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The aromas of flowers, blackberries, and white truffles are superb. Full to medium body and ultra-fine tannins. The finish lasts for minutes. An amazing Cicala. Don't miss this. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSAromas of dark berry, iris, menthol and a whiff of oak emerge on this vibrant wine. Firmly structured but loaded with finesse, the palate delivers ripe Marasca cherry, crushed black raspberry, vanilla, savory mineral and thyme alongside fine-grained tannins. A licorice note wraps around the tight finish. This is still primary so be sure to give it time to fully develop. Drink 2025–2045.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2013 Barolo Bussia Cicala is a beautiful wine with impressive depth and a profound sense of sharpness. This part of the Bussia cru sees a mix of clay soils (40%) with limestone (60%). In a sense, Cicala is the most indicative of the greater Bussia cru both in terms of its geological properties and its general taste profile. You get a lot of fruit in this wine followed by tannic firmness and evident power. Together, the wine presents balanced results. The alcohol here is 14.5% and I'm told that the upcoming 2016 vintage is almost a full degree stronger.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSour-cherry and red-fruit aromas are less perfumed than Colonnello but more assertive. Very concentrated with structure and vibrancy, and more texture and grip than Colonnello. Very long. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThis starts out with brilliant macerated cherry flavors, accented by rose, tar, spice and mineral elements. Firm, yet pure, complex and long, with a dense matrix of tannins shoring up the finish. Offers a fine, brambly aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2043. 400 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2013 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, shows great intensity, with a slightly more burning ember and scorched earthiness to it, giving it a more Graves-like character compared to the purity of the Tychson Hill. The wine is full-bodied, rich, layered and possibly slightly more tannic and backward than the Tychson Hill, but that could be because it had recently been bottled. It should evolve over the course of 30+ years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2013 Cariad is fabulous. Pliant, expressive and nuanced in the glass. Here, the tannins are suave and supple, which makes the wine unusually accessible today. There is plenty of delineation in the dark, mineral-laced flavors, but the 2013 impresses for most of its superb textural depth. Cariad is made mostly from fruit sourced from David Abreu's Madrona Ranch vineyard in St. Helena.Vinous Media | 98 VMSuperb aromas of black fruits, black truffle and leather. Black olives. Full body, fabulous soft and velvety tannins, and superb length. The texture to this is so luxurious and sexy. Cardamom, game, earth and intense fruit. Yet poised. A blend as always of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. Hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 97 JSExhibits a tight bundle of rich, extracted dark berry, mocha, licorice, savory herb and underbrush flavors, with accents of smoky oak. A tour de force that is best served after a long decant or some cellar time. The finish is deep and extracted. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Compared to the Le Vigne, the 2013 Aleste is slightly deeper and richer. Coming all from the Cannubi Boschis vineyard and aged 18 months in 500-liter French oak, it reveals incredible notes of black currants, blackberries, ground herbs, licorice, and smoked tobacco. Possessing medium to full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and serious amounts of tannin, it’s an incredible wine, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. Hide bottles for 5-6 years and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2013 Barolo Aleste is a wine of striking purity and nuance. It is also one of the most finessed, vivid young Barolos I have ever tasted from Sandrone. The translucence of Nebbiolo comes through loud and clear. Freshly cut flowers, mint and finely cut fruit are some of the signatures. This wine has developed beautifully in recent vintages as the oak influence is less than it was just a few years ago. Beams of tannin and bright, salivating acidity add finesse to this translucent, exceptional Barolo. Aleste is the new name Sandrone is using for the Barolo formerly known as Cannubi Boschis.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGFormerly known as Barolo Cannubi Boschis (the last vintage by that name was 2012), the 2013 Barolo Aleste has been renamed to honor the youngest generation of the Sandrone family, Alessia and Stefano. The wine name Aleste takes the first three letters from each grandchild's name. The move represents the culmination of more than 50 harvests completed by this legendary winemaker and his desire to pass on the torch. His grandchildren are at different points in their respective viticulture and enology university studies. Now under a different name, the wine obviously shows the same delicate floral nuances that you get with this wine (fruit from Cannubi is always harvested first). This is a complete and exciting wine with delicate notes of wild berry and smoke backed by licorice and blue flower.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFormerly known as Cannubi Boschis, this impressive wine boasts alluring aromas of crushed raspberry, baking spice, chopped mint, violet and woodland berry. The savory elegant palate delivers succulent Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, cinnamon, licorice and a hint of coffee. Fine-grained tannins and bright acidity provide polished support and great balance. Drink 2023–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAs of 2013, Sandrone's iconic Cannubi Boschis bottling has been rebranded with the fantasy moniker Aleste, which fuses the names of Luciano's grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. The grapes still hail exclusively from the Cannubi Boschis cru, aged for 24 months in French tonneaux, less than 20% new. It is already open and appealing, with well-defined aromas of sweet spice, cedar, black raspberry and rose. The palate shows earthy restraint and balance, with a promising future. Drinking Window 2020 - 2037.Decanter | 96 DECExtremely perfumed with blackberry and chocolate aromas. Hints of mushrooms. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows wonderful potential. This replaces their Cannubi Boschis bottling. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSWell-structured, revealing dark fruit flavors of black cherry and black currant, with accents of iron, tobacco and tar. Has grip and a fresh feel, lingering on the licorice- and mineral-tinged finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is a rival for the 2012. Opaque purple, with blueberry and blackberry fruit, a hint of incense and subtle toast, the wine has great intensity, incredible richness and, again, a floral blue- and black-fruited nose and flavor profile that is remarkable. The finish goes on for close to a minute. This is slightly more tightly knit than the more ostentatious 2012, but both are wines to taste and drink before you die!Robert Parker | 100 RPFabulous aromas of dark fruits such as blackberry and bramble berry plus coffee and smoked meat. Full-bodied, very tight and reserved. Superfine and polished tannins. Sweet and subtle fruit flavors. Precise and focused. So silky. Savory. A wine that gives wonderful pleasure and intrigue. Drink or hold. 320 cases.James Suckling | 97 JSA deep, dense, powerful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill exudes pure richness. The flavors are dark and boldly sketched throughout, with gorgeous savory and mineral notes that add shades of nuance to the dark, inky fruit. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2013 is remarkably balanced for such a young wine. The 2013 should drink well with just a few more years in bottle. As always, the Tychson Hill is the most open and forthcoming of the Colgin wines.Vinous Media | 96 VMComplex, with a range of flavor extending from espresso to mocha to smoky, toasty oak, adding depth and dimension to the firm core of chocolate-laced blackberry and wild berry. Ends with firm, ripe tannins and excellent length. Best from 2020 through 2033. 425 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2013 Thorevilos is a real stunner. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2013 possesses magnificent structure to match its vivid fruit. Deep and enveloping, the 2013 Thorevilos is an attention-grabbing wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, sage, violet, menthol, graphite, smoke and black cherry gradually flesh out in the glass, but the tannins are going to need much more time than that. Remarkably nuanced for such a big wine, the 2013 is spectacular from the very first taste. The 2013 has always been thrilling. It is all that and more today.Vinous Media | 100 VM

Abreu is now calling his vineyard on Howell Mountain (a tract of 33 acres with 15 planted) Las Posadas, after the road high on the mountain that seems to be the Fifth Avenue of Howell Mountain vineyard sites. The 2013 Las Posadas Proprietary Red was unreal from barrel, and that extraordinary Midas touch exhibited by Grimes and Abreu has extended to this wine out of bottle, which is a showcase for Howell Mountain and the meticulous viticulture and winemaking of Abreu and Grimes. Inky purple to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of sweet mulberry, intense graphite, scorched earth, smoldering wood charcoal, and massive blackberry and cassis fruit, this intriguing and provocative wine also throws in hints of licorice and black truffle. It is extremely rich, full-bodied, and nearly an out-of-body experience. Look for it to improve in age for 40 to 50 years. I can see consumers opening it circa 2065 to 2075 and saying, “Wow – what a great vintage this must have been!”Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2013 Las Posadas is superb. Graphite, smoke, lavender, exotic spices and inky crème de cassis fruit power a deeply expressive Howell Mountain wine. Beautifully structured and towering on the palate, the 2013 is showing beautifully today. This is a striking Howell Mountain wine. It is also the most giving and expressive of the Abreu 2013s today, which is surprising given its Howell Mountain origins. This is a superb wine.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis blend of five Bordeaux varieties is the most striking and nuanced of Howell Mountain’s super-expensive cult wines. Powerful and structured, impeccable balance. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040Decanter | 96 DEC

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

This is amazing on the nose with blackberries, black truffle, dried cherries and hints of tobacco. It’s so complex on the nose that you almost don’t need to taste it. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a persistent, fabulous finish. The mouthfeel is magic. 80% sangiovese and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2013 Tignanello represents the beginning of a new chapter for Italy’s ultimate game-changer wine. The blend remains 80% Sangiovese with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc but Renzo Cotarella tells me "stylistically-speaking, this is what we wanted to achieve." The winemaking formula remains the same, but one of the major differences and benefits to this wine is vineyard age. The celebrated Tignanello single vineyard is now reaching 15 years old. In other words, it is in its production prime. This is a harmonious and beautifully integrated wine that reveals black fruit and baking spice. I’m told the 2014 Tignanello will have a greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 vintage will have more Sangiovese.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2013 Tignanello is a real knock-out. Rich and intense, but also linear in style, the 2013 is endowed with superb energy from start to finish. In this vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc character is especially evident, especially in the aromatics. Today, the 2013 is tightly wound and not ready to show all of its cards. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013, but the wine has plenty to say. Above all else, this is a remarkable level of quality for a wine with Bordeaux First Growth production (but not price) often in excess of 25,000 cases.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDefined by licorice and black currant aromas and flavors, this is intense and harmonious. A crisp, vibrant feel pervades as this winds down, showing excellent length and a minerally element.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2023 through 2043. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSWinemaker Renzo Cotarella declared the 2013 to be one of the most vibrant Tignanellos Antinori has ever made. It recalls 2010 but is a slightly less powerful package. The Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly evident at the moment, with well-defined nuances of blackberry bush. Notes of fresh dark earth, red cherry and minerality lurk underneath. The tannins are long and refined but not quite ready to relax their grip. Currently austere rather than generous, this needs time to knit together. Drinking Window 2021 - 2036.Decanter | 95 DECVibrant and loaded with finesse, this blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc opens with enticing scents of red woodland berry, new leather, Asian spice and a touch of menthol. The youthful palate delivers red currant, wild cherry, star anise and clove alongside a backbone of firm acidity and polished, tightly wound tannins. It will age majestically; drink 2020–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFlavors of black currant and tobacco bring the influence of Cabernet Sauvignon (15 percent) and Cabernet Franc (5 percent) to the fore in this Sangiovese-based blend. Ample alcohol lends a Bourbon-like edge to the wine’s oak-derived accents of vanilla and coconut, but Sangiovese’s firm, raspy tannins guide the wine back toward red cherry flavors and into a long, smoky finish.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Ripe and fruity, the wine is a great success. It has juicy berry fruits that are underpinned by the firm tannins and mineral structure. It is full while also crisp: a wine that is deliciously perfumed. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe complex savory, herbal and earthy nose leads into a medium-bodied wine with some real concentration and a nice freshness on the finish, where there are some serious but well-integrated tannins. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2014 de Fieuzal is a bold, racy wine. Sweet red cherry, iron, smoke and tobacco give the wine its distinctive flavor profile. The tannins have softened quite a bit over the last 18 months, which has allowed the fruit to show lovely succulence and creaminess. Drink this juicy Pessac-Leognan now and over the next handful of years. There is plenty to like in this expressive sleeper wine for the vintage. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGClosed black cherry aroma, not generous now but there is subdued power and tannic hold. House style is evident: firm and big, less lift than other Pessac estates, but the dark, bristling fruit is obvious and there is excellent potential for ageing. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2014 De Fieuzal was following the Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and frankly that’s a difficult act to follow. It certainly does not possess the same precision of fruit concentration, perhaps enduring a reticent, broody stage of its evolution. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and well-judged acidity. Here perhaps more representative of the wine, building in the mouth towards a lovely cedar-tinged finish, leaving you on a high note. Hopefully the aromatics will develop with bottle age and then it will merit a higher score.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90+ RP-NMRipe, fleshy and fun, with lots of friendly blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry preserve notes gliding through, structured by refined tannins and backed by light tar, anise and black tea details. Best from 2018 through 2024. 665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Firm and still dry with the solid tannins, the wine’s ripe fruitiness is developing well. The combination gives great potential. Black currant and berry fruits are both there with crisp juicy acidity. The aftertaste is a reminder that this wine has a long way to go. Drink from 2024. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2014 Lagrange is terrific. Bold, juicy and exuberant, the 2014 possesses striking balance and textural richness. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, iron, smoke and tobacco underpin a core of intense red-toned fruit in a super-expressive, layered wine endowed with real pedigree. The firm, muscular tannins need time to soften, but there is plenty to look forward to. Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThis is a classic St.-Julien with red fruit and delicate herbs on the nose. The oak is quite discreet both there and on the mid-weight body. Then the serious but rather elegant dry tannins come through on the long finish. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Lagrange has indeed pulled its socks up, as I opined when I tasted the wine from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a conservative, tertiary nose with introverted black fruit mixed with cedar and sandalwood aromas. It feels tight at the moment but there is satisfying focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin on the entry, though the Merlot component becomes more prominent towards the finish and offers a lovely fleshy, poised finish with a dab of black pepper on the aftertaste. Modest but stylish Lagrange, which is exactly what you expect.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMAttractive Cabernet-Merlot fruit with the slightly understated elegance that is so true to Lagrange. Lovely fragrance and beautiful depth of fruit. A wine of elegant harmony. (Drink between 2018-2028)Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThis shows terrific cut and drive from the start, with mouthwatering acidity and a chiseled graphite note leading the way, backed by a core of pure cassis and blackberry preserves. Licorice snap and sweet tobacco details flitter through the finish, where the graphite edge reemerges and sails on and on. Best from 2022 through 2040. 7,632 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis has aromas of black fruit, olives, wet earth, dried lavender, cloves and bark. Bitter chocolate and walnuts, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured, with great freshness and length. Cedar notes on the lighter mid-palate. Still a little tight and chewy. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years. Enjoy from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Latour captures the personality of the year in its linear, lithe construction. It’s a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, spice, mint and sweet tobacco open over time, but at this level, wines are more about a feel, an expression of place and a vintage. The 2014 Latour embodies all the best this cool, late-ripening growing season had to offer. I loved the 2014 when it was first shown, about five years ago, and I love it today. It is a super-classic Pauillac.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2014 Château Latour is still a baby and relatively closed and backward, offering darker, meaty black fruits, tobacco, truffly earth, and graphite on the nose. It’s much more dense and structured than I would have imagined from tasting on release and offers full-bodied richness, a beautiful mid-palate, fabulous overall balance, and no shortage of tannins on the finish. This vintage was terrific for the Médoc, particularly the northern Médoc, and this beauty warrants another 7-8 years of bottle age, after which I suspect it will have well over 3 decades of overall longevity. The blend is 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.2% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% alcohol.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReddish purple rim. Expressive on the nose; cocoa powder, truffle, soft spices, blackcurrant pastilles, black cherries and mint - the best Cabernet aromatics. Great delicacy here, this is so poised and elegant, a touch of soft sweetness to the red and black fruits. Tannins fill the mouth but this is well handled, less plump and round, more direct and linear but with a beautiful fragrance, delicacy and texture that fills the mouth but gently. Still so much juice and freshness as well as softly cooling mint tones. The fresh, vibrant flavour makes you think you could drink it now but it’s only the tannins that suggest it needs longer. Still, it’s lovely, with such well placed fruit flavours that hits all sides of the mouth and lingers long after the finish. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2049Decanter | 96 DEC

The 2014 Les Fiefs de Lagrange is bold and intense, with a real sense of gravitas to the dark red stone fruit, iron, smoke and licorice flavors. A delicious second wine, the Fiefs is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. This is in a style built for impact rather than finesse.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

The 2014 Richebourg from Charles van Canneyt is stunning, with the elegance and transparency of the vintage finding a perfect dance partner in the depth and succulence of this cru. The superb bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of red and black plums, cocoa powder, duck, a very complex base of soil tones, woodsmoke, violets and a lovely framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very refined out of the blocks, with a sappy core of fruit, great mineral drive, suave tannins and stunning backend energy on the precise and very, very long and complex finish. A great young example of Richebourg. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2014 Richebourg Grand Cru has a fabulous bouquet: complex and profound, quite floral in style with wonderful intensity. The palate is medium-bodied, more masculine than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant and perhaps without quite the same riveting tension and detail. That said, it comes across as extraordinarily fresh and vibrant, with hints of undergrowth and smoke towards the structured and masculine finish. It will need a few years to really settle into its groove, but it will surely evolve into a tremendous Richebourg.