Wines

98 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with open-knit, expressive scents of black cherry compote, warm cassis, and cinnamon toast with nuances of clove oil, roses, and dark chocolate. The full-bodied palate is rich, plush, seamless, layered, long, and decadent. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

97 Points! A gorgeous wine from Chris Phelps, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard sports a dense purple hue as well as awesome aromatics of cassis, violets, flowers, and spicy oak. It’s young and unevolved, with medium to full-bodied richness, silky tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It ranks with the finest wines I’ve tasted from this vineyard. All Cabernet aged 20 months in 70% new French oak, it has two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck

Learn More

98 Points! Redcurrants, sweet tobacco and flowers with some sandalwood. Very perfumed and floral. So pure. Full-bodied, yet so refined and layered, with a soft, compact palate and a crushed-velvet mouth-feel. Poised fruit at the end, together with fresh, rare wood and a light chocolate undertone to the aftertaste. This is open, yet there’s so much in reserve. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Leave it in the cellar for at least eight years. Try after 2029. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points!  Grilled oak notes, this is bursting with rich damson, blueberry and blackberry fruits. Stretches out slowly in the palate, showing nudges of liquorice, fennel, bitter chocolate and olive paste, coming in waves but each one taking its time. Great definition and purity of expression, with tannins that are confident but tender. This is less exuberant than the 2018, but it's built to age, and is a total knockout. 100% new oak, some in 30hl oak casks. Harvest September 24th til October 11th. As of 2018 part of the Cabernet Franc has been aged in 30hl oak casks, with the rest in barrel, 100% new oak. Penultimate vintage for technical director Emmanuelle Fulchi. - Jane Anson

Learn More

100 Points! The 2020 Angelus is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, with the tiniest splash of Petit Verdot. It has a deep garnet-purple color and needs considerable swirling and patience to release a whole array of red and black fruit scents - kirsch, raspberry coulis, blackberry preserves and mulberries - followed by hints of violets, molten licorice, tar, sassafras, and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is pure energy, featuring a firm backbone of exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and compelling tension to support the very tightly knit layers, finishing very long with a whole firework display of mineral and floral sparks. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

99 Points! Blackberry and plum character with chocolate, too. Oyster shell. Full and very firm with a linear sensibility. Tight and powerful. Very pure fruit. Tension and energy there. Polished tannins. Some coffee bean and chocolate. Give this at least five or six years. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Try after 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

Learn More

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

100 Points! A vintage of precision and aromatic purity, this is one of the finest Angélus wines ever made. A blend of 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, the nose is heady and complex, filled with dark chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, violets, and rose. On the palate, it’s silky, scintillating, and fresh, with a crystalline clarity and balance that feels almost effortless. Chalky yet creamy tannins add depth, while flashes of heat and liquorice spice on the finish bring structure and length. Juicy, deep, and incredibly moreish, this dances across the palate with finesse and vibrancy. A wine of energy, persistence, and sheer sophistication. 100% new oak (50% Cab Franc in foudre). 3.7 pH. 75 IPT. Organic. - Georgia Hindle, Decanter Magazine

 

99 Points! This is a powerful Angelus, showing incredible depth and intensity as well as tannins that are totally melted into the wine, giving incredible energy for such a young bottle. It makes me think of the great reds of the 1940s or 1950s but with modern precision. Full-bodied but agile, this has endless length, the blackberries and crushed stones, light herbs and dark chocolate showing throughout. Such balance. Al dente. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. So attractive now but will age forever. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angelus is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that spent 21 months in 100% new barrels, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc in foudre. It reveals a pure ruby/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, and graphite that show more floral nuances with time in the glass. It's incredibly well-balanced, has fine tannins, and a rare mix of purity, finesse, and richness. It's an absolutely gorgeous Angelus that deserves a decade in the cellar and will cruise for 40+ years. The style here has shifted considerably towards elegance and finesse, sometimes at the expense of texture and richness, yet this classic beauty delivers perfectly balanced richness, depth, and elegance. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The 2022 Chateau Angelus is made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with intoxicating notes of blackberry pie, blueberry preserves, and red currant jelly, leading to suggestions of potpourri, underbrush, cinnamon stick, and anise. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness supporting the red and black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. Classic Angelus! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

