Wines

100 Points! The head-turning 2022 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon has 10% Mach One Vineyard fruit blended in, with the remainder coming from the famed Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The nose is beyond alluring with toasted walnut and gorgeous purple rose petals that combine with boysenberry cordial, Turkish coffee and shades of dark licorice. The crazy complex aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Pillowy and opulent on the mouth, the seamless texture leads alongside outstanding weight and finesse.  This is a perfect wine in a vintage that shows what can be accomplished in a slightly cooler year. Savor this remarkable achievement over the next twenty plus years to come. - Owen Bargreen

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WS Top 100 2021 #45

97 Points! Juicy and muscular, with a ball of plum paste, warmed fig compote and black currant reduction flavors that need time to unwind. Ample graphite- and bramble-accented grip underscores the fruit on the finish, while a ganache note finds room to strut its stuff in the end. Should be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2030 through 2055. - Wine Spectator

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92 Points! A blend of Wenzlau, La Rinconada and Bentrock aged in a mixture of barrique and puncheon, the 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvée is fresh, tangy and flinty on the nose. The palate is svelte and succulent, lined with taut acidity supported by a gentle creaminess. The finish is balanced between lift and depth, slowly unfolding with additional layers of richness and salinity with aeration. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

91 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvée is bright and beautifully focused. Citrus, white flowers, slate and white pepper are all beautifully delineated throughout. The clean, saline finish is a thing of beauty. The Cuvée is a blend from La Rinconanda, Wenzlau and Bentrock. I very much admire the energy here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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97 Points! Very complex, showing enticing aromas of nougat, dried apples and flint at first, turning to floral notes of lilacs and honeysuckle with a hint of smoke. Medium-bodied with some oily texture, it has a creamy yet refined palate and a steely mineral aftertaste. Vibrant and featherlight yet concentrated. So excellent to drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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91 Points! A juicy and berry-oriented Rioja with a stony edge to the black cherries and plums. Firm, bright and pretty succulent on the palate with medium body. Well-balanced even though it is not complex. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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98 Points! Originally a part of the legendary Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house, Rare is moving their Champagne Millésime to a new brand and want it to stand alone. (Think Delamotte and Salon.) The 13th vintage for this cuvée, the 2013 Champagne Millésime is a blend is 70% Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir, with the majority of the blend coming from the Montagne de Reims Grand Cru and Premier Cru. A bright yellow hue, its aromatics are exquisite and well-balanced, with fresh notes of key lime, candied apple, fresh croissant dough, fresh pineapple, and honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with a rounded and supple texture and a pillowy mousse. It’s long on the palate and has a silky personality as well as a long, pristine finish. It has fantastic balance of decadence and freshness, and I could drink this all day. It’s going to have a long drinking window. Drink 2024-2044 and beyond. Disgorged December 2022. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

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92 Points! Light, green-tinged yellow. Mineral-accented aromas and flavors of candied orange, pear, white flowers and ginger. Juicy and precise, presenting lively citrus and orchard fruit flavors underscored by chalky minerality. Dry and incisive on the finish, which shows outstanding clarity and persistence. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous

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95 Points! Black berry, black cherry and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, with chewy tannins that are polished and fresh. Linear and racy at the end. A crisp and solid young Bordeaux. Give this three or four years to come around. Best after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2021 Rauzan-Ségla is impressive. Dark, somber and brooding, the 2021 offers up a heady concoction of black cherry, plum, graphite, new leather, scorched earth, game and tar, all amplified in a dramatic, super-classic Margaux. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. I loved this en primeur, and I love it just as much today. Élevage made all the difference here. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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98 Points! The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full-bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid-palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7-8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3-4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with walnuts and hints of tar that follow through to a medium to full body with plush and velvety tannins and a lovely, caressing mouthfeel. It closes up at the end. Extremely long, pure and structured. Classic 72% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot and 2% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

97-99 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Rauzan-Segla is made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% of it new. A little swirling unleashes an explosion of black and red currant jelly, wild blueberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of violets, underbrush, and crushed rocks with a touch of star anise. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house and crafted like a Chanel suit, with a firm backbone of super-ripe, grainy tannins and impressive tension supporting a gorgeous array of floral, spice, and black fruit layers, finishing very long and with impeccable grace. pH 3.7. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

97+ Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is a classy, elegant wine. Even so, the 2022 very clearly lacks the immediacy of some surrounding vintages. Readers should be prepared to cellar this for a number of years The mid-weight, gracious presence of Rauzan-Ségla is very much present, and yet the tannins are pretty imposing. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, graphite and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The 2022 is pure and total sophistication. This is a wine that may very well have more to say in the future. Tasted four times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Heady floral aromatics and vibrant black fruit. Gorgeous succulence and energy. It's not shouting, not too high in acidity or too fleshy, but a great combination of plush and filling tannins, cool blue fruit, ripe red fruit, crystalline minerality and subtle spices. Smooth and clean, elegant and confident. Approachable with detail and finesse to the elements. Juicy, bright, clean, seductive, powerful, captivating – utterly satisfying. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is showing well in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with licorice, burning embers and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, it's suave and seamless, with its dense core of fruit framed by powdery structuring tannins that lend a more evident backbone than it exhibited en primeur. As readers may remember, the 2022 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot; and in 2022, the east-facing sides of the vines, which see the afternoon sun, were picked separately, along with anything that showed signs of stress. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla was picked 2 to 28 September at 30hL/ha and matured for 18 months in 50% new oak. Nicolas Audebert told me that it contains 17% vin de presse which is slightly higher than normal, a combination of 150 separate vinifications. This has a very opulent bouquet with layers of black cherries, créme de cassis and violets. Perhaps just a little too decadent? The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance, grainy tannins, very pure and focused with quite a minerally finish. Long in the mouth. It's just missing that knockout blow at the moment, yet it's still a supremely well-crafted Margaux. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

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99 Points! Lots of perfume and dark-fruit aromas with floral and burnt-orange undertones. Full-bodied and very, very refined and long. It goes on for minutes. Such subtlety and wonderful tannins. Love it. Drink in 2020. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon yet from Pritchard Hill, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard offers a massive blast of blue fruits, crushed violets, spice box, and new leather. This beauty comes from a site next to David Arthur and has a ripe, rounded, and incredibly sexy style that belies its mountain terroir. Still, it has plenty of underlying tannins, impeccable balance, and one seriously long finish. Give it a year or so and drink bottles over the following 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

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98 Points! Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% petite sirah. So drinkable but can age as well. - James Suckling

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92-94 Points! The 2019 Pommard Clos des Arvelets 1er Cru was originally owned en totale by the family’s great grandmother and comes from vines planted in the Sixties. It has an expressive bouquet with vibrant raspberry, wild strawberry and crushed rock aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This has a fine bead of acidity, one of the domaine’s fleshier contributions to the vintage with a pinch of white pepper on the finish. Very fine. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media Learn More

95 Points! Black berries, dark mushrooms, cloves and slate on the nose follow through to the palate with a medium body, soft and silky tannins and an attractive finish. Lovely tannin tension at the end. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92+ Points! The 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de San Vicente de la Sonsierra is more fruit-driven, primary and perfumed than most of the other bottlings, juicier, with a sensation of higher ripeness (despite having lower alcohol, 13.79%) and slightly dusty tannins. The breakdown here was 88% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 2% other varieties. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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91 Points! A fresh and floral nose with notes of cherries and cooked strawberries with orange peel and spices. Medium-bodied, juicy and crunchy with dusty tannins and vibrant fruit. Flavorful finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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92 Points! The estate’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Juicy dark berries, flowers, mint and cloves all come together nicely in the glass. Today, the 2010 is open and expressive, with soft, silky tannins and tons of near-term appeal, all qualities entry-level Cabernets should have. The 2010 is mostly valley floor fruit, with dollops of Panek, Corona and GIII. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

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92 Points! Brimming with white peaches and spring blossoms, this has a wonderful juiciness, thanks to the interplay of racy acidity with a touch of unfermented grape sweetness. Spring-like freshness and good wet-stone character on the light-footed palate. Very clean finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

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