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPerfumed with subtle aromas of raspberry and wild strawberry coupled with nuances of cured meat. A very racy wine with a velvety texture and some sweet spices on the finish.Decanter | 95 DECMedium red Distinctly darker on the nose than the RSV, offering scents of blackberry, boysenberry, violet, smoky minerals and spicy oak Sappy, saline, broad and classically dry; distinctly thicker and more backward than the RSV, with its soil character currently dominating its primary fruits Superb volume here but rather uncompromising today; this wine will need a long time to emerge from its shell Finishes with hints of chocolate and mint The RSV shows more oaky sweetness but this wine is more profound (Incidentally, when I tasted the 2014s from bottle at Hudelot-Noëllat in late 2015, this wine showed more high-toned lift and early personality than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant, but then Charles van Canneyt has been telling me for years that these two grand crus are constantly "changing their position in the cellar" during their élevageVinous Media | 93+ VMDiscreet but not invisible wood frames the less expressive but similarly spicy nose of fresh and ripe plum, cassis and violet scents that also display a hint of herbal tea. There is outstanding volume and intensity to the lightly mineral-inflected big-bodied flavors that possess very fine depth and length on the well-balanced finale. This is very firmly structured and is going to require at least a decade of cellaring before it will be approachable.Burghound | 93 BH

Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between opens with tantalizing molten chocolate and liquid licorice notions over crème de cassis, candied violets, baked red currants, kirsch and black tea scents. The palate is full-bodied and firmly textured with ripe, grainy tannins while packed with floral and black fruit layers, finishing very long and minerally with an energetic red fruit lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPHundred Acre’s 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between, from Jayson Woodbridge’s Calistoga site, is a reminder of how expressive and rewarding his wines can be. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, smoke, licorice and menthol are all super-intense in this racy, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. Potent and full-throttle, the 2014 possesses tremendous aromatic intensity (a signature of 2014) to play off the dense fruit. I tasted the 2014 blind as part of a tasting of wines from Calistoga’s Kenefick Ranch district, where it was both impressive and distinctive.Vinous Media | 96 VM

A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSFor whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDDark in profile, featuring a steeped core of fig and blackberry fruit that melds with roasted apple wood and ganache notes through the finish. Shows plenty of muscle, but the refined structure leads to a very long finish, boding well for the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 4,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2014 Clinet is a wine that left me "perplexed" when I tasted it multiple times both from barrel and in bottle. The litmus test is how it shows blind... Here it has a lifted bouquet with truffle and smoke-infused red fruit, a subtle hickory note coming through with aeration. One or two attendees at the tasting suggested brettanomyces. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, spicy in the mouth with a dash of white pepper towards the firm, quite masculine and angular finish. Two bottles tasted with consistent notes. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A sleek, lean cat, with distilled currant and raspberry fruit that races from start to finish, maintaining tension throughout thanks to a riveting chalky spine. A light floral hint hangs in the background. Should develop into a perfumy beauty with time. Best from 2022 through 2035. 3,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA step back from the sensational 2015, yet still an incredible wine that checks in near the top of the vintage, the 2014 Clos Fourtet offers an elegant, seductive style as well as perfumed notes of ripe cherries, strawberries, spice and exotic flowers, with a touch of minerality coming through with time in the glass. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, with ultra-fine tannin and a beautiful elegance and persistence, it’s already impossible to resist yet I suspect will cruise in the cellar on its balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 Clos Fourtet has developed a very perfumed bouquet with pure black cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas that seem very precise and relatively sophisticated compared to its Saint Emilion peers. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red cherry and cranberry fruit, the tannins both fine but firm. This is a supremely well-focused Clos Fourtet, perhaps one that shows more restraint than previous vintages, yet there is genuine focus and intensity towards the almost piercing finish with vivid black, mineral-soaked fruit. This is a superb Clos Fourtet that transcends the promise from barrel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2014 Clos Fourtet has an extremely perfumed and floral bouquet with red cherries, crushed strawberry and a touch of orange peel and vanilla pod. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp acidity, harmonious and poised, with a long mineral-driven finish that retains a sense of classicism and style. Serious...but delicious. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMFar too early to enjoy, this 2014 is at first imperceptible aromatically, suggesting lead pencil. The palate has some 2011 like steeliness but more three dimensional, almost like a young Pauillac. A great wine can be delicious young, but it can also close down - and this seems to be the case of the 2014, which from barrel was superb for energy and ripeness. A conservative score for now . 