Wine Varietals

wines

A stellar wine, the 2020 Grattamacco is dark, vibrant and nuanced to the core. Black fruit, lavender, spice, leather, menthol and dried herbs infuse the 2020 with tons of character and complexity. Deep yet also wonderfully translucent, the 2020 is one of the most finessed Grattamaccos I can remember tasting. There’s incredible depth and resonance here, not to mention tons of personality.Vinous Media | 97 VMNext up is the 2020 Grattamacco, which really takes things up a notch. A deep ruby red, it offers decadent and harmoniously layered aromas of pristine oak spice, fresh leather, mossy earth, tobacco, and kirsch. Full-bodied and refined, it has a velvety texture, plush tannins, even acidity, and a long finish. This demands to be cellared and will continue to improve if adequately stored over the next two decades and likely beyond. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD‘This vintage gifted generous fruit with excellent, crisp acidities, alongside clean-edged balsam and pungent Mediterranean scrub,’ said winemaker, Luca Marrone. The grapes are hand-harvested in vineyards with an average age of 25 years. Spontaneous fermentation occurs in 7hl oak vats with a frequent and gentle manual pigeage, enabling long macerations and slow release of only fully ripe and noble tannins. This wine was aged for 18 months in oak barrels and bottled in August 2022. Restrained cassis and Mediterranean herb scents are allied to fresher red fruits and a floral touch. It’s very well composed, demonstrating an elegant and juicy style with great integration of oak and youthful, chewy fruit. A Bolgheri to wait for – this is intended for the long haul.Decanter | 96 DECA nose that is luxuriously fruity also has undertones of salt, flint and herbs providing balance. The palate runs wild with fruit but simultaneously offers notes of dark chocolate and a subtle spiciness to keep things lively. Tannins are chalky and resilient, and persistent acidity holds up a long finish.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAromatic nose of blackcurrants, berries and cherries, together with hints of flowers and smooth oak. Full-bodied with a super-clean and intense bead of fruit running through the lightly firm tannins to give a long, only lightly abrasive finish. From organically grown grapes. A classy, well-structured blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese. Drinkable now, but better from 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThis 2021 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso has a natural harmony and balance that is hard to beat. There is more of a range of delicate aromas on the nose, not just simply fruit or oak spice but little floral notes that come and go, a little hint of crushed rose petal or wild iris as well as bright cherry aromas and a very gentle background spice of oak. The nose is persistent and reveals layers of flowers and fruit, becoming more interesting in the glass. On the palate there is such a beautiful texture and weight and a real silkiness but without heaviness. The tannins are beautifully refined and harmonized within the wine and there is a cleansing sweep of refreshing acidity on the finish. This wine has a beautiful harmony to it. Supremely refined but with a strong sense of identity.The Wine Independent | 94 TWIElegant and linear in profile, this red boasts cherry, black currant, mineral, earth and Mediterranean scrub aromas and flavors. There’s fine tension and freshness, with a long, resonant aftertaste. Needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2025 through 2042. 5,400 cases made, 430 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSMouthwatering acidity and taut, grippy tannins provide an appealing structure for this wine’s juicy blackberry and blackcurrant flavors. Scents of lavender and notes of tobacco and black pepper add complexity to the lively purple fruit tones. Beautifully balanced and energetic, this wine is a versatile partner at the table and an excellent introduction to the wines of Bolgheri.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 92 W&S

Lastly, the 2020 Torre Muga just about jumps out of the glass with its complex red and black fruits, savory flowers, tobacco, lead pencil shavings, and graphite-like aromatics. Plush, full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, it shows the softer, more rounded style of the vintage and has ripe tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDTorre is a bolder, more concentrated expression of Rioja from Muga. Meaty and tarry nose with smoked bacon. Lots of grilled herbs and some dark sweet spices. Powerful, broad and full-bodied on the palate with lots of vertical, dusty tannins that lead you towards the long, juicy finish. Tempranillo, mazuelo and graciano. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThe more modern wine in the portfolio is the 2020 Torre Muga, which has notes of toast, smoke, sesame seeds, smoky bacon, spices, herbs and ripe berries. It is a wine they started producing in 1991, and the change in style also influenced the quality approach and selection of vineyards, grapes and oak for the barrels that they later applied to other wines. It has a polished palate with very fine tannins, chalky and elegant. It’s a more approachable vintage, round, velvety and soft, though perhaps without the aging potential of 2021, but it’s very pleasant. It’s long. They didn’t bottle the 2020 from Aro, so some of those grapes might have finished in this bottle. It was bottled in December 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe garnet-hued 2020 Torre Muga is a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano sourced from Rioja Alta, aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. Its ripe aromas reveal balsamic and clove notes, featuring a delicate core of plums with hints of cedar and vanilla. On the palate, it is dry and plush, with a lingering juicy sensation and a fairly chalky texture. This is a complex Rioja wine that nods to a riper Bordeaux style.Vinous Media | 94 VMA bold but poised red, with fine, chalky tannins. Lively acidity lends definition and tension to the panoply of flavors, which partners savory game, espresso, cured tobacco and iron notes with ripe boysenberry, crème de cassis, cocoa powder and licorice accents. This should age nicely, but why wait? Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2034. 3,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2020 Promontory is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars out of the glass with notes of fresh black cherries, crushed blueberries, and kirsch, followed by hints of wet slate, Indian spices, candied violets, and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit, with so many mineral and floral nuances intertwined with the red and black fruits, supported by very firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. There is so much energy here, it practically vibrates in your mouth! A masterpiece.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIIncredible aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, black olives, lavender, violets, hazelnut and black tea. Forest floor. So complex. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that are ultra-fine and melt into the wine, spreading across the palate. Perfectly meshed. This has real presence and energy. Cool wet stones, mountain air, and dark fruits make up the palate. November 2024 release. It will need three to four years to come around. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2020 Promontory is a medium to full-bodied, concentrated 2020 that certainly does well in the vintage, even if it lacks the vibrancy of a truly great vintage from this estate. With everything harvested by September 21, it has a rich, powerful bouquet of ripe black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and subtle violet and floral notes. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth, lots of minerality, and firm tannins, which are common in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

Impressive aromas of fresh herbs from the Tuscan coast, such as sage, mint, rosemary and thyme. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied with fine, chewy tannins that show beautiful length and consistency. Racy and beautiful, with lots of subtle and refined character. Slightly more cabernet sauvignon this year, which adds class to the wine. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 10% petit verdot. Give this about three or four years of bottle age. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2020 Saffredi is compelling. Deep yet quite structured, 2020 is unlike any Saffredi I can recall tasting because of its balance of intense dark fruit and vertical structure. Plum, blackberry, pencil shavings, lavender and spice saturate the palate. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2020 is not as showy as most vintages at the same stage.Vinous Media | 96+ VMThis was the newest vintage tasted as part of this retrospective at the estate. The Fattoria le Pupille 2020 Saffredi shows signs of the hot vintage, especially when tasted in context with the gorgeous 2019, the more candied 2018, the toasted 2017 and the classic 2016 vintages. The 2020 definitely shows a riper and fuller character with bold, big-picture terms and fewer tiny details as a result. Elisabetta Geppetti refers to this edition as a "return to the Taschis school," referring to the celebrated Tuscan consultant Giacomo Taschis, whose signature style embraced balanced ripeness. This wine offers end notes of savory tobacco and spice.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSaffredi was first produced in 1987 and has rightfully forged its place in the pantheon of superTuscans. Elisabetta Geppetti’s son, Ettore now oversees the estate’s winemaking, and he told me that 2020 was ‘an Atlantic vintage’ with ‘left bank appeal’ – there’s not usually so much freshness evident in Saffredi. This could have something to do with the lower proportion of Merlot in the blend, down from the usual 20% to 10% since Merlot struggled in this vintage. Black fruit aromas are supplemented with violets and balsamic notes, while in the mouth plentiful tannins grip cassis and spiced plum. There’s a complexity of menthol, spice, chocolate and coffee, with a textured, woody mid-palate and a long, vibrant and youthful finish. Around 40,000 bottles produced.Decanter | 95 DECA rich, juicy nose presents handfuls of cherries and mulberries, along with slices of passion fruit, but a fresh savoriness keeps the sweetness in check. On the palate, dark chocolate brings depth, while tannins and acid attack in tandem. Bold and self-assured—a precise wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2020 Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi has a much more directly fruity nose than the 2019, with leafy redcurrant and bramble aromas and a bit of spice. It is more fruit-focused and simple at the moment. Likewise on the palate the 2020 is much lighter, less concentrated than the 2019 but it is also not overly forced or extracted and it has a lovely weight and texture, great purity of fruit and very elegant and refined tannins. The 2020 has a slightly cooler, more green quality to the fruit but it is beautifully pure and transparent.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIWell-structured and linear, this red frames a core of black currant and black cherry fruit with accents of toasty oak, sweet spices, tobacco and iron. Refined and harmonious, with the stuffing to develop over the next decade. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2035. 3,750 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Even better, and flirting with perfection, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige Blanc is 60% Roussanne and 20% each of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, aged in 50% new demi-muids. Truly sensational notes of tangerines, quince, white flowers, smoke, and crushed stone emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a Grand Cru Burgundy-like sense of minerality, perfect balance, and a great finish. There are fewer than 200 cases produced, but this is world class in every way. It too will evolve for 20-25+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JD(Domaine de la Janasse, Prestige, Roussanne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, White) Not terribly expressive on the nose, but long and focused. The oak works as a tight corset, shaping the wine and pulling in any excess weight. Remarkably fresh and vibrant, with a tight mineral seam and a little dab of fresh cream on the long finish, alongside fresh pear and nutmeg. Try to keep this for a while before opening, until at least 2025. (Drink between 2023-2035)Decanter | 96 DEC

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

The 2020 Sassicaia is a bold, rapturous wine. Dark, fleshy and expansive on the palate, the 2020 offers up scents of blackberry jam, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and crème de cassis. Potent tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Sassicaia is never a huge wine, the 2020 does seem to have an extra dimension of textural intensity. It’s an intensity that is hugely appealing.Vinous Media | 97 VMFrosts damaged the the earlier-developing Cabernet Franc in late March, leading to reduced production but superb quality fruit. Spring was mild and summer was generally warm, but a rapid acceleration of maturation in late summer forced the team to begin picking in the first week of September to avoid any overripeness. A traditional 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc blend, its blackcurranty, dusty, leafy and cedary character is brought into focus by an intense and balsamic palate. It’s poised and light on its feet with super-fresh acidity and a fine-grained, almost imperceptible tannic structure. Ripe and tangy raspberry and blueberry fruits linger on the mid-palate, leading to a long, fresh finish with some cream and chocolate notes. This will reward cellaring into the 2050s, yet you’ll get plenty of pleasure from it in its youth. ’We advise to keep it at least 10 months in the bottle before opening,’ states third-generation Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta.Decanter | 97 DECA very perfumed Sassicaia on the nose with forest floor, citrus and deep dark fruits. Blackcurrants. Cedar and black tea. Some balsamic. Pine needles. Full and very succulent. Really long, structured and complete. Tangy and energetic with a linear line of fresh tannins and acidity. Very Sassicaia throughout. 85% cabernet sauvignon and the rest is cabernet franc. Very attractive now in a youthful and vibrant way, but this will be better in three to four years. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. This vintage is a precise reflection of Coastal Tuscany, as opposed to a more generic "Tuscan" wine from elsewhere in this large central Italian region. You taste the ripeness and soft fruit weight that comes from a coastal appellation with especially bright luminosity and warm Mediterranean offshore breezes. Sassicaia from the cool vintages is a famously reticent or withholding wine in its earliest years, requiring a long lead time before it eases into an ideal drinking window. That’s definitely not the case here. This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine’s immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn’t get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L’Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also exciting the palate through a core of zesty acidity. A staining of minerality lingers as the 2020 finishes with epic length and potency. Grippy tannins tug at the perimeters of the palate, leaving nuances of black licorice and clove to resonate. This radiant beauty has a very bright future. It’s a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 97 VMDark chocolate, a bit animalistic, so brooding and dark. Sumptuous texture, rich and deep yet vibrant too, this is plush and opulent but there is refinement here, you can feel the sculpting of the fruit and the tannins, there is nuance and detail to the different aspects. It’s still quite massy and bold, it’s a big style, lots going on with plenty of power and punch but a deliciously bright and lifted understone with acidity to keep it from being too heavy. Strawberry touches, blackberries, cinnamon, pepper, toast, tobacco and cocoa, all melding together with a lingering piquancy that lasts and lasts. A classic and memorable wine. Ageing 15 months in French oak (80% new, 20% one year old).Decanter | 97 DECThe 2020 Estate Cuvee is the flagship and checks in as 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. It has a big, black-fruited bouquet with lots of graphite, smoky oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality. This carries to a full-bodied wine revealing the more savory tannins of the vintage, plenty of mid-palate flesh, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It picks up a beautiful sense of salinity with time in the glass and is unquestionably one of the top wines in this vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReally impressive depth here. Violets, blueberries, blackberries, graphite, ink and chalk to the nose. Rich, voluptuous and flavorful with firm, but silky tannins. Concentrated, restrainedly plush and muscular with a lingering finish that goes on and on. 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96 JS

With a pretty, pale pink color and sweetly scented nose, the 2021 Rosa Dolce & Gabbana makes a lovely first impression. Ripe melon, Asian pear, mint and nuances of white smoke create an inviting bouquet. It’s round and elegant in feel, engulfing the palate in mineral-tinged orchard fruits and hints of chamomile. A salty flourish emerges through the finale, as notes of sour citrus and inner wet stone slowly fade. This is a total pleasure to taste. The Rosa Dolce & Gabbana is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nocera. Vinous Media | 91 VM

Lovely strawberry, peach-skin and cherry-pip aromas with a similar echoing of fruit on the palate, in a fresh and generous mode. Fruity, flattering and well made. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

The white 2021 Cargol Treu Vi has notes of pollen and yellow fruit with some browning apples. It has contained ripeness and 12.4% alcohol with a very low pH and high-ish acidity but comes through as more evolved and somewhat riper than the phenomenal Principia Mathematica form this same vintage. It has pungent flavors and a medium-bodied palate, with some spice from aging in 300-liter barrels for 10 to 11 months. 2,100 bottles were filled in August 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2021 Ventoux Terrasses Blanc is a gorgeous, clean, up-front, and delicious white that’s ideal for drinking over the coming summer months. Ripe lime, chalky mineral, mint, and some garrigue notes all define the nose, and it’s pure and clean on the palate, with wonderful fruit.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

The bread-and-butter wine here is the 2021 Bela, produced with Tempranillo from the village of Villalba de Duero (mentioned on the label), from sandy and clay rich soils on limestone mother rock that delivers powerful but not overripe wines with a short-ish élevage to achieve a fine-boned and fresh wine. The grapes were picked between October 1st and 25th, mostly Tempranillo but some 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot too, and it matured in French oak barrels for nine months. The wine has 14.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.57 and close to five grams of acidity, textbook parameters from the zone and textbook profile of classical Ribera; it’s ripe without excess, with very integrated oak and a velvety palate with silky tannins. It reminds me of the historical wines from the early 1990s, Valribeño and so on, with some rusticity but very honest and characterful. With time in the glass, it develops a precise note of licorice intermixed with berry fruit and some spices and herbs. They feel this is the wine they wanted to produce from the beginning; they consider it their best vintage to date irrespective of the style of the year, with 2019 more powerful, 2020 more elegant and this 2021 something in between. 85,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

The 2021 Red Wine California is a new Bordeaux-based red wine that Duncan Arnot and Nathan Roberts made initially to take the place of the 2020 Cabernets that would have been released around this time but were compromised by smoke. The Red Wine was initially intended to be a fun project, but Arnot and Roberts may have stumbled into what is really a pretty serious red with real potential. The 2021 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (Massa, Bedrock and Gordenker), 20% Cabernet Franc (Persia) and 20% Merlot (Massa). A powerful, old-school wine, the 2021 is going to need a few years to shed some tannin. I loved it.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

I loved the 2021 Lirac Blanc, one of those whites that truly over-delivers. Beautiful notes of pear, white flowers, citrus, and some salty, mineral-like nuances define this beauty, and it’s medium-bodied, with terrific balance, integrated acidity, and a great, great finish. Bravo. Drink this over the coming 2-4 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThere’s a touch of oak on the nose and palate that helps to frame the tangy citrus notes, and lends a touch of spice, but it’s far from overwhelming. Full-bodied, classically Lirac in its breadth on the palate. Ends on a nip of grapefruit bitterness. Good acidity. Also contains Marsanne, Viognier and Piquepoul.Decanter | 92 DECBrimming with stone-fruit aromas with a touch of mango, this is a rich but very clean and crisp dry white from the Southern Rhone. Good concentration and a touch of positive tannin help it carry the generous body and 14.5% alcohol. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

Blackcurrants and black cherries with lovely flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied with ultra fine tannins that give focus and tension to the wine. Pretty and poised. A little shy now. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JS

The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and troncoconic concrete vats, spent some 10 months in barrique, and then part of the wine (some 20%) was sent to the Stockinger foudres. The nose is reminiscent of a super elegant and sleek Bordeaux, pure and clean, less balsamic than in previous years and less herbal. It’s perfumed and floral, precise, fresh and elegant, with very fine tannins, and despite the grape, it is more Pomerol than Graves, with 14% alcohol on the label but without any heat at all. It’s velvety and luxurious, juicy and tasty, with fine-grained chalky tannins and the elegant stoniness that the best Maipos are capable of. It has structure and power, like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. This has to be the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster—it’s a wine of emotion. This is also my first 100-point wine from Chile! The final blend contains around 3% Petit Verdot from vines planted in 2005. There are some 10,000 bottles of this, and it was all bottled all at once on January 31, 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPBeautiful nose with lots of currants, red cherries, flowers, roasted chili and dark chocolate. A fine hint of balsamic. More red fruit than black fruit here with bright cherries and a hint of cigar box. Really even on the palate, with a medium to full body and effortless tannins -- plentiful and silky. Extremely fine-grained and long. Very young but the superb freshness and the tannin quality of this vintage makes you think this is already drinkable. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Viñedo Chadwick is a Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Petit Verdot (3%) from Puente Alto, Maipo. It was aged for 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels and 20% in foudres. The mild summer in the area helped to sculpt the vivid, nuanced aromatic profile: crystal clear blackcurrant notes with sour cherry and raspberry layers plus hints of pepper over a faint cigar box bed. Silky and dry in the mouth, the finely tuned Maipo tannins and refreshing acidity from the cool year make for a long-lasting, complex wine. A Bordeaux-inspired red that enjoyed the very Bordelaise weather in the region this year.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe moderately cool 2021 growing season gave a long, even ripening that preserved the acidity and gives this wine elegance and finesse. This smells wonderful, full of chocolate, salted caramel, vanilla, fragrant blackcurrants, roses and raspberries - simply gorgeous. Crunchy and chewy, the best combination of being fully flavoured and densely textured with high, mouthwatering acidity that lifts the mouthfeel and creates such a joyful expression. Direct and focussed, this doesn’t deviate too much from the centre of the palate, but it has energy and drive with a soft expansions of dried herbs, flowers and ripe berries. It’s more the texture and the finish that leaves such an impression - you just want another sip straight away, with cool refreshing mint, tobacco and liquorice spice adding the nuance on the persistent finish. Utterly sublime. Ageing 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels, 20% in foudres.Decanter | 98 DECA rich, slightly muscular red, built around espresso, pepper and baking spice nuances, with concentrated blackberry and cassis flavors that benefit from fresh acidity. Echoes the flavors on the finish around notes of ganache and fine tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2021 EE Red Wine is ripe and powerful, with smoky red and black fruits as well as lots of background oak, graphite, espresso, and dark chocolate-like aromas and flavors that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has plenty of background oak, the building tannins of the vintage, and a great finish. A gorgeous wine, it will benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard offers up a wonderful range of dark fruit—black cherries, cassis and blackberries—couched in hints of dark chocolate. Like almost all the Bevan wines, it’s full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety in texture. This one finishes long, with a mocha and cocoa-stained finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2021 Red Blend EE is one of the more overt wines in the range. Super-ripe red cherry, blackberry, chocolate, spice, gravel and licorice are all amplified in this heady, exotic Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. The 2021 is a powerhouse.Vinous Media | 93-96 VM

Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAfter sampling 86 wines over a two-day marathon tasting with Realm Cellars co-owners Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette, I had no doubt that one would make my top 10 list of the year. It would be The Bard, which will be available beginning in 2024. It is a very giving wine that promises great rewards for long-term cellaring and is enjoyable three full nights in a row, never losing its zeal if having one great glass each night is your prerogative. Power and muscle frame the core of this towering red, with its red-toned fruits and rich, toasty oak spices nuanced by bay Laurel and pastis. Full-bodied with tremendous decadence of chocolaty tannins that are pliant and billowy, lifted by supple blackberry and black raspberry fruit, a drizzle of cherry coulis, and resolving with refined tobacco, cedar wood spices, and laced with coriander and cumin aromatics. It has a satisfyingly rich finish. Number five of my top 10 wines of 2023.Decanter | 97 DECThe purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% petite sirah. So drinkable but can age as well.James Suckling | 97 JSA blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Petite Sirah, the fruit for the 2021 The Bard comes from sites across the valley, including some estate fruit and some sourced fruit. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shoots from the glass with vibrant notions of crushed black currants, red currant jelly, black raspberries, and pencil shavings, giving way to notes of lilacs, dark chocolate, and a waft of spearmint. The full-bodied palate is firm with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone framing the tightly wound red, black, and blue fruit flavors, finishing with great length and a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Here it is: A quintessential Sassicaia that represents the excellence of the vintage and also respects the unique taste profile of this distinguished Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia offers impeccable balance, excellent freshness and absolutely no signs of over-ripeness. The fruit balance is ideal with a hint of crunch and lasting tension from pulp and skins. The tannins are deftly managed with firm grip and enough velvetiness to add volume and length. There is no greenness on the bouquet that instead offers mulled herbs and spice, with cinnamon and clove, layered delicately between mostly red and some purple berry fruits. Redcurrant, blueberry, sweet pomegranate and Rainier cherry run strong in this vintage. A fragrant hint of heritage rose emerges with time. The oak tones are geared toward gingerbread, hazelnut, cigar, sandalwood and something like a grilled sweet red pepper. To the palate, it offers nice weight with no heavy glycerin, and a rinse of acidity that adds to the wine’s natural energy, brightness and viscosity. That marked freshness opens the wine up to long aging potential, but you still need to give it more time in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother great vintage in Tuscany, following a run of exceptional years, and as you might exect from this estate, we are here right at the top of what the vintage has produced. Expect to find softly grilled and smoked campfire notes on the opening, unrolling over ripe brambled berries, overlaid with incense, tobacco, sweetened red pepper, orange zest, liqourice and lavender. Sassicaia is a wine with a slow, gentle reveal, with a slate texture that highlights the subtle minerality and drawn out finish. My tastebuds are totally fired up, mouth watering, this is an active experience, you are engaged and wanting to lean in what happens next. Such clever winemaking, reflecting an exceptional terroir. Jane Anson | 100 JAIn 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that’s super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised. Superb. 99-100.Decanter | 99 DECThe gorgeous 2021 Sassicaia stuns with its class, extreme elegance, energy and depth. It’s remarkably fragrant, featuring enticing aromas of cassis, cedar blue flower, exotic spice and a whiff of sea breeze. The delicious palate is focused and loaded with finesse, delivering ripe raspberry, black currant, blood orange, star anise a hint of coffee bean accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity gives it racy tension and provides impeccable balance and serious aging potential. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe 2021 Sassicaia is one of the best young Sassicaias I can remember tasting, certainly on par with anything in recent memory. The preference here is picking on the earlier side relative to many neighboring properties, which is one of the reasons Sassicaia is always a wine of refinement more than opulence. At the same time, Sassicaia can be light. Not in 2021. All the elements came together during a long growing season to produce a rich, deep wine that marries textural intensity with classicism. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and spice all race across the palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s textural intensity and sheer power. The 2021 is one of the most concentrated Sassicaias on record. That allowed for long macerations, as long as 20 days for some Cabernets. Aging was 25 months in French oak barrels (95% French, 5% a mix of Hungarian and Slavonian wood), 40% new, 40% once-used barrels and 20% in twice-used barrels. One of the recent developments here is some bâtonnage in aging, which is used to build texture. That approach worked well in 2021. In a word: magnificent.Vinous Media | 98+ VMVery classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste.James Suckling | 98 JS

The 2021 Sideral is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 9% Carménère, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc from Cachapoal Andes. 90% of it was aged for 16 months in barrels, a fifth of them new. A vivid purple hue. The aromas feature crystal clear blackberry and blackcurrant notes, mulberry, herbs and black tea over a bed of oak. In the mouth, the flavors are intense and juicy with grippy tannins before the languorous, fruity finish. This year’s more reductive style, thanks to the cold vintage, lays down an excellent marker for the future.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery fresh and fruit-expressive nose with a floral note and some herbs. Blue and red fruit. Pure and even on the palate with a medium to full body, showing excellent poise and balance. Fine-grained, structured tannins aplenty. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSInspired by the night skies above Cachapoal Valley – in Latin sideralis means constellation – this is a nicely balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenère, with dashes of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Lively, inviting aromas of spicy black berries and cherries. Vibrant red fruit attack gives way to a rich, concentrated palate with fine tannins, layered with plum, sour cherry, blackberries and dusty cassis notes on the finish. Will improve with age.Decanter | 93 DECThe nose displays notes of strawberry and vanilla cream. This blend is balanced and smooth on the palate, delivering a fair mix of red fruit and baking spices that linger through a delightful finish.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that’s so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume. This elegant, expressive blend will be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPImmediately seductive and perfumed on the nose with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, cedar and plenty of sweet oak spices. It’s full-bodied with knit-tight tannins and a velvety texture. Spicy and vibrant with poise. Good vitality with a controlled power all along. Concentrated and full of energy with a generous, peppery and berry-loaded finish. 50% syrah, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% petit verdot. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe L’Aventure vineyard is one of the sources of quality fruit in Paso, and this wine is no exception. Aromas of dark, jammy fruit dominate, and the fruit on the palate is equally assertive, with healthy doses of cedar and spice. Tannins are muscular and powdery, which will aid in the ageability – a full-bodied, authoritative Paso wine with quality at the foundation.Decanter | 95 DEC

The purity of fruit is impressive in this wine with currants, orange peel, peaches and lemon in the nose and on the palate. Full-bodied yet compressed and agile. Flavorful finish. Reserved now, but if you give it a year or two it will really deliver. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSUltra fresh juicy cherries with more delicate aromas of violets and rose petals on the nose roll onto a palate rich with more cherries and berries balanced by earthy, astringent notes of soil, branches and roots and a finish of bitter cocoa and anise.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2021 Crognolo, 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes barreling out of the glass with notes of cherry compote, plum preserves, and unsmoked cigars, leading to touches of bay leaves and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is packed with savory accents to the black fruit flavors, supported by chewy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing with great length.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe organic Tenuta Sette Ponti 2021 Crognolo is a mid-entry blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot that goes into oak for up to 14 months. Fruit is harvested from a historic clone of Sangiovese found on this estate. The wine shows dark concentration, certainly more than you’d expect from Sangiovese, with lots of cherry, spice and blue flower that ties directly into the Merlot. It offers a medium to full-bodied texture with fine, chalky tannins. This is a big release of 90,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis young red reveals all its components in the right place, yet needs time to integrate. Offers cherry, violet, earth, iron and mint flavors that give way to serious tannins on the strapping finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2036. 140,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSDried herbs, dark chocolate, olive tapenade and fragrant sun-kissed black fruit on the nose. Deep and wide, this has a lovely expansion in the mouth, super succulent but also sharp, tangy and tight with a piercing acidity and quite a tense, tannic structure. Lean and direct, focused with purity to the expression. Feels well worked, ample and precise, just super tight with black pepper and a menthol hit on the finish that is both fresh and spiced. Feels very herbal with lots of garrigue characteristics. I like the expression. Ageing 12-14 months in small barrels and six months in bottle before release.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2021 Crognolo is a gorgeous entry-level offering from Sette Ponti. A burst of red/purplish fruit, blood orange, spice and rose petals races across the palate, lifted by bright acids that confer energy. All the elements are very nicely balanced. This is such an inviting wine.Vinous Media | 90 VMNo written review provided. | 90 W&S

One of the legendary Dominus, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is unquestionably in the same league as the 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2010, and 1991, and to my mind, wine simply doesn’t get any better. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, crushed stone, cedar pencil, smoke tobacco, and baking spices, it s rich, full-bodied, and voluptuously textured, with ripe yet building tannins. It reminds me slightly of the 2010 (maybe the 2013), and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, and it will evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Hats off to the team of Christian Moueix and director Tod Mostero.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe purity of the cabernet fruit is so enticing, with blackcurrant, rose petals, nettles and subtle graphite. Touches of terra cotta and licorice. Full-bodied with super integrated tannins that are wonderfully polished, giving a cashmere texture that is really luxurious to taste at this early stage. It is quenching and so delicious already. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. Needs three to four years to come around but already a joy to taste. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Dominus is a powerful, tightly-coiled wine that is holding back quite a bit of reserve. There’s real depth and resonance waiting to emerge as the wine matures. Floral overtones and bright acids confer energy to a core of red/bluish fruits. Readers will find a Dominus built more on linear precision rather than opulence. It is hugely impressive in this tasting, with a long chalky finish.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis shows density on par with the ’18, with a core of cassis and plum notes still tucked away a bit behind a wall of structure, while singed toast and licorice hints peek in throughout. The youthfully backward aspect shows on the finish as well, where this throws a chunk of tannins to the fore. Very concentrated and with serious tension, this is a strapping young wine that shows what a warm and very dry vintage feels like. Think ’18/’13 combo here. Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc. -- Non-blind Dominus retrospective (August 2022). Wine Spectator | 96-99 WS