Wines

96 Points! This great Spatlese from the Graacher Himmelreich has everything we hope for from this famous site: excellent concentration and delicacy on the barely medium-bodied palate, terrific slatey character and a broad spectrum of aromas that range from white flowers and peaches to blackcurrants. Super-stony and precise finish. All of this has a wonderful spring-like freshness that makes it irresistible. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A smoky mineral layer hovers in the backdrop of this streamlined, concentrated Riesling, with beautiful clarity and range to its notes of lime oil, peach and green herbs. Flinty and sultry through the long finish, which features some phenolic extract for a dry impression. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! The sensuous curves of Art Nouveau design and joyful flourishes of rococo both give an idea of what Mosel riesling elegance means, but in a masterpiece like this it takes on a totally distinctive feeling unlike anything else on Planet Wine. The white peach fruit, white flower aromas and slatey minerality all tingle on your palate, then flicker on and on in a totally fascinating manner in the nearly endless finish. The touch of sweetness is already beautifully integrated, although the wine just began a decades-long life. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2021 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is ample and full-bodies, as most wines from this site are. Dark-toned fruit, leather, cedar, spice, menthol and dried flowers build nicely, leading to an expansive, broad finish. All of this fruit was destemmed, an approach that worked so well here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! The 2021 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is all varietal (100% destemmed) that spent 22 months in just 13% new French oak. It has a beautiful, fruit-driven perfume of red and blue fruits, sandalwood, and exotic flowers. This carries to a plush, seamless, medium to full-bodied Syrah that picks up more meaty, gamey notes on the palate, has ripe, polished tannins, and just about flawless overall balance. It's another killer Syrah in the lineup. - Jeb Dunnuck

96+ Points! The 2021 Syrah Larner Vineyard comes from a great site in the middle of the Ballard Canyon and spent 22 months in 22% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a tighter, more closed, yet incredibly promising Syrah that has ripe blackberry and cassis fruits interwoven with peppery spice, dried herbs, leather, and some chalky minerality. This full-bodied, concentrated, structured, and brilliantly pure Syrah deserves 2-3 years of bottle age and will blow you away over the following decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2021 Syrah Larner Vineyard is a heady, racy wine. Ripe red cherry, spice, cedar, new leather and tobacco open first. A kiss of Viognier and a touch of new oak add an element of raciness to this sleek Syrah. The 2022 is so expressive and inviting. It's another superb wine from Jaffurs. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! A texturally beguiling red, with a chewy, creamy stream of dark chocolate, perfumed lavender, plum paste and warm spices framed by alder and camphor. Large in scale yet not heavy, with a supporting beam of iron, plus an energetic through line and prettiness from start to long, captivating finish. Stunning and hard to resist drinking immediately. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A tasting through the different terroirs in this wine revealed a fresh, intense, highly structured year; not as generous as 2019 or 2020, certainly more austere, and will take longer to come round. Many of the samples had an appealing floral expression, occasionally with herbal nuances from the use of whole bunches, and often really quite dark, dense black fruit on the palate. Tannins, while not green, are decidedly tight and will take time to finesse. A vintage where patience is required and which I suspect will shut down shortly after bottling. - Decanter Magazine

95+ Points! Just bottled, the 2022 Côte Rôtie offers a beautifully classic Jamet perfume of red and black fruits, crushed stone, and sappy flowers. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a broad, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It needs 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 30th birthday in fine form. Drink 2031-2052. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Disgorged without dosage, the NV Extra Brut Rosé Fac-similie (LC18) bursts with aromas of red berries, plums and spices mingled with freshly baked bread and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and sapid, with delicate structure and an enveloping core of irresistibly succulent fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. While the Fac-similie shares the charm of its white counterpart, its gently phenolic grip seems to temper some of the exuberance of the vintage. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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

97 Points! This youthful dry Rheinhessen riesling combines stunning concentration with a chalky minerality that’s all-encompassing yet never dominates the cool and restrained stone fruit character. Major structure that remains below the waterline of perception on the front palate and emerges like the back of a whale breaking the surface of the ocean. Spectacularly brilliant finish in spite of the moderate acidity. Great potential. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2020 Côte a Côte is a beautiful blend of 45% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre and one of the most successful wines I tasted from the challenging 2020 vintage. Deep ruby-purple, it offers pure aromas of blackcurrant, boysenberry, tar and pipe tobacco, continually unfolding with each return to the glass. The full-bodied palate offers wave after wave of perfumed fruit and tremendous spicy accents. It's powerful yet harmoniously structured with powdery tannins and seamless acidity, and it offers a very long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

98 Points!  A linear and transparent red with violets and dark fruits with sliced tangerines. Full- to medium-bodied with firm and racy tannins. Brightness and energy. Hints of chocolate and malted milk. Lovely purity to it. Drink after 2026 and onwards. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

99 Points!  The 2020 L'Eglise-Clinet, made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with wonderfully fragrant notes of violets, dark chocolate, aniseed, and forest floor, leading to a core of preserved plums and black cherry preserves, plus a touch of cast-iron pan. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with tons of juicy black fruit layers, supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a whole array of baking spice, black berry, and minerally accents. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

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

97-98 Points! Really impressive concentration for the vintage with dusty tannins that give density and intensity. Medium-bodied, this shows dark fruit and chocolate plus walnut and hazelnut undertones. Juicy and flavorful but always in reserve. Winemaker Noemie Durantou Reilhac likens it to the 2015 but with finesse. 90% merlot and the rest cabernet franc. - James Suckling

95-97 Points! The 2024 L'Eglise-Clinet is brilliant and intensely aromatic in its first impression. Vibrant red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, cedar and rose petal soar from the glass. Readers will find a vertical, explosive L'Eglise-Clinet that impresses with its poise and balance. The 2024 deftly marries finesse and power to a degree I have seldom seen here in the past. Superb. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94-96 Points! The 2025 L'Eglise Clinet was picked on September 21, 23 and 24 apropos the Merlot and September 23, 24 and 28 for the Cabernet Franc, which constitutes 10% of the blend. It matured in 85% new oak (90% Darnajou and 10% Taransaud). This takes time to unfurl generous black cherry, mint and cassis aromas that blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with chiseled tannins that frame the mineral-driven black fruit. It's not the most powerful L'Eglise-Clinet I have ever tasted at this stage, but you have to admire the manner which this just builds toward the finish whilst retaining poise and tension. The 2024 is a wonderful Pomerol that will age effortlessly in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

93-95 Points! Based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, and aging in 80% new barrels, the 2024 Château L'Eglise Clinet is one of the deeper-hued Pomerols in the vintage. It offers rocking aromatics of dark berries, black cherries, graphite, scorched earth, and violets. Medium-bodied on the palate, it brings serious richness, with ripe, round, layered tannins and a great, mineral-laced finish. This is one of the denser, more concentrated wines in the vintage, yet it stays balanced and precise. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Very classy and refined with subtle complexity and linear structure. Floral and perfumed. Medium- to full-bodied. Fine velvety tannins and a bright finish. Racy and fine. Really intense. Juniper and fresh sage. Bitter lemon. Botanicals. Bright. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. Drink or hold. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

98 Points!  Glamour and seduction in spades at L'Evangile giving classic Pomerol typicity with a kick. Floral and expressive on the nose with pink and purple flowers, pink peppercorns, white and dark chocolate, raspberries and black cherries. Gorgeous texture on the palate, rich, deep, potent in the weight and tannic frame - chalky, ripe, mouthfilling, gently chewy giving bounce to the blackcurrant, plum, strawberry and cherry fruit while the minerality and salinity give a cool, fresh undercurrent. Clearly youthful and strict but such long length, really direct and focussed. Sleek yet muscular, everything feels precise and sculpted with a lingering clove and cinnamon edge giving the angles and tension right now. Clean and straight with precision, shape and style, tons of energy and juiciness. A great wine. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! Complex and subtle aromas of black cherries, chocolate and violets with hints of nutmeg and hazelnuts that open to a medium to full body, with fine and polished tannins that integrate nicely then grow beautifully at the end. 69% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Better to be patient and taste after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with notions of licorice, black truffle, rose petal and iris, the 2021 L'Evangile is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a broad and textural attack that segues into a charming, succulent mid-palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. This saw only two rackings, and some 15% matured in amphora, with the rest in barriques that are less toasty than in the past; the result of these and other initiatives is a much more timeless expression of this property. Bottled in May 2023. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

96 Points! A seductive and sculpted wine, leaning into the vintage’s glamour and richness. The nose is deep and heady, filled with violets, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, and espresso. The palate is glossy and rich, with a juicy, shiny black fruit core, balanced by fine, slightly bloody tannins. There’s an undercurrent of freshness, with a minty lift and a touch of creaminess that enhances the plush texture. Toasted wood notes still need time to integrate, but this is smooth, seductive, and beautifully structured. A wine of depth, polish, and lasting finesse. Ageing 45% new oak, 10% foudre, 15% amphora. 3.88pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine

95 Points! The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. Beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! A classic Evangile from a hot and great vintage with black olives, cedar and brambleberries. Medium-bodied, it has balance and refinement, a solid core of fruit and a sophisticated and polished mouthfeel. The finish is very long, increasing with precision. A graceful and age-worthy wine. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The Grand Vin 2022 Château L'Evangile is more serious and concentrated, with beautiful red and black fruits interwoven with truffly earth, tobacco, and savory, floral, spicy nuances on the nose. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous, round, sexy L'Evangile that has soft, supple tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a mix of both richness and elegance. It's not massive and is already hard to resist, yet it should have 30 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points!This is a compact cylinder of ripe and fresh fruit with currant, fresh-herb and dry-earth character on the palate. So solid. Full-bodied yet refined and checked in every way. Well-defined, formed and perfect. Just a hint of volcanic salt and iron. Contemplate this one. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! The 2016 L'If, 100% Merlot in this vintage, is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. The allure the 2016 showed as a young barrel sample has been replaced with huge structure and prominent yet well balanced tannins that both give the wine its strong-voiced personality. Readers should be prepared to be patient with the 2016, as it is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. Even so, the 2016 is super-impressive in the early going, not to mention a fabulous wine in the making. Cyrille Thienpont gave the 2016 14 months in French oak, 50% new. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! This is one of the most structured L’Ifs I have had with currants and cherries, and chalk and salt undertones. Full and muscular. Long, long finish. The tannins and fruit go on and on. Give it three or four years to soften. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Coming mostly from vines near Troplong Mondot and based on 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 L'If is a smoking good Saint-Emilion that sports a deep ruby/purple hue, notes of ripe black fruits, chocolate, graphite, earth, and tobacco, full-bodied richness, and sweet, integrated tannins. The balance here is spot on, and while this opens up with air, it shows the structured, classic, incredibly impressive style of the vintage perfectly. Give bottles just 4-6 years if you can (it offers pleasure even today) and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! The 2018 La Conseillante is composed of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with a 3.65 pH and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to lure out the youthfully shy, incredible perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries, ripe plums and cinnamon toast, leading to notions of lilacs, clove oil and forest floor, plus a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is a jaw-dropping exercise in finesse, slowly unfurling in the mouth to reveal layer upon layer of bright, crunchy red and black fruits, supported by a rock-solid frame of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and with an impressive mineral and exotic spice firework display. It's an incredible expression of Pomerol that cannot fail to inspire a resounding 'WOW' from whoever is fortunate to drink it. Tempting to broach now (albeit with a lot of air), try to keep your hands off it for a good 5 years and then drink it over the next 30 years or more. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com