Wine Ratings

wines

A discreet but not invisible dollop of wood is present on the airy aromas of both red and dark currant along with suggestions of earth and underbrush. The sleek, delicious and attractively vibrant medium weight flavors possess a lovely mouthfeel while displaying good balance on the persistent finale. This is a quality Gevrey villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BH

Opens with just a bit of reduction, but this will disappear at bottling. The aromas are compellingly attractive, with ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit and a slightly floral edge. The texture has density, grip and a marvellously lingering finish. The grapes are from a half-hectare on a gentle slope exposed to the south. This should mature fairly quickly but is also suited to mid-term ageing.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Monthélie Sous la Velle 1er Cru comes from a 0.35-hectare parcel. It has an airy bouquet with dark berry fruit mixed with mandarin and light sous-bois scents. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and much more structure than the Village Cru, with a bright and sorbet-fresh finish. This is recommended.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Premier cru La Riotte has delivered a wine with ripe, lush aromas of sweet mulberry fruit aromas with a hint of earth and spice. The texture is rich yet still structured, and the density pull the wine through to a pleasantly lingering finish. Laurent explains that the parcel is just below the Clos Saint-Denis, in the stony, sandy soils of the dejection cone from the combe, which helps the grapes ripen well but does not bring a lot of limestone.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis La Riotte 1er Cru has a clean, precise bouquet with perfumed redcurrant and raspberry fruit tones. As usual, it’s one of the most open aromatics from Lignier, brimming with joie-de-vivre. This is more floral compared to the Les Chaffots. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, pleasant salinity and what you might call a transparent finish that lingers in the mouth.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe elegant, airy and very pretty nose features the softly spicy and earthy essence of red pinot fruit. The refined and vibrant flavors are not particularly dense but they are lilting and seductive while displaying a subtle bead of minerality on the lightly austere, balanced and firm finale. Lovely and understated in style.Burghound | 91-93 BHMid crimson with some crushed strawberry on the nose. Some crunchiness at the back, this is agreeable but less energetic than some, not quite kicking on. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JM

Lignier’s premier cru Chaffots was a spectacular success in 2023, with bright forward pomegranate and wild strawberry fruit and hints of violets, liquorice, and flinty minerals. The texture is lively and fresh, with plenty of tannin but no lack of depth. The 0.45 hectares of vines were planted in 1968 in the thin soils above grand cru Clos Saint-Denis, with a prominent influence from the cool winds of the combe.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECBright purple. The nose is subtle and supple, with less immediate sweet fruit than Sorbè, a little more depth than Riotte. The class of the wine shows in the fruit on the palate, a darker red berry, with a seamless long finish, covering the tannins. Precision. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Chaffots 1er Cru comes from limestone soils, which translate onto the nose. It’s quite strict and linear, with touches of black cherry and sea spray scents. The palate is medium-bodied, with a pastille-like purity on the entry. It is very supple in the mouth, but it just needs a little more grip on the finish. Otherwise, this is a refined Morey-Saint-Denis from one of its best Premier Crus.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA more reserved and more deeply pitched nose is comprised more from the darker side of the fruit spectrum with more floral and earth nuances as well. Once again there is only average density to the fresh, punchy and solidly powerful flavors that are at once succulent yet with a youthfully austere finish that exhibits outstanding length. Like the Baudes, this virtually always ages well and it is one to look for.Burghound | 91-94 BH

