Wines

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2025! Deeply structured and full of tension, this polished red displays a distinctive personality, offering bold blackberry flavors accented with savory anise, black pepper and dark Asian spices. Ends with big but refined tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Blending 76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro from an estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley purchased in 1972, the 2023 Zinfandel Lytton Springs exhibits initial chewiness that leads to fine tannins, with a good heft and underlying acidity. Well-woven oak supports a moderately ripe, medium-bodied frame of structured elegance, aged in 100% air-dried American oak. Enjoy now through 2033. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! A much cooler growing season delayed the start of harvest by about a month, resulting in a wine with greater restraint than the previous vintage. The 2023 is a more elegant take on this wine, with less fruit intensity, but still unmistakably Ridge. Fresh aromas of herbs from a bouquet garni mix with earthy tones and subtle sweet notes from baking spices. The fruit profile oscillates between ripe red and black berries, with a touch of plums and ripe cherries. Tannins are firm yet polished, and there's a soft creaminess to the palate. A wine that is balanced and quite enjoyable now, with many years to evolve in the bottle. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! It is a departure for Ridge, as it's not a single vineyard wine but instead a blend of 10 different sites from throughout Sonoma County. Bright and delightful with savoury herbs, tart early-season blackberries, and muddled mint leaves, all vie for attention in this wine's generous aromatic show. A melange of wild mountain berries, mouthfuls of dried savoury garrigue and lavender, dashes of white pepper and an incredible lift to the finish which lingers for an eternity. Concentrated and refined. - Clive Pursehouse, Decanter Magazine

95 Points! The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard brings a more concentrated, serious feel and offers ripe mulberry and cherry fruit as well as scorched earth, graphite, and minerality, with nicely integrated oak. It's medium-bodied, concentrated, and focused, with a beautiful mouthfeel. It needs 2-3 years in the cellar (you'd be forgiven for enjoying a bottle today) and will evolve nicely over the following decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2023 Cíes is the white village wine from Meaño, from different vineyards, and it is elegant and subtle, insinuating and detailed. It fermented and matured in barrels of different sizes where it matured for six months. It has moderate ripeness and 12.2% alcohol with very good freshness (pH 3.46) and acidity (7.45 grams), which makes it vibrant and pungent, with saline flavors and a super tasty finish. It is sharp, precise and mineral. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! I love the vibrant pink grapefruit and white peach aromas and the very zesty acidity that drive this medium-bodied dry riesling so briskly across your palate. So much life and energy in the bold and vibrant finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Sculpted smoky aromatics, love the carved out tannins and black fruits. This is a delicious 2012 that is full of plentiful berry fruits, blackcurrant and sloe, with an unfussy feel of hedgerow brambled freshness. The tannins have heft and give, and there is a sense of precision but also of expansion through the palate, great stuff. Ready to drink but only at the beginning of its drinking window. 60% new oak, 38hl/h yield. - Jane Anson, 2022

93 Points! Orange peel and fruit with chocolate. Medium-bodied with round and polished tannins. Very pretty fruit and finesse. So pretty. Drink or hold. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

93 Points!  Cooler soils can be a little austere in this structured vintage of 2020, and you'll find angular tannins on the opening beats, speaking of the limestone, along with salinity, energy and clear purity of blueberry and raspberry fruit. Lovely, a lyrical take on St Emilion limestone from the Durantou family, Olivier Gautrat director. The first year with Noemie Durantou as winemaker, having taken over from her late father Denis. Cellar master Olivier Gautrat. - Jane Anson

94 Points! The 2018 Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard has a pale ruby color and fragrant scents of red berries, black tea leaves, lemon peel and earth. The medium-bodied palate is intense yet delicately styled, with a soft, grainy frame, bright, crunchy fruits and a long, spicy finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

97 Points! Elegant, vibrant and medium-bodied, so fresh, tangy and taut. Alive in florals, red tea, red cherries, cranberries and raspberries that keep ringing in the finish. Great acidity, moderate tannins and a medium body. Charming, almost delicate, but lithe and structured enough to age. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Seeing even more stems, the 2022 Pinot Noir Rancho La Viña Vineyard has a beautiful ruby hue to go with savory red and black cherry-like fruit supported by toasted nuts, savory herbs, violets, and orange blossom. I love its overall balance, it has fine tannins, and a great finish. Drink this incredibly classy, complex beauty over the coming 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Expressive and expansive nose of fresh plums, cherries, cloves, nutmeg, flowers and sandalwood. It’s so transparent and vibrant, with a medium to full body and fine, tight tannins. Gorgeous fruit. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The San Polo 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi shows a very earthy side that evokes savory spice, smoke and gamey aromas. The core of this organic wine is colored by black fruit and baked plum, but the wine is primarily driven by the aromas it has picked up during oak and bottle aging. This adds a medium-heavy constitution and a good amount of warm-vintage fruit weight for a Sangiovese. The wine also has an accessible character that makes it best to drink over the next 10 years. The fruit represents a selection from over two hectares. - Monica Larner robertparker.com

95 points Luca Maroni! 90 points James Suckling! Roasted cherry, licorice and walnut on the nose, with a touch of muscovado sugar. It’s full-bodied, rich and flavorful with ripe, broad tannins. Drink now.

Sourced from Barbera grapes that have been lightly dried for a short period of time (not as long as Amarone) to concentrate their flavor and intensity.

93-95 Points! The 2021 Sansonnet is once again a stand out. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and espresso give this large-scaled Saint-Émilion tons of depth. As always, Sansonnet is an extrovert, but in 2021 it benefits from a kick of acidity that balances things out nicely. It was impressive both times I tasted it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Excellent freshness and depth here with ripe but very vibrant berries. Spices, cigar box, black chocolate and incense, too. Quite juicy and bright on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Tannins are fresh and polished. Long and expressive finish. There is a “modern” touch here that gives a sense of restrained plushness to the vibrancy. Better from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

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

95 Points! A modern and dense St.-Emilion with rich, glossy fresh fruit. Plums, dark chocolate, fine spices and a hint of olives on the nose. Juicy, with some nicely tart berries and dusty tannins on the full-bodied palate. Concentrated and tight in the finish, but polished. Very well executed. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A blend of 92% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Château Sansonnet is gorgeous stuff, offering cassis, crushed stone, graphite, and truffly aromatics. Beautifully pure and medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has integrated acidity, a fresh, focused style, and ripe tannins. Balanced and seamless, it shows the terroir’s freshness and precision while still bringing concentration and texture. Aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels, this should drink well for 20+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Sansonnet is a full-throttle, opulent Saint-Emilion. Blackberry jam, mocha, gravel, incense, licorice and bittersweet chocolate are all dialed up. Sansonnet is always a potent wine. In 2022, everything is dialed up to the maximum. This is not a shy wine. That much is obvious. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Great red fruit aromas, but also wet earth and tar. Rich, concentrated and very suave on the full-bodied palate, this Chateauneuf has extremely fine tannins and terrific balance. Extremely long, velvety finish with great spicy complexity. A vineyard on sandy soil planted mainly with grenache plus small amounts of mourvedre and counoise. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from release. - JamesSuckling.com

94+ Points! Crafted from 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Counoise, planted on safre soils in the commune of Courthézon, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges exhales a delicate, refined bouquet of peony, rose, flowers, dark cherries and fresh thyme. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and tense with a textured, fine mid-palate, it possesses fresh, bright acids. This wine exudes a lot of vertical energy. It is best kept in the cellar for the next decade and will be enjoyable for the following 15–20 years. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges is another beautiful wine. Ripe cherries, blueberries, rose petals, spice, and hints of spring flowers all emerge on the nose, and it shines on the palate for its beautiful elegance and purity. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins and notable freshness, it's going to evolve for 15 years with no issues. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Like the 2019 vintage also reviewed here, the Sassotondo 2017 Maremma Toscana Ciliegiolo San Lorenzo boasts dark color saturation and concentrated fruit, but in the case of this wine, you get softer, more open-knit tannins. Ciliegiolo can famously live up to the hot vintages, especially when the variety is planted in cooler volcanic soils like the kind found in this vineyard cru. The slightly evolved bouquet shows cherry liqueur, almond paste, blue flower and crushed stone. There is a lively, almost nervous quality of the fruit that keeps things edgy and fresh. The mid-weight finish is silky and long. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! Pear, lemon, lime and matchstick aromas. Plenty of sauvignon blanc character, but it’s not overdone. Full-bodied with a very dense palate and plenty of exotic fruit, but it’s tight and focused at the end. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94+ Points! The 2019 Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is very clear and elegant on the discreet and subtle nose that intertwines very fine fruit and slate aromas. Remarkably piquant and vital on the palate, the acidity cuts the sweet and perfectly ripe fruit like a knife. This is highly stimulating in its piquancy and lingering salinity. A very sportive Auslese, in fact. 7% alcohol. Tasted from AP 1920 in May 2020. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

99 Points! From the C1 Block of Beckstoffer To Kalon, winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown has worked with these Clone 4 Cabernet vines since 2005. This is a block bottling like many of the Schrader wines. Lush, generous fruit but with structure – all the elements amplified but on equal proportions. Explosive nose of rich black fruits, black olive, dried wild herbs and baking spices. Incredibly textural with pixelated three-dimensional tannins finishing with pops of dried tobacco and purple-red florals. A joy to drink but among the most collectable and cellar worthy wines of the vintage. The 'CCS' on the label refers to the initials of proprietor Carol Colesworthy Schrader. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! Throws off a range of sassafras, chaparral and anise aromas before yielding up a prodigious core of açaí berry, plum and blackberry compote. Offers a nice interplay of power and purity, with tarry violet and loamy incense accents. While tannic through the finish, this terrific version reveals a subtle ripple of acidity and a hint of iron. Best from 2024 through 2040. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS from the To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville is another heavenly wine in the lineup. I always find another level of purity in this cuvée, and the 2019 offers remarkably pure crème de cassis-like fruits as well as notes of white flowers, incense, toasted spice, and unsmoked tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, round, and plush on the palate, I love its tannins, it brings incredible richness while staying perfectly balanced and fresh, and it’s just already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

94+ Points! Closed and slightly hard to read on this occasion, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Monastery Block is full-bodied and impressively concentrated, with ripe black fruits, smoky oak, scorched earth, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. One of the more firm and inward wines in the lineup, it needs to be forgotten for 3-4 years and it should be long-lived. - Jeb Dunnuck