Wines

92 Points! Aromas of cherries, dried herbs, strawberry bush, wet stones and subtle spices with some dusty mineral notes. Silky and textured on the medium-bodied palate, it’s deliciously fruity and smooth, with a lingering finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The organic Brancaia 2023 Chianti Classico shows lovely primary intensity with dark cherry and blackcurrant. Barbara Widmer and her team strive for freshness and an easy-drinking experience with this charming wine. Maintaining fruit freshness and elegance is a main goal of this estate, but it also strives to push beyond the classic parameters of Chianti Classico in terms of complexity and depth. I love the brightness of the primary fruit in this wine. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

92 Points! This is bright and savory with vivid red fruit, dried lavender, orange peel and hints of crushed stones on the nose. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity and a dusty texture to its tannins. Crunchy and vibrant with a peppery aftertaste. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! Flavors of cherry, strawberry, sanguine, iron and Mediterranean scrub are supported by a solid structure in this red, which is balanced overall, with dusty tannins and a resonant finish. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2040. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! This marvelously incisive Pouilly-Fuissé is a blend of two parcels in Vergisson with two different soil types; both are cool terroirs that bring an exotic tropical note of passionfruit and pomelo to the wine along with a strong mineral underpinning. The texture has a lively acidity, but there is real ripeness to give the wines a delicious dynamic balance. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters, and the juice is fermented in older oak casks. - Decanter Magazine

91 Points! A medium red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley offers an elegant perfume and spiced profile with aromas of red cherries, roses, forest herbs, and mossy earth. It’s a very pretty and elegant red with a refined texture and an even, floating feel through the finish. It’s a very attractive wine to enjoy now or over the next 4-6 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

From the winery: Our 2023 Russian River Pinot Noir is a beautifully complex expression of this renowned region, blending fruit from four distinct vineyards to create a wine of depth, elegance, and balance. Bommersbach Vineyard (29%) lends rich cherry cola notes, while Bode Vineyard (38%) provides a silky, seamless texture. The cooler Rogaway Vineyard (14%) in the Sebastopol Hills and Monroe Vineyard (19%) south of Sebastopol contribute vibrant floral and spice notes, with Monroe’s sandy Goldridge soils intensifying the wine’s structure and acidity. Aged in 24% new oak with 15% whole cluster fermentation, this 225-case production Pinot Noir (13.9% ABV) is a harmonious blend of power and finesse, showcasing the best of Russian River Valley terroir.

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

92 Points! The 2006 Barbaresco Pora impresses for its crystalline purity and inner perfume. This is a rather potent Pora loaded with dark cherries, minerals and French oak that shows surprising richness and intensity for the vintage, most likely owing to the warm microclimate in this site. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

91+ Points! The 2007 Barbaresco Asili speaks eloquently to the silkiness and elegance of this great site. Freshly cut roses and berries of all sorts make a positive first impression. The Asili shows gorgeous freshness and depth in a classic, mid-weight expression of this vineyard. There is a wonderful sense of harmony that flows through to the finish, as the fruit and tannins remain composed and nicely integrated. With time in the glass the Asili closes in on itself. I am not sure it has the warm radiance that is typical of so many wines in this vintage, but it is nevertheless a strong effort. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

90 Points! The value-priced 2022 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard comes from a site in the Santa Maria Valley and was brought up in 22% new French oak. Its translucent ruby hue is followed impressive notes of ripe cherry and strawberry fruits supported by pretty spice, flora, and leafy herb-like aromas and flavors. A wine that would hand many a Village Burgundy its ass, it's well worth buying and drinking over the coming 3-5 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-92 Points! The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Chalandins is matured with just under 50% whole cluster and 20% new oak. It has a well-defined bouquet of brambly red fruit, rose petal and light crushed rock aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a rounded texture and a harmonious, silky-smooth finish. A lovely wine from Camille-Giroud. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

92 Points! The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo aged 20 months in barrel. It has a medium to deep ruby color and classic nose of cedar, black and red currants, blackcurrant bud, warm chocolate and pencil shavings with hints of red cherries, iron and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, lush and classically styled in the mouth, it has very ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to lift that lush fruit, finishing long. Lovely! - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

100 Points! The 2015 Canon was a benchmark wine that seemed to revitalize this historic estate. I was crossing my fingers that it would not disappoint in bottle and I am glad to say that it delivers the goods. It has a very intense bouquet (just as it showed out of barrel) with laser-like precision offering wild strawberry, raspberry preserve, wet limestone and hints of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, clean and fresh with pure black and red fruit whose every atom appears infused with minerals. The mouth is tingling long after the wine has exited and your brain is thinking … when is the next sip coming? It is frankly heads and shoulders above almost every Saint Émilion this vintage, to reaffirm, a benchmark for this historic estate that will give pleasure to many over the coming years. Astonishing. - Neal Martin, robertparker.com

100 Points! From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine's vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual - well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn't matter. Don't miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points, James Suckling's #1 Wine of the Year 2018! Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The 2019 Cap de Faugères has tightened up a lot on the nose, showing dense black fruit, tar and graphite scents, quite Left Bank in style. The palate is much more expressive, featuring fleshy red berry fruit mixed with allspice, clove and white pepper. Persistent and quite convincing on the finish. Give it time for those aromatics to get their mojo back – which they will. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

91 Points! The 2019 Cap de Faugeres is terrific, just as it was from bottle. Rich and expansive, the 2019 is so expressive right out of the gate. Succulent red cherry, spice, leather and tobacco all kicked up in this attractive entry-level offering from Silvio Denz. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! The 2023 Pinot Noir Chimera is a terrific introduction to this range. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, sweet spice, blood orange and pomegranate make a strong first impression. Juicy yet vibrant, the 2023 is all class. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points! The perfect 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, all of which spent 22 months in 80% new French oak. The idea of this release is to showcase fruit from throughout the valley, and to say that winemaker Chris Carpenter succeeded would be an understatement. It boasts off-the-charts richness and depth as well as notes of cassis, toasted spices, graphite, tobacco, and espresso, with perfectly integrated oak. Inky purple-hued, full-bodied, voluptuously textured, and flawlessly balanced, it can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Lovely purple fruits with violets, lead pencil, mint, crushed stones, pine needles, resin, and ceramic. Medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that show a silky beautiful texture. Blend of Stags Leap, Saint Helena, Yountville, and Atlas Peak plus all the mountain vineyards of Cardinale. A blend of 91% cabernet sauvignon and 9% merlot. - James Suckling.com

98 Points! In my tasting with winemaker Chris Carpenter, we talked at length about differentiating sub-appellations of Napa in the Lokoya wines. Still, with Cardinale, the Oakville-based crown jewel in the Jackson Family portfolio, the idea is the sum must be greater than the parts. This is not an estate wine. It is culled from multiple appellations, typically between three and nine, depending on the vintage. Sources have been Vine Hill Ranch and To Kalon in the past. The 2021 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap, Rutherford, and St. Helena, with 9% Merlot from the 24ha Keyes Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain, aged 22 months in 80% new French oak. Super savoury aromatics of black cherry, cedar, black liquorice, graphite, black tea, tobacco leaf, rose petal and sagebrush. Full-bodied with all those aromatic qualities making appearances on the full-bodied palate, framed by a soaring tannin profile that resolves with beautifully crisp and mouthwatering acidity, which is so impressive given the density of the wine. The acidity is so pure and cleansing it gives the sensation of fresh, crisp mountain water washing away the deeply robust and powerful tannins that frame this powerhouse wine, readying you for another sip. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

93 Points! An amazing entry-level wine thanks to the wide spectrum of stone fruit, citrus and white tree fruit aromas. Also some floral notes. At once well structured and light-footed on the barely medium-bodied palate. Excellent interplay of fruit, leesy and wet stone complexity in the long, clean finish. Vegan. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com 

92 Points! The second wine of Lafite Rothschild is the 2015 Carruades De Lafite and is a beautiful wine in its own right. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up mostly in used barrels, it has classy notes of cassis and lead pencil shavings as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It’s not a massive wine by any stretch, yet it exudes class and elegance, and is already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Made with a little-known grape present on the sun-kissed island of Ischia with beautiful beaches and thermal baths for more than 200 years, the Casa d'Ambra 2022 Ischia Forastera has a smooth and creamy texture with subtle aromas of orchard fruit, apple and honeydew melon. The wine glides beautifully over the palate with a mildly creamy texture. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com