Wines

92 Points! A youthful, flattering Malmsey, with jasmine, apricot, flan, toasted meringue and elderflower honey notes supported by nicely understated acidity. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Lilting jasmine, white sesame and honeysuckle notes are backed by elderflower, mirabelle plum and bitter orange accents in this lithe and refreshing version, with a cool sweet/dry tension on the pretty finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! The light red 2021 Follaco was produced with a blend of ancient Juan García (80- to 100-year-old vines) and young Tempranillo (15-year-old vines) from gravelly soils with quartz, granite and slate picked early (the wine is 11% alcohol). It matured in well-seasoned, seven- to 12-year-old French oak barrels for 10 months. It has a bright ruby color and a bright and expressive nose of red berries and flowers. It's clean, light, fresh and very pleasant with vibrant flavors of acid berries. A bargain. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! Glossy, pure fruit here showing excellent concentration of red berries, cherries, hibiscus, stones and subtle spices. Concentrated and deep on the palate with outstanding volume for this vintage. Vertical and pretty long. One of the best Corimbos here. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! 2019 was a warm year, but the style of the wines is quite balanced, and the 2019 Corimbo shows quite faithful with the character of the year. It has a contained 14% alcohol and shows balance and seriousness. The nose shows some restraint, with varietal berry fruit and measured oak. It matured for 14 months in oak barrels, 80% of them French and the rest American. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

99 Points! Given its consistently outstanding quality, it’s easy to forget that the average age of Porseleinberg's 14 hectares of vineyards is only seven years' old. Showing what Callie Louw calls a "little more crunch" in 2021, this is a Syrah with time on its side. Wild herb aromas of sage, oregano and rosemary introduce you to a palate that's dense yet refined, with lots of whole bunch spice and structure, negligible oak influence, detailed, layered tannins, some underlying grip and layers of dark berry fruit. One of the world's great reds from a very special site. - Tim Atkin, MW

97 Points! The 2021 Porseleinberg is whole bunch fermented and aged for 12 months in foudres. I gave my glass plenty of aeration. Chatting with winemaker Callie Louw, this wine can be closed, this being the first time I had tasted it at the remote Swartland estate. It has a compelling bouquet with fabulous delineation, a mélange of, say, one-third red and two-thirds black fruit, hints of iron filings and reflecting its soils, slate-like scents. Obstinately backward, after 10 minutes, it positively blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with filigree tannins framing the mineral-rich black fruit. Plenty of extract is interwoven, but perhaps unlike the vintages of old, Louw's winemaking sense means that it's not immediately tangible. A discrete build in the mouth reveals hidden layers as it sashays towards its crunchy finish and then delivers a dash of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Outstanding…but what else do we expect? - Neal Martin, Vinous

97 Points! What an intense nose of charcuterie, grilled herbs, iron, black berry fruit and cracked pepper. Flavor explosion on the palate, too, with a full body, yet so much freshness with an underlying iron and peppercorn character. Firm, yet fine tannins. Even better from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Rich, gutsy and structured, with a firm mix of earthy tannins, road tar, dried dark berry, sage and cedar, showing strong character. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! This offers up some very impressively concentrated fruit in a very smooth, juicy and succulent style with a super juicy and concentrated palate that offers a wealth of very rich and succulent tropical-fruit flavor. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The 2015 Grand Cru Furstentum Pinot Gris is clear and discreet yet deep and, in a subtle ways, intense on the nose that intermingles iodine notes with ripe and elegant seed fruit aromas. Fresh and lively on the palate, this is a round and juicy Pinot Gris with an uplifting savoriness and salinity on the finely grippy and persistent finish. Grapefruit bitters on the aftertaste. 14% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in February 2023. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

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

93+ Points! (I tasted a blend of Bouchard's three barrels) Good deep red. Wild, soil-driven aromas of brown spices, licorice, pepper, wild herbs, celery seed and toasted bread, plus a light yeasty quality. Big, silky and rich, with a flavor of clafoutis Unusually round and generous for young Bonnes-Mares. Quite horizontal on the back end, finishing with extremely sweet, fine-grained tannins for Bonnes-Mares and superb persistence. I would not be surprised to see this rate a score at the high end of my projected range. - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

93+ Points! (like the Chapelle, this is also made from fruit purchased from Damoy) Bright dark red with ruby tones. Sexy aromas of black fruits, spices, dried flowers, licorice, espresso and chocolate. Juicy, penetrating and high-pitched in the mouth, with lovely floral and mineral lift to the complex flavors of red and darker fruits, leather and pepper. In a very upright, firmly structured style, and not at all exotic. Prost uses more tight-grained Vosges oak for this cuvee, which makes for a longer, slower oxygenation during elevage. - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

93 Points! Blueberry, plum and flower aromas with some new leather. It’s full-bodied with lots of fruit and density. Flavorful and stylish at the finish. A little tight now. Try after 2022. - JamesSuckling.com

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

95 Points! Aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels, the 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers crushed citrus, oyster shell, white flowers, and a kiss of salty minerality. It's medium-bodied, has remarkable purity, vibrant acidity, and a great finish. As I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Shows harmony and intensity, with focused flavors of tangerine, Meyer lemon, lime and pomelo that are lovely at the core, plus aromatic notes of lemongrass, lemon thyme and oregano. A fresh thread of acidity and details of Himalayan sea salt gain momentum on the finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

From the winery: This bottling is comprised Chardonnay from four vineyards within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. 3D, Machado, Hapgood, and Perilune vineyards all contribute to the wine which exhibits a drive, richness and pedigree expressive of our special growing area coupled with the purity of fruit and firm structure which have been the trademark of Brewer-Clifton.

3D The primary emphasis of the predominantly sandy 10 acre vineyard is chardonnay, with five clones planted. In addition to chardonnay, there is a smaller field of pinot noir planted to Swan, Pommard and 667 clones.

MACHADO 15 acre parcel on the Machado family land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy clay loam soils.

HAPGOOD In slightly richer soil, the vineyard is planted to the Mount Eden selection of chardonnay. The elevated clay loam content results in larger volume and a more dense palate expression. Our most recent installation, planted in 2010, is this small 2 1/2 acre section of pinot noir planted to Merry Edwards clone.

Only neutral barrels are employed. We strive for whole cluster fermentation. We farm with a focus of ripening the stems alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with our beautiful Sta. Rita Hills fruit.

93 Points! Cool and elegant, yet juicy and wonderfully fresh, this medium-bodied gruner vetliner has the garden herb and celery aromas of the grape. As lightly as this skips over the palate, and as crisp as it is in the finish, there’s very good substance here. It should stay fresh for quite a few years. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.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