Search results for: 'plot shine roland'

98 Points! The captivating Baricci 2019 Brunello is another gorgeous wine from this storied producer. It offers enticing scents of woodland berry, new leather, camphor, pipe tobacco and dog rose while the full-bodied, elegantly structured palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, red plum, licorice and cake spice before a flinty mineral finish. A backbone of tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity provide support and racy tension. While it’s still youthfully austere, it already shows great balance and precision. - Kerin O' Keefe

97 Points! The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully inward and darkly floral with an herbal tinge and hints of crushed ashen stone that give way to vivid black raspberry and exotic spice. This is juicy and spry, with racy cherry-berry fruit and stimulating acidity that creates a sensation of boundless energy, even as a saturation of primary concentration settles in toward the close. The 2019 finishes with incredible length and youthful tension, leaving balsamic spice, sage and licorice notes lingering over a bed of dusty tannins. - Eric Guido, Viinous Media

97 Points! Baricci shines with this stunning 2019, from the estate’s south- to southeast-facing plots at 300 metres on the Montosoli hill. It is still far too young, but everything is in place for a long and gratifying life. Preliminary cedar and vanillin nuances melt into sumptuous cherry, and there's a pronounced stony, mineral edge along with juicy blood orange to impart further intricacy. Refined and graceful with layered substance, it has long, chalky, perfectly ‘al dente’ tannins and sappy, mouthwatering acidity. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points! Bloody black and blue fruits, iron, leafy herbs, toasted spices, and dried tobacco all shine in the 2019 Heliotrope, a rocking blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Mourvèdre, and a little Cabernet Franc. It's beautifully balanced, has a ripe, lush mouthfeel, beautiful, velvety tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! It's full-bodied, fairly concentrated, and generous. There’s wonderful freshness, a particularly strong mineral expression. Finishes on a touch of toasty oak. A great vintage of Les Granits. A very granitic expression from an east-facing plot in lieu-dit St-Joseph, near Mauves.- Decanter Magazine

96+ Points! Castello Romitorio’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino channels much of the estate’s fruit over seven plots, as no Riserva was produced, resulting in a wine of notable depth and cohesion. Whispered and delicate at first, the bouquet unfolds with white pepper, blue flowers and grilled herb before moving toward darker tones of sweet blackberry. The palate is open-knit yet powerful, showing juicy ripeness, layered complexity and a structured mid-palate that remains streamlined in classic Sangiovese fashion. Fermented in cement with maceration times tailored to the thickness of the skins from each plot, typically ranging from 18 to 24 days and extending up to 30 days when needed, the wine was aged for 24 months in oak, with 90% in large barrels and 10% in second- and third-passage tonneaux. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! This is plush and features cherry, plum, wild herb, iron and spice flavors. Its tannins are well-integrated with the fleshy texture and resonant flavors, which gather steam by the lingering finish. Shows terrific balance and length overall. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The cool climate of the vineyard really shines bright in the light-bodied, nuanced 2023 Chardonnay Escolle Vineyard, which offers lengthy, crisp, and subtle characteristics of gravel, green apple, and a hint of citrus and spice. Structured to age another 10 years, it captures the power and intensity of the appellation from a perspective of equal finesse. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! The nose of this very beautiful Corton-Charlemagne transports me to an Alpine meadow, when all the wild flowers are blossoming. I love the restrained, citrusy richness that is effortlessly interwoven with the stony minerality on the medium- to full-bodied palate of this graceful, yet highly-structured wine. Still quite tight at the very salty finish, but so much to give. From a 3.65 hectare plot at the very top of the hill of Corton, directly below the forest with a yellow mark soil. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Quella gives aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries and mulberries with touches of tobacco, new leather, iron ore and truffles plus a hint of tree back. The palate is full-bodied, muscular and laden with earth and mineral layers, finishing with persistent savory notes. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2015 Quella is a darker, more mineral-laced wine and offers a classic Quella bouquet of black fruits, black truffle, tobacco, and dried earth. It’s full-bodied, deep and layered on the palate, with ripe, present tannins and terrific elegance as well as purity. It has the balance and texture to shine today, yet the class to evolve for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! They adjusted the picking dates, and the 2022 Camino de Auritz sees a jump in freshness and elegance, finishing with a full 1% less alcohol than the 2021 (this has 13.5%). It's Garnacha from two old plots of 0.22 and 0.1 hectares on limestone soils at 450-plus meters above sea level, where they found some plants of Garnacha Gris. It fermented with 50% full clusters and indigenous yeasts (including malolactic) and matured in used French oak barrels for 11 months. This is a big jump in quality from the previous year. Unfortunately, there are only 874 bottles of this wine. It was bottled in August 2024. The wine is harmonious and approachable but should also age nicely in bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

98 Points! A 60-40 blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine Sugarloaf Mountain exudes sensual aromas of mocha and black cherries underscored by gentle hints of tobacco and sage. Full-bodied, plush and supple, with a long, softly dusty finish, this makes a compelling argument for non-Cabernet Sauvignon wines in Napa. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

97+ Points! Gorgeous blue fruits, mountain scrub brush, sage, espresso, black raspberry, and violet notes all emerge from the 2021 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that's full-bodied and has terrific overall balance, building, fine-grained tannins, and a good spine of acidity that carries through the finish. This is another gorgeous wine in the lineup that shines for its complexity, balance, and depth. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Lots of violets, flowery incense, cassis, and spice notes emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, a full-bodied, silky, elegant 2019 that shines just as much for its purity and balance as its richness and depth. Possessing good acidity, a lively, vibrant mouthfeel, supple tannins, and a great finish, it has plenty of up-front appeal yet should easily evolve for a solid 20 years if properly stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Another historic site and another opulent wine from Thomas Rivers Brown. Cabernet clone 337 delivers a fresh, high-toned, juicy red teeming with black fruit, black pepper and toasty cedar. Lush dark fruit is round and rich on the palate, framed by ultra-fine, satiny tannins and tangy blood orange acidity. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points! Power, structure and freshness are united in this stunning, modern Chateauneuf-du-Pape that has stacks of Mediterranean herb and raw meat character. Excellent concentration and energy. The elegantly dry finish is very long and precisely contoured. Sustainable. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! I love the wines from this estate, which always shine for their incredible perfume and complexity. Exotic red and black fruits, lavender, basil, peppery garrigue, and sandalwood notes define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 58% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 18% Mourvèdre that was brought up mostly in larger foudre but with a small part in used barrels. With medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, present tannins, and outstanding length, this beauty is well worth your time and money. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The red blend 2023 Anza was produced with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Malvasía, Calagraño, Viura and Moscatel grapes from the zones of Laguardia and Elvillar, produced in a fresh and direct style with no makeup. It fermented with some stems by plot and zones and matured in used 500-liter barrels and oak vats of different sizes for 12 months. They had 568 liters of rain in 2023, which also saw mild temperatures, save for a 12-day heat wave at the end of August, followed by a rainy September and October. The wine is clean, open, aromatic and nuanced. None of the reds show any aromatic influence from the wood. It has a contained 13.5% alcohol and a very balanced, medium-bodied and elegant palate, with very fine tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2021 Anza Especial was produced with the idea to obtain a wine with aging potential while keeping the freshness and drinkability from early on. It was produced with the fruit from three old vines—Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Viura—fermented by plot in stainless steel and matured in used 500-liter oak barrels. It encapsulates the perfume, finesse and elegance that is present in the whole portfolio here with the aid of a very balanced 2021 vintage. It has notes of violets, red and black berry fruit, wild herbs and subtle spices. The palate has symmetry, elegance and precision, the tannins are extremely fine-bonded, and the flavors pure and precise and stay in your mouth for a long time after you swallow. Great juice. It should age effortlessly. 2,800 bottles produced. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! A mixture of black and blue fruit, very perfumed and elegant. Cherries, plums and blueberries with a peppery undertone. Crushed violets, too. Bone-dry on the palate with abundant, silky tannins and a juicy, lengthy finish. Drinkable now, but better from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2021 Malbec Nicasia Vineyard originates from a small plot nestled within Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. It was aged up to 16 months in concrete vats and foudres and boasts a deep purple color. The complex nose unveils layers of crushed plums, blueberries, herbs, curry, lavender and graphite. Initially dry and plush, the palate transitions into a taut, chalky, overwhelming, and juicy texture, as if embodying structure and suppleness. This unique and flavorful Malbec offers a high-pitched intensity of flavor that lingers, showcasing a prolonged focus on the fruit. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media

95 Points! The judges were all struck by the purity of Côte des Blancs specialist Delamotte, sister house of Salon in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. President Didier Depond believes in the ‘freshness and poise’ of Chardonnay, which here comes entirely from grand cru villages (with just 8% Pinot Noir, also from grand cru villages of the Montagne de Reims). Based on the ripe 2020 vintage, with a modest 15% reserve wines, the class of the source material shines in this exemplary bottling. Tom Hewson: Very alluring bright cherry, honey and brown butter richness. Serious, with stony minerality, dried flowers and mandarin/grapefruit. Stunning. Eugenio Egorov: Fresh redcurrants, cranberries and apples, notes of tangerine and bread crust. Rounded fruit is balanced by lively acidity, with a light mousse. Victoria Mason MW: Nutty oxidative aromas, flinty funk, creamy white peach and lemon curd. This is complex and intense, with a vibrant, pink grapefruit, tangy freshness. Persistent and elegant. - Decanter World Wine Awards

