94 Points! A terrific Condrieu, the 2023 Condrieu Deponcins has tons of sautéed peach, honeyed orange, and perfumed floral and spice nuances on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, ripe, round, and beautifully textured on the palate, with a good sense of freshness as well as a kiss of minerality on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

Villard makes four different Condrieu wines and three are single vineyards. Villard owns three hectares in the Poncins vineyard in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône and makes two wines from this parcel. DePoncins comes from 25 year old vines. Aged for 11 months, without racking, in 30% new barrels and 70% in barrels that are three to five years old. Great intensity and minerality.

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! The 2023 Côtes Du Rhône La Reserve Blanc is all Clairette Rose, which is a later ripening variety compared to Clairette and a variety that brings a touch more richness and texture. Beautiful notes of honeyed melon, minty, sappy herbs, and spice all define the aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied white that has a layered, balanced profile, beautiful freshness, and one heck of a finish. This is one Côtes Du Rhône Blanc that would have no problem standing in a lineup of top Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc! Drink bottles over the coming 2-4 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

Sourced from 60+ year-old vines in Landonne, Lancement and Chavaroche

95+ Points! Like the Hermitage, the 2022 Côte Rôtie Vieilles Vignes is ripe and unevolved, yet it brings another level of mid-palate density and overall concentration. Awesome red and blue fruits, spring flowers, pepper, and violet notes all define this beauty, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and ripe tannins. It's a big Côte Rôtie that has balance as well as finesse, although the cellar will be your friend on this one, and it has ample baby fat to shed. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can, and enjoy over the following two decades. Drink 2027-2047. - Jeb Dunnuck

From 100+ year-old Grenache vines in Bas de La Crau...

97 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Speciale is on another level, with a blockbuster perfume of ripe black cherries, melted licorice, jus de viande, lavender, and roasted garrigue. A rich, opulent style of Châteauneuf du Pape, it brings full-bodied richness while staying graceful, weightless, and flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins and incredible length. This tour de force 2022 should be snatched up by savvy readers and enjoyed over the coming 15 years or so. - 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.

94 Points! A well-rounded. textural and succulent white with notes of fresh lemons, blanched almonds, sage and some stones. It’s medium-bodied with a mineral drive. Succulent green apple character, with a positive bitterness throughout. It’s precise, lively and textured with a salivating, floral finish. Drink or hold. - jamessuckling.com

93 Points! Prominent quince, white peach, vanilla, melon, candy, apricot jam, cedar and pastry introduce the 2022 Condrieu Invitare. Viscously textured and offering excellent purity of fruit, the 2022 is neatly balanced by moderate levels of soft acidity. Offering a little more ripeness and expression than the 2021, this complex 2022 Condrieu should drink well over the next three years. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media

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

92 Points! Stacks of toasted nut, candied citrus and pineapple aromas on the nose, plus a touch of melted butter. Quite full-bodied thanks also to the mutually reinforcing ripeness and fine tannins. Nice stony minerality and some saltiness at the long finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A co-fermented blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier, the 2022 Cote Rotie Blonde du Seigneur evokes a complex, fresh and elegant bouquet of spices, smoke, violets, roses and dark wild berries mingled with a touch of herbs. Medium to full-bodied, tense and juicy, it's elegant, with a discreet tannic frame, good depth at the core and a tense, energetic mid-palate, leading to a long, saline and mouthwatering finish. Fermented with 10% whole bunches and crafted from vines planted in Coteaux de Semmons, Bassenon and from the young vines from Maison Rouge, this classic, well-crafted and stunning Côte-Rôtie was matured in barrels, of which 10% were new. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

This comes from vines planted just after the turn of this century. Soil is thin and shallow, made up of schist and gneiss on top of granite, and harvest is by hand on the early side because the aim here is to have a Viognier with freshness and tension rather than voluptuousness. Ferments are spontaneous and two-thirds of the wine is aged in steel while the rest is brought up in older barrels and demi-muids.

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

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

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