Wines

97 Points! Lots of classic darker, herbal notes define the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, a rich, medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. With air, more chocolate, espresso, and spice notes emerge from the glass, and this medium to full-bodied, textured, ripe, yet also elegant 2019 is going to drink brilliantly for another 20 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

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97 Points! Lots of classic darker, herbal notes define the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, a rich, medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. With air, more chocolate, espresso, and spice notes emerge from the glass, and this medium to full-bodied, textured, ripe, yet also elegant 2019 is going to drink brilliantly for another 20 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

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98 Points! A fine, effusive quality from the sandalwood, violets, black pepper and blackberry concentrate. Quite a denser and more muscular expression, yet you won’t feel any chew from the tannins, as they melt into the dark fruit. Long and focused. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Revealing a vivid purple hue as well as a powerful, more black-fruited, iron, tobacco, and scorched earth-like aromatic profile, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Monastery Block is full-bodied, has a rich, powerful attack, great mid-palate density, and brilliant tannins. Coming from a famous block located on the western side of this great vineyard, brought up in new barrels, it's another 2019 that has a rounded, supple, approachable style while also bringing impressive density, depth, and structure. - Jeb Dunnuck

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97 Points! Lots of violets, flowery incense, cassis, and spice notes emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, a full-bodied, silky, elegant 2019 that shines just as much for its purity and balance as its richness and depth. Possessing good acidity, a lively, vibrant mouthfeel, supple tannins, and a great finish, it has plenty of up-front appeal yet should easily evolve for a solid 20 years if properly stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Another historic site and another opulent wine from Thomas Rivers Brown. Cabernet clone 337 delivers a fresh, high-toned, juicy red teeming with black fruit, black pepper and toasty cedar. Lush dark fruit is round and rich on the palate, framed by ultra-fine, satiny tannins and tangy blood orange acidity. - Decanter Magazine

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99 Points! A big, muscular, powerful wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard T6 boasts a monster note of blackcurrants, fresh plums, scorched earth, tobacco, and chocolate. This all carries to a full-bodied 2019 with the ripe, savory, concentrated style of the vintage, building tannins, no shortage of fruit, and a great, great finish. It's certainly one of the biggest, richest, more structured wines in the lineup, yet the balance is spot on and everything is in the right places. It's going to take at least 7-8 years for this puppy to shed some of its considerable baby fat and hit maturity, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve for 20 or 30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is made from Clone 6, an old California heritage clone that's notoriously shy-bearing. It boasts lovely aromatics, layering dried spices and exotic florals over super-ripe cherries, while the full-bodied palate is all silk and cashmere, finishing incredibly long and elegant. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com 

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97 Points! This is a fantastic new wine, with crushed berries, stones, and oyster shell with moss and pine needles. Full and linear, with agile acidity that gives the wine energy. It’s salty and lively. So focused and mouthwatering. So attractive now, but will age beautifully. - JamesSuckling.com

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92 Points! Elegant in style, with notes of gently warmed strawberry puree, cherry preserves and red licorice infused with rose hip and sandalwood on the charming finish. Drink now through 2027. - Wine Spectator

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95 Points! You can taste that these were super-ripe grapes and those golden aromas envelope you on the very focused, medium-bodied palate. Then the mineral acidity cuts through the richness with a samurai sword-like flash that knocks you back in your chair. Very long and super-crisp finish. Excellent potential! - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Selbach's 2022 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese opens with a coolish and flinty nose with very fine mineral expression and remarkably precise and delicate fruit. Round and generous on the palate, with very fine and saline acidity, this is a creamy-textured, sweet but well-balanced Auslese with a long, aromatic and mineral Domprobst finish. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2023.Selbach's 2022 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese opens with a coolish and flinty nose with very fine mineral expression and remarkably precise and delicate fruit. Round and generous on the palate, with very fine and saline acidity, this is a creamy-textured, sweet but well-balanced Auslese with a long, aromatic and mineral Domprobst finish. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2023. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

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92 Points! Currant, berry and tobacco aromas and flavors with some thyme and coffee bean. Full-bodied, chewy and polished. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024. - James Suckling

91 Points! The 2019 Senejac is a complex, beguiling Haut-Medoc. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice, dried herbs, menthol, dried flowers and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that lift from the glass. Senejac offers unreal complexity and tons of energy that continues to build through to a long, beautifully persistent finish laced with expressive savory top notes. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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97 Points! I loved the 2018 Chardonnay UV- El Diablo. This beauty has a wonderfully pure, elegant style that carries both richness and freshness. Giving up notes of white peach, white flowers, lemon blossom, and honeysuckle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, bright yet integrated acidity, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It shows the more supple, silky style of the vintage and is already drinking nicely, yet I still think it will be even better with another 6-12 months of bottle age. It should evolve nicely for 7-8 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck Learn More

96 Points! From just outside the town of Windsor, the 2020 Chardonnay UV - El Diablo Vineyard is energetic with aromas of green apple, lemon verbena, and delicate savory herbs. The palate is juicy and long, with lemon curd and snappy acidity, balancing out with a clean finish. Drink over the next 15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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97 Points! All elegance and silk, this beautifully balanced wine offers a lively texture, with subtle lemon, toast and kiwi flavors on a full body. The mouthfeel is graceful and mouthwatering, backed by acidity that perfectly meets the generous fruit flavors. Making a wine of this caliber in thousands of cases is quite an accomplishment. Best from 2027 - 2032- Wine Enthusiast

96 Points! A vibrant, agile and poised Chardonnay with aromas of pears, apples, sweet spices, jasmine and hints of stones. It’s medium- to full-bodied with precise definition on the palate. Fresh acidity and crunchy fruity at the center and a velvety touch to the edge, bringing volume and a voluptuous character throughout. Lively and long finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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92-94 Points! The 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Marconnets 1er Cru is a little more fruit-driven on the nose than Bize's other cuvées, offering lifted blueberry and bilberry scents and hints of wild heather. The medium-bodied palate has fine-grain tannins, a little riper than the Aux Fournaux. There’s more flesh yet with plenty of structure exerting a huge grip, rending this approachable but with the ability to age in bottle. Classic Pinot Noir. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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92 Points! Cherry stones, currants, tobacco and lemon peel on the nose. Sleek and focused, elegant, with fine-grained tannins, a medium body and a creamy, linear finish. Try from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

 

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100 Points! Complex aromas of walnut, dark fruit, stone, oyster shell, chalk and dried fruits. This shows fabulous intensity and balance with layer upon layer of fruit and polished tannins. Builds on the palate. It goes on for minutes. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Made from the estate's oldest vines, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a bold and powerful wine that shows enormous precision and grit. On the Brunello scale, this expression from Siro Pacenti offers more dark fruit, plum, spice, tar and smoke. The wine reveals beautiful density and an important mouthfeel that hits the palate with seductive determination. This wine is holding up beautifully since I tasted it last and has even improved in terms of its complexity and overall elegance. It still has a long way to go. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com, 2019

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96 Points! This is extremely perfumed, with violets, lavender, forest fruit and beeswax. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy, round tannins. It’s delicious already with a lovely balance, showing dark fruit, meat and chocolate with a hint of smoke. Straight and driven, it has a long finish for the vintage. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot reveals a deep, complex bouquet of dark berries, spices, licorice, pencil lead and flowers intertwined with hints of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it's suave and concentrated, with velvety, elegant tannins and a refined, penetrating finish. - William, Kelley, robertparker.com

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100 Points! Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a more elegant version of the 2010, it has a dense purple hue to go with a rich, powerful, full-bodied, sensationally complex nose of cassis and darker berries interwoven with woodsmoke, scorched earth, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Concentrated, deep, and layered on the palate with ripe, velvety tannins, it's a sensational, absolutely heavenly effort that will keep for 40-50 years. Along with the 2009, 2010, and 2020, this is one of the greatest wines to ever come from this address. Don't miss it. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! Deep and evocative, this bursts with blackcurrants, milk chocolate and floral perfume. Instantly captivating, the palate is silky yet structured, with tannins seamlessly supporting vibrant red and black berries. Broad and powerful, yet it glides, showcasing Cabernet’s structure, Merlot’s generosity and cool spiced fruit. A mineral core adds complexity, with flint-like nuances. A masterclass in power and balance – and unmistakably Smith. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Organic. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

98 Points! The vivid fruit character here is so impressive for this hot and dry vintage. It's medium- to full-bodied, showing gorgeous crushed grapes and dark berries. With density, clarity and beauty, it really speaks of great cabernet sauvignon. The tannins are integrated and go long, taking you deep and complete on the palate. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Seems almost drinkable now but needs at least five years of bottle age. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! The 2022 Smith Haut Latte is silky, elegant and nuanced. It's all there. A wine of precision and class, the 2022 is so impressive. Rened, supple tannins wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, espresso and mocha. I nd the 2022 a bit buttoned up today, but that is probably a very good thing for its long-term prospects. I look forward to seeing it age. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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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

92-94 Points! The 2024 Smith Haut Lafitte was picked from September 18 to October 9 and matured in 60% new oak. It has an understated bouquet that I appreciate, with scents of blackberry, raspberry, light rose petal and India ink that gradually unfurl in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, extremely well balanced and very refined, with a linear and correct finish. This is a classy Smith Haut Lafitte that will provide up to 20 years of drinking pleasure. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

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From the importer: The Bronca Sisters' best vineyard is called Particella 68, as is their reserve wine obtained from that vineyard. The site is perhaps 500 yards from the edge of the Cartizze boundary, the most prized growing area in the Prosecco zone; the wine is made from Prosecco grapes with very small amounts of the other traditional indigenous varieties (Verdisio, Bianchetta, and Perera). In my opinion this wine compares very favorably with the best Cartizze in style and in quality, although it is less expensive.

The vinification is unusual for Prosecco; instead of two seperate fermentations, (grape juice to still wine, then still wine to sparkling wine), the Bronca Sister’s Prosecco grapes are pressed and the juice is held at very low temperatures until it is ready to be made into sparkling wine (done periodically throughout the year to maintain the freshest possible stock) upon which time the must is put into a special fermenter and fermented directly to sparkling wine. This more costly single fermentation process retains more of the classic pear aroma that makes Prosecco distinctive, and the excellent acidity of the site balances very well with the Extra Dry level of sweetness. No sugar is added, all of the sweetness comes from the must. 

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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

97+ Points! The 2022 Château Soutard Cadet is an exceptional Saint-Emilion and, along with the 2019, the finest wine I’ve tasted from this exceptional terroir. Its deep purple hue is followed by a serious, powerful nose of liquid minerals, smoked cherries, truffle, and graphite. Full-bodied and massive on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and perfectly integrated structure, this is an incredibly impressive, layered 2022 that should be snatched up by readers. Aged for 16 months in 80% new oak barrels, it will evolve for 30+ years. Total production: 333 cases. - Jeb Dunnuck

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