The 2019 Siepi continues a trend towards greater finesse and nuance in this wine. Creme de cassis, lavender, spice, licorice and plum meld together effortlessly in the glass. Dense and layered, with striking detail, the 2019 is... Read More
A deep and really complex Echezeaux with a ton of forest berries, very polished tannins and wonderful sweetness that grows at the back of the palate. Very long and complex finish with a lot of herbal and mineral complexity. Very... Read More
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 EABA (end all be all) is a blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvèdre, 13% Grenache and 2% Viognier and was made with 65% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties,... Read More
Moving to the 2019s from bottle, the 2019 Grenache offers a slightly more floral and perfumed style, with kirsch liqueur, herbes de Provence, sandalwood, and licorice. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Grenache that has... Read More
The 2018 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has closed down a touch on the nose, eventually revealing red fruit, violet petals and a light oyster shell note. Fine delineation and superb focus. The palate is detailed and precise, just a faint... Read More
Coming all from the En Chamberlin Vineyard and all Tempranillo, I've often wondered if the Impulsivo release was the best wine of the estate, and it certainly is in some vintages. The 2019 Impulsivo boasts a deep ruby/plum... Read More
With its rich swathe of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has density and immense structure balanced by stunning black fruits that give impressive promise. This powerful wine is probably the greatest ever produced from this estate.... Read More
This is really pretty and jumps out of the glass with lots of raspberry and blueberry aromas and floral undertones. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a bright acidity. Drink or hold. Very impressive for the vintage.... Read More
Elegant, complex nose with dark and blue fruit, as well as spicy and earthy undertones. Sandalwood and cedar with dark chocolate, too. Full body with firm, ultra fine tannins. Structured, layered and flavorful on the palate. It’s... Read More
Black cherry, clove, cedar and dried earth on the nose. Some vanilla and licorice. It’s medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Some wet earth. Polished and layered, with wonderful freshness, too. Very tight now. Better... Read More
The flagship 2018 Vieux Château Certan is based on 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc and was brought up in (I suspect) roughly 50% new French oak. It tips the scale at 14.5% natural alcohol, which is the same as the 2010... Read More
After 37 months en tirage, Dautel's 2016 Pinot Brut nature opens with a clear, very delicate and finely aromatic bouquet with very fine Pinot and brioche notes and again (like the Riesling brut) the purity, finesse and elegance... Read More
This had just been bottled and was showing the effects as the nose was moderately reduced though I would not expect it to linger unduly. Otherwise there is excellent volume, intensity and richness to the concentrated medium-bodied... Read More
There is an interesting suggestion of sweetness to the layered nose of red cherry, acacia, lavender and anise scents. There is impressive volume and concentration to the bigger bodied and just as mineral-driven flavors that are... Read More
Aromas of poached plum, spice warm earth and a floral top note introduce rich and seductively textured flavors that are at once caressing yet powerful while coating the palate with sappy dry extract that also buffers the moderately... Read More
Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with plenty of extract on the palate. Driving acidity and a powerful finish suggest this has a long life ahead of it. It's delicious now, however, in a big and bold - but dry - style with... Read More
Pretty if restrained aromas are comprised by notes of red and dark currant, newly turned earth, orange peel and a vague floral wisp. There is excellent detail and vibrancy to the delicious if not especially dense flavors that... Read More
Ripe and appealingly fresh aromas of red and dark cherry coulis enjoy top notes of various spices and violet. The super-sleek, intense and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors deliver very fine length on the dusty,... Read More
A mentholated top note is present on the even spicier and slightly more floral-suffused aromas of airy dark berries, sandalwood and jasmine tea. The lacy, even lilting, flavors also exude a subtle bead of minerality on the nicely... Read More
A slightly more elegant nose features notes of poached plum, black raspberry, violet and anise hints. There is a notably finer mouthfeel to the attractively textured medium weight flavors that conclude in a firmer and better-balanced... Read More
A subtle application of wood is present on the slightly more deeply pitched nose of cassis, black raspberry liqueur and exotic tea scents. The sleek, intense and more precise medium-bodied flavors exude a subtle minerality on... Read More
A perfumed and exceptionally pretty nose combines notes of dark raspberry, exotic tea and a broad range of floral elements. The succulent, refined and admirably punchy medium weight plus flavors possess excellent delineation and... Read More
This is aromatically similar to the Bressandes but with sightly more evident sauvage elements. The equally sleek if not quite as dense medium weight flavors that possess a bit more minerality on the youthfully austere, sneaky... Read More
This is also beautifully layered with its ripe and equally fresh nose reflects notes of roasted purple fruit, warm earth and an unusual hint of hoisin. The succulent, round and relatively refined flavors possess fine mid-palate... Read More
A deft application of wood sets off agreeably spicy and earthy aromas of black raspberry liqueur and discreet smoky wisps. The supple, fleshy and rounded medium-bodied flavors possess better mid-palate density if not the same... Read More
A spicy and relatively high-toned nose features notes of various red berries, plum and a hint of exotic tea. Once again there is a really lovely texture to the nicely tension-filled medium weight flavors that exude evident minerality... 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
Decidedly cool, pure and wafting aromas of red and dark pinot fruit are exuberantly spicy and beautifully elegant while displaying lovely layering. The round and utterly delicious medium weight flavors possess a bit more volume... 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
Here the expressive nose is more elegant than it usually is with its pretty extract of black pinot fruit, soft earth, violet and rose petal scents. The lilting but impressively punchy medium-bodied flavors retain excellent delineation... Read More
A slightly fresher and decidedly more elegant nose offers up notes of red currant, dark raspberry, anise and a pretty hint of violet. As one would expect, the middle weight flavors are notably more refined with a caressing but... Read More
The pure, super-elegant and airy nose displays its array of plum, red and dark currant, spice and pretty floral wisps. The notably finer if less powerful and muscular middle weight flavors also possess both lovely detail and punch,... Read More
This is also aromatically cool but ripe and spicy though in this case the red and dark raspberry scents are notably more floral in character. The delicious, intense and well-detailed lighter weight flavors possess a succulent... Read More
A wonderfully spicy nose offers up its aromas of both red and dark raspberry, violet and soft floral nuances. There is once again a lovely texture along with fine detail to the more refined middle weight flavors that deliver very... Read More
Cool but ripe and spicy aromas include those of essence of black cherry, violet and exotic tea. The caressing, delicious and beautifully textured middle weight flavors possess a lovely mouthfeel along with ample minerality on... Read More
The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve comes from a single terroir (which is closest to the Les Trois Sources terroir) and is always a tiny production cuvée that’s just about impossible to find in the market.... Read More
Up with the top wines of the vintage, the 2017 Côte Rôtie Lancement has classic Lancement complexity with its vibrant black raspberry fruits and notes of spring flowers, bacon fat, sappy herbs, and toasted spices.... Read More
Another incredible white from this family is the 2019 Hermitage Blanc, a powerful, concentrated, and remarkably pure Hermitage that has laser-like focus as well as textbook Marsanne notes of quince, green almond, powdered rock,... Read More
The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Murgers des Cras has an intense floral bouquet with bunches of violets almost occluding the dark cherries and boysenberry scents. Opulent, but controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy... Read More
Subtle yet intense aromas of black fruit and violets. Extremely perfumed. Crushed stones. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that give a mouth-feel of velvet that goes on for minutes. Refined and fresh. Al-dente fruit. From... Read More
A full-bodied Brunello with lots of plums and cherries, as well as orange-peel character. It’s creamy and round-textured. Soft and chewy tannins. Shows the warmth and ripeness of the 2017 vintage. Drink after 2023.... Read More
This wine is dedicated to Roberto Ferrarini, the longtime consulting enologist who worked with Giuseppe Quintarelli and the Quintarelli family until his death in 2014. The beautiful 2007 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico A Roberto... Read More
A little more bright and vibrant than the 744, with notes of poached pear, baked apple, grapefruit, lemon rind and pistachio. Fine bubbles with crisp acidity and a pure, fruity core. Very drinkable. 0.75g/L dosage. Disgorged January... Read More
Incorporating 2% Viognier, the Syrah-dominated 2017 La Sangre De Jonata reveals a saturated purple color as well as a heavenly bouquet of cassis, blueberries, crushed violets, spring flowers, and ground pepper. Full-bodied, concentrated,... Read More
Lovely, leafy aromas of fresh garden herbs, drying tobacco leaf, bay leaf, grilled plum and baked strawberry. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, slightly tense tannins. An array of juicy red and black fruit and berries on the palate.... Read More
Offers alluring warm plum sauce and crushed açaí berry aromas and flavors that move through this with focus despite the rather lush feel. Subtle alder and sage accents line the finish, with a nice underpinning of... Read More
Such an amazing nose to this with dried peaches and limes, flowers and hot stones. Full-bodied, very sweet and powerful with a soft, caressing texture and a tangy, bright finish. A wonderful combination of late-harvest fruit and... Read More
A cool, creamy red with blueberry and black-cherry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, round and polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink now.
Laurent-Perrier's imminently released NV Brut Grand Siècle #25 is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with an incipiently complex bouquet of pear, crisp stone fruit and mandarin mingled with hints of smoke,... Read More
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard is a smaller selection from the estate vineyard, and it spent 20 months in 90% new French oak, of which it shows not a trace. Beautiful cassis fruits, notes of smoke, tobacco, and chocolate,... Read More
Made with fruit from Cannubi Boschis, the Luciano Sandrone 2018 Barolo Aleste is plump and ripe, but this wine also shows a more delicate character that is its ace card. The aromas are filigreed and fine with dark fruit, spice... Read More
One of my personal favorites, the 2018 Barolo Le Vigne is savory in character and packed with dark fruit. Ripe cherry and redcurrant cedes to spice, licorice and fragrant rose. The oak is integrated, but there are added accents... Read More
This too is firmly reduced and all that can be discerned is a whiff of herbal tea. The bigger, richer and more powerful medium weight plus flavors terminate in an austere, compact and much more complex finale. This appears to... Read More
The 2016 Concerto di Fonterutoli, the estate's blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, is dense, plush and explosive, with superb depth and notable persistence. Super-ripe black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice... Read More
This has plenty of dried roses, rose hip and other very gently seductive perfumes on offer here such as wild cherries, some pepper, plenty of spices and pink, musky marshmallows. The autolysis is still very discreet, although... Read More
At first deep, dark and mysterious. Just like the Nikolaihof cellar, where this dry riesling spent 16 years in barrel. Then, a minty freshness develops that leaps out of the glass at you. By some miracle, it manages to taste ancient... Read More
Very expressive, with seductive, gently mulled plum, raspberry and blackberry fruit flavors seamlessly layered together, while hints of black tea, singed anise, apple wood, incense and warm earth filter through on the finish.... Read More
The 2018 The Bard is beautiful and certainly in the same realm as the 2015 and 2016, both magical wines. This cuvée reveals a deep purple color followed by a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, blackberries, roasted... Read More
The white 2019 Blanco comes from a year that was marked by hail and frost in April and May, which resulted in a small crop that ripened early in a warm growing season. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barriques,... Read More
Fine pale colour with green tints. This is restrained, complex, chiselled, precise, no wood apparent until well on, on the palate, with a white fruit concentration right at the back. Good acidity, some tannins too. A very well... Read More
Ripe and agreeably fresh aromas of roasted nuts, white orchard fruit and tangerine peel complement the solidly concentrated and seductively textured middle weight flavors that culminate in a lingering, balanced and lemony finish.... Read More
This is black as pitch in the glass and, yes, there’s a light, tarry edge to the super-concentrated prune, date and currant fruit. But even more interesting are the complex notes of bitter-orange liqueur, aged balsamic,... Read More
One of Spain's most character-packed wines, this vintage of Mas La Plana deals bacon, berry and earthy aromas in front of a weighty, fairly tannic palate. Becoming richer and riper as it unfolds, this is full of prune, plum... Read More