 

Learn More

98 Points! Incredibly perfumed with violets and white flowers, followed by raspberry, cherry and strawberry flavors. Sliced lemon rind notes with mineral and fine wet sand undertones. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that run the length of the wine and give a beautiful, rather endless finish. Planted in 1945. Only 2 hectares. Best Lunita ever. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

Learn More

98 Points! Always one of the top Crozes-Hermitage out there (although the case could be made that it's more Hermitage than Crozes), the 2018 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers has a liqueur of rocks-like character as well as gorgeous blue fruits, violets, earth, and bouquet garni aromas and flavors. I'd unquestionably guess Hermitage in a blind lineup. This full-bodied beauty has a seamless texture, ample tannins, and a great finish. It's pure class and the finest Crozes Hermitage out there in 2018. It's a stunning value that readers should snatch up! - Jeb Dunnuck Learn More

$289.98 at checkout, 99 Points! A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with profound scents of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and mulberries, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity and great poise, offering fine-grained, ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

Learn More

98 Points! The aromas of currants and flowers with hints of stones and sandalwood are enticing. Medium- to full-bodied, with an impressive structure of polished yet intense and focused tannins that run the length of the wine. Both the acidity and tannins play off each other, giving a punchy character. A classic Cheval. Only 13.3% alcohol. 52% cabernet franc, 43% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. For a decade or so, this wine never had so much cabernet franc. Needs four or five years to soften. Drink after 2029. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2021 Cheval Blanc has turned out beautifully in bottle, and director Pierre-Olivier Clouet even considers it to be superior to the 2020, a preference that I share. Wafting from the glass with aromas of mulberries and cherries mingled with incense, iris and rose petals, framed by a deft touch of new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a velvety attack that segues into a rich, concentrated mid-palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, rose-inflected finish. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Learn More

99 Points! A superb and harmonious Hill of Grace with wonderful complexity on the nose that keeps bringing you back to the glass. Minty blueberries, red berries and some blackberries. Heather and violets with beautifully integrated spices of peppercorn and five spice. Graphite, salt chocolate and cigar box, too. Intense, lush and concentrated. This is barely full-bodied but the concentration is simply effortless and the flavors grow on the palate. Super silky and svelte tannins glide through the even and cohesive palate. Persistent finish, lasting for more than two minutes. Let it breathe if you decide to open it now, but it will sleep well in your cellar, too. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The Hill of Grace vineyard, in Eden Valley, comprises 13 separate blocks, six of which feed into the Hill of Grace Shiraz. The oldest block (0.56 hectares), known as "Grandfathers," was planted around 1860. The other blocks were planted in 1910 (0.33 hectares), 1951 (1.08 hectares), 1952 (0.7 hectares), 1956 (0.88 hectares) and 1965 (0.57 hectares). The 2018 Hill of Grace Shiraz was matured in a combination of new (20%) and seasoned (80%) oak hogsheads (83% French, 17% American) for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, the 2018 vintage assists this wine in speaking clearly of its regional location: raspberry and licorice, coal dust, black tea and tobacco leaf. There are inflections of black truffle and bone broth, which always seem to emerge, however the wine is brighter and more focused than I have seen. It offers a beautiful, svelte display of fruit and tannin, with all things in harmony in the mouth. This is very long, as we would expect from the pedigree of this wine and the vineyard. It is concentrated and intense, sinewy, elegant and powerful—a wine for the future generation. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

Learn More

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

100 Points! A benchmark modern Lafite showing tobacco, orange peel, cedar, pencil shavings, violets and cigar box—so perfumed. Medium-bodied with lots of graphite, stone and hints of redcurrants on the palate. It goes on for minutes. Reminds me of Lafites that I love made decades ago. Could be the great 1986. A blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. Just sensational in its power while remaining weightless, it offers utterly classic Lafite aromatics of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened lead pencils, spring flowers, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, off-the-charts purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s shockingly accessible, yet there’s no shortage of structure, depth, or concentration. Aged in new French oak barrels, this is a monumental Lafite that should evolve for 50-75+ years. If this doesn’t do it for you, I can’t imagine what would. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! In bottle, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild has turned out even better than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, minty blackcurrants, violets and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, with a deep, enveloping core of lively fruit, beautifully refined tannins, and a long, perfumed finish. Even at this early stage, it's remarkably integrated and harmonious, and it's certainly the most elegant of the first growths this year, reminding me of a modern-day version of Lafite's magical 1953. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

100 Points! Deep, dark and restrained, offering cool black fruit with hints of cocoa and sea spray minerality. Poised and perfumed, it glides across the palate with Lafite’s signature elegance. Tannins gently frame the red fruit, achieving seamless balance. Subtle yet commanding, with layers of refinement, depth and completeness, and a minty, stony, crystalline purity. A masterpiece of understatement and precision. I love this wine. 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Organic. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

100 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, notes of freshly crushed black currants, ripe plums, and juicy raspberries pop from the glass, leading to a beguiling undercurrent of star anise, cardamom, iron ore, and iris, with a gentle waft of forest floor. The exquisitely elegant, medium-bodied palate is an exercise in finesse, delivering a laser-precise backbone of very fine-grained tannins and incredible tension to frame the multi-layered minerals, berries, and spices, finishing with epic length and depth. Legendary. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

98 Points! The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild is a magnificent, thrilling wine. A Lafite for the ages, the 2022 possesses off-the-charts richness and yet never loses its unique Lafiteness. It's as if all the elements are dialed up to the maximum, but without sacrificing clarity. That's quite an achievement in my book. Inky red fruit, blood orange, spice and incense are some of the many notes that build in the glass. The 2022 is a Lafite of nearly indescribable beauty, driven by a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and spellbinding overall balance. Vinification was carried out over 22 days, after which the wine was racked into French oak, 100% new, for an élevage of 15 months. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

 

Learn More

98 Points! Originating from decomposed granite soils containing mica, quartz, silt and sand, the 2022 Miles holds the top position in the Pedro Parra cellar. It presents an enchanting bouquet of dark fruits, exotic spices and fresh flowers that is both commanding and elegant, focused and expansive. The silky palate merges the finest elements found throughout the collection and unites them: textural richness, vibrant energy and a gripping tannic foundation. It ends with a juicy, tense and almost sweet intensity, although it finishes bone-dry and lingers with remarkable persistence, nuance and depth. Within a cellar filled with wines intended to transcend their varieties and express only their origins, this bottling achieves that objective most clearly. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

95 Points! Probably the most well-rounded or balanced Pedro Parra cru that according to Parra is the Rumbo Al Norte of Comando G. What is certain here is the complexity and depth, with subtler white pepper funkiness but a little more fruit in a complex, nuanced mode. Grapefruit, minerals, rose petals, white pepper reduction and dried watermelon. A little rounder and creaminer than Parra’s Newk, with fresh, dusty tannins that extend to the lengthy, nicely austere finish. A little richer than the 2021. Drink from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

Learn More

99 Points! The 2018 Pym-Rae can be thought of as a hypothetical mix of the 2016 and 2017, with more sexiness and opulence than the 2017 and a touch more elegance and precision than the 2016. Wonderful cassis, violets, tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate notes define this beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a gorgeous sense of elegance and purity, perfect tannins, and an incredible finish. This stunningly majestic, flawlessly balanced Mountain Cabernet already offers pleasure yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and it should be a 50-year wine. Bravo! - Jeb Dunnuck

Learn More

98 Points! The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full-bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid-palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7-8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3-4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with walnuts and hints of tar that follow through to a medium to full body with plush and velvety tannins and a lovely, caressing mouthfeel. It closes up at the end. Extremely long, pure and structured. Classic 72% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot and 2% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

97-99 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Rauzan-Segla is made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% of it new. A little swirling unleashes an explosion of black and red currant jelly, wild blueberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of violets, underbrush, and crushed rocks with a touch of star anise. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house and crafted like a Chanel suit, with a firm backbone of super-ripe, grainy tannins and impressive tension supporting a gorgeous array of floral, spice, and black fruit layers, finishing very long and with impeccable grace. pH 3.7. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

97+ Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is a classy, elegant wine. Even so, the 2022 very clearly lacks the immediacy of some surrounding vintages. Readers should be prepared to cellar this for a number of years The mid-weight, gracious presence of Rauzan-Ségla is very much present, and yet the tannins are pretty imposing. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, graphite and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The 2022 is pure and total sophistication. This is a wine that may very well have more to say in the future. Tasted four times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Heady floral aromatics and vibrant black fruit. Gorgeous succulence and energy. It's not shouting, not too high in acidity or too fleshy, but a great combination of plush and filling tannins, cool blue fruit, ripe red fruit, crystalline minerality and subtle spices. Smooth and clean, elegant and confident. Approachable with detail and finesse to the elements. Juicy, bright, clean, seductive, powerful, captivating – utterly satisfying. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is showing well in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with licorice, burning embers and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, it's suave and seamless, with its dense core of fruit framed by powdery structuring tannins that lend a more evident backbone than it exhibited en primeur. As readers may remember, the 2022 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot; and in 2022, the east-facing sides of the vines, which see the afternoon sun, were picked separately, along with anything that showed signs of stress. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla was picked 2 to 28 September at 30hL/ha and matured for 18 months in 50% new oak. Nicolas Audebert told me that it contains 17% vin de presse which is slightly higher than normal, a combination of 150 separate vinifications. This has a very opulent bouquet with layers of black cherries, créme de cassis and violets. Perhaps just a little too decadent? The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance, grainy tannins, very pure and focused with quite a minerally finish. Long in the mouth. It's just missing that knockout blow at the moment, yet it's still a supremely well-crafted Margaux. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

Learn More

100 Points! Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a more elegant version of the 2010, it has a dense purple hue to go with a rich, powerful, full-bodied, sensationally complex nose of cassis and darker berries interwoven with woodsmoke, scorched earth, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Concentrated, deep, and layered on the palate with ripe, velvety tannins, it's a sensational, absolutely heavenly effort that will keep for 40-50 years. Along with the 2009, 2010, and 2020, this is one of the greatest wines to ever come from this address. Don't miss it. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! Deep and evocative, this bursts with blackcurrants, milk chocolate and floral perfume. Instantly captivating, the palate is silky yet structured, with tannins seamlessly supporting vibrant red and black berries. Broad and powerful, yet it glides, showcasing Cabernet’s structure, Merlot’s generosity and cool spiced fruit. A mineral core adds complexity, with flint-like nuances. A masterclass in power and balance – and unmistakably Smith. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Organic. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

98 Points! The vivid fruit character here is so impressive for this hot and dry vintage. It's medium- to full-bodied, showing gorgeous crushed grapes and dark berries. With density, clarity and beauty, it really speaks of great cabernet sauvignon. The tannins are integrated and go long, taking you deep and complete on the palate. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Seems almost drinkable now but needs at least five years of bottle age. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! The 2022 Smith Haut Latte is silky, elegant and nuanced. It's all there. A wine of precision and class, the 2022 is so impressive. Rened, supple tannins wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, espresso and mocha. I nd the 2022 a bit buttoned up today, but that is probably a very good thing for its long-term prospects. I look forward to seeing it age. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Learn More

98 Points! A fine-tuned, silky, refined and well-crafted Cornas from younger (under 40-year-old) vines and whole-cluster vinification. It expresses aromas of damson plums, dark cherries, warm spices and some wild herbs. It's medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Such delicacy to the dense core, with a silky, caressing feel and incredible purity, vitality and transparency. Very long, vibrant finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

Learn More

98 Points! A new red in the "Fincas" single-vineyard range, the 2019 Finca Las Cerrilladas was produced with grapes from Gualtallary and is an intense and aromatic red with the wild profile from Gualtallary. It has 14.5% alcohol and is ripe and juicy, with very good acidity and freshness. It seems to me like there's more consistency in Gualtallary than in Altamira. They have 25 to 30 plots on the property, different soils and exposures, different ways of pruning, too; they deconstruct the property, vinifying everything separately, and then they build the wine through blending, like they do for all the Finca wines. Like the rest of their bottlings, they only use concrete and indigenous yeasts for the fermentation and aging of the wine, but here they use less full clusters, perhaps between 30% to 50%. There's a different tactile sensation from Altamira, and this is firmer, with more severe tannins. Here, the challenge is to avoid over-ripeness, and they have managed nicely. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

Learn More