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Forest floor, red berry, leather and pipe tobacco aromas are front and center. The intense, full-bodied palate offers impressive structure and finesse, delivering succulent Marasca cherry, cinnamon, star anise and a hint of hazelnut alongside assertive but noble tannins and vibrant acidity. It already shows focus and depth, but give it time to fully bloom.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is simply magnificent. Bright floral overtones and red/purplish berry fruit give the Montestefano a feeling of focus and explosive energy that is compelling. Hints of mocha, leather, smoke, lavender and a whole range of balsamic inflections open up in the glass, revealing a Barbaresco of power, structure and complexity. Ample in feel and yet wonderfully vibrant, the Montestefano is wonderfully complete. It is also one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from La Ca’ Nova. The Montestefano is a bit more showy today than the Montefico, but both wines are remarkable.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2016 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is dark, dense, powerful and super expressive. Black cherry, mocha, leather, licorice and menthol are some of the many notes that take shape in a Barbaresco that is bursting with energy. Chalk, orange peel, dried flowers and mint add layers of nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. This brooding, potent Barbaresco needs time to be at its best, but it is clearly a great wine in the making.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AG

The 2016 Le Dome is a brilliant, brilliant wine that does everything right. Sporting a saturated purple color, it has a huge perfume of blueberries, spring flowers, graphite, wet stone, and camphor. Incredibly layered and complex, with full body, building, ultra-fine tannins, a multi-dimensional texture, and a monster finish, it’s unquestionably one of the most flamboyant, sexy, opulent wines in the vintage yet stays ethereal, elegant, and weightless. Coming from a site not far from Angélus and a unique blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot from tiny yields, aged in 80% new oak, it has the class and fruit to shine even today but will be better with 3-4 years of cellaring and I suspect capable of lasting for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis 80% Cabernet Franc wine may be massive, but it is also perfumed with swathes of opulent black fruit. It comes from a great year for Cabernet Franc, which forms 75% of this vineyard. Juicy acidity gives the wine a velvet character that is enticing. It needs time, , so wait to drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThe 2016 Le Dome is comprised of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, aged in 80% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it slips sensuously out of the glass with compelling notions of red roses, candied violets, chocolate box and Chinese five spice with a core of kirsch, blackberry tart, warm plums, black raspberries and cloves plus wafts of cigar box and orange peel. Full bodied—the palate is positively electric with energy—it gives layer upon layer of perfumed black raspberries and mineral sparks, framed by super ripe, firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long and very fragrant. It has 15% alcohol, but so beautifully harmonious you would never guess it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPWith ripe berries and decadent undertones, this wine is really alluring on the nose. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a very, very pretty and energized finish. Yes. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Le Dôme is absolutely gorgeous. Even thought the 2016 is very much tightly wound, it is still super-expressive. Crushed rocks, gravel, smoke and lavender add delineated, energy and nuance to this dark, full-bodied wine. Le Dôme is a rare Cabernet Franc-dominate Saint-Émilion that deftly balances richness with vibrancy. I find it the most complete and arrestingly beautiful wine in Jonathan Malthus' range. Today, it is positively thrilling.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe flagship wine for Maltus, made up of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, with a fairly high for the vintage pH of 3.81. This majors on muscular, powerful and slightly austere tannins, with fleshy cassis and strong liquorice flavours. This is a little old-school in its interpretation of the vintage, but there is no doubting the quality. Drinking Window 2027 - 2045.Decanter | 94 DEC

2016 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany and, according to Stefano, the best in 20 years. The cool night temperatures allowed for beautifully precise aromatics and perfectly ripe, harmonious tannins. This wine expresses the vintage beautifully and is the best Redigaffi I have tasted - simply stunning! Complex and tightly wound, it carries its 15% alcohol really well. There are hints of roasted coffee beans and green herbs on the nose, while the palate is super-concentrated yet beautifully balanced, with very fine-textured tannins. Blackcurrant, smoky plum and liquorice flavours are joined by a lovely freshness. A beauty. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 100 DECThe aromas of violets, roses and lavender are captivating. Turns to spices and hazelnuts. So complex. This full-bodied wine grows and grows on the palate, yet it remains agile and fresh. Plenty of energy in the palate. More powerful than the perfect 2015. We will see which is better in the end. Great wine. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Redigaffi is another absolutely compelling wine in this range. Explosive and opulent, the 2016 manages to be both spectacularly rich and yet also retain tremendous freshness. Blueberry jam, lavender, crushed rocks and sweet oak all build as this sumptuous yet structured Merlot shows off its considerable personality. In 2016, Redigaffi is energetic, persistent and also very classy. Drink it over the next decade or so.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis vintage hits it out of the ballpark. The Tua Rita 2016 Redigaffi is everything you should expect in terms of complexity, depth and the quality of its bouquet. The wine is especially balanced and focused with pinpoint aromas of dark cherry, plum, spice, tar and dried garden herb. The mouthfeel is generous and rich, but it also offers very silky and long tannins that give the wine its long, persistent mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage is an icon, and the wine has many long years of aging ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSupple, featuring pure black cherry, plum, wild herb, spice and licorice flavors that mesh with the well-integrated structure. Harmonious, remaining defined and juicy on the lingering finish. Though concentrated, this stays fresh and energetic, showing finesse and poise. Merlot. Drink now through 2033. 1,150 cases made, 90 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2016 Prieuré-Lichine is all class. Floral, silky and nuanced to the core, the 2016 is a wine of pure and total seduction. Freshly cut flowers, vibrant red fruit and creamy tannins all add to the wine’s undeniable allure. In 2016, Prieuré-Lichine is all class, not to mention one of the sleepers of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark fruit notes are more evident here than in the 2015 vintage, with spice moving from cinnamon to black pepper, alongside damson and lots of pure cassis notes. The oak, 45% new, is extremely well integrated with grilled almond notes. This is another vintage that showcases the energy and generosity of Prieuré-Lichine in recent years, capturing the generosity of the fruit without sacrificing the elegance of Margaux. Drinking Window 2026 - 2046.Decanter | 95 DECWith vineyards in the southern Margaux village of Cantenac, this estate has produced a deliciously juicy wine. The structure follows a straight line between the tannins and the intense fruit and acidity. The wine should age well, ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA very suave, polished Margaux that delivers iodine and dark-stone aromas and a wealth of ripe, plush dark fruit that follows through to the palate in attractive, fleshy and juicy mode. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Prieure-Lichine has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a bold, intensely scented nose of warm blackcurrants, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of cedar chest, tobacco, dried herbs and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has bags of class with lovely, vibrant black berries flavors and earthy sparks framed by ripe grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA restrained style, with a beam of cherry, cassis, lilac and sandalwood flavors, revealing a good fleshy feel and solid depth throughout. Light perfume and tobacco hints give the finish some added range. No fireworks here, just balance and focus. Best from 2021 through 2032. 19,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Beautifully fresh, lifted and disarming on the nose, you react with a smile without thinking, like with so many of the best 2016s. At this stage there's liquorice, a little black pepper and some floral overtones alongside a little grilled toast. It's full-bodied, you feel the sun in the wine, and it's so concentrated. Tannins are wonderfully glossy and fine, the wine is saturated with them, they coat your mouth. Long finish with real persistence. Perfectly balanced, utterly harmonious, this will be a panoramic Châteauneuf when it's ready. Not overblown or overextracted - perfectly pitched. Drinking Window 2023 - 2070.Decanter | 100 DECThe flagship is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, 75% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and the rest Counoise, brought up all in foudre. Blueberries, Peking duck, new saddle leather, black cherries, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of minerality all flow to a massive, concentrated, pure, perfectly balanced 2016 that is a prime example of the old saying, “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” It's a heavenly, perfect wine that's going to live for 30-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA more savory, moody, strong expression. Deeply rich nose with minerals, flowers, wild herbs, tar, toasted spices and pepper. The dark berries have a smoky edge. Minerally edge, too, thanks to the 60 per cent mourvèdre. The palate has glossy, ripe and super-fine tannins in sheets. Deep-set, dark plums and blueberries in the finish. Noble tannins. Age-worthy.James Suckling | 100 JSTasted three weeks after bottling, I couldn't quite bring myself to give the elusive three-digit score to this admittedly super wine. Perhaps once the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin has been in bottle a bit longer, as Mourvèdre seems to go into a bit of a funk when recently bottled. For now, it's merely profound, packing in savory, mossy nuances, hints of exotic dried spices like star anise and cardamom and layers of rich, plummy fruit that manage to be full-bodied and deliciously intense without being weighty or overwrought. Creamy, lush, intense and long, it's a tdf (tour de force) in CdP.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDeep vivid magenta. A highly complex bouquet displays candied black and blue fruits, incense and musky earth aromas; violet, licorice and Indian spice notes build in the glass. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, mineral-laced blueberry, cherry compote, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors that are given spicy lift and bite by a late peppery flourish. Tightens up slowly on a strikingly long, chewy, floral-driven finish framed by dusty, steadily building tannins.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis delivers a torrent of lively raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction notes, infused liberally with anise, fruitcake and black tea nuances. Ripe and dense, yet lively, defined and fresh in feel, coursing over graphite and leather accents on the well-structured finish. Best from 2021 through 2045. 52 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot from this picture-perfect property above Lake Hennessey, Colgin’s 2016 IX Estate is a stunning effort. Subtle herbal nuances, including hints of of licorice, intertwine among bunches of black cherries and pencil shavings to form a dusting atop baskets of cassis. Complex and intense, this full-bodied wine is almost creamy in texture, with tannins so fine-grained as to almost be liquid in feel, then becoming silky on the elegant, lingering finish. Wow.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother perfect wine is the 2016 IX Estate, which is made from 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, all from the hillside vineyard at the estate, high up on Pritchard Hill. It’s another ethereal, pure, seamless wine that does everything right. Huge notes of crème de cassis, ground herbs and tobacco, graphite, chocolate, and spring flower notes all emerge from this full-bodied 2016 that has building tannins, incredible depth of fruit, no hard edges, and a terrific finish. I wrote “wow” three times in my notes on this beauty. Hide bottles for 3-5 years if you can, and it’s capable of lasting for 3-4 decades. It’s another magical wine from winemaker Allison Tauziet that just could not be any better.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAromas of blackberries, black truffles, burnt orange peel, forest floor and blueberries. Decadent. Full to medium body. The tannins are so tight and dense with super fine and caressing texture. An amazing, mesmerizing wine. Drinkable and glorious, but better after 2022.James Suckling | 100 JSFounded in 1992 by art expert and auctioneer Ann Colgin, Colgin makes three tiny production wines of which their IX Estate (pronounced Nine Estate) is the best known. IX Estate is located in the eastern mountains at about 1,200 feet. In warm vintages, the wines are powerful, lush, and textural. In slightly cooler years, they can take on incredible beauty and precision. The 2016 (which also includes a small amount of petit verdot) is darkly savory, spicy, and minerally, with a compelling lit-from-within quality. What winemaker Allison Tauziet called herbes de Napa adds a complex subliminal note of mountain bay laurel, sage, and chaparral.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2016 IX Estate is a total knock-out. A wine of exceptional balance and harmony, the 2016 is stunning from the very first taste. Nothing really stands out. Instead, it is the wine’s sense of proportion that makes the most lasting impression. Seamless, layered and voluptuous to the core, the 2016 has so much to offer. Bright Pritchard Hill acids and minerality are felt on the persistent, beautifully sculpted finish.Vinous Media | 97+ VMLush and warm in feel, with gorgeous fig, black currant and dark plum fruit that rolls through in harmonious waves against a backdrop of loam, alder and smoldering cast iron notes. Not shy on power, latent cut and inner freshness, this just needs time to unwind fully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2038. 1,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

Speechless here. I thought the 2015 was already perfect but this is perfect, too. But in a different way. It is so structured and multidimensional. Full-bodied, powerful and intense with incredible tannin backbone and depth. The dark-berry, wet-earth, oyster-shell and mushroom flavors are phenomenal. 20% less production than 2015. Give it four or five years to come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSI fussed over scoring this wine more than I'd like to admit—tasting through three samples under different conditions at various intervals and testing my impressions blind against wines in its peer group. Most importantly, I tasted this 2016 vintage against the 2015 vintage over and over again. I confess to a few nights of restless sleep as a result. Ultimately, my decision to award 100 points to the 2016 Solaia came on impulse and with the most natural sense of purpose. I had also given the 2015 vintage a perfect score, and intellectually, it seemed impossible not to pick a favorite among these two stunning expressions. I will also state, outright, that the wines are very different, principally because the 2015 vintage shows more overall opulence and sweetness that extends to the pronounced textural richness of the mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage, on the other hand, is more chiseled and sharp with mineral shadings of campfire ash and graphite at the rim of its dark fruit. The mouthfeel is more streamlined and tight at its core, suggesting that the wine will unfold and soften beautifully with time. I feel like 2015 is the Dolce & Gabbana of the situation and the 2016 is the Armani Privé. The personalities of the two wines are distinct, yet my admiration for each is identical.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLike Tignanello, the 2016 Solaia is a wine of extraordinary nuance and finesse. Super-ripe blackberry, plum jam, espresso, menthol, licorice and sweet spice build as the sublime 2016 shows off its personality and breeding. The 2016 somehow manages to be incredibly deep and also light on its feet. Sweet floral and spice notes add the closing shades of nuance to an exotic, beguilingly beautiful Solaia endowed with an eternal finish and mind-blowing beauty. The 2016 is an epic Solaia. That's all there is to it.Vinous Media | 99 VMThe summer of 2016 at Marchesi Antinori’s Tignanello estate featured warm but even temperatures, without the heat spikes of 2015. The result is one of the most expressive and nuanced vintages of Solaia we have ever tasted. High-toned scents of lavender, menthol and bay leaf leap from the glass and continue on the palate, enlivening flavors of crunchy plum, blackcurrant and licorice. The tannins feel refined and silky, and the wine emanates a brightness and energy that propels the flavors outward, creating a three-dimensional impression. If the 2015 Solaia was a powerhouse, this wine is sheer elegance, its precise flavors and lifted aromas creating a thrill factor that is impossible to resist.Wine & Spirits | 99 W&SThis red leads off with a slight oaky edge, featuring vanilla and resin accents that meld with the black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors on the palate. This is all about purity and finesse, featuring a vibrant structure that fits harmoniously with the flavors. Cedar, iron, tobacco and fruit elements converge on the finish, which is very long, fresh and satisfying. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAromas of cassis, warm spice and camphor form the nose. Made with 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 7% Cabernet Franc, the vibrant, linear palate shows great finesse, offering cranberry, blueberry and crushed mint alongside white pepper. It's smooth and balanced, with bright acidity and polished tannins. The best is yet to come, so hold for more complexity. Drink 2023–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEFirst produced in 1978, Solaia comes from a 20-hectare south- to southeast-facing plot at Antinori's prized Tignanello estate. The stony, well-drained soil is a mix of galestro and alberese. Coconut, black tea and ripe blackberry are interlaced with a fragrant herbal and earthy undertow. It is a bit austere at the moment but the acidity is positively racy. Velvety-smooth tannins are seamlessly integrated and the finish is jam-packed. This will need a few years to come around. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DEC

Another perfect wine is the 2016 La Joie, which is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot sourced all from the estate vineyards in the Pocket Peak portion of the Alexander Valley. This full-bodied, powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon couldn’t be better and has incredible purity, layers of crème de cassis, white flowers, tobacco leaf, and flowers, a deep, multi-dimensional texture, and loads of ultra-fine tannins. I’d confidently put this up against any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. As with the La Muse, it has the balance, purity, and class to drink spectacularly well even today, but it’s another wine that will benefit from a decade of cellaring and keep for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2016 La Joie (a barrel sample) has a very deep purple-black color and is a little closed at this nascent stage, slowly unfurling to reveal crushed black currants, blackberry coulis and Christmas cake notes with touches of cigar box, pencil lead, bay leaves and espresso plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied and packed to the gills with tightly wound black fruit preserves, floral and spicy layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long. 3,200 cases will be made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPWonderful purity of cabernet on the nose with blackcurrants and fresh lavender. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and great beauty in the texture and flavors. It changes all the time. Extremely complex. 84 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot and five per cent petit verdot. So approachable, but needs at least three to four years to come together completely.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 La Joie soars out of the glass with stunning Cabernet Sauvignon red berry fruit, wild flowers, mocha, spice and mint. Elegant and refined, with striking depth, La Joie is pure and total finesse in 2016. It is one of the most sublime, nuanced wines I have tasted from Vérité.Vinous Media | 97 VMThere's opulence to spare on the nose, which is superripe but not overblown, with juicy cherry and blackberry aromas. Concentrated of course, but also sumptuous and juicy, with a good deal of spicy oak. This shows vigour despite the richness, and it's vibrant and persistent. Very long. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038Decanter | 95 DEC

Including the highest percentage of Merlot (at the moment anyway), the 2016 La Muse checks in as 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec that spent 15-16 months in roughly 90% new French oak. This magical wine shows how good Merlot (and Sonoma) can be and offers extraordinary notes of crushed violets, spring flowers, scorched earth, graphite, black cherries, and crème de cassis. As elegant and seamless as they come, it’s full-bodied, perfectly balanced, has an incredible spine of acidity and tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It has the class and purity to drink well even today, but it’s not going to hit prime time for at least another decade and will keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 La Muse is composed of 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. Wow—it comes strutting out of the glass with flamboyant crème de cassis, ripe plums and black cherries notes followed by nuances of aniseed, chocolate box, wild thyme, violets and chargrill plus a fragrant suggestion of potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the densely packed perfumed black fruit layers are beautifully framed by perfectly ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically knit freshness. It finishes long with the most incredible display of mineral sparks. 2,300 cases were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis is a fabulous, merlot-based red with blackberries, blueberries and rust. Ink, too. Medium to full body, round tannins and a juicy finish. 93 per cent merlot with the rest in cabernet franc and malbec. Drink after 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSThe most approachable of the three Verité wines right now. This is richly textured with plush raspberry and grilled damson, high floral aromatics, and plenty of tannic structure that becomes more apparent as you give it time, and the weight of the mid palate asserts itself. There is a serious side to this wine that will become clearer as it ages and the welcoming puppy fat of young fruit trims down. This is Merlot dominated, and is exceptionally successful. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 La Muse is a brooding, somber wine, just as it was en primeur. Black cherry, gravel, savory herbs, smoke, game, licorice and incense add a real feeling of gravitas that comes through in the wine's tannic heft. La Muse is often more showy when it is young, but the 2016 is going to require quite a bit of patience.Vinous Media | 94 VMDense, smoky and powerful, featuring notes of freshly ground coffee to the roasted plum and dried blackberry flavors. Hoisin sauce accents show on the tannic finish, with green herbal shadings. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2025. 2,205 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This is the debut vintage of this wine from the esteemed Bordeaux owner, Alfred Tesseron, who bought the property in the Napa mountains in 2016. Aromas of plums, wet earth, fresh herbs and tobacco. Some green olives. Turns to blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet reserved and layered with chocolate, walnuts and plums. Firm yet polished tannins give a framed sense to the wine. Savory. Racy and beautifully structured, it’s extremely drinkable already. Real wine.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pym-Rae displays a deep garnet-purple color and reveals wonderfully fragrant notes of candied violets, wilted roses, damp soil and black tea over a core of red and black currants, black cherries and warm blackberries plus touches of cigar box and camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is evocatively singular, offering that rock-solid structure of mountain fruit, yet these are wonderfully ripe, silt-like tannins that beautifully support the elegant red and black fruit layers, finishing very long and very perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae) The 2016 Pym-Rae continues to show well, with a rich, meaty, powerful style as well as loads of chocolaty black fruits, tobacco, black olive tapenade, and leather-like aromas and flavors. It’s beautiful on the palate, with massive concentration and depth as well as terrific balance. This gorgeous, deep, opulent beauty is going to benefit from another 4-6 years of bottle age and live for 3-4 decades. (Drink between 2025-2067)Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

Broader-shouldered and ampler than the Romanée-St-Vivant, the 2016 Richebourg Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a lavish bouquet of cassis, dark plums, candied peel, potpourri, Asian spices, peonies and smoked duck. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and expansive, with considerable depth and dimension at the core, and a gourmand, almost fleshy profile that marries beautifully with its cool, precise fruit tones and its velvety structuring tannins. This is a superb Richerbourg that to my palate surpasses the 2015 rendition.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru Red) An exuberantly fresh if restrained nose offers up a panoply of spice elements that add breadth to the mostly dark berry fruit and plum aromas that are laced with smoky hints of violet, rose petal, lavender and a whisper of sandalwood. The tautly muscular broad-shouldered flavors possess outstanding mid-palate density as well as evident minerality on the focused, impeccably well-balanced and hugely persistent finale that just goes and goes. The '16 Riche is a bit more refined than usual thanks to the beautifully fine-grained tannins and a wine that could aptly be described as a lovely combination of power and refinement that should also successfully age for a very long time. (Drink starting 2038).Burghound | 96 BHThe Richebourg has discreet yet powerfully brooding aromatics, mingling a hint of whole-bunch fruit with a spicy undertone of oak. It has energetic drive from exotic mulberry fruit, with an immediate fleshy, sweet dark berry impact on the tongue. Super-juicy loganberry flavours come in on the mid-palate, with the tannins tucked behind the fruit for a while. The texture is voluptuous and the structure stealthily emerges as the supple tannins and fresh acidity combine together in a tapering, slow-burning finish. Drinking Window 2030 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 Richebourg Grand Cru was picked on September 23–24 at 24hL/ha. It is much more intellectual and, you might argue, more challenging on the nose. Initially it feels a little green, not through underripeness but due to a stemmy element that is not quite as well enmeshed with the fruit. This seems to dissipate with time, and after two or three minutes it evolves an extraordinarily complex mélange of red and black fruit (more the latter), briar, rose petals, crushed stone and just a touch of seaweed. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, not as silky as the Romanée-Saint-Vivant, and a little more angular and masculine by comparison. This is one of the most saline Richebourgs that I have encountered from the domaine. Clearly a wine that is going to require a decade in bottle to really find its groove. Compelling, but not the most straightforward Richebourg in the pack. Then again, don’t we all like a puzzle? 868 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in-bottle tasting in London.Vinous Media | 95 VM

This is a monumental lineup from what is undeniably one of the greatest producers in the world today, and there are three perfect wines from this estate. Looking first at the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill, which comes from a tiny, cooler, north facing vineyard in St. Helena that was originally planted in 1881 by Josephine Tychson, it’s 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, bottled in May of this year. Its saturated purple color is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, graphite, and hints of licorice. This gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, powerful wine that has beautiful mid-palate depth and concentration, an utter seamlessness, elegance, and balance that’s hard to describe, awesome purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit. This is Napa Valley Cabernet at its finest and one of the great Cabernet Sauvignons of the past century. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, a decade if you can, and it will keep for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis is the first vintage with fruit from Josephine’s Hill included. This 2.38-acre north-facing hillside vineyard seems to have this incredible ability to retain all its flavor nuances with extended hang-time. By comparison, the rest of the Tychson Hill vineyard is planted to a gentler slope. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard has gorgeous floral notions of lilacs, lavender and roses with sandalwood and cinnamon stick sparks over a core of cassis, blackberry pie, kirsch and redcurrant jelly plus a waft of cigar boxes. The full-bodied palate is rich, concentrated, expressive and velvety, offering seamless freshness to lift and entice the mid-palate, finishing very, very long with some savory notions starting to unfurl. It is one of those wines that is so unique, expressive and perfect in every way that it sets your heart racing with every sip.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis is really ethereal with blackberries, hazelnuts, fresh flowers and chocolate. Full body and a fine, horizontal mouthfeel. So classic and extraordinary. Great finish. Better after 2022, but hard not to drink this now.James Suckling | 99 JSColgin's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is fabulous. Rich, dense and beautifully textured, the 2016 possesses tremendous nuance and pure class. An exotic mélange of super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, rose petal and mocha develop effortlessly, but it is the wine's balance that really stands out most. I imagine the 2016 will give readers a broad window of pure drinking pleasure. This is a super-refined, polished vintage for the Tychson Hill.Vinous Media | 98 VMYouthfully dense, with a broad swath of tobacco and ganache up front, this slowly reveals a pure, large-scale core of raspberry, red currant and plum fruit. This moves slowly and authoritatively through the fine-grained finish, gilded with anise and graphite details. To be released March 2020. Best from 2021 through 2035. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2016 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has wonderful purity of black fruits—preserved plums, blackcurrants and black raspberries—with nuances of iron ore, crushed rocks, fertile loam, cedar chest and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, concentrated, muscular and built like a brick house, it has very firm, grainy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing incredibly long and mineral. This should be very, very long lived.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe highlight in this range today, the 2016 Cariad is utterly magnificent. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot give the wine soaring aromatic intensity and striking savoriness to play off the racy, forward fruit. Time in barrel has done wonders to meld all the elements together. Today, the Cariad is dense, explosive and super-expressive. And yet my sense is that the 2016 still has quite a bit of room to grow. Even at this early stage, the 2016 is a total stunner. The symbiosis of David Abreu fruit and Allision Tauziet’s winemaking makes for an electric, unforgettable 2016. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 100 VMAmazing aromas of dark fruit and sweet, subtle tobacco. Complex. Multidimensional. Hypnotic. Full-bodied, very plush and rich on the palate with layers of fruit and tannins. Yet, it remains cool.James Suckling | 98 JSComing from the Madrona Ranch and a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cariad is a more powerful, concentrated, burly effort that has a massive amount of black and blue fruits, charcoal, savory herbs, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. This beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, loads of tannins, a deep, stacked mid-palate, and a huge finish. Where the Tychson Hill is power married to elegance, this beauty is more power and structure. It needs at least a decade of cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDRich and very suave in style, with a gorgeous core of pure plum, blackberry and cassis notes sailing through the long finish, which is supported by a well-buried graphite edge that allows the creamy feel to gain the upper hand while keeping everything grounded. A beautiful display of restrained power. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. To be released March 2020. Best from 2021 through 2035. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

A vibrant example of the region. Very attractive creamy texture, almost like milk chocolate, velvety and sweet. On the palate there is a wild, garrigue type character with oregano and spice, and a leathery, tobacco finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DEC

The quality of the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine shouldn’t surprise anyone. This estate rarely misses a beat, and in a great vintage like 2016, they’ve made a perfect wine. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, herbes de Provence, tobacco, graphite, and a who knows what else, this beauty hits the palate with a deep, powerful, full-bodied style that has enough structure to warrant a decade of cellaring. The purity is off the charts, it builds incrementally on the palate, and has a finish that won’t quit. Reminding me a little of the 2013, yet with a touch more elegance, do your best to hide bottles for at least 5-7 years and it’s going to keep for 30-40 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis is so tight and vibrant with a huge amount of detail and precision, coupled with density and brightness, superb length and class. The tannins are horizontal and so polished. The most refined, harmonious and focused Harlan ever? Subtle strength in this wine. You can drink it now or age it for years ahead.James Suckling | 100 JSThe deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Harlan Estate comes charging out of the glass, brandishing bold, opulent blackberry pie, warm cassis and blueberry preserves notes with hints of cigar box, Indian spices, crushed rocks and forest floor plus fragrant accents of lavender and black tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid line of super ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the layer upon layer of savory and earth-inspired notions, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Impressively structured, incredibly nuanced and possessing all this latent tension, this brazen beauty is set to live for a good 60 years and possibly more!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPA wine of tremendous breeding and pure stature, the 2016 Harlan Estate reaches dizzying heights of profound beauty. All the elements simply fall into place in an effortless, elegant Harlan Estate that really captures the essence of the year. Sweet tobacco, spice, menthol and mocha overtones give the 2016 beguiling aromatic presence to match its layered, sumptuous personality. More than anything else, the 2016 is a fabulous example of the Harlan Estate of today, an era in which finesse is just as prized as intensity.Vinous Media | 98 VMA warm, seductive and creamy wine, with dark fig and blackberry puree flavors, liberally laced with cocoa, dark tobacco and licorice root notes Very polished in feel overall, but a lovely echo of dark earth augments the fruit through the finish. A bit exotic, but also undeniable. Best from 2022 through 2042. 2,350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

Deep, glistening violet color. Highly perfumed aromas of fresh black/blue fruits, exotic spices, peony, vanilla and incense are complemented by a smoky mineral nuance. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, displaying alluringly sweet, mineral-tinged blueberry, cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors along with hints of licorice and cola. The floral and spice notes repeat emphatically on an extremely long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a resonating mineral flourish.Vinous Media | 98 VMProbably one of my favorite wines in the world is the La Mouline Côte Rôtie from the Guigal family. Coming from old vines and a warmer, steep, terraced parcel not far from the estate, it also includes a big chunk of Viognier and spent 4 years in new French oak. The 2016 Côte Rôtie La Mouline shows the more classic, elegant style of the vintage perfectly, offering a kaleidoscope feel in its classic jammy black raspberry fruits and notes of spice box, acacia flowers, bacon fat, and smoked game-like aromas and flavors. Possessing incredible elegance, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a layered, multi-dimensional texture, this heavenly Syrah can be enjoyed any time over the coming 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDLike the La Turque, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Mouline is about as approachable a young La La as you’re likely to find. Floral notes include hints of violet and hibiscus set against a backdrop of blackberries and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, it’s richly concentrated and textured, leaving behind a velvety, tannic feel on the long finish, accompanied by hints of cedary spice, mocha and salted licorice. It’s another beauty that should drink well for at least two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(E Guigal, La Mouline, Syrah / Shiraz, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, Red) Here the blackberry fruit is more to the fore compared to La Mouline 2017, the higher-toned aromatics and cedar notes are more in the background. This has a fluid, harmonious, light-touch - very well balanced. Perhaps not as concentrated as the 2017, but I love its easy balance. Particularly elegant and approachable with a little dark chocolate note to the cedar and floral display. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 97 DECSuave in feel, this lovely, beguiling wine offers perfumed black tea and incense notes swirling around a core of steeped cherry and plum fruit, all inlaid with notes of anise and juniper. The finish knits everything together nicely, with a mouthwatering mineral hint echoing. Best from 2022 through 2038. 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Probably my favorite in the entire lineup, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between comes from a tiny site just outside of Calistoga formerly known as the Pickett Road Vineyard. Like the 2015, the 2016 includes a touch of Cabernet Franc and spent the usual 32 months in 100% new French oak. This full-bodied, majestic Napa Valley Cabernet reveals a dense purple hue, awesome crème de cassis and kirsch fruit, amazing complexity in its spicy, sandalwood, and floral aromatics, and a massive yet elegant, lengthy personality. The texture is through the roof, it’s as seamless and polished as they come, perfectly balanced, and while I’d happily drink bottles today, my money is on this evolving for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD

Mount Eden’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon represents the essence of what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2016 simply has it all. A wine of tremendous depth and intensity. Readers, take note. This is world class Cabernet Sauvignon that in any other region would cost 2-3 times as much. Savory and expansive, with tons of mountain character and remarkable richness from low yields in 2016, the Cabernet Sauvignon is simply off the charts. It’s another utterly breathtaking wine from Mount Eden.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is blended with 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The nose offers pure cassis finely layered with Chinese five spice, dried rose petals, graphite and pipe tobacco with a wild, game-like undercurrent. The palate is seamless, opening to an array of detailed fruits and spices, with a silt-like structure and expansive juicy uplift. It’s a wonderfully balanced Cabernet that offers immediate appeal plus everything it needs for a long life in the cellar. 1,582 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe combination of high-elevation vineyards, oceanic influence and surrounding coniferous forest give Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet a singular profile, and few show it off as well as Mount Eden. Aged 22 months in 50% new oak, a mixture of French and American. Contains 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. American wood instils notes of candied orange rind and coconut flakes into an otherwise gravel-driven nose. The palate has a graceful, buoyant quality that gently floats across the palate. The finish is very dry and wound up like a spring, which will continue to be the case for the next several years. This is a wine to slowly let unfurl, both when ageing and consuming; open several hours in advance. Drinking Window 2024 - 2054.Decanter | 96 DECDried dark fruit, toasted cedar, shaved cocoa and sappy redwood tones make for a very dry expression on the nose of this classic bottling. Those elements meet with dense and dry blackberry and black plum on the sip, where dried herbs, black-pepper and soy flavors also arise. The elegant structure is such that this wine just doesn’t die, even after more than a week of sitting open. Drink 2022–2046.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENo written review provided. | 95 W&SThis shows a zesty mix of sage and grilled savory notes, backed by a sleek black currant, plum and black cherry core. The singed alder and mesquite frame shows on the finish, which is tightly focused and youthfully closed for now, with just a bolt of iron showing. When this rounds into form, it will be a winner. Best from 2023 through 2036. 1,259 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The Tenute Silvio Nardi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino makes a big impact in the glass thanks to its dark color saturation and the pretty intensity of its aromas that range from dark fruit and plum to soft potting soil and grilled herb. You get beautiful balance here, even more so when you allow the bottle to breathe for a few hours. A twofold delivery of freshness and tannic backbone gives the wine the DNA required to hold 10 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino has aromatics of savory dried herbs, black plum, cola, and stony earth. The palate is fruit forward and full of ripe cherry, balsamic, and iron rich minerality. There are silky tannins that emerge from its fruit, along with balanced acidity. Though it is open and generous now, there is lots of life for this to unfold over time. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDA creamy and juicy Brunello with dried-berry, peach and dusty-earth character. It’s full-bodied, chewy and very intense. Lots of fruit, yet reserved and toned with tannins that stay with you throughout. Give it at least three of four years to open. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Silvio Nardi is dark and earthy with a bit of a rustic edge that I find quite attractive. Floral undergrowth and rich soil tones give way to crushed black cherries with hints of brown spice. There’s a combination of ripe primary fruit and zesty acids, which creates an appealing and juicy expression, even as grippy tannins slowly mount toward the close. Remnants of licorice, mocha and tobacco linger, along with the slightest hint of heat, which doesn’t get in the way. The 2016 Tenute Silvio Nardi won’t require more than a few years of cellaring to show its best.Vinous Media | 93 VMA mix of cherry, plum, leather, earth and iron flavors mark this red. Starts out rich and supple in texture, then the assertive tannins sweep in midpalate through the finish. Finds a good balance in the end and finishes long. Best from 2025 through 2045. 25,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe Silvio Nardi estate has released a solid trio of Brunelli from the 2016 vintage, starting with their foundational Brunello. Assembled from 54 lots from vineyards in Montalcino’s northwest and southeast, it captures the wildness of the former and warm generosity of the latter. Pretty pressed blue flowers meet dark cherry compote and some toasty oak notes. Ample and well-built with lots of structure, the tannins are fully ripe but a little rustic, providing a satisfying chewiness. Drinking Window 2023 - 2033.Decanter | 92 DECAromas of French oak, menthol and dark spice form the nose. Full bodied and linear, the palate features licorice, vanilla, cherries marinated in spirits and coffee bean alongside tightly wound, close-grained tannins that grip the lean finish. Drink 2024–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

This is really beautiful with complex black cherry, berry, walnut and dark chocolate. Some mushroom and smoke. It’s tight and reserved with polished tannins and wonderful balance and finesse. Persistent and intense. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino blends richness, ripeness and refinement to create a model of total balance. At first, it’s dark, earthy and herbal; yet with time in the glass, a massive wave of black cherry, raspberry, sage and a grounding note of undergrowth comes forward. In the mouth, it coats all that it touches in silky, cool-toned textures, giving way to ripe red/black fruits complemented by spiced citrus, as nuances of lavender and tobacco form. While this feels round and pliant throughout, fine-grain tannins slowly saturate, sneaking up and reminding you of just how young the 2016 really is today. Hints of baker’s chocolate, licorice and a twang of tart blackberry resonate - wow, does it ever end?Vinous Media | 96+ VMThe Uccelliera 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to dark fruit and wild cherry with warmer tones of cured tobacco, spice and potting soil. It shows the extra density, darkness and richness that comes so beautifully to fruit grown on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. What Uccelliera delivers so carefully, vintage after vintage, is a truly exceptional sense of mouthfeel with textural richness and lingering creaminess. It is also one of the wines that consistently shows a sense of place. This is a touchstone estate for this specific Montalcino microclimate. Production is 29,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites in Castelnuovo dell’Abate and spent three years in French and Slavonian oak of various sizes. It offers very pretty, soft floral aromatics of violet, black raspberry, and sweet baking spice. Structurally, the palate is plush and round on the mid-palate, with soft tannins and generous warmth, but without excessive weight. Enjoy over the next 15 or more years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDBurly tannins put a grip on the black cherry, black currant, plum, earth and tobacco flavors in this dense version, yet it's also vibrant, building to a lingering finish. All the components are in the right place, so this should come together nicely over time. Best from 2024 through 2045. 2,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a fruit-focused and high-energy effort, lifting up with a spicy and slightly exotic display, showing sour cherry, wild strawberry, savory herbs and hints of animal musk. It’s silky in texture with fleshy red berries further excited by juicy acids, giving way to salty minerals and pretty inner florals. Tannins saturate through the finish, yet this remains balanced throughout with a resonating note of black licorice. The 2016 Piancornello is very impressive. Well done!Vinous Media | 94 VMA firm, linear red with cherry, plum and hints of chocolate, as well as bark. Some fruit-tea leaves as well. It’s full-bodied and layered, chewy and intense. Fine tannins. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe aromas recall dark-skinned fruit, underbrush and cooking spice. The concentrated palate offers dried black cherry, clove and licorice alongside dusty tannins. Drink 2023–2030.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Very pretty ripe and dried fruit with blackberries and sweet cherries. It’s full-bodied with depth of fruit and creamy, polished tannins. Extremely compact and long. Pure fruit at the end. A gorgeous wine. Drinkable now, but better after 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino displays depths of rich blackberry and cherry sauce with mentholated herbal tones adding lift, while notes of cedar and clove develop in the glass. Its textures are like pure silk, draped slowly across the palate, showing admirable density and weight, balanced by bright acids and minerals. This is so tightly wound up in its youthful state, yet it’s packed full of potential with a core of dark primary fruit that isn’t quite ready to reveal its charms. A web of fine tannin makes itself known only at the very end, as the 2016 slowly tapers off to hints of tobacco. The 2016 will take some time for this to come fully into focus, but it will be well worth the wait.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is highly aromatic with black cherry, anise, dried herbs. Full-bodied and with vibrant acidity, the palate has crisp black fruit and red plum, and moves into more savory herbal tones of amaro and grippy tannin, with some austerity in its youth. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDElegant, tight and streamlined, the La Gerla 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a savory and slightly spicy bouquet. More than fruit, the first tones you get focus on tar, smoke, licorice and mixed herbs. This wine offers a very Mediterranean personality with elegant mineral notes that come out in a second wave. The wine goes through a relatively quick fermentation with about 15 days of skin contact followed by 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks. With more time in the glass, it opens to blue flower, lilac, dried berry and crème de cassis. Production is 40,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPUnderbrush, rose, leather and dark spice aromas lift out of the glass along with a whiff of camphor. The linear, elegantly structured palate doles out juicy Marasca cherry, orange zest, star anise and crushed mint alongside tightly wound but refined tannins and bright acidity. It’s still young and nervous so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2026–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis red is round, with juicy cherry, plum and spice flavors. Shows hints of chocolate and loam, remaining harmonious and fresh through the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,000 cases made, 750 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Gently perfumed with lavender, cedar and ripe blackberries. It’s full-bodied and smooth with ripe tannins. Just the right amount of chewiness. Lovely chocolate and hazelnut notes on the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSMade with organically grown Sangiovese, this full-bodied red opens with aromas of red-skinned berry, leather and underbrush. The juicy palate offers raspberry jam, cinnamon and clove alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink 2023–2030.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WECordella Maddalena’s 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is laced with a distinctive bouquet that mixes white smoke, cedar and pine with tobacco, sage and medicinal cherry. It’s velvety-smooth and pliant with polished dark fruits and cooling minerality. There’s a hint of wood spice here which seems a bit out of place yet acceptable, as this tapers off to classically dry tannins, hints of mocha and bitter black currant.Vinous Media | 90 VMThere are ripe aromas in the 2016 Brunello of preserved Amarena cherries, chewing tobacco, and sweet herbs. The palate has flavors of black tea, dried leaves, and dried cherry fruit. It is rather hollow on the mid-palate, but it does have structure and is welcome drinking over the 2022-2030.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD