94 Points! The Roundstone 2023 Swartland Red Blend reflects a forward-looking approach to climate resilience and site authenticity. The blend (52% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 23% Cinsault) leans on varieties well proven in the Swartland’s warm, dry conditions. The vineyards are farmed with a strong regenerative focus: tight spacing with no tractor work, permanent mulch under vine with hay bales, self-seeding cover crops and no-till soil management. The 20-hectare block includes 16 hectares of vines interwoven with four hectares of preserved fynbos corridors to support biodiversity and prevent erosion. Despite a challenging, cloudy vintage, the wine shows generous ripeness with plummy fruit and blackberry at the core. The palate is velvety yet composed, with a structural firmness on the finish that reflects the grip of the ancient Swartland soils. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

96 Points! Mulled black cherries, roasted garrigue, spice, and hints of fresh cut flowers and rose define the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, which is based on 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah from 50% galets roulés and 50% sandy Safre soils in les Cassanets lieu-dit, fully destemmed and aged in 80% demi-muids and 20% neutral barrels. It's medium to full-bodied and elegant, with ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and fine tannins. It's impeccably made, very clean, and pure, with beautiful length on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The old vine cuvée that incorporates more stems with the goal of longer aging potential, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Cuvée Du Papet is deep ruby-hued and offers ripe red and black berry fruits, black olive, pepper, and crushed stone-like minerality. Based on 80% Grenache with 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre from the La Crau, Bois Dauphin, and Montalivet lieux-dits, it was partially destemmed and aged in a mix of large foudres, demi-muids, and clay jars. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the vintage's more polished style with ripe underlying tannins and outstanding length. It's very much in the forward, charming style of the vintage yet still has plenty of structure. With roughly 1,000 cases produced, give it 3-4 years of cellaring and enjoy over the following two decades. It's certainly up there with the crème de la crème of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A juicy and fruity red with blackberry and some dark chocolate and graphite character. Lead pencil, too. Medium-bodied with creamy and integrated tannins and a juicy finish. Savory and delicious. Some iodine. A blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2021 Plexus comprises 48% Shiraz, 28% Grenache and 24% Mourvèdre. This is the first wine that John Duval made when he left Penfolds; the first vintage was 2003. This is polished and juicy, the long and mild 2021 season on show here. There are notes of raspberry pip and cocoa, a hint of chocolate-covered licorice and tobacco, brine and star anise. It's a lovely wine, as ever. And it's potentially a superstar release, given the inherent balance and length of the season and, therefore, the wine too. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

93 Points! This quite serious 2021 Red Plexus is a Rhone blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre with an almost Gigondas feel. It delivers exceptional value with its brooding blackberry, meat stocks and licorice aromas, plus a dusting of spices. Dry with excellent focus and concentration, the cooler 2021 vintage provided a tighter and tannic package delivering waves of meaty olive tapenade and peppery complexity. The length is excellent, but it needs a little time to blossom. - Angus Hughson, Vinous

93 Points! Beautifully perfumed notes of violet and lavender add an effusive quality to the core of blackberry, kirsch and fresh plum, with accents of star anise, sage, masala chai and tapenade, plus a touch of bittersweet chocolate that lingers on the long finish, where the plush tannins add further elegance. Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Always one of the most singular wines in a vintage, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vin De La Solitude comes from the la Solitude lieu-dit on 50% galets roulés and 50% sandy safre soils. Based on 25% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 20% each Mourvèdre and Counoise, 7% Cinsault, 2% Clairette Rose, and 4% other permitted varieties, it was vinified with whole clusters in truncated tanks and aged 15 months entirely in neutral barrels. It offers meaty black cherries, black olives, roasted garrigue, and Provençal spice, reminding me of a street market in the south of France with its meaty, complex, incredibly Provençal style. Medium to full-bodied, it has building tannins and outstanding length. With 233 cases produced, give it a year or two and drink over the following 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A supple and perfumy version, with an expressive mix of red plum, rooibos tea and sandalwood smoke. Salty, sanguine tones move in, and everything is grounded by wet paving stone and graphite. The tannins are glossy, with just a hint of graininess on the bitter-edged finish. Finessed and delicious. Counoise, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Another ripe, sexy, exuberant Gigondas, the 2022 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes reveals a vibrant ruby/purple hue as well as youthful aromatics of black raspberries, sandalwood, ground pepper, and herbes de Provence-like nuances. This sunny, medium to full-bodied 2022 has sweet tannins, a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine in the vintage that I suspect will drink nicely over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Starting with the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Galets D'Or, this medium ruby-hued effort offers a classic perfume of sweet red fruits (cherries, redcurrants) intermixed with sappy garrigue, pepper, and leather nuances. Nicely balanced and medium to full-bodied, with a focused, elegant style, it brings the sweet, ripe fruit of the vintage, has ripe tannins, and the class to drink spectacularly well for a solid 15 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

Fruit from Plateau de Mont Redon, les Bédines, la Crau, Cabrières, Pignan. Grenache 75%, Mourvèdre 10%, Syrah
10%, Cinsault 5%, Grenache from 60 to 80 years old, Syrah from 40+ year-old vines. 10 months in second and third use barrels - Allier et Tronçais. Then 10 months in foudre. Bottled without fining and filtration.

90 Points! The 2022 Cairanne Vieilles Vignes is incredibly floral, with notes of rose, red fruits, raspberries, spice, and some minerals all defining its aromatics. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, if a touch mid-weight, it’s nevertheless nicely balanced and seamless. This 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 10% Carignan blend was aged 18 months in concrete vats and will drink well for 5-7 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

#Domaine_Alary_Part_II

95 Points! The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Côte Ronde is an even split of Grenache and Syrah, and as usual, was brought up all in new oak. It has an awesome nose of cassis, blackberries, graphite, ground pepper, and violets, with its new oak perfectly integrated into the wine. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has impressive tannins, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. This brilliant effort will keep for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Ripe stone fruits, chamomile, toast, and a beautiful sense of crushed stone-like minerality all emerge from the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc, a vibrant, medium-bodied white from this estate that has integrated acidity, terrific balance, and outstanding length. It has a kiss of almost Burgundian-like reduction right on opening, and this classy white is going to drink nicely for a solid decade, if not longer. Give it a year if you can. The blend is 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 25% Roussanne, and 15% Bourboulenc, and it was brought up in a combination of stainless steel, concrete, and old and new barrels. - Jeb Dunnuck

90 Points! Aromatic nose with baked lemons, spiced apples, dried herbs, dried leaves and mild spices. Medium body with texture and volume on the mid-palate. Ripe lemons and a positive bitterness dominate in the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. - James Suckling

96 Points! A 60-40 blend of Grenache and Syrah, with the Grenache matured in demi-muid and the Syrah in barrel, Cristophe de Courten's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve du Cygne will be tough to find, with just 2,500 bottles produced. It's a bit cedary but otherwise built along similar lines to this estate's other special cuvée: gorgeously full-bodied, silky, plush and complex, with hints of vanilla, black cherries, raspberries, a gentle whiff of garrigue and a long, elegant finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com