Search results for: 'table going'

94 Points! The 2022 Les Inseparables is based on 43% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, and the rest Viognier, from vineyards throughout California. Its medium gold hue is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant, yet richer wine from Cohn that has a gorgeous nose of ripe lemons, honeysuckle, toast, and white flowers. It brings some classic Cohn richness, but this stays pretty and elegant, with a terrific sense of freshness. It's going to shine on the dinner table for 2-3 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points!  I loved the 2020 Château Pape Clément, and this beauty is up there with the top wines in Pessac. Checking in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 18 months in 90% barrels and 10% in foudre, it offers a deep purple hue to go with a powerful, concentrated profile displaying both red and black fruits, lots of spicy, chocolate, flowery incense nuances, full-bodied richness, and an almost salty, bloody character on the finish. This beauty shows the concentrated yet utterly classic, focused, elegant style of the vintage and has so much to love. It's going to be even better with 4-6 years of bottle age and will see its 30th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points!  Lots of blackberry, iodine and crushed stone here. Some black pepper and graphite, too. Full body and medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open in the mouth. So much going on. Iodine and iron undertones with some raw mushroom bring you back for more. Muscular. This is for the cellar. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96-98 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"Dense purple-hued, the 2025 Château Clinet is a ripe, sumptuous, and seamless beauty with so much to love. Ripe red, blue, and black fruits, violets, smoky tobacco, and chocolate all shine on the nose. Full-bodied, layered, and graceful, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. Unquestionably among the crème de la crème of the vintage."

96-98 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

"Deep in color, the wine exudes aromas of licorice, flowers, black cherries, espresso, plums, herbs, and chocolate. The palate is even better, with waves of opulent, lush, soft, polished, expressive, and fresh fruit. The balance among depth, sweetness, flesh, and lift is exactly where it needs to be."

96-98 Points Neal Martin, Vinous

"Perhaps the most elegant and refined Clinet I have encountered at this stage. Vivid red cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry aromas lead to a medium-bodied palate with chiseled tannins, exquisite focus, and a crystalline finish. This is a Clinet I would like in my cellar. Or at the dinner table. Or in my glass."

94-96 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"A dark, brooding wine shaped by its significant presence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Plum, blackberry, gravel, incense, licorice, and scorched earth stain the palate. A powerful and distinctive Clinet."

94-95 Points James Suckling

"A composed, well-structured and precise Pomerol showcasing red berries and baking spices. Plush tannins, fresh acidity, and impressive energy drive the focused finish."

94 Points Decanter

"Fragrant floral aromatics with mint, blackcurrant leaf, pepper, and tobacco. Supple and generous, combining plush fruit with freshness, chalky tannins, and excellent lift. Elegant, refined, and full of character."

96 Points! This is a vibrant ruby colour, with floral aromatics that are even more evident on the nose here than with the second wine, Blason. This is not always the case during En Primeur tastings, when it's the second wines that tend to be a little more open, but it's a feature of the 2018 vintage. This is a brilliant Issan with richness and poise joined by a delicate acidity that pulls the fruit along. The tannins are deceptive, as they are supple and appealing, but the density and power builds over the palate and clearly indicates long ageing. A wine that feels like it's rooted in its appellation. 50% new oak. 40hl/ha yield, with 53% of production going into this wine, higher than in both 2017 and 2016. - Decanter

96 Points! Aromas of blackberry, plum, cocoa, iodine, clove and graphite. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Tightly wound and mineral at the moment, with dusty gravel and graphite notes, yet with focus and precision. Such balance and harmony for the vintage. Try from 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96+ Points! I loved the 2019 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard. It's a rich, backward, relatively closed wine that's going to blossom with another 2-3 years of bottle age. Giving up Gevrey-Chambertin like notes of smoked black fruits, pomegranate, violets, spiced meats, iron, and leafy herbs, it's medium to full-bodied and has a beautiful mid-palate, building tannins, and a solid spine of acidity. It has plenty of ripeness and is certainly a California Pinot Noir, with beautiful fruit and purity. It needs a healthy decant if drinking any time soon, and it's going to hit prime time in another 2-4 years and have a solid decade of prime drinking. It's a gorgeous wine. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! So good, this is a vibrant mix of young and exuberant, luxurious, seriously creamy in texture, crushed stone, baked earth, smoked caramel, damson, sweet blackberry and damson fruits. This is pure pleasure, hard to resist. 45% new oak, 40hl/ha yield, harvest September 23 to October 4. Remi di Constanzo technical director. - Jane Anson

94 Points! Sweet berry and cherry aromas with violets, following through to a medium to full body with creamy, linear tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Tight and curated, in a structured way. Try after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! Rock-solid, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood and mesquite frame around a well-layered core of black currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. The finish features dots of tobacco and tar that add range but the real driver is a long bolt of iron, which gives this a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! The 2019 Gloria personifies classic Saint-Julien, offering blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and tobacco scents, maybe a little conservative in style, but unashamed about that. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite firm tannins. Fresh and saline, this gets the saliva going with a precise, persistent finish and leaves hints of graphite on the aftertaste. Excellent. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95 Points! Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and baked red and black plums with suggestions of rose oil, cedar chest, pencil lead and hoisin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic vibrancy for the ripeness, packed with juicy black fruits and compelling tension with a finely grained texture to support, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Nicely done! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

97 Points! The flagship 2018 Château Lagrange is a more dense, backward, serious wine, offering an unevolved yet incredibly promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. A big, rich, full-bodied Saint-Julien, it delivers thrilling purity of fruit, plenty of background oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a great mid-palate. This is serious stuff, but it's going to require patience. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2023 Zinfandel Judge Bell Vineyard is laced with red cherry fruit, spice, cedar, tobacco, incense and mint. A wine of complexity and nuance, the Judge Bell has a lot going. Dried herbs, mint, incense and pine linger on the bright, focused finish. This is such a classy wine. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

94 Points! The 2020 Château Marquis D'Alesme Becker showed well, and this tiny Margaux estate continues to producer fabulous wines under the helm of Marjolaine de Coninck. Based on 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it has a juicy, medium-bodied, round, even sexy style that carries lots of cassis and assorted darker, blue fruits, notes of spicy wood, flowers, and violet, soft tannins, terrific balance, and great finish. Coming from a mix of gravelly, sandy soils and aged in 50% new French oak, this beauty hit 14% natural alcohol (no doubt helped by the large Merlot component) and is going to benefit from just a few years of bottle age. It's going to see its 20th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Marquis d'Alesme opens with vibrant notes of crushed black currants, Morello cherries, and mulberries, plus wafts of violets, star anise, and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate is both elegant and intense with velvety tannins and compelling tension, finishing long and perfumed. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

94 Points! The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges is another beautiful wine. Ripe cherries, blueberries, rose petals, spice, and hints of spring flowers all emerge on the nose, and it shines on the palate for its beautiful elegance and purity. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins and notable freshness, it's going to evolve for 15 years with no issues. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2020 Gigondas Clos Des Tourelles should be a step up. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and remarkably well-balanced, it has a terrific mix of red and almost blue fruits as well as peppery herbs and flowers. Already complex and nuanced, yet concentrated and rich, it’s a serious effort from the Perrin family that’s going to have 15+ years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Lynch-Moussas is so classy. Silky and refined, the 2025 is all charm. All the elements are so well balanced. Readers will find a Pauillac of undeniable appeal. This is so precise. The 2025 is going to need a few years to soften as the tannins are quite imposing, and yet there is so much wine. A major step forward.”

94 Points! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Happy Canyon Vineyard emerges from head-trained vines planted with To-Kalon clone Cabernet on a steep, west-facing slope. A super-classic, Old School Cabernet, the 2018 is dazzling from the very first taste. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint, spice, tobacco and cedar lend striking aromatic nuance. The 2018 is going to need a few years to soften, but it is full of promise. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

94+ Points! The 2020 Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos is tighter and more focused, with a more blue-fruited perfume of cassis, graphite, violets, and peppered meat-like aromas and flavors. The polar opposite of the broad, ripe, sexy Domaine des Grands Chemins, this stays focused and inwards on the palate, with ripe, polished tannins, beautiful balance, and outstanding length. Hide this for 4-5 years and it's going to drink brilliantly over the following 10-15. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! A gorgeous wine, yet one that's going to demand bottle age, the 2019 La Mondotte comes from a tiny vineyard located just beside Pavie Decesse and is always a blend of mostly Merlot with roughly 15-30% Cabernet Franc, brought up in new French oak. Mulled blackcurrants, darker cherries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, lead pencil, and burning ember-like nuances all emerge from this brilliant wine, and it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, with good acidity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It holds onto the more classic, focused style of the vintage, yet it's a beast of a wine that brings the goods. Hide bottles for a solid 7-8 years or more, count yourself lucky, and it's going to have 30-40 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! This has a fragrant nose of blackberries, red tea, cloves, bark, orange zest and dark chocolate. Sandalwood and tile, too. Full-bodied with chewy yet supple tannins and fresh acidity. Seamless and rich. Long and muscular. Try from 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! Young and unevolved, the 2018 Chardonnay Estate offers fresh, lively bouquet of honeyed peach and lemon oil-like notes interwoven with plenty of toasted bread, spice, and white flowers. It’s clean, medium-bodied, and elegant on the palate, and it shows the supple, elegant, approachable style of the vintage nicely. It’s going to benefit from a year in bottle and should evolve nicely for 3-5 years. This estate continues to produce a brilliant, high-class Chardonnay well worth seeking out! - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the base appellation 2018 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was 60% destemmed and spent 11 months in 20% new French oak. This gorgeous Pinot Noir displays lots of red and black raspberry fruits, notes of forest floor, smoked earth, and a touch of graphite. With medium-bodied richness, a solid spine of acidity, building tannins, and straight-up beautiful balance, it's going to benefit from another year or two of bottle age and keep for a decade. It's beautifully done. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Boasting a rich magenta/ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is classic and very much in the style lovers of this estate have come to expect. It’s ripe with notes of fresh black cherries, scorched earth, violets, and dark forest earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with sweet tannins and is generous without feeling heavy. Long on the finish and fully dry. It’s a very well-styled Pinot Noir from this challenging vintage that’s going to drink well over the next 6-8 years. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

96 Points! The 2019 Champoux Vineyard checks in as a mix of 54% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petite Verdot, aged 23 months in 30% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of pure cassis and dark cherry fruits as well as spring flowers, spicy oak, and chocolaty herbs. Rich, fleshy, opulent, and full-bodied on the palate, with its Merlot component front and center, it's going to deliver loads of pleasure over the coming 15 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2020 Shiraz is excellent. It has vibrant yet dark fruit, lashings of five spice and aniseed, garden mint and red dirt, iodine and blood plum. This is spicy, layered, textural, elegant and exciting. The tannins are grippy yet fine, and it is here that the region really comes into its own. The structural integrity of the reds in Frankland is surely what is going to be the basis for the greatness of the region in time. Tannins and shape are naturally present in the wines from here. This is a beautiful wine. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com