Wines

91 Points! A smoking value, the 2023 Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands offers a beautiful, Northern Rhône-like nose of juicy blackberries, bouquet garni, violets, and smoky, gamey, peppery nuances. Medium-bodied and broad on the palate, it has a layered mouthfeel and a great finish. Competing with many Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage bottlings, it will shine for a solid decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! An excellent introduction to this extreme category. Intense caramelized-grapefruit character with plenty of toffee aroma. However, for a pedro ximénez, this has a certain lightness of touch and the sweetness is restrained. Long, raisiny but clean finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com Learn More

91 Points! A fruity and delicate red with sour cherries, blueberries, violets, black pepper and hints of smoke. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Precise and fresh with crunchy berries towards the salivating finish. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! This savory, gentle-styled red shows the hallmark of the leaner vintage. Wild berry and smoked meat notes cruise alongside dried herbs, crushed iron and white pepper. Harmonious and elegant, with well-integrated, salty tannins and a floral perfume. - Wine Spectator

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90-92 Points! Lots of black and blue fruits, burning embers, and candied flower notes all emerge from the 2020 Crozes-Hermitage. Medium to full-bodied, it has a pretty, elegant, seamless texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

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Most of their classic range is raised in ancient 50-100ha wooden vats, lending a unique flavor profile and rounded quality to their finely etched wines. Vineyards for the Grüner Veltliner “Furth” are on the Danube’s right bank. Planted between the 1970s and 2010s (20 years average), the vines face northwest at 210-230m on large, gently sloped terraces. The bedrock and topsoil are composed of loess, sand, and gravel. Learn More

Tasted (consumed) recently, absolutely gorgeous! 2010 was a watershed vintage for Nebbiolo in Piedmont and this wine is a prime example hitting its peak drinking window, fresh, vibrant packed with cherries, tar licorice, spice. A joy...and a heckuva deal....

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92 Points! Well-knit and minerally, with a crisp texture and flavors of ripe raspberry, poached apricot, tangerine peel and biscuit. Chalky finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged December 2022. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

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90 Points! Oregano and tobacco front the nose with savoury expressiveness, led by blood orange, Earl Grey and bergamot. There's firm, herbal grip from strong, round tannins. Subtle florality adds elegant top notes to the otherwise intense, dark core. A great-value wine, perfect for more than everyday drinking. - Decanter Magazine

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PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95 Points! A subtle graphite character makes this a very attractive and typical Bordeaux red. Aromas of dark plums with a touch of iron, as well as forest-floor, mineral and white-pepper notes. Medium to full body with fine, chiseled tannins and a perfumed finish. Tensioned and long. Quite transparent on the palate. Merlot from deep, thick clay. 80% in foudre. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

92-94 Points! This medium to full-bodied 2022 Marsau is an attractive wine produced from 100% Merlot. It has a delightfully pure bouquet of peony, violet, iris, menthol and cassis, followed by a crunchy and juicy yet fresh texture and then by a mineral-driven finish of remarkable purity, expressing elegant notes of licorice and pencil lead. Anne-Laurence and Mathieu Chadronnier have produced a red wine that punches above its weight. Bravo! - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

94 Points! Lovely dark fruity fragrance with perfumed floral aromas on the nose, smells expressive and open. Smooth and supple, a lovely combination of tension, mouthwatering acidity and fruitiness here, such sleek texture with definition and soft juiciness. The tannins have grip and purpose with a softly fleshy and mineral sensation - liquorice, wet stone and graphite - giving a wide and interesting expansion on the palate. Feels cool and controlled, serious and focussed, with balance, still with concentration and power and grip. Feels very classy on the palate. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

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92 Points! I've always liked this wine, sitting pretty as a double-fermented expression with a lighter framework of tannins melded to the density serviced by the double fermentation approach devised here: fresh wine re-fermented with 30% whole, semi-dried grapes. Notes of cherry amaro, porcini, lilac and riffs on the larger format wood, conferring an earthy breadth to the wine without detracting from freshness. Highly versatile and delicious. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Remarkable balance in this wine refermented to dryness with 30% whole semi-dried grapes of the same varieties in the original blend (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara), and aged in a combination of Slavonian and French oak barrels. Refined yet robust structure with intense fruit (cherry, plum, bramble) layered with dry herbs and spices. Floral overtones (dried wildflowers and roses) a fragrant lift to the deep fruit core. - Decanter Magazine

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100 Points! The 2021 Masseto is a stunner. It also shows how much the estate has evolved in recent years. I was reminded of that recently when I drank the 2001, considered by many observers, including this one, to be one of the greatest wines ever made here. The 2021 represents a move towards a more refined style. There’s less of the bombastic intensity and extraction that were once the norm here. I remember young vintages that were impossible to taste young. The 2021, on the other hand, is an absolute delight. Crushed flowers, spice, blood orange and bright, red-toned fruit all grace the palate. Floral aromatics and saline underpinnings are at times reminiscent of the Cabernet Franc found in the 2019 and 2020, but the 2021 is back to the classic 100% Merlot. Readers will find a Masseto built on linear energy more than volume. The 2021 is quite simply the most exquisite, refined young Masseto I have ever tasted. Aging was 24 months in 100% new French oak. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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92 Points! Blueberry and lavender aromas with hints of chocolate follow through to a medium body, with round tannins that are lightly firm and deliver lovely flavors. Shows balance and harmony. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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91 Points! Sour-cherry, currant, orange-zest and red-tea aromas. It’s medium-bodied with sleek tannins. Fresh and juicy with a spiced finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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The “Heartbeat of the Maletto Mountain” is 95% Nebbiolo, and 5% Ner d’Ala (a native variety sparsely cultivated in the Canavese, in Val d’Aosta and in the Pinerolese area). 70% of the grapes come from organically farmed, rented vineyards in the Canavese area, 30% from small parcels in Carema. Fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel vats, with 20% of whole clusters. Aged in stainless steel vats for about 10 months. This is a lively, juicy and delicious red, brimming with ripe wild berry, licorice and mountain herbs. It shows all the tension of alpine Nebbiolos, without sacrificing complexity and elegance. Only 2000 bottles produced.

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PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

100 Points! The 2022 Montrose is insanely beautiful. That much is obvious. When it might be ready to drink is another question. In recent years, Montrose has acquired notable finesse in its tannins, so that is not an issue. But the 2022 is packed with tremendous density and concentration that will need time to soften. Blackberry, graphite, licorice, lavender and chocolate stain the palate in a stunning, riveting wine of the very highest level. I can only hope to be around when the 2022 starts to drink well! Montrose is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Unforgettable. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out with powerful notes of crème de cassis, preserved plums, and garrigue, giving way to nuances of candied violets, Sichuan pepper, and mossy tree bark, plus a touch of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit preserves layers, supported by super-firm, super-ripe tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Epic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

99 Points! Great depth in the nose, taking you into its core of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, graphite, tar, inkpot and cassis. Full-bodied and very tight, this flexes its polished muscles, showing form and tension. Compacted. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The 2022 Montrose was picked 2 to 22 September comprising all four grape varieties and all the Cabernet Franc, with 13% pressed wine, matured in 60% new oak. There is 14.5% alcohol this year, which is less than 2018. It has an extremely pure nose with black cherries and blueberry. Quite floral in style with hints of blood orange percolating through with time. The palate is very precise with exceptional mineralité and tension. Very focused, superb concentration, with what is becoming Montrose's trademark sense of symmetry and sustained aftertaste, this could be the finest Saint-Estèphe in 2022. – Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

100 Points! The 2022 Montrose is insanely beautiful. That much is obvious. When it might be ready to drink is another question. In recent years, Montrose has acquired notable finesse in its tannins, so that is not an issue. But the 2022 is packed with tremendous density and concentration that will need time to soften. Blackberry, graphite, licorice, lavender and chocolate stain the palate in a stunning, riveting wine of the very highest level. I can only hope to be around when the 2022 starts to drink well! Montrose is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Unforgettable. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out with powerful notes of crème de cassis, preserved plums, and garrigue, giving way to nuances of candied violets, Sichuan pepper, and mossy tree bark, plus a touch of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit preserves layers, supported by super-firm, super-ripe tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Epic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

99 Points! Great depth in the nose, taking you into its core of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, graphite, tar, inkpot and cassis. Full-bodied and very tight, this flexes its polished muscles, showing form and tension. Compacted. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The 2022 Montrose was picked 2 to 22 September comprising all four grape varieties and all the Cabernet Franc, with 13% pressed wine, matured in 60% new oak. There is 14.5% alcohol this year, which is less than 2018. It has an extremely pure nose with black cherries and blueberry. Quite floral in style with hints of blood orange percolating through with time. The palate is very precise with exceptional mineralité and tension. Very focused, superb concentration, with what is becoming Montrose's trademark sense of symmetry and sustained aftertaste, this could be the finest Saint-Estèphe in 2022. – Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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90 Points! Sourced from the producer's certified-organic Double L estate as well as McIntyre, Tondre, and other sites, the 2023 Chardonnay Highland gathers the grapes and barrel-ferments in 25% new French oak, making an approachable white that can be enjoyed in its youth. Medium-bodied layers of green apple and Meyer lemon flavors are accented in woody undertones and baking spice, finishing in a richness of crème brûlée. Drink now. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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94 Points! Hailing from a warm vintage that was one of the best in what would otherwise have been a fairly ordinary decade, the 1985 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon is starting to take on a deep golden appearance, commencing to amber. It offers a gorgeous, suave texture and a very complex nose that's a touch oxidative but that adds a layer of additional intrigue: it's all nuts, raisins, walnuts, olives, warm pastry, cinnamon, cooked orange peel. It's round and sweet (95g/L) but not unctuous with richness on the mid-palate while retaining enough acidity to refresh the mouth on the long finish. A wine that is very comfortable in its own skin, providing a very relaxing experience.

Moulin Touchais produces sweet Chenin Blanc in the Coteaux du Layon appellation. The wines are most often late harvested, although in some vintages - such as 1997 - a high level of botrytis builds on the fruit. What makes the winery special is its late-release policy: the wines must spend a minimum of 10 years in the underground cellars beneath the village of Doué la Fontaine before release. - Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, 2021

 

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