This delicious wine is perennially among the most concentrated and nuanced in Lignier’s cellar—just don’t refer to it as ‘the blended premier cru’. He is at pains to point out that the rows start out in Faconnières and end up in Cheneverey, but that it is one single parcel. The wine boasts aromas of ripe plums with notes of violets, pepper, and a hint of dark chocolate. The texture is dense and rich but without any heaviness. The grapes are from 0.66 hectares of vines. The oldest were planted in 1936, and the youngest in 1962.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru comes from the usual three lieux-dits. It has an intense bouquet with cool but focused blackberry, briar and light flinty scents. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced, with finely sculpted tannins and seductive creaminess to the texture in the finish. Frequently one of Laurent Lignier’s finest cuvées, this is just wonderful.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMMostly Faconnières. Rich dark crimson with the most fruit to date, fully ripe. The palate offers a balanced headiness, with a fruit dark enough to include some plums. This is the more hedonistic of the two but I think my preference comes down narrowly on the more cerebral Chaffots. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMA restrained but beautifully layered nose grudgingly offers up its aromas of black cherry, crushed anise and newly turned earth. There is slightly better density to the overtly powerful and more obviously mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a firm, serious and compact finale. This too virtually always ages well and the 2023 version should be no exception.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The Très Girard is spot-on typical Morey, with a bit more tannin and grip and less sweet fruit than some of the other offerings in the cellar. Since he doesn’t have a lot of village-level vines, he has purchased fruit from this site in the heavier soils at the base of the slope for many years. One-third of the grapes are fermented as whole clusters, and the wine is ageing in cask (20% new). This should open in three to five years and drink well for 10 years or more afterwards.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECPurchased in grapes since 2009. A full ruby crimson. Rich bright fruit on the nose, a wealth of dark cherry and raspberry on the palate, even if a little bit firm in tannins at the finish. They will settle down. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Très Girard is blended with 30% whole cluster. It offers dark berry fruit mixed with brown spices and nicely integrated 50% new oak. The palate is fresh and very harmonious on the entry with finely chiseled tannins and a tensile, precise finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

I think of Lignier’s ‘Trilogie’ as a village++. The grape blend is nearly two-thirds from the village-level part of Chenevery, planted in the 1960s, withi a bit of fruit from old cordon-trained vines in the clay-rich soils of Clos Solon, and a bit more of Les Porroux (30%), the total amounts to a hectare of old vines, low-yielding due to age, even in 2023. The ripe plum and currant fruit aromas are accented by hints of smoke and spice and a suggestion of black tea. The texture has lovely depth and richness, and should drink well for 20 years at least.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECA blend of Chenevery, Clos Solon and Les Porroux. Mid ruby in colour. The fruit is sufficiently ripe to cover the structure without turning into lush dark fruit., More of a sweet red cherry. Excellent intensity, this is a cut above Très Girard both in class and intensity. Tannins are present, but subdued beneath the fruit. Drink from 2030-2036. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie comes from three parcels (as you would expect). This has a perfumed, floral bouquet with touches of peony infusing the dark berry fruit and hints of bay leaf coming through with time. The palate is very well balanced with a sorbet-fresh entry and lively blood orange infusing the dark cherry and cassis fruit on the crunchy finish. This is what you might describe as a "solid" Morey-Saint-Denis without the flair or chutzpah of the Vieilles Vignes.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2023 Volnay Village comes from two lieux-dits. It has a lively, punchy bouquet with blackcurrant and raspberry scents and great vigor. The palate is smooth and sensual, with touches of dark chocolate and pain d’épices infusing the red berry fruit with a caressing and quite persistent finish. This is very fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Lignier’s new cuvée in Morey is the premier cru Les Sorbès. The wine boasts a ripe blackberry fruit with an almost gamey savoury note and hints of mineral and spice. Although the flavour is substantial, the texture is pleasantly ethereal, almost like a wine from Chambolle. This is the first vintage of this wine; Lignier sourced enough fruit for four barrels from the site located down the slope below the Clos de Tart and the village.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSlightly fuller crimson colour with a floral nose, a touch of peony. All destemmed as it is the first year of this contract. More sweet cherry fruity intensity on the palate, a little gentian at the finish, an interesting, complex wine. The fruit has more sucrosity than some. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMHere too there is a hint of herbal tea on the softly wooded nose of earthy red currant aromas. The seductive, round and utterly delicious middle weight flavors are shaped by relatively fine-grained tannins on the youthfully austere and lingering finale where the only reproach is a touch of warmth. This is a wine of finesse but with sufficient stuffing to repay up to a decade of aging.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Sorbés comes from a purchase of fruit that represents four barrels this year. This has a vibrant floral bouquet with lovely delineation and lift, as rose petal and bergamot infuse the raspberry fruit. The palate is well balanced with supple tannins and a caressing finish, a little fleshy and perhaps Chambolle-like. This will drink well in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is elegant and expressive! Quince and white peach are accented by wafts of matchstick, elderflower, Greek yogurt and crème brûlée. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with concentrated, nuanced flavors delivered in a silky texture. Vibrant acidity adds compelling tension, and it has a very long, elegant finish. It should be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is classy, elegant and polished. Soft contours and lifted aromatics convey total finesse. Orchard fruit, lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and acacia are all very nicely lifted. This is an especially refined rendition of Hyde.Vinous Media | 95 VM

