Wines

93-95+ Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of wild berries, vine smoke, raw cocoa, cloves, anise and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and complete, with a tightly wound core of vibrant fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. Less demonstrative than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, I suspect it will emerge as the finest of the trilogy in the fulness of time, but it will require patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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

94+ Points! Disgorged in May 2022, the Paillard NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is superbly fresh, offering up aromas of orchard fruit, lemon, spring flowers and menthol touches. Medium to full-bodied, expressive and precise with a delicate mousse, it’s seamless, vinous, chalky and harmonious with a clean and precise finish. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! Freshly squeezed lemon, green apples, oyster shell and white apricots with subtle brioche and exquisite yeastiness. A fruity entry followed by a medium to full body where you find the fine perlage carrying the intense chalky flavors to a nicely dry but approachable finish. Lovely length with spot-on balance between chalky fruit and autolysis. Disgorged in March 2022. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The NV Champagne Premiere Cuvée Extra Brut Rosé has a salmon/pink hue and jumps from the glass with a floral perfume in its aromas of salted grapefruit, rose water, strawberries, and green melon. Compact and medium-bodied, it offers a good deal of intensity and power through the palate, with a spritely mousse and a citrus-driven, mouthwatering finish. This highly versatile rosé is sure to be a crowd pleaser. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Rich and velvety, bursting with blueberry, plum, cherry and exotic spice aromas and flavors, filling the mouth with flavor and refined tannins. A seductive wine with real backbone to carry it through. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! The 2019 Bel Canto is more Cabernet Franc-dominated and includes 17% Merlot. While it doesn't match the 2018, it's a beauty offering impressive redcurrant and spiced plum fruits, notes of spicy oak, dried flowers, and leafy herbs, medium to full body, a pure, seamless, gorgeous texture, and ultra-fine tannins. It's just a stunning Cabernet Franc from Washington State that offers incredible pleasure today given its balance and texture yet will evolve for 20+ years. 290 cases. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modest 12.9% in alcohol, yet it possesses tremendous density and textural resonance. What a wine! Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! In the winery's style, this is seriously dense with solid tannins and concentration. It is a powerful wine with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that has structure and dense black fruits, The wine is likely to age well. Drink from 2028. - Wine Enthusiast

97 Points! Lots of crunchy red cherries and blue plums followed by violets, fresh sage and Christmas spices with baking spice and coconuts. Medium- to full-bodied with superb fine-grained racy tannins and beautifully refreshing acidity that gives an edge to it. Gorgeous finesse and elegance with harmony and precision. Delightful, too. Already drinkable but give this a few more years to come around. Try after 2026 and it should be beautiful for a long time. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2021 Canon opens in the glass with a pure bouquet of raspberries, cherries and plums mingled with pretty top notes of iris, licorice, mint and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's fleshy and sensual, with a deep and seamless core of fruit framed by ultra-refined tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a long, mineral finish. With an impressively low finished pH of 3.37, it was taken out of barrel a month earlier than usual and saw no fining—as has been the case since 2010. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

96 Points! Gorgeous fragrance, pretty and pure. Juicy and clean, this has such a lovely energy and focus to it – lifted, bright but not searing, juicy but not too acidic, weighty but still streamlined and direct. I love the fine tannins, still with some tension, and a soft, sality liquorice outline. Feels elegant and finessed, polished and stylish with lift and movement. - Decanter Magazine

93-94 Points! Apples and pears with stony minerality to it. Medium- to full-bodied with a polished, lightly phenolic finish. Attractive and lengthy. - James Suckling

92 Points! This has a nice lively quinine note running underneath lemon gelée, white peach and star fruit flavors. The finish glistens nicely, gilded with salted butter and verbena. Delicious. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2028. - Wine Spectator

91 Points! The 2022 Château Cantelys Blanc is a classic, juicy white with revealing notes of lemon, pineapple, and minty flowers. Medium-bodied, round, and supple on the palate, it has nicely integrated acidity and a clean, refreshing finish. You wouldn’t know it was from hot, dry year by tasting it! Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2021 Chianti Classico is a powerful wine. Dark, layered and beguiling, the 2021 has so much to offer. Macerated black cherry, licorice, new leather, cloves, incense and blood orange build as the 2021 opens in the glass. This is a very serious, hugely overachieving Chianti Classico from proprietor Paolo Cianteroni. 

Proprietor Paolo Cianferoni releases his wines a bit later than most. The 2021s are worth the wait. Readers will find Chianti Classicos of uncommon depth and character, starting with the Annata, which is ridiculously good. Caparsa remains one of the Chianti Classicos under-the- radar gems, a small estate known only to relatively small subset of wine lovers. These new releases are nothing short of captivating. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! So much dried-lemon and orange-peel character here. Wet leaf, wet earth, stone and lightly smoked meat. Full body, integrated tannins and a savory, tangy finish. Fleshy and yummy. Fabulous deal. Drink or hold on release. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Cigar box and leather aromas are balanced by strawberry and cherry notes at the core. There is a vibrant, refreshing quality here, with a long, complex aftertaste. Best from 2019 through 2033. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! There's a delicacy to this version, showing a latent structure and a distinctive spiciness surrounding the core flavors of cherry, raspberry, licorice and mineral. Harmonious and persistent, featuring a long finish. A compelling Brunello riserva. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a big, powerful wine that is going to require at least a few years to soften. Dark and brooding, the Riserva shows the more masculine side of Sangiovese. Black cherry, plum, leather, spice and tobacco all sit on firm beams of acidity and tannin. There is a sense of explosive energy to the 2010 that I find quite appealing, but readers will have to be patient in order to experience the wine at its best. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! A wine with purity and integration, offering black-cherry, blueberry and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Hot stone, too. Full-bodied and very tight with integrated tannins that go on. Needs time to show it all. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! This red is opulent and bursting with cherry, raspberry, rose and earth flavors, and an underlying spiciness from the new oak. Harmonious and long, refined tannins detail the finish. Best from 2023 through 2043. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! This is so beautiful, soft and plush, showing finesse and subtlety. The texture is so enticing. It’s full-bodied with really beautiful tannins. The fruit is dark and vivid with a nice earth and mushroom undertone. So delicious now, but this will age wonderfully. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The Caparzo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is delicious with lots of pretty intensity, nicely balanced fruit, blackberry, spice, cedarwood and campfire ash. This is a delicately perfumed wine that offers more power and length than you might initially anticipate. That's the secret soul of the 2016 vintage—elegance and brawn wrapped tightly together in one package. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! Boasts beautifully defined strawberry, cherry, rose, mint and mineral flavors embedded in a sleek, dense structure. Firm and lingers, with echoes of fruit, savory herbs and earth on the aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2045. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! From one of the warmer sites in the appellation, the 2023 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard is big in style, tannin, and dark berry flavor yet well-balanced, a showcase of intensely rich, layered fruit that is accented in sage, spice, and dried herb. Winemaker Sean Capiaux has worked with Pisoni since 1998, and as such is one of the longest-standing purchasers of that fruit, and his understanding of the site is in clear view here. This will be a long-lived wine; enjoy best 2028-2038. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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

93 Points! A dark red color, the 2023 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley is deeper on the nose with mocha, candied flowers, crushed berries, mint, and vanilla bean aromatics. The palate has the most ripeness and richness, a more immediate feel in the range, and a more opulent though well-managed sensation. Drink over the coming 5-7 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

79% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Teldeschi Ranch
14% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Mounts Ranch
7% Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, Mounts Ranch

Carlisle is wrapping it up after the great 2023 vintage. This is your last shot!

96 Points! Moving to the Russian River Valley, the 2023 Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches is a saturated red color and amplifies things with its more forward, layered feel, offering aromas of kirsch, bright pepper spice, cedar, and fresh flowers .The acidity shines through more vibrantly compared to the Sonoma Valley wines, with a more electric feel, ripe tannins, and a long finish. It reminds me of great Barbera, retaining both ripeness and vibrant acidity. It’s a tremendous vintage of this wine to drink over the coming 12-15 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com