A restrained and intensely floral-suffused nose is reticent to the point of being brooding and only grudgingly provides glimpses of fresh dark berries and spice whiffs. The precise, highly energetic and super-fine middleweight... Read More

It is a blend of our different terroirs (flint, clays and limestones). The wine is rich and fruity. A perfect balance of our terroirs with the minerality of the flint, the finesse of the caillottes and the fatness of the clay-limestone... Read More

The 2018 Brut Vintage is absolutely delicious, just as it was last year. Floral and citrus notes give the 2018 lovely aromatic lift to play off its mid-weight personality. This is a classy, polished Vintage Champagne marked by... Read More

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec and 1% Merlot and was matured for 18 months in 55% new French oak. It unfurls dramatically on the nose, red and black cherry preserves giving way to lilac,... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Riserva Cerretta Vigna Bricco is a heady, explosive wine. Dark cherry, incense, graphite, leather and scorched earth give the Cerretta its decidedly somber personality. Huge tannins wrap it all together. Readers... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Arborina is one of the most elegant wines readers will find from this site, a vineyard where the tannins tend to be a bit piercing in their linearity. Instead, the 2021 is a wine of total harmony. Orange peel,... Read More

The 2020 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Monti Garbi is wickedly spice and intense, opening with a whiff of crushed ashen stone and smokey black cherries. Its textures are silky and pure, with a savory mix of sour wild berries... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Cannubi is a pretty potent wine. Then again, Altare's Cannubi emerges from a purely south-facing section of the vineyard. Dark cherry/plum fruit, cloves, licorice, new leather and incense are dialed up. This... Read More

Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown

A deep, opaque ruby-violet in the glass, it’s immediately aromatic, with notes of dark fruit, dried rose, pie crust, and oak. It’s powerful yet decadent, with tightly knit tannins that... Read More

Crocker and Starr's 2021 A.V.A. Napa Valley Blend of Cabernet Franc is an assemblage of 54% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Malbec, all from St. Helena. Marked by scents of mocha, deep loamy notes, black cherries... Read More

The 2023 Pinot Noir Fox Creek Vineyard is a bold, potent wine. Macerated cherry, spice, orange peel, sage, cedar, new leather and earthy notes fill out the layers. This sturdy yet mid-weight Pinot has a ton of character, even... Read More

Here's a charming wine from Le Ragnaie. The 2021 Rosso di Montalcino is released one year later than its peers after spending two years in Slavonian botte and extra time in cement. That extra year translates into seamless... Read More

The 2021 Fellom Ranch is a rich, demonstrative wine. Sage, lavender, bay leaf, black cherry and dried herbs abound. Firm, substantial tannins will need time to settle down. Tiny juice yields and thick skins produced an especially... Read More

The 2022 Quartet Red Wine blends 71% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville with 16% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Syrah, all from Carneros. With only 19% new French oak, it's barely noticeable on the complex nose, which offers... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is bright and effusive, with a gorgeous presence and tons of sheer class. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mocha infuse the 2021 with notable depth. This fleshy, expressive... Read More

A towering, statuesque wine, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is every bit as impressive as it has been on past tastings. In the glass, the 2016 is powerful, dense and explosive, with tremendous energy and sheer power. The dark,... Read More

This Big Pour wine from our 2021 vintage is crafted mainly from blocks 1A, 1B, and 3 on our property. Our organically grown Cabernet Sauvignon from the Kelly Fleming estate is complemented by just a hint of Malbec from the estate.... Read More

Ripe melon, brioche, acacia flowers, and chalky mineral notes all emerge from the 2021 Chardonnay Mount Carmel Vineyard, a quintessential Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that has a pure, layered, medium-bodied profile, high yet balanced... Read More

The 2019 Proprietary Red Mekerra is another gorgeous wine from Philippe and Cherie Melka. Deep, rich and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous depth and tons of character that comes to the fore with time in the glass. Cherry,... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Métisse Jumping Goat Vineyard emerges from a site on the other side of St. Helena, closer to Spottswoode and Madrona Ranch. It offers up generous red berry fruit intermingled with strong savory,... Read More

The 2019 Chester-Kidder is exotic and earthy in style, with ashen stones, graphite, black currants and hints of rosemary forming its bouquet. This is silky and sleek, with racy acidity propelling its mineral-tinged red and black... Read More

The 2020 Merlot Pedestal Vintage Select is brooding with a hauntingly dark, backward bouquet of dried blueberries, sage, cedary spice and gravel dust. It sweeps across the palate with grace, silken yet poised, with mineral-inflected... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather is lifted and perfumed with a cascade of red berries, dusty rose and lavender pastille. This is pure elegance, silken, polished and nearly creamy in feel, with fresh acidity and complicating... Read More

This blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (note that rarely is any Merlot utilized at the historic Napanook Estate in Yountville). The alcohol, by California standards, is a relatively modest... Read More

Saturated black-purple in colour. Another brooding, quiescent scent: still more forest and hillside, and floral notes, too, with rummaged earth behind. On the palate, it’s swiftly evident that this is a wine of singular... Read More

Complex and sophisticated with seamless layers of ripe and dried cherries, truffles, caramel, dried flowers, nutmeg, chocolate orange and cassis. It’s full-bodied, layered and polished, with firm tannins that are well integrated.... Read More

This wine represents a blend of fruit from various sites, and 15,000 bottles were created. Showing a classical profile, the E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2021 Barolo Via Nuova delivers a firm sense of inner fiber and richness... Read More

With a slightly deeper jeweled ruby hue, the 2021 Barolo Mosconi is more contemplative, offering layered notes of cedar, cherry cordial, Asian spices, sweet herbs, and pressed flowers. It reveals broader polished depth on the... Read More

The very deep purple-black colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec and 1% Merlot. It opens with vibrant fresh blackberry, cassis and redcurrant jelly scents with wafts of... Read More

TASTING NOTES: The 2019 “Padrone” Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect example of finesse and power. It displays the sublime terroir of the estate vineyards with textural richness and elegance. Copious dark fruit, crème... Read More

A fascinating wine showing flower stems, orange peel and bark with some dried mushrooms. The structure and length are exceptional with a medium to full body and tight, focused tannins. Ends with a persistent, polished and refined... Read More

Even after an extra year in barrels, Salvestrin's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon 3D Dr. Crane Vineyard doesn't come across as overly oaky, instead offering up scents of loamy earth, mocha, black cherries and allspice. It's... Read More

The 2013 Extra Brut Les Empreintes is a wine of extraordinary beauty. Vivid and precise, the 2013 is just so expressive today. The blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir works beautifully here. Like so many of the wines in this tasting,... Read More

The 2022 Flor, Jonata's blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon, is rich and expansive in the glass. Citrus peel, chamomile, dried flowers and spice reveal themselves with a bit of time in the glass. Saline notes... Read More

The 2018 Ingenuity is a blend of 36% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre and 12% Grenache, aged 19 months in 52% new French oak. Opaque in color, it explodes with gregarious blackberry and black cherry jam underpinned... Read More

Brooding and balsamic, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a dark stallion of a wine with a bouquet to meditate to, wafting up exotic spices, flint, incense, dried roses, black cherries and hints of ashen... Read More

Immediately on the nose you get the rich structure of the fruit, rippling with texture and life. It has just the right amount of drama, offering a tight and well-focussed delivery. This is beautiful, showing great underlying freshness... 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 2016 Latour is a vintage that I have tasted a couple of times post-bottling. On one occasion, it warranted a perfect score, but that was then moot since this vintage had not been released. Now that it is due to hit the shelves... 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 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

The 2021 Barbaresco Rio Sordo is the most finessed of the wines in this range. Everything here speaks to nuance. Gentle floral and spice overtones meld into a core of dark-toned Nebbiolo fruit. This gracious, decrepitly understated... Read More

The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Pajana (with 5,000 bottles made) shows great balance between dark fruit and integrated spice from increasingly hands-off oak aging. The results are impeccably smooth, and the fruit remains... 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

Beautiful transparency here with fresh flowers, green tobacco, pine needles, crushed stones and sandalwood. Dark fruits in the center. Full-bodied with a wonderful balance of fruit and fine tannins as well as mineral, fresh bark... 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

The Le Chiuse 2020 Brunello di Montalcino (made with organic fruit) is a wine that prizes transparency and tension with cassis, Rainier cherry and raspberry coulis. I really love the bold fruit intensity that shines in this wine.... 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

Here the nose is similar to that of the Bourgogne. The palate impression is rich, dense and powerful, and particularly so in the context of what is typical for the appellation, before concluding in a markedly dry and youthfully... 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

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

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

The 2019 Blanc de Noirs Les Barres continues to go from strength to strength and comes dangerously close to becoming the first Pinot Meunier ever awarded 100 points by The Wine Advocate. Long underappreciated, Pinot Meunier finds... 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 crystalline white from the alpine slopes of Savoie, made entirely from the rare Gringet grape—found only in the tiny village of Ayze. “La Bergerie” delivers bright citrus, alpine herbs, white flowers, and a... 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