Wine Ratings

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A step up over the Carmes de Rieussec, the beautiful 2016 Château Rieussec has remarkable purity and freshness while still packing beautiful depth of fruit. Honeyed peach, apricot, flower oil, and even a hint of wet stone all emerge from this full-bodied, thick, opulent effort. I love it. It has a rounded, sexy style ideal for drinking any time over the coming 15-20 years. The 2016 is a final blend of 83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSo much botrytis on the nose with spice, dried mushrooms and nutmeg. Dried lemons and mangoes. Full-bodied and medium sweet with density and, at the same time, lightness. I like that it is full of botrytis on the palate at the beginning and then turns fruity and very pretty at the end with citrus and fruit. Balanced, creamy and rich. Try after 2024, but already gorgeous.James Suckling | 97 JSPale lemon colored, the 2016 Rieussec comes sashaying out of the glass with a beautiful floral and citrus perfume of orange blossom, pink grapefruit, yuzu, lime leaves, lemongrass and fallen leaves with hints of nutmeg and candied ginger. Having shed a lot of the puppy fat from when I last tasted this from barrel, the palate reveals loads of elegant, tightly wound layers and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA great Sauternes with a wonderful brightness and freshness, this gathers speed through the palate, developing flavours of cinnamon, caramel, white pepper, clove and smoked pineapple, all wrapped in an extremely silky texture. It’s still in barrel, and will be for another few months. Around 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECMade by the Lafite-Rothschild team, this is a powerfully dense wine. It has intense botrytis and fine acidity, as well as sumptuous ripe marmalade and apricot flavors. This is certainly for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 Rieussec has plenty of botrytis on the nose, along with scents of honey, white peach, saffron, lanolin and walnut that gain intensity with aeration. The very well balanced palate presents a viscous opening and a fine bead of acidity. Generous and poised, with hints of marzipan and Turkish Delight decorating the finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMQuite fresh, with acacia and honeysuckle notes out front, followed by a stream of mirabelle plum, yellow apple, pineapple and white peach flavors. Offers an unctuous feel on the finish while staying on the brighter side. Among the top efforts in the vintage. Best from 2022 through 2035. 500 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2016 Beychevelle has a stunning bouquet of vibrant, shimmering blackberry and wild strawberry fruit laced with crushed stone and rose petals. The well-balanced palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a slightly savory/dried blood finish that lingers in the mouth. Tasting both in London and in Bordeaux, I found the latter bottle to have a little more precision and race on the finish. This will surely be a benchmark for this Saint Julien estate.Vinous Media | 96 VMI was able to taste the 2016 Château Beychevelle on two occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. This is also the first vintage made in the new cellar. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly seamless and elegant on the palate, yet beautifully concentrated, it offers a heavenly perfume of spring flowers, violets, saddle leather, and blueberry and cassis fruit. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in 50% new oak, it’s still tight, taunt, and reserved on the palate, yet has the hallmark purity of fruit and balance of the vintage front and center. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will keep for 25+ years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPStacks of cassis, graphite and smoke on the nose of this rather full-bodied St.-Julien with a ton of velvety tannins that drive the long finish that’s simultaneously sweet, fresh and powdery. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSNow with a brand-new, see-through glass winery, this estate is showing its true elegance. The wine does not have great power but it offers a ripe, smooth, sophisticated texture and black fruits. It already shows delicious flavors that will improve. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a slightly beefy edge, with warmed plum and blackberry paste flavors pumping through. Shows a touch of heft on the back end, with dark tobacco and earth notes leaving a subtly chewy feel, though there’s ample fruit to soak that up. Best from 2024 through 2038. 19,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBy this vintage, the gravity-operated vat room and cellar were in operation, with smaller steel vats allowing for greater parcel selection. Still closed on the nose, though with firm blackcurrant and blackberry aromas in the background, it’s suave and concentrated, showing ripe tannins and ample acidity. The wine seems balanced, though it’s not showing much complexity yet. Structured and persistent. Drinking Window 2024 - 2045.Decanter | 92 DEC

