The 2019 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is a wine of pure and total sensuality, as the best vintages are here. Ripe, silky tannins frame a core of red-toned Rocche fruit. Floral and citrus inflections emerge later to... Read More

A dusting of cedary spice, dried roses, cloves and red currants wafts up from the darkly alluring 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Ciliegio. This is profoundly textural and bassy, with a core of mineral-laden red berry fruit and orange... Read More

Moody and intense, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva opens in the glass with an earthy bouquet that blends medicinal cherries with cedar shavings and confectionary rose. It's silken and pliant with a polished wave of... Read More

A wonderfully fresh cascade of dried strawberries, cherries, rose petals and sweet spices make the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Diecianni a total pleasure to the senses. This is round and soft-textured with depths of juicy... Read More

The aromas of raspberries, plums and violets are very enticing. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a creamy and refined texture that is long and beautiful. A blend of merlot parcels. Juicy and delicious. Drink now.

So perfumed with violets and lavender with some currants. Medium- to full-bodied with polish and finesse. Racy and fine. Finesse with drive. Very elegant and straightforward with a racy texture. Very long and lightly edgy. 92%... Read More

The just-bottled 2023 Quiñón de Valmira was hitting it on all cylinders the morning I tasted it. It was exuberant, aromatic, floral, extroverted and really singing, with incredible harmony for a wine that had been... Read More

More closed, yet still loaded with potential, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Reserve offers a tight, reserved bouquet of cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with ample spice box, mineral, and meaty notes developing... Read More

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Réserve (60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre) is deeper ruby-hued and boasts a gorgeous nose of ripe black raspberries, smoked garrigue, spring flowers, and graphite. It plays in... Read More

This is one of only a handful of wines made on the Tuscan Coast that has managed to interpret the vintage in such an excellent manner. The Fattoria le Pupille 2022 Saffredi (a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5%... Read More

Showing a lifted note of cherry cough drop or vapor rub, the Salicutti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino starts on a high note but then slides smoothly into aromas of purple fruit and wild blackcurrant. Those initial balsamic notes... Read More

Deeply brooding, refined aromas of blackcurrants, bitter chocolate, blood plums, dark cherries, cedar and coffee beans. The palate is full-bodied with firmly framed tannins and bright acidity that lead into a structured yet silky-smooth... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tanbark Hill Vineyard is one of the most potent vintages of this wine I can remember tasting. Dense and textured, the 2021 shows ample dark fruit and complex earthy/savory undertones that add balance.... Read More

Philip Togni's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is another impressive effort from this 10-acre vineyard high on Spring Mountain. It's medium- to full-bodied, weighing in at just 13.8% alcohol, but delivers masses of ripe... Read More

I was able to taste the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino three times for this report, and it’s one of the great wines of the vintage. It takes on a bit more muscular style for the Poggio di Sotto estate, but it retains the DNA... Read More

Wow. The ripe yet fresh aromas are so alluring and compelling, showing plums, cedar, rose petals and hints of leather. Full-bodied yet framed and tensioned with fantastic length and intensity. Polished tannins are powerful but... Read More

No Renaissance was produced in this vintage. Reminding me of the 2017, the 2022 Cornas reveals gorgeous red and black fruits, violets, bouquet garni, and gamey, iron-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine... Read More

The 2019 Barolo Sperss is rich with dark mineral earth, black cherry, and Earl Grey tea. Long and mouthwatering, it has a powerful structure while retaining finesse. It is fantastically balanced, with gripping tannins, fresh acidity,... Read More

One of three separate cru bottlings, Poggio al Granchio hails from Montalcino’s southeastern flank. The steep site sits on schisty Galestro soil and is surrounded by holm oak trees. Powerfully fragrant, the 2020 expands... Read More

Blended with 10% Petit Verdot for complexity, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon showcases exceptional sites across the Valley, including fruit from Stags Leap and Diamond Mountain, in addition to other heritage vineyard sources.... Read More

The 2023 Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard displays a deep, jeweled ruby/magenta hue and has a more introspective profile. Notes of leather, sanguine, iron-rich earth, and cherry liqueur unfold from the glass. While it carries... Read More

A delicious, layered, chocolate- and cherry-scented wine that entices you from the first sniff and pulls you through a rich palate and a lingering finish. So luscious, balanced, vivid and deep, showing the silky tannins and cool... Read More

Subtle and complex with blackberries, violets, lilacs, roses and hints of ink. So floral, yet subtle on the nose. Full-bodied with incredible polish and beauty, the silky tannins running the length of the wine and going on and... Read More

Also from Yamhill-Carlton, the 2022 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard pours a shade deeper ruby color and is smoky and spiced with ripe cherries, incense, nutmeg, and toasted pine. It saturates the palate with a medium-bodied frame, ripe... Read More

A firm and beautiful Barolo with dark strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and stone. Medium body. Fine and chewy tannins that show tension and give focus. A little chewy but it has great energy. Best after 2028.

Composed of 40% Merlot and 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Howell Mountain Hillside Blend is a barrel sample with a deep garnet-purple color. A little closed to begin, it soon unfurls to offer glimpses of blackcurrant cordial,... Read More

Their single-vineyard 2022 Clos Mogador, they flagship wine, was produced with a blend of grapes, mostly Garnacha and Cariñena but also some Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon (less and less, as they are regrafting most of them).... Read More

The 2020 Cepparello is a total stunner, just as it was last year. Deeply colored, layered and explosive in the glass, the 2020 possesses striking textural richness and overall intensity. Black cherry, graphite, plum, spice and... Read More

The wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine's verticality, as if it's... Read More

Released in numbered bottles (which could explain the high price tag), the Michele Satta 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Marianova is a blend of equal parts Syrah and Sangiovese (aged in barrique and amphorae). It delivers medium-plus... Read More

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Bacia is deep and complex, mixing black cherries with cedar box, autumnal spice, mentholated herbs and a dusting of cocoa. This speaks in bass tones, with dark, saturating red fruit and minerals... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reliquus comes from a blend of Grace Family and Cornelius Grove and is intended to be a more accessible expression from this team. It’s a stunning wine that brings beautiful depth and richness... Read More

An incredibly impressive wine in 2022 shaping up to be the wine of the vintage not only as it seems to defy the hot and dry conditions in every way but delivers such confidence and charm it makes it hard to resist. Gorgeous aromatic... Read More

Looking at the reds, the 2020 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion is flat-out stunning and unquestionably a great wine in its own right. Cassis, black raspberries, tobacco, and sandalwood are just some of its nuances, and it's... Read More

The 2020 Barolo Bric Del Fiasc is jeweled red in color and has a great nose of cherry liqueur, violets, lavender, a touch of blueberry, sweet herbs, sweet earth, and balsamic, but it’s pure and fresh. Medium to full-bodied,... Read More

The 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino was bottled in 2023 and is going to be released in May or June of 2025. Taking on a bit more pigment in this vintage and pouring a ruby/red color, it opens to aromas of darker berries, ripe black cherries,... Read More

With high expectations that this will be classified at the next round in 2022, and the new winery by Sir Norman Foster nearly completed, it's fair to say that this is a good moment for Le Dôme. The high Cabernet Franc... Read More

Bottled in late-March 2024, Biondi Santi’s latest Brunello is built solidly on classic lines. Captivatingly austere, it hints at pomegranate and tea leaf to begin, with balsamic rosemary and sage blossom taking hold as it... Read More

Tasting note: Perfumed and very pretty aromas of red and dark cherry, violet and crushed anise lead to beautifully textured and attractively vibrant middleweight flavors that also exude a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere... 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

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

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

An exquisite mix of elegant aromas dominates the nose, with notes of Parma violets, orange peel, Earl Grey tea, dried cherries, smoky woodland and earthy minerality. Full-bodied, it shows significant tannins, but it’s velvety,... 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

It's always interesting to compare wines from the different vineyards, and the 2022 Dits del Terra is unusually floral and silky. The Cariñena vines planted 60 years ago at 300 meters above sea level are south-facing,... 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 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

The 2022 Arbossar comes from the north-facing vineyard planted in 1910 that names the wine, a 1.6-hectare steep plot, one of the oldest in the region, at 400 meters above sea level on slate and granite soils. The full clusters... Read More

The 2019 Les Forts de Latour appears to have tightened up a little since I last tasted it a few years ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet cassis fruit mingled with hints of cedar, iris, orange zest and new oak, it's... 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

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

The flagship is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Réserve and it’s an even split of Grenache and Mourvèdre that was all destemmed and was brought up mostly in demi-muids (there was a small part in larger,... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lava Black is a potent, explosive wine. Rocky soils yield a potent, intensely mineral-drenched Cabernet Sauvignon. Crushed rocks, graphite, chocolate, lavender, incense and crème de cassis all... Read More

2020 was drier than average until the harvest, when it rained and diluted the grapes, and they had to wait to regain concentration. The result is that the 2020 Alión is a wine with better balance and freshness. They felt... 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

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 part of full clusters in oak vats with indigenous... 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

Tasting note: There is a whiff of spice sitting atop the ripe aromas of black raspberry coulis, violet and earth. The caressing middleweight plus flavors manage to be at once succulent yet powerful before culminating in an equally... 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

Moving to the 2021 releases, the 2021 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard is slightly deeper ruby-hued and has a gorgeous perfume of ripe red and black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, white pepper, and obvious minerality. It’s... Read More

The 2020 Gazin is a wine of total precision and class. Vibrant, with tremendous nuance, the 2020 is so impressive. Dark red cherry, iron, tobacco, white pepper and crushed flowers abound. The 2020 is a standout Gazin.

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

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 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

The 2020 L'Apparita will soon take its place among the great Apparitas. Unctuous and layered in the glass, the 2020 possesses exceptional balance and tons of character right out of the gate. Exotic scents of blackberry jam,... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label (Coombsville) is a blend from Caldwell, Bennett and [Caprignan]. A bold, dramatic wine, the Coombsville Cabernet packs a ton of punch. Blackberry, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice all... 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

The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from vines aged between 80 and 100 years. The 2021 Vieilles Vignes wafts from the glass with expressive aromas of redcurrant, red and black cherry, raspberry, strawberry,... Read More

he 2019 Finca el Bosque is another single vineyard and comes from a site on a deep, gravelly escarpment overlooking the Ebro River. It offers more ripe blue fruits and cassis as well as sappy herbs, flowers, violets, graphite,... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Incubo is brilliant juice, offering a deep purple hue as well as a killer bouquet of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, spring flowers, and damp earth/underbrush-like nuances. I love its complexity... Read More

A step up, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service is 100% Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon raised in barrel. Lots of red and blue fruits, Christmas spice, dried flowers, and sandalwood all define the... Read More

One of the stars here, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon The Warrior is awesome juice. Exhibiting a dense purple hue as well as killer notes of black cherries, currants, iron, and cocoa, it's rich and full-bodied, with a broad,... Read More

Supremely fragrant in the glass, the 2022 Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard is highly expressive in rose, lavender, and dried herb, with a supple mid-palate and impressive length. The fruit is citrus-bright with enduring freshness... Read More

Tar and blackberry. Wet earth. Chocolate, too. Full body. Juicy and rich fruit on the finish. Toasty and flavorful. Savory and delicious.

The 2015 Falcoeira A Capilla had a strong balsamic streak. This is the first vintage fermented in open oak vat and matured in foudre, and it might have changed its personality a bit. This is from a south-facing vineyard, the earliest... Read More

Coming to market this fall, the Bartolo Mascarello 2019 Barolo represents a classic vintage in between two challenging growing seasons. Both 2018 and 2020 were hotter than 2019, resulting in higher alcohol levels. With fruit harvested... Read More

One of the standouts in the vintage is the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape, a ripe, round, medium to full-bodied 2021 offering a beautiful array of black cherry and darker berry fruits, ample Provençal spice, and dried flower... Read More

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... Read More

The 2021 Opus One is brilliant and I think one of the finest wines made from this estate. Deep ruby/purple-hued, with a gorgeous perfume of cassis, darker raspberries, spicy oak, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with... Read More

Spiced red and black fruits, new saddle leather, smoky tobacco, and lead pencil are just some of the nuances in the 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, a pure, medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, beautifully textured Rioja from... Read More

While the summer was hot and dry, with three months of drought, the vines' roots were able to tap water reserves which had been topped up by rainfall the previous winter and spring. Despite the warm growing season, Ornellaia... Read More

Like the Lavières, there is a touch of post-bottling reduction but there is excellent freshness and underlying tension on the palate of the rich and wonderfully textured bigger-bodied and tautly muscular flavors that culminate... Read More

Magnificent wine – the best ever under the Chanel regime. Beautifully fragrant with dark fruit, spice and floral notes. Plentiful but fine tannins provide a velvety texture and there’s great persistence on the finish.... Read More

Careful and seductive oaking, this develops and builds in power and finesse over the palate, and is a seriously enjoyable Pomerol, just packed full of appellation typicity. A yield of 35hl/ha, vinified in new oak barrels, and... Read More

An overtly floral-suffused nose speaks of red cherry, raspberry and a hint of herbal tea. The supple, caressing and succulent medium-bodied flavors possess a lovely sense of underlying tension on the lightly stony, focused and... Read More

One of the world’s greatest expressions of Grenache year-in and year-out, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is all varietal that was brought up in larger foudre. This cuvée comes from the Charbonnieres... Read More

From a single plot in Rocche dell'Annunziata, this Barolo ages for 18 months in big oak vessels. On the nose there's a smoky-graphite character with intoxicating mint and violet scents, some milkiness in depth and a lot... Read More

More iron, ground pepper, charred meats, and tapenade notes emerge from the 2018 Syrah Block B, a rich, powerful, yet focused and elegant Syrah that does everything right. Offering plenty of chalky minerality, ripe, building tannins,... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Martini clone from the core of the estate. A heady, ample wine, the 2019 is endowed with striking opulence. Blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and mocha shows tremendous... Read More

The 2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguette is initially quite bashful on the nose, dark berry fruit intermingling with brown spices and orange blossom, gently unfolding with aeration. The palate is well... Read More

Coming all from the estate vineyard in Yountville, the 2019 Roberta's Reserve is all Merlot that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with a scant 225 cases produced. It's another totally thrilling vintage for this cuvée... Read More

The 2018 Taurasi Vigna Quintodecimo is a deep purple in the glass. It wafts up with a sweetly enticing blend of medicinal black cherries, cloves and dusty roses. It washes across the palate, more lifted and finessed than expected,... Read More

Aromas and flavors of amarena cherries and plums with some vanilla from the oak. Medium- to full-bodied, this Taurasi riserva is almost fleet of foot, though not lacking either tannin structure or fruit weight. A lovely example... Read More