Search results for: 'paraje de class'

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

94 Points! The only white produced here is the 2020 Viñas de Gaín Blanco, which is balsamic and aromatic, floral and herbaceous, from a fresher and more elegant vintage. It fermented with some skins to give it complexity and volume, but he has reduced the time the wine is in contact with the skins, and this year, the wine finished part of the fermentation in used 600-liter demi-muids and was kept in stainless steel with lees for two years. They have stopped racking the white, and they feel it keeps a livelier character. It has the profile of the traditional Rioja whites with a modern twist, cleaner, more focused and precise. It has a moderate 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.31 and 6.05 grams of sugar, fresh and vibrant. It's beautiful, possibly the best year for the white and a year they think was better for the white than for the reds. Bravo! - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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

95 Points! Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, pencil shavings and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, this is creamy and crunchy with open, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine's sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! One of the smart purchases this year is the 2022 La Dame de Montrose, a second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths. Based on 71% Merlot, the Dame sees a more reductive élevage than the grand vin, which is perfectly adapted to this variety. Opening to reveal aromas of sweet cassis, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, spices and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a powerful but controlled profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.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.”

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! This is surprisingly full-bodied and round, reflecting the warmth and sunny exposure of the vineyard around the chateau. Tangy and vivid with currants, fresh flowers and plenty of energy and length. Delicate yet ripe. 77% cabernet sauvignon, 19.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% petit verdot. Needs two or three years to come together completely. Drink after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The second wine of this great château, the 2021 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up a mini-Mouton-like nose of pure cassis, graphite, and spicy oak and hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, plenty of fruit and richness, and almost velvety tannins. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new barrels, this textured, focused, impressively concentrated 2021 will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age (which is rare for a second wine) and cruise for 10-15+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2012 Brut Collection d'Auteur is deep and vinous, unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, white flowers and freshly braked bread mingled with subtle hints of citrus zest and bee pollen. Full-bodied, elegantly muscular and seamless, with a deep and concentrated core, bright acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it's a seamless, understated blanc de blanc derived from holdings in prime lieux-dits Les Vaucherots, Les Coullemets du Midi, Les Finciarts and Les Chétillons. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

94 Points! This has chocolate, cedar and walnuts as well as some currant aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with some lovely fruit and juiciness. 55.8% cabernet sauvignon, 38.8% merlot and 5.4% petit verdot. Attractive now but another year or two will make it even better. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Easily the best Pauillac de Latour in recent years, showing supple tannins at five years old, textured and rippling with juice, opening to show gourmet smoked plum and blueberry fruit. Has the graphite edge of the appellation, waves of cocoa bean, liqourice and smoked earth, and the balance of 2019. The structure is already welcoming, even if the fruit young, and if you like your wines on the primary side, you can get stuck in straight away and be very happy about it - this is a buy buy buy, and a good upgrade from my initial En Primeur score. - Jane Anson

93 Points! The 2019 Pauillac is a serious wine. Dark cherry, plum, gravel, incense, licorice and pomegranate are all dialed up in this wonderfully deep, fleshy Pauillac. Deep and resonant, with fine balance, the 2019 captures all the natural radiance of the year. This is really quite stellar and delicious. A recent bottle of the 2009 reminded me how pleasurable the Latour Pauillac can be. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

93 Points Decanter
"Wonderful fragrance with ripe black fruit and wild purple flowers. Fresh, lively, and mouthwatering, with freshly picked strawberry fruit, chalky minerality, mint, anise, slate, and flint. Velvety and creamy in texture, yet remarkably fresh and energetic."

92-94 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"Black raspberry, cassis, graphite, sappy flowers, and chalky minerality emerge from the glass. Beautifully balanced and elegantly textured, with polished tannins and impressive finesse. Another brilliant wine from the Bécot family that readers should snatch up."

92-94 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Flowers, licorice, dark cherries, and a hint of truffle create the perfume. Medium-bodied and loaded with sweet, creamy black cherries, plums, and chocolate. Produced from some of the oldest vines in the appellation, dating back to 1870."

92-94 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Joanin-Bécot is fabulous. Dark and sumptuous, with gorgeous fruit purity and remarkable textural presence. Inky dark fruit, spice, leather, dried flowers, and lavender unfold into a resonant, expansive finish. A stellar Joanin-Bécot."

91-93 Points Wine Advocate
"Another sleeper of the vintage. Aromas of iris, lilac, dark berries, and flowers lead into a juicy, enveloping palate with vibrant energy and an ethereal floral finish."

91-93 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Juicy blueberries and black raspberries are accented by anise, mint tea, and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with chalky tannins, refreshing acidity, and exuberant fruit."

91 Points Jane Anson
"Vivid violet, red cherry, saffron, anis, lemongrass, and slate. A wine with tremendous definition that clearly reflects its high-altitude terroir and ongoing vineyard renaissance."

90-92 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Blackcurrant pastille and raspberry aromas with impressive precision. Medium-bodied and linear, with fine sapidity, cracked black pepper notes, and an expressive Cabernet Franc component."

95 Points! The 2022 Eneo is superb. Rich and expansive on the palate, the 2022 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, incense and espresso. There’s gorgeous mid-palate depth and plenty of textural richness, but in the more restrained style that informs these wines today. The long, silky finish is pure class. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs is an excellent introduction to the estate’s Chardonnays. Disgorged in August 2024 with three grams per liter dosage, it’s composed of 20% from the 2021 vintage (vinified in tank), 50% from 2020 and 30% from 2019, with half of the reserve wines aged on the lees in approximately 30-year-old demi-muids. Heavily based on Oger (around 40% of the blend), with the remainder coming from Oiry, Cramant and Avize, it’s already expressive, offering aromas of honeysuckle, nectarine, bread and fresh hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied with bright acidity and complemented by a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. - Kristap Karklins, 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

Formerly known as Vignobles Mayard...

94 Points! From the oldest vines of the estate on the La Crau plateau, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Terres De La Crau checks in as 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a spicy, savory, complex perfume of black cherries, blackberries, roasted garrigue, and acacia flowers. I love its complexity, and this beauty hits the palate with a broad, medium to full-bodied, layered, seamless mouthfeel carrying ripe tannins and a great finish. There’s a classic, almost old school-like character here, but it's beautifully balanced, elegant, and pure as well. I love it. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

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

95+ Points! A blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot, the 2020 Les Perrieres is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock earthy/broody scents of tar, black truffles, smoked meats, and crushed rocks, leading to a core of black cherries and stewed plums, plus a waft of chalk dust. The full-bodied palate is wonderfully bright and energetic, featuring vibrant black fruits with great tension and very fine-grained tannins, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

96 Points! In comparison to the Grand Village, the 2020 Les Perrières De Lafleur comes from more limestone soils, and the blend is more Cabernet Franc-dominated, checking in as 71% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) and the rest Merlot. It has an absolutely head-turning bouquet of red and blue fruits, fresh tobacco, truffle, and spring flowers, and it shows this incredible sense of chalky minerality on the palate. Focused and medium to full-bodied, with both power and richness, it shows a much more finessed and elegant profile compared to the bigger, more opulent Grand Village. Give bottles just 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck