Wines

96 Points! Black berry, pine nut, bark and dark mushroom aromas follow through to a medium body with creamy tannins that caress the palate and give a complexity and subtlety at the finish. Extremely fine velvety texture here. A beauty for the vintage. Drink in three or four years. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! Highly aromatic scents of ripe cherry and dark berries, singed plum, cured tobacco and succulent herbs, with a vanilla undertone. Sweet, expansive and powerful, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors with smoke and floral accents. Rich and full but surprisingly lively, with excellent finishing thrust and sweet, harmonious tannins adding grip. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect; this is a somewhat approachable and exotic Unico, especially with some air, but it has the concentration to age slowly. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous

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100 Points! A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, TheWineIndependent

99 Points! Composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. - Jeb Dunnuck

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100 Points! The 2019 Le Désir is just as stunning as the first time I tasted it from bottle. It's pure and layered, with alluring scents of Morello cherries, dried mushrooms, cigars, sage and aniseed wafting from the glass. The palate strikes a fine balance of concentrated fruit, loads of powdery tannins, and energetic bursts of fresh acidity. It has a deep core of concentrated, perfumed fruit with the first faint touches of umami character and a long finish driven by floral and iron tones. I can't get enough of this wine. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

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95 Points! With fruit from La Morra, the mid-weight 2018 Barolo Brunate shows a pretty softness and a delicate side with dried rose, lilac and blue flower. The wine completes malolactic fermentation in barrique and is later moved into large oak casks for aging. This dual oak treatment is part of Vietti's secret recipe for producing the silky tannins and fine texture you taste here. A production of 4,493 bottles, the wine is recognized by that distinctive aromatic finale of licorice and balsam herb. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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95 Points! Vietti is one of a handful of estates to bring the Ravera MGA of Novello to the current popularity it enjoys now. Their 2018 Barolo Ravera has a smoky personality with crushed stone and pencil shavings. There is plenty of dark fruit at the back, ripe cherry and blackberry mostly, and the wine is tonic and firm in terms of its structure and tannins. The Ravera is a wine of enormous length and a finely tuned texture. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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97 Points! This wine is graceful and delicate, with a clarity and beauty showing aromas of mushrooms, bark, forest floor and violets. Cherries and raspberries, too. Medium-bodied with silky, ultra-fine tannins, it runs long and true. Very crunchy and full of acid tension, this has historical character but is still modern and brilliant. 77% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon. - JamesSuckling.com

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98 Points! In spite of its extreme youth, this great Chateuneuf-du-Pape leaps out at you with its depth of wet-earth, ripe red-berry and dried-flower aromas. Rich and concentrated, but so suave and refined. Incredible length! Already delicous, but this has a great future ahead of it. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A classic blend (yet with a touch more Mourvèdre due to tiny yields), the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 65% Grenache, 15% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault and other varieties, aged 20-22 months in 60-hectoliter French oak foudres. A gorgeous wine, it shows the ultra-classic style of this domaine perfectly with ripe red and black berries, peppery garrigue, flowers, and an undeniably mineral character. Medium to full-bodied, with a fresh, focused mouthfeel, ripe and building tannins, and outstanding length, it offers pleasure today yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 20-30 years if you're so inclined. - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! Delicate and perfumed, with floral hints of white pepper and raspberry, then on to a palate of refined red fruit and spice. - Decanter World Wine Awards

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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

98 Points! A blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Villemaurine is killer stuff, offering black raspberries, black cherries, violets, floral notes, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, pure, deep, and seamless, it’s layered and rich yet incredibly balanced, with fine tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. Huge minerality and a liquid rock-like character make this a stunning effort. Aged for 16 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 30+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine, 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, is very deep purple black in color. It has a wonderfully fragrant nose of candied violets, cinnamon, cloves, and Sichuan pepper with a powerful core of blueberry pie and black cherries. The full-bodied palate is dense and muscular, with black and blue fruit layers supported by a refreshing backbone and soft tannins, finishing with an exotic spice lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

95 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine is an absolute joy. Rich and opulent to the core, the 2022 packs a serious punch. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, cloves, menthol and licorice infuse the 2022 with tremendous depth. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. Villemaurine is a big, heady wine, but all the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

 

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95 Points! Mostly Merlot (there's roughly 20% Cabernet Franc), the 2019 Château Valandraud Virginie De Valandraud from the Thunevin team reveals a deep purple hue to go with a brilliant nose of spiced currants, black cherries, new saddle leather, Provençal herbs, and subtle floral nuances. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and a great finish. It's the finest vintage for this cuvée I've tasted, surpassing the 2015, 2016, and 2018. It's going to drink brilliantly for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2019 Virginie de Valandraud is wonderfully deep and super-expressive. Red plum, raspberry jam, espresso, crushed rocks, rose petal, lavender and tobacco build into the richly textured, resonant finish. This explosive, flavorful Saint-Émilion has a ton to offer. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character on the nose, following through nicely to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh finish. Tight at the end, suggesting more to come with bottle age. Hints of mushrooms and earth. Second wine of Valandraud. Hint of wood at the end that will dissipate with age. Drink after 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

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90 Points! The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Torres Family Vineyard displays a pale silver/straw color and was raised in a fresh style, without the use of oak. It’s forward on the nose, with notes of salted grapefruit, chive, tropical flowers, and melon. Spritely and medium-bodied, it retains its driving intensity on the palate and has a zesty finish. It’s a potent but strong offering with a lot of value to drink over the next couple of years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is produced from grapes purchased from Jesse, Walter Hansel Winery’s General Manager.  Jesse hand selects a small portion of the vineyard and reduces yields to enhance the flavors.  The grapes are pressed; settled in tank for 10 days; and then fermentation begins.  We reduce the temperature to encourage extending the fermentation for greater mouthfeel.

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96 Points! Pale silver/yellow in hue and coming from Mount Pisgah Polk County, the 2023 Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard turns up the intensity with notes of lime oil, crushed flint, starfruit, and subtle spice. Medium-bodied and saturating on the palate, the acidity is present but even, offering a graceful tension. The finish carries elegant notes of white peach and candied lime. A beautiful, expressive wine to drink 2025-2040. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! Yet another exhilarating and finely etched Chardonnay from Ken Pahlow, this one from the Freedom Hill Vineyard. Classic Walter Scott reduction on the nose, with serious salinity and smoky, chipped flint announcing this wine's mineral core, which buoys the intense grilled lemon wedge.The palate has verve and plays off the briny and smoky minerality. - Decanter Magazine

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95 Points! This is a step up, with lushly textured flavors of crushed plum, currant preserves and mulled black cherry driving along nicely, underscored by licorice, black tea and warm earth. Even with the earthy flash, this stays refined and focused, with latent energy on the finish as well. No rush here, either. Drink now through 2040. - Wine Spectator, 2023

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95 Points, Wine Spectator's #8 Wineof the Year 2025! Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints amid the glistening fruit. Best from 2026 through 2036. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little tight now, but it opens in the glass. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points, Wine Spectator's #8 Wineof the Year 2025! Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints amid the glistening fruit. Best from 2026 through 2036. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little tight now, but it opens in the glass. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! Exuberant aromatics rise to the fore in the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate Grown, which blends estate grapes from the Nash Mill and Abel vineyards in Anderson Valley's Deep End into a heady concoction of smoky game, earthy floral intensity, and crisp, crunchy cranberry. Smooth and seductive, this small-production red is medium-bodied in mouthfeel but energetic in acidity. Drink now through 2033. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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92 Points! Features friendly violet, cassis and black cherry notes woven with perfumed sandalwood and cedar threads. Offers savory and iron accents that fill out the finish, with a late echo of loam. Nicely done. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

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95 Points! For this light-bodied category this has a remarkable concentration of stone fruit, honeysuckle and slate character. But it’s the combination of this with the elegance of the mineral acidity that makes it stand out. Glides over your palate in the very graceful finish. Fermented and matured in two 1,000-liter Fuder barrels, of which one was new. Drink or hold. - Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com

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93-95 Points! Matured with 20% whole bunch and the same level of new oak, the 2018 Pommard Les Rugiens 1er Cru has an elegant, refined bouquet that gradually unfurls to reveal blackberry, briar and light wild strawberry scents, the stems lending a little pepperiness. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and very well-judged acidity. Delivers impressive tension and structure toward the linear, very persistent finish. This is an outstanding Les Rugiens, one of the best you will find this vintage. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media Learn More