2010 was a great vintage in Rioja in general and seems to be exceptional here, with a 2010 Viña Ardanza Selecci?n Especial (what used to be Reserva Especial) that can challenge any of the recent vintages and hopefully can develop in bottle to reach...
The classically styled 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape has plenty of the telltale kirsch and sweet spice notes that always seem to be present in Avril's wines. Showing more mature notes of truffle, olive, licorice and garrigue as it sat in the glass, it's medium...
This beauty is just hitting its stride now, with a still-robust structure that is starting to show more velvety nuance while melding with the core of dark currant preserve, warmed fig and steeped plum flavors. Lots of cocoa and tobacco notes form the back...
From a scorcher of a vintage that had tiny yields, the 2017 Crozes Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert offers a deep purple color as well as a classic Thalabert bouquet of black fruits, black olive, iodine, and peppery herbs. It's a rich, rounded, sumptuous be...
Glass-staining ruby. Powerful, mineral- and smoke-accented black and blue fruit, potpourri, olive and vanilla aromas acquire a spicy nuance as the wine opens up. Offers densely packed cherry-cola, cassis and blueberry flavors that show excellent clarity a...
As the 2015 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph had been recently bottled when I tasted it last year and rated it 94 points, I've retasted it and upgraded it a point. Despite being aged in 100% new oak for close to 24 months, it shows only subtle hints of ...
Leading off the 2020s, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône is ripe, medium to full-bodied, and loaded with charm. Sunny red and black fruits, spice, and garrigue notes define the bouquet, and it's going to drink nicely right out of the gate. It shows the fruit-driven...