Wines

This is an alternative label for the American market from an old Winex fave, Chateau Simian. The estate has been biodynamic for over a decade and the wines are super-balanced, this one bowled us over for the price. GREAT value...

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

97 Points! Exquisite aromas of lavender, cigar ash and Spanish cedar with dried citrus follow through to a medium body and a solid palate with powerful, ultrafine and linear tannins. The muscle and long finish are so beautiful. Give it two or three years but already a solid wine. Drink after 2028. - James Suckling

95 Points! The 2019 Forts de Latour is a tannic, backward wine, as it has always been. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite, sage and mocha open with a bit of coaxing. Even so, the 2019 is incredibly tight at this stage. Despite its imminent release, I would not dream of touching a bottle any time soon. Rain just before harvest in this warm vintage helped keep things in check and resulted in fairly generous yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare. At the same time, the mid-palate is a bit compact, while the tannins are imposing. (Drink between 2029-2049) - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Composed of 65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.9% Merlot, and 2.3% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with classic scents of cedar, cassis, and plum preserves, followed by suggestions of bay leaves, lavender, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tight-knit, bright, and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins and a mineral-laced finish. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

95 Points! The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva tempts the imagination as a mix of geranium and rose petals complement citrus-laced blackberries and hints of violet pastille. This is lifted and finessed with vibrant acidity and masses of mineral infused red and black fruit aromas offset by a tinge of orange zest toward the close. The finish reveals its tannic and poised structure, yet it's blended with a primary concentration that adds tremendous balance as nuances of tobacco and licorice fade. Bury this deep in the cellar. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! Packed with cherry and blackberry fruit, this red is dense and a bit chunky at this stage. Mineral, earth and floral notes add depth, and this finishes with echoes of fruit and earth, plus the emergence of Tuscan scrub accents. A solid base of tannins lends support; this is balanced and built for the long haul. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Bloody black and blue fruits, iron, leafy herbs, toasted spices, and dried tobacco all shine in the 2019 Heliotrope, a rocking blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Mourvèdre, and a little Cabernet Franc. It's beautifully balanced, has a ripe, lush mouthfeel, beautiful, velvety tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! This is a solid Pauillac with a medium to full body and chewy tannins that are polished and energetic . Plenty of blackcurrant, lemon and wet-earth character. A little tight at the end. Needs at least three or four years of bottle age to open. Will age very nicely. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! The 2019 Lynch-Moussas is a wild, potent wine. Dark red cherry, iron, smoke, espresso, licorice, leather and mint convey intensity and virile power. The 2019 is deep and fleshy, at times a bit rustic too, but long on character. I would give it a few years in bottle first. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

From the importer: From 100% Merlot grapes grown at the foot of the inactive Amiata volcano, the San Vito wine exudes an aromatic and intricate character. Sumptuous black fruit aromas unfurl into notes of tobacco, graphite, and oriental spices, enticing the senses. On the palate, it is rich and silky, with well-integrated tannins that linger through a long, persistent finish. Dense in color, the wine showcases a captivating garnet red hue that releases sumptuous fruit aromas to the nose. Prominent notes of blackberries, cassis, and violets stand out, gradually unraveling into more complex nuances of blond tobacco, graphite, and a melange of oriental spices. The sip is impressive yet rich in finesse, with a silky body enriched by well-smoothed tannins that stretch towards a persistent, aromatic finish.

96 Points! Elegant, soft, silky, and sensuous, the wine is rich, ripe and almost over-flowing with waves of polished, sweet, fresh, plums, dark cherries, licorice, 5 spice, espresso bean, and dark chocolate on the backend. Over the past few years, they have really picked up the volume here at Chateau Marquis d'Alesme. For a wine from the Margaux appellation at this level of quality and price, my tip of the day is, buy it! Drink from 2026-2050 - Jeff Leve, the Wine Cellar Insider

95 Points! Carefully constructed tannic architecture, moreish sapidity, crushed roses, blueberries, blackberries, edges of fennel and pomegranate, love it. Real grip, length and balance. Harvest September 26 to October 12. - Jane Anson

95 Points! The 2019 Marquis d'Alesme Becker was very impressive from barrel. Now in bottle, it has retained those engaging aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and a pinch of spice, well defined and quintessentially Margaux. The palate is understated on the entry, smooth and sensual in texture, with gorgeous, very pure red fruit. I adore the harmony of this wine, and the way it sashays toward the finish. Deceptively approachable, this will mature beautifully in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media Learn More

95 Points! The 2019 Taurasi Radici is impossible to ignore, mixing cloves with incense, crushed stones and dried black cherries. This is saturating and intense, with a silken textural wave that ushers in masses of tart wild berry fruits and spices, all carried by a stream of vibrant acidity. It finishes long and youthfully tense, with a mineral tinge that lingers along with notes of black licorice and a sour cranberry crunch. In 2019, the Taurasi Radici is back to form. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! Vivid dark ruby color, with aromas of blueberry jelly, earth, black truffles, toasted pepper and chocolate. Velvety on the palate, with juicy acidity, a full body and very good fruit concentration. Great complexity and polish in the finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A pretty white with dried pear, lemon and some mango. Full-bodied and lightly tannic with a creamy texture and a flavorful finish. More fruit-forward and clean. Nice acidity for the vintage. 2/3 sauvignon blanc and 1/3 sauvignon gris. Drink or hold. -  James Suckling Learn More

93-94 Points! Plenty of deep, rich fruit with blackberries, tar and walnuts. Moss, too. It’s full and flavorful. Tannic and rich. Very intense. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

93-95 Points! A year-in, year-out value, the 2019 Château Monbousquet knocks it out of the park with its ripe, sexy, yet also elegant profile. Currants, black cherries, blueberries, toasted spice, chocolate, and a touch of minerality all define the bouquet, and it's beautifully balanced, has richness as well as elegance, and is unquestionably a stunning 2019! - Jeb Dunnuck

Expected ABV: Over 14%

Terrific value from the famed Starderi Cru in Neive...

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

96 Points! More intense than the 2018, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon blends 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot into an elegantly medium-bodied mountain expression of rounded tannins, crunchy red fruit, and notes of iron and smoked meat. From the estate's 1,600-foot elevation, it shows plenty of structure and tannin power without being heavy, though it will benefit greatly, as these wines always do, from decanting and/or aging another 10-20 years. - JebDunnuck.com

From the winery:

98 Points! The 2019 Pinot Noir is an outstanding and memorable wine, a tremendously light, bright, and complex reflection of the great site from a great vintage. Lovely aromatics of orange peel, cranberry, and Bing cherry wrap around a supple mid-palate of earthy rose and violet, the tannins unobtrusive and the acidity balanced. Lengthy, the wine takes on different nuances along the mid-palate, showing more forest and black tea, adding a quiet density that stretches to a formidable finish. This wine wows now but should drink well for another 20-25 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93+ Points! The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate was fermented with 35% whole clusters and aged in 50% new French oak. It has a lively, fragrant, focused nose with potpourri, blood orange, bay laurel and evergreen aromas. The palate is slim and high-toned, supported with structured acidity that softens with aeration. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

95+ Points! This 2019 Langi Shiraz is so aromatic: brooding and dark, spicy and mid-weight, layered with Middle Eastern spices, black and purple fruits, clove, mint, licorice and bone broth. The wine is awesome. It's really balanced and complete. Its the product of a warm season, but it wears it so well. The tannins have an über attractive gravelly aspect that I really like ... chewy but fine. So good! 14.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

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

96 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Mount Veeder wine loaded with strong savory and mineral accents. Black fruit, graphite menthol and licorice lend complexity to this huge, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are pretty fierce at this stage, so readers should plan on being patient. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

94 Points! Black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, and tobacco notes dominate the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a beautiful, classic, medium to full-bodied, incredibly satisfying Cabernet that does everything right. Drink this complex, perfumed, elegant beauty over the coming two decades. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, aged in 81% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck