Wine Ratings

wines

Bright and expressive, featuring cherry, blackberry, smoke, sandalwood, earth and vanilla flavors. Vibrant and elegant, though firm on the finish now, offering finesse and terrific length. Best from 2025 through 2042. 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2020 The Agnes has a clean, precise, crushed stone nose with dewy green apple, fresh pear and grassy meadow aromas. The palate is well balanced, taut and fresh, featuring a fine bead of acidity and a spicy undertow that defines the finish. Reserved but cerebral. I would like to see where this goes with bottle age.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The lightly hued 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc checks in as 70% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and tiny percentages of Bourboulenc and Clairette, brought up in equal parts demi-muid and tank. It has a beautiful bouquet of ripe white peach and melon that shows a touch of spice and hazelnut with air, and it’s medium-bodied, beautifully pure, textured, and balanced on the palate. It’s a stunning white that will shine on the dinner table.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

I love the dry whites from the Sauternes area, and this is a good example - and of why Sémillon is such an interesting grape to work with in crafting dry whites with personality. A little less round in mouthfeel from some in the area (not appellation - this is Bordeaux Blanc), but still with slate texture and minerality showing how well the soils here can work for dry whites, and an excellent juicy delivery of citrus and white pear. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 93 DECThis is a beautiful, layered white with solid structure and intensity. Full-bodied. Lots of grapefruit and dried green-mango character. 54% semillon, the rest sauvignon. Best ever. Beautiful to drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSComposed of 54% Semillon and 46% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2020 Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut is being aged for six months in vats (75%) and the rest in oak barrels, 30% of which are new. It hits the ground running with vibrant notions of freshly squeezed limes, lemon meringue pie and Granny Smith apples, plus hints of dillseed and white pepper. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive satiny texture along with a racy line cutting through the citrus and apple-inspired flavors, finishing long and steely.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

Fresh citrus and tropical fruit aromas with sweet spices. Good delineation of tangy citrus and fleshy peach on the palate. (Drink between 2021-2026)Decanter | 91 DECLime, sliced-apple and stone aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied. Attractive fruit and freshness at the end.James Suckling | 91-92 JSThe 2020 Ferran Blanc is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, weighing in at around 13% alcohol. It skips out of the glass with cheery notes of fresh pineapple, white peaches and lemon tart, plus touches of lime leaves and grapefruit peel. The light to medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, delivery bags of bright citrusy flavors and a chalky finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

This has aromas of orange peel, plums, raspberries, wild strawberries, violets and tobacco leaves. Excellent freshness with lightly bitter citrus and herb notes lifting the wild berry fruit, supported by fine tannins. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JS(Godello “Pagos del Galir”- Virgen del Galir) The 2020 Godello “Pagos del Galir” bottling from Cuné’s Virgen del Galir property is lovely this year. As I have mentioned in the past, this wine hails from the single vineyard of A Malosa, with the wine fermented and raised in stainless steel tanks. The 2020 is fairly ripe, coming in at fourteen percent octane this year, but impressively fresh and vibrant on both the nose and palate,. The bouquet offers up a refined blend of lemon, pear, a bit of raw almond, stony minerality, citrus blossoms and just a whisper of beeswax in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a superb core, lovely soil signature and grip, sound framing acids and a long, well-balanced and quite wide open finish. Like many 2020 whites, this does not have a ton of acidity, but plenty to carry it over the next ten to twelve years. (Drink between 2022-2035)John Gilman | 92 JGThe white 2020 Pagos del Galir A Malosa Godello was produced with grapes from a large vineyard (21 hectares!) planted over four years after purchasing over 100 small plots from local growers. So, it has different soils, expositions and altitudes. In 2020 they used the grapes from the lower and middle parts, the oldest plantings on slate soils fermented in stainless steel, barrels (500 and 600 liters) and oak foudres and then matured in foudres and barrels for seven months. 2020 saw a very early harvest with higher yields than 2019, resulting in a wine with 13.5% alcohol and 6.5 grams of acidity. They have seen that small barrels don’t work in the region and have moved to larger sizes, all from French oak. The nose has a Burgundian feeling to it, spicy and with a toasty twist. The oak is still there, so it might need more time to get that creaminess integrated, but it’s very clean and of high quality. There is great purity, definition and precision here. The wine is elegant and subtle, with a long, dry and tasty finish. It has good acidity, one of the challenges with Godello. 19,000 bottles and 300 magnums were produced. It was bottled in May 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RPLight, vivid yellow. Fresh, mineral-tinged citrus and orchard fruits and a powerful floral quality on the perfumed nose. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering lively Meyer lemon, pear and honeysuckle flavors that deepen through the back half. A dusty mineral flourish adds firm cut to the persistent finish, which features clinging citrus fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2020 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru is consistent with my previous tasting in January. Exquisite definition on the nose, real mineralité here. The palate is intense and penetrating, touches of orange zest and spice building wonderfully towards the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 97 VM

Shows salted butterscotch, peach and tangerine flavors that are polished and focused, with lemon blossom, poached pear and candied ginger notes on a plush, elegant frame. Features a fresh edge of acidity. Drink now through 2032. 2,782 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2020 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard is bright and wonderfully saline, with plenty of mineral and savory accents. Citrus peel, mint, white pepper, chalk and dried flowers open nicely with a bit of time. There’s terrific energy and plenty of cut. Most of this fruit is sourced from the own-rooted vines first planted in 1971.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2020 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard is terrific and shockingly good given the quantities produced. Burgundian-like aromas of stone fruits, chalky minerality, honeyed flowers, and brioche all define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, with a supple, rounded texture, integrated acidity, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDDried lime peel, seared lemon pith, white flower and a hint of grass show on the nose of this bottling. There’s an earthy, crushed rock element to the palate, where dried apple and herb flavors also arise. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

“Creamy and refreshing, Rigogoli bursts with flavors of peach, almond, sweet spice and finishes with a clean, sea-swept minerality. The native Grechetto di Todi pairs well with Viognier which rounds out Grechetto’s acidity, but also serves to add more complex aromas to this wine.” Sokolin Tasting Panel | 95 SP

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is also terrific, with a deep, rich, concentrated style that carries classic Roussanne apple and stone fruits as well as honeyed toast, spice, and subtle floral nuances. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and fabulously well-balanced, it’s going to drink well for 4-5 years, then probably shut down, only to re-emerge in another decade with a more mineral, honeyed, nutty, complex profile.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBarrel-fermented and matured in 50% new oak, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne boasts layered, nuanced aromas of toasted grain, ripe pear and mouthwatering pineapple. Full-bodied and lush, it finishes long, with a silky texture and sexy vanilla overtones. Like the other white wines at this estate, I’ve lengthened the drinking window, as they appear to age so well.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2020 Pinot Gris Occam’s Razor is a one-of-a-kind, skin-contact Pinot Gris wine that is showing nutty and earthy tones alongside ripe pear and marzipan notes on the palate. The texture from the extended bâtonnage really impresses. This is a layered and delicious wine that overdelivers for the price.Vinous Media | 92 VM

This is marvellous. Blain crushes the grapes lightly and avoids sulphur until after malo. His way of working produces this subtle, elegant wine with notes of ripe pear touched with acacia blossom, a touch of smoke and his trademark minerality. The texture is dense but never heavy, and the wine lingers elegantly on the finish. Blain explains the difference between Bâtard and Criot, just across the street: Bâtard has deep clay, while Criots has a stonier soil and one always senses the minerality.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2020 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru comprised just three barrels in this vintage, which is three more than most growers. It was picked on 21 August. There is wonderful tension on the nose with scents of lanolin and fern, beautifully defined and vibrant. The palate is very complex with touches of ginger complementing the citrus fruit, building all the time in the glass and fanning out on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is relatively firmly reduced so if you’re tempted to try a bottle young, be sure to give it some air first. Otherwise, there is good power and underlying tension to the medium weight plus flavors that retain solid delineation on the impressively long finish. This will need to add depth with time in bottle, but the material is present for that to occur.Burghound | 93 BH

An intense, focused white, with crushed stone and chalk dust framing green apple, lemon and greengage flavors. Balanced and long, with a steely finish. Drink now through 2028. 1,750 cases made, 175 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSNice density and concentration on the palate, with green apple acidity underneath. Suspect this will be a good Vaudevey, but being a tank sample will need to be re-tasted in bottle.Decanter | 91 DECAnother typical lemon and lime colour. Pleasing and perfumed nose with some steel behind, plus something of the grassy character of this vineyard. A lemon infusion to bring up the finish. Tasted: July 2021.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JM

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Chardonnay El Enemigo from Gualtallary, Uco Valley was aged in oak with flor for twelve months with 15% coming from other years. Yellowish green in the glass. The nose presents notes of hazel and chestnuts accompanied by green apple and expressive whiffs of chamomile and pineapple. In the mouth, it’s taut with heightened freshness and a compact character from the flor exposing the skeletal acidity.Vinous Media | 94 VMShows Viognier-like floral notes of gardenia and honeysuckle, with an elegant yet rich body of peach and pineapple. Reveals hints of thyme and mineral on the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,600 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Meursault Les Tillets opens with notes of crisp green apple, freshly baked bread, white flowers and crushed mint. Medium-bodied, satiny and elegant, it’s lively and precise, with a pretty core of fruit and a mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPThis too is quite firmly reduced and unreadable today. More interesting are the delicate but punchy flavors that evidence plenty of minerality on the vibrant, focused and beautifully well-balanced finale. Once again, more depth would be beneficial, but this wine has an excellent track record in that regard. Worth checking out.Burghound | 89-91 BH

This is distinctly floral, with peach, lime blossom, citronella and mineral aromas and flavors. Sleek and elegant, offering intensity through the lingering aftertaste of lemon and orchard fruits. Shows terrific length and harmony. Best from 2026 through 2036. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA suggestion of the exotic is present on the aromas of citrus confit, white peach, passion fruit and pretty floral nuances. While the larger-scaled flavors possess a bit more size and weight, they’re actually slightly finer, though not denser, than those of the BBM while delivering outstanding length on the bone-dry, youthfully austere and decidedly built-to-age finale that exhibits first-rate length. This is a Ramonet Bâtard of relative finesse though to be sure, it does not lack for punch or potential longevity. I quite like this as it’s stylish and even classy, which isn’t an adjective always applied to Bâtard.Burghound | 96 BH

The 2020 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a more powerful bouquet than its peers with scents of orange blossom, Nashi pear and an underlying gunflint note trying to surface. The palate is well balanced with orange rind and a touch of peach skin on the entry. Very poised and harmonious with impressive volume, I admire its tension and persistence on the saline finish. This will not require much bottle maturation, yet it has the substance to last 15-20 years. Excellent. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2020 Muscadet “la Louvetrie” from Jo Landron is crafted mostly from vines that are thirty to forty years of age, with some younger vine fruit also included. The wine delivers a lovely bouquet of breadfruit, lemongrass, briny maritime scents, wet stone minerality and a nice touch of leesiness. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and complex, with a good core and mineral drive, zesty acids and a good long finish that is just a touch pinched today on the backend from its screwcap. Fifteen minutes in decanter unlocks the wine completely on the finish, but the early signs of reduction issues would lead me to drink this wine in the next year or two, rather than tucking it away in the cellar. Once it opens up on the backend, it is very good. (Drink between 2022 - 2024)John Gilman | 92 JG

Here there is less citrus and more floral influence on the white pepper and mineral reduction-inflected nose. The sleek, intense and attractively textured medium-weight flavors possess a bracing salinity on the agreeably dry, chiseled and well-focused finale that is just a bit firmer. Lovely.Burghound | 91 BHThe 2020 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a flinty, focused, energetic nose that feels more harmonious than the preceding Côte de Léchet. The palate is taut, fresh and saline in the mouth, showing great depth and concentration toward the finish. This will be worth looking out for.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

