Wines

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! Château Canon has been taking off over the past few years, and here you see why. Just so much complexity, depth, power, interest in the whole thing. This buzzes with life, rises above the palate, full of gunsmoke, truffle, raspberry, blueberry, so delicious. Needs time but already showing it will be worth the wait. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, Harvest September 11 to October 4, 50% new oak. Thomas Duclos consults. - Jane Anson

100 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Canon prances out with showy notes of wild blueberries, fresh boysenberries, and black raspberries giving way to fragrant scents of sassafras, cumin seed, star anise, and red roses. The full-bodied palate delivers waves of bright black and blue fruits with wonderful freshness and plush, rounded tannins, finishing long and energetic - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

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

92 Points! The estate's 2013 Roero Vigna di Lino is powerful, dense and explosive. Lavender, violet, spice and bluish-hued fruits give the 2013 much of its distinctive personality. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2013 offers quite a bit of depth. With time in the glass, the wine gains freshness and slightly redder tonalities in its fruit. This is a terrific expression of Roero Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2017

92 Points! A bright ruby color, the 2021 Barbaresco is fresh and floral on the nose, with notes of fresh roses, raspberries, sweet herbs, and fresh peach. Medium-bodied and bright on the palate, with tangy citrus taking the lead, it offers finely coiled tannins, zesty acidity, and a chalky texture, then turns to more tangy cranberry-noted fruit, with a good bit of grip on the sides of the palate. This is a refreshing and energetic Barbaresco to drink over the next 10-12 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

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

93 Points! The appellation series Malbecs are typically made in the same manner, seeing 11-13 months in 100% French oak, a small percentage of it new. Here, the 2022 Malbec Appellation Paraje Altamira is from the cooler region of Altamira, where it retains acidity and freshness while offering crisp red fruit and silky texture, lasting for days on the palate. It should age well another 10-12 years as well. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! Another highlight of the Catena Appellation range is the 2022 Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec, opening with the region's signature purple-flower note and accented with fresh herbs and a citrus-driven zest quality. On the palate, it combines a svelte, seamless purity with lifted, focused energy that runs through the crunchy, high-toned finish. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

99 Points! Dill, limes, green ginger and crushed stones on the nose. The palate is extreme, marked by intense mineral tension, pronounced salinity and a delicious severity that sets this wine apart from even the greatest chardonnays of the world. Incredibly fresh and mouthwatering. Spectacular. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The 2023 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Bones leads with its quintessentially lifted, vibrant bouquet of citrus rinds, dried spices, white flowers and fresh herbs, continuously developing additional complexity from its biological aging under flor. The palate combines live-wire focus with ethereal richness and a gently creamy core that runs through its mouthwatering and mineral-drenched finish. A fantastic iteration of the exotic, precise profile readers have come to expect from this pioneering Gualtallary Chardonnay reference point. - Joaquin Hidlago, Vinous Media

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

92-94 Points! Crème de cassis, graphite, sweet tobacco, and sweet, loamy earth notes all define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a nicely textured, layered, pure, seamless barrel sample. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Cassis, juniper berry, licorice, walnut oil, and a Tempranillo-like ashen smokiness scent and inform the bittersweet, polished palate of Baron’s 2009 Camaspelo (named for a mid 19th Century Cayuse chief), whose as usual dominant Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 18% Merlot and sourced from the En Cerise and Cailloux vineyards. Bitter hints of huckleberry as well as suggestions of crushed stone and pencil lead add to the complexity of a protracted finish. “Red Mountain gives you, to me, the Mike Tyson of Cabernet Sauvignon,” says Baron (as usual!) wryly and provocatively. By contrast, he claims to be searching for something rich yet understated, and notes that “after about five or six years we decided to use less oak for ours.” That said, there is a certain sense of opacity and stasis here as opposed to the levity and vibrancy of the very best wines in this same collection. Baron says this bottling routinely picks up an alluring floral nuance with time in bottle. I’d certainly consider giving it at least 6-8 weeks to demonstrate such a trend, and even if it doesn’t, it’s still very impressive stuff. - David Schildknecht, robertparker.com

98 Points! So floral and fresh with rose stem, sandalwood and orange blossom. Cherries, too. Full-bodied yet reserved and held back with creamy fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Shows brightness and finesse. Silky texture. One of the best I have had from here. A Brunello that emphasizes purity of fruit. Give this three to four years more. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is every bit as thrilling as it was on the many occasions I tasted it from barrel. Black cherry, hard candy, plum, rose petal, menthol and lavender saturate the palate in a sumptuous, racy Brunello endowed with magnificent depth and pedigree. An utterly stunning, sensual wine, the 2010 constantly changes in the glass as it conquers all the senses with an exotic kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures. I remember tasting the 2010 from cask a few years ago when Diego Molinari was too unwell to go down to the cellar. Nora Molinari tasked me with essentially serving myself as we went from vintage to vintage and cask to cask. For days after, I was mortified that I might not have closed some of the spigots tightly enough. Fortunately, that was not the case. In all of my years tasting the wines of Montalcino, I have only come across two wines with this level of textural unctuosity and sweetness; Gianfranco Soldera's 1983 Brunello and 1990 Riserva. Cerbaiona's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino will leave readers weak at the knees. It is every bit that profound. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a bright red color and shows more aromatic restraint than the 2021. The nose shows wild raspberries, darker berries, and dried floral tones, with a more muted, understated frame. Medium to full-bodied, it offers ripe tannins, balanced acidity, and solid length, although it feels a touch less polished than the 2021 at this stage. It should drink well over the next 12 to 15 years. Drink 2026-2041. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points! Incredibly perfumed with violets and white flowers, followed by raspberry, cherry and strawberry flavors. Sliced lemon rind notes with mineral and fine wet sand undertones. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that run the length of the wine and give a beautiful, rather endless finish. Planted in 1945. Only 2 hectares. Best Lunita ever. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com