Wines

95 Points! The 2021 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has also turned out brilliantly in bottle, and readers will have a hard time choosing between this and the Lavaux Saint-Jacques. Bursting from the glass with aromas of peonies, wild berries, cherries, orange zest and spices, it's full-bodied, ample and multidimensional, with a broad attack that segues into a layered, enveloping core, concluding with a long, spicy finish. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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96 Points! This superb wine boasts a dense and lovely ripe plum and blackberry fruit aroma with plenty of depth and substance. The tannins are supple and not at all astringent. The grapes come from several small organically farmed parcels near the top of the appellation close to Chambertin, blended with a bit of Mazoyères. They are vinified 75% as whole clusters, with a very gentle extraction before ageing in cask (one-third new). For maximum pleasure, age this for at least five years from release to allow it to open up. - Decanter Magazine

95+ Points! The 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru reveals the same seriousness it displayed in barrel. Unwinding in the glass with notes of cherries, dark berries, orange zest and petals, it's full-bodied, layered and enveloping, built around a chassis of sweet, powdery tannins and animated by lively acids. While this is generally the domaine's most immediate grand cru, the 2022 will nevertheless demand a bit of patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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95+ Points! 2021 delivered a creditable yield, thanks to late pruning and frost protection, and the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is one of the best I've tasted from Dugat-Py. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, citrus zest, hazelnut and struck match, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids, a seamless profile and a long, electric finish. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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91-93 Points! Derived from very old vines in Epointures, Combe du Dessus, Jouise and Les Marchais that produce tiny shot berries, even in a vintage such as this, Dugat-Py's 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur du Roy unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of peonies and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit and suave tannins, it will offer an unusually broad drinking window by the standards of this concentrated, structured bottling. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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96+ Points! The 2022 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru is taut and mineral, unwinding in the glass with a typically brooding bouquet of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of rose petals, spices, burning embers and beetroot. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a long, chalky finish, it will demand some patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! The Mazis from Dugat-Py is profound, if not as expressively open as other wines in the cellar, yet there is abundant substance here. The aromas are spicy and complex, with an impressive depth of flavour to the black plum fruit and a round, supple structure. The grapes are from 75-year-old vines in Mazis-Bas; with the next vintage, Loïc will add a cuvée of Mazis-Haut from a sharecropping agreement. The fruit is fermented as 90% whole clusters; ageing is in 50% new casks. - Decanter Magazine

 

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97 Points! Suave, elegant and calmly confident. A masterclass in high-definition winemaking where all the elements are presented harmoniously with structure, freshness, complexity and a wide expansive finish. Tannins are well integrated giving support to the shining black Cabernet fruit that has strength, power and concentration but delivered underneath the savoury salinity, liquorice spice and minerality. There’s something very special about this. I love the sense of discretion, a wine that knows it has star quality but it’s not shouting about it. Pure and poised - incredibly inviting! A great buy. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points!  Classically styled, restrained yet muscular, very much showing the linear identity of Duhart, pure and to the point, with cassis, blackberry, graphite, liquorice and slate-scrape tannins, rounded out by raspberry leaf and salt-tang minerality on the finish. The first full year of new cellar, excellent stuff from the team at DBR Lafite, technical director Eric Kohler. Harvest September 9 to 29 - Jane Anson

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96 Points! The tension here comes from chalky tannins and lovely tobacco, herbs, cedar and cigar-box character. Currants and blue fruits. It's medium-bodied with lovely fruit and light-citrus bitterness. Firm and intense with an excellent finish. One of the best Duharts I have tasted. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92-94 Points! Perhaps the single finest Echézeaux I tasted this trip, this wine has it all. Explosive fruit, staggering complexity and profoundly long, spicy, velvety flavors, this wine clearly demonstrates, without fear of contradiction, that Echézeaux can produce wines worthy of grand cru stature. The fact that it so rarely does is not an excuse for those who make lesser examples. - Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2001 

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92 Points! Plenty of savory fruit with tobacco and chocolate. Medium body. Creamy, fine texture. Juicy and delicious already. Blend of 52.5% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 2.5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! Bursts with juicy raspberry, mulberry and bitter cherry coulis flavors that stretch out lengthily, plus savory, red tea and rose petal notes that add energy and range. Shows a snap of red licorice and a singed apple wood frame on the finish while keeping its energy up. - Wine Spectator

93+ Points! The appellation wine and calling card of the house, the 2023 Chardonnay Wester Reach is fresh on the nose, with notes of light flint, lime zest, bright flowers, white pepper, and green apples. It has a compact feel but with electric energy and a fantastic oily citrus texture on the finish. It’s a blend from five vineyards and was aged for 12 months in 20% new oak barrels. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

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93 Points! Another impressive and overperforming Dunites release is the 2024 Dune Song, a blend of 62% Syrah and 38% Grenache from Hi Kite and Rancho Arroyo Grande, respectively. A classic and lovely bouquet of black fruit, purple flowers and crushed stones introduces a palate that melds spongy density with tensile focus, culminating in a soaring, mouthwatering finish laced with streaks of minerality and spice-driven nuances. This is a uniquely refined and alluring expression of the San Luis Obispo Coast, to be enjoyed through its first decade. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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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

96 Points! Rich but very refined and layered, showing spot-on ripeness, the basis for finesse and complexity. Nuanced paprika, minerals, cocoa powder and cigar box with currants and berries. Intense and perfumed, showing fine, dusty tannins and a tight-grained, lengthy finish. Give it three years to soften more, and it will shine. Drink from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2022 Durfort-Vivens is a wild, exotic wine that very much shows the natural opulence of the year. Super-ripe dark red/purplish fruit, pomegranate and sweet spice are front and center. There’s a bit more Merlot in this year’s blend, and that seems to come through in the wine’s overall fruit intensity. The final blend is project to be 70% new oak and 30% amphora, but the sample I tasted was only taken from oak components, as the wine had only been racked into amphora shortly prior to this tasting. Drinking window : 2030-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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94 Points! This is an organic blend of fruit from six MGA sites: Terlo and Liste (in Barolo), Ravera di Monforte and Mosconi (in Monforte d’Alba) and Gabutti and Baudana (in Serralunga d’Alba). The 2018 Barolo Via Nuova is fermented in steel and aged in oak according to time-tested local tradition. This mid-weight blended Barolo has a more prominent herbal or balsam signature at the back of red and purple fruits, licorice and pressed violet. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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94 Points! This distinctive version is rich and ripe, as well as lively and zesty, with a burst of blueberry, raspberry and black currant flavors that mesh nicely with a vibrant set of sweet bay leaf, violet and sassafras notes. The fruit and savory sides race through the finish, where a subtle iron note emerges. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. - Wine Spectator

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95 Points! The 2022 Cabernet Franc is high-toned, fresh, and mineral-driven, with supple tannin and unobtrusive oak. Medium-bodied, it's well put together and a screaming value for the modest price. This will age well given its natural mouthwatering acidity and firm structure; cellar through 2037. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93+ Points! Sourced from Gualtallary's Adrianna Vineyard, the 2022 Cabernet Franc contains 10% Malbec and underwent a 60-day maceration and aged for 15 months in a mix of foudre, barrique and tank. Opening with a dark-fruited, floral and spice-inflected nose, the palate offers dramatic richness tempered by a sturdy, upright, mineral-driven core. It concludes with an explosive, long and layered finish that balances vibrant energy and staining intensity. This is a strikingly overperforming example of the variety that should develop beautifully in the cellar. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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96 Points! Salty and spicy, with aromas of ginger, cardamom, lemons and sea salt. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, sharp and pungent, with a precise, saline character. Rich, focused and delicious. From grapes grown in Gualtallary. Fermented and aged in French oak, of which 35% was new. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay El Enemigo comes from Gualtallary, Uco Valley. Aged in 500-liter French oak barrels, it opens with green apple, chamomile, white peach, herbs and a subtle vermouth note. Dry, compact and saline, the oak broadens the palate where richness is otherwise restrained. The 2023 is a modern, refined profile for Gualtallary Chardonnay in a warm vintage. - Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous

94 Points!  Ale Vigil is partial to a touch of flor in his top whites, as long as it occurs naturally in the winery. This left-field Gualtallary Chardonnay is savoury, spicy and slightly salty, with a brine-like top note, lovely texture, subtle 35% new wood, hints of aniseed and wild thyme and a core of beeswax and citrus zest. - Tim Atkin, MW

93 Points!  The 2023 Chardonnay derives from Adrianna Vineyard, was vinified in 500-liter barrique and incorporates some biological aging and a small portion of a five-year-old solera. Leading with a bright, citrus-driven nose bolstered by an elegant nutty richness, the palate is vibrant, textural and seamless, concluding with a succulent and nuanced finish. As with the whole El Enemigo range, this offers a fantastic value that entirely transcends the price point. - Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com

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95 Points! This has blackberries, asphalt, violets and subtle wood on the nose. The palate is angular, sharp and precise, with lots character, a touch of pepper and a focused finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! There's an inviting nose of pure plum fruit and fresh cherry in the 2022 Malbec, which shows lovely balance and a supple, smooth texture. It has a kick of power around its medium-bodied frame that never overwhelms but makes for a lengthy finish of memorable spice and herb. Enjoy through 2032. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! The 2022 Malbec hails from Adrianna Vineyard, contains 10% Cabernet Franc and was fermented entirely whole clusters before maturing for 15 months in foudre, tank and barrel. The bouquet starts with a poised interplay between herbal and floral elements, with a core of black fruits, followed by a rich, fluid and seamless palate. It concludes with an intensely savory, earth-tinged finish framed with grippy, refined tannins. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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95 Points! This has blackberries, asphalt, violets and subtle wood on the nose. The palate is angular, sharp and precise, with lots character, a touch of pepper and a focused finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! There's an inviting nose of pure plum fruit and fresh cherry in the 2022 Malbec, which shows lovely balance and a supple, smooth texture. It has a kick of power around its medium-bodied frame that never overwhelms but makes for a lengthy finish of memorable spice and herb. Enjoy through 2032. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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95 Points! The 2018 El Cismático was produced with old-vine Garnacha from the villages of Villarroya de la Sierra and Cervera de la Cañada, four small vineyards. It fermented in open-top vats with 20% full clusters and was punched down by hand. They wine matured in second use 500-liter French oak barrels and some concrete for 13 months. As a lot of the reds are completely unoaked, this felt quite oaky and creamy, one that needs a little more time in bottle to absorb the impact from the wood. The wine is floral, expressive, showy and exuberant, peachy and juicy, with very fine tannins, with good acidity and balanced alcohol, harmonious, reflecting a slow and good ripening of the grapes. Most of these reds are showy and exuberant, not shy wines at all, generous and hedonistic. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com Learn More

92-94 Points! The 2021 Chablis Le Bas de Chapelot comes across quite closed on the nose, though Edouard Vocoret mentioned how this cuvée has closed down at the time of my visit. The palate is complex with touches of apricot and white peach, plenty of minerals and flint, focused with a long tail on the finish. This is apparently mercurial during its barrel maturation but this bodes well. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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