Wines

97+ Points! The fruit for this 2019 Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is picked predominantly from the old 1868 plantings in the Concongella vineyard on the Best's property. It is a resoundingly elegant wine, with a core of fruit that crouches, waiting on the mid-palate. It is complex and complete already, offering a window into what will be a very long life, indeed. It is an exercise in balance and length, line and form (mineral austerity comes to mind), with not a hair out of place. You'd be forgiven for saying the structure has an open weave, almost loose-knit quality about it, were it not for the super streamlined finish that shows all the openness and approachability is merely a clever disguise. This wine can be drunk now, and sure, it should be (it's delicious, the feel of it in the mouth is insane). But if you have the patience, wisdom and foresight to cellar it, your children will be amply rewarded. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

96 Points! An extremely sophisticated and concentrated shiraz that’s so precise and focused on the beautifully balanced, medium-bodied palate. The interplay of fine tannins and lively acidity is really fascinating. Very clean and long finish. From the Concongella Vineyard. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2019 Saint Joseph Cuvée Revirand is all Syrah that was not destemmed and saw malolactic fermentation in barrel followed by 18 months in French oak. Just a thrilling Saint Joseph that pretty much stopped me in my tracks, it has ample red and black fruits, notes of leather, woodsmoke, iron, and pepper, full-bodied richness, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it showed more structure and depth with air. It can certainly be drunk today, but it will ideally be given 2-3 years in the cellar, and I’d be shocked if it didn’t evolve gracefully for another decade or more.

I don’t have much experience with this domaine, which was created in 2007, but I certainly came away impressed. These are well worth the extra effort to track down. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! The tiny production 2019 Cornas Cuvée Jana is another gorgeous wine. More up-front and opulent than either the 2018 or 2016, it has a mass of blueberry and black cherry-like fruits as well as smoked game, bouquet garni, ground pepper, and iron. It hits the palate with a lush, opulent attack and has a terrific mid-palate, before the tannins build and clamp down on the finish, showing more loamy earth and mineral notes. It certainly displays the richer, ripe style of the vintage and has moderate acidity, yet the purity of fruit is spot on, it's beautifully balanced, and it’s going to keep for 25+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Showing greater nuance and complexity on the nose, the 2019 Cornas Jana—named for Michel's daughter and sourced from Les Côtes and Chaillot—is a big step up from Michel's basic Cornas. Hints of violets, mint and crushed stone accent deep cassis and blueberry fruit, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated, rich and tannic, with a long, long, finish. Although not unenjoyable now, it's a Cornas for the cellar, with at least a decade of improvement possible. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

96 Points! Another full-bodied, rich, concentrated, powerful wine in the lineup, the 2019 Syrah Cattle King is all varietal and comes from the Upland Vineyard in the Snipes Mountain AVA. Not destemmed and aged in 50% new French oak, it offers a brilliant perfume of darker berry and cassis fruits as well as notes of ground pepper, chalky minerality, and graphite, which turns more floral and peppery with time in the glass. It's a classic Washington State Syrah with tons of charm. It's certainly approachable today yet will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep for over a decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! You know, when you drink the Freedom 1843, I think you want the concentration and intensity dialed up to 11. They're very old vines. Well, good news: It is. This 2019 The Freedom 1843 Shiraz is luscious and plush but not overdone; the intensity has been pushed right out and accelerated but harnessed at the same time. The wine is complete, pleasurable and harmonious. Excellent. Very big, but excellent. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

95+ Points! This 2019 Langi Shiraz is so aromatic: brooding and dark, spicy and mid-weight, layered with Middle Eastern spices, black and purple fruits, clove, mint, licorice and bone broth. The wine is awesome. It's really balanced and complete. Its the product of a warm season, but it wears it so well. The tannins have an über attractive gravelly aspect that I really like ... chewy but fine. So good! 14.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com