The blueberry and blackberry aromas are certainly attractive here. Full-bodied and dense with a very velvety texture and a long, generous finish of ripe fruit and spice. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Lilian Ladouys is opulent and vivacious on a nose of red currant and raspberry fruit, well integrated oak and lovely rose petal aromas. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins, well-judged acidity, good body and a grippy but detailed finish with veins of blue fruit. This is a joy to drink, but it needs a couple of years. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMA perennial overachiever, the 2016 Château Lilian Ladouys brings the goods in 2016 and has a complex, medium to full-bodied, character-filled style to go with loads of blue fruits, incense, dried herbs, and a hint of violets. A blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot all raised in 30% new barrels, this charming, front end-loaded effort is well worth seeking out. It should keep for 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDMade by the same team as at Château Pedesclaux, this Cru Bourgeois was promoted to Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020, reflecting all the improvements at the property. The 2016 and the 2018 are on par for quality, but the blend for 2016 emphasises Merlot (62%), along with 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, while 2018 is Cabernet dominant. The 2016 was harvested from Oct 3 to 17, and the wine spent 15 months in barrels, 30% new. It’s generous and even opulent, with expansive aromas of cassis, sensuous red fruit tones to the flavour, silky textures, and really a lush, lifted finish. The character shifts slightly with the 2018, after the Lorenzetti family incorporated vineyards from two neighbouring estates with similar gravelly soils. Drinking Window 2022 - 2037.Decanter | 92 DECNow under the same ownership as vastly improved Château Pedesclaux in Pauillac, this estate is also on the upward quality curve. This wine has the structure and tannins of a classic Saint-Estèphe as well as juicy, rich black fruits. With aging potential, the wine should be ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2016 Lilian Ladouys is a blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot aged in 30% new French oak for 15 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of baked plums, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake with bay leaves, pencil lead and menthol. Medium-bodied, elegant and packed with vibrant flavor layers, it finishes long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPVery lively, featuring a fun mix of cassis, plum paste and cherry preserve flavors, framed with floral and mineral notes. The light-handed toast lets the fruit shine through the finish, with persistent chalky minerality. Best from 2021 through 2031. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This is very reserved and tight with super fine tannins that are forceful and beautiful. Full-bodied, layered and beautiful. The tannins are forceful yet polished and thoughtful. Second wine of Château Angélus. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2016 Le Carillon d’Angélus is blended of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, aged 16 months in 50% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it strides confidently out of the glass with pure, polished black cherries, fresh blackberries and black raspberry scents with nuances of unsmoked cigars, hoisin, black truffles and wet stones plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has great elegance and sophistication, with the lively red and black fruit flavors adeptly structured with soft, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPFrom the team at Angélus yet from a separate terroir, the 2016 Carillon d’Angélus comes from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 14-16 months in 50% new oak. This medium to full-bodied effort has some true Angélus character in its rocking nose of cassis, dried herbs, graphite, spice box, and chocolate-laced aromas and flavors. This gives way to a seamless, balanced, impressively textured wine that’s already drinking nicely yet promises to evolve for 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThis comes from selected parcels that are not seen as part of the main Angélus vineyards. The wine is rich and stylish, with layers of black fruits and generous tannins. Freshness in the midst of all this richness gives a bright character. Drink the wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2016 Carillon d’Angelus is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet in color, it bursts from the glass with notes of baked black plums, boysenberry preserves, and chocolate-covered cherries, leading to wafts of tar, tilled soil, black truffles, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut, muscular and chewy with loads of earthy layers on the long finish. It can be approached now but can cellar with confidence for 10-12 years+.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2016 Le Carillon d’Angélus is absolutely gorgeous. In 2016, Carillon is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc bringing considerable aromatic intensity and brightness to the wine. Deep, sensual and beautifully layered, the 2016 is a fabulous wine from Angélus. The new oak is a bit too much for a wine with this kind of mid-weight structure, but that is a relatively small critique for a wine that offers so much pleasure. Moreover, it will drink well upon release.Vinous Media | 92 VMSecond label. Inviting aromas of ripe black fruit, floral, raspberry leaf and wet stone. Red fruits dominate the palate with a soft, juicy and chewy sensation. Concentrated but lifted. Retains a sense of direction and finesse.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

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

Bright, energetic and vivid, the Paitin 2016 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin (with 15,000 bottles made) wins your heart at the very first sip. The wine shows an outstanding level of purity and Nebbiolo authenticity, with the delicate and fragile nuances that give magic to the grape. It shows a lean-weight approach, but there is plenty of power and lasting intensity that sticks to the senses for many long and pleasurable minutes. The tannins are smooth, silky and integrated.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPShy in aroma, this red evokes macerated cherry, strawberry, menthol, iron and tobacco flavors. There is ripe, rich fruit and a velvety texture up front, building to a finish where the dense, assertive tannins reign. Best from 2023 through 2042. 1,150 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe excellent Paitin property, focussed on its well-exposed Serraboella vineyard, uses traditional vinification methods, with long macerations and ageing in large casks rather than barriques. This bottling, from 40-year-old vines, displays a heady raspberry nose that’s quite floral too, with beguiling generosity of fruit. It’s lavish and very concentrated in the mouth, with bold tannins that are by no means too extracted or tough. Spicy and assertive, the wine has ample energy, drive and length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin is powerful, but also quite reticent today. Dark cherry, menthol, licorice, sage and dried flowers are all found in a searing, intense Sorì Paitin that needs to be at its best. Tannic and austere, the 2016 appears to be going through a closed phase, and yet it has a feeling of verticality and gravitas that is impossible to miss.Vinous Media | 93 VMA very fresh and floral Barbaresco that shows rose stems, fruit tea and grapefruit. Medium body, lots of vibrant acidity and a tangy, medium-chewy finish. Drink from 2021.James Suckling | 93 JS

The average age of the Seysses’ 1.95ha holdings in the Clos de la Roche are slightly older than those of neighbouring Clos St-Denis. Using fruit from five main parcels, it’s a very complete, self-confident wine with good density and concentration, sappy, spicy undertones, fine-grained fruit and tannins, and a very long, tapering finish. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035.Decanter | 97 DEC(Clos de la Roche- Domaine Dujac) I love the 2017 vintage for red Burgundy and Domaine Dujac’s Clos de la Roche has to be one of the finest wines of the vintage. The bouquet is still youthful and quite red fruity this year, but already shows lovely complexity in its blend of cherries, blood orange, beetroot, raw cocoa, a gorgeous base of soil tones, pigeon and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very svelte in profile, with a sappy core of fruit, great balance and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, soil-driven and dazzling finish. This is going to be a stunning wine once it is fully ready to drink! (Drink between 2032-2080)John Gilman | 96 JGDujac’s 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is more reserved that the Clos Saint-Denis, unwinding in the glass with scents of red berries, plums, orange rind, cinnamon, peonies and sweet soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, serious and layered, with muscular structure, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. While this remains a comparatively accessible, finesse-driven Clos de la Roche, at least a decade’s patience will be required to see this begin to realize its potential.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru shows some charry oak barrel on the nose, just a slight hickory scent that feels out of place. It becomes smokier with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of stem addition that dominates the terroir expression and fruit at the moment. Well-defined and well-crafted, and it may ultimately turn into a brilliant Clos de la Roche, but that depends on how those stems are assimilated. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Red) This is also markedly floral in character with additional breadth from the impressively pure combination of red cherry, currant, leather and a whiff of the sauvage along with a touch of oak. The beautifully energetic and detailed flavors are much finer than usual thanks mostly to the ultra-fine grain of the tannins supporting the austere, serious and compact finish. This is a Dujac CdlR of refinement rather than one of imposing size, indeed it’s almost a bit light, but even so, it is clearly constructed for the medium to longer. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 92 BH

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

For the third vintage in a row, this 0.32ha plot, ranging in age between 60 and 80 years, has produced the best wine at the domaine. It’s a stunning grand cru that was deceptively easy to taste from barrel. Elegant, refined and sensuous, it’s a soprano of a wine with beautifully pitched chalky precision, a hint of earth and subtle wild strawberry fruit. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru has a showstopping, persistent bouquet of intense blackberry, sous-bois and crushed stone. The supremely well-balanced palate offers filigreed tannin, wonderful mineralité and an otherworldly-long finish. One of the most elegant Richebourgs that I have tasted. Best Richebourg in show this year? Quite possibly. Six barrels produced.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg Grand Cru Red) The elegant, airy and beautifully perfumed nose offers up notes of sandalwood, anise, clove, herbal tea and plenty of floral influences. There is excellent delineation and minerality to the solidly concentrated, indeed even muscular, large-scaled flavors that culminate in an incredibly long if very, very backward, austere and compact finale. This Zen-like effort is going to require an extended snooze in a cool cellar and as such, it’s a wine to buy and forget that you own it for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 95 BHThe king of the cellar is the 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru, a decidedly promising wine that wafts from the glass with notes of rose petal, dark wild berries, smoke, Asian spices, espresso roast, licorice and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, its satiny structuring tannins cloaked in succulent, fleshy fruit, its finish long and vibrant. The Richebourg stands apart for its amplitude and completeness this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP

The Dujac holdings in this large and heterogeneous Gevrey grand cru are divided between four blocks, totalling 0.75ha and planted in the 1950s and 1970s. This is a very smart expression of the terroir, showing notes of Asian spices, dense, savoury fruit flavours and sappy, fine-boned tannins. The oak integration is quite brilliant here. Drinking Window 2025 - 2032.Decanter | 96 DEC(Charmes-Chambertin- Domaine Dujac) When Jeremy moved from the Echézeaux to the Clos St. Denis in our tasting progression, I asked why the Charmes was going to be served out of its customary place in the rotation. He responded that “I really, really like the Charmes this year and we will see if my faith in the wine has been misplaced.” However, not surprisingly, when we got to the wine, Jeremy’s impressions were vindicated and the wine showed stellar potential- even hard on the heels of the great Clos de la Roche! The bouquet is pure and simply outstanding in 2017, offering up scents of red and black cherries, black plums, a very complex base of soil, gentle meatiness, woodsmoke, raw cocoa and cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and rock solid at the core with sappy fruit, excellent focus and grip, fine-grained tannins and a very long, soil-driven and complex finish. I am not sure I have ever tasted a better young vintage of Charmes-Chambertin from Domaine Dujac. (Drink between 2027-2075).John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is showing brilliantly from bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, cassis, orange rind, spices, black truffle, espresso roast and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and mouthfilling, with a layered and nicely concentrated core, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long and expansive finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP(Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) The sauvage-suffused nose reflects a discreet touch of wood on the cool and pure essence of red berry fruit nose that projects plenty of floral, earth, forest floor and anise elements. The rich and muscular medium weight plus flavors display touches of salinity and youthful austerity on the otherwise sneaky long but compact finish. This isn’t elegant or especially dense but it is a relatively dense 2017 and one that should age well. (Drink starting 2029).Burghound | 91 BHThe 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, around 85% whole clusters, has a tightly wound, damp earth bouquet that is well defined. The medium-bodied palate is masculine and structured, quite broody and surprisingly introspective. I don’t quite detect the "charm" in this Charmes, but maybe it was just not showing on the day.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

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

The 2017 Maya is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc and was bottled one week before I tasted it. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens with profound earthy notions of truffles, damp soil, crushed rocks and tar over a core of Black Forest cake, black raspberries, blueberry compote and aged meat plus touches of wilted roses and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is solidly structured with firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness lifting the multilayered blue and black fruits with a long, perfumed finish. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2017 Maya is not only gorgeous, it also appears to have handled the rigors of the growing season more successfully than the others. Ripe red cherry and plum fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and spice all build as this racy, sumptuous wine shows off its considerable allure. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are just magic here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGTiny production from the eastern hills of Oakville. If you love Bordeaux wines it’s such a treat to taste a blend of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, something that you rarely see in the Médoc. It works extremely well, with an aromatic kick of raspberry leaf and violet flowers but the key to the body is coffee, bilberry, rosemary, mulberry and cloves. Great acidity set against power and concentration. The savoury edge that makes Cabernet such a delicious food-friendly wine is here, and is extremely elegant and refined but with a punch and undertow. Good stuff, with long ageing potential. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe plum and chocolate, as well as hazelnut and dried-flower character is prevalent here. It’s full-bodied, yet very refined with lovely, polished tannins and a long, crisp finish. Balanced and focused. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSSolidly built, with ganache, plum, fig paste, smoldering tobacco and loam notes rolled together, ending with a muscular feel on the dark finish. Reveals a strong tug of terroir. Will need some time to stretch out fully. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. 800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

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

The 2017 Nizza LaCourt is soft, supple, rich and open but not at all heavy. Raspberry jam, mocha, spice, new leather all build as this succulent forward Nizza shows off its considerable appeal. The 2017 hits all the right notes. It is a terrific effort from the Chiarlo family.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGDark-skinned fruit, cedar and scorched earth aromas lead the nose. The structured, balanced palate offers Marasca cherry, blackberry jam and licorice alongside polished tannins. Drink 2023–2029.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe Michele Chiarlo 2017 Nizza Riserva La Court is a beautifully enriched and generous wine that gives ample volume and depth to the Barbera grape. This food-friendly option shows the dark fruit (blackberry and plum) to pair with most pasta or meat dishes. It also offers just enough acidity to cut through any recipe that is heavy on cheese or cream. This bottle is ready to drink now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPBright blueberry and boysenberry aromas and flavors highlight this vibrant red, with flashes of earth and toasty oak spice. It’s very discreet in the end, where light oak tannins come into play. Drink now through 2024. 1,000 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

The 2017 Croatina delivers all the intensity this indigenous variety is known for. Dark cherry, blackberry, dried herbs, lavender, tobacco and licorice infuse the 2017 with richness and brooding power, all wrapped into a classic frame. I would give the 2017 a bit of time in bottle, although it is pretty compelling today. Bright acids and a good bit of tannin make it a fabulous wine for the dinner table, especially alongside hearty fare.Antonio Galloni | 92 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

