Wines

92-94 Points! The 2023 Le C du Sec du Château Closiot, a 100% Sémillon wine that underwent malolactic fermentation and matured in one-quarter new barrels, reveals aromas of ripe orchard fruits, baked pear, vanilla pod, white fruits, lemon and spices. It is medium to full-bodied, with a textural and layered palate that includes a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and a deep, concentrated mid-palate, concluding with a long, chalky and tense finish. Crafted by Jean-Marie Guffens, this promising wine offers a broad drinking window, indicating its potential for both immediate enjoyment and aging. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

92 Points! Raspberries, dried herbs, fig and graphite on the nose of this juicy and mellow red. It’s medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins and excellent freshness. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

Touriga Nacional (50%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)

97 Points! Dried tropical fruits like mangoes and green papaya, with lemons and green apples. Limes, too. Full-bodied yet tight and compacted with great length and persistence. Muscular yet fresh. 66% sauvignon blanc and 34% semillon. Drinkable but needs five or six years to soften. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96 Points! Ripe and expressive on the nose, aromatically complex with notes of carmalised lemons, honey, peach and wet stones. Clarity and precision from the start, such a well defined palate with striking high acidity, crisp and sharp citrus fruits and a salty undertone. Soft spicing comes in towards the finish suggesting this needs more time and will have a long life ahead but the nuanced bitterness, freshness and lift are all so appealing. Excellent weight and balance too with a bright and long finished - a gourmet style with plenty to like. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points!  The 2020 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc, a blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Semillon, brings another level of density as well as complexity. Honeyed pineapple, melon, crushed stone, and spicy, savory herbs notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a beautifully layered, elegant mouthfeel and a great finish. It's a gem of a white and ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. It should keep for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97 Points! A hidden gem of a wine that doesn't get the recognition it deserves, the 2022 Château Couhins Blanc is 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sauvignon Gris brought up in 18% new barrels, with the balance in used oak and tank. Bright citrus, honeyed lime, mint, sappy flowers, and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with gorgeously clean acidity and a great finish. Savvy readers should snatch up this ripe, voluptuous, sensationally layered, textured, complex white. It's always hard to predict how these concentrated dry whites will age, yet this should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it still drinking beautifully at age 20. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Clear, pure and mineral with sour cream, white fruit and a touch of gooseberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, this has fresh medium acidity. Dissolved yet grainy in texture with a lengthy finish. Drink now. - Zekun Shuai, James Suckling

94 Points! The 2022 Couhins Blanc is superb, especially in the way it balances its brisk, saline character with notable mid-palate depth. White flowers, citrus peel, white pepper, sage and mint are all beautifully delineated. Intensely saline, mineral undertones support the persistent finish. This is commendable. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! Aromas of black berries, brambleberries, floral, orange peel, and wet earth. Medium body, creamy and round tannins and a refined finish. Delicious. Just yummy. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, and 8% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The purity of fruit to this young second wine are very impressive with blueberry and blackberry character. Citrus undertones. Medium to full body and a bright finish. Drink in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

94 Points! Rich and intense nose, concentrated with dark bramble fruits. A shot of sharp intense strawberry and raspberry fruit hits the palate, super succulent and instantly mouthwatering, quite lean and linear though there is a nice expansion of fruit flavours while the tannins stay quite firm and straight. Touching on austere and severe but the softly plump juiciness keeps this enjoyable and there is layering of elements. Acidity is on the prominent side but this is quite captivating with crunchy, bright, just-ripe red fruits and chalky texture on the finish. Yield: 35 hl/ha. 30% new oak barrels. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

92 Points! A firm and tight red with blackberries, crushed stones, ink and iodine. Medium-bodied with medium tannins that are polished and very pretty. Refined and delicious. Always an excellent value. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2022 Château D'Aiguilhe brings more of everything, with a gorgeous nose of black raspberries, crushed stone, spring flowers, and violets that opens up beautifully with air. This carries to a medium to full-bodied effort delivering ripe, polished tannins, a seamless mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Floral character such as orange blossoms and cassis with lead pencil aromas that follow through to a medium body and a lovely balance of fruit and freshness. It’s long and caressing with everything in place. Crisp. Best ever? 60% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Rocking levels of darker currants, chocolate, tobacco, and spicy notes all emerge from the 2022 Château D'Armailhac, a blockbuster from this château that has ripe, velvety tannins, a beautiful mid-palate, and outstanding length. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this is easily the finest Armailhac I’ve tasted. It already offers pleasure today yet deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve for 20-30 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Chateau d'Armailhac was picked from 8 to 27 September and matured in 50% new oak. This has a very pure and sensual bouquet with precocious black plum, cassis violet and espresso scents. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannins on the entry, though I find just a little more complexity compared to the Clerc Milon this year. There's a gently and discrete crecendo toward its delineated and minerally finish. Excellent. This is more like the d'Armailhac that I was familiar with, say, ten years ago. It will surely be irresistible once it reaches its peak. You've been warned. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it gallops out with powerful notes of black currant jelly and plum preserves, followed by hints of dusty soil, dried lavender, and tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers plenty of black fruit preserves flavors with seamless freshness and grainy tannins, finishing satisfyingly earthy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

92 Points! In the glass, the 2022 Morgon Les Délys reveals opulent aromas of cherries, violet petals, smoked meats, sage and warm brown spices. Full-bodied with no lack of concentration, the wine unfolds on the palate with sappy bramble fruits complemented by gratifying notes of licorice and slate. The tightly woven tannins impart a robust mouthfeel, suggesting the need for additional time in the bottle to achieve optimal refinement. - Kenna Wells, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2022 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Sable offers up aromas of baked blackberries, prunes, lilac petals, brown spices, vine smoke and tinges of orange rind. The medium to full-bodied wine supports a layer of grilled purple fruits, evenly dispersed along the palate, with a firm backbone of chalky, coating tannins. Ripe acids infuse the wine with verve, accentuating the nuanced undertones of white pepper and sage, particularly evident on the finish. While already displaying great promise, this wine will benefit from a few more years of bottle aging to allow its various elements to fall into place. - Kenna Wells, robertparker.com

92 Points! Another wine from the producer’s 1915-1918 plantings, the 2020 Cabernet Pfeffer Dryfarmed Old Vines offers vanilla and raspberry highlights along a broad, generously full palate. The oak is present, adding a hint of char, but it’s integrated, and the tannins are softened by good acidity. There’s a touch of pink peppercorn on the finish. Drink now through 2030. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92-94 Points! A prospective blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache and 20% Carignan, the 2022 Cairanne la Brunote offers up notions of black truffles, black cherries and black licorice. Full-bodied and richly concentrated, it's almost creamy in texture, with a lingering finish. Yum. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

#Domaine_Alary_Part_II

92 Points! The 2023 Riesling Brandluft is from Muschelkalk soils with sandy elements and has been cultivated by the Boeckel family for at least 120 years. Based on averaging 35-year-old vines planted at high density (6,800 vines per hectare), the wine offers an elegant bouquet of white fruits intermingled with delicate limestone notes. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, intense, juicy, well structured and powerful Riesling that is rich and elegant and already drinks perfectly well. There are fine tannins on the finish, which makes this an excellent gastronomic dry Riesling. 13% stated alcohol. Diam 10 cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2024. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

92 Points! Aromas of ripe fruit with fresh herbs and green walnuts that follow through to a full body, round and velvety tannins and decadent fruit. Delicious finish. A fascinating wine now that has evolved beautifully. Drink now. - jamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Dynamic and fresh, with brisk apple, lemon blossom and kiwi flavors that speed along the sleek finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! A friendly, rounded and generous wine with ripe apple and pear flavors and light baking spice accents. Balancing acidity adds some lift on the palate, enhancing mineral and saline accents. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The Roserock balances the ripeness of this wine with a great mineral freshness. From the Drouhin, Oregon founded Eola-Amity estate, balanced between oak and stainless steel, its aromas of sweet lemon pulp and flinty crushed stone. The palate continues with lithe green mangoes, sea salt and thirst-slaking lemon pith. - Decanter Magazine

90-92 Points! Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, white flowers, fresh bread and mint, the 2019 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Raidillons is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with tangy acids and chalky grip on the saline finish. This should turn out well. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! Youthful purple. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, star anise, olive, violet and tobacco. A smoky mineral accent builds steadily in the glass and energizes the spice-laced, dark berry liqueur, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Clings with strong tenacity on the youthfully tannic finish, leaving behind sappy blue fruit, cracked pepper and mineral notes. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media