Wines

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

The best Syrah in South Africa? You be the judge. Her last reserve from 2018 was 97 points from Neal Martin and this one's better...

100 Points! Insane aromas of black currants, crushed stones, violets, and sweet dark tobacco. Black truffle. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and plush and chewy tannins that give tension and length. It reminds me of the 1975 La Mission Haut Brion because of the stone, iodine and purple fruits. Love. Made from 100% cabernet sauvignon. 883 cases produced. Needs four or five years to come together. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet from the Veeder Peak Estate at 548m on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains. This is a do-not-open wine for until at least 2026. Full-bodied with palate-arresting tannins that are super-compact, long, and so densely pixelated they etch themselves into every nook and cranny on the palate. Only a minute later does your mouth find release as this thread of crunchy acidity begins to sweep away the powerful tannins to reveal the underlying blue fruit and violet aromatics that are so beautifully pure and youthful. Simply put, tuck it away for several years and then, if you can, explore bottles every few years until your stash runs out. In the low-yielding 2021 vintage, the skin-to-juice ratio is such that this may prove to be one of the longest-lived Lokoya wines yet, given the intensity of the tannin and the freshness of the underlying acidity. Chris Carpenter makes the Lokoya wines, and the label is owned by the Jackson Family. The winemaking is the same for all the wines, with mostly native yeast fermentation, pump-overs by hand, malolactic fermentation in barrel and ageing for 22 months in 90% new French oak. Carpenter believes that fine Napa Valley Cabernet wines are not only defined by the soils of their sites but also by the Bay Area Pacific breezes that roll in and out daily, cooling the valley from the south to the north in the evenings and from the north to the south in the mornings. These mountains define cooling as any place in the valley and the diurnal temperature shifts at higher elevations create an equilibrium where climatic fluctuations aren't as pronounced as fruit grown below the fog lines. - Decanter Magazine

98+ Points! A massive, powerful, full-bodied beast of a wine that reminds me of a great vintage of Chateau Latour with its structure and regal character, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder offers a beautiful bouquet of blackberries, wild cherries, iron, spring flowers, and wild scrub brush. It's concentrated, has massive extract and richness, no shortage of tannins, and a huge finish. It's not for the instant gratification crowd and needs 7-8 years of bottle age, but it will see its 30th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! Bloody black and blue fruits, iron, leafy herbs, toasted spices, and dried tobacco all shine in the 2019 Heliotrope, a rocking blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Mourvèdre, and a little Cabernet Franc. It's beautifully balanced, has a ripe, lush mouthfeel, beautiful, velvety tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Savory berries, plums, iron, minerals, tobacco, ink and blood oranges. Very bright, juicy and structured, with sensational balance, aged savoriness and brightness that are typical of Tondonia reds. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2012 Viña Tondonia Reserva comes from a very dry year, with 25% less rain than the average (at the time), resulting in lower yields of very healthy grapes that delivered wines with nice balance between alcohol and polyphenols, making it very apt for the aging in barrel. It had a slightly longer élevage in barrel, six years. The wine is aromatic with a developed profile, spicy and tertiary (forest floor, a touch of brick dust and iodine), complex and nuanced. The palate is full and round, with polished tannins and a long, dry finish. It has a textbook Tondonia nose and profile. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Viña Tondonia can seem austere in its (comparative) youth, especially when compared with sweeter Bosconia, but this is a wine that will reward patience. Picked earlier to assuage the effect of a warmer site, this blend of Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo is structured and focused, with redcurrant, forest floor and green herb notes. Give it time. 2025-32. - Tim Atkins, MW

95 Points! The 2012 Viña Tondonia is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, cultivated on the meander of the Ebro River in Rioja Alta. This garnet wine reveals aromas of ash and plum marmalade, with a faintly herbal core and hints of oaky cedar. Dry and lean, the fairly chalky texture lingers long, concluding with a compact, flavorful and lasting finish. The 2012 is a beautiful old-school Rioja. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

95 Points! Delivers cherry, redcurrant, and blueberry aromas, with delicate spice from the oak. The palate is harmonious, with a pleasant texture and the accomplished freshness of a cool vintage. The firm, fine-grained tannins will come to the fore as this ages. A great wine in an exquisite Bordeaux style. Cabernet Sauvignon with the classic touch of 3% Syrah and for the first time, also 3% Cabernet Franc, enhancing its Bordeaux character with finesse. - Deacnter Magazine

95 Points! A ripe and fruit-expressive nose showing good generosity and complexity. Quince, ripe cherries and currants with subtle tobacco, dark spices and chili chocolate. Full-bodied and pretty expansive on the palate with fine, dusty tannins melting into the persistent finish. Really impressive length. It goes on and on. Juicy, firm yet really polished. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Ripe, very fresh and restrained aromas that are composed mostly of red berries and warm earth though there are background nuances of humus and floral wisps. The cool, pure and equally restrained middle weight flavors possess very good volume and mid-palate density before concluding in a dusty, youthfully austere and firmly structured finale. - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

94 Points! Coming from the Pisoni and Soberanes vineyards, the 2023 Chardonnay Estate Cuvée reveals classic aromas of buttered apple, spice, and sappy, floral, and honeyed, nutty nuances. Medium-bodied and round on the palate, it has a layered mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. Drink over the coming 4-6 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A sleek, elegant red, silky in texture and linear in profile. Rose, macerated cherry, strawberry, mineral and spice flavors abound, while a line of energetic tannins shows up on the long finish. This wine's purity and structure show the potential of the vintage. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Pretty nose of dried red flower and herb, then to a palate of dried raspberry, tar and fine grained tannins. - Decanter World Wine Awards

94 Points! Lots of prunes, figs and black dates here with dried persimmon, saffron, walnut, old books and caramel. This is bone-dry and tangy with lots of walnut on the palate. Intense, balanced and long with a nutty finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! The NV Amontillado Escuadrilla Solera Reserva which is over 15 years of age reveals some caramel notes, a touch of raisins, and an overall sweet sensation in the nose, complemented by the recurring hazelnut notes, while the palate is very dry, full-bodied, powerful and even has some tannin in the finish. Very persistent. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2008 Lynch Bages is brilliant stuff as well as a textbook Pauillac. Revealing a still youthful ruby/purple color as well as impressive notes of graphite, cedar pencil, cassis, tobacco, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, polished tannins, and a concentrated, layered texture. Jean-Charles Cazes described the vintage as late and great for Cabernet Sauvignon, and this beauty has classic Cabernet flair in spades. Powerful yet also fresh and elegant, it benefits from a decant and will continue drinking beautifully for another 20-30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2008 Lynch-Bages is deep in color with minor aging on the rim. The nose is well-defined but demands coaxing, almost reluctantly revealing blackberry, briary, tobacco and mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannins, lovely black fruit laced with tobacco and spice, dense and grippy. This is beautifully proportioned on the finish. Superb. Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94 Points! This is a luxurious wine that's opulently rich. Ripe black fruits dominate, lending fullness to the firm structure in the backdrop. It's a wine with great potential, density and weight. Touches of chocolate and licorice combine with flavors of dark plum, toast and spice. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, Feb 2014 

93 Points! A dense, chewy wine for the vintage, with plum, currant and blackberry character. Full body, polished tannic texture and a bright finish. Very pretty indeed. - JamesSuckling.com

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

99 Points, James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of the Year! A beautifully layered red with blackcurrant, hazelnut and lead-pencil character and fine, velvety tannins. Full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a tightly knit ball of polished tannins that are cashmere in texture. So very long and impressive. Give this time. A terrific Lynch. Better after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2023! Gorgeous from the start, with cassis and violet notes leading off, followed by additional waves of black cherry and blackberry fruit as well as sweet tobacco and iron. Shows subtle savory and cedar hints that stay in the background, as the iron note pierces through the fruit on the finish. Almost approachable for the fruit, but wait if you can. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A high percentage (75%) of new wood has given this wine a very fine polished character. Along with the structure, it has brought out impressive aromas of black fruits, cinnamon spice and power. The wine is has a fresh black-fruit aftertaste. - Wine Enthusiast

95 Points! Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2021 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful bouquet with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, retaining the estuarine element I remarked upon from barrel. The oak here is seamlessly integrated and gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very supple and focused, a little more peppery toward the finish with impressive grip and depth in context of the vintage. This is a superb achievement in a tricky season. Chapeau, Jean-Charles Cazes. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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

93-95 Points! The 2024 Lynch-Bages is packed. Cedar, scorched earth, licorice, incense and pipe tobacco weave through a core of dark, sepia-toned fruit. I especially admire the long, polished finish and overall balance here. The 2024 is a virile Lynch Bages with a bright future. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! This is a solid Pauillac with a medium to full body and chewy tannins that are polished and energetic . Plenty of blackcurrant, lemon and wet-earth character. A little tight at the end. Needs at least three or four years of bottle age to open. Will age very nicely. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! The 2019 Lynch-Moussas is a wild, potent wine. Dark red cherry, iron, smoke, espresso, licorice, leather and mint convey intensity and virile power. The 2019 is deep and fleshy, at times a bit rustic too, but long on character. I would give it a few years in bottle first. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Mostly Clairette (there’s 20% Grenache Blanc), the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Bernardine Blanc has a gorgeous array of ripe pears, honeyed tangerines, white flowers, and a wonderful sense of stony minerality. This all carries to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured, and flawlessly balanced white with integrated acidity and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Full, expressive nose of candied citrus, dried pear and vanilla that pulls you into this very structured, full-bodied white Chateauneuf, which has energetic acidity for this hot and dry vintage. The positive, fine tannins really help to drive this cuvee with clairette from the extreme east of the appellation and grenache blanc from the extreme west. This was vinified in a mix of demi-muid and foudre oak casks. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! A well-rounded. textural and succulent white with notes of fresh lemons, blanched almonds, sage and some stones. It’s medium-bodied with a mineral drive. Succulent green apple character, with a positive bitterness throughout. It’s precise, lively and textured with a salivating, floral finish. Drink or hold. - jamessuckling.com

93 Points! Prominent quince, white peach, vanilla, melon, candy, apricot jam, cedar and pastry introduce the 2022 Condrieu Invitare. Viscously textured and offering excellent purity of fruit, the 2022 is neatly balanced by moderate levels of soft acidity. Offering a little more ripeness and expression than the 2021, this complex 2022 Condrieu should drink well over the next three years. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media

94 Points! A well-rounded. textural and succulent white with notes of fresh lemons, blanched almonds, sage and some stones. It’s medium-bodied with a mineral drive. Succulent green apple character, with a positive bitterness throughout. It’s precise, lively and textured with a salivating, floral finish. Drink or hold. - jamessuckling.com

93 Points! Prominent quince, white peach, vanilla, melon, candy, apricot jam, cedar and pastry introduce the 2022 Condrieu Invitare. Viscously textured and offering excellent purity of fruit, the 2022 is neatly balanced by moderate levels of soft acidity. Offering a little more ripeness and expression than the 2021, this complex 2022 Condrieu should drink well over the next three years. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media