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94 Points! Always one of the most singular wines in a vintage, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vin De La Solitude comes from the la Solitude lieu-dit on 50% galets roulés and 50% sandy safre soils. Based on 25% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 20% each Mourvèdre and Counoise, 7% Cinsault, 2% Clairette Rose, and 4% other permitted varieties, it was vinified with whole clusters in truncated tanks and aged 15 months entirely in neutral barrels. It offers meaty black cherries, black olives, roasted garrigue, and Provençal spice, reminding me of a street market in the south of France with its meaty, complex, incredibly Provençal style. Medium to full-bodied, it has building tannins and outstanding length. With 233 cases produced, give it a year or two and drink over the following 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A supple and perfumy version, with an expressive mix of red plum, rooibos tea and sandalwood smoke. Salty, sanguine tones move in, and everything is grounded by wet paving stone and graphite. The tannins are glossy, with just a hint of graininess on the bitter-edged finish. Finessed and delicious. Counoise, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

From the importer: Made of a blend of Nero d’Avola (Frappato 45%, Nero d’Avola 55%), estate-grown in vineyards near Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the Contradas Ponte, Biviere e Fegotto. The soils are a calcareous mixture of clay and sand, at just under 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level. The grapes are picked at moderate ripeness (with care to avoid over-ripeness, in other words, in this hot climate) around mid-October; fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, and maceration with the skins lasts for about 3 weeks. After fermentation the wine is aged on the lees in the tank for a further 2 weeks, then racked and aged in a tank for 18 months. 

Nero d’Avola is the best-known Sicilian red wine grape when bottled on its own, but for my money, this blend is better. The Frappato lightens and lifts the meatiness of the Nero d’Avola, giving it juicier aromas and flavors and making it MORE DELICIOUS. See note above about temperature; stick the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes for best results. Drink with red meats or more substantial pasta dishes. I bet this will age well, but I doubt I’ll have any left to find out.

Aged for over a year in ex-bourbon barrels, Tapatio Añejo showcases the complexity that comes with time in oak while preserving the vibrant agave character at its heart.

Tasting Note:
Rich aromas of toffee, dried fruit, and oak mingle with agave. On the palate, layers of caramel, roasted nuts, vanilla, and spice unfold with silky texture. The finish is long and elegant, with a balance of sweetness and oak-driven depth.

95 Points! The 2013 Barolo Ginestra shows grace and purity, with significant power at the back that is partially fueled by the wine's well-integrated alcohol (recorded at 15%). The wine's texture is compact, and the flavor knitting is tight and carefully detailed. These qualities bode very well for the future evolution of this vintage that will undoubtedly soften and flesh out with more time in the bottle. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the producer: To make this extraordinary gin, we forage wild plants in the mountains around the distillery. What we pick goes fresh into the still within hours of foraging. All the plants are sustainably picked by our full time forager, every day we distill. We take a lot of care that we don't adversely affect the areas we find them in. That means sometimes using scissors rather than picking to make sure roots aren't pulled, or maybe skipping a few before picking the next one, or finding different patches of the same plant, to make sure an area isn't over-foraged.Our aim is to leave no trace that we were ever there. It's harder work but worth it to keep the mountains beautiful and wild.Then these wild botanicals are painstakingly slow-distilled to tease out delicate flavours, in very small batches of less than 250 liters. Some go in the pot, and some are hung in a basket to let vapours extract their essential oils. The cut-points are decided batch by batch, by smell and taste (never timed or automated) as if each batch is the first. This brings the flavour our Wild Gin to a whole other level. The knowledge, experience and man-hours in each bottle are what make this liquid so special.

92 Points! The estate's 2013 Roero Vigna di Lino is powerful, dense and explosive. Lavender, violet, spice and bluish-hued fruits give the 2013 much of its distinctive personality. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2013 offers quite a bit of depth. With time in the glass, the wine gains freshness and slightly redder tonalities in its fruit. This is a terrific expression of Roero Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2017

94 Points! One of the appellation's classic wines, the Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy 2020 Barbaresco Martinenga delivers a soft entry to the palate with subtle cherry and sweet raspberry. Those fruit tones are laced with dusty mineral and white licorice. The wine delivers medium-weight texture, but the finish remains long and polished over time. The tannins will soften with a few more years of bottle age. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93+ Points! The 2019 Château Bouscassé, a blend of 70% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked at the same time and co-fermented, possesses a perfumed, fresh bouquet of dark wild berries, spices, flowers and mulberries. Medium to full-bodied, polished and fleshy, it’s layered and enveloping with a charming, seamless profile for a Madiran that segues into powdery tannins and a long, mineral finish. It demands some patience. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

The success of “Myoka Rangyoku” inspired us to start another quest.
These are the various fine qualities superior sake displays in the process of maturing slowly for more than ten years: when still young, a gorgeous aroma, during maturity, a powerful and round body, followed by a clear and serene aftertaste that lingers for a long time. We wanted to bring those elements, which normally are not simultaneously present, together in one bottle of sake.

94 Points! The 2022 Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard is rich, ample and super-expressive, yet it also has plenty of energy – something that has, at times, been elusive in this site. Black fruit, spice, leather, mocha and licorice are all amplified. Picking a bit earlier helped considerably here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

134-year-old vines, 8x8 Head Pruned, picked 9/5/2022, pH 3.99, TA 5.1 g/L, 125 cases bottled in November 2023.

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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

From the winery: The concept of the Nocturnal Series gives winemaker/owner Jason Driscoll the ability to work with multiple sites across the valley. These sites are exceptional in their own rights, and bring a sense of the region to the bottling. But these sites might also be our first time farming them or to even get access we sign the ever protective NDA. This vintage comes from sites in Rutherford and Oakville.

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

98 Points! This is one of the deepest Haut-Brions I have encountered in a long time. The muscular structure takes you down, delivering a long and rather endless finish. Full-bodied with lots of flavor, particularly fruits such as currants as well as black truffles, cedar, walnuts and dark mushrooms. Some dried thyme and crushed stones also. Better give this eight to 10 years. This will improve for decades. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion is powerful and explosive. At the same time, it is incredibly reticent. None of that should be of concern for readers who can wait. Black-toned fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth and licorice all stain the palate, framed by impenetrable, imposing tannins. A vertical, explosive wine, the 2022 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. I suspect it will be magnificent in many years' time. The Haut-Brion softens with a bit of time in the glass, but it remains very much a blockbuster. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98+ Points! A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion, which was bottled in May 2024, lives up to the high expectations I had set for it and then some. Revealing a dense, complex and precise bouquet of dark berries, pencil lead, cedar box, rose and spices intertwined with discreet notes of oak, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a muscular chassis of tannins and an enveloping core of fruit that retains energy and purity, concluding with youthful grip. Given the inherent quality of the terroir, time is likely to be very kind to this vintage, allowing it to integrate and mature gracefully. - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97-99+ Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

The Negroni is a popular Italian cocktail, made of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel. It was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919 by Count Camillo Negroni when he asked to replace the soda water in his Americano cocktail (Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Soda Water) with gin. For No. 21, just pour over ice, stir five times clockwise, twice counter-clockwise, garnish with an orange peel, and enjoy! 28% ABV.

Full-flavoured, rich. Initially, concentrated iris notes hint at the extreme intensity of the nose. It then develops aromas of malted barley, exotic fruit (banana), liquorice and camphor. Notes of burnt wood and ash progressively settle over the aromatic palette. Long after, white flowers and beeswax make an appearance.Firm, lively. Malted barley is at the heart of the palate, coated in herbaceous, liquorice, spiced (ginger, cinnamon) and chocolate tones. Very elegant, the mid-palate also delivers plenty of energy and as it draws to a close, fresh tobacco leaves and coconut intertwine to create a natural symphony of aromas.Long, soft. It evokes the scent of wilted roses. Fine tannins balance its tangy character (lemon, grapefruit). It lingers on notes of tobacco, spices (cardamom, ginger), toasted nuts and stewed fruits (apple, damson). The final nose reveals exotic notes (lychee).

This no-age-statement version was released in 2016 as a permanent product that showcases the elegant style of Miyagikyo malts, when all age-statements were discontinued. This bottling has estery aromas generated by carefully selected yeast strains along with distinctive Sherry cask influence.

Awarded Gold Medal at the 2020 International Spirits Challenge.

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

95 Points! The 2021 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has also turned out brilliantly in bottle, and readers will have a hard time choosing between this and the Lavaux Saint-Jacques. Bursting from the glass with aromas of peonies, wild berries, cherries, orange zest and spices, it's full-bodied, ample and multidimensional, with a broad attack that segues into a layered, enveloping core, concluding with a long, spicy finish. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! Black cherry and blackberry fruit occupy center stage in this dense, muscular red. Beefy tannins provide support, while vibrant acidity keeps this lively and long on the finish, where iron, tomato leaf and Tuscan scrub add detail. All of the components are there; this just needs time. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Herbal, showing red berries, lavender and stony austerity. Crunchy, linear and medium-bodied, with focused tannins. Wonderful precision and tension throughout. - JamesSuckling.com