Search results for: 'mostly a one plot'

97 Points! This is a stunning new release from Fleur de Miraval. The best year. Aromas of peaches and flowers with cotton candy and citrus. Hints of cherries and other berries. It’s full-bodied with very fine bubbles and a creamy texture. It’s fluffy on the palate, like feathers floating through the air. Salted caramel and sweet pastry in the aftertaste. Some earthy, soil character, too. So complex. This has been made from a base of the 2018 vintage. 25% pinot noir and 75% chardonnay grand cru (50% is proprietary reserve blends from 2007 onwards, and 25% is from opened bottles of blanc de blancs Champagne, dating back to 1998) This is really unique. Dry at the end with 4g dosage. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! Aged in 100% new oak, the 2022 Monte Bello blends 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, selected from 18 of 21 lots by blind tasting. After assemblage, the wine spent 21 more months in barrel. The vineyard starts at 1,600 feet and goes up to 2,700 feet at top, and is spread out across 4 different ranches, Klein, Rousten, Torre and Perrone, the wines getting more tightknit and ageable as the vines move up the mountain. By the end of harvest, Monte Bello is split into 55 different blocks, which are then picked and fermented separately. Year after year, this is a “wow” wine, herbal, lightly spiced in oak, with a lovely creamy, velvety texture and a backbone of well-resolved tannin supporting a medium-bodied, balanced spirit of mountain garrigue. These wines typically age 20-25 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The limestone soils, and the short distance to the Pacific Ocean as well as the seriously high elevation, (ranging from 1600-2700ft) means that the Santa Cruz Mountains, produce a very different Cabernet than much of California. The 2022, drought vintage, a third straight year, meant tannic, tiny fruit on the Montebello estate. The wine was fully destemmed and only pumped over half as often as a typical vintage for Montebello. Its a tightly wound iteration in its youth with 100% new American oak for 20 months. Expressive on the nose, with taut black fruits, fresh pine needles and mineral notes of wet clay and roasted herbs. The palate is fresh and medium weight, (13.8%abv) with so much lively freshness in its youthful exuberance. Salty ocean notes open the palate chasing taut early season blackberries and plum skins. The palate opens overtime revealing dried mint, and alpine meadow herbs that buoy the fruit expression and carry this masterfully made wine toward its zenith, but… don’t touch it for another 10 years for the best result. - Decanter Magazine

96-97 Points James Suckling
"Extremely well made, with a solid core of fruit, fine tannins, precision, and tension. The new winery is really showing its substance now. Long and persistent. One of the best wines I have had from here."

95-97 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Blackberries, black cherries, tobacco, flowers, cedar, cocoa, and leafy minty herbs fill the aromatic profile. Fresh, juicy, and supple, with sweet ripe black fruits and cherries. The finish is round, lively, and spicy. This is a move toward a more refined style of wine, which I really like."

95 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Beautifully knitted down, this has energy and character, classical and sculpted. Excellent quality with cassis, silky tannins, and cappuccino notes. Balanced with just the right amount of reserve."

95 Points Decanter
"Lovely fragrant aromatics with purity and focus, accented by liquorice and graphite. Smooth and beautifully balanced with velvety tannins, cool blueberry fruit, and wet stone minerality. Everything is in harmony, with impressive intensity and a remarkably long finish."

94-96 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Cantenac Brown is quite the powerhouse. Crème de cassis, new leather, lavender, menthol, licorice, and mocha all emerge from the glass. There is tremendous substance here, supported by remarkably fine tannins."

93-95 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Brambly black fruit, crushed stone, and iris flower aromas introduce a classy and sophisticated Margaux. Fine lace-like tannins, purity, and a gentle grip define the finish."

93-95 Points Wine Advocate
"A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Supple and suave, with sweet powdery tannins, a fleshy profile, and excellent balance."

92-94 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Fresh black currants and ripe raspberries are accented by cedar, pencil lead, and lavender. The medium-bodied palate delivers lively fruit, firm grainy tannins, and a mineral-driven finish."

97 Points! Lots of violets, flowery incense, cassis, and spice notes emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, a full-bodied, silky, elegant 2019 that shines just as much for its purity and balance as its richness and depth. Possessing good acidity, a lively, vibrant mouthfeel, supple tannins, and a great finish, it has plenty of up-front appeal yet should easily evolve for a solid 20 years if properly stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Another historic site and another opulent wine from Thomas Rivers Brown. Cabernet clone 337 delivers a fresh, high-toned, juicy red teeming with black fruit, black pepper and toasty cedar. Lush dark fruit is round and rich on the palate, framed by ultra-fine, satiny tannins and tangy blood orange acidity. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! A fine, effusive quality from the sandalwood, violets, black pepper and blackberry concentrate. Quite a denser and more muscular expression, yet you won’t feel any chew from the tannins, as they melt into the dark fruit. Long and focused. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Revealing a vivid purple hue as well as a powerful, more black-fruited, iron, tobacco, and scorched earth-like aromatic profile, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Monastery Block is full-bodied, has a rich, powerful attack, great mid-palate density, and brilliant tannins. Coming from a famous block located on the western side of this great vineyard, brought up in new barrels, it's another 2019 that has a rounded, supple, approachable style while also bringing impressive density, depth, and structure. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Nervy and complex nose with excellent depth. Oranges, nutmeg, steel, mineral and a touch of white pepper and oyster shell. Broad and expansive on the palate with very structured, chalky tannins that extend to a lengthy, mineral finish. Long and youthful. From organically grown grapes. Can drink now, but better from 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2020 Barolo Cannubi is a fine and delicate wine, although there is a little more grit and richness in this warm vintage. The quality of the fruit is exceptional, especially its crisp ripeness. Dark cherry, blackcurrant, rose blossom, pink pepper and white limestone add considerable high-toned notes. The freshness is great and the fruit stays juicy, fueling a long, elegant finish. Only 4,000 bottles were made. - Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! The gem of the 2014s is the 2014 Pluribus, which comes from a 7-acre site on Spring Mountain. This incredible wine offers a full-bodied, seamless, perfectly balanced profile as well as heavenly notes of black and blue fruits, white chocolate, and licorice. With a world class texture, fine, fine tannin, and a great finish, it’s a tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that’s as good as anything out there. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! Very deep purple-black colored, the 2014 Pluribus offers up notions of crushed black plums, black currant cordial and pencil shavings over a meaty core of chargrill and beef drippings plus hints of Chinese five spice and underbrush. Full-bodied and firmly framed with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, it features plenty of earthy and savory layers, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Morgan's Way comes from old volcanic and clay soils (there's some obsidian as well), and it reminded me of great vintage of Le Pin from Pomerol with its exotic, sexy, full-bodied, incredibly gorgeous profile. Offering ripe red and black fruits, spicy oak, vanilla, lead pencil, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors, it's impossible to resist today, but this has 20 years of life ahead of it as well. It's a classic, brilliantly done 2019. -  Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! From the 2019 vintage, Kayli Morgan will transition to being called Morgan's Way, although the vineyard sourcing remains the same. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Morgan's Way delivers waves of ripe cherry, Madagascar vanilla and cigar box aromas, while the full-bodied palate is velvety and taut at the same time, that tension providing great liveliness and length on the mouthwatering finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

100 Points! The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Blackberries, dried hibiscus and earth. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, showing a narrative of exceptional delineated fruit integrated with fine-grained, compact tannins that shift from precise to ethereal. Very impressive. A blend of 70% merlot with 30% bouchet (cabernet franc). Already compelling but will evolve eternally. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2023 Pensées de Lafleur has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with notes of sweet dark berries mingled with violets, blood orange and hints of truffle. Full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's deep and complete, with a seamless core of fruit framed by sweet tannins and succulent acids. As I've written before, this cuvée, derived from vines growing in the part of Lafleur's vineyard through which a water course once flowed and where the soils are richer in clay and better hydrated, still lives in the shadow of its grander sibling, but it's a must-purchase for me every year. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

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

99 Points! This is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little shaking to wake up notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and licorice, leading to nuances of dark chocolate, lilacs, camphor, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich black and blue fruits with wonderful tension and velvety tannins, finishing very long and opulent. Atomic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

98+ Points! The Grand Vin 2022 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that was raised all in new barrels. Its deep ruby/purple/plum hue is followed by an utterly heavenly Saint-Julien that has pure cassis and darker berry fruits, a core of violets, spring flowers, graphite, and spicy oak, full-bodied richness, and ultra-fine, polished tannins. It's as seamless, pure, and elegant as they come, while at the same time being intense, powerful, and concentrated. It reminds me of the 2010 and is going to warrant a decade of cellaring, and have a solid half-century of prime drinking. For the tech geeks out there, the 2022 hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.8 and an IPT of 95. It’s an absolute sensational Saint-Julien from this talented team. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! A great, powerful and proportional Ducru with everything in the right place. The aromas and flavors are very precise and beautiful with blackberry, raspberry and citrus undertones. Full-bodied and structured, it has polished electric tannins that are finely layered, well formed and very long. Remains cool on the palate. 82% cabernet sauvignon and 18% merlot. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Beautiful and beguiling nose, perfumed blackcurrants and dark fruits; damsons, plums, raspberries and rose petals. Lovely crunchy fruit, real bite and presence in the mouth. Excellent precision, tannins are succulent and ripe they fill the mouth with a juicy, intense granular texture. There is such depth to this - perfume, tobacco, earth, violets and concentrated fruits that have a verticality to them with an unprecedented 98% of Cabernet Sauvignon providing the support and the backbone. There is a crystalline purity to the fruit giving tension to the overall frame, it’s focused and driven all with excellent definition. This is not a wallflower of a wine - it’s charming and confident, strutting its stuff right now and giving you absolut St-Julien terroir and vintage markers in the glass with slate, graphite and liquorice salinity on show. Skilled winemaking on show. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

97 Points! The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a wine of total sensual allure. All the elements are wonderfully woven together. Black cherry, plum, licorice, chocolate, spice and lavender infuse the palate with striking depth. The sustained, persistent finish is a thing of real beauty. Lifted floral accents extend the finish nicely. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! A bright red ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir The Estate is lifted in the glass and has a lot of fresh, bright notes of rosy perfume, grenadine, rosemary, and sweet earth. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant energy and savory drive on the palate, with notes of salty earth and tea leaf, a light umami richness, ripe tannins, and evenly balanced acidity. It is lovely all the way through and is going to show its best if given more time in bottle. Drink 2026-2040. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir The Estate is a wine of total class and understatement. Bright red-toned fruit and well-judged oak inform this sculpted, striking Pinot Noir. I especially admire the energy here. Blood orange, mint, crushed rocks, citrus and dried herbs open with a bit of time in the glass. This translucent, crystalline Pinot is, quite simply, magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! Originally a part of the legendary Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house, Rare is moving their Champagne Millésime to a new brand and want it to stand alone. (Think Delamotte and Salon.) The 13th vintage for this cuvée, the 2013 Champagne Millésime is a blend is 70% Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir, with the majority of the blend coming from the Montagne de Reims Grand Cru and Premier Cru. A bright yellow hue, its aromatics are exquisite and well-balanced, with fresh notes of key lime, candied apple, fresh croissant dough, fresh pineapple, and honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with a rounded and supple texture and a pillowy mousse. It’s long on the palate and has a silky personality as well as a long, pristine finish. It has fantastic balance of decadence and freshness, and I could drink this all day. It’s going to have a long drinking window. Drink 2024-2044 and beyond. Disgorged December 2022. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

#PiperRare

98 Points! Coming from a steep, south-facing single vineyard, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Piaggione benefits from air and opens with wild raspberries, blackberries, flowers, orange peel, and sweet herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, linear, and tension-packed, with bright acidity, well-defined tannins, and a focused, driving finish that keeps building. It’s a more energetic, structured expression compared to the Sorgente and should age beautifully over the coming two decades. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! This bursts with cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and rose flavors, offset by earth, iron and underbrush notes, all backed by dense, dusty tannins. Hangs together nicely, with freshness and a lasting impression of ripe fruit. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! A super-complex and spicy wine with aromas of licorice, smoky wood, dried roses and wild strawberries. Fruit sweetness on the palate, with a full body, crisp freshness, velvety tannins and a sleek, graceful and powerful finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2023 Guado al Tasso, composed of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 26% Merlot, pours an opaque purple/red hue and is somewhat reserved on opening before revealing layered aromatics of graphite, plum, ink, and dark cocoa. Full-bodied, it’s lush and polished, with velvety tannins, supple richness, and a seamless texture throughout. Despite challenges with peronospora earlier in the season, the harvest conditions allowed for excellent fruit quality. This is a strong, balanced vintage with the structure to age gracefully.  - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! A carefully calculated blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 26% Merlot, the Marchesi Antinori 2023 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso shows lovely fruit ripeness followed by elegant volume and depth. The wine consistently delivers an all-rounder profile, offering a 360-degree presentation that engages the palate and senses with controlled intensity. In what can be considered an underdog vintage, this bottling stands out with unexpected finesse, confirming the estate’s ability to keep standards high in a classic Bolgheri Superiore expression. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

97 Points! A sophisticated and complex red with blackberries, blueberries, sea shells, terra cotta, crushed stone and sea salt. Medium-bodied, savory and juicy on the palate with a creamy yet firm texture. Opens and softens in the end. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! From silty soils at the estate Jardín Altamira site, the 2021 Malbec Appellation Altamira is another benchmark example of Altamira's distinctiveness. A broad, expansive and expressive bouquet of crystal-clear purple flower aromas bounds from the glass, supported by a rich yet measured bed of black and purple fruits. The palate is both wide and broad, with a laser-focused, tensile core, releasing into a finish that is equally high and refreshing yet deep and grounded. This is all about flowers and textural breadth, sitting lower in the mouth with a pronounced horizontal richness, juxtaposing the equally fantastic Appellation Gualtallary bottling, which exudes a more vertical, stony profile with a distinctly herbal bouquet. Even while attempting to correct for vintage variation, I find the Altamira wine a touch more complete and three-dimensional, but it really is splitting a hair. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

97 Points! A sophisticated and complex red with blackberries, blueberries, sea shells, terra cotta, crushed stone and sea salt. Medium-bodied, savory and juicy on the palate with a creamy yet firm texture. Opens and softens in the end. - JamesSuckling.com 

96+ Points! From silty soils at the estate Jardín Altamira site, the 2021 Malbec Appellation Altamira is another benchmark example of Altamira's distinctiveness. A broad, expansive and expressive bouquet of crystal-clear purple flower aromas bounds from the glass, supported by a rich yet measured bed of black and purple fruits. The palate is both wide and broad, with a laser-focused, tensile core, releasing into a finish that is equally high and refreshing yet deep and grounded. This is all about flowers and textural breadth, sitting lower in the mouth with a pronounced horizontal richness, juxtaposing the equally fantastic Appellation Gualtallary bottling, which exudes a more vertical, stony profile with a distinctly herbal bouquet. Even while attempting to correct for vintage variation, I find the Altamira wine a touch more complete and three-dimensional, but it really is splitting a hair. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

97 Points! Another gem of a wine from this estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate includes 1% Petit Verdot and spent 20 months in French oak. It has a darker red and blue-slanted fruit profile as well as some classic tobacco, scorched earth, and graphite aromatics. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a pure, focused style that will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. The balance, purity, and sheer class here are top notch, and this will see its 20th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck

96+ Points! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is very close in quality to the 29 Estate bottling, with perhaps a touch more concentration and tannin. There's less herbal nuance to the fruit, leaving black cherries to take the lead, backed by cedary oak and hints of dusty earth, while the palate is full-bodied and structured, leaving little doubt regarding this wine's potential longevity. Thankfully, the considerable tannins are fully ripe, leaving a softly dusty sensation to linger on the finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

96–99 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Valandraud is breathtaking. Vibrant and explosive in the glass, the 2025 offers an exotic mélange of dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mocha. There's gorgeous precision here, much of that coming from more finesse in the tannins. The 2025 is utterly magnificent.”

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“Lots of dark fruit with an edge, supported by chalky tannins. Compact and concentrated, with a fresh medium body. This shows an attractive combination of power, focused tannins, freshness and exuberant fruit.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“As ever with Valandraud, this has impressive depths and concentration. Inky colour, sea spray aromatics, sandalwood oak, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, powerful iris and violets. This is a great wine and a clear potential upscore in bottle.”

97–99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Based on 84% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Valandraud has captivating aromatics of juicy red, blue, and black fruits, graphite, spring flowers, and an ultra-classic lead pencil character. Concentrated and full-bodied, with incredible purity and a more restrained, elegant style than previous vintages.”

97 Points! A showstopper of a wine that offers a fragranced nose of purple flowers, blackcurrant, cola and liquorice. Smooth and silky, this has a gorgeous weight and texture, full and filling, a density of chalky, almost chewy tannins but bright, juicy acidity. Excellent construction, delicately layered but builds to an impressive whole that has such allure on the palate. A joyous wine brilliantly delivered. - Decanter Magazine

95+ Points! The 2021 Palmer has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with expressive aromas of blackberries, cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of iris, dark chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, sweet tannins, it concludes with a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

95 Points! This wine is very fragrant, with blackberries, blueberries, black olives, bark and forest floor as well as some minerals and stone. Medium-bodied with racy and firm tannins that build to a fresh and steely finish. Needs three to five years to soften. You can almost taste the skins. Reminiscent of the 1995 Palmer but with more precision. 56% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 3% petit verdot. Best after 2028. - JamesSuckling.com