Search results for: 'mostly a one plot'

97 Points! There’s striking freshness of lemon and yellow grapefruit here with a chalky, stony, flinty edge. The fresh fruit carries subtly spicy oak nicely. There are grapefruit and fresh yellow-peach flavors in abundance. This carries energetic, acidity-fueled drive and delivers impressive balance, as well as length. So long and juicy. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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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

 

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* ETA Second week of March...

96 Points! The 2012 Brut Millésime blends 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay mainly from Montagne de Reims and a small portion from Côte des Blancs, giving it a slightly unusual yet eternally sleek Chardonnay bent. It spent a decade on the lees. Its nose is a smoky wonder, combining ripe, almost tropical fruit with a gorgeous toasty sense of grilled almonds. An overtone of candied orange peel flashes up momentarily. The palate brings wonderfully golden plum fruit, ripe yet fresh, juicy and utterly aromatic, verging on apricot and always surrounded by a toasty, warming frisson of grilled nuts, pervaded by a streak of finest freshness. This is immensely youthful, captured with brilliantly pure fruit and lasting expression that rings long in a toasty umami echo. - Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous

96 Points! A graceful Champagne that waltzes across the palate, with a fine, plush mousse carrying a lovely range of ripe black cherry, pureed raspberry, candied ginger, Mandarin orange peel, grilled nut and pastry flavors enlivened by a vibrant spine of lemony acidity. To a certain extent, the precision and elegance belies the focus and breadth on display, so sip this slowly and enjoy as it opens in the glass and expands on the palate, echoing on the finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2040. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A Champagne of great intensity and concentration, pure citrus oil, candied lemon and toasty exotic fruit. It's exceptionally soft and satin-like, creamy and comforting, then a stony, saline intensity draws out the finish. For the first time in the history of Rare Champagne, the house has released a vintage that is older than its previous release. This 2012 comes after the 2013 was released in 2023. Cellar master Émilien Boutillat says this is because when tasting the 2012, he and the team found a connection between this and the iconic 2002, so it deserved a little bit of extra time in the cellars before release. – Decanter

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From the importer:

Brovia’s formidable Barolo "Brovia" epitomizes their classically built yet elegant house style and expresses the full breadth of their enviable holdings. While its composition varies slightly each year depending on yields, it always comprises the following sources: (1) From their holdings in Castiglione Falletto, Brovia produces but one single cask of each cru-designated wine per vintage, directing any extra volume into the Barolo "Brovia." Accounting for 20-30% of the wine's final blend, this spillover comes from vines exceeding 50 years of age in the crus of Rocche di Castiglione, Villero, and Garblet Sue. (2) 70-80% of the Barolo "Brovia" comes from holdings in Serralunga d’Alba, primarily in the cru of Brea with smaller amounts (beginning in 2020) in Gianetto, an east-facing cru which is a natural extension of Brea and yields a wine of similar character. These vines are 20 to 30 years of age on average, the oldest parcels of Brea being used for the single-cru bottling. The Barolo "Brovia" undergoes spontaneous fermentation in a variety of vessels—cement, open-top wood, and stainless steel—and is raised 24 to 30 months in oak botti between 30 and 100 hectoliters in capacity. Afterward, the wine is assembled in a combination of steel and wood for an additional year, being bottled no sooner than 40 months after harvest. This aging process, which is longer than that of the crus (aged solely in 30- to 40-hectoliter casks and bottled after 30 months), allows for a wine slightly more open-knit upon release by design.

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96 Points! The 2022 Gabbro, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is fabulous. In fact, it’s one of the finest versions of this wine I have tasted. More than anything, the 2022 suggests that the Tuscan Coast can produce wines of elegance and polish, even in torridly warm years, and even in its warmest micro-climates, if desired. Blue/black fruit, leather, lavender, espresso and dried herbs abound. The 2022 is beautiful today. I expect it will be even better in a few years’ time. It's an eye-opening wine, to be sure. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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A discreet application of wood is present on the overtly pepper-inflected aromas of earthy and ripe dark berry scents along with a touch of the sauvage. The delicious, caressing and sappy flavors also contrast with the grippy, rustic and short finish. Once again, this robust effort is not particularly well-balanced and my guess, given the relatively easy-going mid-palate texture, is that this is not 'on form' today but may very well come together in time. With that said, for the moment it's pretty awkward. Allen Meadows, Burghound, Apr 2025 
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97 Points! The 2020 Côte a Côte is a beautiful blend of 45% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre and one of the most successful wines I tasted from the challenging 2020 vintage. Deep ruby-purple, it offers pure aromas of blackcurrant, boysenberry, tar and pipe tobacco, continually unfolding with each return to the glass. The full-bodied palate offers wave after wave of perfumed fruit and tremendous spicy accents. It's powerful yet harmoniously structured with powdery tannins and seamless acidity, and it offers a very long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

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From the importer: 55+ year-old vines. East of Erôme and Gervans, two of Crozes-Hermitage’s granite terroirs, lies Les Picaudières, perhaps the most singular terroir within the entire appellation. An unexpected fusion of Côte-Rôtie-like elegance with penetrating mineral textures and Hermitage’s rich, upfront earthiness and darker fruit, it is indeed unique, especially to its own appellation of humble terroirs. A small hike is required to reach the vineyard tucked a few kilometers on the backside of Hermitage, back into a forest that surrounds the vineyard on all sides, except the ridgeline.

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97 Points! The 2022 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is so pretty—floral, red fruited and fine. This is a beautiful iteration of this wine. Ironically, there's a coastal freshness about it—kelp, brine, crushed shells—given it is nowhere near the coast. It's capacious and mineral and so fresh. The tannins are fine and neat, and the wine has incredible focus and line through the long finish. It's very impressive, potentially one of my favorite releases of this wine to date. It has wholly Barossa fruit this vintage. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

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96 Points! The 2019 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir from Knights Valley reveals a medium gold hue as well as beautiful golden delicious apple, white flowers, toasted bread, and almond paste-like nuances. It’s medium to full-bodied and has a layered, textured mouthfeel, nicely integrated acidity, and straight-up stunning length on the finish. It builds nicely with time in the glass and, if anything, was even better on the second day, so don't be afraid to give this some air. It will evolve for at least 8-10 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! Based on 75% Grenache and the rest a mix of varieties, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape was vinified with 40% stems and brought up in foudre and cuve as well as a small percentage in demi-muids. Ripe, round, and sexy on the palate, with medium body, it offers ripe kirsch and black cherries intermixed with spice and peppery garrigue nuances. It's balanced with soft tannins and shows the forward style of the vintage. It will drink beautifully over the coming 10-12 years.  - Jeb Dunnuck

 

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A must-have for all you footballers!

92 Points! Fresh croissants, green apples, grapefruit and light walnuts on the nose of this crisp, balanced Champagne. Medium-bodied, seamless and sleek. 40% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 25% pinot meunier. - JamesSuckling.com

The aging of Brut Reserve on the lees for almost 4 years more than doubles the legal minimum of 15 months. This extra time in the cellars allows the wine to reach the peak of aromatic maturity, and the result is a delicately balanced Champagne, known for its consistently excellent quality.

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93-95 Points! Matured with 20% whole bunch and the same level of new oak, the 2018 Pommard Les Rugiens 1er Cru has an elegant, refined bouquet that gradually unfurls to reveal blackberry, briar and light wild strawberry scents, the stems lending a little pepperiness. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and very well-judged acidity. Delivers impressive tension and structure toward the linear, very persistent finish. This is an outstanding Les Rugiens, one of the best you will find this vintage. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media Learn More

98 Points! Always one of the top Crozes-Hermitage out there (although the case could be made that it's more Hermitage than Crozes), the 2018 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers has a liqueur of rocks-like character as well as gorgeous blue fruits, violets, earth, and bouquet garni aromas and flavors. I'd unquestionably guess Hermitage in a blind lineup. This full-bodied beauty has a seamless texture, ample tannins, and a great finish. It's pure class and the finest Crozes Hermitage out there in 2018. It's a stunning value that readers should snatch up! - Jeb Dunnuck Learn More

98 Points! The 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is pure gold and one hell of an impressive Syrah that readers should snatch up. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blue fruits, cassis, ground pepper, violets, and smoked game, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, opulent mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. Coming from 100% destemmed Syrah that spent 19 months in 80% new French oak, it's going to blow you away any time over the coming decade, if not longer. - Jeb Dunnuck

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Luscious cacao, essences of coffee and vanilla, velvety on the palate with notes of cacao, and caramelized sugar.

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Simply put, the greatest deal on a Meursault in America. $59.98? Impossible, except at Winex/Spectrum

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50+ year old vines from the highest elevation vineyard in Maranges with red clay and chalk soil. 30% whole cluster fermented with indigenous yeast, aged in 228L barrels (20% new).

92-94 Points! The 2023 Maranges La Fussières 1er Cru Rouge is blended with 30% whole bunch. This has an understated bouquet with light earthy red fruit with sous-bois and mineral scents. It opens succinctly in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, very poised, airy and transparent yet with real weight and presence on the finish. Bon vin! - Neal Martin, Vinous

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

100 Points! An absolute legend of a wine, the 2022 Château Figeac is based on 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw malolactic in barrel and 18 months in new barrels. This deep purple-hued beauty offers incredible cassis, spring flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and subtle tobacco notes to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, fine, seamless style on the palate. It's so rare to find a wine that can deliver this level of richness and intensity with no sensation of weight, as well as an incredible sense of finesse and elegance. It reminds me of a slightly more concentrated version of the 2016. Hide bottles for a decade if you can and enjoy over the following 40 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! This wowed during Primeurs and it has maintained its promise now it's been bottled. Gloriously alive with a beautifully expressive nose - dark fruit, liquorice and floral scents. The energy on the palate is incredible - this pulses with life given the high acidity and juicy red berry fruit but this also has a touch of creaminess alongside softly fleshy tannins that give the weight and structure. There's power and concentration but almost hidden underneath the cooling freshness and such charming texture. Effortless winemaking on show, taking the best of the vintage in terms of ripeness but delivering a seriously sophisticated expression that is just so moreish. I love it. A perfect wine. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

100 Points! The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949? - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend (as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and with plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé "A". - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

99 Points! Deep nose with graphite, gravel, dark hazelnut chocolate, blackberries, blueberries and truffles. Really taut and tense on the palate with fresh, vibrating tannins and a very long, chalky finish. Compact. 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Lots of vibrancy and muscled tension here from an extremely hot and dry year. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! A silky, textured wine, the 2009 Barolo Monvigliero stands out for its refined fruit and gorgeous balance. Nothing is out of place in this polished, elegant Barolo. Sweet red berries, flowers and spicebox are some of the many notes that are layered together in the glass. Any sensation of tannin is nearly non-existent because the fruit is so vivid and present. Over time, the Monvigliero continues to flesh out in all directions, showing why this site is so privileged. Scavino's Monvilgiero is easily one of the most finessed wines of the vintage. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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