Bailly noted that this had been bottled 3 days before I tasted it and not surprisingly, there was a background hint of sulfur on the more obviously Chablis-like nose of Granny Smith apples, lemon rind and tidal pool nuances. There... Read More

Tasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating... Read More

This property, which has benefitted enormously from tremendous investments from the Rothschild family that owns Lafite, has turned out a dense purple-colored wine in 2005. Offering broad, expansive, supple and silky tannin as... Read More

The 2006 Léoville Las Cases is muscular and uncompromising, unwinding to reveal aromas of dark berries, cassis, burning embers, espresso roast, exotic spices, loamy soil and toasty oak. Full-bodied, rich and extracted,... Read More

The 2005 Pichon Baron is in a gorgeous spot right now. Aromatically expressive and open, the 2005 is so expressive. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried flowers, mocha and sweet red cherry fruit all meld together in a creamy,... Read More

This is a blend of two native Piedmont grapes, and fruit comes from Ginestra (Vigna Sopra in Ciabot Mentin). The Domenico Clerico 2022 Langhe Arte is Barbera and Nebbiolo, and in this vintage, each grape represents 50% of the... Read More

The younger wine here is the 2020 Viña Alberdi, a versatile version of the Haro reds. It was produced with Tempranillo fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for two years (it's sold as Reserva... Read More

The 2022 Bianco Sivi, Radikon’s 100% Pinot Grigio that spends eight to ten days macerating on the skins, is a vivid, dark, pink color with violet hues. This is wonderfully fresh and floral with a spicy bouquet that blends... Read More

The 2022 Rosso RS lifts from the glass with a vivid blend of crushed black cherries and blackberries complicated by cedar shavings and sage. This is energetic and racy in style, with depths of tart wild berry fruits energized... Read More

It's impossible not to be excited by this wine. Showing more structure and grit compared to the others in this portfolio, the Cascina delle Rose 2021 Barbaresco Rio Sordo boasts etched mineral notes that recall pencil shavings... Read More

$120

Release Price:

Drink Date:
2026 - 2048

This wine stands out for its elegance and ephemeral personality. The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Bussia Bricotto has a pretty fruit profile with cherry cola, dried strawberry and a... Read More

The 2020 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj offers a bright and elegant fruit profile with tart fruit, blackcurrant, spice, cola, licorice and candied orange peel. It feels ironed out and smooth, folding softly over the palate initially yet... Read More

The 2016 Viña Arana Gran Reserva is an elegant blend of Tempranillo with 5% Graciano matured in used American oak barrels for three years. During this time, the wine was manually racked from barrel to barrel, with the help... Read More

he 2023 Albariño Lagar de Cervera was sourced from Rosal and Salnés. It offers enticing aromas of pear, green apple, rose, orange blossom and white peach. Smooth and expansive on the palate, the 2023 boasts fine... Read More

Wickedly fresh, the 2021 Syrah En Cerise Vineyard opens with a dark mix of wilted violets, ashen stones, rubbed sage and musky currants. It's juicy and round with masses of black cherry fruits underscored by saline minerals... Read More

The 2022 Rosso di Montalcino is remarkably pretty. Rosy and floral, this impresses further with its ripe cherry-berry fruits and dusty earth tones. It's silky-smooth and ripe in style, with juicy acidity and a cascade of violet... Read More

Full of details of prunes, stony salinity, earthy notes and forest floor, tannins firm and slightly sticky on the gums, but with crisp acidity. It's almost austere on the finish, but dynamic and balanced nonetheless, leaving... Read More

A tasting of the different lieux-dits showed how the different soil types reacted to the drought. Granite-based parcels (Ermite Les Bessards) suffered blockages in ripening and finished at 13% alcohol; the clay-based terroirs... Read More

While based in Monforte d'Alba, the Fenocchio family has owned a small 0.5ha slice in Cannubi Boschis for over 50 years and it has been bottled separately since 1980. Striking scents are redolent of rhubarb compote, cherry... Read More

Dark aromas of graphite, potpourri, smoke, bergamot and dried cherries. Firm tannins on the palate, with a full body, a dusty texture, refreshing acidity and a powerful finish. Extracted, meaty, concentrated and balanced for the... Read More

Rich black cherry and strawberry fruit, with impressive density and palate weight. The balance is good, with fur-coat tannins and admirable freshness. Yet again, this vintage turns out a wine seemingly far too good for the climatic... Read More

The 2020 Rosso di Montalcino is simply stunning, lifting from the glass with vivid raspberry and cherry notes complemented by sweet rose, clove and cedar. This model of purity is silky and refined, with a dusty feel to its ripe... Read More

The 2022 Bianco Slatnik is wild with an exotic bouquet of incense and dried flowers, tangerine and hints of fresh mint. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness that gives way to tropical melon and citrus tones, all guided by... Read More

In 2021, Janasse didn't bottle a Les Garrigues, so that fruit went into the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Villages Terre d'Argile. There's no doubt it improved the quality of this wine, a blend of approximately one-third each... Read More

Once again the nose is completely reduced and about all that can be said is that the underlying fruit appears to be quite ripe. On the palate there is good freshness and vivacity as the succulent and rounded middle weight plus... Read More

A fleshy, textured chardonnay with aromas of apricots, honeysuckle, nutmeg, toast and persimmons. It’s medium- to full-bodied with bright acidity. Balanced, layered and very drinkable. Hints of flint at the end. Drink now.... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate is deep, rich and explosive. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, menthol, spice and rose petals are all amplified in this dramatic Sonoma Coast Pinot. The complexity and intensity here... Read More

The 2021 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore is a serious, serious wine that needs time in the cellar to be at its best. It shows the lighter style of Nebbiolo from Roero, but with all the elements dialed up. I especially admire its... Read More

Intense oyster-shell and candied-lemon aromas pull you into this very elegant champagne, which is so precise on the sleek and focused palate with a finish of crystalline purity and brightness. Still really youthful, thanks to... Read More

Disgorged with nine grams per liter dosage in 2021, the 2012 Brut Rose is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay sourced from 11 villages. Nine percent red wine from Les Ryceys has been added. Offering up aromas of blueberry,... Read More

An astonishing bouquet presenting notes of petroleum and flint that mingle with scents of pastry and both dried apricot and apricot jam. Complexity and generosity stand out on the palate, with that exemplary creamy and mellow... Read More

The Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2020 Barolo Ludo shows classic Nebbiolo aromas of roses and tar that are fleshed out in this case by redcurrant and cranberry. The fruit is bright and lively, not overripe, as we see in many other wines... Read More

This is a wonderfully complex white that has layers of almonds, slate, lemons, lychees, cedar, nutmeg and apricots. Full-bodied yet fresh, with long and continuous flavor intensity, flinty and spicy, showing elegance and persistence.... Read More

This is at a different level, with blackcurrants, blueberries and Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary and sage. Also tobacco and coffee bean. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a persistent finish. Sophisticated and thought-provoking.... Read More

The 2020 Barolo Cannubi is a young, promising wine. It shows terrific depth in the understated style of the year. Crushed flowers, cedar, tobacco, licorice and dried herbs fill out the layers effortlessly. Pliant and expressive,... Read More

They shortened the élevage of the white 2021 Pedra de Guix to 11 months, and they also stopped using the 1,800-liter foudre, where the wine partially aged in the past, and now it's matured in concrete vats (diamond-shaped... Read More

Bright jeweled ruby in color, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is flush with pure aromas of candied flowers, cherry lozenge, pine needles, and blood orange. Medium-framed, it's ripe and pure on the palate, with refreshing energy,... Read More

The Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2019 Barolo Bussia opens to a fragrant bouquet with wild rose and lilac. Those pretty high-toned aromas are followed by redcurrant and earthy licorice. Bussia is a very large MGA site, and there are dozens... Read More

This is the first wine to display any appreciable reduction and here it's enough to mask all but a touch of floral character. By contrast, there is terrific verve and freshness to the highly seductive, even plush, medium weight... Read More

While the 2022 Château Lynch Bages Blanc had been bottled just prior to my visit, it wasn't showing any worse for wear and has a terrific perfume of honeyed lime, white flowers, citrus, and chalky minerality. Based on... Read More

Tight and firm, this needs time to open and soften but there is no doubting the quality of the ingredients. Young St-Émilion can be tough to taste in great vintages, as they often present an unrelenting wall of fruit, but... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with crème de cassis and plum preserves notions, plus... Read More

Blended from the estate's Leopoldina (61%) and Fortuna (39%) vineyards, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Reserve represents a solid value. Marked by scents of cassis, black cherries and loamy earth, with a hint of smoked... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawn from the Fortuna (66%) and Leopoldina (34%) vineyards. A best-barrel selection, it offers up classic Oakville scents of black cherries and loamy earth,... Read More

Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed.... Read More

$130

Release Price:

Drink Date:
2025 - 2035

The 2022 Finca Dofí was produced with 88% Garnacha, 9% Cariñena, 2% Picapoll and 1% white grapes from a 12.5-hectare slope planted 18 to 38 years ago. It fermented with... Read More

The nose of the 2022 Flor de Pingus has a peachy note (peche de vigne!). It's perfumed, elegant, more fruit-driven, tender, delicate and ripe without excess (but possibly the ripest of the 2022s, perhaps the influence of the... Read More

The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone,... Read More

The 2019 San Vicente was produced with Tempranillo Peludo, a special strain of Tempranillo planted from a massale selection in 1985 in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Like all their reds (except the carbonic maceration... Read More

From the winery's estate vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, all aged 22 months in 59% new French oak. Scents of... Read More

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, all aged in new French oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill appears destined to be another classic. Penetrating aromas of cassis and red berries are joined by hints... Read More

$275

Release Price:

Drink Date:
2025 - 2045

With a much higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%, with 9% Cabernet Franc), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is less floral than the Maya but more obviously fruity and up front.... Read More

Simply a wonderful wine, the 2021 Maya oozes class, with deep, complex aromas of violets and cassis, earthy loam and hints of tobacco and mint. It's just medium to full-bodied, cool, silky and finessed. Supremely elegant but... Read More

Again my favorite of the single vineyards from La Pelle, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Vineyard features deep black cherries, moving toward cassis, with some distinct sage notes. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, there's... Read More

An exceptionally pretty and overtly floral-suffused nose freely reveals its aromas of acacia blossom, lemon-lime, crushed anise and a hint of exotic tea character. There is noticeably better volume to the medium-bodied flavors... Read More

From a vineyard just up the hill from Joseph Phelps, farmed by Jim Barbour and made by Jean Hoefliger, Denali's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a great wine, showing wonderful purity of cherry fruit, despite being matured in 100%... Read More

The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin shows really great balance in terms of the oak integration. For the first time, the estate has decided to use large oak casks (removing the barrique entirely), and the results... Read More

Another masterpiece from the talents of Celia Welch, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes from a site on Howell Mountain and spent 20 months in new French oak. It's a full-bodied, concentrated, powerful Mountain... Read More

François de Nicolay succinctly described the 2022 growing season as hot and dry but with no disease pressure to speak of, which always makes things easier to manage. However, fruit maturities spiked at the end and it was... Read More

The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Mont is precise, upright and flinty. It's less immediately charming than the styles we've seen in recent warmer vintages, but it was only tasted three weeks after bottling—this is one to revisit.... Read More

Dark and brooding, the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia slowly blossoms in the glass with a dramatic mix of steeped plums, cinnamon sticks, grilled herbs and sweet lavender. This is a model of purity, lifted and refined... Read More

A burst of black cherries and cloves gives way to shavings of cedar and lifting hints of mentholated herbs as the dynamic 2020 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life in the glass. This is soothingly round and pliant with an inner... Read More

The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is dreamy, with a darkly floral bouquet that blends dried rose and violet with hints of sour cherry, blackberry and Tuscan dust. This is silky-smooth and round in feel, with fresh... Read More

Very pretty liqueur-like aromas include those of various red berries and soft spice and earth elements. The delicious middleweight flavors possess a succulent mouthfeel while exhibiting solid depth and persistence on the lightly... Read More

I remember tasting Costanti’s 2019 Rosso di Montalcino in 2021 and thinking how Brunello-esque it was: the sturdy structure was almost uncharacteristic, yet it certainly boded well for the Brunello. Simply gloriously sculpted,... Read More

A more classic nose freely reveals its aromas of white flowers, apple, pear, citrus and soft spice hints. Here too the medium weight flavors are decidedly rich but with better vibrancy partially thanks to the even more prominent... Read More

From the estate vineyard on Diamond Mountain, the 2021 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid effort, kicking off with subtle herbal shadings. Those are followed up by ripe red and black cherries and hints of licorice and dark... Read More

Quinta de Muradella’s Muradella Tinto is crafted from a single vineyard planted between 1999 and 2000 using heirloom cuttings. This distinctive blend includes Mencía, Zamarrica, Bastardo, Caíño Redondo,... Read More

The 2021 Alanda Blanco is a village wine from Monterrei, a blend of Dona Blanca, Treixadura and Verdello that reflects the diversity of soils, altitudes and expositions. The varieties fermented together, being added to the vat... Read More

$28

Release Price:

Drink Date:
2024 - 2029

The 2023 Zarate is the flagship Albariño that shows the character of the year, with more moderate ripeness, 12.5% alcohol and a balanced and elegant profile. It's clean, floral... Read More

A more floral-suffused nose reflects notes of white pepper and a vague suggestion of the exotic while offering an array of classic Chablis elements. The rich, generous and beautifully textured medium weight flavors flash evident... Read More

The Castello di Monsanto 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Il Poggio (with the San Donato in Poggio location listed on the front label) offers a twofold approach with plenty of fresh cherry fruit and blueberry on the... Read More

The Drouhin estate's flagship Pinot Noir is a barrel selection comprised of fruit from their Dundee Hills estate. Perfectly perfumed with classic Willamette Valley berries, forest floor and notes of singed rose petals and... Read More