Search results for: 'paraje de class'

97 Points! Rich, sumptuous, and beautifully layered, the 2020 is all class, all refinement. Silky tannins, expressive red-toned Sangiovese fruit and lifted, soaring aromatics give the 2020 tons of finesse. This sensual Gran Selezione is lights out. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

99 Points, Jeb's #5 Wine of the Year 2025! Awesome levels of blackcurrants, darker cherries, roasted herbs, chocolate, and scorched earth all emerge from the 2022 Château Malartic-Lagravière, an incredibly concentrated, rich, layered beauty that has velvety tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. It's easily the finest I've tasted from this château and is a riveting 2022 that deserves 4-6 years in the cellar and will keep for two decades or more. The 2022 is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with the élevage spanning 20 months in 60% new French oak.  - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! A fascinating Malartic-Lagraviere from this hot vintage, but the wine is surprisingly fresh, showing depth, innate balance and complexity. The mineral-etched fruit turns glossy, with fine aromas of cassis, berries, plums, spices and a hint of violets. Almost full-bodied, with a complete package of fruit and chalky tannins. Long, juicy and posh. One of the best ever. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Round, concentrated, vibrant and dynamic, a lovely burst of intense red and black fruits before quite serious tannins take hold in the mouth. Fine but full, they give the frame and the structure, setting the tone for a serious wine while the fruit and freshnes softly expand giving an aerial element to the finish. A lovely wine with intensity and detail, not the most demonstrative or juicy and appealing right now, but really well made and delivered. Supple, bright, chalky, chewy, this wine has intensity and precision. A little bit serious towards the end, the fruit just losing some focus, where it becomes more about the tannins and freshness but lots to like here with good potential. 1.5% Cabernet Franc. A yield 27hl/ha. HVE3 certified. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

95 Points! The 2022 Malartic Lagravière exudes class. Bright, layered and wonderfully vibrant, the 2022 is so alive. Rose petals, lavender, crushed rocks, mint and red/purplish fruit race across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. Malartic Lagravière has all the potential to be one of the great wines of the year. This is a fabulous showing. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

96 Points! The 2019 Château Croix De Labrie is gorgeous and jumps out in the vintage. Almost all Merlot brought up in new barrels, it offers a beautiful bouquet of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried herbs, and flowers, with a beautiful loamy earth and chalky minerality emerging with time in the glass. With remarkable purity and finesse, it's full-bodied, has a great mid-palate, silky tannins, and a great finish. It could be drunk today with a decant but will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age. I suspect it will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

98 Points! Fabulous aromas of blackberries, blueberries, pine needles and spices, such as nutmeg and allspice. White pepper, too. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. It’s got so much energy and drive. Vibrant at every level. Precise and not overpowering, yet so structured. 97% merlot and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. This needs time to soften. Try after 2026. - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

98–99 Points – James Suckling
“A tight and powerful wine with a precise and structured texture. Restrained, steely and racy. Goes on for minutes. So much intensity. A bright and shining white. Stunning balance.”

97–99 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc gets my vote for the white wine of the vintage. Rich and powerful in the glass, but also beautifully vibrant, the 2025 dazzles from start to finish. Lemon confit, pear, slate, mint, white flowers and tangerine peel are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop over time. The 2025 is quite simply stunning. Don’t miss it!”

97 Points – Decanter
“The cooler microclimate at this estate favours hot and dry weather, and this proved no exception in 2025. Always showing the exciting combination of freshness and white stone fruit fleshiness expressed in a suave palate texture with nuance and refinement, evoking Meursault-like depth and opulence. A great success.”

95–97 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc soars from the glass with vibrant notes of grapefruit essence, Granny Smith apples, and passion fruit, leading to a fragrant undercurrent of honeysuckle, lime blossoms, and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is intense with citrus and tropical fruit layers with a refreshing line and chalky texture, finishing with great length and energy.”

97 Points! Disgorged this year with 0.6 grams per liter dosage, the 2016 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Monts Ferrés unwinds in the glass with aromas of crisp nashi pear, yellow stone fruit, mirabelle plum, buttery pastry, honeycomb and oyster shell. Full-bodied, pure and seamless, it's deep, enveloping and vinous, with a tensile spine of acidity, an ultra-refined mousse and a long, saline finish. Produced from a parcel in Vertus that was farmed organically and biodynamically, this is one of two lieu-dit bottlings produced by Charles Doyard before his untimely passing in 2017. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97 Points! From the 5.83-hectare walled vineyard in a cooler, 'classic' vintage for Champagne, giving this a finessed and charming expression. Baked pastry and soft lemon curd notes on the nose, smells inviting and softly floral - honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon and lime rind with some peach. Juicy and so zesty straight away, bright, mouthwateing, scintillatingly fresh and lively, thrilling even, with tiny persistent bubbles that instantly froth and fill the mouth. Alive and energetic with lemon rind and juice, succulent green apples and strawberries, grapefruit and ginger bitterness with touches of salinity and graphite dotting the finish. This makes you instantly want another glass, but this has structure too and such a long finish. No malolactic fermentation. Dosage 4.5g/l. Made by Charles Philipponnat and Thierry Garnier. - Georgia Hindle, Decanter Magazine

96 Points! The 2014 Clos des Goisses, 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay, is Extra Brut at 4.5 g/L dosage and was disgorged in March 2023. It needs a little coaxing to bring out delicate scents of wet pebbles, lime blossom, and green apples plus emerging wafts of Marcona almonds, yuzu, and baking bread. Light-bodied and very dry, the palate is super-fine and delicately crafted, with a lively backbone supporting the intense flavors, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

98 Points! The 2021 Barolo Villero soars from the glass with intensely spiced, balsamic-tinged aromatics. Deceptively medium in body, with superb persistence and class, the 2021 is simply magnificent. Beams of tannin shape the unforgettable, persistent finish. This is another wine that demands patience. The Villero is not an easy wine, rather it is a Barolo that offers a more inward, at times intellectual, expression of Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! The only current red Gran Reserva is the 1995 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, the one that is produced exactly the same as before, including fining with egg whites and sealing with red wax. 1995 was an excellent and early harvest, the grapes achieved full ripeness and were harvested under the sun during two weeks starting October 9. The wine, which exceptionally achieved 13% alcohol, is the usual blend, 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena). Like all their wines, it fermented with indigenous yeasts in old oak vats and as a Gran Reserva it matured in old American oak barrels for ten years! Yes, it was bottled in November 2006 and launched in 2015, a full 20 years after the harvest. This light-colored, ethereal 1995 is the essence of Viña Tondonia. It has developed aromas and complexity gained with the time in bottle, of incense, leather, cured meat, cherries in liqueur, cold bonfire and spices. The palate is super-tasty, with fully-resolved tannins and very good acidity. The texture is super-fine, sophisticated and ethereal with gob-smacking balance. Intense, powerful and elegant, too. Hard to believe, but this red feels too young and while approachable, I'd wait a couple of years or more because it will be much better. The profile follows the style of the great classics of the 1950s and 60s. Bottles like this are the ones that created the López de Heredia myth. This could be lighter than the 1994, but in the long run I believe the 1995 will be the better bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! A luscious red with redcurrant, chocolate, plum and hazelnut. Rather opulent on the nose. Full-bodied and very structured with chewy tannins that are intense and powerful. This needs time to come together and soften. 68% cabernet sauvignon and 32% merlot. Better after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! The 2019 Le Petit Mouton clearly retains its bold bouquet of bravura scents of blackberry, blood orange, and touches of cassis and violet petals, the 50% new oak seamlessly integrated over 18 months. The palate is silky-smooth on the entry, deep and displaying fine grip. This is definitely one of the most seductive Le Petit Mouton releases in recent years. It tightens a little toward the graphite-tinged finish, so afford it more time in bottle than I originally predicted. Superb. Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! Along with the 2022 vintage, the 2021 Domus Aurea performed even better than during my initial tasting, which was made especially clear in the context of the entire vertical. It is a spectacular example of Alto Maipo, beautifully capturing the distinctive herbal quality endemic to this site with a pitch-perfect combination of resinous, herbal aromas that meld with black fruits, purple flowers, sweet tobacco, cedar and well-integrated, high-quality new oak. The palate is rich, concentrated and staining in its intensity yet remains lifted and refreshingly light on its feet. It concludes with supremely refined, persistent, measured tannic grip, perfumed lift and a focused, chalky undertone. This is an effortlessly beautiful reference point for the region that should develop without issue over the next two decades.

I adored these recent releases from Quebrada de Macul, all of which beautifully showcase the supreme elegance, understated nature and aromatic complexity of which the best expressions of Alto Maipo are capable. Situated in the foothills of the Andes in Peñalolen in gravel and silt colluvial soils, the vines date from the 1970s and originate from pre-phylloxera plant material. A total of 40 hectares are planted and separated into four blocks, of which only one goes into the production of the Domus Aurea bottlings. The wines undergo a five- to seven-day cold soak before fermenting at cool temperatures in stainless steel, then spend 18 to 20 months in light and medium toast Darnajou and Dargaud & Jaeglé barrique, up to 80% new for the Domus. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

100 Points! The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard has a Mission Haut-Brion-on-steroids character, as it seems to be all gravel pit. Loads of wet pebbles, graphite, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied opulence, and just a killer, skyscraper-like mouthfeel and stunning finish make for one of the most provocative and fabulous wines in this portfolio. Drink it over the next 25+ years. This is world-class and can stand up against anything made in 2013, as could the following wines as well. - Robert M. Parker, Jr. , robertparker.com

99 Points! Incredibly spicy and aromatic with pumice and cloves. Pops out of the glass. Cedar, too. Full-bodied with soft, polished tannins adding tension and creaminess. Long and beautiful. All about class and breeding. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! A beautifully proportioned Marsannay with Grand Cru-type concentration and fineness of tannins. Very dark core, then a very long, polished finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is some serious Provençal goodness, with just about overflowing aromas and flavors of sweet raspberries, blackberries, peppery garrigue, and Provençal spices. It has the sunny, expressive, complex style of the vintage, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with most 2022s, it has plenty of upfront charm yet solid underlying tannins as well. It reminds me slightly of the 2009 and will have two decades of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! A complex nose of raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, spices and dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied with elegant tannins. Round, juicy and layered on the palate, offering great harmony and balance. Fresh, yet complex with a savory finish. Old-vine character. The vines are more than a century old. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

The oldest Malbec vines in Chile, planted 1890!

97 Points! Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Quella gives aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries and mulberries with touches of tobacco, new leather, iron ore and truffles plus a hint of tree back. The palate is full-bodied, muscular and laden with earth and mineral layers, finishing with persistent savory notes. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2015 Quella is a darker, more mineral-laced wine and offers a classic Quella bouquet of black fruits, black truffle, tobacco, and dried earth. It’s full-bodied, deep and layered on the palate, with ripe, present tannins and terrific elegance as well as purity. It has the balance and texture to shine today, yet the class to evolve for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“So much energy in this wine, with freshness, vivid cherry and raspberry character, fine tannins and bright acidity. Medium-bodied. How a 2025 should be.”

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Ripe black fruit with liquorice, tobacco and cedar aromas. Sleek and polished, this has both brightness and subtle power to it. The tannins are beautifully positioned and integrated. Polished!”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Estate signature, showing inky depths and character, damson, blueberry, espresso, a good quality wine with character and impact. Real potential over ageing.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Red, blue, and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and tons of violet nuances all define the rock-solid 2025 Château Faugères, a beautifully polished, layered Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé.”

100 Points! This is a haunting young wine that shows you a subtle and hidden strength on the nose with rose petals, currants, currant leaves, stones and plums. Wonderful ripeness yet brightness, too. Takes your breath away with the intensity and structure. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular, yet there's an agile undertone to the whole thing. Compact and condensed. A new legend for Margaux. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! The grand vin is the 2015 Château Margaux and it’s as good a wine as I’ve ever tasted. Coming from just over one-third of the total production and a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, brought up in 100% new French oak, its deep ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, toasted spice, hints of toasty oak, and cedar wood. Incredibly elegant and finesse-driven, yet packed with fruit, depth, richness, and structure, it has as much class as you can fit inside a glass. While the vintage provides plenty of upfront charm, this is a wine to cellar for at least a decade, and enjoy over the following 40+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! Château Margaux's grand vin accounts for 35% of production in this vintage. It stood out as a potential wine of the vintage during en primeur and it is more than living up to its promise. The concentration is stunning, with a fruit structure that is darker, tighter and more insistent than Pavillon. It's so fresh, there is an opulence here, a dense silkiness to the tannins that is fleshed out across the palate, building to a big finish with menthol freshness. This is classically-styled Margaux with aromatic acrobatics and tannins so fine that the stitching is seamless and perfectly pulled together. Even though extremely ripe, there is freshness too - the acidity measures 3.6pH. The 100% new oak is barely perceptible even now, fresh out of the cask. One to savour over the long term. - Decanter Magazine