Search results for: 'mostly a one plot'

97 Points! The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass.The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! Moving to the tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, which is mostly Grenache with around 25% or so of Syrah, it has a rich, full-bodied, dense, and almost backward style to go with powerful black fruits, ground pepper, and violet aromas and flavors. I love its purity of fruit, and it builds nicely with time in the glass, showing more mid-palate depth as well as ripe tannins. It’s a stunning bottle of wine, but patience will be required. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass.The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc—it includes 20% Sémillon—was mostly fermented and aged in stainless steel, with 25% going into oak. The result is a gently grassy-herbal wine loaded with grapefruit and nectarine-tinged fruit, plus hints of fig and melon. It's medium-bodied, plump and creamy on the mid-palate, then long and silky on the finish. It's nicely complex and composed. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

96 Points! Even more outstanding than the 2020, the incredibly priced 2021 Reserva is young in boisterous blue fruit, with a generous, full-bodied palate of richness and upfront power. The tannins add length and breadth to the wine, which is tasting great and could go another 10-15 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! Elegant yet perfectly structured, this is the most floral of the Murrieta Reservas I’ve tasted in recent years. With 8% Graciano and 4% Mazuelo, the nose is perfumed with pretty rose petal and delicate red berry fruit, as well as wild herbal aromas. Blueberry fruit typical of Tempranillo directs the palate, rounded out with a little fleshy Garnacha, and framed by subtle American oak. It offers immediate appeal but will age gracefully for many years to come. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points! Their flagship wine comes from one of the finest vintages in recent times. The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta was previously called the Reserva and still qualifies as such, but it's not included in the name now. It was produced with 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha Tinta from their 300 hectares of vines in their Ygay estate on limestone and clay soils with alluvial influence. The grapes were picked between the 27th of September and the 15th of October, and each plot and variety was vinified separately in stainless steel, matured in American oak barrels for 26 months, then blended and kept in concrete for a few months until bottling, which was a longer élevage this year. It's very spicy, peppery, with a combination of berry fruit and some incipient tertiary aromas, hints of forest floor and truffle. It's very Rioja, with clout, elegance and freshness and the elegant tannins that are the signature of 2021. It comes in at 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, denoting ripeness and balance. It's delicious, fresh and available. Bravo! - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Vietti is one of a handful of estates to bring the Ravera MGA of Novello to the current popularity it enjoys now. Their 2018 Barolo Ravera has a smoky personality with crushed stone and pencil shavings. There is plenty of dark fruit at the back, ripe cherry and blackberry mostly, and the wine is tonic and firm in terms of its structure and tannins. The Ravera is a wine of enormous length and a finely tuned texture. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

91 Points! Subtle but not invisible wood is present on the cooler aromas of Granny Smith apple, essence of pear and a plentitude of citrus elements. The rich, generous and full-bodied flavors possess good power while delivering fine length on the palate soaking, clean and dry finale where a touch of rusticity slowly emerges. Solid quality here. - Allen Meadows, Burghound #92

94 Points! The second wine of Troplong Mondot, the 2018 Troplong Mondot Mondot come mostly from designated parcels and is 100% Merlot. It shows the new style of this estate beautifully and offers remarkable purity in its black raspberry and cassis fruits as well as complex notes of white flowers, violets, and spice. Medium-bodied, silky, and beautifully balanced, it has a terrific floral quality as well as ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and an attractive, chalky minerality on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A really sexy second wine from Troplong with black cherries and stone. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive finish. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com 

92 Points! The second wine of Lafite Rothschild is the 2015 Carruades De Lafite and is a beautiful wine in its own right. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up mostly in used barrels, it has classy notes of cassis and lead pencil shavings as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It’s not a massive wine by any stretch, yet it exudes class and elegance, and is already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Ripe, very fresh and restrained aromas that are composed mostly of red berries and warm earth though there are background nuances of humus and floral wisps. The cool, pure and equally restrained middle weight flavors possess very good volume and mid-palate density before concluding in a dusty, youthfully austere and firmly structured finale. - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

96 Points! The 2016 Chardonnay La Carrière comes from volcanic ash soils which aren't too common in Knights Valley. It offers terrific notes of white peach, white flowers, oyster shell and undeniable minerality. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and elegant, it has beautifully integrated acidity, a silky, classic texture, and a great finish. This is mostly Hyde clone. - Jeb Dunnuck

95+ Points! Made with mostly Sangiovese plus tiny parts Canaiolo and Colorino, the 2021 Montevertine reveals a very tight textural approach with pinpoint aromas of blue currant, iris root and red rose. The wine takes a moment or two to open, but it does succeed in showing its full bouquet in little time. Montevertine remains elegantly tight and streamlined in terms of mouthfeel. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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

93 Points! A blend of 77% Malbec and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Ilaria Malbec has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock powerful notes of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and lilacs, leading to suggestions of clove oil and fallen leaves. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, energetic black fruits and captivating floral sparks, framed by velvety tannins and lovely tension, finishing with great persistence. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

94 Points! Coming mostly from the Dr. Reid Vineyard in Coombsville, the 2021 Malbec is based on 77% Malbec and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon. A smoking wine, it offers juicy black cherry and blueberry fruits as well as some tobacco, chocolate, and graphite nuances. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins, balance, and a great finish, it's a gorgeous wine. - Jeb Dunnuck

94+ Points! The red 2024 Matas Altas Tinto is a pure Monastrell from different old vineyards (the same ones used for the 2023), the youngest of which dates from 1967, all ungrafted and dry farmed in their village Fuente-Álamo and planted with field blends, mostly Monastrell but with other varieties, on limestone soils with different textures: marl, sand and gravel. It fermented with 10% full clusters—the same for all the reds from this vintage—and indigenous yeasts. It's the youngest of the reds and has a clean, perfumed and elegant nose, not really fruity, more austere/stony but still the gentler of the reds. They want to pick the grapes when they are ripe to give them time to develop aromas and flavors. Here, they also want to expand the élevage to 18 months, but in 2024, it was only one winter, in 8,000-liter oak foudres and some barrels. It's fine-boned and balanced, with abundant, chalky tannins, and it's more powerful than the 2023. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

Located in the Sonoma Mountain AVA of California, the dry farmed Ellison vineyard planted in 1969 on a small 1.5 acre plot on volcanic soils is one of the oldest plantings of Sauvignon Blanc in California. Farmed using organic methods. Hand harvested and fermented in neutral barrels using native yeasts. The wine remained on its lees throughout fermentation and elevage.AGING12 months in neutral oak

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

95 Points! I think the finest vintage for the classic cuvee ever, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sensational blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah and the balance other permitted varieties. Aged mostly in tank, it offers a massive array of smoked herbs, lavender, black raspberries, toasted nuts, truffle and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe, decadent and concentrated, it has slightly less structure than the '09, but has more raw material. This flat-out awesome Chateauneuf will have 20 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com, 2015

95 Points! Mostly Merlot (there's roughly 20% Cabernet Franc), the 2019 Château Valandraud Virginie De Valandraud from the Thunevin team reveals a deep purple hue to go with a brilliant nose of spiced currants, black cherries, new saddle leather, Provençal herbs, and subtle floral nuances. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and a great finish. It's the finest vintage for this cuvée I've tasted, surpassing the 2015, 2016, and 2018. It's going to drink brilliantly for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2019 Virginie de Valandraud is wonderfully deep and super-expressive. Red plum, raspberry jam, espresso, crushed rocks, rose petal, lavender and tobacco build into the richly textured, resonant finish. This explosive, flavorful Saint-Émilion has a ton to offer. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character on the nose, following through nicely to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh finish. Tight at the end, suggesting more to come with bottle age. Hints of mushrooms and earth. Second wine of Valandraud. Hint of wood at the end that will dissipate with age. Drink after 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Melville's Estate Pinot Noir combines 17 different Pinot Noir clones from its Sta. Rita Hills AVA estate. Nearly half of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, with just over half de-stemmed into small open-top fermenters. Skin and stem contact averages 30 days, with a 7-day cold soak, more than two weeks of fermentation and one week of extended maceration. Aged sur lie in neutral French oak barrels without sulfur for around 11 months. Deep ruby colour with violet hues. Such purity of fruit is framed by a wildly aromatic core of white pepper, paprika, clove, cedarwood, and smoked sea salt. All that aromatic personality erupts on the palate where all that skin contact layers in a kind of apple skin tannin that has a hefty grip but is nicely integrated and resolves through a current of blood orange acidity. Melville is dedicated to producing cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay grown exclusively in its estate vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with vines planted mostly on Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate was vinified with 40% whole clusters and matured in used oak. The nose is bursting with cranberry, pomegranate, mushrooms, woodsmoke and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has a core of earth and spice-laced fruit. It has a frame of chalky tannins and juicy acidity and a long, nuanced finish. -  Erin Brooks, robertparker.com, Jan 2024