Wines

A jewel of a wine, selected from various estate parcels in the appellation that represent a perfect cross-section of Chassagne’s noble terroir. Ripe summer raspberries, poached cherries, baking spices; rubied fruit, suave tannins.

92 Points! The wide spectrum of black berries with notes of candied orange and clove pull you into this rich and fleshy Beaune 1er Cru. However, there's a firm tannic core beneath all this and the powdery tannins at the long finish provide clear contours. Slight salinity there. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

90-92 Points! Pretty and cool yet definitely ripe aromas reveal notes of various dark berries, violet and rose petal. The suave and seductively textured medium weight flavors possess very fine density while the youthfully austere and moderately firm finish makes clear that this will need at least a few years of bottle aging first. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

98 Points! Blackberries, plums, currants, tobacco and violets on the nose. Bitter chocolate and mocha, too. It’s refined and focused, with a medium to full body and firm, tightly-knit tannins. Very long, laser-focused and polished. Very classy. Best of the trilogy. Try after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

97 Points! Heady and expressive on the nose, seductive tones of ripe fruit and perfumed flowers. Gorgeous intensity on the palate, rich, round and ripe - gently chewy - but cool and refreshing too. This has a dynamic undercurrent with tannins that are fine but firm giving a slightly narrow frame. It’s a bit more serious than some, brooding, but clearly well made with definition. There’s a confidence here, vibrant and detailed fruit with an excellent lingering impression of the terroir in the slightly salty, chalky, graphite touch. Layered and well built with supreme classicism. A top buy. I'd like to own this one! - Decanter Magazine
 

Great Nebbiolo that really tastes like Barolo, serious stuff!

94 Points! With certified organic fruit from one of the most celebrated sites in the appellation, the Brezza 2020 Barolo Cannubi shows pretty intensity and focus. It offers aromas of iris root, lilac and wild blueberry. Indeed, it is quite floral in character, with violets over a fine texture. You really get a very pretty and elegant wine in this bottle.- Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93-95 Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Les Champs Martin unwinds in the glass with scents of freshly baked bread, wet stones, white currants, confit citrus and crisp green orchard fruit. Full-bodied, ample and seamless, it's layered and racy, with broad shoulders, bright acids and a long, mineral finish. Its elegant profile belies considerable reserves of chalky structuring extract that will make this a wine for the long haul. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93-95+ Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of wild berries, vine smoke, raw cocoa, cloves, anise and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and complete, with a tightly wound core of vibrant fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. Less demonstrative than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, I suspect it will emerge as the finest of the trilogy in the fulness of time, but it will require patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! A benchmark for the appellation, Lorenzon's 2020 Montagny 1er Cru Le Choix du Roi offers up notions of Meyer lemon, warm bread, beeswax and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and precise palate that's weightless but intense, with a compelling sense of completeness and a long, saline finish. This will be worth a special effort to seek out. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

91-93 Points! Scents of freshly baked bread, crisp orchard fruit, orange oil and green mango introduce the 2020 Montagny 1er Cru Les Truffières, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and chiseled wine that's taut, penetrating and intense, exhibiting striking purity and persistence. I suspect it will emerge as the finest Truffières Lorenzon has produced to date. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

90-93 Points! From a 50/50 blend of Les Millandes and La Riotte. Ripe aromas of poached plum, various dark berries and pungent earth leads to more energetic and more finely detailed if less powerful medium weight flavors that also possess a seductive texture on the youthfully austere finale. Lovely. - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

99 Points! The 2020 L'Apparita will soon take its place among the great Apparitas. Unctuous and layered in the glass, the 2020 possesses exceptional balance and tons of character right out of the gate. Exotic scents of blackberry jam, chocolate, new leather, licorice and smoke are so alluring. Imposing tannins need time to soften, but once that happens readers will be treated to a spectacular Apparita that captures all the best the vintage had to offer. Marco Pallanti waited until mid-September (late for the year) to bring in this fruit. That decision paid off handsomely. - Antono Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! Filippo Chia and his team kill it in this vintage. The Castello Romitorio 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is a beautiful and balanced wine. This estate is making some of the best Brunellos from Montalcino today. In the not too distant past, its vineyards were once considered too cool for ideal fruit ripening, but with climate change, the vines are now in a prime position for balanced phenolics, sugars and acidity. This wine shows a wide and complete bouquet, spanning many aromas, all delivered with direct vertical intensity. This is one of the delightful oxymorons that occurs with fine wine. It shows soft, building intensity, but most importantly, the fruit quality is bright and fresh (with 7,760 bottles made). This is a keeper. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

97 Points! A silky texture announces this cherry-, blackberry- and violet-flavored red, along with notes of graphite, tobacco and wild herbs. Well-structured, with profound yet finely wrought tannins and an extra dimension of finesse that stands out. Boasting superb balance and a seemingly never-ending aftertaste, this is multidimensional and focused. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Cassis, tobacco, wet stones, iron and baking spices to the nose, showing class, restraint and complexity. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with super fine tannins. Dry, super elegant and silky with a lengthy, polished finish. Really Bordeaux-like. Juicy and long. 54% cabernet sauvignon from Gualtallary, 25% cabernet franc from Altamira and 21% malbec from both areas. The highest portion of cabernet franc this year helped retain its nervy freshness! This is classy and beautiful. Harvested on March 12th and 13th. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Wonderfully aromatic and nuanced on the nose, so alive and open. Energetic and lively on the palate, this has so much spark and brightness to it. Really compelling from the first sip, the tannins ample and cushioning the slick black fruit and accompanying savoury spices. Feels lean and taught, but with so much flair. Really a lovely expression, so generous and well defined. Youthful as you'd expect right now but when this softens it will be a beauty. Just gorgeous, with a minty fresh finish. - Decanter Magazine