Search results for: 'paraje de close'

92 Points! Aromas of black berries, brambleberries, floral, orange peel, and wet earth. Medium body, creamy and round tannins and a refined finish. Delicious. Just yummy. 52% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, and 8% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

The 2022 opens in the glass with ripe raspberry, black cherry, cassis and cedar. Scheduled to age in large foudres for two years, ripe tannins offer the wine a good structure and framework. Finishing on a savory note, the 2022 looks quite promising at this early stage. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous

The classic red of the domaine accounts for approximately 85% of the annual production of the estate.  It is composed of 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and a balance of other traditional varieties. The grapes are not destemmed, the cuvaison lasts for three weeks and the élevage encompasses an additional 18 months in traditional foudre wood vats before the wine is bottled unfiltered. The fruit is perfectly in balance with the textural elements, showing typical dark fruit notes with discernible energy and liveliness. Its slighty sauvage character and firm structural backbone is leavened by its exceptional breed.

92 Points! Light, green-tinged yellow. Mineral-accented aromas and flavors of candied orange, pear, white flowers and ginger. Juicy and precise, presenting lively citrus and orchard fruit flavors underscored by chalky minerality. Dry and incisive on the finish, which shows outstanding clarity and persistence. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous

92 Points! Inky colour, pencil lead and smoke concentration, where the tannins lend a sense of pressure bearing down on the fruit, keeping things moving and building in tension through the palate. Tiny edge of peony and iris flower as it opens in the glass. Harvest September 9 to 25th. Extremely well extracted, this is not a delicate wine but it is a measured one, and it has the sense of slowly building towards the close of play that is most enjoyable. 30% of overall production in HBII this year. Not vinified in the cellar, but will be aged in it. - Jane Anson, Decanter

91 Points! Based on the 2020 vintage, complemented by reserve wines from 2019, the latest rendition of Agrapart's NV Brut 7 Crus is charming and unusually giving at this early stage, offering up aromas of white flowers, sweet orchard fruit and ripe citrus, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and pillowy palate. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

91 Points! A very restrained, indeed grudging, nose faintly reveals its combination of mineral reduction and citrus scents. The super-sleek and borderline painfully intense middleweight flavors are like rolling tiny pebbles around the mouth while the cuts-like-a-knife bone-dry finish is markedly austere. The mid-palate density is most impressive as the single digit yields are noticeable. I would point out that this is sufficiently austere as to not make for especially interesting drinking young. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

92 Points! The white 2019 Le Domaine is mostly Sauvignon Blanc, with 30% Verdejo, and comes from a warm year (not as warm as 2017) when Sauvignon Blanc achieved perfect ripeness. The wine has good ripeness, 13.5% alcohol, very good freshness, a subtle nose that is not that varietal (as it's often the case) and a soft palate with great balance and purity. It finishes with a faint bitter touch. The oak is neatly integrated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92 Points! A cabernet that shows structure, yet at the same time it is savory and pure with currant, chocolate and walnut undertones. Juicy with lots of cassis, too. Full-bodied, chewy and savory. Dry. Delicious. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Puente Alto and Pirque come together in this textbook Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon with a twist: it was aged in casks to add elegance to the region’s familiar complexity. Licorice, cassis, blackberry and thyme flavors appear at first followed by caramel. Very precisely calibrated, the firm tannins and expressive flavor underline the accomplished nature of the wine and lengthy, juicy finish. - Joaquin Hiudalgo, Vinous Media

92 Points! The NV Extra-Brut Les Jardins du Mesnil is based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by reserve wines from 2013, and it was disgorged in May 2021 with four grams per liter dosage. Revealing notions of crisp green apple, citrus oil, wet stones and fresh bread, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and incisive, with a pretty mousse and a bright spine of acidity. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The super bargain of the portfolio has to be the red 2017 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza, which this year shows more development and faster aging, with more tertiary notes than the other reds from 2013 and 2014 that I tasted next to it. The frost of April 2017 killed 100% of the vegetal mass at Cubillo, and the grapes they picked were exclusively from the second generation, therefore fruit that ripened in a much shorter cycle, as the harvest was also earlier. It has notes of damp earth, mushrooms, truffles and forest floor, dry leaves and decayed flowers and herbs. It has a polished palate and is medium-bodied, with mostly resolved tannins, and it feels a little lighter. But it's still worth it. It was produced with a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo from vines averaging 53 years of age. It fermented in their old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels for three+ years. It has 13.5% alcohol, a 3.0 pH and 6.5 grams of acidity. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

91-93 Points! Derived from very old vines in Epointures, Combe du Dessus, Jouise and Les Marchais that produce tiny shot berries, even in a vintage such as this, Dugat-Py's 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur du Roy unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of peonies and spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit and suave tannins, it will offer an unusually broad drinking window by the standards of this concentrated, structured bottling. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2021 Gran Reserva Hussonet is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Pirque in the Maipo Valley. It deftly showcases the region's intense flavors. This terroir-driven wine features cherry, black pepper and herbal-spice notes on the nose. Dry, juicy and relatively light-bodied, its leaner palate reflects the rainy 2021 season, resulting in a savory, slender red wine. - Joaqin Hidalgo, Vinous

90 Points! The suave texture and dense fruit profile lend plenty of appeal to this red, with leather, loam and fresh thyme notes melding with macerated plum and cherry flavors. Ends with a push of licorice and cassis around mouth-coating tannins. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! The wide spectrum of black berries with notes of candied orange and clove pull you into this rich and fleshy Beaune 1er Cru. However, there's a firm tannic core beneath all this and the powdery tannins at the long finish provide clear contours. Slight salinity there. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

90-92 Points! Pretty and cool yet definitely ripe aromas reveal notes of various dark berries, violet and rose petal. The suave and seductively textured medium weight flavors possess very fine density while the youthfully austere and moderately firm finish makes clear that this will need at least a few years of bottle aging first. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

92 Points! The eponymous 2024 Artuke is a juicy and tasty carbonic maceration red, a modern rendition of the classical "cosechero" wines. It is perfumed, aromatic and heady, with aromas of bubble gum and flowers and a velvety palate with almost unnoticeable tannins. It's a young and unoaked Tempranillo with some 5% white Viura grapes from the village of Baños de Ebro and was kept in concrete until it was bottled...This is a bargain to buy by the truckload and drink unashamedly. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! Crème de cassis, graphite, sweet tobacco, and sweet, loamy earth notes all define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a nicely textured, layered, pure, seamless barrel sample. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-92 Points! Blackberries, spicy garrigue, herbes de Provence, and some peppery nuances all emerge from the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sinards, a medium-bodied, supple, elegant red with tons of character. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! The NV Brut Réserve is the foundational wine at Bérêche, and the latest release is based on the 2022 vintage, incorporating a 40% perpetual reserve component, uniting the freshness of the northern slopes and the maturity of the hot, dry vintage. Fruit for this wine comes from vineyard sites across the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de Marne, and the Champagne was disgorged in October 2024 with six grams per liter dosage. Bursting from the glass with aromas of nectarine, orange zest and brioche, it's medium- to full-bodied and ample, with considerable density, underpinned by racy acidity and concluding with a chalky finish. The Brut Réserve has seen the most refinements in recent years as it no longer incorporates tailles and now features Chardonnay from Trépail; technically, this means that the pH is lower and the acidity is higher. It’s one of the most reliable entry-level NV bottlings on the market. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

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

94 Points! The 2022 Le Prieuré is another magnificent wine from one of Saint-Émilion’s most under the radar properties. Dark blue/purplish fruit, gravel, spice, menthol and lavender are all finely delineated. As always, Le Prieuré is a wine of cool sophistication and finesse. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. Superb. Drinking window : 2030-2060 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92-94 Points! The 2022 Le Prieuré is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, delivering a powerful 15.2% alcohol this year. For the first time, it contains fruit from Château Malineau, which features more clayey soil that Vincent Millet remarks lends to the cuvée its rondeur. It is matured in 30% new oak for 18 months. It has quite a rich and opulent bouquet, with confit-like blueberry and cassis fruit. I find this conveys less delineation than the Vray Croix de Gay and perhaps previous recent vintages. The palate is sweet and ripe on the entry with vivacious blueberry and cassis fruit, citrus fruit, hints of blood orange with a smear of dark chocolate toward the finish. Quite a "punchy" Saint-Émilion, but I may just prefer the 2020 by comparison. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94 Points! This is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in French oak, 30% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out with evocative notes of juicy plums, black cherries, and garrigue, leading to hints of menthol and anise. The full-bodied palate is dense with rich black and red fruit layers, supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

93 Points! High toned and serious on the nose, concentrated, intense, ripe and perfumed, a touch of alcohol also. Focussed and taught but with a really super juicy and appealing initial burst of flavour, herbal raspberries, creamy strawberries and some stalky bramble blackcurrant giving sweetness, spice and tension. Clean, balanced and slick, this is stylish, generous and likeable but still with a serious core. The texture is wonderful, tannins are perfectly weighted and integrated. A success. 3.75pH. Ageing 18 months, 30% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com