A laser-focused, nicely lean and precise wine from a great vineyard that was one of Russian River Valley’s early chardonnay sites. It holds its crisp green apple and mineral flavors rather tightly now, suggesting a good potential for further aging. Full-bodied. Drinkable now and best from 2030.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard is a potent, intensely mineral wine, a Chardonnay that captures the personality of this site. Broad and ample on the palate, the 2023 possesses superb textural intensity and the drive to match. Slate, mint, white flowers, chalk and dried herbs linger on the polished, salivating close.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2023 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard has pure, expressive aromas of poached pears, quince, vanilla custard, matchstick and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is taut and energetic with mineral-laced flavors, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, bright finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is one of the stars in this range from Ramey. Creamy and layered, with superb persistence, the 2023 is a real standout. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and tangerine peel soar across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. What a stunner.Vinous Media | 96 VMA very pretty, fruity wine at first whiff, then it gets more concentrated, structured and tense on the palate. Medium-bodied and well braced by citrus acidity, with green apples, golden apples, baking spices and Bosc pears in a rich but lively texture. From a Martinelli family vineyard. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is exotic and perfumed! Peach, lime custard, lemongrass, pie crust and roasted almond aromas pour from the glass. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and sapid with youthfully flinty flavors. Racy acidity adds tension, and it has a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Wow, so rich, mouth-filling, vibrant and delicious that it’s hard to put down the glass. Absolutely packed with baked apple, poached pear, almond croissant, brioche and lemon curd flavors. It’s linear and alive with acidity, yet layered and creamy in texture, creating a viscosity that carries the abundant flavors through a lingering finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSFrom the first vineyard of the estate, the 2023 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir has a similar bright yellow hue and a more focused feel with notes of lime zest, crushed stones, melon, sweet spices, and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied, with focused acidity, and feels more tension-driven, with a long, mouthwatering finish that floats off the palate with a mineral-toned feel. It will take time to open it, but it should have a good deal of longevity. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir has arresting scents of flint, candle smoke, crème brûlée and spice over a core of peach and guava fruit. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a silky texture, taut acidity and nuanced but youthfully coiled flavors. Concentrated and energetic, it will benefit from several years in the cellar. 1,117 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

Ornellaia owns 13 hectares of white varieties, and this 100% Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the prime Bellaria vineyard at around 100 metres above sea level on limestone soils. ‘An original expression of this grape variety’, is how Marco Balsimelli describes it. Well balanced and very fresh, it has good body and plenty of energy, with ripe notes of guava, apricot and mango. The oak vinification with batonnage lends a creamy tone and texture but it remains poised throughout, with a sapid, mineral finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECMade with Sauvignon Blanc, the 2023 Bolgheri Bianco Ornellaia shows a softer more cushiony profile than recent editions. The Sauvignon Blanc is sourced primarily from the Bellaria vineyard at 130 meters in elevation. Parcel selection played a key role in 2023, with Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia showing more exotic fruit, and the estate choose to emphasize a distinctly Mediterranean expression with riper yellow fruit tones for this wine. Fermentation is carried out with great precision with strict protection from oxygen, followed by time in barrique, with about 30% new French oak, tonneaux and amphorae. The wine ages for 10 months on the fine lees with daily bâtonnage at first, then gradually reduced. This vintage outperforms the 2022 in terms of length and polish, offering notes of white pepper, ginger, lemon peel, exotic flower and spice. This wine is scheduled for release in March 2026.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2023 Ornellaia Bianco, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is soft, open-knit and ready to go. Scents of orchard fruit, sage, white flowers, mint and white pepper open with some coaxing. In 2023, the Bianco is quite soft and generous in feel. Exotic tropical notes run through the textured, creamy finish.Vinous Media | 92 VM

