Wine Ratings

wines

Plenty of red currant, cedar, iron and terra cotta aromas follow through to a medium to full body with graphite, sandalwood, red currants and fresh Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary. The tannins are chewy but polished in texture. This is a Sassicaia that needs three or four years of bottle age to come together and soften. A structured wine for the cellar. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2022 Sassicaia is simply brilliant in this vintage, showing a remarkable level of poise and freshness. It opens with a captivating bouquet of ripe blackberries, plum, florals and subtle herbs, underscored by a touch of spice, tobacco and minerals. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied and well-structured, with velvety tannins and a lively acidity that provides perfect balance. Rich flavors of red/dark fruits, tobacco and spices unfold beautifully, leading to a long, persistent finish that is both refined and elegant. A stunning example of Sassicaia’s pedigree and resilience to thrive year after year.International Wine Report | 98 IWRThe Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet. I tasted this wine several times over the course of a few months, and it has already shown a happy evolution coming into slow focus like the faint colors that emerge from a Polaroid photograph. Indeed, the bouquet appeared more closed just a short while ago. The wine’s strongest suit is its elegantly streamlined mouthfeel and its contained 13.5% alcohol content. These qualities add to the silky cleanness of the mouthfeel and the accessible freshness of this vintage. I am confident that this bottle will improve with time. It requires patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine’s verticality, as if it’s trying to burst out. Lovely mid-palate sapidity is allied to fresh acidity and fine but dense tannins, making for a dark horse of a Sassicaia that isn’t giving much away today but will greatly reward those who can cellar it for 12 years and more. ‘What is sure is that 2022 will need a lot of time, but will also have a long life,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A hot vintage, 2022 caused the team to work in the newly completed refrigerated warehouses in San Guido, even moving the sorting table inside. Shorter macerations and 23 rather than the more typical 24 or 25 months of ageing in wood helped to maximise the freshness.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECOpening with aromas of menthol, dark spice, blue flower and dark-skinned berry, the 2022 Sassicaia is impressive and defied my expectations. Hailing from what was a notoriously hot, dry year, the estate’s location, including its hillside vineyards, vicinity to the woods plus much-needed rain in August preserved freshness and aromas as did harvesting somewhat earlier than usual, shorter skin maceration and slightly less time in oak. Showing elegant restraint, it’s balanced and tense, delivering flavors of ripe blackberry, wild cherry, licorice and mint. It’s still quite tight and youthfully austere, with a backbone of firm, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Give it time to fully unwind. Drink 2030–2042. Abv: 13.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe 2022 Sassicaia is a very pretty, expressive wine. There’s a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon (and less Franc) in this year’s blend, and that really comes through in the wine’s flavor profile and slightly bruising tannins. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Yields were down about 20% because of intensely cold weather in spring, variable conditions during flowering and set, and then searing heat and drought throughout the summer.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Pretty peach and honey scents seduce. Really briney with peach juice, lovely richness: a great example of Albariño. Puts you on assured footing of place. The palate is steely – classically so. Lemon purity and salty stoniness are very appetising and tangy. Nominated by Fiona Beckett.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2022 Albariño is from granite soils in the Salnés Valley. It shows varietal character, freshly cut grass, white flowers and fruit and the roundness of the year, with 13.5% alcohol and balancing acidity. This is bottled after four to five months with lees. It has the Señorans signature. 192,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

This great Bonnes Mares starts cool and restrained, but expands rapidly as it moves over the palate, with delicate, spicy almond and cream character. Mouth-filling and generous yet subtle and light-footed, this is at the upper limit of medium-bodied. Then a huge wave of salty minerality comes through at the finish to give the wine a whole extra dimension and making this an almost overwhelming expression of beauty. Drinkable now.James Suckling | 98 JSIn bottle. Made as three cuvees, then assembled. A rich mid purple with a deliciously heady bouquet, the sumptuous side of dark raspberry, perfumed yet precise, purple fruit with some redder layers beneath, a little white pepper spice, multiple layers of fruit, very engaging with just a very slight youthful bitterness. Irreproachable. Drink from 2032-2045. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 97 JMAnother cuvée that was also in bottle when I visited, the 2022 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with exotic notes and sweet forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it’s concentrated and textural, with nicely integrated tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, rose-inflected finish. Its more sensual style is a welcome evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAn even spicier and more floral-suffused nose is comprised mostly by blue pinot fruit and discreet earth wisps. The succulent, refined and vibrant medium-bodied flavors aren’t especially concentrated though they do possess impressive power on the beautifully long and equally well-balanced finale. This is a wine that is certainly built to repay extended keeping but it’s not so compact that it couldn’t be reasonably approached after only 7-ish years.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru had been bottled in October 2023, just before my visit at the Domaine. It has a compact nose: mainly black cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, well-defined if maybe missing the amplitude of other Bonnes-Mares that I have tasted. The medium-bodied palate has a slightly creamy-textured opening, sweet blackberry and raspberry and touches of dark chocolate and mocha. There’s fine depth on the finish with light grip. Some wood tannins mark the finish and slightly occlude the fruit expression here.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A great Burgundian legend is back in very top form. Enveloping nose of red fruit, red roses and wildflowers. Anything but dramatic, this stuns you with its incredible finesse and extraordinary textural complexity. On the upper edge of medium-bodied, also thanks to the fabulously fine tannins that interlock perfectly with the intense minerality to drive the super-long finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThis is aromatically quite similar to the 1er except that it is notably more restrained and requires considerable swirling to coax the nose to reveal its nuances. On the palate though there is noticeably more size, weight and mid-palate density thanks to the abundant sap that imparts a highly seductive mouthfeel while also buffering the firmer, though just as fine, tannic structure shaping the hugely long, youthfully austere and decidedly powerful finish that is akin to rolling tiny rocks around the mouth. This is also positively brilliant with the development potential to match.Burghound | 96 BHAs mentioned in the introduction, there are seven separate parcellaire cuvées of Musigny which will be blended. We tried four of them, representing different sectors. Les Petits Musigny (north): An even purple, succulent red fruit. Fresh raspberry and strawberry, touch of liquorice, very even, fair acidity, soft tannins. Les 13 ouvrees: Stonier than north Musigny. A touch darker in colour and definitely a richer bouquet, more headily floral. More clearly the weight of Musigny, but also shows as quite a bit riper. Grand Musigny Haut: A glowing mid purple. A lovely tensile strength, not so evidently ripe, but correctly so, red to dark red in fruit. Good acidity, and fairly complete. Grand Musigny Bas: Glowing purple perhaps fractionally deeper than the upper part. The nose is less extrovert but clearly has superb class and a poised density. The sense of completeness of GM Haut but noticeably more intense through the mid palate. The fruit is a fraction riper, perfectly so, with a few suggestions of dark raspberry in the fruit. Very persistent indeed and a freshness to the finish, enough to make a major wine. I don’t feel it correct to award five stars until I have seen the full blended wine, preferably in bottle, but I certainly don’t rule that out. Drink from 2035-2050. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-100 JMThe 2022 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is very attractive, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, blood orange, rose petals and vine smoke. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and fleshy, with a deep and seamless core of fruit that conceals powdery structuring tannins, concluding with a broad, perfumed finish. If this fulfills all its promise in bottle, it may make my score look conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Very cool and and focused, this mouthwatering Saint Romain has an extreme chalky minerality. Only medium-bodied, but really concentrated. Super-fresh and focused finish with so much fresh herb complexity (think sage and thyme). Very long and polished finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2022 Saint-Romain Sous Le Velle is comparatively more backward on the nose, a little chalky in style with light Golden Delicious and orange pith scents. There is fine delineation with neatly integrated oak. The palate is well-balanced, with a tang of orange zest on the entry. This has a silver beard of acidity, lending real tension and matching the impressive depth towards the vibrant finish. Sous Le Velle is often one of the go-to vineyards in Saint-Romain, and this proves exactly why.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPalish lemon and lime. A fine and classy bouquet, floral but still with the racy freshness of St-Romain. Fresh apples on the palate, with an intensity that will demand a little bottle age. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

In 2022, the Chambolle Baudes was my favourite of Lignier’s several holdings in the village. The wine displays an expressive red and black fruit aroma, with notes of Asian spice and peonies, yet there is also a savoury, earthy side to the aroma. The texture is supple and not at all heavy. Ideally, one would wait five years to open this and then drink it over the next twenty or more that follow since it has the substance to age well.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThere is one new barrel out of the four. Mid purple, much more energy, and density behind. A lower pH compared to Chabiots is what drives this. An explosion of red berry fruit on the palate, with a crisp clean long finish, very complete. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes 1er Cru has a very floral bouquet like the Chabiots…more intense perhaps, a touch more mineralité. Very well-defined. The palate is svelte and velvety smooth in texture, with vivacious redcurrant, strawberry notes, blood orange, and a touch of fresh fig towards the caressing finish. This will be very seductive.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThe 2022 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes is one of the highlights of the range, offering up aromas of ripe cherries, red berries, orange zest and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, supple and layered, it’s deep and concentrated, with a style that reflects its proximity to Bonnes-Mares.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPHere the ripe, spice and floral-suffused aromas display notes of violet, rose petal, anise and both red and dark pinot fruit. There is equally good size, weight and power to the slightly more muscular flavors that deliver excellent length on the balanced and slightly more structured finale. The Lignier Baudes always ages extremely well and the 2022 version should be no exception.Burghound | 91-93 BH

Aromas of peonies, mint and sweet red berries introduce the 2022 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Chabiots (négoce), a medium to full-bodied, supple and perfumed wine with melting tannins and a saline, rose-inflected finish. This delicate, ethereal red will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Chabiots 1er Cru comes from purchased fruit, 25% whole bunches, and comprises three barrels. This is nicely focused with rose petals, red cherry, and crushed strawberry on the nose. The medium-bodied palate is floral in style with pliant tannins, quite lush red fruit, and a smooth, sensual finish. Très Chambolle, this should be drinking after four or five years.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM3 barrels, one new, from purchased grapes. A pink crimson colour, flowery, soft strawberries, a little peppery behind, minor tannins. Agreeable yet lacking the density of the Nuits Poisets. Fair length though. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMA much spicier and more elegant nose freely offers up its aromas of fresh red cherry, plum and pretty array of floral elements. The delicious, vibrant and moderately muscular medium-bodied flavors exude evident minerality on the dusty, firm and youthfully austere finale. This could use better depth but I like the balance, which should allow it to age gracefully over a decade plus.Burghound | 89-92 BH

Mid purple in colour with a sensual nose, and a touch of white pepper. A dark red fruit on the palate, dark strawberry, with fair length behind. A pleasing rendition of friendly Charmes-Chambertin. Drink from 2030-2039. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMModerate reduction blocks an evaluation of the nose. The succulent bigger-bodied flavors possess better concentration but not nearly the refinement and while there is good persistence, the dusty finish is a bit chewy and rustic.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet, opening with black cherries, wild strawberries, and crushed stone. There is real vibrancy here. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly rustic opening. It’s a solid Charmes-Chambertin with good depth but lacks some precision on the finish. A slipped catch from an otherwise strong line-up?Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

This wine is the star of the Lignier cellar and among the best in Morey, with its currant and mulberry fruit and hints of savoury, gamey depth. The wine is more muscular, structured, and dense than the ’classic’ Clos de la Roche, yet there is enough elegance to ensure that this wine is in a class of its own. The grapes come from 27 ares planted in Monts Luisants by Lignier’s grandparents in 1955. One-third of the grapes were gently fermented as whole clusters over 18 days, and the wine is ageing now in a cask (one-third new).Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of smoky plums and berries mingled with notions of cinnamon, raw cocoa, game bird and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with supple, powdery tannins cloaked by a sweet core of fruit, it concludes with a broad but saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPHere too the nose is sufficiently reduced as to mask the fruit. On the palate though there is both good verve and freshness to the highly seductive and rich larger-scaled flavors that brim with sappy dry extract and evident minerality on the balanced, firm and lingering finale that exhibits focused power. This is really quite impressive and a wine that should amply repay extended keeping.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Laurent Lignier’s 2022 Gevrey Combottes is a resounding success, with its expressive black and red fruit aromas and abundant earthy complexity and depth. The texture is broad and dense, and the structure carries the wine to an impressively lingering finish. The wine is produced from Lignier’s tiny 0.15-hectare plot at the foot of Mont Luisant, surrounded on three sides by grand crus. The grapes are from vines originally planted in 1957; they are partially destemmed before gentle fermentation on native yeasts and ageing in cask.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru has a beautiful bouquet (as usual) with pure red cherries, wild strawberries, pencil box, and light loamy scents in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins. There’s impressive depth, fleshier than the La Petite Chapelle, with a caressing, persistent finish. Very seductive. Very delicious.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA rich and even purple. A little bit of graphite on the nose. A fine density of dark red fruit, with some roses and peonies as well. All building together very well. A rich fruit quite lush, yet with an electric backbone through the middle, leading to a long sensuous finale. Very good. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMRich and wild, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes offers up aromas of licorice, plums, smoked meats and spices. Medium to full-bodied, supple and carnal, with a fleshy core of fruit and powdery tannins, it can’t quite match the level of the Morey Vieilles Vignes this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPMore discreet wood influence more easily allows the elegant, and more floral, aromas of mostly dark pinot fruit to be enjoyed. The caressing but punchy medium weight flavors possess good mid-palate richness before terminating in a dusty, youthfully austere and well-balanced finale. This is lovely and very Combottes in character, which is to say refined but with focused power.Burghound | 91-94 BH

From 1.02 hectares of vines, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées includes one-third whole bunches this year. The intriguing bouquet offers red berry fruit, brown spices, and hints of Earl Grey - quite complex and mercurial in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, and vibrant with sappy red fruit, fine delineation, and a svelte, harmonious, graphite-tinged finish. This superb Gevrey should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA fine mid ruby. Less immediately seductive on the nose than the Gevrey Regnard, but still with plenty of red berry fruit, a little more structure from the barrel, and will take longer to come round. A fine intensity of strawberry fruit behind. Old vines, some pre-war, the rest 1950s-60s. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMAromas of spices, wild berries, smoke and loamy soil introduce the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées, a medium to full-bodied, pure and charming wine that’s ample and fine-boned, with melting tannins and a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA slightly more deeply pitched nose features notes of plum, earth, violet and a hint of the sauvage. There is very good mid-palate density to the solidly powerful middleweight flavors that exhibit fine length on the muscular, dusty, rustic and muscular finish. This is built-to-age and should repay 7 to 10 years of aging.Burghound | 89-91 BH

From purchased fruit, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Reniards has a perfumed bouquet of red berries, wild strawberries, and a touch of peppermint in the background. The palate is very well-balanced with red cherry, cranberry and crushed stone. Fresh and focused with a bit of allspice and peppercorns on the finish. This evidences a solid source of fruit. Very fine. (Drink between 2025 - 2040)Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPurchased grapes. On the pinker side of ruby in colour, with a very prettily perfumed nose. Cherry as much as strawberry here, filling the mouth very nicely, in an uncomplicated but delicious fashion. Well worth seeking out. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-92 JMFresh, bright and airy aromas include those of the essence of red currant and forest floor nuances. The medium weight flavors are at once succulent and sleek while delivering fine length on the balanced finale where a touch of bitter pit fruit-character slowly emerges.Burghound | 88-91 BH

The ripe mulberry and black cherry fruit aromas here have hints of leather, earth and spice that carry through to the palate. The structure has admirable grip and focus, leading the wine to a pleasantly persistent finish. The grapes are from a half-hectare recently purchased; he extracts very carefully, with a pre-soak but no more punching down. The result is elegant and should be ready to drink shortly after release.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECA pretty purple with good depth, on a steady slope well exposed to the south. Attractive juicy red fruit, more strawberries, with good energy all the way through. As with the village wine, this is more about the fruit than the structure. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JMThe 2022 Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle is seamless and charming, offering up notes of plums, sweet berries, smoke and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming palate. This will offer expressive drinking on release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RPFirm reduction blocks an assessment of the nose though there is good freshness and verve to the succulent, delicious and velvet-textured medium-bodied flavors that deliver reasonably good length on the firm, dusty and mildly chewy finish that is rustic but not hard.Burghound | 88-90 BHThe 2022 Monthélie Sous la Velle 1er Cru has a crisp, well-defined bouquet, the 20% whole bunches neatly integrated, offering hints of raspberry and blackcurrant leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins and well-balanced, though it needs a little more depth toward the finish. But I appreciate the white pepper notes on the conclusion. An admirable Monthélie.Vinous Media | 87-90 VM

After a somewhat disappointing 2021, Lignier’s Trilogie is back in fine form in 2022, with dense blackberry fruit aromas and tar, earth and spice notes underscored by a dark chocolate note. The texture is substantial and tannic – an imposing village-level wine. The grape blend is based on the Chenevery lieu-dit (60%) with the addition of fruit from old cordon-trained vines in the clay-rich soils of Clos Solon and a bit of Les Porroux on the border of Chambolle. Marvellous.Decanter | 94 DECThe trilogy of Chenevery (60%), Les Porroux (30%) and 10% Clos Solon was all planted by Laurent’s grandfather, planted between the late 1940s and early 60s. Just a little deeper in colour, and with some reduction, plus also slightly more oak, but well judged. Notably more precision here, what Clive Coates would call grip, and extra intensity towards the back. A slightly darker red fruit in this wine, and very persistent. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie is a success, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, peonies, raw cocoa and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with powdery tannins and a persistent finish, it’s the usual blend of Chenevery, Porroux and Clos Solon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-91 RPThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie, based around 60% from Chenevery, has a well-defined bouquet of vivacious red berries, tart red cherries, citrus, and a touch of white chocolate. The palate is well-defined, with a smooth texture and a keen bead of acidity. It is quite saline in the mouth with a slightly austere finish at the moment, but it will fill out with time in bottle. One for the patient amongst you.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMOnce again moderate reduction largely masks the underlying fruit. By contrast, there is both good freshness and energy suffusing the succulent and delicious medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a rustic, firm and sneaky long finish. This nicely made effort should repay 7 to 10 years of keeping.Burghound | 88-91 BH

Laurent Lignier has farmed a quarter-hectare of village Volnay since the 2020 vintage, split evenly between the rocky Ez Blanches at the top of the slope above the Clos des Chênes and Ez Echarts with deeper clay soils below Roncerets. The combination is delightful, with violet-scented blackberry fruit, firm tannic grip and rewarding density. The grapes are partly destemmed and given a cold soak before fermentation with a combination of punching down and pumping over. They will be bottled in the spring without fining or filtration.Decanter | 93 DECThis is also presently quite firmly reduced and unreadable in this condition. The relatively finely textured middleweight flavors also possess a succulent mid-palate that contrasts somewhat with the moderately austere and lingering if noticeably warm finish that isn’t subtle.Burghound | 87-90 BH

Black cherry and dark currant fruit is lightly mulled in feel, while sweet tobacco, chestnut leaf and singed alder notes wrap around it. The earth-tinged finish shows focus and poise. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSJuicy red, blue, and black fruits, sappy herbs, violets, and chocolate notes all emerge from the 2022 Château De Pez, a ripe, full-bodied, opulent Pez that has a balanced, layered style that’s already hard to resist. I love how this has come together since En Primeur, and this is well worth a case purchase. It’s going to deliver the goods any time over the coming two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLively, fresh and open with lots of clear and clean red berry fruit and salty, stone-edged tannins. Sleek and svelte, nice energy and focus; not plush or overtly powerful. Has definitely lost its en primeur heft and become slightly lighter and more appealing, with energy and vibrancy, yet you still know it has muscles and will age well.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSerious depth and complexity on the nose, showing a refreshing touch of spearmint to the pure blue fruit, cassis and minerals plus a hint of incense and graphite. Powerful but polished and taut in tannins with a linear set of fruit on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Structured, fine-boned and well-dissolved with a fresh, lengthy finish. 38% cabernet sauvignon, 59% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Great for aging. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSPolished and charming, the 2022 de Pez bursts with aromas of blackberries, vanilla pod and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety palate that’s integrated and expressive. This will offer a broad drinking window. As readers may remember, this estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and director Nicolas Glumineau and his team have been working to bring more precision and purity to the wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2022 de Pez, a blend of 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notions of baked black plums, blueberry preserves, and fruitcake jump from the glass, followed by hints of Chinese five spice and potpourri. The full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit preserves layers, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. It will be aged for 18 months in 50% new oak. pH 3.8.The Wine Independent | 91-93+ TWI

A good bit of this wine comes from Bishop Creek, up to one-third, though it includes five to six other sites. ‘The idea of this wine is to express both the Valley and the vintage,’ says Jean Nicolas Méo. It’s both a vineyard and barrel selection and 30% new oak. The aromatics are grounded in red florals, with touches of earth and a spritz of spiced blood orange. The palate is elegant and refined, with tart berries, a silken structure and a beautiful finish of savoury spice. We make the barrel selection for this wine first before we make our single vineyard wines. ‘These are the best sites and our best barrels from the vintage,’ says partner Jay Boberg.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Pinot Noir L’Ensemble is a top 100 Wines of the Year contender. Sporting a reflective medium ruby hue in the glass, it’s pretty and inviting on opening, with pure notes of wild berries, delicate spices, crushed stones, and fresh roses. Medium-bodied on the palate, it’s refreshing and light on its feet, with fine tannins, a clean feel all the way through, and a tapered, mouthwatering finish. Seamless and pure, this is a fantastic appellation wine to enjoy over the next 10-12 years. I would snatch up a case or two to enjoy more frequently.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDElegant and pure, this pinot opens with aromas of fresh cherries, red currants, subtle flowers, dried tangerine peel and savory herbs. The palate is medium-bodied and effortlessly balanced, with silky tannins and lively acidity carrying the wine to a long, smooth, slightly spiced finish. I like the mineral tension. Better from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSA steely version, with chiseled acidity and pinpoint notes of cranberry and cherry that are laced with stony minerality, forest floor and rose petal details as this gathers tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2033. 1,348 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis best barrel selection from prime Willamette Valley vineyards invites you in with aromas of rose petals, red cherries, sweet pea flowers and lemon. Crisp acidity awakens the palate to fresh flavors of boysenberries, rosemary and orange zest. L’Ensemble’s tannins are as silky as its texture. To quote the Fine Young Cannibals, the L’Ensemble is a "Good Thing." Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2022 Pinot Noir L’Ensemble is a total pleasure to take in, mixing wild blueberries and cherries with sweet spice and hints of cola. This is fruit-forward yet refined, with juicy acidity and bitter tinges of clove and citrus that add contrast throughout. It tapers off with medium length, leaving a tart cranberry crunchiness and a pleasantly chewy sensation that persists.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2022 Baron de Brane Blanc is a tasty dry white to drink now and over the next few years. Strong varietal Sauvignon Blanc notes are front and center. Citrus peel, crushed rocks, sage, mint, slate and tomato leaf are all very nicely delineated.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The Rochioli family has been growing grapes on their property since the late 1950s, with the vineyard now farmed by the third generation. The 2021 Ramey Rochioli blend is sourced from 82% Mid-40 Block and 18% River Block. This wine delivers a gorgeous intensity of fruit and pressed wildflowers. On the palate, ripe lemon peel fruit expands into the mid-palate, where density builds alongside remarkable tension, all balanced by an extraordinary silky richness. Pure and riveting, laced with subtle vanilla accents, fantastic ginger character, and poached pear. A Chardonnay of intense richness and impressive length. (The first vineyard-designate release from Ramey was the 2015 vintage, though Ramey has been sourcing these grapes since 2008.)Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

Woolsey Road benefits from two pillars of the Chardonnay world: it originates from the Hyde family’s cuttings of Old Wente and is farmed by the third and fourth generations of the Martinelli family. This Chardonnay showcases a remarkable flavour intensity, with rich citrus fruit—lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest—woven with oyster shell minerality. Restrained yet brimming with tension, this wine has so much going on. A real depth of fruit and mineral integrity is evident, though it remains somewhat shy, biding its time. Make no mistake—this will blossom into a rich and excellent wine, fully deserving of its high praise. It is focused and laser-like in its precision, with remarkable restraint and tension. This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to Ramey’s specifications in 2007. According to Ramey, it lies directly south of the Martinelli Winery on Woolsey Road. The vines are spaced one metre by two metres on a northeast-facing slope. Planted on 420A rootstock, known for its low vigour, the vines are cane-pruned. The site’s Huichica clay loam over clay soil composition contributes to the wine’s mineral-driven precision. This cool-climate site was planted with Old Wente cuttings from Chardonnay vines Ramey originally planted at Platt Vineyard.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

Ample, textural and flavorful. Flinty oak, apricots, minerals, nectarines and subtle grapefruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied for rosé, mingling spices and herbs at the center palate. Focused, tactile and well-built. Long and flavorful finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThere’s a fresh and floral-accented immediacy on the nose of the 2022, followed by flattering vanilla and hazelnut from the oak and an attractive whisp of resiny pine forest. The palate is flowing, rounded and textural with a persistence underscored by fine-boned structural grip. While it’s a match for the 2023 in elegantly contained power, it doesn’t have quite the same exceptional focus and drive. Interestingly, for Provence rosé overall, 2022 was the better vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThere’s a fresh and floral-accented immediacy on the nose of the 2022, followed by flattering vanilla and hazelnut from the oak and an attractive whisp of resiny pine forest. The palate is flowing, rounded and textural with a persistence underscored by fine-boned structural grip. While it’s a match for the 2023 in elegantly contained power, it doesn’t have quite the same exceptional focus and drive. Interestingly, for Provence rosé overall, 2022 was the better vintage.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECA sturdy, substantial rosé in a flattering style, with creamed mango, persimmon and bergamot flavors cruising alongside fleur de sel and smoky mineral notes. Shows grip at the end, with white tea tannins and silky acidity driving the smoky, focused finish. Grenache, Rolle and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This also displays moderate wood influence on the ripe layered and pure nose that displays good layering and ample Chablis typicity. There is impressive mid-palate density to the opulent and lavishly rich medium-bodied flavors that possess a borderline lush, even creamy, mouthfeel, all wrapped in a citrusy and sneaky long finish. This unusually powerful effort should also be capable of mid-term development yet drink well after only 5 or so years.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Wonderful aromas of crushed violets and wisteria as well as black-truffle undertones and blueberries. Medium- to full-bodied, this has a beautiful center palate and an endless finish. It’s so polished and refined with breathtaking length that caresses every inch of the finish. A masterpiece for the vintage. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Try after 2030 and beyond.James Suckling | 100 JSNoemie Durantou remarked that this vintage is the best she had ever known with respect to the Merlot, and given that the 2022 L’Eglise-Clinet contains 90% Merlot, that pre-empted a fabulous Pomerol. Durantou also mentioned that her wines were a little more "shy" compared to the previous day, though the bouquet only needed four or five minutes’ coaxing before it unfolded with wonderfully delineated, focused scents of black cherries, peony, blood orange and crushed stone. Exquisitely balanced, the palate has a cashmere texture thanks to the pliant tannins, gaining density all the time. The finish is powerful and very sustained, disguising the 14.6% alcohol extremely well thanks to its countervailing acidic spine, though you feel a dab on the aftertaste. The 2022 is a L’Eglise-Clinet built for the long-term and continues the estate’s stunning run of form.Vinous Media | 99 VMLastly, the 2022 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from the 3rd to the 9th of September, with its elevage spanning just 12 months in 85% new French oak followed by roughly four months in tank before bottling. It’s another riveting 2022 in the vintage that brings remarkable depth and intensity while at the same time staying light on its feet, graceful, and balanced. Ripe black cherries, cassis, graphite, leafy tobacco, and damp earth and floral notes all shine here, and it’s full-bodied, has a concentrated, powerful mouthfeel, ripe and perfectly polished tannins, and a great finish. It deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will have 30-40 years of prime drinking. It will probably merit a perfect rating at maturity, and if this doesn’t put a smile on your face, nothing will.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDWild strawberries, dried herbs, blueberries, pencil lead and fragrant violets - the aromatics are stunning. You can feel the sculpting straight away - fine but firm and slightly grippy tannins set the frame from which the blackcurrant, salty liquorice and dark chocolate emerge as well as continued florality - the violet accents really making their mark. This is a serious wine, dark and almost heady if it weren’t so cool and fresh. There’s no hint of overt heat or spice on the palate, instead you get a layering of pure fruit, fleshiness and minerality. Juicy and alive too, this really packs a lot and changes to red berry fruits after a few minutes with tobacco and slate on the finish. Complex and characterful. A dark horse but a thoroughbred. A wine that as soon as you’ve tasted it you want to taste it again. 3.65pH. Higher than usual new oak at 85% compared to between 75-80% in a normal year.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECOffering up deep aromas of mulberries and cassis mingled with incense, licorice, rose petals, spices and hints of new oak, the 2022 L’Eglise Clinet is full-bodied, deep and layered, with an elegantly muscular core of ripe but vibrant fruit that’s framed by sweet, powdery tannins. Concentrated and multidimensional, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 3 and 9, this compelling Pomerol checks in at a largely concealed 14.6% alcohol.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.6, L’Eglise Clinet 2022 was picked between the 3rd and 9th September and is aging in 85% new oak. It has a deep garnet-purple color and after a swirl or two, vivacious notes of crushed black plums, boysenberry preserves, and lilacs soar from the glass, followed by hints of menthol, wood smoke, crushed rocks, and sandalwood. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is electric, delivering energetic black fruit and mineral layers, with a firm, fine-grained texture and lovely tension, finishing long and earthy. Very seductive!The Wine Independent | 96-98 TWIRipe, fleshy and dense in feel, with full-throated notes of boysenberry and blackberry preserves wrapped in licorice and bramble. The frankly toasted finish offers more than enough fruit to push through, with a late tug of earth to keep everything grounded. For the hedonist crowd. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2042. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The more ethereal and mineral-tinged of the two Altamira single-plot bottlings, the 2022 Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes hails from limestone gravel soils with less topsoil than the Meteroa bottling. It leads with an expressive yet coiled nose that dynamically gains dimension with every swirl. While also exuding the floral, lifted bouquet typical of Altamira, there is austerity and focus here that sets it apart from the Meteora bottling. This difference is fully realized on the palate, where a compelling combination of sleek, polished focus and mineral-drenched lift releases into a soaring, discreetly juicy finish that lingers with crushed-stone nuances, managing a completeness that is rare in such overtly mineral-driven wines, which can easily feel like they are lacking depth. That couldn’t be farther from the case here. This is a stunning, definitive and transparent example of Altamira Malbec rendered in high definition.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

Blending 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, and lovingly referred to as Baby Monte Bello, designated as Monte Bello since the 2008 vintage, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Monte Bello Vineyard is known for its weightlessness, made to be approachable in its youth with great intention. Barrel-aged for 17 months in 50-60% new oak to integrate and soften the tannins, it still has another 15-20 years of aging, if not 25.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe grape that founded the Montebello estate, the Ridge Cabernet, is a Montebello-grown wine made from fruit that doesn’t contribute to the flagship, Montebello bottling. It tends to be more accessible in its youth and is softer in its profile. 2022 was the third straight drought year, with low yields and concentrated, small berries with ample tannin. The wine sees 17 months in 50% new American oak, and you pick that up in the aromatics, with a note of sweet tobacco leaf. The palate, however, is loaded with verve, bright saline minerality and taut early-season black fruits on soaring fresh acidity.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC