Wines

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2025! Deeply structured and full of tension, this polished red displays a distinctive personality, offering bold blackberry flavors accented with savory anise, black pepper and dark Asian spices. Ends with big but refined tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Blending 76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro from an estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley purchased in 1972, the 2023 Zinfandel Lytton Springs exhibits initial chewiness that leads to fine tannins, with a good heft and underlying acidity. Well-woven oak supports a moderately ripe, medium-bodied frame of structured elegance, aged in 100% air-dried American oak. Enjoy now through 2033. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! A much cooler growing season delayed the start of harvest by about a month, resulting in a wine with greater restraint than the previous vintage. The 2023 is a more elegant take on this wine, with less fruit intensity, but still unmistakably Ridge. Fresh aromas of herbs from a bouquet garni mix with earthy tones and subtle sweet notes from baking spices. The fruit profile oscillates between ripe red and black berries, with a touch of plums and ripe cherries. Tannins are firm yet polished, and there's a soft creaminess to the palate. A wine that is balanced and quite enjoyable now, with many years to evolve in the bottle. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! It is a departure for Ridge, as it's not a single vineyard wine but instead a blend of 10 different sites from throughout Sonoma County. Bright and delightful with savoury herbs, tart early-season blackberries, and muddled mint leaves, all vie for attention in this wine's generous aromatic show. A melange of wild mountain berries, mouthfuls of dried savoury garrigue and lavender, dashes of white pepper and an incredible lift to the finish which lingers for an eternity. Concentrated and refined. - Clive Pursehouse, Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Made since 2001 from a number of Sonoma County vineyards, the 2023 Three Valleys blends 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% each Mataro and Alicante Bouschet from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Russian River Valley. Floral, it is complex and less rustic than usual, the vintage showing classic charm and elegance. Though it is one of Ridge's largest production wines, it is made in the exact same way as all its others, in open top tanks with real oak and native fermentations. It's meant to represent a vintage more than a location. A popular by-the-glass pour, order it when you see it. It's drinking well now and should continue to for another 5-7 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Generous and robust yet retains a sense of polish, with expressive raspberry and blueberry flavors highlighted by licorice and pepper, plus a whiff of dill as this builds toward fine-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mataro and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2034. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Aromas of confit cherries, licorice, blackberry bush, baking spices and violets. The palate is full-bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and firmly framed tannins that end in a lush and generous finish. Made from a blend of 71% zinfandel, 16% carignane, 9% petite sirah, 2% mataro and 2% alicante bouschet. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Roberto Corona Vineyard, from a site on the Oakville bench, is the richest of these 2009 Cabernets from Rivers-Marie. It bursts from the glass with jammy, opulent fruit and a big, full-bodied personality. Blue and black fruit, mint, licorice and sweet spices wrap around the finish. The 100% new oak comes through here. I am not sure this wine needs all the oak and makeup. There is plenty of pedigree already. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

92 Points! The estate’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Juicy dark berries, flowers, mint and cloves all come together nicely in the glass. Today, the 2010 is open and expressive, with soft, silky tannins and tons of near-term appeal, all qualities entry-level Cabernets should have. The 2010 is mostly valley floor fruit, with dollops of Panek, Corona and GIII. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard brings a more concentrated, serious feel and offers ripe mulberry and cherry fruit as well as scorched earth, graphite, and minerality, with nicely integrated oak. It's medium-bodied, concentrated, and focused, with a beautiful mouthfeel. It needs 2-3 years in the cellar (you'd be forgiven for enjoying a bottle today) and will evolve nicely over the following decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

Ampeau's Savigny-les-Beaune is drawn from a single plot in Aux Fourneaux on the vineyard's lower section (with village designation). The vines came from Michel's mother's side in the 1940s after the marriage of his parents.

Volnay-Santenots is among the appellation's southernmost sites and closest to Meursault. It's situated on the mid-slope section of the hillside. Michel Ampeau's grandfather acquired the first vines in the early-1900s before his father, Robert, acquired more in the 1950s.

Volnay-Santenots is among the appellation's southernmost sites and closest to Meursault. It's situated on the mid-slope section of the hillside. Michel Ampeau's grandfather acquired the first vines in the early-1900s before his father, Robert, acquired more in the 1950s.

Clay-limestone soils that are notably more red in appearance than its neighbors, signifying a greater presence of clay and a higher content of iron which lends more structure.

92 Points! Brimming with white peaches and spring blossoms, this has a wonderful juiciness, thanks to the interplay of racy acidity with a touch of unfermented grape sweetness. Spring-like freshness and good wet-stone character on the light-footed palate. Very clean finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A medium sweet Spätlese from the Rheingau icon Weil. This late-picked Riesling shows the ethereal clarity and power the variety can have. This wine is an assemblage of some of the estate's top vineyards blended with fruit from surrounding non-Grosse Lagen sites. It has charming aromatics, rich pear, Meyer lemon, and beguiling floral spice. The palate balances viscosity and ripeness with juicy, mouthwatering acidity. The lack of botrytis and the sterling minerality clarify this affordable bottling. The flavour of sweet peaches, honeyed apricots and lush, fleshy citrus are buoyed by a racy, edgy acidity that carries the finish. - Clive Pursehouse, Decanter

From the winery: 100% Grenache. This soil profile, combined with whole-cluster grenache, is a special mix that brings a singular expression to the wine. Unic is not about power and concentration, it is about elegance and restraint. It has this charming, less-is-more style, with great tension, freshness, refinement and nuances.

93 Points! The 2023 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Rich and layered in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its purity and exceptional balance. Strong spice, leather and tobaco notes run through a core of red Sangiovese fruit. All the elements are so well balanced. Dollops of Canaiolo and Colorino are so well put together. This is a sublime wine. Truly exceptional. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

96 Points! The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, scorched earth, tobacco, licorice and incense showcase the darker, brooding side of Sangiovese. Readers will want to cellar the 2020 for at least a few years. Its relatively plush contours should start to soften by then. It's a stellar wine, one with a very bright future. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

96 Points! The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Marcellino is made from 88% Sangiovese and the balance Pugnitello, which contributes richness to the blend. Pugnitello, meaning fist, refers to the compact size of the grape clusters, which have thick skins, give good extract of color, and are the last harvested. In the glass, the wine pours a deep yet bright red hue, while aromas of ripe cherry, resinous herbs, pine, and gravelly earth lead into a full-bodied palate with a firm backbone of acidity, rich tannins, and savory depth. Structured and persistent, it shows both power and freshness (hallmarks of the estate), with a long, mineral-driven finish. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! The 2017 Geremia is a revelation. It might be even better than the 2015 or 2016, which is saying a lot. Soaring aromatics make a strong first impression. In 2017, the fruit profile leans more into the red fruit end of the spectrum. The warm, dry year yielded a Geremia that is unusually open. I doubt too many of the estate's fans will have a problem with that given how long these wines usually take to open. Today, the 2017 Geremia is a total pleasure bomb. Don't miss it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! The 2023 Cíes is the white village wine from Meaño, from different vineyards, and it is elegant and subtle, insinuating and detailed. It fermented and matured in barrels of different sizes where it matured for six months. It has moderate ripeness and 12.2% alcohol with very good freshness (pH 3.46) and acidity (7.45 grams), which makes it vibrant and pungent, with saline flavors and a super tasty finish. It is sharp, precise and mineral. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com