Wines

95 Points! The 2022 Coutet delivers nuances of pineapple, tangerine oil, orange confit and spice. Exotic and unctuous, it's also light on its feet for such an obviously rich wine. There's great balance here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94+ Points! One of the wines of the vintage, the 2022 Coutet opens with notes of apricots, spices and exotic fruits, setting the stage for a medium to full-bodied, round and supple palate enhanced by brightness and tension that culminates in a spicy, minty finish. Its balanced structure and lively acidity contribute to an ethereal ending, making it a very elegant yet chiseled Barsac. This blend of 94% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle is matured for 18 months in barrels. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! Lots of dried-apricot and peach aromas with hints of dried white mushrooms and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, this has lots of sweetness but a spicy flint and citrus character with dried pineapple and white peaches. Extremely long and flavorful. Such a balance and classiness to this. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Bight and fun, a lovely easy, clean and sleek texture, quite straight with focus and a sense of cool freshness on the palate with some soft bitter edges that are so appealing. Has a great frame, slowly expands, not so overtly sweet or zingy, but this is refined and well delivered, still with concentration in the depth and overall long length. 158g/l residual sugar. 3.88pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

95 Points! Winemaker (and vineyard manager) Daniel Estrin refers to the Jessie Vineyard Pinot as a velvet sledgehammer, saying ‘this site has power and intensity with smooth edges.’ Aromas kick off a sweet blue fruit note with turned earth and fresh herbs accented by plenty of violets. These east-facing slopes see no afternoon sun and retain great freshness. The palate reflects those lively blue fruits, showing real depth and texture. There is fresh mint and touches of balsamic and soy umami. Seriously structured to lay down for many years. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Scented nose with wild strawberries, spiced cherries, dried herbs, baking spices and a touch of leather. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Vivid red currant and succulent sour cherry character on the mid-palate. Juicy and focused with harmonious structure and a long, intense finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The Louise Vineyard is about 10% warmer than Jessie, and it also sees less wind, so these vines have life a little easier and as such, you see that in the wine's opulence. Aromas of dark bramble berries, black plum skin, and touches of savoury spice. The palate shows flashes of black tea, clove and rose hips alongside early-season blackberries. This site has a lot of geological complexity, and this structured Pinot will go the distance. - Decanter Magazine

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

96 Points! The 2019 Château Croix De Labrie is gorgeous and jumps out in the vintage. Almost all Merlot brought up in new barrels, it offers a beautiful bouquet of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried herbs, and flowers, with a beautiful loamy earth and chalky minerality emerging with time in the glass. With remarkable purity and finesse, it's full-bodied, has a great mid-palate, silky tannins, and a great finish. It could be drunk today with a decant but will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age. I suspect it will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

98 Points! Fabulous aromas of blackberries, blueberries, pine needles and spices, such as nutmeg and allspice. White pepper, too. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. It’s got so much energy and drive. Vibrant at every level. Precise and not overpowering, yet so structured. 97% merlot and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. This needs time to soften. Try after 2026. - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A really drinkable Ribera del Duero that shows restraint and finesse. Dark cherries and grilled herbs with a hint of white pepper and cocoa powder. Full and supple with fine, precise tannins. Very long, persistent and rather intellectual. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The single-vineyard Garnacha 2020 Os Cantals, whose name denotes a soil covered in slate, comes from a dry-farmed and head-pruned 70-year-old vineyard on red, iron-rich soils. It fermented in open-top oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and full clusters that were foot trodden, then the wine matured in 456-liter oak barrels for 13 months. This is subtler and deeper than the Las Ladieras, but it comes from a similar mold. It's beautifully textured with citrus freshness, and it's refined and elegant with great tension and ultra fine tannins. 3,200 bottles were filled in September 2021. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.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

96 Points!  A successful wine that has lived up to En Primeur promise. The emphasis remains on texture and depth, velvety tannins, perfumed violets, rose and raspberry leaf aromatics, slate, crushed rocks, serious at first then softening to show raspberry puree and smoked blackcurrant fruits. Cocoa dusting on the finish and clear spice, a little austere right now. The terroirs of the newly-purchased Château Pontac Lynch are in this Issan vintage, meaning the blend uses five grape varieties for first time. Not easy to add these distinctive varieties while maintaining the elegant, finessed style of this estate, but it works. 50% new oak, 38hl/h yield. - Jane Anson

96 Points!  The 2020 Château D'Issan is a stunningly good Margaux, and this is another estate that seems to producer brilliant wines every vintage. Pulling from 51.04 hectares of vines and a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, it's a selection of just 45% of the total production and spent 18 months in 50% new and 50% once-used French oak. Beautiful, spiced-laced red and black fruits, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and incense notes define the aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied restrained, elegant 2020 with terrific mid-palate density, ripe, velvety tannins, and terrific overall balance. This is one of those beautiful, classic wines that grows on you with time in the glass, and hats off to Emmanuel Cruse for yet another incredible wine. It's going to evolve for another 25-30 years if well-stored. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! The 1998 Maya (500 cases from a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Cabernet Sauvignon) is an amazing effort, possessing multiple layers of fruit, sweet tannin, and no herbaceousness, astringency, or thinness. This is an amazing tour de force in winemaking for the vintage. It is loaded, with impeccable balance. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2002

95 Points! The 2008 Pinnacle Shiraz comes off Grampian’s Best clone vines planted in 1997. Very deep garnet purple in color, it’s a little mute to begin producing pretty aromas of violets, black pepper, dark chocolate, black cherries and earth. Very crisp in the mouth, it has a medium-high level of very fine, velvety tannins and meaty, savory, spicy flavors coming through in layers. Full-bodied and rich, this wine has a very long finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

95 Points! A fine-tuned, elegant Barolo with aromas of dried cherries, dried roses, licorice and mint. Full-bodied, it shows smoothness, density, weight and soft tannins despite the structure, with refreshing acidity and a long, vibrant finish full of savory flavors. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Laced with cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and white pepper flavors, this red is expressive despite being linear and taut. Firms up on the finish, where lively acidity drives the fruit and savory elements. Shows excellent harmony and potential. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! A blend of fruit from five MGA sites (Brunate, Liste, Cerequio, Cannubi and Raviole)...The Damilano 2021 Barolo Lecinquevigne offers nice intensity and standard Nebbiolo complexity with dark fruit, cassis, spice and toasted tobacco leaf. You do not taste the personality of any one site, but that's not the point. Aged in large botte, the wine is open-knit in texture and immediate. You can wait longer or pull the cork now. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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

95 Points! The judges were all struck by the purity of Côte des Blancs specialist Delamotte, sister house of Salon in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. President Didier Depond believes in the ‘freshness and poise’ of Chardonnay, which here comes entirely from grand cru villages (with just 8% Pinot Noir, also from grand cru villages of the Montagne de Reims). Based on the ripe 2020 vintage, with a modest 15% reserve wines, the class of the source material shines in this exemplary bottling. Tom Hewson: Very alluring bright cherry, honey and brown butter richness. Serious, with stony minerality, dried flowers and mandarin/grapefruit. Stunning. Eugenio Egorov: Fresh redcurrants, cranberries and apples, notes of tangerine and bread crust. Rounded fruit is balanced by lively acidity, with a light mousse. Victoria Mason MW: Nutty oxidative aromas, flinty funk, creamy white peach and lemon curd. This is complex and intense, with a vibrant, pink grapefruit, tangy freshness. Persistent and elegant. - Decanter World Wine Awards

95 Points! Reminding me of a classy Hermitage, the deep purple-hued 2020 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Des Grands Chemins offers up a brilliant perfume of redcurrants, blackberries, saddle leather, lavender, and bouquet garni. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured, balanced Crozes that has velvety tannins, some classic northern Rhône gamey, peppery nuances, and a great finish. It needs a decant if drinking any time soon, but the tannins are supple and ripe, and this beauty will have a broad drink window. I wouldn't be surprised to see it still going strong at age 20. Bravo. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

95 Points! The 2021 Dominio de Anza Selección de Parcelas goes back to the elegance, perfume and refinement of the wines from 2018 and 2019—floral and clean. It comes from multiple places in different villages, all vinified separately in a year he found to be marked by the rain during the harvest. This has very good freshness. He used more full clusters this year, and the élevage was in 500-liter barrels and oak foudres. It's very attractive and easy to drink. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com