Wines with Age

wines

Bright, energetic and vivid, the Paitin 2016 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin (with 15,000 bottles made) wins your heart at the very first sip. The wine shows an outstanding level of purity and Nebbiolo authenticity, with the delicate and fragile nuances that give magic to the grape. It shows a lean-weight approach, but there is plenty of power and lasting intensity that sticks to the senses for many long and pleasurable minutes. The tannins are smooth, silky and integrated.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPShy in aroma, this red evokes macerated cherry, strawberry, menthol, iron and tobacco flavors. There is ripe, rich fruit and a velvety texture up front, building to a finish where the dense, assertive tannins reign. Best from 2023 through 2042. 1,150 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe excellent Paitin property, focussed on its well-exposed Serraboella vineyard, uses traditional vinification methods, with long macerations and ageing in large casks rather than barriques. This bottling, from 40-year-old vines, displays a heady raspberry nose that’s quite floral too, with beguiling generosity of fruit. It’s lavish and very concentrated in the mouth, with bold tannins that are by no means too extracted or tough. Spicy and assertive, the wine has ample energy, drive and length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin is powerful, but also quite reticent today. Dark cherry, menthol, licorice, sage and dried flowers are all found in a searing, intense Sorì Paitin that needs to be at its best. Tannic and austere, the 2016 appears to be going through a closed phase, and yet it has a feeling of verticality and gravitas that is impossible to miss.Vinous Media | 93 VMA very fresh and floral Barbaresco that shows rose stems, fruit tea and grapefruit. Medium body, lots of vibrant acidity and a tangy, medium-chewy finish. Drink from 2021.James Suckling | 93 JS

Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSTasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBlended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2016 Pape Clément is fabulous. Racy and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 captures the style that now characterizes Bernard Magrez’s wines from his estate in Pessac. Specifically, the 2016 is wonderfully deep in the glass, and yet retains terrific freshness as well. A rush of dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, grilled herb, leather and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its compelling, inviting personality. I would prefer to give the 2016 at least a few years in bottle to allow its full breadth of aromatics to develop. Even so, there is so much to like. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, Pape Clément is gorgeous in 2016. Tasted two time Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 60ha of vineyards are situated on an ancient alluvial terrace topped by a thin layer of more recent Garonne gravel. The winery’s 28 wooden fermentation vats correspond to individual parcels, and the grand vin red (in 2016, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) is aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels. Andy Howard MW: Intriguing wine with an extra layer of aromatics. Floral, leafy, a touch herbal. Great purity allied with fresh acidity and integrated oak. A very fine Pessac. Robert Mathias: A brooding nose, coffee, cedar and dried tobacco. Broad structure with black cherry fruit. Tannins very fine, some warmth on the finish. Tim Triptree MW: Hedonistic aromatics of ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry, complex notes of smoke and cedar, leather, dried meats, tobacco and cinnamon spice. Opulent, ripe, great balance and length. Harmonious, ageworthy Pessac. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 96 DECThis rich, warm wine offers tannins cushioned within layers of black fruits. It is dense with structure and fruit while also having the freshness and acidity typical of this vintage. The wine will age for several years, becoming richer and more opulent. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Reminding me of a fresher version of the 2003, the 2016 Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Reservée is another magical wine from Laurence Feraud that could come from nowhere else. I still remember tasting (and loving) this beauty from barrel. It doesn’t quite have the sheer over-the-top decadence of the 2003, but it does have more elegance, while not giving up an inch with regard to texture and opulence. Dark ruby/plum-hued with a monster display of Provençal goodness in its garrigue, lavender, violets, kirsch, plums, and Asian spices, this full-throttle, ripe, sexy Châteauneuf du Pape has silky tannins, flawless balance, and a heavenly texture. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink well for at least 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDInflections of violetand rose petal mingle into crushed earth anddried mushroom in this deeply complex red. Blackcherry and black-currant flavors are profoundly ripebut muted by shades of leather, fur and garrigue. Anuanced, deeply satisfying wine, it offers both concentratedripeness and old-world restraint.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA singed chestnut accent leads off here, followed by a sappy core of steeped cherry, raspberry and plum fruit, infused liberally with tobacco, brick dust and garrigue notes. Reveals a brawny edge, but there's ample fruit in the end. A rock-solid old-school style that should cruise in the cellar. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 5,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSEvery year that I've tried the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée, I've liked it better than the year before, so I've gone ahead and peremptorily added the + sign to this year's rating. Black cherries and licorice pick up a hint of chocolate in this full-bodied, rich, velvety wine that should evolve nicely for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPDeep ruby. Assertive aromas of black raspberry, potpourri and spicecake pick up a bright mineral nuance and a hint of cured meat with air. Juicy and impressively concentrated, showing real energy and spicy lift to the sappy red berry, bitter cherry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors. Fine-grained tannins build on the finish, adding shape and grip to lingering, spice-accented raspberry liqueur, smoked meat and licorice flavors.Vinous Media | 94 VM

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the deep purple-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve hits the ground running with the most stunning perfume of crushed black cherries, violets, dark chocolate, licorice and blueberry pie, going on to reveal subtle nuances of cinnamon toast, hoisin, menthol and fragrant underbrush. Full-bodied and oh-so-generously fruited in the mouth, the rich, decadent palate is beautifully lifted with fantastic freshness and powered by super ripe, silt-like tannins, finishing with layer upon layer of long-lingering floral, spice and vibrant berry notes. If "Plumpjack awesome" isn’t a phrase to describe the ultimate in deliciousness, it should be.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPBottled under screw cap, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is certainly a worthy follow-up to the monumental 2015. As pure, seamless, and classy as it gets, with heavenly notes of crème de cassis, white flowers, lead pencil shavings, graphite, and damp rock-like minerality, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, no hard edges, and spectacular length. This is another monumental wine from this team that needs to be tasted to be believed.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is expressive and sensual to the core. The Reserve possesses tons of textural richness and resonance in every dimension. Inky dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, cloves, new leather and licorice are pushed forward. The 2016 is seamless, creamy and exotic, all of which add to its tremendous immediacy and overall appeal.Vinous Media | 97 VM

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Morandina is dark and youthfully understated in the glass, as crushed rose petals and stone dust give way to red currants. This is silky-smooth, nearly velvety in feel, with masses of mineral-tinged black cherry and spice contrasted by a twang of sour citrus. The 2016 finishes with outstanding length and depth yet is also remarkably fresh, leaving hints of hard red candy and the slightest touch of bitter cocoa. The Amarone of Prà is always so unique but in the best possible way. The 2016 is a total gem but needs cellaring to come fully into focus.Vinous Media | 96+ VMA savory and complex expression of Amarone with some dried cherries, red dates, stewed herbs, orange peel, tobacco and white pepper. Some bold green peppercorn, too. A svelte delivery of Amarone with a medium body, showing tobacco, cedar and chocolate on the palate. Long, cedary finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSInspired by Dal Forno, renowned Soave producer Graziano Prà purchased 13 hectares high up in eastern Valpolicella’s Mezzane Valley in 2001. The previously unplanted parcel is protected by forest and has been farmed organically from the start. A relatively restrained nose shows dried garden herbs with plum and floral nuances. On the palate, fig and prune flavours are laced with cigar smoke. Velvety, malleable tannins enfold the easy to please package and the finish is bright with a pleasantly bitter edge.Decanter | 93 DECThis elegant red is medium- to full-bodied, with creamy tannins providing a fine frame for flavors of brambly red currant and blackberry fruit, pine, orange peel and crushed pink peppercorn. A subtle, savory overtone of cured tobacco and smoky bacon fat echoes on the fresh finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. Drink now through 2030. 833 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is magical. Bright and translucent, the 2016 pulses with energy from the very first taste. This is about as classic as things get in Barbaresco today. Sweet rose petal, cinnamon, dried flowers, cedar and mint all give this ethereal, wonderfully nuanced Barbaresco ton of subtlety. A kick of bright Nebbiolo acids and tannins give energy and shape.Vinous Media | 95 VM

In years past, I have commented on the pretty mineral nuances laced into the bouquet of this single-vineyard wine. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara delivers those tones with extreme clarity and precision, giving this vintage a distinctive personality and identity. Equally impressive, however, is the structure and fiber of the wine that is clearly more robust, concentrated and well-balanced overall. This quality comes from both the fruit and the oak, and these two forces play against each other with nice contrasts. It is no exaggeration to say that this vintage delivers "more Brunello" on all fronts compared to recent past vintages. This is a standout wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis is really beautiful with black cherries, porcini mushrooms, black walnuts and dried flowers on the nose. It’s full-bodied, yet very toned and tight with class and precision. Wonderful length and focus. Goes on for minutes. What a wine from here. Best ever? Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara is fruit-forward and seductive. It’s exotic, showing spiced black cherries, hints of tangerine, sweet herbs and mocha. The textures are velvety, weighty yet pure, energized by vibrant acidity, as tart red and black berries saturate all that they touch, leaving a coating of fine tannins in their wake. The expression becomes dry and youthfully structured; yet intensity remains high throughout the finale, as this tapers off to dried fruits, baker’s chocolate and hints of licorice. The Vigneto Manachiara is made from a site on the eastern side of Montalcino at around 300 meters. The wine spends eighteen months in French barrique, followed by another twelve months in Slavonian oak barrels. While the oak comes through in the finished wine, it does so with impeccable style. That said, the 2016 will take some time to soften and reveal all of its charms.Vinous Media | 96 VMTruly the loveliest Manachiara I have tried and among my favourite wines of the vintage. Produced since 1995, it is crafted from Nardi’s vineyards near Castelnuovo dell’Abate in a warm yet breezy spot with cool nights and morning sun exposure. The nose is sun-soaked with plum, baked herbs and exotic florals, while the palate brings in flavours of nectarine, leather and a saline edge. Plush, fleshy and full, it is enveloped in a velvety texture that builds artfully to a powdery, tactile grip. This will give heaps of enjoyment for many years to come.Decanter | 96 DECVanilla and toasty oak aromas and flavors are wrapped around a core of cherry, plum and tobacco in this stylish red. With air, the oak recedes and a mineral element emerges. Shows fine balance and a lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2042. 830 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe nose is rather shy but eventually reveals new leather, forest floor, cedar and rose. The concentrated palate is still primary, featuring dried cherry, licorice and coffee bean framed in tightly knit, close-grained tannins. You’ll also detect the heat of evident alcohol on the close. Drink 2024-2031. Kerin O’Keefe | 92 KOThe nose is rather shy but eventually reveals new leather, forest floor, cedar and rose. The concentrated palate is still primary, featuring dried cherry, licorice and coffee bean framed in tightly knit, close-grained tannins. You’ll also detect the heat of evident alcohol on the close. Drink 2024–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2016 Veneroso is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted from Ghizzano. Bright, effusive aromatics lift a core of red Sangiovese fruit, all framed by nervous tannins that give the wine its shape. Sweet tobacco, dried leaves, mint, cedar and incense develop later, adding further shades of nuance. The purity of the flavors is simply striking. Magnificent.Vinous Media | 97 VMBlueberry and raspberry aromas follow through to a medium body, lightly chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs a year to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 91 JS

Sweet berries and orange peel with flowers and cedar on the nose. Full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins and juicy texture. It’s long and focused. Walnut, mushroom and wet-leaf character to the dark fruit. Flavorful and tight. Give this at least three or four years to open. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSEnticing aromas of fragrant blue flower, ripe woodland berry, menthol and star anise are front and center on this full-bodied red. The firm palate features crushed raspberry, blood orange, underbrush and coffee bean while tightly wound, fine-grained tannins show up at the close and carry through the coffee-bean finish. Drink 2024–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta La Fuga is very pretty and sweetly spiced, showing wild strawberries with hints of mint and cedar. It soothes the palate with a mix of ripe cherry and blackberry, laced with orange citrus. Rounded tannins come through toward the close, yet the focus here remains on fruit and balanced sweetness. It’s a very pleasant and somewhat-immediate Brunello for the near term.Vinous Media | 91 VMFrom an estate situated in the south-west of the region in the village of Camigliano, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is classic with lifted, herbal aromatics of fresh mint and rose petal, oregano, and tart red cherry. Medium-bodied and vinous, the palate is savory with tangy red cherry fruit and salinity. Its more tertiary characteristics make this ready to drink now, while its vibrant structure will also welcome time in cellar. Enjoy over the next 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Coming from one of the coolest terroirs in Saint-Emilion, the 2016 Château Troplong Mondot is a blend of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 77% new French oak. This deep purple-hued effort offers a smorgasbord of powerful blue and black fruits, smoked earth, truffle, chocolate, and licorice. Full-bodied, deep, and opulent on the palate, it’s a truly great wine as well as one of the superstars in 2016. It should drink well for upwards of three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2016 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. Powerful, dense and explosive, the 2016 has a lot to say. Super-ripe dark cherry, raspberry jam, chocolate, spice and new oak give the wine much of its lush, exotic feel. The château has moved in a totally different stylistic direction since this wine was made, but there is no denying the 2016 is striking. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGLove the aromas of redcurrants and cherries with flowers. Full body and tight, finely chewy tannins that impress. Linear and focused young red. Try from 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSAged in 77% new and 23% one-year-old French oak barrels and composed of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet-purple color and comes bursting out of the glass with bold preserved plums, Black Forest cake and Indian spices scents plus suggestions of espresso, black olives, cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich, plushly textured and oh-so-decadent, it packs in the spiced black fruit layers and finishes with fantastic persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPRipe and focused, with a pure, unadulterated beam of raspberry and cherry preserve flavors that is both wide and deep, gilded prettily with a lilting violet note and infused with subtle chalky minerality through the finish. Beautiful. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is stunning. Troplong never has trouble conjuring up wonderfully rich fruit, but here it is plump and dense without being pumped up. The tannins are chewy rather than chalky, but the elegance of the vintage is unmistakable, and the rich chocolate flavours are dusted with mint. There is a very pretty salinity on the finish that lasts for minutes. I had a fascinating visit here at the start of the week, and retasted several times as this is a wine that I sometimes have trouble understanding. My main takeout is that the majority of the richness here is found naturally in the terroir - limestone on the plateau but with cool clay over the top, which explains why they are such late harvesters. But there are always winemaking and viticultural choices coming into play in any wine, and here there are adjustments being made to bring out a more finely wrought version of what is always a high impact and successful wine. Yields are higher this year, up at 48hl/ha, which helps, as does the style of the vintage and quieter extraction in the cellar, but Troplong remains true to itself. 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050.Decanter | 95 DECThis wine has power and a rich character that almost overwhelms. Intense tannins along with dark-chocolate flavors and huge concentration give a massive wine that shows some of the alcohol in its edge of pepper. The wine will calm and soften although it will always remain huge.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

This is an absolutely gorgeous expression, very full and generous. The 2016 Syrah Per Sempre spent a little less time in oak compared to other vintages, just 16 months, and the results are excellent. This area’s Syrah always does best in hot years, such as 2009 and 2007, and this vintage is reminiscent of the latter. There is lovely black fruit, surrounded by milled black pepper and hints of charcuterie. The key to hot-vintage Syrah is to keep the extraction low: This wine saw a 20-day maceration period, but still, the Syrah Per Sempre is thick and highly concentrated, and the 15% alcohol content is unmistakable. This would be a perfect accompaniment to a filet mignon and potatoes au gratin. This Syrah is a true standout.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPTua Rita’s 2016 Syrah Per Sempre is fabulous. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, plum and blueberry jam are all beautifully delineated. Savory, powerful and also structured, the 2016 has plenty of intensity, but it also is not as dense or obvious as has been the case in the recent past. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2016 for at least a few years.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is very exotic and seductive with dark berries, incense, citronelle and hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, chewy and intense with a powerful palate and a long finish. Very fresh and muscular syrah. Needs three or four years to come around.James Suckling | 96 JSFocused flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice and black pepper are wrapped in toasty oak, but this intense red remains balanced and on the elegant side, with a long, fresh and spicy aftertaste. Decant now, or give it a year or two to absorb the oak. Syrah. Best from 2022 through 2032. 250 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is really beautiful with complex black cherry, berry, walnut and dark chocolate. Some mushroom and smoke. It’s tight and reserved with polished tannins and wonderful balance and finesse. Persistent and intense. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe Uccelliera 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to dark fruit and wild cherry with warmer tones of cured tobacco, spice and potting soil. It shows the extra density, darkness and richness that comes so beautifully to fruit grown on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the southern half of the appellation. What Uccelliera delivers so carefully, vintage after vintage, is a truly exceptional sense of mouthfeel with textural richness and lingering creaminess. It is also one of the wines that consistently shows a sense of place. This is a touchstone estate for this specific Montalcino microclimate. Production is 29,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino blends richness, ripeness and refinement to create a model of total balance. At first, it’s dark, earthy and herbal; yet with time in the glass, a massive wave of black cherry, raspberry, sage and a grounding note of undergrowth comes forward. In the mouth, it coats all that it touches in silky, cool-toned textures, giving way to ripe red/black fruits complemented by spiced citrus, as nuances of lavender and tobacco form. While this feels round and pliant throughout, fine-grain tannins slowly saturate, sneaking up and reminding you of just how young the 2016 really is today. Hints of baker’s chocolate, licorice and a twang of tart blackberry resonate - wow, does it ever end?Vinous Media | 96+ VMBurly tannins put a grip on the black cherry, black currant, plum, earth and tobacco flavors in this dense version, yet it’s also vibrant, building to a lingering finish. All the components are in the right place, so this should come together nicely over time. Best from 2024 through 2045. 2,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites in Castelnuovo dell’Abate and spent three years in French and Slavonian oak of various sizes. It offers very pretty, soft floral aromatics of violet, black raspberry, and sweet baking spice. Structurally, the palate is plush and round on the mid-palate, with soft tannins and generous warmth, but without excessive weight. Enjoy over the next 15 or more years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

Offers forthcoming aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currant, licorice, tobacco and vanilla backed by vivid acidity and dusty tannins, with a long, saline finish. Showing enough fruit and structure to absorb the oakiness over time, this is balanced overall and poised for a promising future. Best from 2026 through 2045. 800 cases made, 350 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WS(Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Red) Rich and deeply alluring, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva wafts up to display crushed ashen stone mixed with hints of ginger, dusty florals and black cherry preserves. This is velvety-smooth and pliant in feel, lifted by cooling herbal and mineral tones, as an opulent wave of ripe red and black fruits washes across the palate, leaving a staining of minerals and spice in its wake. It’s long and structured, in need of further time to come fully into focus, yet somehow the 2016 Riserva remains completely fresh, tapering off to inner earth tones and hints of blueberry. Time will reveal further depths. This is an utterly classic Uccelliera Brunello in the making. (Drink between 2024-2034)Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a terrific wine: bold, well-defined, powerful and balanced. There are many good things to relate, but the high alcohol content (measured at 15.5%) is the only distraction. This is a trend in the Riserva category in the 2016 vintage. The bouquet shows black cherry, cassis, earth, leather and dried roses. The palate offers soft fruit flavors supported by firm oak tannins. Coming back to the bottle 24 hours later, I found impressive integration and smoothness that took away from that alcohol heat. Production is 9,600 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is really polished and refined, yet remains polished and beautiful, with cherries and berries, as well as light hazelnut and walnut undertones. Compact and silky. Drink after 2024, but already so attractive.James Suckling | 95 JS(Uccelliera, Riserva, Riserva, Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Andrea Cortonesi crafts distinctly umami Brunello from various parcels at diverse altitudes and exposures in the warm reaches of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. After trying the sensuous 2015 Riserva at the estate in September 2021, I was excited to taste the 2016 release. It too is voluptuously shaped yet shored up by sturdy, muscular tannins. Pronounced clove and nutmeg meet prune, dried raspberry and tar. And there is a saline beef broth undertow. While it offers plenty to unpack over the years, I actually prefer to drink Uccelliera’s wines when they are still full of vim and vigour. (Drink between 2023-2031)Decanter | 94 DEC

Saturated ruby. Heady aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, vanilla and incense, with smoky mineral and exotic spice accents building in the glass. Seamless in texture and deeply concentrated, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit, floral pastille and mocha flavors that turn sweeter with air. At once plush and lively, finishing extremely long and smoky, with repeating dark berry and floral notes and velvety tannins.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis blend of Barossa Valley (67%) and Eden Valley fruit hails from five parcels averaging 80 years old, the oldest planted in 1854. Intensely concentrated in hue and muscular flavour. Spicy and mineral to the nose and palate, with glimpses of violets. Its iodine and liquorice-edged black cherry and blueberry flavour is succulent, but still in the grip of the sinewy, charry oak, making for an imposing, slightly austere finish. A powerhouse.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThere’s a stronger Barossa Valley expression in 2016 with ripe blackberry and dark-plum flavors delivering a very pure, focused fruit impression. Vibrant fruit purity here. The palate has gently grainy tannins and good weight. Fresh, succulent dark berries and an impressive, deep, driving finish. A blend of Barossa Valley 67% and Eden Valley 33 shiraz from very old vines. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe average age of the vines for this premium Shiraz is 1936, but some date back to 1854. From French and American staves coopered on site, "Octavius" offers an evocative and multifaceted nose with everything from currants, licorice and mocha to cedar, bay leaf and cloves. There’s a lovely woodsy, wintery vibe, and a touch of bottle age, too that softens the ripe fruit but highlights the oak. The palate is powerful and lean at the moment, with elevated acidity and taut, slightly woody tannins. There’s a nice tang to the fruit. It’s hard to predict how this will age but the hope is it’s got another decade left in it at least.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBlackberry, plum and toasted herb notes, including sage and thyme, mingle with earthy details and dense tannins. Impressive for its concentration, suggesting a candidate for the cellar. Drink now through 2040. 1,500 cases made, 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Bougros is often a bit generous and blousy in style for my tastes (or at least for my perceptions of how a proper young grand cru Chablis should present itself!),but the 2017 from William Fèvre has all of the cut, sizzle and reserve I could ever hope for! The bouquet is pure, complex and very classy, offering up scents of pear, lime blossoms, a complex base of chalky minerality and a nice touch of youthful smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, precise and very, very mineral in profile, with a superb core of fruit, great focus and balance, snappy acids and a long, laser-like and nascently complex finish. A truly great example of Bougros. (Drink between 2023 - 2060)John Gilman | 95 JGClear and bright. Ripe but with significant energy, more white fruit than otherwise, amazing density from a tiny yield. The trick with this wine is to accept it for what it is without worrying about the fact that it is not the Côte de Bouguerots. Tasted: May 2018.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2017 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru is a dense, phenolic and powerful wine that captures the tiny yields of the vintage. Lemon confit, pear, white flowers, mint and lightly honeyed notes explode from the glass in a Chablis endowed with tremendous character as well as persistence. This is an especially ample, full-bodied edition of this wine.Vinous Media | 94 VMAromas of crushed stones and oyster shell here with a fresh, lemon and yellow-grapefruit edge. The palate has a very taut and composed feel with really assertive acidity, combined with such juicy and fleshy fruit. The result is long and delicious! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSI was unduly conservative with my assessment of Fèvre’s 2017 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, as this bottle was showing very well indeed, unfurling in the glass with aromas of white flowers, fresh peach, Meyer lemon and crushed chalk. It’s full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with excellent concentration, racy acids and chalky structuring extract, concluding with a precise finish. While this Bougros is still quite demonstrative, it is showing more complexity and tension after another six months in bottle and is well worth seeking out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA cool and ripe nose features notes of pear and apple that possess background nuances of iodine and seashell. There is excellent mid-palate concentration to the big, very rich and concentrated flavors that display a very round and suave mouth feel, all wrapped in a powerful, dry and slightly rustic finale. This muscular and robust effort delivers sneaky good length and while it needs to develop more depth, it has the potential aging curve to do so.Burghound | 93 BHThis alluring white reveals floral, white peach, apple and mineral aromas and flavors. Supple in texture and deftly balanced, with a lingering aftertaste of orchard fruit. Drink now through 2023. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2017 Guiraud is brimming with pineapple, passion fruit, spice and vanillin. Rich, structured and racy, it shows tremendous character as well as personality. Readers should expect a bold, extroverted Sauternes. I loved it. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis is very fruity and layered with botrytis spice and dried-apricot and pear flavors. Full body. Very sweet with tangy acidity. There an almost sweet-and-sour undertone to this. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2021 and onwards.James Suckling | 95 JS94–96. Barrel Sample. Ripe, botrytized fruit currently dominates this wine with its rich concentration. It is a full and liquorous wine that will age for many years. Drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2017 Guiraud opens with subtle notions of crushed rocks, wild fungi and fragrant earth leading to a profound core of orange marmalade, crystalized lemon peel, dried pineapple and paraffin wax. The rich, opulent, wonderfully exotic palate delivers soft acidity and loads of spicy sparks, finishing with great length and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSilky and concentrated, this is one of the successes of the appellation for me. It has lovely zest and zip, with touches of candied ginger and a fresh lift on the finish. It manages to give shade and light more than most in the vintage, but is just a little shorter than in some previous years. Very good quality, reminiscent of the 2009. (Drink between 2020-2032)Decanter | 94 DECMango, peach melba, gingerbread and hazelnut notes are laced with a racy streak of orange peel, giving this unctuous, forward Sauternes good energy through the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2035. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAnother rockstar Sauternes is the 2017 Château Guiraud, which has the freshness and purity of the vintage, yet ample depth and richness. Caramelized limes, citrus, and ample minerality all emerge from this full-bodied, impeccably balanced dessert wine. Its acidity is present yet integrated, and it has a great mid-palate and a big finish, all pointing to this being a beautiful Sauternes with a long life.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JD

The 2017 Ornellaia Bianco is a slightly tweaked blend compared to the 2016 and includes a splash of Viognier. The blend is 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier, which is a combination you don’t see often, yet it makes sense, and the Viognier plays the role of Semillon seen in Bordeaux Blanc releases. Coming from a dry, hot year, it has a beautiful bouquet of Meyer lemons, honeysuckle, flowers, and hints of barrique. This carries to a seamless, full-bodied white that’s flawlessly balanced, has a bright core of acidity, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s one seriously classy white I’d be thrilled to drink any time over the coming 4-5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA really beautiful, layered white with sliced lemons, limes, stones and hints of steel. Some lemon curd. Tight and solid with fine phenolics that give it structure and focus. Extremely poised and dignified. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe previous vintage of this wine was made soley with Sauvignon Blanc, but as expected, the Ornellaia 2017 Ornellaia Bianco sees a small percentage of Viognier added to the blend. The exact percentage of the two components is 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier. If you are a fan of these grape varieties, as I am, this wine will appeal to all your basic pleasure points. Showing medium rich concentration and a creamy textural fiber, it reveals some of the weight that we associated with this hot and dry vintage. However, any trace of over-ripeness is mitigated by the cool soils that, in this case, consist of deep calcarious clay broken up by rocks at a breezy 80 to 100 meters above sea level. This consistency is perfect for locking in moisture even in drought vintages. The wine is fermented in oak, but no malolactic fermentation occurs, and the wine instead rests on the fine lees with frequent stirring. Orchard fruits and Cavaillon melon give the wine a sturdy center of gravity. Some 5,000 bottles were made, and this wine was released in April 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2017 Ornellaia Bianco is impressive, especially within the context of the warm, dry year. Bright and focused, the Bianco shows the natural richness of the vintage - that is impossible to escape - but it also retains quite a bit of energy. Orchard fruit, citrus and floral notes are beautifully delineated throughout. Once again, the Bianco is a wine of real distinction.Vinous Media | 94 VMSubtle peach, passion fruit, elderflower and earth flavors converge in this white. There is a touch of oak adding a vanilla accent. Though lush in texture, this is also intense and long, with an echo of passion fruit and salty elements. Drink now through 2024. 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This has a fresh, floral aroma, with honeysuckle and elderflower notes leading the way, followed by a rather creamy, refined palate of kiwifruit, makrut lime and verbena flavors. As the finish glides through, this offers hints of quinine, acacia and white peach. Shows beautiful range and definition, with serious length. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2026. Wine Spectator | 95 WSFor the third time in its history, this was entirely harvested in August (mainly 23 to 28, but the first berries were picked on August 13 - the earliest date ever). Rich fruit, lovely acidity and salinity on the finish, shot through with honeysuckle and clear citrus. They harvest Y in the same way as Yquem, where it is grape by grape rather than vine by vine, and sometimes grapes from the same bunch goes on to make Yquem later. 3.15pH. Also tasted September 2020; same score.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECWhite pear, honeysuckle, elderflower, quince, rich lemon, with a bitter edge of orange peel. This is starting to deepen at three years old, and show a richer texture than when I last tasted it in November 2020. It’s unquestionably one of the great whites of Bordeaux, although extremely low yields in 2018. Harvest began on August 13, the earliest date ever, with the majority of the whites coming in from August 23 to 28, harvested grape by grape as per the main sweet estate wine - meaning that grapes from the same bunch can later go on to make Yquem. 3.15ph. Jane Anson | 94 JAThe 2014 “Y” has 5 grams per liter of residual sugar and a pale lemon-yellow color. Citrus aromas of lime leaves, fresh grapefruit, and lemon zest shoot from the glass, followed by gentle wafts of crushed stones and coriander seed. The medium to full-bodied palate gives a very dry impression, with a laser-precise line of freshness cutting through the intense, youthful, citrus layers and with a silkiness to the texture, finishing with loads of zesty and mineral sparks. Impressive!The Wine Independent | 94 TWIThe 2018 Y de Yquem is a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon bottled at the end of August. It offers light grass clipping and green apple scents on the nose, the Sauvignon Blanc defining the aromas. The palate is fresh on the entry, light and crisp with touches of pineapple and dried apricot, a hint of grilled walnut towards the finish. This actually improves with aeration, gaining some delightful praline and subtle white chocolate notes.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Showing consistently to last year, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is a rich, powerful white that does everything right. Coming from a single parcel of very old Roussanne and aged in 50% new oak, it offers a stunning bouquet of honeyed pineapple and stone fruits as well as notes white flowers, green almonds, honeycomb, and a kiss of toasted bread. It’s rich yet also fresh, has flawless balance, and a great finish. It’s geared for the dinner table and should evolve for another decade or more. It’s stunning white and one of the finest examples of Roussanne out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDRipe and enticing, featuring creamed melon and yellow apple flavors, laced with nectarine, heather, ginger and warm brioche notes. The long and opulent finish sails through beautifully. A hedonist’s delight. Drink now through 2022. 28 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WSSourced entirely from a single vineyard of limestone soil, this varietal Roussanne offers bold white melon and apple flavors swathed in honey, vanilla cream and spice. Fermented and matured en barrique (50% new), it’s an unctuous, waxy sip etched by lingering woody tones. Flamboyant in its youth, but it should gain elegance through the next decade and beyond.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne is a not-so-subtle dark straw in hue, with obvious toast and honeyed aromas alongside hints of mocha and malt. All barrel-fermented and aged, it’s fleshed out on the full-bodied, velvety-textured palate by flavors of tangerine and pineapple, which show remarkable freshness and verve on the lingering finish. In one of my notes on this wine, I actually wrote the word "long" three times. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP

A much more serious, focused effort, the 2018 Condrieu Clos Boucher has stunning notes of crushed citrus, liquid rock, white peach, spice, and flowers. Just straight-up Condrieu magic, it’s full-bodied and has a lush, opulent texture, beautiful purity, and a great finish. It has more acidity and cut than the Galopine, yet both show the ripe, upfront, plush style of the vintage. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 4-6 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDGreen-hued straw-gold. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe citrus and pit fruits, violet and honey, joined by emerging mineral and ginger flourishes. Juicy and deeply concentrated but energetic as well, offering pear nectar, Meyer lemon and floral flavors that show sharp definition. The mineral and floral notes carry emphatically through the strikingly long, penetrating finish, which leaves a suave floral note behind.Vinous Media | 95 VMWhile the 2018 Condrieu Clos Boucher isn’t the most dramatically perfumed Condrieu, it’s dramatic and opulent, loaded with honeyed apricot, peach and pineapple fruit. Full-bodied and rich, it nonetheless finishes with admirable energy, gingery spice and a lingering, crushed-stone note. Drink it over the next few years. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPRipe and showy, with nectarine, green plum and apricot flavors bouncing off each other, allied to a lush and creamy texture as they move through the anise-tinged finish. Wonderfully exotic.Wine Spectator | 94 WSWhiffs of spring blossoms and freshly laundered linen entice on the nose of this opulent but freshly balanced white. It’s a luscious, enveloping sip that floods the palate in swirls of sweet cream, honey and spice. The finish is a touch sappy in its youth but should meld out over the next decade. Enjoy now for its bold fruit and floral tones, or wait till 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis has a very attractive, fresh and smooth delivery of ripe apricots and peaches with a whiff of gingerbread. The palate has rich, smooth and fluid texture. Suave with plenty of ripe apricots. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JS(Condrieu “Clos Boucher”- Delas Frères) The single vineyard Condrieu bottling of Clos Boucher from Delas hails from a south-facing vineyard that lies adjacent to Château Grillet. The wine is entirely barrel-fermented and only produced by Delas in vintages they deem exceptional. The 2018 Clos Boucher tips the scales also at an even fourteen percent alcohol and offers up a lovely, youthful bouquet of pear, passion fruit, a touch of tangerine, beautiful minerality, almond, acacia blossoms and a quite refined framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with a lovely core, fine soil signature and grip, fairly gentle acids (in the style of the vintage) and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is so well-balanced that it may end up keeping longer in bottle than I anticipate, but it has the fairly moderate acidity of 2018 and will probably drink at its finest in its relative youth. (Drink between 2021-2030)John Gilman | 92 JG

The 2018 Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée, 100% Meunier, is tremendous. A deep core of red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and dried rose petal sweeps across the palate. Still very young, the 2018 is impressive in every way. There is just a touch of reduction that needs time to blow off. There’s a lot of wine here. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2018 vintage of Delphine Boulard’s Rosé de Saignée is an excellent wine. It is made entirely of pinot meunier, with the juice given a half day of skin contact to provide the wine with its lovely, deep salmon color. The vins clairs are barrel-fermented and aged in cask until the June following the harvest and then bottled up for secondary fermentation and aged sur latte for just under five years prior to its disgorgement in March of 2024. Finishing dosage this year was three grams per liter. The wine is beautifully expressive on the nose, offering up scents of rhubarb, cherries, rye bread, chalky soil tones, dried roses, a touch of clove and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, zesty and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, elegant mousse and a long, beautifully balanced and gently vinous finish. This is excellent juice! (Drink between 2025 - 2055)John Gilman | 93 JG

From vines just next to the Coteau Vernon, the Condrieu Les Chaillées de L’Enfer is year-in, year-out one of the top examples from this appellation. The 2018 Condrieu Les Chaillées De L’Enfer reveals a light gold color as well as a gorgeous bouquet of ripe stone fruits, honeyed nectarines, and apricots intermixed with notions of white flowers, white chocolate, and truffly earth. Possessing an incredible sense of salty minerality, medium to full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and a great finish, it strikes a beautiful balance between richness and freshness and stays light on its feet and elegant. I’d drink bottles over the coming 4-6 years, but it will evolve for longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBright and nicely detailed, with a mix of green almond, white peach, honeysuckle and mango notes, backed by a subtle bitter orange thread on the finish. The rich and showy side of this white is balanced by its inner purity. Drink now through 2024. 650 cases made, 35 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSPale straw-yellow. Powerful, mineral-accented orchard and pit fruits on the nose; a suave floral nuance builds as the wine stretches out. Sappy, penetrating and seamless in texture, offering vibrant tangerine, Anjou pear and white peach flavors and a sneaky hint of honeysuckle. Shows excellent focus and emphatic mineral cut on the finish, which lingers with outstanding tenacity.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige Blanc offers a more Burgundian, chiseled, mineral-laced style to go with beautiful notes of caramelized peach, white flowers, crushed stone, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and elegant on the palate, it still packs plenty of oomph and has incredible length on the finish. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA rich, alluring style, with a brioche note leading the way for creamed yellow apple, candied lemon peel, white ginger and quince notes. An accent of acacia honey lines the finish, where the brioche edge takes an encore. Showy and delicious. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Drink now through 2023. 56 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is outrageously flamboyant but hard not to like. There’s great concentration and it’s highly expressive already showing some complexity. It has a nutty macadamia note and a subtle flinty reduction with rich pear fruits that shoot through with oak spice, but it’s the fruit that has the upper hand. It’s very full-bodied but has enough pep and acidity to keep things upright and rolling. A cuvée that can be overly marked by malolactic fermentation, but not this year. Grown on sandy soils, 80% fermented in concrete, 20% in new barriques. It’s matured for 14 months in old barriques, concrete and 20% new barriques. Drinking Window 2019 - 2024.Decanter | 95 DECThe brassy-hued 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Prestige shows ample oak on the nose and palate, allied to ripe, luscious fruit. Predominantly Roussanne, fermented and aged in one-year-old demi-muids, it has developed hints of sweet corn and notes of grilled pineapple during its elevage. Opulent and lush, it’s enormously seductive now, although I suspect it will drink well for at least 4-5 years based on its impressive concentration and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

A fine straw-gold colour with great finesse of bubble flow and mousse. Joyful aromas of apple blossom and ripe pear. A full, defined palate demonstrates richness that will help to give this a long life in the cellar.Decanter | 95 DEC(NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV (2008 Release)) This particular bottle of Brut Réserve had been in my cellar since 2008, and it has aged beautifully and was drinking very well when opened this past spring. The excellent nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, peach, warm bread, a touch of ginger, a lovely base of soil and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with fine mousse, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the wide open, complex and classy finish. This particular release of Brut Réserve had been particularly steely out of the blocks, which is why I tucked some away to see how it evolved with bottle age. Yet again, a pretty strong argument for treating non-vintage Brut bottlings like other fine wines and cellar them for some time before starting to drink them! (Drink between 2014-2025).John Gilman | 92 JGA harmonious Champagne that’s satiny in texture, framing flavors of Asian pear, star fruit, pastry and honey with mouthwatering acidity. Offers a fine and creamy finish. Drink now through 2021.Wine Spectator | 91 WSPlenty of ripe strawberries and wild raspberries on the nose here. Really attractive and vibrant in the mouth with fresh wild strawberries. It also shows a fleshy, fresh-fruit texture. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JSBased on the 2015 vintage and disgorged with nine grams per liter dosage, the latest release of Billecart’s NV Brut Réserve contains fully 55% reserve wines and is showing very well, offering up complex aromas of warm bread, crisp green orchard fruit and citrus oil. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and charming but lively, with an elegantly textural attack, a fleshy core of fruit and lively balancing acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP(40% pinot meunier, 30% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay; L200352): Light, bright gold. Fresh red berries, orange zest and white flowers on the perfumed nose. Juicy and precise, offering energetic redcurrant and blood orange flavors that show good concentration and a supple texture. A mineral nuance adds bite to the finish, with the floral note echoing.Vinous Media | 90 VMThis producer’s nonvintage cuvée showcases a blend of grapes from all the regions of Champagne. Rich with white stone fruit, it balances ripe acidity and a taut texture. This complex wine is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Bollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRestrained and very pretty aromas include those of yeast, Meyer lemon, petrol and green apple where the latter element is picked up by the utterly delicious, vibrant and detailed flavors that possess fine complexity on the agreeably dry but not austere finish. The supporting mousse is dense but fine and overall, this is a wine that could be enjoyed now or held for up to a decade. Excellent. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 93 BHOne of Bollinger’s great assets is a massive stock of reserve wine, including 600,000 magnums held under cork. Gilles Descôtes tends those reserves, working with the blending team to subsume the variations of the current vintage into Bollinger’s Special Cuvée by using a majority of reserve wines in the blend. The result is a rich and harmonious Champagne with deep reserves of flavor. Its substantial, formal structure feels polished, its flavors balancing the cool earthiness of a limestone cave and the sunnier, bright floral notes of fresh cream. Built for food, whether emphasizing the freshness with lobster bisque, or the depth with beef Wellington and chanterelles.Terlato Wines Int’l., Lake Bluff, ILWine & Spirits | 93 W&S Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger’s NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it’s a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s a pleasing, snappy quality to the acidity framing this elegant Champagne, enlivening accessible flavors of currant, Marcona almond and orchard blossom, with a minerally touch of saline-laced oyster shell that lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLots of biscuit aromas and a wide spectrum of fresh-citrus, candied-citrus, red-apple and red-berry notes. Mouth-filling creaminess, plus quite an imposing presence and powerful structure for an NV Brut. Long, citrus and chalky finish that’s very clean and properly dry. 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier. Almost 20% barrel fermented and 62% reserve wines. Based on the 2017 vintage and disgorged July 2021. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSDominated, as always, by Pinot Noir and with wood fermentation and aging, this Champagne has a great poise between freshness and richness. It is intense and ripe, with apple and minerality coming together. The bottling is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE (60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L1403801): Pale yellow. Toasty aromas of apple and pear nectar are complemented by hints of toffee, honey and orange zest. Full and expansive on the palate, offering ripe orchard and pit fruit flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerals and buttered toast. Smooth and gently spicy on the clinging, nicely focusd finish.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG(NV Bollinger “Special Cuvée” Brut NV (Aÿ)) The current release of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” is composed of its customary blend of sixty percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot meunier. It was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter and offers up is classic pinot-shaded bouquet of white peach, apple, bread dough, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core of fruit, a good spine of acidity, elegant mousse and a long, well-balanced and classy finish. This is still a young wine and I would tuck it away in the cellar for at least a few years and let its acids relax a bit and its secondary layers of complexity emerge. (Drink between 2020-2040).John Gilman | 91+ JGNotes of flowery beeswax, white fruit, and quince on the nose. The palate has a flinty austerity with Braeburn, white pepper and subtle spice followed by yeasty richness and brisk finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025.Decanter | 90 DEC