The 2017 Chianti Classico is a gorgeous, inviting wine. Pliant fruit and soft contours give the 2017 so much immediacy and appeal. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red cherry while spice, new leather and sweet pipe tobacco infuse the 2017 with tremendous character. The 2017 is such a beautiful and inviting wine. It was fermented in concrete and aged in oak for 18 months. Wow!Antonio Galloni | 93 AGRich cherries and berries on the nose with hints of fresh oak and sage-like herbs, following through to a fullish palate with plump fruit, quite firm tannins and a bright mineral finish. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best after 2022.James Suckling | 91 JSLe Cinciole’s latest release, the 2017 offers tremendous freshness with beautiful restraint. After ageing for one year in 20hL French oak, this refines for a further 12 months in cement before bottling. It is slightly wilder and decidedly darker in its nuances than the 2016, with enticing lavender, black cherry, liquorice and a touch of leather. The palate is fairly dense, with appropriately grippy tannins lending support. It leaves the mouth clean, refreshed and satisfied. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 90 DECMade with organically farmed Sangiovese, this opens with subtle aromas of black-skinned berry, scorched earth and cooking spice. The savory palate offers black cherry, clove and tobacco alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink through 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

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

Opening in the glass with hints of honeycomb, toasted nuts, fresh pears and wet stones, the 2017 Mâcon-Cruzille Clos de la Mollepierre is medium to full-bodied, enveloping but precise, with a tensile core, excellent concentration and a long, chalky finish. It’s another very serious wine from Domaine Guillot-Broux.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

This is a great Yquem, delivering thrilling purity and intensity. The nose offers intense aromas of fresh and dried apricot and peach pastry, as well as freshly baked creme brulee, candied and fresh orange and kumquat. Some marmalade, too. Smooth, glossy texture with flavors of grilled orange, dried apricot and an exceptionally long finish with a powerful, driving push to the end. A flicker of toasty-oak influence arrives late, but this wine has completely consumed the oak. The 2017 Yquem is a very powerful wine from a very rich and exceptional vintage. The acidity has a big hand in balancing the richness. Pithy finish. The phenolics deliver some great depth. Rain at the beginning of September prompted an extensive infection of noble rot. The harvest lasted from September 26 to October 13. Great quality and one of the best since the legendary 2001. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThere was no frost at d’Yquem in 2017, and botrytis was very regular and even this vintage. The nose opens with very pure notes of freshly sliced oranges, yuzu and lemon barley water with hints of white pepper, fresh ginger and lime cordial. The incredibly rich, unctuous sweetness (148 grams per liter of residual sugar) is beautifully marbled with bright, vivacious citrus fruit and spice flavors, while lifted by well-knit freshness, and it finishes with epic length and great depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPThe 2017 Yquem is destined to be one of my favourite recent vintages. It has brilliant delineation on the nose with acacia honey, saffron, white flowers and a subtle crushed stone element. So much energy is palpable. The palate is supremely well balanced, surfeit with energy, spicy and feisty and yet paradoxically beautifully controlled and pixelated towards the extended finish. It’s not unlike the brilliant 2014 in style. Tasted at the château. Vinous Media | 97 VMVery flattering and unctuous in feel, with coconut, creamed papaya, toasted hazelnut and warmed peach and tangerine cream flavors gliding along in unison, all framed by warm brioche and piecrust notes on the finish. Remarkably rich, yet poised and pure. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,166 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSStill very youthful with light golden colours, showing flashes of green in the glass. Intensely aromatic with tropical fruit notes, pineapple, roasted apricot, honey and lime zest. Full-bodied and rich on the palate with plenty of botrytis notes showing through. Although unctuous and weighty, this Yquem retains plenty of acidity which freshens the palate and balances the concentrated fruit. Sandrine Garbay noted that 2019 reminded her of 2017, with the 2019 showing a little more opulence. Served with a dish of roasted pollock and smoked mussels, this was a wonderful combination, showing the sweetness and purity of Yquem. Residual Sugar: 148g/L. (Drink between 2024-2050)Decanter | 95 DEC

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

Wild juniper, thyme, blackberry, black currant, mineral and tar flavors are the themes in this red, along with a resinous note from the oak. Racy, concentrated, solidly built and in the end, complex, if on the unforgiving side today. Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2043. 257 cases made, 75 cases imported.Vinous Media | 97 VMWild juniper, thyme, blackberry, black currant, mineral and tar flavors are the themes in this red, along with a resinous note from the oak. Racy, concentrated, solidly built and in the end, complex, if on the unforgiving side today. Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2043. 257 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSome pleasant black-cherry and mineral aromas here. Medium-bodied with a fresh, lightly firm palate and a medium finish. Lacks the touch of individuality that this wine usually offers, though this is a decent effort in 2017. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS