Search results for: 'paraje de close'

97 Points! A lovely enticing nose filled with rich plum, fig and blackcurrant fruits - heady and opulent. The palate is precise with a distinct texture, certainly dense and ripe but the flavours just settle on the tongue giving spiced touches of liquorice but allowing the freshness and acidity to underpin the overall taste. It feels very carefully constructed with everything in place allowing power and generality but neatly packaged and not overdone. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 18 months in 100% French oak, 76% new. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! Subtle and complex red with blackberry, black truffle, sweet tobacco and mahogany. Highlights of lavender and violets. Full-bodied and very tight with finesse and tension. Very polished, fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious already, but best after 2022. JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is based on a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a more backward, closed wine, offering classy notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, freshly crushed stone, and cedar. More medium to full-bodied and elegant, I’d like to see a touch more density and richness on the mid-palate, but it's beautifully balanced, has gorgeous tannins, integrated acidity, and outstanding length on the finish. Give this classic, impressive, old school beauty 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following 15-20. - Jeb Dunnuck

95+ Points! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon The Boss Block 8 comes from a site close to Futo and Harlan, in Oakville, and it’s another inky hued, concentrated, powerful, age-worthy wine from this team. Giving up plenty of red and black fruits as well as violets, minty herbs, and hints of eucalyptus, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a balanced, concentrated, structured mouthfeel, fine tannins, and good acidity. Everything points to a seriously good bottle of wine. Give it 4-5 years as well. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 1981 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva has a vibrant nose reminiscent of coeval Burgundy, with scents of citrus peel, orange rind, singed leather and a Tuscan delicatessen. The palate has a penetrating orange peel and tart cherry entry with potent earthy notes at its core. It is supremely well-balanced with an energetic finish underpinned by crisp dry tannins. This wonderful Rioja is drinking perfectly now and will age effortlessly. - Neal martin, robertparker.com

95 Points! Rich, mouth-filling and highly structured, this has a touch of exotic aromas (mangosteen!), but isn’t a jot too ripe or weighty. In fact, it has wonderful silkiness, in spite of the considerable mineral power at the imposing finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! White pepper with hints of black olives, iron and dark chocolate to the racy red and black fruit. Pretty full-bodied with fresh acidity and firm, dusty tannins. Tightly wound and long. 53% carmenere, 36% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Better from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The Domenico Clerico 2019 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin (with 5,500 bottles made with fruit from vines planted in 1978) is a bit closed initially. This is a trait I found across a vintage that gives us good reason to bet on long bottle-aging potential. There is dark fruit and spice with licorice and grilled herb. Rusty mineral nuances also emerge slowly from the bouquet. This wine needs a double decant if consumed on the young side, but you're better off waiting. I came back to my open sample 24 hours later, and the wine was singing beautifully. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

94-95 Points! A tangy and bright white with sliced lemon and light mango, as well as crushed stone and vivid energy. Medium body with a solid core of fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Purity and energy. 100% sauvignon blanc. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2021 Zerzilles is its usual powerful self, lying in wait like a lioness to pounce on her prey for her hungry lion cubs. It has a sudden spurt of power and energy striking through the palate. While light in body, it has innate power, masses of concentration and an electric charge of crackling acidity. This is a pup of a wine that's going to need time. - Rebecca Gibb, Vinous Media

95 Points! Slight hints of wax, earth and lemon show on the still-shy nose. The palate is equally reticent, tightly coiled but speaking of concentrated citrus freshness that verges into zestiness. The bone-dry nature makes it hard to sense ripe citrus slumbering at the core but the fruit will reveal itself with bottle age. Concentration, purity and power promise a future firework, discernible now in the tangerine zestiness on the finish. - Wine Enthusiast

95 Points! Tight and match-struck flinty. Pungent mineral notes, white peach, nectarine and a waft of vanilla pod oak, tucking in the seams. Gently mid-weighted. While Chablis is a cliche, oft-used by New World makers particularly in these parts, this is as close as it gets. Very good. Long and packed with vibrato. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! The 2022 Chardonnay is svelte, creamy and punctuated by a scintillating score of lemony acidity. The fruit profiles stretch across crushed nuts, white stone fruit, preserved citrus and even spring flowers. A lovely, classy wine—gorgeous, in fact. Restrained pleasure. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

98 Points! The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full-bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid-palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7-8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3-4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with walnuts and hints of tar that follow through to a medium to full body with plush and velvety tannins and a lovely, caressing mouthfeel. It closes up at the end. Extremely long, pure and structured. Classic 72% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot and 2% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

97-99 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Rauzan-Segla is made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% of it new. A little swirling unleashes an explosion of black and red currant jelly, wild blueberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of violets, underbrush, and crushed rocks with a touch of star anise. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house and crafted like a Chanel suit, with a firm backbone of super-ripe, grainy tannins and impressive tension supporting a gorgeous array of floral, spice, and black fruit layers, finishing very long and with impeccable grace. pH 3.7. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

97+ Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is a classy, elegant wine. Even so, the 2022 very clearly lacks the immediacy of some surrounding vintages. Readers should be prepared to cellar this for a number of years The mid-weight, gracious presence of Rauzan-Ségla is very much present, and yet the tannins are pretty imposing. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, graphite and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The 2022 is pure and total sophistication. This is a wine that may very well have more to say in the future. Tasted four times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Heady floral aromatics and vibrant black fruit. Gorgeous succulence and energy. It's not shouting, not too high in acidity or too fleshy, but a great combination of plush and filling tannins, cool blue fruit, ripe red fruit, crystalline minerality and subtle spices. Smooth and clean, elegant and confident. Approachable with detail and finesse to the elements. Juicy, bright, clean, seductive, powerful, captivating – utterly satisfying. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is showing well in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with licorice, burning embers and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, it's suave and seamless, with its dense core of fruit framed by powdery structuring tannins that lend a more evident backbone than it exhibited en primeur. As readers may remember, the 2022 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot; and in 2022, the east-facing sides of the vines, which see the afternoon sun, were picked separately, along with anything that showed signs of stress. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

96 Points! The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla was picked 2 to 28 September at 30hL/ha and matured for 18 months in 50% new oak. Nicolas Audebert told me that it contains 17% vin de presse which is slightly higher than normal, a combination of 150 separate vinifications. This has a very opulent bouquet with layers of black cherries, créme de cassis and violets. Perhaps just a little too decadent? The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance, grainy tannins, very pure and focused with quite a minerally finish. Long in the mouth. It's just missing that knockout blow at the moment, yet it's still a supremely well-crafted Margaux. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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

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

97 Points! The 2022 Clos Lunelles comes from vines just outside the (St. Emilion) appellation, just across from Faugères, and is based on 80% Merlot and 10% each Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Black raspberries, crushed stone, flowers, and chocolaty nuances all shine in this brilliant Castillon, another riveting wine from this team that brings full-bodied power and richness while staying elegant and seamless. You can put this up with the best in Saint-Emilion and it will do just fine. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! A fresh and vivid red with lots of black fruits and blueberries as well as violets and other flowers. It's full-bodied with very silky and fine tannins. Flavorful finish. Lots going on. Made from only nine hectares. Impressive for the appellation. 80% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling

95 Points! A harmonious red that marries modern pomp with restraint and elegance. Full-bodied and lush, yet fresh and well-defined by sinewy tannins. Features flavors of pureed blackberry, licorice snap, herbed black olive and mocha that expand on the palate, with tarry smoke and loamy earth character. Best from 2023 through 2033. - Wine Spectator

97+ Points! The bottled 2023 San Lázaro, from the 1.62 hectares of vines they have, shows contained ripeness and has 14.4% alcohol. This is always more restrained, and there's no exuberance here; there's subtleness, finesse and verticality. It has a spicy side, with notes reminiscent of curry, a little à la Vosne-Romanée, a little cinnamon perhaps, but with the Tempranillo austerity, of course. The palate is medium-bodied, with great balance and super fine and elegant tannins. The wine is a little closed at the moment, but it should grow with time in bottle. It's really good and challenges El Carretil this year. I give it the edge—perhaps because it is the more approachable of the 2023s. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Power, structure and freshness are united in this stunning, modern Chateauneuf-du-Pape that has stacks of Mediterranean herb and raw meat character. Excellent concentration and energy. The elegantly dry finish is very long and precisely contoured. Sustainable. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! I love the wines from this estate, which always shine for their incredible perfume and complexity. Exotic red and black fruits, lavender, basil, peppery garrigue, and sandalwood notes define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 58% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 18% Mourvèdre that was brought up mostly in larger foudre but with a small part in used barrels. With medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, present tannins, and outstanding length, this beauty is well worth your time and money. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A vibrant rosé Champagne, with firm, well-honed acidity deftly wrapped in a smooth texture and rich notes of marzipan, dried white cherry, blood orange peel and salted Marcona almond. Reveals hints of ground ginger, lemon thyme and wet chalk, with a long, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Delivers cherry, redcurrant, and blueberry aromas, with delicate spice from the oak. The palate is harmonious, with a pleasant texture and the accomplished freshness of a cool vintage. The firm, fine-grained tannins will come to the fore as this ages. A great wine in an exquisite Bordeaux style. Cabernet Sauvignon with the classic touch of 3% Syrah and for the first time, also 3% Cabernet Franc, enhancing its Bordeaux character with finesse. - Deacnter Magazine

95 Points! A ripe and fruit-expressive nose showing good generosity and complexity. Quince, ripe cherries and currants with subtle tobacco, dark spices and chili chocolate. Full-bodied and pretty expansive on the palate with fine, dusty tannins melting into the persistent finish. Really impressive length. It goes on and on. Juicy, firm yet really polished. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Sultry nose with ripe red fruit and soft jasmine and fragrance – dried flowers, pot pourri. Juicy and filling with a lovely light hand in terms of tannins. Mouthwatering and lifted, nothing feels heavy and you're left with a smile on your face.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Closed on the nose, elegant with fine but plentiful tannins that layer up fast in the palate. Violet and peony floral notes, clear savoury edge of blue fruits. This is precise, well structured, with huge potential for ageing but also for pleasure.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Cigar wrappers, flowers, cedar, mint leaves, currants, blackberries and licorice scents blend together to create the nose. Elegant, soft, and polished, the layers of fruit with their refined character and lift make this a standout wine.”