3.57pH.Decanter | 94 DECRipe black-cherry aromas lead the nose of this wine that’s fruity while having just enough structure to promise aging. It’s fresh and crisp, with a cut of structure in the background. The aftertaste brings out a smokier, toasty character that does show its future maturation potential.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe richness and decadence of this are so pretty. Medium to full body and firm and silky tannins. Juicy and long. Flavorful. Needs time to soften. Austerity will turn to great beauty. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2014 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard may end up being the greatest vintage for this vineyard to date. Offering a thrilling bouquet of black raspberries, sassafras, mint, ginger, and exotic flowers, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a wealth of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannin and great, great finish. It’s the most opulent and sexy of the 2014s, yet stays beautifully balanced and is going to age gracefully for upwards of two decades. It’s one of those Do-Not-Miss wines from Calera.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDCropped at minuscule yields of 0.63 tons per acre, the 2014 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard was my favorite of these single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from Calera. An opaque ruby-black in hue, the wine offers up a rich and complex bouquet of cassis, plums, figs, black truffle and creamy oak. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and powerful, structured around a chewy chassis of tannin but possessing good energy and depth. On opening, this vintage of Selleck is almost brutally primary and atypically concentrated, but it becomes considerably more harmonious with extended aeration: while this will demand patience, it should be superb in the fullness of time. If you must try a bottle young, consider decanting.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP(Calera Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard Central Coast Red) The 2014 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard is one of the riper, more extroverted wines in this range. I expect the Selleck will, in time, be superb, but it needs at least a few years to shed some baby fat. Today, it comes across as quite ripe and intense. Dark cherry, plum lavender, mint and exotic spice overtones add to the wine’s distinctly bold personality. (Drink between 2022-2034)Antonio Galloni | 94 AGJosh Jensen finds that his Selleck vines produce some of his most concentrated pinot noir. Planted in 1975 on a rocky ridge of decomposed granite and pockets of limestone, the vineyard is 4.8 acres with exposures to the south and southwest. This 2014 is saturated with flavor, deep in its bass notes of cherries, rich and bold. It’s completely savory, almost staunch in its formal structure, a wine of stature to age for a decade or more. (210 cases)Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SWith just over a half-ton harvested per acre due to the drought, this is a potent wine, with nose-tickling dark boysenberry, asphalt and wet stone aromas and brighter lifts of dried sage and raspberry. The soft palate combines vibrant acidity with raspberry and mulberry flavors and a hint of dried herbs.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Has a velvety edge, with notes of steeped plum and warm cherry sauce, flecked with light tobacco and savory hints. Offers a gentle, pretty finish. Drink now through 2024. 3,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe mellow richness and generous scale of this wine helps to keep the tannins in check. Full and juicy. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 90 JS

Aromas of strawberries and cherries follow through to a full body, silky tannins and a tangy finish. Fresh and clean. Linear and pretty. Purity of fruit is impressive. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Gruaud Larose marks the first step in the right direction, with much more freshness on the nose than previous vintages: blackberry, melted tar and cedar. There is simply a greater sense of purpose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp and sculpted, less rustic than before. I suspect this has much more longevity than the 2011 or 2012, with more grip and backbone evident on the finish. Very fine. Tasted at the Gruaud Larose vertical at the château in February 2023 and blind at the Southwold tasting in February 2024.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe wine is all about fruit and balanced tannins. It is juicy, so drinkable now, although with enough structure to promise good aging. Perfumed black-currant fruits show strongly. The wine shows how this chateau continues to perform reliably. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEFragrant and floral fruit at the start, less weighty than in the past, with fine sweetness on the mid-palate. Much more complexity to come.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2014 Gruaud Larose has a light and airy bouquet at first, one that gathers depth with aeration. It is a little conservative at the moment, dusky black fruit mixed with sage and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, slightly angular tannin. It is certainly fresh in the mouth, although it feels a tad pinched towards the finish; therefore, afford this 4-5 years in bottle to develop more substance and ambition.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPShows a perfumy hint, with black tea and singed allspice notes out front, followed by a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. Light anise and apple wood details fill in on the finish. Supple yet well-packed. Best from 2020 through 2030. 12,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSWhile I wasn’t able to taste the 2015, the 2014 Graud Larose is an attractive, classically styled Saint-Julien that has ripe currant fruits as well as lots of herbal/tobacco undertones, cedary spice, and earthy aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied, concentrated, and texture, with a chewy, rustic, endearing style. I like its balance and this old-school beauty will keep for at least 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDMedium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Gruaud Larose features delicate notes of crushed rocks and forest floor over a core of blackcurrant preserves and Christmas cake with a touch of cigar box. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing on a lingering minerally note.The Wine Independent | 90 TWI

Incredible perfumes of flowers, berries and cherries. Ethereal. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and super length. The evolution in this in barrel has been wonderful. Only the best plots with old vines were used here — so one-third of the production of the site. Drink in 2021, even if this is already gorgeous.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2014 Nenin was a bit of a whipcracker when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to find whether it would replicate that performance now in bottle. The bouquet is very well defined, perhaps more minerally and taut than previous vintages with truffle-tinged red berry fruit unfurling in the glass. There is also a potent tang of the sea (kelp or oyster shell perhaps). The palate is very well balanced, supple in the mouth, but it exerts a pleasant grip in the mouth and much more purity than vintages tasted over the 1990s and 2000s. This builds on that promise in barrel and is really quite a lovely Pomerol deserving of its newly designed label.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2014 Nenin has a simple, clean redcurrant and cranberry scented bouquet that feels a little anonymous, does not quite exude Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, nicely balanced with red cherry, cranberry and raspberry laced with black pepper and sage. The finish feels cohesive and persistent. This is a fine Pomerol that should offer 15 to 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has grip, with charcoal and dark earth notes running throughout. The ample flesh is balanced by bright acidity, allowing the core of plum, raspberry and cherry preserve flavors to hold the upper hand through the finish. Best from 2020 through 2032. 3,533 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis a finely perfumed wine with its 32% Cabernet Franc, unusual for this estate. It gives a wine with great structure and concentration as well as layers of ripe black fruits. The wine needs to age so drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEMedium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Nenin features fragrant scents of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and underbrush with hints of leather and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate is soft and lively, with an impressive amount of fruit and a perfumed finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIOwned by Léoville-Las Cases and produced in the same vein. Layered fruit. Touch of Merlot sweetness. Firm, tight structure. Reticent and austere but will definitely age.Decanter | 90 DEC

This is at once more elegant and spicier as well with its pretty combination of red currant, cherry, lavender and sandalwood hints. There is a sleek and lacy mouth feel to the refined middle weight flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality on the balanced, delicious and persistent finale. This is very Chambolle in style.Burghound | 88-92 BH

Here the equally brooding nose is slightly more elegant with its cool and restrained nose of red currant, cassis, spice and earth scents that are trimmed in just enough wood to notice. Like the Poisets this is notably rich with its relatively large-scaled flavors that also enjoy good density thanks to the abundant dry extract that also coats the palate and pushes the firmer supporting tannins to the background. Lovely.Burghound | 90-92 BH(vinified with 40% whole clusters): Medium red. Fruit-driven aromas of red cherry and strawberry. The silkiest and thickest of these 2014s to this point but with plenty of energy and cut. Boasts a sexy stem component and finishes juicy and persistent, with plenty of ripe tannins. Charles Lachaux told me that he uses the whole-cluster fermentation to soften the structure of this wine and he predicts that it will make a nice drink in five years, earlier than past vintages.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

Dark red with ruby tones. Deeply pitched aromas of currant, dark cherry, licorice and leather. Dense, sweet, slightly leathery wine with noteworthy depth of texture. Not showing the light mineral touch it displayed from barrel a year ago but this is quite ripe and broad--even a bit chocolatey--for the vintage. Finishes with slightly tough tannins.Vinous Media | 90 VMWhile not as pretty as the Chaumes this is notably complex with its subtly wooded nose of earth black currant, game, smoke and lovely floral hints. There is markedly better concentration to the delicious and suave middle weight flavors that possess excellent intensity and volume as well as impeccable balance. This isn’t as refined as the Chaumes but the additional concentration and complexity make this the more interesting wine.Burghound | 90-93 BH