This focused and pure wine opens with aromas of fresh and ripe Fuji apples, yellow flowers and distinct chalky notes. The palate is bright with vibrant acidity layered by roasted lemons and cream. Well balanced and intriguing, it’s a wine to drink now through 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is a delicious, full-bodied chardonnay with hazelnut cream, praline, apple pie, fresh mangoes and salted caramel on the nose. Lemons and gun flint too. Full of energy. Tangy acidity. Exciting. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSShowing nice body and fruit weight, the Cordero San Giorgio 2020 Oltrepò Pavese Chardonnay Rivone opens to generous peach, orchard fruit and sweet pear. The wine’s aromas are soft and nicely layered with some nuttiness and spice. The wine’s natural acidity would match a classic chicken roast.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Even if already sold out, I also tasted the white 2020 Cullerot because it’s probably their finest vintage for this wine. The nose is very expressive, with notes of flowers, talcum powder, fennel and aniseed, pollen and herbs, with a soft texture combining volume with freshness in a year when the grapes ripened properly. It’s been settled by some time in bottle and feels very harmonious and ready. It has 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.23 (the white does not go through malolactic) and feels very balanced, tasty and supple. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP(Cullerot Blanco- Celler del Roure) Celler del Roure is blessed with ancient cellars carved into the bedrock below the winery, where past generations fermented and aged the wines in amphorae dug into the stone. They were not used for several decades, but recently the winery decided it would be interesting to see how these amphora wines would taste and started to produce a lineup of bottlings made from these ancient vessels. The Cullerot Blanco bottling is composed of a blend that includes Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo and Malvasia, among other varieties co-planted in the vineyards. The wine starts out fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then is transferred to the amphorae embedded in the rock for six months of aging. The 2020 Cullerot comes in at thirteen percent alcohol and offers up a complex nose of tart orange, breadfruit, lemongrass, lovely soil tones, citrus peel and a touch of honeysuckle in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nicely ripe and complex, with a fine core, excellent soil signature, zesty acids and a long, complex and very well balanced finish. This is most impressive! (Drink between 2022 - 2028)John Gilman | 92 JG

The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes will be bottled later than usual, as Michel was still waiting on the delivery of glass bottles when I visited—but extra time on the fine lees certainly won’t do it any harm. Exhibiting aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread, confit citrus and iodine, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with terrific depth and tension. It’s a close race between this and Michel’s Vaulorent this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPBack in the fleshier style so for once I may have a preference for the regular. But then I love it on the palate with just a little bit of fresh red fruit mixing in. This has been racked a second time and sulphured which may explain the nose. The finish is excellent and very well poised.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JM

The 2020 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru is aged 75% in stainless steel and 25% in oak for nine months, followed by five months all in stainless steel. It has a relatively light bouquet, quite airy in style, gaining intensity with aeration, touches of white peach, smoke and granite. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, citrus fruit, orange rind and a touch of stem ginger towards the finish that fans out nicely. This meliorates with aeration and is worth decanting if you decide to crack open a bottle in its youth. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMA deftly balanced white highlighted by apple, yellow plum, floral and stone aromas and flavors. Offers a rich and supple texture, making this almost seamless from start to the finish, where a stony element emerges. Drink now through 2028. 304 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSModerate wood surrounds the overtly floral-suffused nose of softly exotic white peach, sea breeze and pretty spice whiffs. The succulent, round and plump flavors exude a refreshing salinity on the very dry and sneaky long finish. Like several wines in the range, this needs to develop more depth, but the underlying material appears to be present for that to occur.Burghound | 92 BHale to mid lemon yellow. Bouquet hidden at first, stones and light white fruit, more body behind, a little bit of oak. The oyster shells appear further back on the palate, elegance without heat.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru delivers the intensity one seeks in this cru, offering scent of chalk dust, lemon thyme and light loamy aromas. It builds nicely in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a fine thread of acidity, compact on the entry yet it fans out nicely whilst retaining admirable tension from start to finish. I would have just liked a little more residual spiciness, but this will do nicely. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMA mellow white, with a light touch of vanilla and clove accenting peach, apple tart and honey flavors. Well-delineated and balanced, with honey, spice and mineral accents on the finish. Best from 2024 through 2030. 131 cases made, 70 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDiscreet though certainly perceptible wood sets off the ripe aromas of citrus confit, spring flowers, iodine and shellfish. The mouthfeel of the medium weight plus flavors is nothing short of gorgeous as it’s at once caressing but punchy on the sappy and strikingly long finish. This too would benefit from having better depth, but the density of material is such that more will almost certainly develop if allowed a few years first.Burghound | 93 BH