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Here’s a wine I am very excited to taste, given the phenomenal performance of this vintage in the annata version released last year. The Gianni Brunelli Le Chiuse di Sotto 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva reproduces that same brilliant intensity and deep inner brightness, only this Riserva has seen one more year of aging, and it shows more spice and thicker textural heft as a result. This wine is penetrating and layered with a harmonious playlist of red and purple fruits, spice, tar, cola, licorice and grilled herb. The tannins are more austere in the case of this 2,993-bottle release, and you’d do well to age it longer before popping the cork. I love the spontaneous radiance and energy captured by this estate, especially in 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPGianni Brunelli’s Riserva is built from the Olmo vineyard in Montalcino’s southeast. Reaching 500 metres on stony soil, this warm site is the first to be picked by the estate. A small portion of the northeast-facing Le Chiuse di Sotto vineyard is added for freshness and aromatic lift. Heady and inviting, the 2016 presents ripe florals of mint blossom, peony and allspice on a nutty, truffly backdrop. It is iron-edged and succulent on the palate. The tannins are steely yet supple, ultimately clinging gracefully to fresh red cherry and blueberry. Tarragon resounds on the finish. Thrillingly tense.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECSurprisingly, the 2016 Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has a more open, accessible nose than the 2016 Brunello ‘annata’ with layers of citrus fruit, blood orange, blue flowers and red cherry aromas. This is a very complete wine with great depth and concentration of flavor yet without ever being heavy. It wears its concentration so well. There is a great density of silty, chalky tannins on the finish and the wine still feels so young. The texture, weight, harmony, and balance are all terrific! In fact, this wine epitomizes harmony, with a range of dark fruit which is very classical in delivery. Dried orange peel, citrus and bitter herb, Negroni-like aromas and flavors are set like jewels in a velvety texture.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIThe deep, sensual 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva wafts up with spice-dusted cherries, sweet herbs and hints of flowery undergrowth. It fills the senses with rich yet tart black raspberries and exotic spice, along with a hint of citrus that sends sparks across the palate, creating a pliant yet nicely chiseled effect. The 2016 tapers off like a black hole of structure, turning quite savory but with a coating of fine tannin that seems to devour the coating of primary fruits beneath it. Masses of tobacco and brown spice linger. The sheer density, amazing minerality and balanced acidity make the 2016 Riserva an extremely exciting wine.Vinous Media | 97+ VMA beefy, muscular style, this red features black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit shaded by earth, iron and spice flavors. Reveals a tangy edge, partly from the bracing acidity, with wild herb and savory notes on the lingering finish. Best from 2026 through 2045. 271 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSCherries and dried flowers on the nose with some sandalwood. Some chocolate, too. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and compact, with firm and fine tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Racy and savory. Really delicious already, but will repay patience for three or four years.James Suckling | 96 JSFull-bodied and savory, this offers aromas of new leather, camphor, mature dark-skinned fruit and cedar. The firmly structured palate delivers dried Marasca cherry, blood orange, mocha and licorice framed in tightly wound, close-grained tannins. Drink 2028–2036. Kerin O’Keefe | 96 TWIFull-bodied and savory, this offers aromas of new leather, camphor, mature dark-skinned fruit and cedar. The firmly structured palate delivers dried Marasca cherry, blood orange, mocha and licorice framed in tightly wound, close-grained tannins. Drink 2028–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard struts flamboyant notions of chocolate-covered cherries, black raspberries, kirsch and plum preserves with an undercurrent of blackcurrants, cedar chest, wilted roses and mossy bark plus a touch of espresso. Full-bodied, super concentrated yet perfectly balanced with a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, the palate reveals layer upon layer of black fruit and savory flavors, finishing with epic length and depth and imparting an overall satisfying sense that defies descriptors. Just magic.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer has really come together beautifully over the last year. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 exudes tons of textural richness in all of its dimensions. The oak has now integrated well, which allows the dark, jammy fruit to be super-expressive. This is an especially concentrated style, much of that the result of picking on the later side to ensure full physiological ripeness.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is laden with dark fig, blackberry and açaí berry reduction flavors, while notes of tobacco, graphite and ganache fill in throughout. Delivers ripe, juicy energy on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2030. 185 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A selection of the top terroirs on the property and a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, and 7% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was brought up all in new oak. Deep purple-colored, with a rocking bouquet of black fruits, espresso, graphite, and crushed rock, this borderline perfect wine has full-bodied richness, a seamless, seamless texture, plenty of tannins, and a monster finish. This is an absolutely killer Napa Cabernet! It’s already hard to resist, yet it’s capable of evolving for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDBlended of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 7% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has a profound nose of crème de cassis, baked cherries, earth, cigar box, charcuterie and menthol. The palate is full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm and fine-grained tannins, finishing long and layered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Vertical in feel and construction, the 2016 possesses terrific depth and tons of energy. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 has plenty of backing structure. The new oak, which was a bit prominent a year ago, has really integrated nicely. The 2016 was mostly fermented in oak puncheon, with a touch of stainless steel.Vinous Media | 97 VMSome lightly tarry nuances across ripe dark plums, chocolate and earthy black truffle, leading to a flavorful and attractively concentrated, dark-berry and chocolate-flavored palate. A blend of 83 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 10 per cent malbec and seven per cent petit verdot. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta keeps me at the edge of the glass to take in its darkly alluring bouquet of dusty black currants and dried flowers, with hints of blood orange offset by sweet rose. While currently youthful and understated, it continues to open and deepen with each swirl. This is silky and cool-toned in feel, savory to the core, with a dense wave of mineral-tinged dark red fruits carried across a core of vibrant acidity. Autumnal spices form toward the close. The 2016 is inward and saturating, building in fine tannins that clench the palate through the finale, promising a long, long life. This is a masterpiece in the making, and while already bottled, it will not be released until 2023. Production was again down by 50% in 2016 due to hail.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMReleased after the 2017 vintage, because it was decided that this dense, concentrated vintage would benefit from more time in the bottle, the 2016 is fuller and broader in the shoulders compared to the 2017 Amarone. There’s more of everything – body, concentration, tannic presence, richness, spiciness...And while there’s a reductive note of petrichor, its aromatics still soar, carrying wafts of wild black fruits and balsam out of the glass. Enticing already, its future looks very bright indeed.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta takes wine intensity to almost unthinkable levels. That’s the magic of this estate, and without a doubt, this wine occupies a category that makes it totally unique on the Italian wine scale. Made with a traditional blend of 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina and 10% Oseleta (aged in French and American new oak for two years), the wine feels even richer, bolder and more concentrated in this classic vintage. That general intensity is applied to the tightly wound and firm tannins as well. The alcohol reading is 16.5%. This Amarone hits the market in 2023, but you’d do well to age it for another decade at least. Black fruit, baked plum, tobacco, soy sauce, grilled herb and sweet spice are generously folded into the wine’s full-bodied texture. The 2016 vintage saw 17,000 bottles created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis wine is impressive both from its structure and its fruit, one of the stars of the vintage in Saint-Émilion. It has great weight, concentration as well as style and aging potential. The ripe fruit shines through the structure, promising an elegant maturity. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks.Vinous Media | 97 VMLike Rauzan-Segla, Canon is owned by Chanel with 2016 being the second great vintage for winemaker Nicolas Audebert. After the top-scoring 2015, 2016 is a more restrained wine which demonstrates elegance rather than power. Dark berry and cherry fruit dominate the palate, with pronounced, leafy red-fruit/violets and roses on the nose. Fine-grained tannins, some smokiness from 70% new oak, this is another glorious St-Emilion with a long future ahead. (Drink between 2023-2045)Decanter | 97 DECComplex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Château Canon is another beautiful wine from this estate, made in a more streamlined, elegant style compared to the richer, sexier 2015. Checking in as a blend of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc all from a magical terroir situated on the upper plateau just outside of the village of Saint-Emilion, it saw a small percentage of the blend go through malolactic fermentation in barrel, and the wine spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used. Gorgeous notes of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, white truffle, and crushed rock nuances all come soaring from the glass and it has notable intensity as well as complexity. Medium to full-bodied, with vibrant acidity, ultra-fine tannins, and a straight, silky texture, I don’t think it matches the 2015 on concentration, but it’s perfectly balanced and has a texture to die for. It needs a good 4-5 years of bottle age (or more) and it’s going to be long-lived. Tasted three times.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThis delivers a pretty serious ball of fruit, with a mix of raspberry, blueberry and black currant flavors providing range, while sweet tobacco notes and chalky minerality impart texture and detail. There’s a fresh savory echo on the finish. Much less reliant on toast than most of its peers. Best from 2022 through 2037. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Bottled in June of 2018, the 2016 Château La Conseillante is a beautifully seamless yet powerful version of this cuvée that has the hallmark fragrance and elegance of the estate front and center. Complex blackberries, cassis, flowers, incense, forest floor, and floral notes all soar from this full-bodied, pure, and polished Pomerol that has an undeniable class as well as wonderful purity of fruit, perfect integration of its tannins and acidity, and a blockbuster finish. It’s an incredibly complete wine that flirts with perfection and will keep for 30-40 years. The blend is 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. There are less than 4,000 cases made, but this is a wine you want in your cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe aromas of violets and dark berries with licorice and sweet black tea are so attractive. What really impresses is the sweet fruit in the dense middle palate. So attractive. At the same time, there’s plenty of plush and ripe tannins that give the wine form and brightness. And it still remains bright on the finish, as the tannins roll on. A great Conseillante. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak for 17 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slips provocatively out of the glass with a lifted perfume of roses, candied violets and lavender over a core of warm red and black plums, chocolate box, unsmoked cigars and baked cherries with wafts of wild thyme and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate exudes polish and sophistication with bags of fragrance, freshness and energy, sporting exquisitely fine-grained tannins and finishing very long and minerally. Around 3,808 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPI love the depth and character to the fruits on this wine. Still extremely young, in a closed phase with plenty of tannic grip, but there are layers upon layers of blueberry, cassis, raspberry, mint, saffron, slate and liquorice. Clear acidity also, ensuring this succulent, juicy character to the fruits. A brilliant example of an excellent vintage in Pomerol. 70% new oak. A yield of 39.5hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024 - 2046.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2016 La Conseillante comes across ripe and generous on a nose of strawberry, blackberry, rose petal and vanilla, before more tertiary and nobler scents develop. The palate is well balanced with supple tannins and fine acidity. This is disarmingly fleshy, almost corpulent, with impressive depth, though it tightens up toward the finish. Its grace and class still come through, however. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95+ VMFeatures a terrific core of dense and winey cassis, blackberry and plum reduction notes that will need time to unfurl, during which time the flickers of alder, tobacco and black tea lurking throughout should emerge further. Shows a solid graphite element through the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038. 3,333 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSBeautifully perfumed and rich, this wine comes from the eastern edge of the great plateau of Pomerol. It shows the density and concentration of impressive Merlot. Offering powerful fruits as much as tannins, the wine also has a mineral edge plus fresh acidity to give it a lift. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler than average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started the 22nd of September and finished the 11th of October. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume, intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality and a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. A total of 92,292 bottles, 3,695 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA beautifully poised Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, showing an almost ethereal quality in contrast to the denser 2015 vintage. There’s a hint of minerality paired with the blackberries and dark cherries. The tannins are firm yet softened. Medium to full body and a finish that lingers for a minute. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JS

The 2016 Sammarco is a dense, flamboyant wine. Inky red fruit, spice, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that build in a statuesque Sammarco that dazzles from start to finish. A wine of stunning textural richness and intensity, Sammarco is translucent, sculpted and full of character. All the elements are so well balanced. Rose petal, cedar, tobacco and mint linger on the eternal finish. The 2016 is a magical wine that can be, surprisingly, enjoyed now or cellared for a number of years. Time in the glass just brings out its energy and vertical drive. Sammarco is quite possibly the single greatest value in high-end Italian wine. Don’t miss it. Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, this opens with earthy aromas of truffle, leather, game, cassis and blue flower. Delicious and bursting with personality, the full-bodied palate doles out ripe black plum, fleshy black cherry, crushed black olive and licorice. Velvety, fine-grained tannins provide support. Drink 2023–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the Castello dei Rampolla 2016 Sammarco was held back for an extra year of aging before its commercial release. In fact, I already reviewed the 2017 vintage last year because that wine is many times more accessible and immediate than this one. The issue at hand are the tannins, which remain very tight and grippy in this bottle. That extra year in bottle has helped them to integrate, but this wine still has a very long way to go. Keep that in mind if you collect Sammarco. Despite that slight astringency, this is a wine of courage and vision. It shows expertly measured fruit weight and lots of lively intensity on the bouquet.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPPlenty of currant and blackberry with some coffee and toasted oak on the nose. It’s full-bodied with a dense palate and round, polished tannins that fold nicely into this young wine. It’s very drinkable, even though it’s structured and so serious. Cool in the end, Cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Unfiltered. This will age beautifully. Drink after 2023, but a beauty already.James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2017 Syrah Bionic Frog is in the running for the wine of the vintage. An incredibly elegant expression of this cuvée, it reveals an almost opaque purple hue to go with stunning, Jamet Cote Rotie-like notes of black raspberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, green olives, and sweet mulch. More cured meats and salted pork notes develop with time in the glass, and it’s a wonderfully complex, layered, nuanced Syrah. Boasting medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, flawless balance, and a great, great finish, it’s the polish, elegance, and silky feel to the tannins that set this beauty above just about every other wine out there. It’s unquestionably gorgeous today (give it an hour or more in a decanter) yet has a solid 15-20 years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFantastic decadence and richness to this, but not overdone, offering intense dried fruit, tar, roasted walnuts and smoked almonds. It’s full-bodied, but remains fresh. The aromas follow through to a flavorful. round and juicy palate. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSPart of the magic that happens with the 2017 Syrah Bionic Frog is that it is opaque with neon purple edges without being inky and massive. With classic Syrah tones of smoked meat, leather, lavender, lilac and black pepper, the wine is rich with aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and smoked plum. Medium to full-bodied, the wine explodes with intention and precision on the palate, with an immaculate balance and crystal-clear focus. Brilliantly structured, the wine continues to evolve with subtle and seamlessly integrated spice tones compounded by a mineral tension and a floral lift to make this wine float across the mid-palate. The wine glides effortlessly to a long, winding finish with persistence and the elegance of silk. The vibrancy of flavor remains in the mouth long after the wine has left. For a wine this dark and this full-flavored, yet as graceful and agile on the palate as it is, you’ll be hard-pressed to put down the glass; I certainly can’t keep my hands off of it. This is stunningly beautiful, and with only 516 cases made, it should be sought after by top collectors from around the world.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPBright red-ruby. Pungent, pure, wonderfully complex scents of blackberry, dark raspberry, crushed herbs, meat, graphite and black olive accented by black pepper. Incredibly precise, concentrated, saline wine with a sexy wildness and exceptional inner-mouth lift to its flavors of dark berries, licorice, olive tapenade and luncheon meats. Thick and savory but not heavy or flat, this is a great New World Syrah. Finishes salty but alive, with terrific firm but integrated tannins and steadily building length. A great vintage for this wine--maybe better than the 2016--with superb lift and structure for aging. Keeps its thickness and juiciness through the peppery, wild, very long aftertaste. Wow!Vinous Media | 96 VMThe aromas start off reserved and then ramp up intensity, with notes of peat, black pepper, crushed flower, soot and charcuterie. The flavors are intense but far from full throttle, showing a mesmerizing sense of restraint to the savory and potpourri notes. A lingering finish caps it off.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShows personality and refinement, with vivid cherry and raspberry flavors, laced with garrigue, bacon, orange peel and river stone notes. Picks up speed toward the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2029. 516 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This is well-packed, offering the vivid plum, boysenberry, cassis and açaí berry fruit profile of the vintage, along with a dark edge of tar, baker’s chocolate and salted licorice that courses underneath. The long finish lets the fruit play out, keeping singed alder and chai spice hints in the background. Smolderingly seductive. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2035 through 2060. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood vats. It comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. This was bottled in May 2019, about a month before tasting, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. Aromatic, wonderfully fragrant and laced with eucalyptus, this then shows typical Noval focus and power. A couple of hours in a glass simply increased the power. More intense than the very fine 2016, it grips the palate and shows rather significant astringency. As wonderfully aromatic as this is, there the 2016 might have the edge.Too closed and muscular once past the aromatics, this rather dry Port needs some time. It is harder to read than the 2016 was, but this should overtake it in time. Have some patience with this one.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta do Noval ever?Vinous Media | 97 VMThe straight 2017 Vintage Port is stunning stuff. It packs serious power and richness while staying beautifully polished and, dare I say, elegant. Notes of crème de cassis and liquid blackberries define the attack, but it offers an incredibly layered, nuanced, complex style in its notes of herbes de Provence, violets, spicy wood, licorice, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. While it’s no doubt a full-bodied Port, it stands out just as much for its incredible polish, balance, and purity. This a brilliant effort is more approachable than the Nacional bottling yet is nevertheless going to evolve for 50-60 years or more on its flawless balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBig grip in this wine with dark blackberries, blueberries and floral notes. Fine tannins. Ripe but sweet and pretty. Shows a lovely finish. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSNoval spills over into two valleys from Pinhão to Roncão which contribute two very different terroirs to the blend, though both predominantly south-facing. It displays heady Douro aromas of open, ripe, plummy fruit with a touch of dust and eucalypt, wild and aromatic. The palate is dense, smooth and seductive on the palate with firm, schistous tannins rising on to a fresh, linear finish. Beautifully defined and integrated. Just 3,500 cases declared. Drinking Window 2035 - 2060.Decanter | 96 DECThis is a solid wine with dark tannins and a definitely dry character that will allow it to age well. Its power and its density are impressive, with rich black currant flavors backing up the tannins. Drink from 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEJet black, this shows the arid vintage in its desert-rose scents and in the umami savor of tiny dried black currants. There’s black-cherry density inside the concentrated tannins, which need a decade to begin to relax.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Hand-picked and sorted 1868 planting, 50% crushed, 45% whole berry, 5% whole bunch. You’d stand up for royalty, and that’s this wine. To use the spit bucket is lèse-majesté. Just savour it, drop by drop, as it magically finds its way down your throat. It’s got the full rainbow of cool-grown shiraz flavours, a conjunction with a year made for it by Dionysius and, glory be, comes with a screwcap. Drink to 2067James Halliday | 99 JH

(Chambertin “Clos de Bèze”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2017 Clos de Bèze from Domaine Rousseau is an equally compelling wine in the making, but it is a bit the inverse right now of the Chambertin, as it is a bit more reserved on its youthful nose, but more open and flamboyant on the palate. The bouquet is very, very pure, precise and promising, offering up scents of red and black raspberries, cherries, raw cocoa, a very complex base of minerality, lovely spice tones and a very well-done framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with superb transparency and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and a very long, very energetic and vibrant finish. The wine is already suave and caressing on the attack, with all of this sappy reserve at the core and yet, it finishes completely defined by its complex minerality. A great wine. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 98 JGSumptuously oaked and always poured last in any tasting at Domaine Rousseau, this is riper and plusher than the straight Chambertin bottling, with the power and density to age well, framed by 100% new wood and showing a bloody, ferrous undertone. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Red) While the wood treatment is certainly evident it remains reasonably subtle on the overtly cool and restrained nose that is markedly spicy with its broad-ranging combination of exuberantly fresh aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, rose petal, violet, plum and a suggestion of earth. There is excellent power and punch to the large-scaled flavors that are a combination of power and refinement while being blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive quality to the mouthcoating, hugely long and firmly structured and chiseled finish. While the Chambertin appears to have a slight edge at this very early juncture due to having slightly better complexity, it’s going to be interesting in 20 to 25 years’ time to see which is the better wine! (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 96 BHThe 2017 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has quite a high-toned bouquet, a touch of boot polish coming through and then receding to reveal very complex floral aromas. The elegant palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, perfect acidity and fine proportion. Maybe it is missing a little weight on the back end, but it is still a refined Clos-de-Bèze that will age with grace. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2017 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru bursts from the glass with extroverted aromas of dark, plummy fruits that mingle with notes of chocolate, licorice, sweet oak spice, grilled meats and espresso. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and ample with broad shoulders, a generous core of fruit and more mid-palate amplitude and tannic bite than the Chambertin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP

Wonderful aromas of blueberries, blackberries, mushrooms, pine and blackcurrants. Some violets, too. Full-bodied, yet so refined and polished with wonderful fruit and a linear tannin structure that integrates beautifully into the wine. It’s so balanced and beautiful. Hard not to drink now, but better after 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2017 Proprietary Red brings everything up a solid notch. Dense purple/plum-hued, with gorgeous, Graves-like nose of blackcurrants, chocolate, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and gravelly earth, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a polished, elegant texture, building yet sweet tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the style of the 2017 vintage with its nicely concentrated, elegant, reserved yet endearing style, it’s going to drink nicely for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Proprietary Red sails out of the glass with open-knit, compelling scents of Black Forest cake, blackberry pie and black currant jelly with suggestions of Indian spices, garrigue, rose oil and sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited and jam-packed with opulent black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by a wicked backbone of freshness and plush, well-managed tannins, finishing with impressive length and perfume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2017 Sloan is very nicely done. As is typical of the year, Sloan is on the lighter side in 2017, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. Black cherry, spice, licorice, lavender and chocolate open with a bit of time in the glass. Soft, succulent and quite gracious, the 2017 will drink well with minimal cellaring. I suspect it will always retain some of the nervous tension that is to be expected for a wine made from fruit picked a bit earlier than would have been optimal and with fewer barrel ferments, both choices imposed by the fires that year.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

Memorable, complex, aromatic and explosively deep, with a mix of palo santo, dark chocolate, black olive, espresso and hazelnut butter. The pure fruit at the core is a mix of ripe huckleberry, boysenberry and wild blackberry, with dense but polished tannins. Savory notes of dried rosemary and sage, cigar box, dried apricot and sandalwood linger on the epic finish. Drink now through 2045. 289 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 98 WSOpaque, bright-rimmed ruby. Highly pungent, smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of cherry pit, violet candy, cured tobacco, savory herbs, coconut and exotic spices on the kaleidoscopic nose. Shows superb clarity and spicy lift to its spice-laced bitter cherry, cassis, blueberry and floral pastille flavors, which take on black cardamom, menthol and cola nuances as the wine slowly stretches out. Shows superb delineation and spicy thrust on the youthfully tannic finish, which features resonating cherry, blue fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMStrongly marked—as always—by its 100% American oak elevage, the 2017 Grange backs up the cedar and vanilla notes with ample blackberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied, ripe and almost decadently creamy in the mouth, it’s loaded with substance, concentrated and rich, yet—in the context of Grange—relatively light and elegant-seeming on the finish. Only the seventh-ever Grange to be exclusively Shiraz, it originates from Barossa Valley (86%) and McLaren Vale (14%); Shiraz from other growing regions in South Australia failed to make the grade this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSurprisingly approachable, the seamless meld of fresh red fruits, mocha and liquorice makes for an especially friendly and agreeable young Grange. A fabulous bouquet immediately draws you in – a meadow of wild herbs amid an orchard of plums – while the long palate shows impressive drive. Some spiky raw notes stick out at the end, along with assertive oak, showing that this vintage is still growing into its sturdy frame. Released at AU$950. Drinking Window 2025 - 2060.Decanter | 96 DECThis starts with a deeply spicy and brooding nose that packs plenty of (100% new) American oak, some smoked vanilla and ripe dark plums and berries. The palate has a youthful, astringent feel with sinewy oak tannin and deep plum and dark-berry flavors, carrying a big frame of fruit extract. Big, round berries strive towards boldness. A blend of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. 100% shiraz. Drink over the next two decades.James Suckling | 96 JS

Bottled in February of 2021, the 2017 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a seamless, exotic, perfumed, full-bodied effort that offers a classic floral character in its ripe black raspberry and blackberry fruit as well as notes of spice box, espresso, and chocolate. Co-fermented with roughly 10% Viognier, it’s all about gorgeous fruit and texture, and this cuvée has that rare ability to bring incredible richness and depth with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for 20-25 years. This reminds me slightly of the 2011 as well as the 2007.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD(E Guigal, La Turque, Syrah / Shiraz, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, Red) You can almost smell the fresh clay, immediately a different register compared to La Mouline with star anise, incense notes and rolling tobacco as opposed to cigarette tobacco. Rounded, fuller and plumper with more mouthcoating tannins and touches of vanilla pod from the oak.. The fruit is sweeter and juicier than the Mouline and this has a long, sappy finish with plentiful tannin but still elegant. (Drink between 2024-2038)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2017 Cote Rotie La Mouline has developed quickly and is already approachable—although I wouldn’t be surprised to see it close down shortly, only to emerge even better a decade from now. Complex, charming scents of jasmine, sandalwood, raspberries and stone fruit appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky-textured, with a long, plush finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPHighly perfumed, expansive aromas of cherry and blueberry liqueur, incense, exotic spices and vanilla, plus a bright mineral overtone that builds in the glass. Youthful, palate-staining red and blue fruit flavors show superb depth as well as energy, and a core of juicy acidity adds support and back-end cut. Finishes with building floral and spice nuances, gentle tannic grip and a resonating mineral note.Vinous Media | 96-97 VM Racy-edged and still a bit coiled up, this has a core of dark cherry and currant fruit that has melded nicely with singed alder, tobacco and sanguine notes. Flashes of chocolate and espresso crema add a more taciturn edge to the finish, but time should bring that into the fold, as this has superior length and drive for cellaring.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

This is one of my happy wines from Italy. You take three things—Syrah, sunshine and Tuscany—and fit them magically together to create the 2017 Syrah Per Sempre. If I am happy with this wine, so is its creator Stefano Frascolla, who was downright giggly as he presented it to me. This vintage puts it all out there and misses nothing. There is dark, exuberant, rich black fruit followed by carefully measured concentration and velvety richness. Both the 2003 and 2009 vintages were similarly hot years, but those editions showed a hardness or roughness, especially within the first few years of their release. This wine is quite the opposite, showing seamless transitions with layers of spicy softness, velvety richness and supple fruit definition. This wine is a true beauty with a more immediate style that will reward those who chose to drink it in the medium term, or those who prefer to wait longer. This is also one of the highest scores I have awarded to any Italian wine from the 2017 vintage thus far. Bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPWonderful aromas of blueberries, black olives, dried meat, and dried flowers. Iodine and peppercorn. Full body, firm and chewy tannins, yet always polished and refined. Shows a compact and silky texture. Needs two or three years to come around.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2017 Syrah Per Sempre is aromatically deep and so expressive. As always, what comes through is a heady wine that captures the personality of Syrah on the Tuscan coast, and yet the 2017 also possesses quite a bit of nuance. Black pepper, lavender, spice and chocolate wrap around a core of inky dark Syrah fruit.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGWell-marked by spicy, toasty oak, this red is opulent and powerful, with blackberry and boysenberry flavors that are submerged for now. Balanced, yet needs time to tame its youthful exuberance and absorb the oak. The long finish echoes vanilla and toast notes. Best from 2022 through 2032. 300 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Roses and lavender with other flowers. Peaches. Glorious fruit of dark plums and ripe strawberries. This is dense and intense but there are layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere. Goes on for minutes. Opens in the mouth. Almost endless. Three years in cask and two years in bottle before January 2023 release. Give this at least five to six years.James Suckling | 98 JSThis year’s top-end release from Bruno Giacosa is the 2017 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche (in the red label). Bottled in 2019, the wine stands apart thanks to a hot and dry growing season that Bruna Giacosa is very excited about. In fact, she prefers 2017 to 2015, although the two vintages do share similarities. This wine is very open-knit, and it reveals dark concentration in the form of ripe blackberry, candied cherry and spice. The tannins show a loose, granular quality that adds considerably to the textural impact of this Riserva.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis supple red is elegant and powerful, driven by an underlying mineral element. Strawberry, cherry, rose, iron and wild thyme aromas and flavors persist, building to a long aftertaste, while dense, refined tannins lend support. Offers superb balance and length. Best from 2025 through 2045. 110 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

This is one of those wines where your nose is in the glass for ages, enjoying the complex array of aromas that range from raspberries to dates, perfumed bark to polished wood, pressed flowers to fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, dense and focused with fine, well-integrated tannins, plenty of fruit flavor and an endless finish. A joy to drink even now, but this will age gracefully for many a year.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Sergio Zenato is totally classic to the Zenato style, with macerated cherries, raisins, sweet herbs, cocoa, black pepper and shavings of cedar. This deeply textural with a dense wave of mineral-encased dark red fruits and balsamic spice carried across a core of stimulating acidity. Mocha and clove mix with black currant and olive as the 2017 finishes dramatically long and potent. There’s simply so much going on here, and more is guaranteed to come with maturation. Also of note is that the 2017 clocks in at only 3.3 grams of residual sugar. This is as serious as they comeVinous Media | 97 VM

This is really transparent with sweet strawberries, flowers and orange peel, as well as some conifer and pine-nut undertones. Full-bodied and layered with intense young tannins, intertwined with bright fruit. Great finish. This is really something else. Needs time to soften, of course. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2017 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate has a slightly darker profile of licorice, black cherry, and wood spice. The palate is generous and structured, with plum pit, mineral-rich earth, and dried orange blossom. These are wines with incredible aromatic complexity and depth. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2017 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is a dark, mysterious wine. Black cherry, menthol, tobacco, licorice, spice, new leather and pine meld together in a super-classic expression of Ginestra. Deep, rich and enveloping, the 2017 is so impressive in the early going. Here, too, the finesse of the tannins is remarkable.Vinous Media | 96 VMSoils in the Ginestra vineyard show more moisture-retaining clay in their composition, making them better positioned to handle hot and dry vintages such as this. The Elio Grasso 2017 Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté reveals soft concentration and extra richness; however, the aromatic nuances are well intact. I recall that the previous 2016 vintage took longer to come into focus, whereas this 2017 expression is open-knit and immediately accessible. The fruit is front and center, and the wine slides over the palate with a silky texture. Managing the tannins in 2017 was not easy, but this wine proves that lasting balance is not out of reach.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

The 2017 Barolo Ravera Vigna Elena is made entirely from the Rosé clone and is a very special wine, in that it moves from incense to red berries, rose petal, and licorice. It has a gripping structure, though, with sweet ripe tannins and evolving orchard fruit. Everyone will get something from this wine. It is a beautiful wine in this stage, and although 2017 was a warm vintage, it is elegant and graceful. Drink 2024-2044.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDEver so supple and laced with cherry, raspberry, rose, licorice and mineral flavors, this Barolo is complex, harmonious and long. This is as much about the silky texture as any of the other elements that make this so compelling. Shows superb length on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2043. 335 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThough it was a very dry year, this vintage still managed to keep its impressive elegance. The wine opens with enticing aromas of wild cherry, fresh and dried roses, incense, wild herbs and savory spice. The palate is an example of thoughtfulness and craft with a core of deep wild berries, black tea, and crushed stones that are all supported by supple tannins and lifted acidity. Drink 2025–2045.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEVigna Elena is made from the one-hectare plot planted in 1991, the same year that Nadia and Valter’s daughter, Elena, was born, It features a chick on the label which she drew when she was just three years old. Made from the Nebbiolo Rose clone, which has smaller berries and thus bigger tannins, it demands extended ageing and so it spends an extra year in bottle compared to Bricco Pernice. This 2017 has a gloriously aromatic nose of earth, violets and balsamic red fruits. It’s more structured than Bricco Pernice, but also delicate and elegant in its pure red cherry expression. The long finish shows some orange peel and woody hints.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThis is Cogno’s top-shelf wine that represents a micro-vinification of the rosé clone of Nebbiolo from an even more closely defined parcel. Only 3,800 bottles were made. The 2017 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena is a hot-vintage expression (in fact, the alcohol jumps up to 15% in this wine) with a broad and rich personality that fits in line with the character of the growing season. In addition to that textural support, this wine is also more accessible and raring to go. Blackberry is interlaced with licorice root, cola and spice.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPNotes of dried cherries and strawberries, ground spices, aged orange peel, walnuts and sandalwood. Medium- to full-bodied. Tannins are velvety and nicely integrated with a dusty texture. Complete and balanced with a polished finish. Try now, but better in two or three years.James Suckling | 95 JSAromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, violet and forest floor mingle with balsamic notes of eucalyptus on this full-bodied red. A great showing from what was an extremely hot, dry vintage, the rather brooding palate is firmly structured, featuring dried cherry, licorice and tobacco alongside tightly knit, close-grained tannins. It closes on the warmth of alcohol. Best 2027–2035. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThe 2017 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena is a very pretty, aromatic wine. Dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, spice and mint give the Vigna Elena its signature aromatics. Medium in body and quite gracious, the 2017 is a very pretty Barolo. I imagine it will drink well with minimal cellaring.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Ripe and very powerful aromas of black licorice, currants and violets. Full-bodied, dense and flavorful with lots of very new, flashy wood. Sexy and gorgeous. Round and polished tannins. Superb wine for the vintage. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSA blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and 0.1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Latour has a deep garnet-purple color. It sashays out with showy notes of warm cassis, mulberries, and Morello cherries, followed by emerging tertiary hints of unsmoked cigars, rose oil, cardamom, and star anise, with a waft of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and mineral-laced, featuring loads of exotic sparks and velvety tannins, finishing on a lingering anise note. Beautiful! While it’s in a nice place right now, another 2 to 4 years in bottle should allow for even more of this gorgeous, emerging perfume. It will easily cellar for another 30 years beyond that.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThe 2017 Latour is just starting to open aromatically. Medium in body, with tannins that have begun to soften, the 2017 is super-expressive and inviting today. It’s a charming, relatively accessible young Latour that is all about finesse and understatement. Bright saline notes and lifted floral top notes convey class.Vinous Media | 96 VMA complex, layered, incredibly impressive Latour, the 2017 Château Latour is based on 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8 % Merlot, and a splash of Petite Verdot that spent 16 months in new barrels. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, round, beautifully balanced mouthfeel, classic notes of sweet red and black fruits, tobacco, graphite, and crushed stone, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s actually much more accessible than I’d imagined a few years ago, and this beauty clearly offers incredible pleasure today, as well as some classic Latour character. It should continue showing well for another 30+ years if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe just-released 2017 Latour is surprisingly accessible by this estate’s standards, offering up expressive aromas of crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and layered palate that’s fleshy and complete, with lively acids and a long, vanillin-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won’t hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPClosed and coiled right now, with ripped layers of fruit. A ton of graphite, bitter dark chocolate and finessed berry fruits. Definitely need to give this time and respect its muscular from. A seriously impressive Clinet that has held its form over ageing. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBlackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is a powerful, densely structured wine. Rich in tannins, full of dark black fruits and ripe acidity, the wine is impressively complete. It has considerable promise. Drink this wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGAn incredible wine from this estate that’s as good as anything in the vintage, the 2018 Château Cos D’Estournel checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 50% new French oak. While some 2018s are going to offer pleasure right out of the gate, this isn’t one of them, but rather it’s a backward, tannic powerhouse of a wine that has flawless balance as well as a level of purity that’s off the charts. Thrilling crème de cassis fruit, notes of lead pencil, damp earth, cedarwood, violets, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, masses of ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish all make for a legendary Saint-Estèphe that will need a good decade of bottle age yet evolve for 50 years or more. If you are tempted to try a bottle in its youth, it needs lots of air.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSA little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). Drinking Window 2028 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECThis is a bird of a different feather, with a ripe, sleek, and very polished feel as creamed loganberry, plum and boysenberry flavors spill forth, flanked for support by singed alder and incense notes, while black tea and savory threads curl around the finish. Long, showy and lovely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 16,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBig, rich and smoky in nature, with powerful fruits and dense tannins, this is a wine that is straining at the limits but still within balance. Rich, smoky flavors shine along with the black plum fruit and bright acidity. It will age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2018 La Conseillante is composed of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with a 3.65 pH and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to lure out the youthfully shy, incredible perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries, ripe plums and cinnamon toast, leading to notions of lilacs, clove oil and forest floor, plus a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is a jaw-dropping exercise in finesse, slowly unfurling in the mouth to reveal layer upon layer of bright, crunchy red and black fruits, supported by a rock-solid frame of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and with an impressive mineral and exotic spice firework display. It’s an incredible expression of Pomerol that cannot fail to inspire a resounding "WOW" from whoever is fortunate to drink it. Tempting to broach now (albeit with a lot of air), try to keep your hands off it for a good 5 years and then drink it over the next 30 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 La Conseillante is a regal and utterly exquisite Pomerol from the very first taste. Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team turned out a jewel of a wine. Silky tannins and lifted, precise aromatics make a strong first impression. Inky dark fruit, pain grillé, lavender, spice, menthol and a kiss of new French oak all flesh out over time. More than anything else, what comes through is the new emphasis at La Conseillante on freshness and verve. The 2018 is a Pomerol of tremendous precision. It is, in a word: dynamite!Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA beautiful expression of this terroir, which always seems to yield a more elegant, complex style of wine, the 2018 Château La Conseillante is based on 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. A brilliant perfume of blueberries, currants, spring flowers, violets, and graphite gives way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol with flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It closes down rather quickly with time in the glass (I followed the bottle for multiple days), and it isn’t for the instant gratification crowd, but it’s unquestionably a gorgeous Pomerol. Give bottles a solid 8-10 years of bottle age, and it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDA dense, layered Pomerol with lots of chocolate, walnut, and plum character. Some coffee undertones. It’s full-bodied with chewy, polished tannins and a structured, muscular finish. Solid. Elegance with power. 2018. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is beautiful and powers through the palate showing depth and concentration to the brambled fruit. It has an excellent mid palate, the truffle of Pomerol comes through at this young stage in a way that was not evident in the 2015 even, but here has a lovely seductive kick. Spicy vanilla bean and black pepper alongside touches of cinnamon, this is very good quality. A yield of 32hl/ha. 70% new oak, 3% in amphora for the first time. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThe elegant structure that backs up this wine is impressive in its restraint. While the wine has plenty of black fruits and dark tannins, it conveys a calm character that sees long-term aging as its goal.The wine will take its time. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENicely packed, with a mix of dark plum and black currant preserve flavors wrapped with licorice root and warm earth notes. Tobacco and bay fill in on the finish, adding energy and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 3,299 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 La Gaffelière is hands down one of the wines of the vintage. Towering in its stature and vertical lift, the 2018 dazzles right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and leather all run through this deep, wonderfully pliant Saint-Émilion. The 2018 is rich, deep and beautifully resonant, with tremendous depth and tons of stature that builds, all framed by beams of supporting minerality that confer vibrancy. La Gaffelière is distinctive, alluring and arresting right out of the gate. It is another magnificent showing from this reborn estate. The blend is 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc. Magnifique!Antonio Galloni | 99 AGMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Gaffeliere is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to offer peeks at notions of stewed red and black plums, mulberries and Morello cherries, plus hints of damp earth, tar and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tightly wound, delivering crunchy red and black fruits with an approachable texture of fine-grained tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long with a lifted perfume. This is a refreshing, beautifully perfumed and skillfully crafted expression of the vintage. Give it 4-5 years in bottle and then enjoy it over the next 20 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis estate is on a roll. Replete with powerful tannins and dense black fruits, this latest release continues the succession of fine vintages. Perfumed, ripe with berry flavors and, more importantly, with rich tannins, the wine will age impressively. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe combination of Cabernet Franc and limestone give this wine both a beautifully floral-laced nose, and a sense of energy and lift as it travels through the palate. Extremely light-footed for a wine at 14.5 ABV%, barely discernible and the black fruits are followed by juice at every step of the way. Good stuff. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECAromas of black cherries, flowers and cedar with sandalwood and stone. It’s full-bodied and very intense with wonderfully polished tannins that caress your palate and take you away. Give this time to come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSExpressive and pure, with a long and refined set of cassis, bitter cherry and damson plum flavors entwined with bright savory and taut chalky mineral notes. The fruit darkens a bit through the finish and this adds some flesh and drive as it airs in the glass. Very solid. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSBased on 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château La Gaffelière is another pretty, elegant Saint-Emilion with a classic, mineral-laced style as well as a terrific mix of finesse and richness. Black raspberries, cassis, graphite, white flowers, and chalky minerality give way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless 2018 that offers plenty of concentration, a lively, focused texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to evolve for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD