Search results for: 'paraje de class'

90 Points! Juicy red berries, herbes de Provence, pepper, and a hint of sandalwood lift from the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Mon Coeur. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with savory tannins and tons of personality and charm, it's perfect for drinking over the coming 4-6 years. Drink 2025-2031. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

93 Points! A nice touch of fine reduction that protects the fruit and almost mingles with the oak spices, giving this a dusty feel with dulce de leche, blackberries, cassis and graphite. A crunchy, medium-bodied palate with fresh, juicy tannins and a firm, lively finish. Long, elegant and fluid. A very good expression from this lighter vintage. Drink from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com Learn More

93 Points! The 2022 Meursault Les Narvaux has turned out beautifully, underlining what a strong vintage this is for the white wines of the Côte de Beaune. Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, hazelnuts, sweet citrus oil and white flowers, it's medium- to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, with excellent texture and cut, concluding with a long, saline finish. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The appellation blend from this notable estate, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-hued, it offers beautifully pure aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone and violets. I love its overall purity, it's medium to full-bodied, has a layered, fresh, focused mouthfeel, and enough tannins to keep it drinking nicely for 10-15 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points!  Aromas of rose, peony, red berries and guava preface the NV Brut Rosé, a medium to full-bodied, elegant and vinous Champagne rosé that concludes with a long, ethereal finish enhanced by menthol notes. A blend of 45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, it's based on the 2014 vintage with 46% vins de réserve from nine different vintages and the addition of 6% as a red wine, vinified and matured in stainless steel. Dosage: 4.7 grams per liter. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

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

97 Points! Another excellently consistent wine from Gruaud in 2022 that gives terroir typicality with crystalline purity and such overall charm. Smooth and supple, silky but firm, generous but serious. Gorgeous acidity keeps the palate lifted and fresh while the concentrated fruit and quite present tannins give the structure and frame. I love the detail and purity, powerful and strong but refined. Direct with energy and juicy, vibrant acidity. Mineral, graphite and liquorice aspects grip the palate and linger on the finish with soft spices. Has a very moreish quality with approachability but the racy core and intense backbone suggests long ageing potential. 3.8pH. 3.45g/l total acidity. 40% production. 13% press wine (only Cabernet Sauvignon). - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

97+ Points! The 2022 Château Gruaud Larose is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 95% new barrels. It's an inky-hued 2022 that has a killer nose of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, liquid violets, and a beautiful, crushed stone-like minerality. This powerful, full-bodied Gruaud Larose has plenty of mid-palate depth, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's probably best hidden in the back of the cellar for a decade if possible, but it should be incredibly long-lived. I think it's as good as the 2018 and one of the absolute classics from this château. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Quite a discreet nose of dark fruit and minerals, with excellent depth. Uncoiled power and intensity, with a full body and firm but polished tannins that dissolve into a long and close-knit finish. It goes on for almost a minute. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2022 Gruaud Larose was picked from 7 to 24 September and includes a little more pressed wine this year: 13.5% exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon due to the quality. This latest vintage matured for a planned 18 months in 95% new oak. Significantly, this is the first year under organic certification (notice two storks on the label signifying this. Maybe they are carrying a little Gruaud baby?) At 13.64% alcohol, this is less than many other properties for those seeking slower intoxication. It has an impressive bouquet with pure blackberry and raspberry fruit, black truffle and sous-bois scents. I am impressed by its delineation and focus; frankly, these are the nicest aromatics I've encountered for a while at this address. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins. I cannot remember a Gruaud at this nascent stage that exhibits this level of energy and tension deriving from the Cabernet Sauvignon extracted at the beginning of vinification. There's much more precision here. Mineral-driven toward the finish, this easily surpasses vintages made at the estate over the last decade and more. Perhaps like the legendary Gruauds of old (1982, 1961, 1928, even 1870)? Gruaud reborn. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

96 Points! Bottled in May 2024, the 2022 Gruaud Larose has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets, vine smoke, pen ink and tar. Medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, it's rich and broad, with terrific depth at the core, sweet structuring tannins and a long, expansive finish. Checking in at 13.6% alcohol, it's the estate's first organic-certified vintage. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

93-95+ Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of wild berries, vine smoke, raw cocoa, cloves, anise and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and complete, with a tightly wound core of vibrant fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. Less demonstrative than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, I suspect it will emerge as the finest of the trilogy in the fulness of time, but it will require patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The effusive nose of candied citrus, ripe pear and brioche pulls you into this fresh and creamy champagne that hits all the pleasure buttons for a non-vintage Brut. Then the chalky freshness at the finish pulls you back for another sip. Excellent balance! 100% pinot noir. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish. - Stacy Slinkard, Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The Garnacha 2022 Barrio Pastores is a village red from Aldeanueva de Ebro and produced with grapes from two plots planted in 1989. The full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts after being foot trodden, and the wine matured in a 3,000-liter oak vat until it was needed the following harvest. It has a fruit-driven nose that's a little grapey, with a sense of ripe berries and wild herbs. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.45. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine tannins, ripe flavors and fine tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! The appellation 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller portions of Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It's another fabulous wine from this estate, offering pure cr me de cassis, classy oak, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, plush, integrated tannin, and the vintage's fresher, focused style, it tastes like it costs three times the price. Drink bottles over the coming decades. Bravo. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Aromas of ripe blackcurrants, dried raspberries, spices, cedar and bark. Full-bodied with a mellow, fruit-forward character and creamy texture to the tannins. Delicious and smooth with a velvety finish. - JamesSuckling.com

93-95 Points! The 2021 Sansonnet is once again a stand out. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and espresso give this large-scaled Saint-Émilion tons of depth. As always, Sansonnet is an extrovert, but in 2021 it benefits from a kick of acidity that balances things out nicely. It was impressive both times I tasted it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Excellent freshness and depth here with ripe but very vibrant berries. Spices, cigar box, black chocolate and incense, too. Quite juicy and bright on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Tannins are fresh and polished. Long and expressive finish. There is a “modern” touch here that gives a sense of restrained plushness to the vibrancy. Better from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2018 Château de la Dauphine was a knockout when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a very clean, precise bouquet of shimmering blackberry and wild strawberry aromas, underlying blood orange notes coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, plenty of graphite-tinged black fruit and a very elegant yet long finish. Superb! - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

93 Points! A delicious wine that has been well handled comprising vibrant fruits with brambles and hedgerows keeping things on the right side of slick. A good job done here with the estate retaining biodynamics even through a tough vintage. Drinking Window 2022-2032 - Decanter Learn More

93+ Points! The 2020 Centales is a new single-vineyard bottle that has been given the Viñedo Singular category. It comes from a plot in Centales de Uruñuela bordering Huércanos and was planted in 1966 at 500 meters in altitude on limestone-rich soils where they have a field blend of varieties all fermented together that produces a characterful wine with a different, perfumed nose and a medium to full-bodied palate. The number of varieties gives the following breakdown: 52% Tempranillo, 25% Mazuelo, 14% Viura, 7% Garnacha and 2% Maturana Tinta that achieved 13.9% alcohol after fermenting in stainless steel and maturing in second-use French oak barrels for 11 months. It's a bit oaky and creamy but has the depth and balance to digest it and integrate it with some time in bottle. Only 780 bottles were filled in September 2021. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! Slightly more prominent wood frames aromas of ripe apple, fennel, wet stone and a plethora of citrus elements. The rich, concentrated and impressively scaled big-bodied flavors coat the palate with sappy dry extract that also buffers the firm acid spine shaping the bitter lemon zest and beautifully long if youthfully austere finish. This is muscular but not rustic vintage for En Buland, which always ages well, and the 2021 version should be no exception. - Allen Meadows, Burghound #92

94 Points! Tight and linear with blackcurrant and lemon rind character. Medium-bodied and racy with very fine tannins and a bright finish. Shows energy and focus. Drinkable, but better in three or four years. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

91 Points! Aromas of raspberries, crème de cassis, cigar wrapper and loamy soil introduce the 2020 La Tour Carnet, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished wine that's more harmonious and better balanced than Magrez's Grands Chênes. This large estate has eaten up many of the Haut-Médoc's non-classified growths over the past decade to arrive at a surface area of over 130 hectares today. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

94 Points! Beautiful nose, blackcurrant, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, cherries, crushed stones, blue fruit and bramble fruits. Sleek and straight, nice acidity, but this is quite linear with the Cabernet really giving the backbone, length and overall structure. Feels a bit tense, but it does have texture too so it’s not austere or harsh, just strong. Really well built, delivering power no doubt, but keeping a soft juiciness underneath. Very medicinal - clove, liquorice, unmistakable Cabernet speaking here, but feels clean and well worked. Nothing sticking out too much with body, plushness and cool freshness. Good potential, really impressively constructed. 3.7p. Ageing 30% new oak. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! More Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated, the 2022 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot that spent 14 months in 20% new French oak. It's even better than the Les Hauts de Smith and has gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, currants, scorched earth, tobacco, and graphite. This textured, medium to full-bodied, seamless beauty has ripe tannins, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. This matches, if not exceeds, the 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Aromas of currants and blackberries with orange peel and rose petals follow through to a medium body with racy and polished tannins that go on for a long time. Vivid and energetic. Second wine of Smith Haut-Laffite. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Give it two to three years. -  JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2022 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is a rich, heady wine. A blast of dark cherry, plum, licorice, menthol, chocolate, tobacco and incense makes a strong opening impression. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend is all opulence. I would give it a few years to settle down. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

93 Points! This is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, with an élevage lasting 14 months in 20% new oak. A completely different nose to Les Hauts de Smith, which has all that lightly roasted Merlot fruit;this has the same intensity but now in a pure, perfumed, floral Cabernet style, touched with mint and white peach. This continues through into the palate, now joined by darker tones of liquorice, toast, tar and charcoal, with a very pure and finely knit together backbone of tannins. A remarkable wine bearing in mind it is a second label, with dark fruit, high-quality structure and great length. This is a delicious Pessac-Léognan with fine potential. Give it ten years at least. A long grip to this rather solidly built wine. - The Wine Independent