Wines

97 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2024! Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. - Wine Spectator

Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2024! Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the gals, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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

94 Points! Smooth and polished, with detailed flavors of ripe plum, black cherry, spice and light oak, this pedigreed red turns rich and elegant, with a long, complex aftertaste. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Firm, tight and well-structured, with a medley of floral, spice and dried currant and a touch of herb and cedary oak. Well-integrated, focused and concentrated, with a long, deep, persistent finish. Will reward cellaring. - Wine Spectator

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

98 Points! This is a little riper on the nose than the 2006, with a light raspberry and blackberry jam character combined with a vanilla latte. Full bodied and juicy, with broader shoulders and round tannins. This is powerful and rich, with loads of ripe tannins and fruit. This is all about layers. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! Profoundly beautiful aroma on this Cab, a perfect union of oaky char and vanilla with ripe blackberries and cassis. Hard to exaggerate the beauty. Powerful, yet never pushy, with classic Napa balance. Rich, sweet, almost meaty, with massive tannins that are refined and smooth. Very great density and weight. Really defines the vineyard, and should age effortlessly for 20 years. - Wine Enthuisast

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 2024! Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon tumbles out with plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, and stewed blackberries notes with hints of bay leaves, graphite, and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is firm and grainy textured, supporting the tight-knit fruit, finishing long with a minty lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

93 Points! A blend of all the vineyards they work with (of which there are seven), the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley sports a deep purple hue to go with classic Napa notes of blue fruits, chocolate, spicy oak, and tobacco. It's full-bodied, opulent, sexy, and undeniably delicious. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2019 Chardonnay Bennett Valley waltzes out with alluring notes of fresh apricots, honeydew melon, and grapefruit, with hints of orange blossom and powdered ginger. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and elegant, with a seamless backbone and loads of savory nuances to accent the stone fruit layers, finishing long with a spicy kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

94 Points! Arietta's 2018 Merlot Hudson Vineyard shows the cool, savory style of Carneros. Dried herbs, licorice, menthol, gravel and spice lend striking aromatic complexity throughout. This is an especially savory, nuanced style. The 2018 is a fabulous wine that will challenge readers' conceptions of what Napa Valley Merlot is all about. The Arietta wine emerges from the oldest vines Merlot vines at Hudson, planted in 1986. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points!  The 2023 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Old Vines blossoms in the glass, where balsamic-tinged black cherries mingle with dried roses, nuances of gravel dust and a hint of clove. This wine is seamless and elegant, silken in texture, with a solid core of minerals to balance citrus-infused wild berry fruits that slowly saturate the palate. It tapers off chewy and extremely long, leaving the palate water for more, all framed by regal tannins.  - Eric Guido, Vinous Nedia

95 Points! Beautiful cherries and red currants lead the way, showcasing a classic Dundee profile, with hints of red flowers and citrus peel. Bright and crunchy with a vibrant character. The texture is refined, with medium body and a compact tannin core. Succulent fruit and a mineral backbone lead to a precise and harmonious, bone-dry finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! From 97% Tempranillo, the rest Merlot and Albillo Mayor, the 2021 Reserva spent 28 months in French oak barrel and has quite a bit of toastiness on the palate. The tannins are smoothened and round, with a hint of chalkiness and grip. From a sizable percentage of old-vine grapes, it has an ethereal freshness and full-bodied layers of dark berry, leather, anise, and dried herb. It should offer 15-20 years more of aging. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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94 Points! There is a clear Jura twang in the white 2022 Ollos Branco that makes me wonder if the wine had any biological aging under flor (Garrido confirmed that it did!). It's the evolution of the wine he used to call Mercenario and comes from selected vineyards in different locations and soils and a myriad of varieties—Treixadura, Albariño, Godello, Loureira, Torrontés, Lado, Branco Lexítimo and Verdello Antigo—picked when they were still crunchy. It finished at 12.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.3 and 6.1 grams of acidity. It's tasty, complex, long, salty and vibrant, with effervescent freshness and a bitter and salty twist in the finish. I love it. He wants to represent an overall picture of Ribeiro, fermenting and aging in barrels and tinajas, where the wine matured for 10 months.- Luis Gutierrez, 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 

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

94 Points! Mirabelle plums and acacia blossoms are woven into the fabric of this creamy and elegant St.-Peray. Flinty freshness right through the very long, pure finish. Should age really well. A cuvee of 90% marsanne and 10% roussanne. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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

100 Points! Hands down one of the wines of the vintage, shows power and depth coupled at every point with lift and grip, stretches out through the palate, slowly but surely delivering a tickle of spiced sage and saffron, with sappy blackcurrant and graphite. 100% new oak, harvest september 5 to 27, organic conversion, 54 years average vines, Vauthier family shows once again how well they judge construction and architecture. First year not officially a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, but they have kept the ranking off the label for a number of years, so no change on that level. - Jane Anson

100 Points! This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. It has a deep garnet-purple color and WOW—what a perfume! This 2022 Ausone offers up an incredible array of floral, earth, and black fruit scents—iris, crushed rocks, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries—plus hints of dusty soil and star anise. The palate bursts with energetic black and red berry flavors and loads of earthy/minerally accents, framed by very fine-grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and chalky. Stunning. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

98 Points! Wow. This is such a big and beautiful Ausone with huge depth that slowly uncoils. Really powerful, mineral and naturally concentrated, with iron, chalk and a rich, almost opulent core of black fruit, but really fresh, with chiseled tapenade and wood spices that only tiptoe on the nose. Superb intensity hidden beneath the palate, with a matrix of chalky tannins that vibrate, shine and extend. Nothing stops it at the finish, which lasts well over a minute. Almost beguilingly drinkable considering the tannin quality, which is so fine and energetic, but I'd give it at least 3-4 years to let the wood spices integrate more and let the wine grow with more complexity. A bigger Ausone with higher alcohol, but fantastic and rather outrageous. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot. This will age well for at least two decades. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palalte is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98+ Points! Lastly, the Grand Vin 2022 Château Ausone is based on equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot that spent 20 months in new barrels. Smoky black cherries, mulberries, iron, violets, and spring flower notes are just some of its nuances, and it's deep purple-hued, with full-bodied richness and a surprising level of elegance, purity, and precision. This is one of the more elegant, finesse-driven, yet still incredibly powerful examples of this Château that I can remember. It deserves a decade of cellaring and will evolve for half a century. - Jeb Dunnuck

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