Search results for: 'spring white reader'

92 Points! From the early-picked grapes from the single vineyards, Mittelbach’s 2019 Riesling Smaragd Bergdistel offers a pure, fresh, elegant and slightly flinty bouquet of white stone fruits and crushed stones. Round and almost creamy on the palate, this is a juicy, fleshy, textured and mild Riesling with a well-structured, stimulatingly grippy finish and very fine tannins. Good length. 13% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in June 2021. - Stephamn Reinhardt, robertparker.com

Classy Chardonnay for the price! From the winery: The 2020 Willamette Valley Chardonnay is a blend from several of the region’s best vineyards and thus provides complex aromas and flavor. On the nose, this wine begins with an abundance of tropical fruit and floral notes that leap from the glass. Bright acidity and subtle minerality mesh with fresh fruit notes of white peach and Meyer Lemon to provide a complete and balanced palate.

From the importer: A tiny production of just 3,500 bottles, this is a balanced Viognier that leans towards fresh fruit and acid, rather than any tropical notes. The grapes are sourced from a partially-terraced 1.05ha parcel in Verin, located 2km from Condrieu. The Malolactic fermentation is blocked, keeping a high level of acidity in this sharp expression of granite-infused soil. The dominant notes are white flowers, violets, with persistent minerality through the finish.

96 Points! The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, scorched earth, tobacco, licorice and incense showcase the darker, brooding side of Sangiovese. Readers will want to cellar the 2020 for at least a few years. Its relatively plush contours should start to soften by then. It's a stellar wine, one with a very bright future. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

96 Points! The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Marcellino is made from 88% Sangiovese and the balance Pugnitello, which contributes richness to the blend. Pugnitello, meaning fist, refers to the compact size of the grape clusters, which have thick skins, give good extract of color, and are the last harvested. In the glass, the wine pours a deep yet bright red hue, while aromas of ripe cherry, resinous herbs, pine, and gravelly earth lead into a full-bodied palate with a firm backbone of acidity, rich tannins, and savory depth. Structured and persistent, it shows both power and freshness (hallmarks of the estate), with a long, mineral-driven finish. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! The 2019 Bellevue Mondotte, picked at 18hL/ha on a single day (October 5) has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, briary, blueberry and light violet petal scents, but less of the marine aromas that I picked out from the barrel sample. However, there are some lovely orange pith scents that percolate through with continued aeration, and these are accentuated after a couple of hours. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, good acidity and fine backbone. This is quite a sturdy Saint-Émilion with impressive density toward the finish. It needs just a little more charm and personality, though they may develop with time. Very fine, but patience required. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! More seamless and elegant than the more powerful, structured Pavie Decesse (these all emerge from the Perse team), the Merlot-dominated 2019 Bellevue Mondotte just about jumps out of the glass with its ripe, spicy red, blue, and black fruits as well as spring flowers, graphite, chalky mineral, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Almost Pomerol-like with its seamless, polished tannins and gorgeous mouthfeel, it's flawlessly balanced, has a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. This stunning Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 30+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The NV (2021) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Longitude 1er Cru shows the lighter, airier side of the year. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, white pepper, slate and chalk all confer brightness. This sculpted, saline Blanc de Blancs is impeccable. The Longitude is a blend of parcels in Vertus, Cramant, Avize and Oger. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 2024; multiple disgorgements throughout the year. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points! From the Sierra Madre Vineyard in Santa Maria and aged 16 months in 65% new French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay Le Souvenir Sierra Madre Vineyard delivers Chassagne-Montrachet minerality and white flowers, with beautiful stone and citrus fruits. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant, pure, focused mouthfeel and salty minerality on the finish. It's another incredibly classy, pure, seamless Chardonnay from Lato that does everything right. - Jeb Dunnuck

92-94 Points! A benchmark for the appellation, Lorenzon's 2020 Montagny 1er Cru Le Choix du Roi offers up notions of Meyer lemon, warm bread, beeswax and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and precise palate that's weightless but intense, with a compelling sense of completeness and a long, saline finish. This will be worth a special effort to seek out. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2022 Le Difese is plump, juicy and expressive, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Crushed flowers, succulent red cherry fruit, mint, spice and blood orange all race across the palate. This exuberant yet mid-weight coastal Tuscan red is a total pleasure bomb. The 2022 is an especially fine edition. It benefits from a warm year - which can be a positive for entry-level wines - earlier bottling and selection. Le Difese is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (both estate and non-estate sites) and Sangiovese, all purchased. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! Le Difese 2022 is a blend of 55% Sangiovese and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, the former brought in from long-standing partners based in Chianti and Chianti Rufina – ‘In Bolgheri it's not easy to find Sangiovese,’ third-generation Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta explained. 2022 saw slightly lower production than 2021 due to a warm spring and a rainy autumn. Macerations were shorter than previous years, and the wine retains the same blend as last year as part of the estate's continuing plans to make Le Difese approachable almost immediately and give it its own Tuscan identity. Bright red and purple scents with a creamy backdrop and herbal touches lead to a soft and textured palate full of fresh, tangy cherry and dark hedgerow berries. Ripe, precise and sapid with a long, breezy, balsamic finish, Le Difese should be enjoyed over the next decade. - Decanter Magazine

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“The texture and depth are really impressive for this château and might be its best wine ever. It’s medium-bodied with integrated and refined tannins, a powdery and textured mouthfeel and an endless finish. Floating on the pure fruit.”

94 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Ripe red fruit and exotic spiced notes on the nose. Juicy, succulent and clean, this has great energy and such well integrated tannins so that they give the frame and structure very lightly, letting the raspberry and red cherry fruit speak alongside soft wet stone and flint touches. Refined, elegant and really approachable too.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Beautiful aromatics of red and black fruits, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and graphite all emerge from the 2025 Château du Tertre. Medium-bodied, elegant, and balanced, it has fine tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and outstanding purity.”

93 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Floral and lifted with fine tannins, juicy cassis, rose petals, and wet stone minerality. Elegant and approachable with excellent balance.”

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 du Tertre is aromatic, silky and gracious. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, spice and mint all develop nicely in the glass. Medium-bodied and refined, with lovely freshness.”

92–94 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, currants, cherries, spice, and cedar nuances create the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, elegant, and vibrant, the wine offers polished tannins, refined textures, and a lively finish filled with sweet red fruits and mint.”

90 Points! Sourced from the producer's certified-organic Double L estate as well as McIntyre, Tondre, and other sites, the 2023 Chardonnay Highland gathers the grapes and barrel-ferments in 25% new French oak, making an approachable white that can be enjoyed in its youth. Medium-bodied layers of green apple and Meyer lemon flavors are accented in woody undertones and baking spice, finishing in a richness of crème brûlée. Drink now. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92-94 Points! The 2021 Chablis Le Bas de Chapelot comes across quite closed on the nose, though Edouard Vocoret mentioned how this cuvée has closed down at the time of my visit. The palate is complex with touches of apricot and white peach, plenty of minerals and flint, focused with a long tail on the finish. This is apparently mercurial during its barrel maturation but this bodes well. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

93 Points! The 2023 Saint-Romain Sous la Velle offers aromas of grapefruit, pear and white peach framed by a deft touch of smoky reduction. Medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, with plenty of chalky extract, it’s laden with racy acids and concludes with a long, saline, lemon-tinged finish. As ever, it derives from the estate’s largest plot—two hectares of 60-year-old vines rooted in shallow soil. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

92+ Points! The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Millésime from Philippe Gonet is more autolytic and reductive than the Signature Brut Blanc de Blancs, evoking aromas of pastry, baked bread, white peach and citrus oil. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and delicate, it’s charming with a fleshy core of fruit and a versatile open-knit character on the finish. This is a great effort with a dosage of five grams per liter. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

98 Points! 2021 was marginally cooler for whites, and while this is young, its power is irrepressible yet it also shows restraint and harmony. A fine gauze of delicate florals and spice tucked behind structure, power and tension. Tuberose, green peppercorn, pear skin, preserved lemon, green cardamon and peach blossom. The palate offers jewelled hues of peach pit; a little flint, lots of wet stone minerality and crushed white sage dance with a very fine thread of salinity and lacy acidity. This takes time to unravel and unfurl, but once it does, it's got everything. The structure is superb and the 100% new oak meticulosity managed. Is this the greatest Art Series yet? - Decanter  Magazine

98 Points! This stunning 2021 Margaret River Chardonnay Art Series shows beautiful racy lines with a slick and seamless style as it bursts with toasted cashews, melon, lemon peel and pith aromas lifted by mandarin rind. Fabulous fruit density with immense power yet retaining refinement and shape over a long, strong finish. Energetic, vibrant, perfectly formed and built for the long haul. - Angus Hughson, Vinous Media

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“This is enveloping, with a broad textural element running throughout. It’s bright and incisive, yet with a blanket of fruit that extends across the palate. Flavorful and long.”

96–98 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Rich, vivid and textured, the 2025 Pape Clément Blanc is outrageously beautiful. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, tangerine peel, mint and white pepper soar from the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. This builds beautifully through to the intense, palate-staining finish. In 2025, the Blanc is quite simply magnificent, clearly one of the wines of the vintage.”

96 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Straw, ripe peach and some waxy lemon aspects with really floral and fragrant aromas on the nose, smells rich and enticing. Beautiful succulence with a dollop of pineapple, lemon and lime, creamy vanilla and peach plus a touch of oiliness that gives amplitude and width. I love the intensity and delicacy here, a wine you really want to drink, full of fruit yet crystalline, focused, mineral, saline and salivating with fruit purity and impressive length.”

93 Points! The 2023 Nisia Las Suertes is 100% Verdejo from very old vines (possibly even the 1880s) and was aged on the lees with bâtonnage for a minimum of 7 months in French oak puncheons and demi-muids. It has more melon ball, hay, crushed stone, and subtly honey nuances that carry to a beautifully textured, layered white with a gorgeous mid-palate, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's a serious wine that's geared for the dinner table. - Jeb Dunnuck