Wines

99 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnement is another wine that flirts with perfection. A selection of the top barrels in the cellar, it has beautiful purity in its red and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco leaf, new leather, unsmoked tobacco, and sandalwood. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated, and powerful, it’s a stunning wine on every level that will benefit from just short-term bottle age and keep for 20-30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Composed of mostly Semillon, along with 31% Sauvignon Blanc and a small but fragrant addition of 1% Muscadelle, the 2021 La Proportion Doree comes from 30-year-old, dry-farmed vines and was barrel fermented. It pours a bright yellow color and takes on another gear in the glass, cascading open with generous aromas of fresh currants, candle wax, jasmine, and a lift of white pepper spice. Medium to full-bodied, its structure offers fantastic definition, and it has a concentrated, rich texture, an even spine of acidity, and exceptional length. This is a stunning textural blend to enjoy over the coming 10-12 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Hailing from a warm vintage that was one of the best in what would otherwise have been a fairly ordinary decade, the 1985 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon is starting to take on a deep golden appearance, commencing to amber. It offers a gorgeous, suave texture and a very complex nose that's a touch oxidative but that adds a layer of additional intrigue: it's all nuts, raisins, walnuts, olives, warm pastry, cinnamon, cooked orange peel. It's round and sweet (95g/L) but not unctuous with richness on the mid-palate while retaining enough acidity to refresh the mouth on the long finish. A wine that is very comfortable in its own skin, providing a very relaxing experience.

Moulin Touchais produces sweet Chenin Blanc in the Coteaux du Layon appellation. The wines are most often late harvested, although in some vintages - such as 1997 - a high level of botrytis builds on the fruit. What makes the winery special is its late-release policy: the wines must spend a minimum of 10 years in the underground cellars beneath the village of Doué la Fontaine before release. - Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, 2021

100 Points! Along with the Château Lafite, the 2016 Château Mouton Rothschild is the wine of the vintage from the Médoc and is a truly profound, magical, blockbuster wine in every sense. It’s based on 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in new French oak. Boasting a saturated purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of thick black fruits, lead pencil shavings, new saddle leather, and burning embers, with just a hint of its oak upbringing, this beauty hits the palate with a mammoth amount of fruit and texture yet stays fresh, pure, and light on its feet, with a thrilling sense of minerality as well as building tannins on the finish. It’s one of the most profound young wines I’ve ever tasted, and while it will probably keep for three-quarters of a decade, it offers pleasure even today. Bravo! - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Decadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. - James Suckling

99 Points! The crème de la crème from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Mouton Rothschild and this incredible wine flirts with perfection. Made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this inky purple-colored effort offers sensational Cabernet flare in its crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, floral, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. It is full-bodied, dense, and incredibly concentrated, yet still has the sexy, opulent, seductive style of the vintage front and center. It will be a candidate for perfection in 10-12 years and is going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Hats off to Philippe Dhalluim and his team for this incredible effort that’s a step up over just about every other northern Médoc out there! - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! This is incredibly complex, with all the cabernet descriptors, from mint and lead pencil to blackberry, blackcurrant and menthol. It changes all the time in the glass, just as in the nose. Yet, it remains cool and classy. Full-bodied with very fine, tight tannins that run the length of the wine, carrying on and on and on. Well-framed and compact wine. Never-ending procession of currant, berry and black cherry fruit, together with licorice, earth and just a hint of black truffle. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Give this until 2028 to show its true greatness. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

98+ Points! The 2019 Mouton Rothschild is the most dramatic of the Médoc first growths, soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries and violets mingled with rich aromas of cedar, cigar wrapper, licorice, loamy soil and spices. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and powerful, with huge levels of concentration and an ineffably complete, seamless profile, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Plenty of ripe tannin is hidden by its ample core of fruit, and despite its youthful polish, this will require plenty of bottle age to realize all its potential. This blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot tastes in many respects like the 2016 Mouton's more sun-kissed cousin. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! A deep intense nose, this is another brilliant Pauillac First Growth in 2019, all different in style and true to themselves. The tannins are ripe and fleshed out, taking a confident hold around well-textured blackberry and cassis fruits that are fluid, supple and frankly delicious. This is pure Mouton, you couldn't mistake it, with its touch of mocha and chocolate, and its core of freshness. Has a feel of the 1996 about it. - Jane Anson, Decanter

99 Points! A fabulous wine of focus and polish with very fine tannins that caress your palate and give great length to the finish. Medium to full body. The aromas of violets and currants are so beautiful. Dreamy. Best ever? A blend of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 2% merlot, 1% malbec and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Winemaker Chris Carpenter says that his Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder is intended to serve as a counterpoint to the La Jota Cabernet, which is from Howell Mountain, but that each wine showcases a softer expression of mountain Cabernet, and one that is poised for earlier drinking for collectors who stash bottles of the single vineyard Cabernet wines from Lokoya in their cellar. The soils atop Mt. Veeder are volcanic and sedimentary, and two sites provide the grapes for Mt. Brave. One is the Mt. Brave Vineyard, formerly Chateau Potelle Vineyard, and the site is above the fog line on the northern part of Mt. Veeder, where the soils are well-draining, and yields are generally two tons per acre in good vintages. The other is Veeder Peak Estate. Each site is about 24ha. This blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet France, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot was aged 23 months in 80% new French oak. Super fragrant with black fruits, black cherry, and graphite minerality with violets and cherry liqueur undertones. Full-bodied with pronounced tannins that have a chalkiness about them, balanced by very soft and supple fruit that makes this wine so approachable in its youth. An extended finish is marked by blue fruit and pronounced garrigue, blue agave syrup, sage, and crushed cocao nibs. - Decanter Magazine

90 Points! An exotic, voluptuous wine, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard wraps around the palate with serious depth. The 2009 is big, full-bodied and super-intense. It doesn’t have the aromatic high register of the 2010, but instead has more depth and immediacy. Waves of fruit build to a huge, enveloping finish. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

99 Points! The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028. - James Suckling

99 Points! An enticing aroma of violets, cherry blossoms, fresh blue and black fruit and great structure define this beautiful, age-worthy wine. Subtle layering of fruit and oak spices between firm, fine-grained and supportive tannins gives it a calm intensity. So elegant and polished. Hints of cinnamon and graphite accent blackcurrant and blueberry flavors that linger and grow in a long finish. Already attractive to drink, but best after 2029. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! The 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-refined tannins, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, flowers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can't wait to see how the 2021 develops. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media 

91 Points! Le Creete vineyard is located at the southern end of Lake Garda and planted on the limestone and clay soils that make this region so interesting. As if basking in the sun, the wine opens with aromas of warmed pineapple, guava and lemon with heady white flowers wafting in and out. The palate lifts with tart notes of passion fruit and lemon peel, with a texture that has layers upon layers to explore. Crushed chalky notes define the lengthy and elegant finish. - Wine Enthusiast

90 Points! This has tropical fruit aromas like jackfruit, guava, pineapple and grapefruit. It’s juicy, ripe and fleshy with a medium body and a tasty finish. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! The red 2023 Kalamity is stunning, in line with the wine produced in 2021. It's a wine first produced in 2014 from a field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Viura and Garnacha Blanca from very old vines in Elvillar, Laguardia and Camprovín harvested relatively early to avoid excess alcohol and to keep the acidity. The grapes were part destemmed, part crushed and part fermented with full clusters in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in 600-liter oak barrels for 10 months. Like most 2023s, it has contained ripeness and lowish alcohol, 13.5%, and a balanced pH of 3.5. Tartalo has been getting close, but I still believe this is the most complex, nuanced and complete of the reds here, perfumed and elegant. It's still young but already very harmonious, with a medium-bodied palate, super fine tannins and superb balance. This could very well be the finest Kalamity to date. It's approachable even at this young age, but it should also develop and get even better with time in bottle. 3,200 bottles were filled in September 2024. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

From the winery: Riviera is a beautiful ruby red Pinot Noir, with a slight transpar- ency that showcases the delicate hue of the wine. It boasts an enticing aroma of red fruit, including cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, with subtle undertones of earthiness and spice. Hints of vanilla and oak impart a delicate complexity to the wine. On the palate, Riviera is vibrant and well-balanced, with bright acidity and medium tannins that add structure to the wine. The flavors of cherry and raspberry continue from the nose to the palate, accompanied by notes of black tea and hints of clove and cinnamon.

98 Points! Great aromas of blackcurrants, black truffles, blueberries, lead pencil and hints of cedar. Full-bodied and powerful with fantastic tannin backbone giving it great length and power. Muscular. Toned. Flexing. This needs time. Best after 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points!  The 2020 Palmer, composed of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It is completely shut down on the nose to begin, needing a lot of patient coaxing to bring out scents of preserved cherries, creme de cassis, blueberry compote, and cedar chest, followed by wafts of lilacs, clove oil, and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves layers with a rock-solid, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long with loads of savory and earthy nuances. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

98 Points! An irresistible wine from Palmer in 2020, sumptuous and voluptuous, open and appealing yet with all the elements so very carefully set in their place. Rich and evocative on the nose, dark and brooding with softly perfumed violet and rose aromas but it’s the texture that captivates on the palate with soft and seductive velvety tannins that immediately expand in the mouth giving power but also refinement. Mouthwatering and juicy but rich at the same time, so approachable you could drink this right now and just marvel in its nuance, structure and ease - and the oak integration is seamless. I love the liquorice bite and chalky sensation alongside vibrant black fruit though a sense of heat and menthol, liquorice freshness at the finish reminds you this is a serious wine that is built to last. This really carries the Margaux beauty and charm. A long life ahead but once opened this will disappear out of the bottle instantaneously. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! The Grand Vin 2022 Château Palmer is based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare. It's a deep, unctuous, fabulously textured 2022 that does everything right. Ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, liquid violets, and freshly sharpened pencil notes define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, a remarkable floral character, and a great finish. It's a ripe, opulent, incredibly sexy Palmer that will benefit from a decade of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Lots of creme de cassis with cedar, dried flowers, blackberries and dark cherries. Opulent and flamboyant. Full-bodied and layered, this grows with plush, velvety tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Extremely long and attractive in the finish. Well-designed in this ripe year. 51% merlot, 45% cabernet sauvignon, and 4% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Palmer was cropped at just 22hL/ha due to the berries being 25-30% smaller than usual. It bursts forth on the nose with precocious black cherries, blueberry, violet and touches of marmalade and tobacco in the background. Complex and expressive. The palate is structured, with the tannic backbone, that winemaker Thomas Duroux talked about, lending this Palmer a sense of verticality. Hints of black pepper emerge with time, multi-layered, a powerful Margaux and yet the IPT is actually lower than elsewhere (76). Quite linear on the tobacco-infused finish, which is just quintessential Palmer. Do reserve a bin in your cellar for this and let it gather dust for at least a decade. 14.4% alcohol. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2022 Palmer is a wine of sublime beauty and refinement. Silky, caressing and super-expressive, the 2022 is also one of the most surprising wines of the year in that it does not show the drought or heat of the growing season at all either in its flavor profile or feel. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, spice and dried herbs lend notable complexity throughout. The 2022 starts off rather slow, and then really explodes on the back end. It is a magnificent wine in every way. Drinking window : 2030-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Sharp, energetic, racy and electric. The power and concentration is evident in the dark, rich, concentrated fruit with tannins that grip and take hold with a crushed stone texture, liquorice, graphite, tobacco and cool mint spice. The expression is exceptionally delineated with focus and push from start to finish. Quite bold and charged, but I love the succulence, the perfumed fruit, chalky sensation and overall sense of confidence. In high definition in terms of sharpness and tang to the fruit. A big wine but delivered with poise. 3.79pH. 13% press wine. Harvest took one month from 7 September to 5 October. 70% grand vin, 30% Alter Ego. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

97+ Points!  I loved the 2020 Château Pape Clément, and this beauty is up there with the top wines in Pessac. Checking in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 18 months in 90% barrels and 10% in foudre, it offers a deep purple hue to go with a powerful, concentrated profile displaying both red and black fruits, lots of spicy, chocolate, flowery incense nuances, full-bodied richness, and an almost salty, bloody character on the finish. This beauty shows the concentrated yet utterly classic, focused, elegant style of the vintage and has so much to love. It's going to be even better with 4-6 years of bottle age and will see its 30th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points!  Lots of blackberry, iodine and crushed stone here. Some black pepper and graphite, too. Full body and medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open in the mouth. So much going on. Iodine and iron undertones with some raw mushroom bring you back for more. Muscular. This is for the cellar. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

100 Points! The 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries and eucalyptus over a core of preserved plums, kirsch, black raspberries and crème de cassis plus hints of licorice and chargrilled meat. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has a solid foundation of firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness interknit with the black fruit preserves and minerally layers, finishing very long and very decadent. Superb! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

99 Points! Turning the dial up considerably, the 2016 Château Pavie leaps out of the glass with a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, toasty oak, graphite, white truffle, crayons, and flowers. A blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 85% new French oak (the new oak has been dialed back in recent vintages), this full-bodied Pavie is made in a more elegant, seamless style compared to prior great vintages, yet it still has brilliant depth of fruit and concentration, ripe, present tannins, a seamless texture, and an awesome finish. -  Jeb Dunnuck

98+ Points! The 2016 Pavie is simply magnificent. Gracious, perfumed and exquisitely beautiful, the 2016 has it all. I can't remember seeing a Pavie with this much translucent energy and nuance. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol all infuse this explosive, young wine with tremendous character. In the glass, the 2016 is vivid, aromatically deep and full of saline-infused energy. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. As it turns out Gerard Perse also opened the 2008. Although the two vintages (2016 and 2008) in question are quite different in style and quality, the trajectory Pavie has taken in recent years is evident. The 2016 is a thrilling wine. That's all there is to it. The blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous