Wines

96 Points! Elegant, soft, silky, and sensuous, the wine is rich, ripe and almost over-flowing with waves of polished, sweet, fresh, plums, dark cherries, licorice, 5 spice, espresso bean, and dark chocolate on the backend. Over the past few years, they have really picked up the volume here at Chateau Marquis d'Alesme. For a wine from the Margaux appellation at this level of quality and price, my tip of the day is, buy it! Drink from 2026-2050 - Jeff Leve, the Wine Cellar Insider

95 Points! Carefully constructed tannic architecture, moreish sapidity, crushed roses, blueberries, blackberries, edges of fennel and pomegranate, love it. Real grip, length and balance. Harvest September 26 to October 12. - Jane Anson

95 Points! The 2019 Marquis d'Alesme Becker was very impressive from barrel. Now in bottle, it has retained those engaging aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and a pinch of spice, well defined and quintessentially Margaux. The palate is understated on the entry, smooth and sensual in texture, with gorgeous, very pure red fruit. I adore the harmony of this wine, and the way it sashays toward the finish. Deceptively approachable, this will mature beautifully in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media Learn More

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

94 Points! Blackberries and pencil shavings with blueberries and dark chocolate follow through to a medium body with a solid core of pretty fruit and a polished and refined palate. The tannin structure is very impressive, yet there is an underlying freshness. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2022 Château Marquis De Terme is brilliant stuff, with a richly textured, concentrated, medium to full-bodied style. Ripe darker currants, scorched earth, graphite, and lead pencil nuances all define the aromatics, and it's balanced, with a pure, layered mouthfeel and ripe tannins. It ranks with the finest vintages of this cuvée to date. Give bottles 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Lush in its fruit, with waves of dark currant and blackberry reduction, this also shows form thanks to alder, tobacco and savory accents providing cut, while rose hip and dried violet notes add lift. Offers a long, smoldering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. - Wine Spectator

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

94 Points! A saturated ruby red color, the 2023 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa is savory and has an intriguing nose with notes of cedar, red berries, and baked earth. The acidity is incredible on this wine, which has a salty feel and bright, shining fruit. This is a great value. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Plump and jammy yet well-sculpted, this Zin offers rich and generous flavors of black cherry and raspberry laced with bittersweet mocha, savory pepper and anise notes as this builds polish toward plush tannins. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The 2023 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch comes from vines planted in 2000. The nose is bursting with intense red fruit: cranberry, rhubarb and raspberry are accented by touches of forest floor and spice. The palate is just as generous, its concentrated, spicy flavors framed by soft tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a very long, layered finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

94 Points! Sleek and jammy, this vibrant red offers rich cherry, raspberry, mocha and anise flavors that finish with plump and polished tannins. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! Cloves, dark fruit, leather and savory complexity. Youthful, velvety tannins with crisp acidity, a full body and a spicy finish full of blond tobacco and coffee grounds. Drinkable after a year or two, but best from 2031. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, the Mazzei 2021 Philip is soft and richly textured with all sorts of blackberry and black fruit aromas packed inside. These come through with special intensity in this balanced vintage. The wine style is contemporary and easily accessible for an international palate. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

94 Points! I love the nose of violets and blueberries. The delicate spice notes make this really fascinating. A bold and structured wine, but only medium-bodied and with stacks of berry fruit wrapped around a firm core. Keeps pumping out the flavors in the long, emphatic finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! This enchanting wine boasts a lovely perfumed nose with hints of plummy fruit and floral notes on the initial attack, while the palate features an impressively sweet fruit character, a silky, very fine texture and rewarding length. Godard observed that her Moulin à Vent is normally the ‘ethereal’ one, but the Corcelette seems to have usurped that role in 2022. The grapes come from three parcels in lieu-dit Bellevue and one in Montillet that total 1.5 hectares. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Estate is exquisite. Floral and lifted, with striking precision, the Melville Chardonnay makes such a strong case for why Chardonnay is so ideally suited here. Lemon confit, jasmine and light tropical inflections are some of the notes that grace this sublimely elegant white. Bright acids pull it all together on the finish. I would give the 2023 six months to a year in bottle, as it is pretty tightly wound at this stage. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! Ripe lemon and citrus fruits, some minty herbs, and chalky minerality all emerge from the 2023 Chardonnay Estate Sta. Rita Hills, a clean, vibrant, focused Chardonnay that has solid acidity, beautiful overall balance and texture, and a great finish. The estate comes all from the Melville Vineyard and was raised in neutral oak, hitting 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.27. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Energetic, sleek and vibrant, with pineapple, lemon curd and pomelo notes up front. Touches of fresh ginger, crunchy sea salt and orange blossoms linger on the finish alongside details of matcha and white pepper. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Melville's Estate Pinot Noir combines 17 different Pinot Noir clones from its Sta. Rita Hills AVA estate. Nearly half of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, with just over half de-stemmed into small open-top fermenters. Skin and stem contact averages 30 days, with a 7-day cold soak, more than two weeks of fermentation and one week of extended maceration. Aged sur lie in neutral French oak barrels without sulfur for around 11 months. Deep ruby colour with violet hues. Such purity of fruit is framed by a wildly aromatic core of white pepper, paprika, clove, cedarwood, and smoked sea salt. All that aromatic personality erupts on the palate where all that skin contact layers in a kind of apple skin tannin that has a hefty grip but is nicely integrated and resolves through a current of blood orange acidity. Melville is dedicated to producing cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay grown exclusively in its estate vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with vines planted mostly on Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate was vinified with 40% whole clusters and matured in used oak. The nose is bursting with cranberry, pomegranate, mushrooms, woodsmoke and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has a core of earth and spice-laced fruit. It has a frame of chalky tannins and juicy acidity and a long, nuanced finish. -  Erin Brooks, robertparker.com, Jan 2024

94 Points! Bold, bright and vivid, packed with red and black fruit, savory black tea and dried mushroom notes. Fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged in neutral barrels. So floral, fragrant and lively. Moderate tannins and a medium body. Drink or hold.- JamesSuckling.com

93-95 Points! One of the highlights of the range this year is the 2020 Corton Grand Cru Les Perrières, a vibrant, mineral wine evocative of wild berries, forest floor, rich spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, with beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it's well worth seeking out. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

94 Points! Boasting a rich magenta/ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is classic and very much in the style lovers of this estate have come to expect. It’s ripe with notes of fresh black cherries, scorched earth, violets, and dark forest earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with sweet tannins and is generous without feeling heavy. Long on the finish and fully dry. It’s a very well-styled Pinot Noir from this challenging vintage that’s going to drink well over the next 6-8 years. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

93-94 Points! Plenty of deep, rich fruit with blackberries, tar and walnuts. Moss, too. It’s full and flavorful. Tannic and rich. Very intense. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

93-95 Points! A year-in, year-out value, the 2019 Château Monbousquet knocks it out of the park with its ripe, sexy, yet also elegant profile. Currants, black cherries, blueberries, toasted spice, chocolate, and a touch of minerality all define the bouquet, and it's beautifully balanced, has richness as well as elegance, and is unquestionably a stunning 2019! - Jeb Dunnuck

Expected ABV: Over 14%

94 Points! The second wine of Troplong Mondot, the 2018 Troplong Mondot Mondot come mostly from designated parcels and is 100% Merlot. It shows the new style of this estate beautifully and offers remarkable purity in its black raspberry and cassis fruits as well as complex notes of white flowers, violets, and spice. Medium-bodied, silky, and beautifully balanced, it has a terrific floral quality as well as ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and an attractive, chalky minerality on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A really sexy second wine from Troplong with black cherries and stone. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2022 Eneo is superb. Rich and expansive on the palate, the 2022 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, incense and espresso. There’s gorgeous mid-palate depth and plenty of textural richness, but in the more restrained style that informs these wines today. The long, silky finish is pure class. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Monteraponi follows a Burgundy-adjacent farming philosophy that seeks to carve out distinct identities for strong red and white wines. The top-shelf red from the estate is the organic 2018 Baron'Ugo, a blend of 90% Sangiovese with smaller parts Canaiolo and Colorino for more color and vibrant fruit flavors. This vintage delivers a very clean and polished execution, and there is plenty of freshness, thanks to vineyard positioning at a cool and breezy 560 meters in elevation on limestone alberese soils. The oak is woven in a delicate manner in this wine. Production is 6,600 bottles. This is a little treasure from Tuscany. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! A linear and racy young Cotes de Bordeaux with blueberry, mineral and crushed-stone character. Violets as well. Medium-bodied, refined yet structured. Plenty of energy here. Persistent finish. 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! From an estate purchased by the Durantou family in 2009, the 2022 Château Montlandrie comes from limestone and clay soils and is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 50% new French oak. It's another sensational wine in the lineup, and it exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue as well as textbook limestone-influenced aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, crushed stones, and flowers. I love its overall balance, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, seamless, layered mouthfeel, and sweet, present tannins. It will keep for 15+ years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Focussed and so fine, the tannins are beautifully detailed and so well integrated giving this bite and cool freshness straight away with a crushed stone flavour and texture on the palate. Feels crisp and fresh, blue fruits, mint and slate. Delicate and very fine, almost weightless with such a silky overall texture. Maybe missing a tad more density and plushness but there’s no faulting the cool aspects and well worked tannins. A nice easy juicy expression, really very approachable still with terroir markers and a sense of charm now. I love this, smooth, easy, refined. Classy and elegant. Ageing in 50% new oak. Harvest 8 September - 23 September. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

96 Points! The 2022 Chateau Montlandrie is made from 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak, 50% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gallops out with intense notes of wild blueberries, red currant jelly, and black raspberries, leading to hints of sandalwood, tar, and rose oil. The full-bodied palate is chock full of bright, energetic red and black fruit preserves flavors, framed by firm, grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long and minerally. Love it. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

94 Points! The 2022 Montlandrie is a powerful, driving wine. Beams of tannin and acid run through a core of bright red-toned fruit, lending notable energy and tension throughout. A wine of size and volume, Montlandrie offers tremendous intensity as well as vibrancy. Gorgeous. Drinking window : 2025-2037 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Produced in the magnificent new cellars at Montrose, this big, tannic wine is powerful and concentrated. It has something of the classic severity of a wine from this estate, but that's mitigated by the ripe, generous blackberry fruitiness and the final freshness of a 2012. A great success, to drink from 2022. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, May 2015

94 Points! From a blend of 37% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, Montrose managed to take advantage of the good weather that returned in October, and brought in its last grapes on 20 October. Its gravelly soil also meant it fared far better than the more clay-led St-Estèphe terroirs. Great structure with a wonderful floral aroma and touches of cedar, with good persistency. Astringency on the tannins suggests a good life ahead. - Decanter Magazine, Apr 2015 

94 Points! The 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.- Neal Martin, Vinous Media Feb 2022 

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