside a framework of tannins made to measure and acid built like an invisible force field.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2022 Tignanello is all class and refinement. Crushed flowers, mint, white pepper, blood orange and cinnamon all grace a Tignanello defined by a decidedly sophisticated personality. The 2022 has started to flesh out nicely, especially in the mid-palate, but it remains very much on the understated side of things relative to most vintages.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe rich texture wraps around plum, cherry, graphite, tobacco and earth flavors, with a line of dusty tannins underneath. Fresh, elegant and long, ending with a pleasant astringency. Give this a year or two to integrate. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2040. 12,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A deep and rich chardonnay with lots of dried apple and honey, as well as honeysuckle and dried lilacs. Full-bodied and layered with lots of phenolics and richness. Some caramel, too, yet it remains fresh throughout. So much dried lemon at the end. Intense and contrastive. Fantastic. Better to decant. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

A totally classic bouquet of mint leaf, bell pepper and crushed raspberries meets a beautiful complement of white smoke as the 2022 Cabernet Franc blossoms in the glass. This washes across the palate with a contrasting blend of sweet spices and tart wild berry fruits, taking on a tactile mineral crunch and depths of exotic spice toward the close. Silky within, yet grippy and sinewy through the finish, this finishes impossibly long and staining.Vinous Media | 96 VM

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

Lots of tangy fruit with spicy lemon, lime, lemongrass and raw ginger character and just a hint of waxy undertones. Medium-bodied, tight and focused, with a frame of fruit and a solid finish. Lots of spices and green fruit as well as fresh herbs like basil and sage. A blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, ribolla gialla and malvasia. Drink or hold. Screw cap.James Suckling | 96 JSThis elegant white is vibrant and inviting, with a sense of finesse as a racy spine of acidity is enmeshed with fruit flavors of melon, kiwi fruit and pink grapefruit glâcée, plus accents of green almond and white blossoms. Spice and mineral notes play on the mouthwatering finish. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana. Drink now through 2034. 5,833 cases made, 840 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSeashells and crushed stone mingle with tart orchard fruits, creating a vivid aromatic profile in this blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, and Malvasia. Bright and refreshing, the wine’s mouthwatering acidity is like a cool ocean breeze with ocean spray spritz freshly cut apples. It’s zippy on the finish, with a salty minerality that’s reminiscent of an early morning walk along the beach.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE