Wine Producing Countries

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Glorious aromatics with currants, flowers, stones and light mushrooms. Medium to full body and fine tannins that are long and polished. Super linear, structured and long. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal expanding scents of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries with suggestions of wood smoke, fragrant earth, cast-iron pan and charcuterie plus a faint waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, the earthy/savory palate has loads of lively black fruit with a refreshing line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2014 Forts de Latour has turned out beautifully. Pliant, supple and open-knit, the wine is super-expressive, even at this early stage. There is lovely depth to the dark red cherry, plum and leather nuances, all in the vivid, articulate style that is found in the best 2014s. Best of all, the 2014 Forts de Latour will drink well with minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe second wine of the estate is the 2014 Les Forts De Latour and this beauty is better than most estate grand vin. Made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, this straight up classic Pauillac is loaded with notions of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, roasted coffee, graphite, and Asian spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and layered, it’s a seriously good wine that’s going to continue drinking beautifully for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDHighly enjoyable, has gorgeous elegance and freshness, and is showing better right now than the 2015 Pauillac de Latour. Extremely fresh, hedgerow and cassis bud backed up by richer seams of liquorice and blackberry. Not yet ready but you can see that with a stiff wind and a good carafe, you could get there in the next few years. Tight black spice uncurls to show carefully-delivered smoked cedar on the finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECPacked with the fruit of the vintage, this wine is bright and crisp. Its acidity and pure black-currant flavors are delicious, juicy, the tannins now sitting easily in the background. The wine, which comes from a specific parcel, is developing well and will be released after 2020. It should be drunk from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEOffers a core of pure cassis and blackberry fruit, with mouthwatering streaks of graphite and anise. Racy-edged, featuring ample grip buried through the finish. Reveals a violet echo for good measure. Textbook. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,022 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A stunner, sporting tropical mango and papaya notes that glide along beautifully, while heather honey, pineapple chutney and toasted coconut flavors fill in through the finish. Delivers an amazing mouthfeel that is both creamy and intense, with a pretty inner floral brightness that contrasts with the fruit. Best from 2020 through 2045. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSVery subtle Yquem on the nose with dried pineapple, lemons, green apples and hints of botrytis. The palate grabs you by the arms and shows you superb concentration of spices, dried fruit, phenolics and incredible energy. Nothing is like this from Sauternes this vintage! Drink whenever you like. Spellbinding.James Suckling | 98 JSApricot tones with lively acidity give this rich wine a vein of freshness. Pear and white peach notes offer weight, while a lime backbone brings levity. There is a richness from the botrytis that is lifted by this wines delicious freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2014 d’Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Château Yquem 2014 was picked over 9 weeks this year, with one-quarter of the grapes picked prior to 15 September. It delivers 134 grams per liter residual sugar and 7.3 grams per liter tartaric acid, with a pH 3.60. It has a captivating bouquet (I know...I know...what else were you expecting) But it entrances with its pure, wild honey notes mixed with almond and white chocolate scents, bestowed with beguiling delineation and focus. The palate is very poised with the acidity nigh on perfect. Occasionally an Yquem only reveals its components parts at this early juncture, necessitates conjecture. However the 2014 has a sense of harmony and completeness already, as if the élevage is merely there to usher it on to its finished state. There is undeniably great depth here, perhaps less conspicuous than other vintages because of that silver thread of acidity: notes of lemon sherbet, orange zest, shaved ginger and again, a few "flakes’ of white chocolate. It is extremely long with tenderness rather than power on the finish. It’s not quite up there in the rarefied heights of say, the 2001 or 2009, but it is what we call in the trade, "the business."Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96-98 RP-NM(Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, White) Lively, pure and fresh aromas, pear and citrus notes. So rich and concentrated on the palate but with a flare of acidity that provides tension and draws the wine out on the finish. (Drink between 2020-2050)Decanter | 96 DEC

The impressive Victorian baronial chateau of Cantenac Brown is one of the landmarks of Margaux. The wine is getting better each vintage. This is ripe and generous, full of freshly minted tannins and layers of wood over the ripe berry fruit. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis was the point at which Cantenac Brown started taking a more consistent step up. Lovely definition to the fruit on the nose, and evident oak smoking adds subtle but effective complexity. Also, you really start to get appellation typicity at this point, in terms of the nuanced aromatics that are extremely appealing. Lovely wine, one that you would be enormously happy to drink and to share. 50% of harvest in 1st wine. 60% new oak. Harvest September 25 to October 15. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of chocolate, vanilla and currants follow through to a full body, tight tannins and a reserved finish. Needs time to open. Better in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a backward nose at first, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, an attractive pastille-like scent emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more extraction than its peers. It feels fleshy and pure, notes of raspberry coulis, confit fruit, orange rind and tobacco towards the well-structured, delicately spiced finish. It makes you want to come back for another sip—always a good sign! A bottle tasted six months later in February 2017 demonstrated a little more cohesion and finesse, suggesting that this Margaux will meliorate with bottle age. One to watch out for.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, cedar, crushed violet and cold stone aromas. I love the detail and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, supple and almost velvety in texture, the acidity well judged with a rounded, lightly spiced finish that feels so tender, yet does not shortchange you on persistence. This is one of the best Cantenac-Brown wines that I have encountered in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMFleshy in feel but restrained in profile, as the plum, blackberry and black currant confiture notes glide in easily, carried by a light espresso edge and backed by a stylish black tea detail. A light echo of warm stone keeps this honest. Best from 2018 through 2026. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

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

The 2014 Clos de Bèze had only been in bottle for three weeks when I had a chance to taste it at the end of my November trip, but this was probably close enough to the mise that the wine had not yet had a chance to really close down. The wine is clearly going to be brilliant, as it offers up a pure and very red fruity aromatic blend of red plums, cherries, grilled meat, dark soil tones, espresso, woodsmoke, a judicious framing of spicy wood and a classic topnote of mustard seed. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with a lovely core, stunning transparency, nascent complexity and a very long, beautifully balanced, fine-grained and tangy finish. This is a classic example in the making and one of the best wines in the Drouhins’ cellars in this vintage! (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 96+ JG(mostly from purchased grapes but also includes some estate fruit): Moderately saturated medium red Pungent aromas of minerals, flowers, spices and red licorice With its lively acidity, this wine conveys excellent precision and intensity to its wild plum and floral flavors On the light side for Clos de Bèze but the tannins are suave and fine-grained and the floral finish is refined, subtle and long Spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate and pique the taste budsVinous Media | 92 VM

The 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine of total finesse. Much less obvious and overt than most Saint-Émilions in this vintage, La Gaffelière makes its case on harmony and grace above all else. Bright, lifted Cabernet Franc–infused aromatics give the 2015 striking freshness and aromatic presence. The flavors are bright and nuanced to the core, with plenty of red cherry, espresso and floral notes. But back to the basics. In 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine that stands out because of its impeccable balance and sense of proportion. I loved it. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGFrom its privileged position on the sweep of vines leading up to the medieveal city of Saint-Émilion, this estate has made an impressive wine in this vintage. It is rich and concentrated both in its structure and its black fruits. Complex, dark and dense, it can age for many years. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEEnticing warm plum, fig and blackberry compote notes roll through, inlaid with singed alder and tobacco accents. There’s a light tug of warm cast iron and another wave of fruit after that, all supported by well-buried chalky minerality. This is a very strong showing and has put on some weight since the barrel tasting. Best from 2020 through 2040. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAn extremely good quality wine, this is juicy, rich and welcoming. There’s perhaps the slightest trace of summer heat but the tannins are silky and easy to love. There’s a tightening through the finish that speaks of the limestone terroir. It needs another few years to allow the exuberance of the sun-ripened Merlot to quieten down, but then we will have a seriously impressive wine on our hands. Drinking Window 2024 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 La Gaffeliere has a slightly reticent, broody nose of black truffles, fertile loam and mossy bark over a core of warm plums, crushed black berries and black cherries plus a touch of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied with firm and very finely grained tannins with layers of softly spoken fruit and great freshness, it finishes long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPImpressive deep-set dark cherries, blueberries and dark plums here with neatly fitted spicy oak, which adds immediate complexity. Deep, long and fresh with vibrant acidity, underpinning ripe blackberries, plums and hints of chocolate. Superb wine. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom further up the slope from Canon-la-Gaffelière, the 2015 Château La Gaffelière is terrific, and more than worth your time and money. A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc that’s loaded with notions of cassis, toasted spices, classy oak, and licorice, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, tight, focused texture carrying good acidity and plenty of tannins. With terrific mid-palate depth, impeccable balance, and a great finish, it’s nowhere near primetime but is a gorgeous bottle of wine. Forget bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JD

The 2015 Château Pavie Decesse is another blockbuster from the Perse team, and it’s not far off the straight Pavie release, although this cuvée always shows slightly more elegance and freshness as well as obvious minerality. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, black cherries, white truffle, white flowers, and incense notes all emerge from this full-bodied, saturated purple (it’s almost blue-colored), powerful wine. It’s another wine that has the upfront, voluptuous style of the vintage yet backs it up with sensational concentration, building tannins, remarkable purity, and a huge finish. It’s an incredible wine that needs 5-10 years of bottle age and will keep for another 3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDGérard Perse’s 2015 Pavie-Decesse is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel, if not more so. Lifted, gracious and super-refined, the 2015 captures the richness of the year with the support of cool, mineral-driven notes from the calcaire-rich soils. Super-ripe red cherry, blood orange, rose petal and mint are some of the many notes that are woven together. In 2015, Pavie-Decesse is a wine of pure and total class. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 98 AGPlums, berries, flowers, wet earth and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and rich, especially on the center palate. Super silky tannins. Great length and texture. Goes on for minutes. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThis delivers a stunning display of raspberry ganache, boysenberry pâte de fruit and crème de cassis flavors, studded with dried anise, singed apple wood and warm fruitcake notes. A serious chalky spine strides throughout, keeping this bridled and focused. Will need some time to unfurl fully. Best from 2025 through 2040. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSAlmost completely Merlot, this is a rich wine but one that goes towards great elegance. The style is smooth, with soft tannins, although the wine is also fresh and almost salty with the acidity and juicy black fruits. Its tannins presage a long-term future. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WELocated at the top of the plateau inside of Pavie and planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Pavie Decesse is a vintage blend that reflects the vineyard plantings precisely, and it has been aged in 100% new French oak barrels. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it kicks off with exuberant crushed black currants, blackberries and black forest cake notes with hints of potpourri, Indian spices, mossy bark and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate reveals wonderful energy and intensity, supported by firm, grainy tannins and impressive tension, which takes the electric fruit to a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP90% Merlot from 3.65ha. True to style: ripe, powerful and firm with marked tension but more refinement in the texture this year. One for the cellar. Drinking Window 2028 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

Very deep-set aromas of blackberries and red and dark plum fruits, set amid integrated oak spices, cedar and hints of earth. The palate has a super plush feel with intense flavors of blueberries and dark plums. Succulent tannins that are smooth, entrancing and very long. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 95 JS93–95. Barrel Sample. Smooth and opulent, this is a densely tannic wine. Its dark fruits and dusty texture are backed by juicy acidity and a core of framing tannins. It will be powerful and rich with age.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2015 Faugères is plush, deep and inviting. Succulent red cherry, plum, tobacco, cedar, licorice and new leather are some of the many nuances that take shape, and attractive floral notes add brightness and lift. This is a very pretty and alluring Saint-Émilion from Silvio Denz. The blend is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGBeautiful aromas and flavors of warm fig and boysenberry reduction lead off, with extra raspberry and cassis notes filling in behind them. Lush in feel, with the structure nicely embedded, letting extra licorice, fruitcake and singed mesquite details chime in. The finish ripples with fruit and fresh acidity. Best from 2023 through 2035. 7,917 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2015 Faugeres is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 15 months in French oak, 50% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has a nose of baked plums, warm cherries and black berries with touches of meat and fried spices. The full-bodied mouth is rich, opulent and spicy with firm, velvety tannins and lovely freshness lifting the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2015 Château Faugeres includes slightly less Merlot than the 2016 and is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Like a lot of 2015s, it’s already open and approachable and offers lots of cassis and black cherry fruits, plenty of spice, herbs and earth nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, terrific purity and elegance, and present, yet sweet tannin, I suspect it will fill in with 2-3 years in the cellar and keep for 15+. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Harlan Estate is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal black cherries, crème de cassis and plum pudding with nuances of potpourri, baking spices and tilled soil plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic poise and depth with a long, decadently fruited finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2015 Harlan Estate is a beast of a wine that shows the sexy, opulent style of the vintage married to the classic structure and depth of this estate. A downright smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed rocks, graphite, smoky camphor, cured meats, and dried tobacco aromas all emerge from the glass, and it shows the deep, concentrated style of the vintage yet still has awesome complexity and nuances. Deep, powerful, and structured, yet opulent and incredibly sexy on the palate, it reminds me of the 2002. A brilliant wine from this estate, it’s already approachable given its wealth of fruit yet has the tannic backbone and density to keep for 3-4 decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIncredible aromas of fresh flowers, such as roses and violets, and blackcurrants. Full body and defined levels of fruit and tannins too. Love the brightness and texture. An excellent finish. Production was down by a third because of bad berry set. Try in 2021.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Harlan Estate has developed into an arrestingly beautiful wine. Racy and sumptuous, the 2015 is already quite showy, with tons of dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice, spice and tobacco character. Today, the 2015 comes across as a bit brooding and hard to read, although some of the rougher edges in the tannins I saw last year have softened. Even so, I would prefer to cellar 2015 for at least a few years. There is so much to look forward to.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA huge red, with powerfully rendered dark fig, macerated black currant and steeped boysenberry fruit framed by a bittersweet chocolate note. With time in the glass, the fruit unwinds slowly, allowing anise and loam accents to fill in on the fleshy finish. There’s some serious heft here through the back end too, with a long echo of smoldering tobacco and a great tug of dark earth. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,839 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLike most Harlan vintages, this is about 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, with small additions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The nose displays a wonderfully refined blend of sumptuous blackcurrant fruit with stylish oak. Although rich and very concentrated, it's restrained and polished, showing excellent balance and length with no overbearing character and a discreet but present tannic structure. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DEC

Fresh grapes only. It’s hard to believe this is their first vintage from rented vines high up at San Giorgio. Magnificent aromas of woodsmoke, aniseed, clove and black pepper and intense, juicy red fruit flavours. Drinking Window 2019 - 2027.Decanter | 94 DEC

I love the freshness and purity of fruit on offer with bright raspberries but also blackcurrants and rose petals. Very sexy on the palate with bright acidity, lazor-sharp tannins and a fine-grained finish. A blend of 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThis estate, just to the east of the city of Saint-Émilion, has produced a spicy wine with layers of dark chocolate and wood flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA fresh, pure style, with a core of cassis leading the way, followed by additional plum and raspberry puree flavors. Violet, iron and sanguine notes chime in. A polished structure carries the finish. Best from 2020 through 2030. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2015 Château La Couspaude is a beauty! Offering a deep ruby/plum color as well as terrific notes of black cherry liqueur, strawberries, spice and toasty oak, it’s medium-bodied, textured and nicely balanced on the palate, with fine tannin. It’s not the most complex wine out there, but man is it a delicious drink. I suspect it will keep for at least a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Blended of 97.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot and 0.3% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Latour is exquisitely perfumed, displaying fragrant notes of crushed black cherries, raspberry preserves, cassis and black plums with nuances of roses, dark chocolate, garrigue, menthol and a waft of sandalwood. The medium-bodied palate beautifully struts its taut, toned, muscular fruit with a frame of very firm, smooth, rounded tannins and compelling freshness, finishing with alluring earth and mineral layers. At once intellectual and sexy, this truly evocative vintage brings to mind the Melanie Griffith line from “Working Girl," possessing a sultry “head for business and a bod for sin."Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPReally gorgeous aromatics, so perfumed, acutely aromatic, pristine, clear and precise with tobacco, cocoa, ash and liquorice. Round, heady, a sexy wine, with a lot to say, generous and open, smooth and layered - this deepens straight away vertically. I love the juiciness, there’s clarity to the raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, sleek and joyful but the texture is there with a wet stone and liquorice to the tannins that gives such grip and edge of power. Still youthful and quite serious but there’s something so appealing about it with a sexy character and complexity. Bright and sharp but also with sweetness from the ripe vintage and savoury notes of truffle, cocoa, dark chocolate giving contrast. Such enjoyable floral violet scents too that follow the wine from start to finish. Excellently controlled and delivered with supreme appeal. One you want to sit with and take your time over, and then gulp down! 69 IPT, 30% of production. Harvest 15 september to 10 October. Technical director Hélène Genin.Decanter | 98 DECAromas of iron, oyster shell, rust and stones with blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet ever so polished and refined. It rolls off the palate with fruit and salty flavors. Tight, focused and always refined. Pretty length. 97% cabernet sauvignon gives this brightness. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSSeriously structured and yet also so smooth, this wine has great concentration and powerful tannins. There is wonderful juiciness here as well as dense, dusty tannins that are never hard, always velvet. It is going to be a great wine when it is released in maybe 10 years time. The wine comes only from vineyards that are biodynamic.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis packs some serious warm dark currant, fig and blackberry compote flavors together at the core, with charcoal, singed bay leaf, tobacco and roasted alder notes forming the foundation. Grippy for sure, but there’s already alluring perfume and violet elements weaving around here. This has put on some serious weight and dark fruit since the barrel tasting, but remains all tensile strength. It will be fun to watch this age. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2015 Latour has a sensual, richer and more exotic bouquet than its peers, featuring plush red fruit intermingling with raisin and fig, although there is no sur-maturité here; the wine is just crafted in a more opulent style for this First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. This feels very cohesive and focused, and more saline than its peers. Veins of brown spice and leather surface toward the complex, engaging finish. I would have liked a little more length, but otherwise this is very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Just bottled, the 2015 Barolo Riserva Cascina Dardi is a real powerhouse. This full-bodied, potent Barolo packs a huge punch. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, that much is obvious. Time in the glass brings out aromatic intensity and inner perfume. Spice and blood orange accents lend an exotic quality to this dark, layered Barolo. The Riserva is a wine for readers who appreciate the natural fragility of artisan wines, wines that aren’t perfect but that perfectly embody the human spirit.Vinous Media | 96 VM

I love the enticing nose on this wine, and the dark rich fruit is bright on the attack. You can definitely see the success of this vintage. Oak influence is a little strong on the finish - it’s only 30% new oak, but the 70% Merlot in the blend highlights the sweetness. This should soften nicely over the next five years, offering a lovely mix of brambles, briar and herbs. This is evidence yet again of a rethink of winemaking process at the Magrez estates, towards a more terroir-centric approach. Consultant is Michel Rolland.Decanter | 93 DECThis has a wealth of brambly and spicy berry fruits with a succulent, plush and flavorsome palate delivering red plums and cherries amid smooth tannins. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2015 la Tour Carnet, a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a clean and fresh, slightly smoky bouquet with blackberry and boysenberry scents. It is tightly wound at the moment and clearly needs a couple of years in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, crisp acidity, a little chewy in the mouth; there is good substance if not quite the elegance I was anticipating on the finish, but that will develop with time. This is an assertive La Tour Carnet that is intent on making an impression. It will. But it will reward those who will afford it 4 or 5 years in bottle.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

Four acres are now in production at this singular, historic hillside vineyard next to the former cottage of Josephine Tychson, lovingly restored by Ann Colgin. The vineyard truly offers a unique expression of Napa Valley, with beautiful fruit layers, great elegance and the most profound fragrance being signatures of the vintages I have tasted. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard jumps out of the glass with all the vibrancy of this vintage, singing notes of cassis, crushed red cherries and mulberries with touches of chocolate, espresso, baking spices, cloves and black soil plus wafts of lavender and dried roses. Medium to full-bodied, it has wonderful elegance and finesse in the mouth, offering many mineral, black fruit and savory layers, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is stunning, and in this reviewer’s opinion, as good as wine gets. From an east facing site at the base of Spring Mountain that has warm days and very cool nights, it reveals a deep purple color and extraordinary notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, black cherries, exotic spices and spring flowers. Full-bodied, elegant, and seamless, yet concentrated and with incredible intensity, it’s a tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a great terroir and an incredible winemaker. Beg, borrow or steal to try this beauty.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA very tight and precise 2015 with beautiful currants, blackberries and black tea. Full-bodied, yet so reserved and focused. Great depth and length. Harmonious and balanced. Drink in 2022 but so attractive already.James Suckling | 98 JSColgin’s 2015 Tychson Hill is rich and sumptuous in the glass. Ripe red cherry, plum, mocha, spice and new leather run through the 2015. A striking, generous wine, the Tychson Hill captures the essence of the year beautifully. Silky contours and soft tannins add to the wine’s considerable appeal. Look for the 2015 to drink well with minimal cellaring. This is a beauty from Colgin.Vinous Media | 97 VMAmazingly complex and hard to resist, as the mix of dark berry, spice, loamy earth, licorice and cedar are all in harmony, ending long, firm and cedary. Best from 2020 through 2034. 370 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Here the kaleidoscopically spicy nose is slightly riper with its beautifully layered range of both red and blue pinot fruit, sandalwood, anise, hoisin and rose petal. The rich, classy and ultra-refined medium weight flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel before terminating in a marvelously complex, driving and explosively long finish. This almost thick effort is quite firm but not at all austere though I have a sneaking feeling that this is going to shut down significantly once it is in bottle and thereafter, plenty of patience will be requisite.Burghound | 96 BHThe 2015 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is lovely, revealing a beautifully pure bouquet of cassis, plum, clove, violets, rose petal and spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and complete, with supple, fine-grained tannins and excellent depth and dimension, with the most flesh on its bones of all the domaine’s grands crus. The inherent elegance of Romanée-Saint-Vivant really plays into Charles Lachaux’s hands.Robert Parker wine Advocate | 95 RPFull dark red. Musky, wild scents of raspberry, espresso and mocha quickly shut down in the glass. Plump, sweet and quite powerful, with its very ripe, almost liqueur-like dark fruit flavors a bit blurred today by the wine’s significant baby fat. Finishes broad, dry and very long but downright inscrutable. Today I don’t find the sappy minerality or lift this wine displayed from barrel a year ago but it’s stubbornly backward today and will need at least six or seven more years of cellaring.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

This is the best Campo del Drago I have ever had. It really shows the unique character of the elevated single vineyard of 1.5 hectares. Black cherries and flowers with hints of sandalwood and tree bark. Always pure and beautiful. Medium to full body. Ultra-fine tannins. Lightly salty character to the cherry and berry flavors. Extremely long and beautiful. Drink after 2021.James Suckling | 98 JSOnly made in the best vintages, this release of 7,000 bottles represents the top-end wine from Castiglion del Bosco. Fruit is drawn from the magnificent Campo del Drago, which is a vineyard on a high plateau located in one of the wildest and most beautiful corners of the appellation, with endless views spanning toward the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago is robust and shapely with blackberry, plum, toasted spice and tilled earth. Showing beautifully balanced results, this cru offers good length and power to the mouthfeel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is rich and juicy, displaying cherry, blackberry and iron flavors. The tannins are well-covered by the intensity and ripe, fleshy fruit until the finish, where they flex. Delivers terrific overall complexity, balance and expression. Best from 2024 through 2042. 500 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAt first shy, a few swirls of the glass reveals pipe tobacco, sun baked earth, dark spice and menthol aromas. Enveloping and elegantly structured, it’s already almost accessible, offering baked plum, star anise and espresso alongside velvety tannins. Drink 2021 through 2027. Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOAt first shy, a few swirls of the glass reveal pipe tobacco, sunbaked earth, dark spice and menthol aromas. Enveloping and elegantly structured, it’s already almost accessible, offering baked plum, star anise and espresso alongside velvety tannins. Drink 2021 through 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBright, deep red with ruby tinges. Ripe, expressive yet delicate aromas of red fruits, menthol, flowers and wild herbs. Silky and round on entry, then slightly tougher and chewy in the middle, with some smoky oak showing at the back. Large-scaled but not yet creamy or filled in, finishing with some slightly tough oak tannins. Forget about this in your cellar for five years at least.Vinous Media | 92+ VMLush cassis on the nose with plenty of vanilla and cinnamon notes. Juicy and vibrant on the palate, firm tannins structure and great freshness with a core of ripe cherry fruit.Decanter | 91 DEC

Such a profound nose of fresh and dried fruit with blackcurrants, dates and prunes, together with lighter notes of mild spice and pomegranate seeds. The fresher elements provide the drive on the full palate and, together with very fine, bright, fine-grained tannins, give a long, chewy yet fresh and pruney finish. Hugely concentrated, but the balance and poise is impeccable. There’s no denying the classic quality of this. Delicious to taste now, but this needs a few years to integrate. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2015 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is a towering wine that shows impeccable concentration, richness and tight balance. Between Romano and his sons, the Dal Forno family has amassed many years of experimentation and expertise, and they know exactly how to farm in a hot vintage like 2015 without compromising on freshness and structure. This wine opens to deep layers of black fruit, spice, smoky mesquite and campfire ash. It shows big tannic structure that comes with lots of fruit weight and textural padding. But no matter, this is a wine you’ll want to put aside before drinking.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2015 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta wows the senses with a burst of spicy citrus, cherries and incense that leaps from the glass. Further depths develop through each swirl with complementing notes of dried roses, cocoa and clove. It’s elegant and silky-smooth with a harmonious mix of ripe red and hints of blue fruits, a saline core and gorgeous inner florals that form toward the close. Hard red candies and hints of violette pastille linger long, as the mouth is left watering for more. This is firing on all cylinders and full of energy. The Valpolicella of Dal Forno is made 100% from grapes that are dried between 20-25 days.Vinous Media | 94 VMDark, fragrant notes of incense, loamy earth and hot iron are both a sweet and savory entry point for this rich and harmonious red. It’s medium- to full-bodied and fresh, with fine-grained tannins defining flavors of fig cake, crème de cassis, medicinal herb and balsamico. Long, plush, graphite- and spice-laced finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Croatina and Oseleta. Best from 2023 through 2038. 2,100 cases made, 333 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots, matured in two-thirds new oak, has a bewitching bouquet that is very pure and intense, layers of dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit tinged with iodine that seems to blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin and structured, underneath those intense dark berry fruit, a touch of salinity towards the finish that keeps the senses searching and eager for the next sip. Typical of Cathiard’s style of winemaking, this is just a brilliant Les Suchots from one of its finest exponents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(August malo): Full, bright red. Showy aromas of black raspberry, licorice and violet convey excellent cut and mineral lift. Savory, penetrating wine with strong early personality to its deep flavors of black fruits, salty minerality and spices. Has the old-vines density of texture to carry its ripe tannins effortlessly.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMJuicy raspberry nose packed with fruit. Good attack, with vibrant fruit and fine-grained tannins. Taut and concentrated with a piquant complexity and good depth of flavour.Decanter | 92 DECA brilliantly spicy nose is comprised by notes of violet, plum, lavender, soy, Asian-style tea and black cherry. There is more volume and richness if less precision and delineation to the velvety and seductive-textured medium weight plus flavors that coat the palate on the beautifully well-balanced, persistent and equally classy finish that is quite firmly structured. The sheer level of dry extract buffering the ripe and dense tannins is impressive and as such this terrific effort should age effortlessly.Burghound | 92-94 BH

This stunning red opens with a captivating fragrance of perfumed berry, rose, sandalwood and aromatic herb. Smooth, elegant and delicious, the intense palate delivers juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and baking spice while a menthol note lingers on the close. Taut, polished tannins and fresh acidity give it great tension and balance. Drink 2023–2035. Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOThis stunning red opens with a captivating fragrance of perfumed berry, rose, sandalwood and aromatic herbs. Smooth, elegant and delicious, the intense palate delivers juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and baking spice, while a menthol note lingers on the close. Taut, polished tannins and fresh acidity give it great tension and balance. Drink 2023–2035. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2015 Barolo Acclivi represents a blend of Nebbiolo from various hilltop sites in Verduno that have been selected for the quality of their fruit. The wine takes the concept of a Barolo "base" up one notch, because it represents a special selection of fruit that is not limited to a single parcel. This expression is grounded and even a bit heavier at its core, with more dark fruit and thickness that becomes its defining characteristic. This is especially true in a vintage like 2015 that already starts off with robust and sun-darkened fruit. The wine is not necessarily more accessible—because it is not—but it does offer a thicker caliber of Nebbiolo fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2015 Barolo Acclivi is another stellar wine from Fabio Alessandria and Burlotto and is a blend of fruit from Monvigliero, Rocche dell’ Olmo and Neirane, all in Verduno. Bright, perfumed and silky on the palate, the Acclivi is a jewel of a wine. Floral notes appear in the glass, adding lift, perfume and sensuality. All the elements are in the right place. Today, Burlotto’s Cannubi and Monvigliero have become hard to find, but savvy readers will want to focus on the Acclivi, a wine that offers superb quality for the money. Another few years in bottle should help some of the fruit soften.Vinous Media | 94 VMJuicy, featuring cherry, strawberry, woodsy spice and tobacco aromas and flavors. Elegant, with firm, dry tannins. The terrific length echoes the fruit and spice elements. Best from 2022 through 2038. 660 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis shows purity and brightness of fruit with cherry and ripe strawberry character. Medium body, integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Very pretty. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2015 Barolo Cannubi is another dizzying wine from Burlotto. A rush of dark cherry, plum, hard candy licorice, violet and spice all hit the palate. Powerful and vertical in the glass, the Cannubi simply has it all. I would give the 2015 a good bit of time to shed some of its considerable baby fat. Powerful, dense and packed, the Cannubi is not as showy or seductive as the Monvigliero, but it has so much to offer, especially with a bit of bottle age. What a magnificent wine it is!Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2015 Barolo Cannubi is a very delicate and streamlined expression that puts one little foot forward in front of the next with timid steps before it starts to pick up speed and find its stride. That slow start is important to the character and quality of the wine because it means that you will find something a little different each time you put your nose to the glass. I like the wine better each time I go back to the glass. I’m sure I will love it even more five to ten years from now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA pretty red, this exhibits floral, strawberry, raspberry and white pepper aromas and flavors. Firms up quickly, offering a refined and present tannic backbone. This hangs together very nicely and lingers. Best from 2022 through 2038. 333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAromas of dried strawberries, orange peel and rose petals. Complex. Full body, super silky tannins with juicy acidity and a savory undertone. Needs time to open. Always a beautiful Cannubi. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSAromas of menthol, eucalyptus and dark skinned cherry form the nose. Lithe and linear, the taut palate offers Marasca cherry, strawberry, clove and crushed mint alongside tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOAromas of menthol, eucalyptus and dark-skinned cherry form the nose. Lithe and linear, the taut palate offers Marasca cherry, strawberry, clove and crushed mint alongside tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis historic estate based in Verduno is renowned for its Monvigliero bottling, but in 2015 its Cannubi from the village of Barolo seems even finer. The nose is sweet, floral and lifted, with no trace of overripeness. Initially sleek, the palate grows in austerity, which is often a characteristic of this wine. But this grip and structure are welcome and don’t dominate the spiciness and persistence of the fruit. Very long.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2015 Barolo Monvigliero is a wine of pure and total seduction. The warm vintage has filled out the wine’s frame beautifully. The interplay of ripe, succulent 2015 fruit and aromatic intensity from the whole clusters yields a positively stunning, breathtaking wine of the very highest level. Once again, Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero takes a place among the most compelling wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate!Vinous Media | 98 VMFabio Alessandria impressed with his Monvigliero 2014. In the cool, rainy vintage he was able to produce a Barolo with a Pinot-like elegance. He was one of the first producers to introduce a small amount of stalks to the Nebbiolo during winemaking. In the warm vintage of 2015 his Monvigliero is extremely pale and garnet-coloured yet full of fresh flowery notes such as peony, violet and rose, with rhubarb plant, wild strawberry and cinnamon candy aromas and flavours. Super elegant, it shows firm, velvety tannins with an austere finish yet a great integration of fruit. Rarely is it possible to taste such a balance of elegance and power.Decanter | 98 DECI mentioned that slightly wild side of Verduno in a previous review for Comm. G.B. Burlotto. For further clarity on this point, put your nose into the beautiful 2015 Barolo Monvigliero. This is a subdued and graceful wine that grows in intensity the longer it stays in the glass. The wine offers blue flower aromas with violets, wild rose, cumin seed, saffron and crushed mineral. This wine plays its best cards when you focus on the smallest details, and then suddenly, those tiny brush strokes explode into a big-picture, panoramic view of one of the most celebrated vineyard sites in Barolo.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPCompelling and fragrant, this gorgeous wine opens with intense aromas of pressed rose, fragrant blue flower, incense, pine and a whiff of smoky flint. The precise, structured palate is loaded with finesse, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, licorice and white pepper alongside tangy mineral and an earthy hint of black olive. It’s beautifully balanced, with enveloping, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2023–2040. Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOCompelling and fragrant, this gorgeous wine opens with intense aromas of pressed rose, fragrant blue flower, incense, pine and a whiff of smoky flint. The precise, structured palate is loaded with finesse, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, strawberry compote, licorice and white pepper alongside tangy mineral and an earthy hint of black olive. It’s beautifully balanced, with enveloping, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2023–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAromatic, offering juniper, green olive, sandalwood and cherry scents. The fruit components expand in the mouth, but this red is savory overall. Firm, supple and elegant, with a lingering aftertaste of mineral and spice. Best from 2022 through 2040. 583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe swirling, aromatic nose is entrancing here. The flowery charm is undeniable and the palate has an ethereal frame of fine tannins, carrying beautifully defined, ripe red-cherry flavor. The use of whole clusters works very well here, adding life and lift to this riper vintage. This is a beautiful 2015. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.Vinous Media | 99 VMMonfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

The 2015 Cabernet Alzero is loaded with varietal character, bursting from the glass with a dark blend of black fruits, savory herbs, pencil lead and crushed stone. This is velvety smooth, with juicy acidity to balance and a core of mineral-tinged red and blue fruits complemented by confectionary spice. It leaves the palate reeling with youthful tension as hints of blood orange swirl under an air of violet inner florals. Dusty tannins resonate throughout. The energy within the 2015 is off the charts and provides a perfect counterpoint to its internal intensity. Bury this one deep.Vinous Media | 95 VM