Wines

95 Points!  Blueberry, blackcurrant, clove, dark chocolate, praline and gravel on the nose. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Focused, chewy and layered. Fantastic effort here. Try from 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points!  It's clear that this is hugely concentrated, as is the Montrose right next door, but there's also beautiful juice and freshness underneath the black fruits and the powerful grip. Tannins, acidity and fruit: it's all there. This is great quality and should be long-lived, with a rich palate, evenly balanced and austere in all the right places. Another good vintage at this increasingly impressive property. - Decanter Magazine Learn More

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A fresh and savory red with ripe currant and raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied with velvety, creamy tannins and a fruity finish. Caressing and pretty.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A serious, concentrated Saint-Estèphe, the 2025 Château Meyney reveals darker berries, graphite, chocolate, and hints of tobacco on the nose. It's rich and medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a nicely concentrated, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's clearly an outstanding wine from this estate.”

93–95 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2025 Meyney has a beautifully defined bouquet with blackberry, cassis, cedar, graphite, and subtle floral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and impressive freshness. Focused and classic in style, this is a beautifully balanced Saint-Estèphe with excellent precision and persistence.”

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Meyney is a powerful, structured wine. Dark fruit, graphite, lavender, spice, and crushed rocks build through the palate. Vibrant and energetic, with plenty of Saint-Estèphe character and a long, mineral-driven finish.”

In February 2021, Michael David Winery sent four 70ml frozen Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon samples to the International Space Station to investigate the microbial ecology and dynamics of grape juice fermentation in the absence of gravity. Meanwhile, identical samples remained on Earth in an environmental control chamber that mimicked the ISS ambient temperature. When the experiment began, the portions were thawed at the same time, allowing native microbes to ferment. At the conclusion of the experiment, the samples in space experienced CO2 build up, a sign of successful fermentation. 

Once the samples arrived back on Earth, they were sent for DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequence matching to determine the number and identification of the different propagations. It was found that the juice fermented in Zero Gravity propagated different species than the sample that remained on Earth. Our team isolated the most successful microgravity-grown yeast strain, a species of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified as MT965 by Michael David Winery winemaking, to produce Zero Gravity Cabernet Sauvignon. This bottle is a result of passion, science and exploring a new frontier in wine.

Deep ruby in hue, the inaugural vintage of Zero Gravity Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in 100% neutral oak) offers layered aromas of blackberry strudel, bright acai berry and warm vanilla on the nose. Full bodied with a luxurious and velvety mouthfeel, out of this world flavors of juicy raspberry, dark cacao and cinnamon bun are carried through by a polished finish with pleasant hints of oak and spice. 

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah, 7% Petit Verdot, 18 months ageing in French oak barrels (66% new). From the winery: The Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a ripe and plummy wine with chocolate and hazelnut undertones. Medium to full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Well balanced, with a soft and layered mouth feel make this wine a simply delicious expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Great value here! The family created this new cuvée separate from their plots in Mesnil to showcase these special terroirs - Montegeux is general more mineral and rounder even when young. All aging in tank. Dosage 2g/L

90 Points! Notes of cherries, berries, smoked meats and rich soil tones preface Juillot's 2018 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos Tonnerre, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's charming and flavorful, with powdery tannins and a sapid finish. It's another fine success from Juillot. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! A spicy wine with aromas of licorice, potpourri, meat, dried cherries and a hint of leather. Full-bodied with firm tannins and a tense and bony character. Still youthful and tight with a great polished finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: 100% Mencía sourced from the El Canto vineyard near the town of San Lorenzo. The soils here are slate and quartz with a northern exposure. 100% whole clusters, crushed by foot; fermented with native yeast in clay amphorae and macerated on the skins for five months with no punchdowns or pumpovers, then aged for eight months in used French oak. 1,000 bottles produced.

Trebbiano (45%), Malvasia (35%), Verdicchio (20%). From the importer: Produced in an entirely natural manner under the guidance of Giampiero Bea, the Coenobium is a blend of Trebbiano, Verdicchio, and Malvasia, harvested together and co-fermented without added yeasts or temperature stabilization. Aged on its fine lees in steel and fiberglass tanks, it is bottled just before the next harvest without fining or filtering. The nose is evocative of autumn on multiple sensory levels, with aromas of fennel fronds, chamomile tea, almonds, and tangerine that lead into a full but delicately rendered palate. Vitorchiano’s volcanic soils come through with a somber smoke-iron interplay, and glowing acidity lets the savory flavors coat the mouth, yet the overall impression is one of freshness and drinkability.

Sangiovese (45%), Ciliegiolo (45%), Merlot (10%). From the importer: A lovely, gentle, unadorned wine that is an expression of the monastic life of the people who produce it, from equal proportions of the grape varieties Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese (a clone similar to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo) cultivated in the area around the Monastery. The wine undergoes a 15-day natural fermentation without any forced stabilization.

93 Points! A pretty white with dried pear, lemon and some mango. Full-bodied and lightly tannic with a creamy texture and a flavorful finish. More fruit-forward and clean. Nice acidity for the vintage. 2/3 sauvignon blanc and 1/3 sauvignon gris. Drink or hold. -  James Suckling Learn More

93-94 Points! Plenty of deep, rich fruit with blackberries, tar and walnuts. Moss, too. It’s full and flavorful. Tannic and rich. Very intense. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

93-95 Points! A year-in, year-out value, the 2019 Château Monbousquet knocks it out of the park with its ripe, sexy, yet also elegant profile. Currants, black cherries, blueberries, toasted spice, chocolate, and a touch of minerality all define the bouquet, and it's beautifully balanced, has richness as well as elegance, and is unquestionably a stunning 2019! - Jeb Dunnuck

Expected ABV: Over 14%

92 Points! Blueberry and lavender aromas with hints of chocolate follow through to a medium body, with round tannins that are lightly firm and deliver lovely flavors. Shows balance and harmony. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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

Average vine age of 65 years here. From the importer: Although full and generous at the same time, our Fixin "Fondemens" will surprise by its crimson and steady color. Its fruity nose reminds a red fruit coulis, and in mouth it will amaze by its greediness and its frankness characteristic of Pinot Noir. They have a good acid content and are endowed with a solidity and substance which places them among wines that are best laid down for a certain time. When young they possess animal aromas suggestive of pelts and musk. These are ample wines which develop their bouquet over time as they mature.