The attractive red-beet and milk-chocolate nose leads you into a full-bodied, tannic wine that’s built for long aging. Plenty of ripe plum on the very bold, almost massive palate. Expands nicely as it aerates, but you need... Read More
The 2019 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County brings more up-front fruit, with lots of ripe framboise and strawberry notes as well as flowers and spice. Pure, up-front, wonderfully balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has nicely... Read More
The 2019 Château Laforge is more up-front and charming, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of savory red and black fruits, leafy herbs, iron, and tobacco. It has good acidity, ripe tannins, and, as with all of the releases... Read More
A new Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, freshly minted this year (from the 2018 vintage). I would put this right up there with the best vintages from Lilian Ladouys. It feels extremely silky, with such plump blackberry fruits that you... Read More
Bursting from the glass with notes of plus, sweet red berries and hints of licorice, the 2019 Mangot is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with beautifully powdery tannins and a succulent core of fruit. Giving, charming... Read More
The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the... Read More
The 2019 Cheval des Andes has a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to... Read More
This is a second label for Owen Roe that delivers a lot of quality and value. Aromas of freshly brewed coffee, plum and whole tangerine are followed by flavors that are defter and more elegant than the aromas might suggest. SEAN... Read More
Silky, elegant and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 Gattinara Il Putto is seriously impressive. All the elements are impeccably balanced. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of bright, red-toned fruit. Medium in body, yet deep and... Read More
Once again, the amphore demonstrates its advantages in very ripe vintages as the nose is appealingly fresh with an even spicier array of plum, violet, anise and cinnamon scents. The delicious middle weight flavors possess a gorgeous... Read More
This isn't as spicy as the En Caillerets but there is fine complexity to the mix of plum, dark cherry and earth scents. I very much like the texture of the more powerful if less refined medium weight flavors that flash a taut... Read More
With its combination of flinty brightness and candied-citrus richness, this sophisticated chardonnay is just beginning to open up. Only medium-bodied with finely delineated contours and a tantalizing finish that pulls you back... Read More
This producer, with vineyards that are in the process of conversion to organic, has made a dense, richly structured wine. Generous black cherry fruits and ripe tannins promise plenty of aging. The property lies just up the slope... Read More
Brooding aromas of black cherry, pepper and coriander all swirl in the glass alongside subtle notes of dried rose and crushed stone. The palate is brighter with tart red fruits on the core with notes of black tea, anise and superfine... Read More
The tank-aged 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Bel Ami is a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, and 10% Cinsault. Floral and mocha notes combine on the nose, while the concentrated fruit marries raspberries, black-skinned... Read More
With earthy notes of bay leaf, dried herb and crushed rock, this wine is made from estate sites from a variety of Bordeaux grapes. Youthfully grippy and intense, it shows great complexity and length, with firm tannin and plenty... Read More
A reserved, streamlined version, with fine-grained cedar and savory threads running through a core of gently mulled cherry, fresh damson plum and red currant coulis notes. There's pretty perfume on the finish. Best from 2025... Read More
The 2019 vintage was a little unpredictable, with 26 passes in the vineyard between late February and late April to determine optimal ripeness. Each pass was separately vinified, some for zing, others for a more raisin-like profile,... Read More
Three of South Africa’s three previous appearances in our Best in Show selection have involved Stellenbosch and a member of the Cabernet family … so no one will be surprised to see that this year’s laureate... Read More
Presents a mix of bramble, mulling spice and savory notes, with steeped plum and red currant fruit flavors and a tarry tug on the finish. Shows good energy throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now.... Read More
From the vaunted producer, this soft, approachable wine is supple and plush in its youth, ready to unfurl on the palate in baked plum and dark cherry. Baking spice and toasted oak add to the length and grace.
The Mastrojanni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino has a pretty bouquet with dark fruit and something exotic that recalls camphor ash, wood fire ash, garrigue and dried herb. It is rich and evenly concentrated with fine chalk on the... Read More
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnement is another wine that flirts with perfection. A selection of the top barrels in the cellar, it has beautiful purity in its red and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco leaf, new leather,... Read More
The 2019 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) is creamy, ample and seductive. Apricot, lemon confit, mint and white flowers all grace an understated, classy Sonoma Coast Chardonnay that will drink well right out of the gate. The 2019 is... Read More
