Wine Varietals

wines

The 2018 Pym-Rae can be thought of as a hypothetical mix of the 2016 and 2017, with more sexiness and opulence than the 2017 and a touch more elegance and precision than the 2016. Wonderful cassis, violets, tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate notes define this beauty, and it’s full-bodied, with a gorgeous sense of elegance and purity, perfect tannins, and an incredible finish. This stunningly majestic, flawlessly balanced Mountain Cabernet already offers pleasure yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and it should be a 50-year wine. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2018 Pym-Rae reveals a deep garnet-purple color and a slightly reticent, slowly emerging nose of freshly crushed blackcurrants, ripe blackberries and wild blueberries with suggestions of garrigue, red currant jelly, mossy tree bark and truffles plus wafts of bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper. The palate is full-bodied and fantastically concentrated with tightly wound layers of black and red berry notions, framed by very firm yet beautifully ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing with epic length and loads of mineral sparks.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis is extremely aromatic with blackberries, black pepper and spice. Dried flowers, too. Full-bodied with very tight, fine tannins and a racy, refined finish. Raspberries and currants at the end. Very fine and polished. The center fruit is so pure. Aged in 60% new wood barrels and 40% concrete. Drink in 2023 and onwards.James Suckling | 97 JS

Blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors with some conifer and stone. Full-to medium-bodied with firm, dusty tannins that are fine and intense. Clarity to this wine. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There’s terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality. The 2018 needs a few years to soften, but it is already compelling, to say the least.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGFirst made in 2006 and coming from more sandy, coarser soils, the 2018 Quella is incredibly exotic, with red and black fruits, wildflowers, sandalwood, candied violets, and flowery incense notes as well as medium to full body, a layered, ultra-fine, pure mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s incredibly elegant and polished in 2018, with a chalky minerality as well as gorgeous complexity and length. It’s another 2018 that has plenty of up-front charm and accessibility yet is going to age gorgeously for 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBoasts black currant, fig and loganberry fruit flavors that are tightly packed yet nicely expressive already, while the backdrop of signed alder, juniper, bay leaf and warm loam adds extra dimension and length through the finish. Not shy on power, but everything is in proportion. Best from 2024 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA barrel sample, the 2018 Quella has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with the most gorgeous perfume of violets, red and black plums, Morello cherries and cassis plus hints of iron ore and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely energy and tension, framed by fine-grained tannins and finishing with beautiful purity.Quella comes from a steep, southwest-facing vineyard in the eastern Vaca hillsides, just up from Joseph Phelps’s winery and Denali Estate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP

The 2018 Balifico, Volpaia’s Sangiovese/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is fabulous. Rich and inky, the 2018 offers up a compelling mélange of dark berry fruit, dark spice, licorice and espresso. I especially admire the wine’s textural richness. I imagine the 2018 will drink well for many, many years to come. In this tasting it is a total knock-out.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGAlluring violet, black currant and black cherry fruit introduces this seductive red, with firm, pointed tannins and vivid acidity providing structure as this glides to a lingering, detailed finish. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2037. 750 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA wine with depth and a center palate of pure, ripe fruit. Raspberries and blueberries galore. Ripe and polished tannins. Solid finish.James Suckling | 93-94 JS

The flagship red 2018 Rioja Reserva was produced with a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (a.k.a. Cariñena) and 2% Garnacha selected from their 300 hectares of vineyards that exemplifies the character of the vintage and the place. 2018 was a year with good rain and a cool season that resulted in a late harvest, which started on October 1 and was slow and delivered grapes with good freshness. Each variety and plot fermented separately in stainless steel. and the wines aged separately in American oak barrels for 21 months and then settled in concrete until bottling. It follows the path of the 2016, where I noticed a change that is taken further in this, controlling the power and increasing the freshness. It’s very aromatic, a year completely different from the 2017; it has less structure and more freshness and subtler balance and enough oomph, concentration and power neatly compensated by freshness. I believe 2018 was a very good vintage to implement this change. It’s perfumed, fresh, elegant and medium-bodied, with a velvety texture. Superb! 960,000 bottles produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSavory cured-meat, tobacco and grilled-spice notes to the bright plum, red-date, cherry and green-olive aromas. Quite a juicy, medium-bodied Rioja with fresh and extremely silky tannins caressing the zesty orange and crunchy red-berry flavors. Nuanced, fluid and effortlessly drinkable. Long and extremely elegant. A vintage that highlights layering and freshness, rather than power and depth. 86% tempranillo, 8% graciano, 4% mazuelo and 2% garnacha. Delicious now, but will hold well.James Suckling | 94 JS(Rioja “Reserva”- Marqués de Murrieta (Rioja Alta)) The 2018 Reserva from Marqués de Murrieta has not been released yet, but the bodegas kindly sent me a sample for inclusion in this article. The wine is excellent on both the nose and palate, offering up a ripe and complex bouquet of black cherries, raspberries, cigar wrapper, clove-like spice tones, a beautiful base of soil, incipient notes of nutskin and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and grip, fine-grained, buried tannins and a long, ripe and well-balanced finish. The ripeness of the 2018 vintage is evident here, but it is handled seamlessly and the wine is really going to be lovely. I suspect it will age very much like a top 1982 Rioja. (Drink between 2028 - 2075)John Gilman | 93 JGFresh and elegant, with a mouthful of ripe, crushed cherry and red currant fruit, this medium-bodied red is framed by crisp tannins and a minerally underpinning. Enticing hints of eucalyptus, dried fig and cigar box play on the finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta. Drink now through 2028. 80,000 cases made, 14,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

José Luis Ripa has only started his own label recently, dedicated to solely making Rioja Rosado. He probably has plenty of red and white Rioja in his cellar to drink already, as his wife is Maria José López de Heredia! His 2018 Rosado is composed from a blend of eighty-five percent Garnacha and fifteen percent Tempranillo, with the wine is fermented and raised in older, French oak demi-muids for eighteen months prior to bottling. The wine offers up a refined bouquet of strawberry, blood orange, chalky soil tones, rose petals, a touch of oak from the older casks and a lovely array of Rioja spice tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with outstanding depth at the core, bright acids, lovely balance and grip and a very long, gently vinous finish. This is truly a stunning bottle of Rioja Rosado! It is delicious already, but is clearly built to age and will have little difficulty cruising along for twenty years or more! Great juice. (Drink between 2023-2050).John Gilman, A View from the Cellar | 94 JGThe rosé 2018 RIPA Vino Rosado follows the same path as the 2017, 60% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo aged and matured in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels where the wine matured for 30 months. The vintage was quite cold, and the grapes were picked on October 20. The wine has a more vibrant palate and a lower pH, with more freshness. It’s quite marked by the long élevage, so it takes on a specific profile with more nutty and spicy notes and a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s spicy, vibrant, still round and lush, with a dark color, very different from the pale Provençal examples... 6,200 bottles were filled in December 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

I loved the 2018 Red Blend Pollard Vineyard from Robin Pollard, and this might be the finest wine I’ve tasted from this vineyard. A blend of 40% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a pretty, perfumed bouquet of red and blue fruits, leafy tobacco, cedarwood, and spring flowers. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, balanced, elegant red with polished, fine-grained tannins, wonderful purity, and a great finish. All about finesse and elegance, it will evolve for 10-15 years if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDMade from a blend of 40% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Cabernet Franc, the fleshy and approachable 2018 Pollard Vineyard Red Wine offers aromas of crème de cassis with blackberry skin. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is delicious without being overly complicated by oak and displays complex layers of savory herbs that sway with a delightful expression of sweet red fruit before concluding with a persistent finish. The wine rested in 20% new French oak barrels. Only 555 cases were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPMedium red-ruby. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and menthol are carrying a full load of dark-chocolatey oak; less green than the Merlot. Tightly wound, fine-grained and bracing but also shows subtle sweetness to its intense black cherry, dark berry and spice flavors. There’s an intriguing floral element here but the wine needs time to unwind. Finishes with firm-edged tannins and sneaky persistence. Even higher-pitched than the Merlot, and ultimately less sweet. These wines have not yet been released.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

Characterful, luscious and deftly balanced, this terrific, unfiltered LBV – ’the little brother of Vintage Port,’ says Dirk Niepoort – is irresistible now but will age brilliantly. Black pepper, esteva, bitter chocolate and spicy gingerbread bring lift and layer to the velvety sweet plum, cherry frangipane and kirsch palate. Ruffled tannins make for a long, controlled finish. Bottled with a driven cork after four- to six-years in large wooden vats.Decanter | 97 DEC

A unique blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Château Mangot Todeschini Distique 11 has a gorgeous nose of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, white chocolate, and graphite. With fabulous purity of fruit, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and loads of floral and sappy herb aromas and flavors, this is gorgeous Saint-Emilion and the finest I’ve tasted from this address. It needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDComposed of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Todeschini is deep garnet-purple colored and gives up broody notions of new leather, crushed stones and tar with a core of baked red and black cherries, mulberries and warm plums plus wafts of garrigue and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, firm and grainy in the mouth, it has loads of muscular fruit and a lively line, finishing perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2018 Distique 11 is laced with inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mint. Pliant and supple, this inviting, mid-weight Saint-Émilion has a lot to offer. The racy style is undeniably appealing. The 2018 is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon taken from select parcels on the estate and aged in amphora. It is an undeniably intriguing wine.Vinous Media | 93 VMA balanced, pretty wine with firm, sleek tannins that are polished and refined. Blackberry, bark and chocolate undertones. Medium body. Delicious finish. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is darkly alluring and brooding in the glass, with a dusting of confectionary spice and dried violets complementing wild blueberries and a lifting whiff of fresh mint. Soothingly round and surprisingly juicy in feel, this shows its minerality up front, as depths of tart wild berry fruits meet vibrant acidity, and an array of exotic spices emerges toward the close. It finishes tannic yet fresh and incredibly long, leaving a bitter blackberry crunch, violet inner florals and chalky concentration that boggles the mind. Bury the 2018 deep in your cellar, this is a long-distance runner.Vinous Media | 96 VM

This edition from the legendary Tenuta San Leonardo estate in Trentino is presented with an artist-signed label. The special release of 999 bottles features the surreal artwork of Simone Berti. From a cool vintage, the 2018 San Leonardo is incredibly fine and beautiful with a filigree of aromas that recalls wild blackberry, tobacco, pressed rosemary, cherry tartlet and orange marmalade. The wine’s elegance is extraordinary, and the mouthfeel is very fine and precise. This classic vintage will certainly appeal to San Leonardo purists. I recommend giving it a long runway to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP‘In July, we finally saw a brilliant sun, whose welcome heat warmed a season that was quite wet up to that point and with below-average temperatures,’ said Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of the 2018 vintage. The newest release of this standout northern Italian red offers complex scents of tobacco, spices, earth and rich, wood-imbued black berries. In the mouth it combines intense concentration with freshness in a vertical sensation of poise and sapidity. Dark, plummy, spicy hedgerow berries are perfectly balanced by bright, moreish acidity and ripe, grainy tannins, with spicy cedar, dried currants and a touch of balsam in depth. Still has so much to give.Decanter | 95 DECA mentholated freshness introduces the 2018 San Leonardo as it slowly blossoms in the glass. Swirling unlocks depths of dusty sage and violets, giving way to white pepper and black currants. This is elegant, lifted and potent. Sour citrus elevates ripe wild berries and savory spices. The 2018 doesn’t miss a beat, finishing long and lightly structured, with a framework of fine tannins that gently tug at the senses as blackberry and inner rose notes slowly fade. The 2018 is an understated and youthful beauty that will reward medium-term cellaring. That said, hands off for now because the best is yet to come.Vinous Media | 94 VMA graceful red, beginning quietly with a pure note of ripe black currant, with the palate slowly expanding to weave in flavors of bay leaf and cured tobacco, bitter cherry reduction, mineral, graphite and cigar box spices. The finely knit flavor range shows supple tannins, which emerge to define the elegant finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot. Drink now through 2033. 5,900 cases made, 1,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRoasted red chili pepper with tapenade, berries, cedar and tobacco leaves. Very juicy on the palate with plush, silky tannins and a long, fluid finish. Cool and gastronomic. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 vintage is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère (a high percentage for any grower) and 10% Merlot. The wine opens with aromas of ripe plum mixed with tart blueberries, worn leather, sweet spices and dried flowers. The palate is expansive and rich, showing the 24 months of aging in French barriques, both new and used. Firm yet opulent, the wine will continue to develop and retain its mark as one of the best Bordeaux-style blends from Italy. Drink 2025–2040. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This is a dense and lively La Mission white with lemon, lime and cream character and a light mineral and salty undertone. White pepper and salt at the finish.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe La Mission Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 57.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 42.6% Sémillon. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pears and pineapple with nuances of lime blossoms, crushed rocks and sea spray, plus a waft of beeswax. The racy, medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy, delivering vibrant citrus and tropical fruit layers with a satiny texture and fantastic length. Completely exceeding my barrel tasting expectations, this promises to be an earlier drinking style, albeit multilayered, dripping with class and, yes, it’s downright sexy. Give it just a few more months in bottle and then it should offer decadent drinking for the next 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSeriously dark and winey, showing a deep core of black currant preserve, warmed fig paste and plum reduction flavors inlaid with racy graphite, mouthwatering tobacco and enticing singed alder, bay leaf and freshly plowed humus. Delivers density, grip and definition on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 2,880 cases made, 262 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA richer, more textured wine than the Haut-Brion Blanc, no doubt due to its larger Sémillon content, the 2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc reveals a medium gold hue as well as beautiful pineapple, honeyed lime, star fruit, and floral aromas and flavors. Nicely concentrated on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and offers beautiful acidity, plenty of depth and richness, and a great finish. A slightly softer wine, it doesn’t have the precision of its counter mate yet brings more texture and opulence. It’s another brilliant white that will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 15+ years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe white 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion explodes with notes of guava, pineapple, and ripe peaches, plus touches of honeyed toast and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and layered, with lovely zesty sparks and a long, spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA serious wine that is just beginning to show its white flower and honeysuckle notes. A vintage that shows its warmth in a slightly lower acidity, but it is still an impressive textured white. 3.27pHDecanter | 94 DECThere is a light herbal touch to this wine that comes from the Sauvignon Blanc. However, it also has concentration and weight, offering a texture that brings freshness to balance the ripe fruits. The wine will age well. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has really come together nicely since I last tasted it. Bright and finely cut, with terrific creaminess, the 2018 is already very easy to taste, and, I imagine, drink. Lime, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and jasmine give the 2018 striking effusiveness.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is tightly coiled now, but the range of juicy tangerine, white peach and white ginger notes should unfurl soon enough, carried by a mouthwatering quinine note and ending with a light orange blossom hint on the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2026. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSTangy aromas and flavors of lemon zest, fresh green pear, yoghurt and hints of beeswax. It’s medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity. Flavorful and concentrated with a sleek, phenolic texture. Crushed stones on the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSBeautiful white peach, honeysuckle, white flowers, and a touch of toasted almond emerge from the 2018 Lune d’Argent Blanc, and it’s medium-bodied, with a balanced, elegant texture, nicely integrated acidity, and plenty of fruit and depth. A blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon, it’s going to be even better with another year in bottle and keep for 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2018 Lune d’Argent has a perfumed nose of white flowers and honeysuckle, subtle frangipane scents patiently waiting in the background. The palate is well balanced with a slightly honeyed entry, plenty of tropical fruit (passion fruit and guava) and a concentrated, almost viscous finish that lingers in the mouth. Yes, it does come across as a bit heady, but it’s still thoroughly enjoyable.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2019 Brega is more open and expressive, with gorgeous kirsch, herbes de Provence, pepper, and leather-like aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, has a broad, layered mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDA bold and ripe garnacha with some nicely baked red cherries and strawberries, with some white pepper spices. Nice texture on the medium- to full-bodied palate, showing close-knit, chalky tannins and a ripe, but juicy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSThis dark-violet-colored wine has a bouquet of blackberry, purple plum, clove and vanilla. Silky smooth on the palate, it offers Mission fig, black-cherry, clove, eucalyptus and milk-chocolate flavors wrapped in a web of plush tannins that glide into a enduring finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA harmonious red, with fine, crisp tannins providing trim definition to concentrated flavors of black cherry reduction, Kalamata olive, wild herbs and milled pepper. Long and fresh on the palate, with mineral accents on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 1,650 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAn unashamedly big and powerful wine, appealing to those who prefer their wines rich and oaky. This is from the Jorge Ordónez-owned Bodegas Breca, from two very old plots planted in 1900 and 1918. With smoky bacon, woody spice and layers of red fruits, the wine is high in alcohol but not driven by it.Decanter | 90 DEC

Lovely soft spicing on the nose, liquorice touches and bramble fruits - gorgeous aromatics on show. Excellent clarity on the palate, this has a silky smooth texture with bright fruit flavours. Extremely youthful and brimming with energy. Fruit forward with cherry and cherry stone nuances. Really quite playful in the best way with charming fragrant touches from start to finish, - 2019 was the ’year of perfume’ according to Alexandre Thienpont. So much to like here.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 La Gravette De Certan is a solid second wine offering plenty of up-front richness and suppleness as well as classic Pomerol darker cherry and currant fruits, notes of damp earth, tobacco, and hints of flowers, beautiful balance, and enough ripe tannins to keep it drinking well for over a decade. I’d be thrilled with a bottle on the table.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2019 La Gravette de Certan, 100% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It races out with bright, expressive notions of black cherries, raspberry preserves, and fresh plums with hints of crushed rocks and black olives. The full-bodied palate delivers a lively backbone and nice ripe, approachable tannins with a lifted finish.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2019 La Gravette de Certan is a fleshy, charming wine, bursting with aromas of cherries, minty blackberries and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, ample and giving, it’s sensual and succulent, with an enveloping core of fruit, supple tannins and lively acids. It’s entirely composed of Merlot this year and largely derived from vines planted in 2010, supplemented by a plot planted in 1998.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. 2,500 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIComposed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. This will warrant 3-5 years cellar to express its full potential over the following 20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2019 La Joie is striking on the nose with its pure, alluring scents of violet and iron. As it spends time in the glass, it gains intensity, blossoming to aromas of crème de cassis, mint chocolate, licorice, truffle and softening new French oak spices. The palate is bursting with concentrated flavors characterized by energetic acidity rather than weight or extraction. It features tremendously velvety tannins and a very long finish with ringing graphite and violet tones.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe purity of fruit with currants, spices and flowers is very impressive, as is the long, creamy texture. Full-bodied with medium, round tannins and a fresh finish. Oyster and iodine notes come through. Excellent. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThis Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend shows the balance of the 2019 vintage. As serious as it gets. Predominantly Cabernet (84%), with lesser parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Both elegant and showy, with fantastic aromatics. Capsicum and savoury herbs introduce pronounced black fruit aromas. A vintage that produced small berries has resulted in a wine of great concentration, wild anise, black cherries and dark chocolate. Finely knit with elegant, savoury character marked by bay leaf and mountain scrub. Fresh, this wine is where finesse meets concentration.Decanter | 96 DEC

Slightly deeper hued, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Des Felix is based on 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, and the rest a mix of varieties and sees a slightly longer élevage in demi-muids (30%) and very old barrels (70%). Blackcurrants, roasted herbs, gamey meats, tobacco, and ground pepper are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and building, substantial tannins. Despite all the structure here, it stays balanced and is a sensational bottle of wine. It’s going to need 5-7 years to hit the early stages of maturity and will have 25 years or more of prime drinking. Readers looking for gorgeous, classic, traditional Châteauneuf du Pape need look no further.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDFuller and more rounded than the Tradition from the same producer. Intense impact, bright, fresh and immediate. Very well-integrated stem use giving a subtle herbal vein and an intense feeling of savouriness. A long, very straight style. Direct, tense and sapid. Very dry.Decanter | 95 DEC

Currants and flowers with just a whiff of lavender on the nose. Medium body, fine tannins and a bright finish. Vivid and very attractive. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Makes you want to drink it. Better in a couple of years.James Suckling | 93 JSThis is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that was first produced in 1992. The Castello del Terriccio 2019 Tassinaia hits a very attractive price point and offers lots of dark fruit concentration and richness along the way. Grilled herb, candied watermelon, tar and spice appear on the nose. The wine travels over the palate with some sharpness, good freshness and overall accessibility.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

I loved the 2019 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues, one of the finest vintages of this cuvée under the helm of Benjamin Gras. Medium ruby-hued, with gorgeous meaty, peppery, Provençal aromatics, it needs plenty of air, and while it started out closed and reticent, it blossomed with time and shines for its purity and complexity. Full-bodied on the palate, with a concentrated mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDeep ruby. Displays intensely perfumed red and blue fruit preserves, licorice, exotic spice, potpourri, smoky minerals and cured meat scents. Stains the palate with sweet boysenberry, cherry-cola, fruitcake and black cardamom flavors that smoothly meld depth and vivacity. Round, even tannins lend shape to the impressively long finish, which strongly repeats the floral and mineral notes.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Very attractive cherry and dark berry aromas follow through to a medium body with medium round tannins, fresh acidity and a clean, fruity finish. The second wine of Sassicaia. So delicious now, but can age.James Suckling | 92 JSMade with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Sangiovese, this has enticing aromas of cassis, black tea, violet and wild herb. Savory and elegantly structured, the medium-bodied palate shows ripe blackberry, star anise and a hint of coffee bean framed in lithe, polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink through 2025. Kerin O’Keefe | 92 KOMade with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Sangiovese, this has enticing aromas of cassis, black tea, violet and wild herbs. Savory and elegantly structured, the medium-bodied palate shows ripe blackberry, star anise and a hint of coffee bean framed in lithe, polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink through 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Blueberries, blackberries and crushed stones. Pure fruit. Full-bodied with round tannins that have powdery character. Creamy and round mouth-feel. Very unique. Great finish. 90% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% malbec. Best from 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 La Muse offers a luxurious and layered perfume of red apple, sweet tobacco, and fresh leather. The palate is generous, with velveteen texture, noes of cassis, violets, and fresh earth, and a weightless feel. The most open of the three presented by Verite, this is an incredible wine and will be fantastic to check in on over the next two or more decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 La Muse is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it skips out of the glass with bright scents of freshly crushed black and red plums, boysenberries, and Morello cherries, plus hints of garrigue, cedar chest, wet slate, and truffles plus a waft of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is super intense and firm with a solid wall of ripe tannins and compelling freshness holding up a ton of expressive earth and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length. 2,500 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 98+ TWIThe 2019 La Muse offers the purity and layering of the best 2019s from Sonoma County. The nose opens with generous aromas of mushroom, underbrush, licorice and garrigue complementing a core of Morello cherry. The medium to full-bodied palate is silky and plush with pixelated tannins. Its fruit is still somewhat coiled, driven by graphite tones at this stage, although it offers plenty of refreshing acidity that gives a weightless, ethereal feel to the fragrant finish. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA Merlot dominant blend with whispers of Cabernet Franc and Malbec (5% each). More generous than dense with ample structure, silken texture and elegance alongside understated power. Aromatics are marked by espresso beans, irises, violets, and crushed stone alongside cedar plank and cinnamon spice. The palate is elegantly outlined, with fine tannins, mocha powder, blue fruits denoted by huckleberry and fig and a sinuous streak of graphite across the finish.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2019 opens with the most gorgeous, complex fragrance of sage, menthol and clove, slightly creamy black berries, damp earth and spice. In the mouth it’s really intense, textured and precise; a core of ripe black berries and some red fruit touches, framed by wood, tobacco and fine, supple tannins. There’s a ferrous, saline vein coursing through the centre, and it reaches a lingering finish showcasing sapid dark berries, balsamic herbs and gentle spice, evolving into fresh and dried cherry as it strides away into the sunset. Generous yet beautifully poised, this is among the finest vintages of Tenuta San Leonardo so far.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe cool profile of this wine is clear from the fresh and spicy aromas of red currants and blackcurrants, leafy lightness, bell peppers and leather, with hints of smoke. The complexity of the nose is supported by an elegant palate (don’t look for power here), with a structure of filigreed tannins, crisp, integrated acidity, a medium body and a long, super savory aftertaste reminiscent of dark cherries. Drinkable now, but better from 2034.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 San Leonardo is impossible to ignore, embodying everything I love about this distinctly northern Italian Bordeaux blend. Masses of white pepper, sage, incense, sandy earth and fresh tobacco give way to dusty red currants. This is a model of elegance yet salty and savory to the core, with mineral-laden red and black fruits that flow across silky textures. The 2019 finishes classically dry with a crunchy tannic bite yet maintains an impossible freshness as savory herbal tones slowly fade. This is stunning, recalling the absolute top vintages I’ve ever tasted from San Leonardo.Vinous Media | 96 VMThough carrying an elegant sense of poise, this supple, medium- to full-bodied red isn’t all laced up. Instead, its fragrant tobacco and espresso accents to the ripe black and red currant fruit flavors are flashes that impart well-tailored charm. Long and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins emerging on the creamy finish of spice and mineral notes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot. Drink now through 2040. 5,450 cases made, 1,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Youthfully intense, the 2019 Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello smolders up with a hauntingly dark bouquet of grilled herbs, cloves, flowery undergrowth and dried black cherries. This mixes silken textures with a wonderfully graceful feel, showing vividly pure red berry fruits and a cascade of spices, all offset by a tinge of sour citrus. This puckers the cheeks with concentration and a coating of fine-grained tannins, finishing structured yet with immaculate balance and poise. Rosy inner florals and sour cherry resonate. The Pipparello is always a standout for me from the Bea portfolio, perfectly blending 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 25% Montepulciano. Bury the 2019 deep in the cellar.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Exquisite aromas of lavender, cigar ash and Spanish cedar with dried citrus follow through to a medium body and a solid palate with powerful, ultrafine and linear tannins. The muscle and long finish are so beautiful. Give it two or three years but already a solid wine. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSComposed of 65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, and 2.3% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with classic scents of cedar, cassis, and plum preserves, followed by suggestions of bay leaves, lavender, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tight-knit, bright, and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins and a mineral-laced finish.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIThe 2019 Les Forts de Latour appears to have tightened up a little since I last tasted it a few years ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet cassis fruit mingled with hints of cedar, iris, orange zest and new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with a ripe core of fruit underpinned by chalky structuring tannins. While it’s approachable after a decant, it certainly merits additional patience. As readers will remember, this bottling mostly derives from dedicated parcels located further inland from Latour’s famous "Enclos," next to Château Haut-Batailley.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2019 Les Forts de Latour has an open nose, strangely perhaps a little more expressive than the 2020 Pauillac de Latour at the moment. Scents of blackberry, cassis and iris flower unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crushed stone infusing the black fruit. This has attained more linearity since I encountered it in January 2023. The 2019 will give two or three decades of pleasurable drinking.Vinous Media | 94 VMA captivating nose of milk chocolate, cola, cherries, and violets, offering a soft and inviting bouquet. The palate is fully textured, opening gradually to coat the cheeks and tongue in a fine layer of chalky tannins. Juicy and succulent through the mid-palate, it bursts with citrus zest, orange and lemon pith, cranberries, and red cherries. There’s a beautiful interplay of bite and tension, with a sapdi freshness and a mineral core of crushed stones and iron. The finish ends bright, minty, and herbal, delivering great drive and persistence. 3.60pH.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2019 Les Forts De Latour is more open, expressive, and complex, with a medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific aromatics of ripe currants, leather, graphite, and cedary spice. I love its overall purity, and it has fabulous balance and outstanding length. Coming from slightly less ideal parcels (those farther from the Gironde estuary), it doesn’t have the density of the 2020 or 2022 but shines for its overall equilibrium and elegance, while still bringing some solid Pauillac power.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JD

If sunshine could be bottled it would be this. Aromas of fresh succulent stone fruit, a hint of yeast, citrus blossoms and notes of quince on the nose. The mousse is creamy and light with baked red apples, blood orange zest, white grapefruit, sticky caramel and layered salinity with a mouthwatering finish. It will bring a smile to your lips.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThe 2019 Brut L’Ermitage blends 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, all estate grown from one growing season, with 3.9% Chardonnay from the 2016 vintage, and a dosage of 6 grams per liter. A complete, well-integrated, medium-bodied sparkling wine with a balance of fruit and savory notes, it offers flecks of oak spice and pastry crust. Textured and creamy in style, it has a lingering brightness on the finish and should age well over the next 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDDynamic yet elegantly structured, with alluring flavors of Asian pear, baked apple, brioche, clove and nutmeg that build richness on the graceful finish. Drink now through 2027. 4,850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS