Wines

96 Points! Rich and dense aromatics, lovely black cherry and dried flowers, the Cabernet Franc bringing all the aromas. Supple and smooth, so alive in the mouth yet this has density and depth, something to chew on. It’s not plush, but there’s texture from start to finish, with delicacy and finesse to the expression. A highly drinkable Angélus that has really benefited from dialling back on the power. Great freshness and precision, while feeling as if it will age well. Impressively keeps the structure and density but with energy. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points! This is so delicious, with lovely focused cherries, flowers, dried sandalwood and some Indian spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and just a touch of wood to the pure fruit and a subtle and refined finish. 40% merlot and 60% cabernet franc, the most cab franc in a long time. - JamesSuckling.com

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

97-98 Points! Very classy, the transparency of this Angelus giving brilliance to the pure fruit in such a difficult growing season. Medium-bodied, it has a compacted palate and creamy, polished tannins. Very melted and harmonized. Dark cherries, raspberries and orange peel come through beautifully with some stones. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

94-96 Points! A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc aging 50% (Cabernet Franc) in foudre and the rest in new oak, the 2024 Château Angélus has a deeper ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and flowers. It's wonderfully pure, has medium-bodied richness, a focused yet incredibly elegant mouthfeel, and ultra-fine tannins. It's a beautiful, classy Angélus that might surprise with its longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! There’s extraordinary energy in this wine. It displays a dark nose of black cherries, bramble fruit, violets, forest, licorice, bark, carob and leather. Density and tension dominate the full-bodied palate, with firm, velvety tannins. It’s slightly austere in the finish at the moment, yet it’s crunchy and full of potential. Try from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2022 Tignanello is all class and refinement. Crushed flowers, mint, white pepper, blood orange and cinnamon all grace a Tignanello defined by a decidedly sophisticated personality. The 2022 has started to flesh out nicely, especially in the mid-palate, but it remains very much on the understated side of things relative to most vintages. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points! Tignanello in 2022 is a blend of 78% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Pot-pourri-infused red and black berry aromas introduce a succulent palate of good intensity. It's well balanced and bright, with cashmere tannins supporting a core of sapid hedgerow berries outlined by crushed rock minerality and bitter herbs. The finish is slightly disjointed, displaying a touch of alcohol warmth and wood which is yet to fully integrate, but given time it should come good. - James Button, Decanter Magazine

96 Points! The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and matured for 18 months in 55% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple, it has alluring scents of Morello cherries and blueberries accented by wafts of laurel leaves, allspice and cocoa. Medium-bodied and firm yet velvety, it's ripe yet more restrained than previous vintages, offering classy oak spice and surprising drinkability. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

96 Points! Absolutely superb, this 2003 is drinking beautifully. This blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot from the famous hillside Eisele Vineyard in northeast Napa Valley tips the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol. Gorgeously fresh black currant and black raspberry notes intermixed with spring flowers and forest floor jump from the glass from one of the most aromatically complex wines of the vintage. Medium to full-bodied with sweet fruit, velvety, melted, integrated tannin, a round, generous mouthfeel and no evidence of oak, this is a classy, elegant as well as substantial beauty that continues to age well. It may even be superior to Araujo’s 2002, which, on paper, is a better vintage. The seductive, alluring 2003 should remain at this level for another 5-8 years, but there is no reason to defer your gratification. Bravo! - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2013

96 Points! A complex nose of smoke, grilled meats, dark fruits, asphalt, and lead pencil. Full bodied, with super fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long complex and fruity finish. This is all about complexity and finesse. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Good full ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of deep black raspberry, licorice and violet; quite expressive considering it was bottled about a month prior to my visit. Then dense, deep and very primary, with powerful yet suave flavors of blackberry, smoke, licorice, minerals, chocolate and earth spreading out to saturate the palate. An infant today but the wine's superb persistence and finishing perfume suggest it will rank among the best vintages of this bottling. If there is ever a classification of Napa Valley cabernet vineyards, the Eisele Vineyard would clearly be a grand cru. - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

90 Points! Supple and vibrant, with aromatic orange blossom, peach and cantaloupe accents that glide on the finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

90 Points! A fresh and fruity white with aromas of sliced apples, fresh pears, lemons and peach pits. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a clean, bright palate. Juicy peach notes. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Expressive and sleekly built, with floral raspberry and cherry flavors laced with cinnamon and dusky spices. Finishes with medium-grained tannins. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! This is very structured and linear with currants, blackberries, dried citrus, chocolate and some smokiness. It’s full-bodied, but very tight and structured. Flavorful finish. Try after 2024. - James Suckling

91 Points! This year, the 2019 Sologarnacha Amphora Aging was produced with grapes from a vineyard planted in 2017. It's "only" 13.5% alcohol (most of the other wines are much higher in alcohol) and has a perfumed and floral nose, showing some lightness after a short maceration to keep the more ethereal part of the variety. The wine matured in a clay tinaja for five months. Only 295 bottles were filled in July 2020. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

96 Points! Produced from a blend of three vineyard sites on the Sonoma Coast, this floral, seductively gamy Syrah highlights a piercing raspberry and cherry intensity etched with hints of rust and smoke. It is a bright-eyed yet complex and satisfying wine with a stirring backbone acidity. Remarkably powerful for just 12% abv. - Decanter Magazine

90 Points! Truth in advertising, the 2022 Skin Contact Chenin Blanc offers a fresh and leesy expression with notes of yellow apples and hints of arugula and lemon skin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate displays surprising depth and a pleasing texture. The wine ends with a spicy, mineral-laced finish and a lingering kiss of phenolic bitterness. - Anthony Mueller, robertparker.com

98 Points! Tasting this very powerful and concentrated Cornas is like listening to a piece of organ music when the bass kicks in. Very meaty. A wealth of blackberry aromas unfurls as it aerates in the glass. More than enough fruit and flesh to wrap around the imposing core of beautifully crafted tannins. The deep bass notes echo on and on in the compelling finish. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! No Renaissance was produced in this vintage. Reminding me of the 2017, the 2022 Cornas reveals gorgeous red and black fruits, violets, bouquet garni, and gamey, iron-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a gorgeous finish. This is well worth your time and money, and I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades. This is another beautiful lineup from the Clape family. The 2023s are supple and upfront, with terrific depth of fruit. Due to tiny yields, no Renaissance cuvée was produced in 2022, and the Grand Vin is brilliant stuff, with a sunny yet concentrated, structured style that reminds me of the estate's 2017. These are beautiful, classic Cornas that readers will love. In addition, don't miss their Saint-Péray, a fresher, crisp, absolutely delicious white. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A tasting of various barrel samples suggests that the 2022 vintage here will be very good, if not necessarily the most powerful year. The fruit is quite dark in character and there's a good sense of purity if not the same freshness as 2021 or 2020, or the grandeur of 2019. Nonetheless, an excellent wine and a fairly typical expression of Clape Cornas. Tannins are ripe and elegant. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! I’m still looking forward to tasting the great Château Ausone of Saint-Émilion later this week, but in the meantime I’m thinking back to this great 1998 I had this summer. In fact, it looks like 2014 was the antithesis of 1998, a year that saw the Right Bank and the early-ripening-merlot-dominated blends triumph over the Left Bank; as I’ve just written, I believe 2014 is showing much better for cabernet sauvignon and the Right Bank. Even so, this was tight and powerful with hints of cream and blueberries. It was full and pretty with firm tannins. On the finish it was so long and intense. Some balsamic and dried fruit undertones. It’s only beginning to open up now. - JamesSuckling.com, 2016

96 Points! On the nose, this refined and silky wine shows violets, raspberries, blackcurrants and crushed stone. Medium-bodied, with cocoa and sandalwood. The center palate is deep and flavorful, solid fruit and a wonderful texture going long and horizontal. It makes you smile. Drinkable now but better in a year or two. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Perfumed nose, full of pot pourri, scented flowers, dried raspberries and cherries. Really quite evocative, maybe in a vertical you'd pick this out from the nose but it smells wonderful and rich with cool blueberries. Round and charming, this is gorgeously soft, tannins are so inviting, caressing the mouth, not deep at all, this is delicate and primed to float across the tongue, registering the flavours but no heaviness. Almost ethereal in its performance. Really very delicious, full of flavour and character. Gorgeous styling and only got better after half an hour in the glass. Succulent, mineral, graphite, limestone touches on the finish remind you where you are. - Decanter Magazine

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

97-98 Points! A really classic Ausone, reminiscent of the great ones of the 1980s. Medium-bodied, it has such clarity and brightness and length. Purity and precision with drive and focus from superb viticulture and winemaking. A blend of 65% cabernet franc and 35% merlot. - James Suckling

94-97 Points! A classic blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot resting in new barrels, the 2024 Château Ausone sports a vivid ruby hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, subtle cassis, graphite, sappy flowers, and lead pencil. It's gorgeous on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, focused, remarkably elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and perfectly integrated oak. This classy, perfumed, sensationally elegant Ausone will drink nicely with just a few years of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-96 Points! The 2024 Ausone is pure sensuality. Intensly perfumed, pliant and silky on the palate, Ausone is haunting in its beauty. All the elements are so well balanced. Black cherry, lavender, mocha, espresso and exotic spice overtones all take shape in the glass. A wine of understated depth, the 2024 is impressive. Even in the early going, the 100% new oak is not at all evident, suggesting a wine with superior balance. The blend is 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

96 Points! The 2022 Château Barde-Haut checks in as the usual blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was brought up 50 to 60% new barrels, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels, with a small amount in tank. Gorgeous black raspberries, blue fruits, smoky tobacco, violets, and crushed stone all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a silky, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s not far off the style of the 2020 (and 2010), and is a rocking little Saint-Emilion to enjoy over the coming 20+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2022 Chateau Barde Haut is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with powerful scents of baked red and black plums and menthol, leading to hints of tobacco leaf and incense. The full-bodied palate is rich and juicy with firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness to give lift to the long opulent finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

96 Points! The 2022 Barde-Haut is gorgeous. Rich and explosive, the 2022 offers up copious notes of blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, mint and licorice, with pretty jasmine overtones that add exotic beauty. The tannins here are often a bit burly, but in the 2022 much of that is softened. This is an impressive showing. Drinking window : 2027-2042 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media