Search results for: 'plot red'

92+ Points! They are changing the wines to be careful with the extraction, to keep the freshness from the high-altitude vineyards and control the alcohol level, which is already visible in the 2021 Montecastro, even if the wine finished at 14.8% when they picked the grapes at 14% (it will be seen in future years, when they picked grapes at 13.5%). It's 97% Tempranillo and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon that fermented in concrete and matured in French oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 16 months. It's dark, with ripe dark berry fruit and measured oak in the shape of spices and toast, nicely integrated and with some creaminess. It is fresh (with a pH of 3.6), modern and clean, with some opulence. It has a velvety, tender texture and is elegant and polished, with round tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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92 Points! Aromas of black berries, brambleberries, floral, orange peel, and wet earth. Medium body, creamy and round tannins and a refined finish. Delicious. Just yummy. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, and 8% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

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92 Points! I've always liked this wine, sitting pretty as a double-fermented expression with a lighter framework of tannins melded to the density serviced by the double fermentation approach devised here: fresh wine re-fermented with 30% whole, semi-dried grapes. Notes of cherry amaro, porcini, lilac and riffs on the larger format wood, conferring an earthy breadth to the wine without detracting from freshness. Highly versatile and delicious. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Remarkable balance in this wine refermented to dryness with 30% whole semi-dried grapes of the same varieties in the original blend (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara), and aged in a combination of Slavonian and French oak barrels. Refined yet robust structure with intense fruit (cherry, plum, bramble) layered with dry herbs and spices. Floral overtones (dried wildflowers and roses) a fragrant lift to the deep fruit core. - Decanter Magazine

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92 Points! The aromatics of the 2023 Evodia give justice to the name, which in old Greek means "fragrance," and it has high-lifted aromatics, floral, elegant and ethereal. In 2023, they used 15% full clusters for the fermentation, and the élevage was in concrete, with 20% in used 225-liter barrels and 10% in oak vats, and lasted five months. It has a bright ruby color and an extroverted nose. This is ripe, hedonistic and outspoken, showy and juicy, with very good ripeness and 14.8% alcohol, but it comes through as balanced with a pH of 3.68 and 6.1 grams of acidity. You just want to keep smelling it as it unfurls in the glass. The quality is clearly beyond its price point; it's an amazing value for money. One to buy by the truckload!  - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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95 Points! This has blackberries, asphalt, violets and subtle wood on the nose. The palate is angular, sharp and precise, with lots character, a touch of pepper and a focused finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! There's an inviting nose of pure plum fruit and fresh cherry in the 2022 Malbec, which shows lovely balance and a supple, smooth texture. It has a kick of power around its medium-bodied frame that never overwhelms but makes for a lengthy finish of memorable spice and herb. Enjoy through 2032. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! The 2022 Malbec hails from Adrianna Vineyard, contains 10% Cabernet Franc and was fermented entirely whole clusters before maturing for 15 months in foudre, tank and barrel. The bouquet starts with a poised interplay between herbal and floral elements, with a core of black fruits, followed by a rich, fluid and seamless palate. It concludes with an intensely savory, earth-tinged finish framed with grippy, refined tannins. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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93 Points! The 2018 Château de la Dauphine was a knockout when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a very clean, precise bouquet of shimmering blackberry and wild strawberry aromas, underlying blood orange notes coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, plenty of graphite-tinged black fruit and a very elegant yet long finish. Superb! - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

93 Points! A delicious wine that has been well handled comprising vibrant fruits with brambles and hedgerows keeping things on the right side of slick. A good job done here with the estate retaining biodynamics even through a tough vintage. Drinking Window 2022-2032 - Decanter Learn More

Very typical of Nuits-St-Georges, with a dark plummy fruit, notes of earth and mineral, and an almost savoury edge to it - slightly rustic, yet still very refined. The grapes from this 0.4ha parcel were fermented as 60% whole-cluster, which imparts a slight edge of herbs or menthol to the wine, but this amplifies in a good way the slightly sauvage character. Delicious. 94 Charles Curtis MW, Decanter Magazine

"Background hints of wood and menthol are present on the super-spicy aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a plenitude of floral wisps. The sleek, intense and very rich medium weight plus flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel that possess notably better punch on the youthfully austere, balanced and impressively persistent finale. This is sufficiently compact that it's going to need at least a few years of keeping first." 92-94 Points, Allen Meadows, Burghound Learn More

94 Points! Expressive and expansive nose of fresh plums, cherries, cloves, nutmeg, flowers and sandalwood. It’s so transparent and vibrant, with a medium to full body and fine, tight tannins. Gorgeous fruit. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The San Polo 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi shows a very earthy side that evokes savory spice, smoke and gamey aromas. The core of this organic wine is colored by black fruit and baked plum, but the wine is primarily driven by the aromas it has picked up during oak and bottle aging. This adds a medium-heavy constitution and a good amount of warm-vintage fruit weight for a Sangiovese. The wine also has an accessible character that makes it best to drink over the next 10 years. The fruit represents a selection from over two hectares. - Monica Larner robertparker.com

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92 Points! Currant, berry and tobacco aromas and flavors with some thyme and coffee bean. Full-bodied, chewy and polished. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024. - James Suckling

91 Points! The 2019 Senejac is a complex, beguiling Haut-Medoc. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice, dried herbs, menthol, dried flowers and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that lift from the glass. Senejac offers unreal complexity and tons of energy that continues to build through to a long, beautifully persistent finish laced with expressive savory top notes. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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91-93 Points! The 2021 Irancy Les Cailles is a beautiful wine, busting with fragrant aromas of rose petals, peonies, warm spices and forest floor, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and perfumed palate framed by supple, melting tannins and mouthwatering acids. Spared by the frost, this site can suffer in very hot vintages but clearly thrived in the cooler 2021 vintage.

As I've written before, Thierry Richoux—and now his sons Félix and Gabin—prove that Irancy’s wines can be a revelation. Pioneers of organic farming (and now certified as such), they realize the appellation's potential, limiting their yields, harvesting by hand and maturing their wines for two years—the first year in foudre and tank, the second in smaller oak barrels...Supple, melting and vibrant, with exquisitely floral aromatics, readers who privilege sensuality and perfume over weight and power will want to secure some of the 2021s when they are ultimately released. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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96 Points – Decanter
"A beautifully crafted Saint-Estèphe with impressive depth, precision, and freshness. Dark fruits, graphite, cedar, and mineral notes are framed by fine tannins and excellent persistence."

96–97 Points – James Suckling
"A refined and focused Phélan Ségur with blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stones, and floral undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with polished tannins and a long, energetic finish."

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Fresh, vibrant and classically styled, with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, and crushed rock minerality. Excellent balance and aging potential."

93–95 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Phélan Ségur offers lovely delineation with blackberry, cassis, graphite, and subtle floral aromas. The palate is structured and persistent with fine tannins and excellent precision."

92–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Black currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, and crushed rocks form the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, energetic, and loaded with classic Saint-Estèphe character, finishing with excellent length and minerality."

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94 Points! Tight and linear with blackcurrant and lemon rind character. Medium-bodied and racy with very fine tannins and a bright finish. Shows energy and focus. Drinkable, but better in three or four years. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

91 Points! Aromas of raspberries, crème de cassis, cigar wrapper and loamy soil introduce the 2020 La Tour Carnet, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished wine that's more harmonious and better balanced than Magrez's Grands Chênes. This large estate has eaten up many of the Haut-Médoc's non-classified growths over the past decade to arrive at a surface area of over 130 hectares today. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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95 Points! This is surprisingly full-bodied and round, reflecting the warmth and sunny exposure of the vineyard around the chateau. Tangy and vivid with currants, fresh flowers and plenty of energy and length. Delicate yet ripe. 77% cabernet sauvignon, 19.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% petit verdot. Needs two or three years to come together completely. Drink after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The second wine of this great château, the 2021 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up a mini-Mouton-like nose of pure cassis, graphite, and spicy oak and hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, plenty of fruit and richness, and almost velvety tannins. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new barrels, this textured, focused, impressively concentrated 2021 will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age (which is rare for a second wine) and cruise for 10-15+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

92-94 Points! The 2024 Smith Haut Lafitte was picked from September 18 to October 9 and matured in 60% new oak. It has an understated bouquet that I appreciate, with scents of blackberry, raspberry, light rose petal and India ink that gradually unfurl in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, extremely well balanced and very refined, with a linear and correct finish. This is a classy Smith Haut Lafitte that will provide up to 20 years of drinking pleasure. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

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94 Points! Bright, with crushed-stone and floral character on the nose. Medium body with a firm core, expanding through the palate. Vivid and bright. Lots of good energy. Crushed-stone and lightly chalky character at the end. Needs two or three years to come around. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

92 Points! The 2019 Potensac is fabulous. Bright and focused, the 2019 impresses with its energy, balance and total class. Crushed flowers, mint, cinnamon, crushed rocks and blood orange all open in the glass. The 2019 is class personified I love the purity here. The 2019 is a standout, and should be a terrific value, too. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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91-93 Points! The 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is herbal and lifted on the nose, leading to a dark-fruited, silky palate that combines svelte richness with delicious freshness. As always, this is shaping up to be an overperforming overview of the Sta. Rita Hills from a uniquely pretty vintage.

Gavin Chanin entered the wine world through an eight-year stint at Au Bon Climat, quickly becoming protégé of the late Jim Clendenen. Chanin founded his namesake label in 2007, an era that allowed him to secure contracts for old-vine plantings from some of the region's most historic vineyards while newly established sites were more in vogue. Much of the straightforward practicality learned from Clendenen is employed in the cellar: the Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed, barrel fermented and aged on lees for 14 months, then racked and returned to barrel for another four months before bottling. Heavy-toast François Frères barrels are the norm—favoring the Bertranges forest for Chardonnay and Vosges for Pinot Noir—and range from 10% to 50% new. Pinot Noir generally includes 30% to 50% whole clusters, with slightly higher percentages of new wood. Across the spectrum, the wines continually balance supple generosity with focus and refinement, delivered through a deceptively slender frame despite their richly flavored nature. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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95–96 Points – James Suckling
“Medium- to full-bodied with precise, delineated fruit. There is a savory touch and a firm finish, with overall balance between structure and fruit. Finesse throughout but plenty behind. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.”

94–96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Cassis, graphite, spicy wood, and floral nuances all define the 2025 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, a beautiful effort ranking with the best wines from this château. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a pure, graceful mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and wonderful overall balance. It's a beautifully classic, satisfying Pauillac in the making. Tasted twice with consistent notes.”

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Grand-Puy-Ducasse is a classy, polished Pauillac. Dark cherry, plum, graphite, lavender, mocha, and spice all build nicely in the glass. Medium-bodied and energetic, with fine-grained tannins and excellent persistence.”

92–94 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2025 Grand-Puy-Ducasse has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, cassis, cedar, and light graphite aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, impressive freshness, and good concentration. Focused and balanced, this is a refined Pauillac with a persistent finish.”

 

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93 Points! This supple but structured wine is sourced from various parts of the valley, yet still has the gentle power of the Stags Leap District. Suave oak spices, rich dark fruit and a full body give a generous, broad feel that is nicely freshened by fine-grained tannins. Drink now or hold. - James Suckling

93 Points! A consistently good value, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec and Merlot. Its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous perfume of crème de cassis, spicy oak, and flowers. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, pure, balanced, silky 2021 that has the vintage's pure, focused, elegant style, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! The only one of these releases to contain purchased fruit, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis draws from such diverse sources as Atlas Peak, Calistoga, Coombsville, Saint Helena and Wooden Valley. It's rather fresh and primary, with almost grapey notes, black cherries and cassis. In the mouth, it's full-bodied and plush, with a soft, velvety finish. A nice step up in quality over the 2020 version, it should drink well for up to a decade. - Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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94 Points! The grapes for the 2021 Reserva (sold as Crianza in Spain), mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano, were picked late in a cooler year when they finished the harvest the 20th of October, with plenty of times for the grapes to develop full aromas and flavors and complete ripeness. It fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, separating qualities, villages and soils, and matured in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 24 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It's a textbook example of their style in a very good year, with power, concentration and clout, elegance and freshness. It was a very harmonious year; the cycle was long and the tannins ripened to perfection. It's terrific... - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The winery’s flagship, the wine that introduced Muga to the world, the 2021 Muga Reserva is Tempranillo-dominant, with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano filling in the gaps. A larger-production wine, it offers tremendous quality, fermented in wooden vats using indigenous yeasts, the grapes separated by quality, soil type, and village origin. This one in particular is from a beautiful vintage and practically beams in full-bodied concentration, with supple, silky tannins and light touches of oak spice, cedar, balsamic, and white pepper. A new release, it should continue to thrive another 15-20 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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

95 Points! Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, pencil shavings and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, this is creamy and crunchy with open, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine's sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! One of the smart purchases this year is the 2022 La Dame de Montrose, a second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths. Based on 71% Merlot, the Dame sees a more reductive élevage than the grand vin, which is perfectly adapted to this variety. Opening to reveal aromas of sweet cassis, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, spices and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a powerful but controlled profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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