Search results for: 'paraje de classe'

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

97 Points! The Grand Vin 2022 Château Palmer is based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare. It's a deep, unctuous, fabulously textured 2022 that does everything right. Ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, liquid violets, and freshly sharpened pencil notes define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, a remarkable floral character, and a great finish. It's a ripe, opulent, incredibly sexy Palmer that will benefit from a decade of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Lots of creme de cassis with cedar, dried flowers, blackberries and dark cherries. Opulent and flamboyant. Full-bodied and layered, this grows with plush, velvety tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Extremely long and attractive in the finish. Well-designed in this ripe year. 51% merlot, 45% cabernet sauvignon, and 4% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Palmer was cropped at just 22hL/ha due to the berries being 25-30% smaller than usual. It bursts forth on the nose with precocious black cherries, blueberry, violet and touches of marmalade and tobacco in the background. Complex and expressive. The palate is structured, with the tannic backbone, that winemaker Thomas Duroux talked about, lending this Palmer a sense of verticality. Hints of black pepper emerge with time, multi-layered, a powerful Margaux and yet the IPT is actually lower than elsewhere (76). Quite linear on the tobacco-infused finish, which is just quintessential Palmer. Do reserve a bin in your cellar for this and let it gather dust for at least a decade. 14.4% alcohol. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2022 Palmer is a wine of sublime beauty and refinement. Silky, caressing and super-expressive, the 2022 is also one of the most surprising wines of the year in that it does not show the drought or heat of the growing season at all either in its flavor profile or feel. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, spice and dried herbs lend notable complexity throughout. The 2022 starts off rather slow, and then really explodes on the back end. It is a magnificent wine in every way. Drinking window : 2030-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Sharp, energetic, racy and electric. The power and concentration is evident in the dark, rich, concentrated fruit with tannins that grip and take hold with a crushed stone texture, liquorice, graphite, tobacco and cool mint spice. The expression is exceptionally delineated with focus and push from start to finish. Quite bold and charged, but I love the succulence, the perfumed fruit, chalky sensation and overall sense of confidence. In high definition in terms of sharpness and tang to the fruit. A big wine but delivered with poise. 3.79pH. 13% press wine. Harvest took one month from 7 September to 5 October. 70% grand vin, 30% Alter Ego. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

97-99 Points. Jeb Dunnuck
"A Merlot-heavy blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 Château Feytit-Clinet is just brilliant, with a full-bodied, deep, and layered profile packed with blue and black fruits, chocolate, and tobacco. Concentrated and powerful yet weightless and flawlessly balanced, with velvety tannins and a great finish. This is up with the crème de la crème of the Right Bank, as well as Bordeaux in general."

95-97 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Violets, licorice, truffle, smoke, black cherries, and chocolate create the perfume. Polished, plush, fresh, and creamy, the wine is packed with ripe, sweet, energetic fruits, chocolate, and espresso. This is among the best vintages of Feytit-Clinet ever produced."

94-96 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Feytit-Clinet reveals enticing blackberry and bilberry fruit, hints of truffle oil and black pepper. Silky smooth tannins, perfectly judged acidity, and a long finish make this perhaps the insider's Pomerol of the vintage."

94-95 Points James Suckling
"Cohesive, with precise tannins and a beautiful expression of dark fruit. Velvety and elegant with a bright finish."

93-95 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Ripe blueberries and black plums leap from the glass alongside hints of camphor, anise, and fertile loam. The palate delivers energetic black fruit and fine-grained tannins with seamless freshness and a minty kick to the finish."

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

100 Points! Deep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises, and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly across the palate. Vibrant red fruits - strawberry, cherry, raspberry - sit atop a mineral backbone of salty, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension. Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine, and vibrant, with no trace of heat - just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively, and utterly compelling. A true expression of place and a sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented. Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats and 10% amphora. 3.55pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine

100 Points! The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints as to what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points! The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

98+ Points! The 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You'd be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! The purity and focus here is impressive with blackcurrants, crushed stones and floral undertones. The whole-bunch character comes through clearly with rose-stem and floral aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, this is always so delicious but has lots of integrated, open-grained tannins. 70% whole-cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot. Idiosyncratic. So attractive now but will age beautifully. - JamesSuckling.com

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

98-99 Points James Suckling
"Subtle and pure, with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, pencil shavings and touches of raspberries, flowers, oyster shells and iodine. Medium-bodied with subtle and integrated tannins that run the length of the wine and make you want to drink it. The length and finesse are sublime."

98 Points Decanter
"An outstanding VCC and one of the wines of Pomerol. Smooth and supple, both creamy and chalky with black fruit, floral notes, cola, mint, and savory spice. Absolutely beautiful, hedonistic and so long."

98 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Fragrant, full of energy, dense with silky tannins. Chamomile, cumin, cassis, blackberry, cocoa bean, espresso, fresh thyme and tobacco. One of the wines of Pomerol in the vintage."

95-97+ Points Jeb Dunnuck
"Ripe black and blue fruits, graphite, scorched earth and violets define the bouquet. Medium to full-bodied with a balanced, layered mouthfeel, rock-solid mid-palate depth and a great finish. A serious Vieux Château Certan that will need time."

95-97 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Perfumed red cherries, raspberry, cassis and pressed violet scents gain intensity in the glass. Structured and intellectual, with peppery Cabernet Franc character, chalky tannins and impressive precision."

94-96 Points William Kelley, Wine Advocate
"Bursting with aromas of violets, crème de cassis, dark berries and creamy new oak. Rich and concentrated, with ripe acids, sweet tannins and a dense, unctuous palate that concludes with a heady finish."

94 Points! Melville's Estate Pinot Noir combines 17 different Pinot Noir clones from its Sta. Rita Hills AVA estate. Nearly half of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, with just over half de-stemmed into small open-top fermenters. Skin and stem contact averages 30 days, with a 7-day cold soak, more than two weeks of fermentation and one week of extended maceration. Aged sur lie in neutral French oak barrels without sulfur for around 11 months. Deep ruby colour with violet hues. Such purity of fruit is framed by a wildly aromatic core of white pepper, paprika, clove, cedarwood, and smoked sea salt. All that aromatic personality erupts on the palate where all that skin contact layers in a kind of apple skin tannin that has a hefty grip but is nicely integrated and resolves through a current of blood orange acidity. Melville is dedicated to producing cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay grown exclusively in its estate vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with vines planted mostly on Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate was vinified with 40% whole clusters and matured in used oak. The nose is bursting with cranberry, pomegranate, mushrooms, woodsmoke and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has a core of earth and spice-laced fruit. It has a frame of chalky tannins and juicy acidity and a long, nuanced finish. -  Erin Brooks, robertparker.com, Jan 2024

97 Points! Very complex with red currants, iodine and iron. Medium-bodied, with a dense yet energetic palate and a long and racy finish showing chalk and gunpowder. Flinty. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Tight at the end, suggesting at least four to five years of cellaring. Drink after 2029. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! As to the Grand Vin, the saturated ruby/purple-hued 2021 Château Pavie defies the vintage with its ripe, powerful aromatics of cassis, toasted spice, chalky minerality, graphite, and hints of truffly earth. A rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly textured 2021, it has velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It's a testament to the talent and work of this incredible team and is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. The 2021 is based on 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels, hitting 14.14% alcohol and a pH of 3.67. It’s going to age for 20-25 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Langoa Barton comes from a mix of different sites in Saint-Julien, which makes it a great representation of the vintage and appellation. The blend is 53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a beautiful bouquet of red and black cherries, currants, leafy tobacco, and cedar pencil, with a touch of damp earth that emerges with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth and richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This plush, up-front, expansive, wonderfully textured Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. It's the finest example from this château I've tasted. Bravo! - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! This is very linear and structured, with blackcurrant, pine-needle, graphite and cedar aromas and flavors. Intense. Full-bodied, chalky and intense. Superb. Best of the trilogy. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points!  The 2020 Langoa Barton has turned out superbly in bottle, offering up generous aromas of black cherries, crème de cassis, licorice and pencil shavings deftly framed by classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, its concentrated core of ripe but vibrant fruit is framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids. Beautifully balanced, it's somewhat more open out of the gates than the excellent 2019 and will offer an especially broad drinking window. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

99 Points! A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2005 Dominus is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It needs a lot of shaking to release notes of baked blackcurrants, fruitcake, and blueberry compote, plus hints of baking chocolate, licorice, dried mint, and pencil lead, plus a waft of wood smoke. The concentrated, hedonically styled, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins and well-integrated acidity, finishing very long, profound, and shimmery. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

98 Points! This blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (note that rarely is any Merlot utilized at the historic Napanook Estate in Yountville). The alcohol, by California standards, is a relatively modest 14.1%. Blending the best of French savoir faire with the brilliant fruit purity and ripeness of Napa Valley, Moueix has turned in another tour de force that seems far superior today than it did when it was first released. This is one of the vintage’s greatest wines. Dense purple and youthful, with a glorious nose of earth, blackcurrants, sweet black cherries and incense, the oak is pushed way in the background, as it is in all of the Moueix wines, and the result is a wine of terroir, of great originality and authenticity. This full-bodied classic from Dominus can be drunk now, but really won’t hit its prime for another 4-5 years and last at least another two decades or more. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

97 Points! Dried tropical fruits like mangoes and green papaya, with lemons and green apples. Limes, too. Full-bodied yet tight and compacted with great length and persistence. Muscular yet fresh. 66% sauvignon blanc and 34% semillon. Drinkable but needs five or six years to soften. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96 Points! Ripe and expressive on the nose, aromatically complex with notes of carmalised lemons, honey, peach and wet stones. Clarity and precision from the start, such a well defined palate with striking high acidity, crisp and sharp citrus fruits and a salty undertone. Soft spicing comes in towards the finish suggesting this needs more time and will have a long life ahead but the nuanced bitterness, freshness and lift are all so appealing. Excellent weight and balance too with a bright and long finished - a gourmet style with plenty to like. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points!  The 2020 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc, a blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Semillon, brings another level of density as well as complexity. Honeyed pineapple, melon, crushed stone, and spicy, savory herbs notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a beautifully layered, elegant mouthfeel and a great finish. It's a gem of a white and ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. It should keep for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2022 Pommard Grands Epenots 1er Cru bides its time in the glass, opening discretely with blackberry, redcurrants, briar and forest floor. Quintessentially Pommard, graceful and focused. The oak here is neatly assimilated. The medium-bodied palate has finely sculpted tannins, poised and very refreshing. There's good substance on the finish with insistent grip. This will need 5-6 years in bottle, but this represents a very classy, refined take on the vintage, a very sophisticated Pommard.

Winemaker David Rebourgeon lives virtually next door to Thibaud Clerget, and they have almost opposite personalities; Rebourgeon is more quietly spoken and perhaps introverted. Yet what they both have in common is excellent wines. That’s definitely the case in 2022, where I think Rebourgeon oversaw a couple of marvelous cuvées, amongst the best reds in the Côte de Beaune. “Everything was harvested by hand with a good ambiance,” he tells me after failing to remember exactly when he started picking. “I do both pigeage and remontage but did a little less pigeage this year. The alcohol levels are between 13% and 13.5%. The yields were not too high: We had half a crop in 2021 and one and half of a crop in 2022. The Premier Crus are all matured in 20% to 25% new oak. I am very happy with the 2022s. It was a generous vintage with fine balance and depth.” Readers should check out his tremendous Volnay Santenots and Les Caillerets – amongst the best you will find, plus a seriously good Pommard Grands Epenots. These classically styled wines don’t sing and shout, but their virtues stealthily creep up on you! - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

99 Points! From the C1 Block of Beckstoffer To Kalon, winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown has worked with these Clone 4 Cabernet vines since 2005. This is a block bottling like many of the Schrader wines. Lush, generous fruit but with structure – all the elements amplified but on equal proportions. Explosive nose of rich black fruits, black olive, dried wild herbs and baking spices. Incredibly textural with pixelated three-dimensional tannins finishing with pops of dried tobacco and purple-red florals. A joy to drink but among the most collectable and cellar worthy wines of the vintage. The 'CCS' on the label refers to the initials of proprietor Carol Colesworthy Schrader. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! Throws off a range of sassafras, chaparral and anise aromas before yielding up a prodigious core of açaí berry, plum and blackberry compote. Offers a nice interplay of power and purity, with tarry violet and loamy incense accents. While tannic through the finish, this terrific version reveals a subtle ripple of acidity and a hint of iron. Best from 2024 through 2040. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS from the To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville is another heavenly wine in the lineup. I always find another level of purity in this cuvée, and the 2019 offers remarkably pure crème de cassis-like fruits as well as notes of white flowers, incense, toasted spice, and unsmoked tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, round, and plush on the palate, I love its tannins, it brings incredible richness while staying perfectly balanced and fresh, and it’s just already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Pichon Lalande is deep garnet-brick in color. It rolls out of the glass with easy-breezy scents of potpourri, dried cherries, fruit cake, and star anise, with wafts of sandalwood and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is in a sweet-spot with loads of intermingled dried berries, floral, and exotic spice notes framed by soft, powdery tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, November 2022

96 Points! Sitting next to my former colleague, Pierre Antoine Rovani, at one of the tastings, he commented that he didn’t like the striking green note in the aromatics of this wine, which I didn’t detect at all, and a subsequent bottle at another tasting did not reveal it either. I do think there is a hint of bay leaf and a meatiness to it. In short, I find this to be a spectacular Pichon Lalande. Dense purple in color, with loads of coffee, mocha, creme de cassis, and chocolate notes, this is a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and a whooping 10% Petit Verdot, with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot certainly gives the wine more of a tapenade, floral note, which I think can be interpreted by some as herbal. This is a rich, opulent, stunning Pichon Lalande that is beginning to drink beautifully, yet should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 years and last 30 or more years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2010

96-98 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"Dense purple-hued, the 2025 Château Clinet is a ripe, sumptuous, and seamless beauty with so much to love. Ripe red, blue, and black fruits, violets, smoky tobacco, and chocolate all shine on the nose. Full-bodied, layered, and graceful, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. Unquestionably among the crème de la crème of the vintage."

96-98 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

"Deep in color, the wine exudes aromas of licorice, flowers, black cherries, espresso, plums, herbs, and chocolate. The palate is even better, with waves of opulent, lush, soft, polished, expressive, and fresh fruit. The balance among depth, sweetness, flesh, and lift is exactly where it needs to be."

96-98 Points Neal Martin, Vinous

"Perhaps the most elegant and refined Clinet I have encountered at this stage. Vivid red cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry aromas lead to a medium-bodied palate with chiseled tannins, exquisite focus, and a crystalline finish. This is a Clinet I would like in my cellar. Or at the dinner table. Or in my glass."

94-96 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"A dark, brooding wine shaped by its significant presence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Plum, blackberry, gravel, incense, licorice, and scorched earth stain the palate. A powerful and distinctive Clinet."

94-95 Points James Suckling

"A composed, well-structured and precise Pomerol showcasing red berries and baking spices. Plush tannins, fresh acidity, and impressive energy drive the focused finish."

94 Points Decanter

"Fragrant floral aromatics with mint, blackcurrant leaf, pepper, and tobacco. Supple and generous, combining plush fruit with freshness, chalky tannins, and excellent lift. Elegant, refined, and full of character."

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

96 Points! The 2022 Château Barde-Haut checks in as the usual blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was brought up 50 to 60% new barrels, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels, with a small amount in tank. Gorgeous black raspberries, blue fruits, smoky tobacco, violets, and crushed stone all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a silky, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s not far off the style of the 2020 (and 2010), and is a rocking little Saint-Emilion to enjoy over the coming 20+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2022 Chateau Barde Haut is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with powerful scents of baked red and black plums and menthol, leading to hints of tobacco leaf and incense. The full-bodied palate is rich and juicy with firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness to give lift to the long opulent finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

96 Points! The 2022 Barde-Haut is gorgeous. Rich and explosive, the 2022 offers up copious notes of blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, mint and licorice, with pretty jasmine overtones that add exotic beauty. The tannins here are often a bit burly, but in the 2022 much of that is softened. This is an impressive showing. Drinking window : 2027-2042 - 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

100 Points! One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

100 Points! The 2022 Montrose is insanely beautiful. That much is obvious. When it might be ready to drink is another question. In recent years, Montrose has acquired notable finesse in its tannins, so that is not an issue. But the 2022 is packed with tremendous density and concentration that will need time to soften. Blackberry, graphite, licorice, lavender and chocolate stain the palate in a stunning, riveting wine of the very highest level. I can only hope to be around when the 2022 starts to drink well! Montrose is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Unforgettable. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

100 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out with powerful notes of crème de cassis, preserved plums, and garrigue, giving way to nuances of candied violets, Sichuan pepper, and mossy tree bark, plus a touch of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit preserves layers, supported by super-firm, super-ripe tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Epic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

99 Points! Great depth in the nose, taking you into its core of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, graphite, tar, inkpot and cassis. Full-bodied and very tight, this flexes its polished muscles, showing form and tension. Compacted. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The 2022 Montrose was picked 2 to 22 September comprising all four grape varieties and all the Cabernet Franc, with 13% pressed wine, matured in 60% new oak. There is 14.5% alcohol this year, which is less than 2018. It has an extremely pure nose with black cherries and blueberry. Quite floral in style with hints of blood orange percolating through with time. The palate is very precise with exceptional mineralité and tension. Very focused, superb concentration, with what is becoming Montrose's trademark sense of symmetry and sustained aftertaste, this could be the finest Saint-Estèphe in 2022. – Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94-95 Points! I can’t remember a Haut-Batailley this tannic, yet the tannins are savory and very ripe with beauty and purity. Full-bodied, chewy tannins and a long and intense finish. - James Suckling

94 Points! The flagship 2018 Château Haut-Batailley checks in 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak. It's another deeply hued, classic Pauillac in the vintage that has wonderful purity as well as loads of ripe blackberry and currant fruits, medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful aromas and flavors of graphite, cedarwood, and tobacco, building yet polished tannins, background oak, and a great finish. This pure, classic Pauillac needs 7-8 years of bottle age (it will certainly offer pleasure earlier) and will drink fabulously well for over two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

92-94 Points! Blended of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot aging in 60% new barriques, the 2018 Haut Batailley is very deep purple-black in color and takes some coaxing to reveal profound notes of dark chocolate, crème de cassis, blueberry pie and anise with waves of raspberry pie, lavender and Indian spices. Full, very tightly would and jam-packed with layers of crunchy black and blue fruits, it has a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long with a mineral hint coming through. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

92 Points! The 2018 Haut Batailley has come together well. Plump and juicy in feel, the 2018 possesses quite a bit of creaminess in its dark fruit, chocolate, spice and leather. The new oak is prominent at this stage. Even so, this is nicely done and promising. - 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

97-98 Points! This shows plenty of drive with dusty and creamy tannins that run the length of the wine and builds at the end. It’s medium-bodied showing a focus and energy. Dark currants and flowers flavor. This really has length and it has the depth to improve with age. 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. - James Suckling

95-97 Points! One of the wines of the vintage, if not the wine of the vintage, the 2024 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, hitting 12.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.71, that's resting in 100% new barrels. It sports a dense purple hue as well as absolutely rocking aromatics of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and smoked tobacco. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a layered, opulent mouthfeel, velvety tannins, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's an incredible achievement in the vintage that will need just 4-6 years of bottle age and have a broad, lengthy drinking window. Hats off to technical director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy and the entire Mouton team. - Jeb Dunnuck

94-96 Points! The 2024 Mouton Rothschild, which has a little more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, was picked between September 23 and October 5 and aged for 18 months in 100% new oak. This has an understated bouquet with blackberry, cedar and graphite scents that take their time to unfold. The nose possesses very fine delineation though the oak is a little more prominent at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied and quite linear in style with fine tannins. A less flamboyant Mouton Rothschild in keeping with the style of the vintage, the 2024 discretely gains depth towards the finish and reveals a dash of white pepper on the aftertaste. Classy, very classy. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! A towering effort, the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes soars from the glass with pristine crème de cassis, raspberry jam, black plum, scorched earth, incense, mint, exotic spice and white pepper aromas. The precision of the individual perfumes has a laser-like quality rarely seen in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Full-bodied and framed by ever-so-velvety tannins, it reaches a spherical dimension in the mouth. The recent adoption of 3,000-liter Austrian oak barrels beautifully contributed to the shape of this wine, giving it terrific poise and tension. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media

97 Points! One of the world’s greatest expressions of Grenache year-in and year-out, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is all varietal that was brought up in larger foudre. This cuvée comes from the Charbonnieres and Les Esqueirons lieux-dits, which are mostly more sandy soils. Its deeper purple color is followed by a concentrated, medium to full-bodied, powerful yet elegant Grenache offering ripe cherry and darker berry fruits, notes of ground pepper, garrigue, and licorice, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. Reminding me slightly of the 2006, which is drinking brilliantly today, it’s going to offer incredible pleasure over its lengthy life. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Impressive depth of colour for the vintage, this is extremely round, fresh, clear and well-defined. Tannins are present and fairly strict in style, but they're ripe, and all in all this is exceptionally promising. Not huge in fruit or body, but well-balanced and precise. from 120-year-old vines planted on north-facing clay and sand lieux-dits of Charbonnières and Esquières. Fermented in concrete, aged in foudre. - Matt Walls, Decanter Magazine