98+ Points! From more than 100-year-old vines, the 2023 Ürziger Würzgarten In der Kranklei Riesling Auslese Alte Reben (Gold Capsule) is from a 2.2-hectare plot in the south-facing, terraced cru on red slate. Deep, clear and pure on the fragrant yet intense and refreshing nose that shows lemongrass, ginger and herbal as well as saline slate aromas. Very generous and lush yet also refined and filigreed on the palate, this is a savory and stimulating saline Auslese with fine, crystalline acidity and candied lemon and grapefruit aromas on the long finish. There are 140 grams per liter of residual sugar, which do not taste extraordinarily sweet but round and generous. The grapes were picked in early October with 15% of botrytis. 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 15 24 in January 2025. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

96 Points! The 2021 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is lighter in color and tannic intensity than the 2020 tasted beside it. No surprise for the vintages that birthed these wines. The latter was sunny, hot and dry, while the 2021 season was decidedly cooler, with more cloud cover and rain. This wine bears the fruits of the diligent labor in the vineyards and is one of the shining lights in the region this year. There are notes of raspberry and nori, moss and petrichor, blood and forest floor. This is a lighter style of Cabernet—and a lovely one at that. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

95 Points! The nose is perfumed and lifted, showing aromas of blackcurrants, boysenberries, cedar, tobacco leaves and graphite. The full-bodied palate has finely integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving complex notes of mulberries, wild blackberries, mocha and spices. Wonderfully balanced and fresh with an underlying power. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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

96 Points! Structured and so appealing on the palate, this has a rich texture but doesn't come across as too much. Filling but lifted giving freshness and ripe fruit. I love the delicacy of the tannins, this is finessed with so much detail on show. Feels cool and calm, not shouting, everything in harmony and delivering a really classically styled wine. Power is there for sure but this has poise too. A lovely Lagrange. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine

95 Points! The 2022 Lagrange was picked between 8 and 30 September, it ages in 60% new oak for a planned 21 months. It has an almost clinical bouquet, with very well defined blackberry and blueberry fruit, graphite and crushed stone. Quite a gap in quality between this and the Fiefs de Lagrange this year. The palate is extremely pure with cashmere tannins, black cherry fruit infused by blood orange, lightly spiced, hints of white pepper toward a very concentrated, fine-boned finish. This will require several years in bottle, but it will be worth waiting for. A serious and very able Lagrange that should not be under-estimated. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95+ Points! Cassis, ripe black cherries, freshly sharpened pencils, leather, and violet notes all shine in the 2022 Château Lagrange, a remarkably pure, concentrated, powerful Saint-Julien with fine tannins and a seamless, balanced mouthfeel. It has the fruit to shine even today. As with many of these top Médocs, I wouldn't be surprised to see this close down with 2-3 years of bottle age. It's going to be long-lived. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot that spent 21 months in 60% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! A polished and expressive St.-Julien that shows spot-on balance. Fresh blueberries, wet stones, currants and a touch of red berries. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins that are firm but dissolved. Quite precise, juicy and focused. Beautiful balance and length. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2022 Lagrange is a bold, racy wine. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar, mint and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic nuance and vibrancy to match its mid-weight personality. The Cabernet is especially evident in this savory and punchy Saint-Julien that is showing very well today. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Beau-Sejour Becot is a dense, powerful wine. A rush of black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice and sweet oak builds as this towering, vertically explosive Saint-Émilion opens in the glass. This is an especially broad, expansive Saint-Émilion, much of that attributable to the clay in these soils. The 2020 is magnificent in its intensity and overall volume. Superb. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media Learn More

96 Points! Juicy, ripe, plummy fruit with a spicy wood touch and a hint of citrus. Assertive and fine-grained with medium to full body. Excellent tannins are nicely woven and integrated with the fruit. Long finish. La Hoya stands out in this challenging vintage. 95% tempranillo and 5% viura. Sand and silt soils on an east-facing slope. 3.3 hectares. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The bottled version of the 2023 La Hoya feels quite serious and harmonious. It spent its first winter in 500- and 600-liter barrels and the second one in a 4,000-liter oak foudre. The nose is quite subtle and a little shy, with finesse. The top part of the plot is sandy, and the lower part has more silt; the combination gives the wine fruit and structure. It also has a lot of limestone and comes through as very balanced too. It's medium-bodied and really fine-boned. This is now showing much better than anticipated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com