Wines

94+ Points! From a site on the other (southern) side of the appellation, the 2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir saw quite a bit more stems and was fermented with 40% stems and brought up in 20% new oak. It has a wonderful nose of ripe red and black currants as well as subtle woodsmoke, dried herbs, and forest floor. This carries to a pure, medium-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir with ripe tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It opens up nicely with time in the glass and will no doubt benefit from another year or two of bottle age. These latest releases from Gavin Chanin are pretty much straight-up brilliant across the board. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! This is a cooler-climate Syrah done with the light touch of a Pinot Noir master. The nose is extremely peppery, reminiscent of a tour through a Tellicherry peppercorn factory, yet with tart cranberry, rust and soil elements as well. The palate is immensely grippy with more white pepper as well as charcoal and brisk red-fruit flavors. It will also cellar very well. - Wine Enthusiast

94 Points! The 2018 Syrah Schock Family Vineyard is Gavin Chanin's first Syrah, and it is fabulous. Deep and rich, but not at all heavy, the 2018 has so much to offer. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2018 is an embryonic wine at this stage. What comes across is the wine's exceptional balance and harmony. Time will be needed for Syrah aromatics to emerge. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! Such pure and beautiful aromas of blackberries and black cherries with violets and red roses. So aromatic and enticing. Full-bodied with extremely integrated tannins that are velvety and curated. Fresh and sweet fruit at the end with an orange-peel undertone. Crushed stone and sandalwood, too. This is a very beautiful second wine of Ausone. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot. Drink after 2025.  - James Suckling.com

94 Points! The 2019 Chapelle d'Ausone is dense, powerful and beautifully layered in the glass. Wild red cherry, plum, exotic spice, dried flowers, mocha, rose petal and espresso are some of the many notes that give the bouquet its beguiling personality. There's real textural intensity and resonance here. As has been the case for some time, Chapelle d'Ausone is superb. If anything, it suffers from the perception of being a 'second wine.' It is that only in name. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

96 Points! The second wine of this brilliant château, the 2022 Chapelle D'Ausone checks in as 65% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised 20 months in barrels. Classic Cabernet Franc notes of black raspberries, currants, spring flowers, candied violets, and sappy mint herbs all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. While it's not the best vintage for the second wines, you wouldn't know it by tasting this. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps with expressive scents of red currant preserves, fresh blackberries, and violets, plus nuances of cedar chest and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with rich black and red berry layers, supported by velvety tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

93 Points! The Chapelle d'Ausone is a powerful but also embryonic wine. Here, too, the wine's balance is impeccable. Super-ripe red cherry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal all meld together. Chapelle is a powerhouse second wine, if that term can even be used. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! A bright yellow/silver color, the 2023 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard Grower Collection is lifted on opening, with bright aromas of citrus zest, lemon confit, wet stone, beeswax, and pineapple rind. The palate is supple and rounded, with full-bodied richness, but it’s not heavy. It has a pleasing waxy texture and a clean finish. Drink 2025-2032. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

94 Points! Mouth coating, ripe tasting and practically sweet with its abundant fruit flavors, this wine is a showstopper. Butter, toast and lemon zest aromas lead to baked apples, poached pears and marzipan flavors that are thankfully backed by persistent acidity that keeps the palate refreshed. - Wine Enthusiast

97 Points! A beautifully proportioned Marsannay with Grand Cru-type concentration and fineness of tannins. Very dark core, then a very long, polished finish. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! The 2019 Château Bouscassé, a blend of 70% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked at the same time and co-fermented, possesses a perfumed, fresh bouquet of dark wild berries, spices, flowers and mulberries. Medium to full-bodied, polished and fleshy, it’s layered and enveloping with a charming, seamless profile for a Madiran that segues into powdery tannins and a long, mineral finish. It demands some patience. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! This is a big white with sliced apple, pineapple and lychee fruit. It’s full-bodied and dense with lots of fruit and phenolics on the mid-palate. A roundness and power at the end. From the same plots as Yquem. - James Suckling

94+ Points! Composed of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Sémillon, the 2022 Y d'Yquem has 6 grams per liter of residual sugar. It skips out of the glass with cheery notions of fresh, crunchy pears, allspice, fennel seed, and lime leaves, leading to touches of lemon drops, chalk dust, and white pepper. The medium-bodied palate has a satiny texture and racy backbone with layers of pear and baking spices flavors, finishing on a lingering chalky note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent

99 Points!  The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better. Offering a pale gold color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of honeyed tangerines, tart apricots, liquid rocks, white flowers, and honeysuckle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an opulent texture, vibrant acidity, and again, an incredible sense of minerality, despite having no shortage of sweetness or richness. The 2016 is a classic blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon that hit 14.2% alcohol with 135 grams of residual sugar. It’s already complex and approachable yet will keep for 3-4 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! A very classic Yquem. Breathtakingly wide spectrum of floral honey, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan aromas. But none of this is a jot too much. In fact, the wine is extremely precise and finely nuanced. Wonderful freshness and textural complexity, in spite of the considerable concentration and extravagance. Very suave and sensual finish that goes on and on. - James Suckling

98 Points! Containing 135 grams per liter of residual sugar, the pale lemon-gold colored 2016 d'Yquem leaps from the glass with honeyed apricots, pineapple, green mango, crushed rocks, candied ginger, coriander seed and citrus peel with hints of orange blossom. The palate is very tightly wound, vibrant and refreshing with layer upon layer of minerals and spices, finishing with epic poise and persistence. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! Tasting the 2019, I noticed that it has a slightly paler hue compared to recent vintages (though I never read too much into the colour of young Sauternes.) For certain, it has a highly-aromatic bouquet that is beguiling in purity, enticing aromas of honeysuckle and saffron, soon joined by camomile, white flowers and orange blossom. It has wonderful delineation and gains intensity with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious and armed with just the right amount of viscosity, this Yquem is surprisingly understated at first but gains presence, offering irresistible flavours of layers of honey, lemongrass, lemon thyme and orange pith. Yquem is so tempting in its youth, but I feel that this vintage will repay those with the nous to cellar for at least a decade. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! The 2019 vintage of Château d'Yquem has the highest proportion (45%) of Sauvignon Blanc in any modern Yquem. The Sauvignon Blanc adds to the freshness, acting as a great balance to the succulent, sweet and voluptuous palate. Intense peach and apricot, combined with lemon and orange zest, make this highly appealing to drink right away - an ideal vintage with which to start Yquem’s ‘lighthouse’ project. However, it would be a shame not to give this 10+ years maturation to see how it develops. Very well, I suspect. - Decanter Magazine

ETA: EARLY WINTER OF 2026

100 Points! With 153 grams per liter of residual sugar—placing it among the 10 most concentrated vintages in the château’s history—the 2023 d'Yquem ranks among the finest wines bottled here under Lorenzo Pasquini’s direction. It unfurls from the glass with a complex, vibrant and remarkably pure bouquet of pineapple, guava, mango, confit citrus, beeswax and spices. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it combines formidable depth with perfectly judged control, built around a fleshy core of fruit, framed by lively acidity and a crystalline texture and culminating in an endless, refined and ethereal finish. Yquem’s natural power is here masterfully harnessed by the vintage’s freshness and tension, revealing an aesthetic of precision and vibrancy encountered only in the estate’s greatest years—made all the more remarkable by the fact that the château now achieves even higher levels of concentration than a decade ago, without any perceptible increase in sweetness on the palate. - Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com

100 Points! Power, freshness, depth — after the extremes of 2021 and 2022, this walks the line between the two, exceptional. Mandarin, quince, mirabelle plums, white truffle, fresh fruit and confit fruit, a vibration of slate and steel, opulent but slices closed on the finish. The botrytis came early and quickly in 2023. Francis Mayeur in final vintage as consultant, after many years as inhouse winemaking team, Lorenzo Pasquini director. 154g/l residual sugar, 3.85ph, harvest September 14 to October 11. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

100 Points! Perfect aromas carry through to every milliliter of this wine, showing intense orange peel, honey, butterscotch, saffron, smoke and peat, with hints of coffee and dried apples. Full-bodied but weightless and silky, with an excellent balance of fruit, sweetness and spices. Some peanut brittle, dried oranges and lemons at the end. I can’t get over how wonderful this is now, but it can age forever. 154 g/L residual sugar. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

ETA: EARLY WINTER OF 2026

100 Points! With 153 grams per liter of residual sugar—placing it among the 10 most concentrated vintages in the château’s history—the 2023 d'Yquem ranks among the finest wines bottled here under Lorenzo Pasquini’s direction. It unfurls from the glass with a complex, vibrant and remarkably pure bouquet of pineapple, guava, mango, confit citrus, beeswax and spices. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it combines formidable depth with perfectly judged control, built around a fleshy core of fruit, framed by lively acidity and a crystalline texture and culminating in an endless, refined and ethereal finish. Yquem’s natural power is here masterfully harnessed by the vintage’s freshness and tension, revealing an aesthetic of precision and vibrancy encountered only in the estate’s greatest years—made all the more remarkable by the fact that the château now achieves even higher levels of concentration than a decade ago, without any perceptible increase in sweetness on the palate. - Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com

100 Points! Power, freshness, depth — after the extremes of 2021 and 2022, this walks the line between the two, exceptional. Mandarin, quince, mirabelle plums, white truffle, fresh fruit and confit fruit, a vibration of slate and steel, opulent but slices closed on the finish. The botrytis came early and quickly in 2023. Francis Mayeur in final vintage as consultant, after many years as inhouse winemaking team, Lorenzo Pasquini director. 154g/l residual sugar, 3.85ph, harvest September 14 to October 11. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

100 Points! Perfect aromas carry through to every milliliter of this wine, showing intense orange peel, honey, butterscotch, saffron, smoke and peat, with hints of coffee and dried apples. Full-bodied but weightless and silky, with an excellent balance of fruit, sweetness and spices. Some peanut brittle, dried oranges and lemons at the end. I can’t get over how wonderful this is now, but it can age forever. 154 g/L residual sugar. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is some serious Provençal goodness, with just about overflowing aromas and flavors of sweet raspberries, blackberries, peppery garrigue, and Provençal spices. It has the sunny, expressive, complex style of the vintage, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with most 2022s, it has plenty of upfront charm yet solid underlying tannins as well. It reminds me slightly of the 2009 and will have two decades of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Dense licorice and forest berry aromas mask the deep tannin structure of this Chateauneuf-du-Pape masterpiece. Full-bodied but with a lightness of touch. Then the power and stony intensity pour over you in a giant wave. The freshness is extraordinary for this hot and dry vintage. Serious tannins in the very long, compact and refined finish. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The estate lost some Grenache due to shatter, so the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties. It was all destemmed except for the Syrah and brought up in foudre. The higher Mourvèdre component gives it a more serious, focused style than most in the vintage, and it has darker blackberry fruits intermixed with roasted herbs, spring flowers, violets, and some meaty nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, pure, layered mouthfeel, it has ripe, velvety, yet building tannins and a great finish. Another beautiful vintage for this cuvée, it has the approachable style of the vintage yet brings more than enough density and concentration to evolve for 30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Darker in its ruby color, the 2019 Laurasie is a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from almost 20-year-old vines on the stony Jurassic plateau of Fosse-Sèche, where yields are not bigger than 20 hectoliters per hectare. This is fleshy and concentrated yet pure, fresh and elegant on the deep, terroir-driven and beautifully floral (violets) as well as graphitic nose that is absolutely distinctive in its delicate, pure and balanced style. Black and blue berries, dark cherries, green paprika, pencil lead and herbal, wet gravelly notes lead to a medium to full-bodied, highly elegant, refined and perfectly balanced palate that exhibits perfectly ripe, round and juicy fruit with a firm but ripe, very fine and elegant tannin/acidity complex. The finish of this concentrated red is tight, intense and spicy, showing black berry and chocolate as well as graphite and coal with dark cherry notes. Irresistible and, in 2019, possibly the finest wine from Fosse-Sèche. The wine was aged for 12 months in concrete eggs. Tasted in January 2021. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2019 Château d'Aussières is blended from 52% Syrah with 20% carbonically macerated Carignan, 19% Mourvèdre and 9% Grenache. It’s another dark red wine with harmonious, complex aromas which combine blackcurrant fruit (typical, says the Aussières consultant Matthieu Dubernet, of Fontfroide Syrah) with wildflower and hillside pine forest scents. The palate is surprisingly light and elegant with a sense of proportion and harmony; there’s no shortage of fruit density, though. It’s a more approachable wine at this stage than the 2018. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Blackcurrants, slate, crushed stone and berries with hints of chocolate. Medium-bodied, bright and racy. Vivid at the end. A blend of syrah, carignan, mourvedre and grenache. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Plenty of graceful black and red fruits, this is an impressively balanced wine from a warm vintage. Turmeric and smoked cumin kick things off, emphasing tight tannins that will soften over the next few years, before everything opens through the mid palate to show a burst of baked raspberry, incense and rosemary spices, orange peel, plenty of juice. First time for the 167ha Domaine d'Aussières on the Place (or rather not in exclusivity with DBR Lafite). Director Jean de Roquefeuille (ex Rieussec), working alongside the group winemaker Olivier Tregoat. - Jane Anson, inside Bordeaux 

100 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 1993! This is one of my favorite wines ever. Full-bodied, with layers of silky fruit and masses of currant, mineral and berry character. Amazing. It's a wine with perfect structure, perfect strength. It's 1961 Latour in modern clothes. It's hard not to drink it now. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. - Wine Spectator, 2005