From a vineyard that was originally planted in 1982, with 12 feet spacing between the rows, the 2023 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard boasts a youthful ruby red color and lifts with notes of cranberries, cinnamon, clove, dusty earth, and minty herbs. The energy of the palate is fantastic, with salty minerality, refreshing acidity, and a long, energetic finish. It’s packed with tension and should only improve over the next several years with some patience. This was my favorite in the range at this tasting, Drink it over the coming 20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAn elegant, delicious and structured medium-bodied wine with pleasing aromas of bright raspberries, strawberries, crushed rose petals, pink peppercorns and some cool blue fruit. A nervy backbone with fine, chalky, mouth-filling tannins and a zesty finish that goes on and on. Drinkable now, but it will age wonderfully. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSMarjorie is part of the Cristom heritage, with the original planting dating back to 1982, first planted on its own roots and eventually replanted vine by vine. The 2023 is made with 45% whole cluster. It’s a small block, so they’re careful with it. This vintage was made after half of the block was removed. There is an umami character to the Majorie Pinot Noir aromatics, a depth showing salty brine. It always has fleshy red fruits, blood orange, and soaring acids accenting mint leaves and herbs. It’s spicy and salty through the finishDecanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard is youthfully understated and coy, blending dusty floral tones with dried strawberries and nuances of autumnal spice. Harmonious and pure in style, it offers vivid raspberry fruit elevated by a hint of sour citrus as a collection of fine-grained tannins adds cheek-puckering tension through the close. Spicy and exceptionally long, the 2023 finishes structured with a tart blackberry twang. Patience is required.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThe 2023 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for 18 months in 31% new French oak. It has layered, savory scents of mushrooms, flint and pipe tobacco over a core of red cherry, blackberry and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate pairs earth-laced flavors with pleasantly rustic, chalky tannins. It’s balanced by bright acidity and has a long, layered finish. 636 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPWell-framed and tightly focused, with raspberry and red currant flavors that take on forest floor and black tea as this gathers tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034. 636 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A carefully calculated blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 26% Merlot, the Marchesi Antinori 2023 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso shows lovely fruit ripeness followed by elegant volume and depth. The wine consistently delivers an all-rounder profile, offering a 360-degree presentation that engages the palate and senses with controlled intensity. In what can be considered an underdog vintage, this bottling stands out with unexpected finesse, confirming the estate’s ability to keep standards high in a classic Bolgheri Superiore expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2023 Guado al Tasso is dynamic and wonderfully complex right out of the gate. I especially admire its energy. Mocha, rose petal, mint, blood orange and red plum race across the palate, all supported by brisk acids. Beams of tannin lend considerable shape and momentum. An impressive wine in every way, the 2023 points to a new standard of finesse at Guado al Tasso.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2023 Tignanello pours a saturated, youthful red/purple hue and is deeply layered and expressive, with pure aromas of black cherry liqueur, fresh blackberry, lavender, forest herbs, polished cedar, and fresh earth. Full-bodied, it floats across the palate with supple, approachable fruit that beautifully balances the structure. A refreshing spine of acidity, refined, even tannins, and a long, seamless finish give the wine both precision and length. Composed of 80% Sangiovese, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and increasing amounts of Cabernet Franc (which adds lift and verticality), this is a vintage with the backbone to age for decades while already offering immediate appeal. It’s long, luxurious, and beautifully balanced. Drink 2027-2057.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Tignanello is a classy, polished wine. Soft and open-knit with lovely, forward fruit and bright acids, the 2023 is a total delight. Floral, spice and blood orange overtones meld into a core of red Sangiovese-driven fruit. There’s a touch more Cabernet Franc in this year’s blend. That comes through in the wine’s aromatic presence. The 2023 is a juicy, midweight Tignanello that offers tons of immediacy and sheer appeal. It’s finesse over power.Vinous Media | 95 VM

This wine is truly excellent, showing a mineral-edged nose with pure energy and tension. Aromas of struck match, citrus blossoms, crushed stones and salted nuts. The palate is taut, with no hard edges and driving acidity that keeps you salivating for minutes. Closing in on perfection. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is airy, gracious and understated. It’s a wine of restraint, even for this house. Seamless and elegant in the glass, the Hyde is exquisitely finessed. Today, the 2023 is rather quiet, but time in bottle should help this really blossom. Aeration brings out the wine’s mid-palate oiliness and texture. The Hyde was aged 70% in barrel, 20% in foudre and 10% in concrete. The precision here is unreal.Vinous Media | 96 VMAn impressive white, with toasted fennel seed, honeysuckle, Opal apple and white peach flavors that are generous and plump, plus a drizzle of clover honey, salted toffee, lemon meringue and salted, toasted brioche. The fruit flavors take over on the finish, expanding in different directions with plenty of oomph and intensity. Drink now through 2036. 2,700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Vixen Block Wildfoote Vineyard represents the last vintage Bevan received fruit from the site, following the purchase of the property by Shafer Vineyards. It’s a fitting send-off, delivering seamless, complex swirls of purple raspberries, fine suede and lovely floral notes. Full-bodied yet silky, it’s framed by fine-grained tannins, which wash gently across the long, generous finish. The wine neatly captures the complexity and textures of the Stags Leap District, wrapping the tannins in an elegant final bow.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPMore blue fruits, crème de cassis, liquid violets, and scorched earth, as well as a beautiful floral character, define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard Vixen Block. It’s a full-bodied Cabernet with fine, polished tannins, flawless overall balance, and a blockbuster of a finish. This ripe, sexy wine still plays in the fresher, focused style of the vintage and is good for 20-25 years of prime drinking. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard Vixen Block is inky, deep and pliant. Rich blue fruit, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender are all dialed up in this unctuous, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Russell Bevan. This is classic Stags Leap, done in a decidedly extroverted style. Sweet floral notes explode on the captivating finish.Vinous Media | 97 VM

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard comes from a site just south of To Kalon. Loaded with black cherries and ripe fruit, this full-bodied wine is rich, voluptuous and silky on the outside, but underneath that flesh, there’s a firm structure and dusty tannins that linger easily on the elegant finish. This is a real beauty from the western side of Oakville.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAnother Oakville beauty, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard sports an inky purple hue and gorgeous aromatics of cassis, currants, iron, leafy tobacco, and violets. It’s medium to full-bodied, tight and focused on the palate, with building tannins, the fresher, structured style of the vintage, and outstanding length. It’s tight and reserved at the moment, so hide bottles for 3-4 years if you can. It’s another brilliant wine I’d love to have in the cellar, and it will see its 20th birthday in fine form. Drink 2028-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

A pretty white with lots of depth and length. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture and notes of lemon rind, sliced mangoes and peaches. Velvety phenolics give form and balance. A blend of 81% sauvignon blanc, 11% semillon and 8% muscadelle. drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSCitrus, powerful stone fruits, toasted cumin, slate. Love the slow unroll through the palate, this will take its time and can age, good stuff, 3.12ph, 50% new oak, aged on lees. Cazes family owners.Janes Anson | 94 JAicking for the 2023 Blanc de Lynch‑Bages pops from the glass with vibrant notes of white peaches, fresh pears, and lemon curd, followed by hints of lime blossom, wet pebbles, and wild thyme. The light to medium‑bodied palate is zippy and refreshing, with loads of citrus and chalky layers and an invigorating finish. The blend is 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Sémillon, and 8% Muscadelle.The Wine Palate | 93 TWPThe 2023 Blanc de Lynch-Bages is a delight. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint, chalk, passion fruit and tangerine peel give the Blanc its exotic, layered feel. As always, a touch of Muscadelle lends an exotic flair.Vinous Media | 92 VMGreen apple, crisp and fresh on the nose with some lemon citrus bitterness. Mellow and round, this has a nice weight on the palate, the acidity is masked by the ripeness of the fruit only lingering in the soft bitter orange on the back palate. Lemon, peach, some vanilla edges and a touch of yoghurt but overall clean and direct with lots of length. Calm, round and easy to drink. This has the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Bottled during the first week in April 2024 but won’t be released until September. 3.12pH.Decanter Magazine | 92 DECPicking for the 2023 Blanc de Lynch-Bages started in late August, and it had been bottled the week before tasting. It pops from the glass with vibrant notes of white peaches, fresh pears, and lemon curd followed by hints of lime blossom, wet pebbles, and wild thyme. The light to medium-bodied palate is zippy and refreshing, with loads of citrus and chalky layers and an invigorating finish. The blend is 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Semillon, and 8% Muscadelle.The Wine Independent | 92 TWIFirst made in 1978 (the first vintage sold was 1990), the 2023 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc-dominated and offers bright citrus, honeyed flowers, and some chalky minerality in a medium-bodied, lively, juicy, elegant style. It’s not massive, but it’s balanced and impeccably made.Jeb Dunnuck | 90-92 JDAlready bottled, the 2023 Blanc de Lynch-Bages possesses a lemony bouquet of citron oil, lemongrass, spring flowers and a lactic touch, which can be attributed to its recent bottling. Juicy and fresh, it is moderately weighted with a phenolic texture and a long, mouthwatering finish with a somewhat musky-inflected aftertaste due to the presence of Muscadelle. This is a blend of 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Sémillon and 8% Muscadelle. It has a pH of 3.12 and was matured for six months on the lees with 50% new oak.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

The most balanced and transparent wine in the range, the 2023 Les Jardinières is showing superbly this year. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of blood orange, elderflower, violets, peonies and dark cherries, it’s medium- to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a fleshy yet vibrant core of fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. Concluding with a long, perfumed and ethereal finish, this is one of the vintage’s most complete and characterful renditions of Gigondas.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA juicy, lively and precise Gigondas, showing red berries, blood oranges and baking spices on the nose. Medium-bodied, it has fine tannins and refined texture, silky yet full of verve with a driven and vivid expression. Balanced, fresh and crunchy. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Huia has never been one to make stereotypical Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is no different. Under new ownership but with the winemaking remaining in the hands of former co-owner Clare Allen, the 2023 is a quiet, elegant, aromatically delicate expression. A little more than light in body, it has a rich, succulent and rounded texture, no doubt a combination of the organic vineyards, wild fermentation and use of barrel. Flavors of honeysuckle, ripe apple and lightly toasted hazelnuts linger on the mouthwatering finish.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A fresh and crunchy white with light lemons, mangoes and bitter limes. It’s medium- to full-bodied with lots of fruit. The hot growing season comes through, but it remains fresh at the end. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS

A tightly focused beam of bitter cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis streams through this red, with mouthwatering cut in the form of ocean breeze minerality that runs throughout. Iris and rose hip notes fill in the background as the long, piercing finish shows a remarkably pure and unadorned feel. A high-definition Pinot. Drink now through 2035. 3,650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2023 Pinot Noir Freestone Occidental Bodega is a well of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry, plus nuances of grapefruit, tea leaves, cola and bitters. The light-bodied palate offers crunchy, perfumed flavors framed by dusty tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, latent finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP