65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon Located in the heart of Graves and built on the site of a 12th century fortress Vineyards are farmed sustainable without pesticides or additional chemicals Fermentation in small temperature-controlled cement tanks, al...
An elegant nose of dark fruit, wood, orange peel, dark chocolate and some herbs. It’s full-bodied with elegant tannins. Juicy and well balanced with a flavorful finish. Lovely length. Try after 2023.
The 2021 Tour Saint Christophe is terrific. Naturally, the 2021 doesn't have the breadth of previous vintages. Instead, there is a sense of energy running through the 2021 that is compelling. Dark fruit, leather, gravel, incense and mocha all meld togethe...
The 2021 Haut-Brisson is the product of low yields, as this site was impacted by the April frosts. Delivering aromas of sweet berry, plums, licorice and orange rind, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and textural, with a fleshy core of fruit and powdery t...
Spared by the April frosts, the 2021 Bellefont Belcier has turned out brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of sweet berries and cherries mingled with hints of orange zest and violets, framed by a deft touch of oak. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, it...
The centenary bottling of Blandy's 1920 Bual is showing superbly, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dried figs, walnuts, caramelized citrus rind, bitter honey, warm spices and nori. Full-bodied, deep and immensely concentrated, this is a searingly int...
The 2014 La Grande Année is stunning. In fact, it is one of the best recent editions I can remember tasting. What comes through most is the wine’s sizzling energy and tension, qualities that aren’t often associated with Bollinger, where the Champagnes t...
This is the first vintage for this label. In fact, this replaces the "Napa Valley" label, but since all the wine now comes from the Coombsville AVA (and mostly from their estate), it now carries the Coombsville name. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose...
Giuseppe Cortese's 2018 Barbaresco Rabajà is fresh and vibrant with a tonic, almost electric personality. The wine shows the kind of freshness you get from mineral-rich soils that translate to both the bouquet and the palate. There are points of sour cher...
Pale straw-green. Perfumed, delicate and varietally accurate pear and white peach notes on the nose are complemented by white flowers. Then juicy, dense and vibrant, offering flavors similar to the aromas. Finishes mellow but fresh and very long, with ele...
The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Antonio Castagnedi is dusty and floral, with black cherries lifted by smoky crushed stone. This impresses further with undeniably elegant textures, silky and refined, more savory than sweet and with a saturation of prim...
The 2021 Carruades de Lafite is a dark, brooding wine. Dense and plush, with quite a bit of tannin presence, Carruades is quite distinctive in 2021. Blue/purplish fruit and floral notes show tremendous primary intensity. Bright acids on the finish add an ...
The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru is gentler on the nose compared to the Pruliers, scents of wild strawberry, raspberry, crushed limestone and light ferrous aromas unfolding from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a sweet ent...
The 2019 Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d’Orveau has a sensual bouquet of dark berry fruit, undergrowth and a very slight dark chocolate note that will be absorbed during élevage. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins that frame the black currant...
The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a deep color. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, raspberry, incense and crushed stone aromas, all incredibly detailed and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, perfectly pitched ac...
The 2019 Echézeaux Grand Cru was dense and broody on the nose, a stroppy teenager hiding in his bedroom. It only reluctantly offers blackberry, briar and pressed iris flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, one of the most decadent of Grivot’s 2019s i...
The 2019 Richebourg Grand Cru is a deep ruby color. This is not a wine that soars from the glass; it bides its time, unfolding with every swirl, revealing layers of black and blueberry fruit and touches of blood orange and Seville oranges. The palate is w...
The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Village was quite closed at first when I tasted it from barrel, opening gradually to show crushed strawberry and morello cherries and touches of pressed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with plump tannins on the entry, mulberry a...
This is a highly recognized wine that enjoys its own special following in Italy and beyond. The 2016 Conero Riserva Cúmaro is a pure expression of Montepulciano from the Conero bluffs that dip into the Adriatic Sea on a small promontory where sunshine and...
The 2018 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Jorio takes its time opening up in the glass. At first the wine is smoky with peppery florals and hints of camphor. Patience is rewarded, as this deepens with shades of violet, giving way to crushed blackberry and hints of...
The 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru comes from 2.5 hectares of vines in two locations, one east-facing and one southwest-facing. It has quite a deep, intense nose featuring lemon zest, crushed stone, linden and touches of citrus peel. The cohesive pala...
Much like the Vaulorent, the nose instantly confirms with conviction that this could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its airy array of citrus rind, sea breeze, quinine and green fruit aromas. There is excellent size, weight and richness to the broad...
A discreet dollop of wood sets off the ever-so-mildly exotic aromas of white and yellow peach, passion fruit and subtle mineral reduction wisps. There isn't the same weight and density though there is much better refinement to the lightly stony, focused a...
A deft application of wood lurks in the background of the aromas cool citrus, apple, mineral reduction and ocean breeze wisps. There is an almost painful intensity to the powerful but sleek and defined medium weight plus flavors that brim with minerality ...
The 2020 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru comes from a 0.5-hectare plot of 60-year-old vines. It is clean and precise on the nose, and quite leesy, with flecks of orange pith and orchard fruit and just a touch of reduction. The spicy palate is concentrated ...
The 2020 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru comes from three parcels that include the estate’s oldest vines, planted in 1936. It is strict and linear on the nose, the most backward of the Premier Crus, but very minerally and stern. The palate is well bala...
The 2020 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from six hectares of vines, southwest- and south-facing, forming the two different cuvées. The bouquet unfolds to offer lovely yellow fruit and oyster leaf aromas, well defined and quite generous. The palate is tau...
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur Bas displays a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, touches of brown spice and espresso emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with granular tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a dash of white pepper ...
One of the portfolio's highlights is the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin La Brunelle, a medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety wine with a fleshy core of fruit, melting tannins and lively acids, concluding with a saline finish. As ever, it's one of the most immed...
The 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a lovely floral bouquet of orange blossom with hints of honeysuckle and jasmine. The palate is well balanced with a supple opening, slightly honeyed in texture and pithy toward the finish, revealing hints of peach sk...
Yes, the 2017 Wallace Shiraz-Grenache blend is heavily weighted toward Shiraz (as usual), but it's the Grenache that makes itself known on the nose, adding lovely florals and raspberries to the slightly darker toned fruit of the Shiraz. Medium to full-bod...
The 2016 Nero d’Avola Rosso di Contrada is gorgeous, yet a bit extroverted, showing masses of ripe wild berry fruits, backed by exotic spices, sweet florals and a hint of undergrowth. Soft textures usher in mineral-drenched cherry-berry fruits, and grippy...
The 2018 Barbera d'Alba Tulin is packed with blueberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, sweet French oak, spice, lavender and menthol. This unabashedly opulent, full-throttle Barbera won't be for everyone, but it certainly delivers the goods. It is one of the ...
The Coppo 2018 Nizza Pomorosso is saturated and rich with plenty of dark cherry fruit and baked raspberry. Made with the Barbera grape and sporting a noticeable 16% alcohol content, the wine is powerful and impactful on the palate. You'll need to pair thi...
A release of about 6,600 bottles, the Les Crêtes 2018 Valle d'Aosta Petite Arvine Vigna Devin Ros Fleur nicely showcases the grape. This Petite Arvine is light and crisp, but it also delivers a glossy or viscous side with some of the thickness and flavors...
The 2019 Estate Pinot Noir Ama is deep and savory on the nose, its plush black and red berry fruit enlivened by notes of licorice, forest floor and graphite, plus top notes of bitter citrus and potpourri. The palate is seriously styled with a firmer, grai...
The 2019 Estate Pinot Noir Pomarium is pretty and transparent this year, with earthy red berry fruits and spicy accents on the nose. The palate is silky and super fresh, with an uplifted, spicy finish. Youthfully coiled at this moment, its graininess and ...
Readers looking for a killer Cabernet that won’t break the bank should check out the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Carbone from Favia. This dense purple-hued beauty boasts classic cassis and blueberry-like fruit intermixed with lots of tobacco, lead pencil shav...