Wines

96 Points! Rich and dense aromatics, lovely black cherry and dried flowers, the Cabernet Franc bringing all the aromas. Supple and smooth, so alive in the mouth yet this has density and depth, something to chew on. It’s not plush, but there’s texture from start to finish, with delicacy and finesse to the expression. A highly drinkable Angélus that has really benefited from dialling back on the power. Great freshness and precision, while feeling as if it will age well. Impressively keeps the structure and density but with energy. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points! This is so delicious, with lovely focused cherries, flowers, dried sandalwood and some Indian spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and just a touch of wood to the pure fruit and a subtle and refined finish. 40% merlot and 60% cabernet franc, the most cab franc in a long time. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! A vintage of precision and aromatic purity, this is one of the finest Angélus wines ever made. A blend of 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, the nose is heady and complex, filled with dark chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, violets, and rose. On the palate, it’s silky, scintillating, and fresh, with a crystalline clarity and balance that feels almost effortless. Chalky yet creamy tannins add depth, while flashes of heat and liquorice spice on the finish bring structure and length. Juicy, deep, and incredibly moreish, this dances across the palate with finesse and vibrancy. A wine of energy, persistence, and sheer sophistication. 100% new oak (50% Cab Franc in foudre). 3.7 pH. 75 IPT. Organic. - Georgia Hindle, Decanter Magazine

99 Points! This is a powerful Angelus, showing incredible depth and intensity as well as tannins that are totally melted into the wine, giving incredible energy for such a young bottle. It makes me think of the great reds of the 1940s or 1950s but with modern precision. Full-bodied but agile, this has endless length, the blackberries and crushed stones, light herbs and dark chocolate showing throughout. Such balance. Al dente. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. So attractive now but will age forever. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angelus is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that spent 21 months in 100% new barrels, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc in foudre. It reveals a pure ruby/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, and graphite that show more floral nuances with time in the glass. It's incredibly well-balanced, has fine tannins, and a rare mix of purity, finesse, and richness. It's an absolutely gorgeous Angelus that deserves a decade in the cellar and will cruise for 40+ years. The style here has shifted considerably towards elegance and finesse, sometimes at the expense of texture and richness, yet this classic beauty delivers perfectly balanced richness, depth, and elegance. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The 2022 Chateau Angelus is made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with intoxicating notes of blackberry pie, blueberry preserves, and red currant jelly, leading to suggestions of potpourri, underbrush, cinnamon stick, and anise. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness supporting the red and black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. Classic Angelus! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! Very classy, the transparency of this Angelus giving brilliance to the pure fruit in such a difficult growing season. Medium-bodied, it has a compacted palate and creamy, polished tannins. Very melted and harmonized. Dark cherries, raspberries and orange peel come through beautifully with some stones. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

94-96 Points! A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc aging 50% (Cabernet Franc) in foudre and the rest in new oak, the 2024 Château Angélus has a deeper ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and flowers. It's wonderfully pure, has medium-bodied richness, a focused yet incredibly elegant mouthfeel, and ultra-fine tannins. It's a beautiful, classy Angélus that might surprise with its longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! There’s extraordinary energy in this wine. It displays a dark nose of black cherries, bramble fruit, violets, forest, licorice, bark, carob and leather. Density and tension dominate the full-bodied palate, with firm, velvety tannins. It’s slightly austere in the finish at the moment, yet it’s crunchy and full of potential. Try from 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2022 Tignanello is all class and refinement. Crushed flowers, mint, white pepper, blood orange and cinnamon all grace a Tignanello defined by a decidedly sophisticated personality. The 2022 has started to flesh out nicely, especially in the mid-palate, but it remains very much on the understated side of things relative to most vintages. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points! Tignanello in 2022 is a blend of 78% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Pot-pourri-infused red and black berry aromas introduce a succulent palate of good intensity. It's well balanced and bright, with cashmere tannins supporting a core of sapid hedgerow berries outlined by crushed rock minerality and bitter herbs. The finish is slightly disjointed, displaying a touch of alcohol warmth and wood which is yet to fully integrate, but given time it should come good. - James Button, Decanter Magazine

95 Points! Firm, tight and well-structured, with a medley of floral, spice and dried currant and a touch of herb and cedary oak. Well-integrated, focused and concentrated, with a long, deep, persistent finish. Will reward cellaring. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A complex nose of smoke, grilled meats, dark fruits, asphalt, and lead pencil. Full bodied, with super fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long complex and fruity finish. This is all about complexity and finesse. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Good full ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of deep black raspberry, licorice and violet; quite expressive considering it was bottled about a month prior to my visit. Then dense, deep and very primary, with powerful yet suave flavors of blackberry, smoke, licorice, minerals, chocolate and earth spreading out to saturate the palate. An infant today but the wine's superb persistence and finishing perfume suggest it will rank among the best vintages of this bottling. If there is ever a classification of Napa Valley cabernet vineyards, the Eisele Vineyard would clearly be a grand cru. - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 2024! Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon tumbles out with plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, and stewed blackberries notes with hints of bay leaves, graphite, and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is firm and grainy textured, supporting the tight-knit fruit, finishing long with a minty lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

93 Points! A blend of all the vineyards they work with (of which there are seven), the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley sports a deep purple hue to go with classic Napa notes of blue fruits, chocolate, spicy oak, and tobacco. It's full-bodied, opulent, sexy, and undeniably delicious. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2019 Chardonnay Bennett Valley waltzes out with alluring notes of fresh apricots, honeydew melon, and grapefruit, with hints of orange blossom and powdered ginger. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and elegant, with a seamless backbone and loads of savory nuances to accent the stone fruit layers, finishing long with a spicy kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

99 Points! The 2019 Estate Red is another magical wine from winemaker Sam Kaplan. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot and Malbec, all from the estate on Howell Mountain, it offers up a dense purple hue to go with stunningly pure cassis and darker currant fruits, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a complex, nuanced style in its leafy herbs, flowers, scorched earth, and classy oak aromas and flavors. It’s brilliant any way you look at it. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Juicy, ripe, plummy fruit with a spicy wood touch and a hint of citrus. Assertive and fine-grained with medium to full body. Excellent tannins are nicely woven and integrated with the fruit. Long finish. La Hoya stands out in this challenging vintage. 95% tempranillo and 5% viura. Sand and silt soils on an east-facing slope. 3.3 hectares. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The bottled version of the 2023 La Hoya feels quite serious and harmonious. It spent its first winter in 500- and 600-liter barrels and the second one in a 4,000-liter oak foudre. The nose is quite subtle and a little shy, with finesse. The top part of the plot is sandy, and the lower part has more silt; the combination gives the wine fruit and structure. It also has a lot of limestone and comes through as very balanced too. It's medium-bodied and really fine-boned. This is now showing much better than anticipated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97+ Points! The bottled 2023 San Lázaro, from the 1.62 hectares of vines they have, shows contained ripeness and has 14.4% alcohol. This is always more restrained, and there's no exuberance here; there's subtleness, finesse and verticality. It has a spicy side, with notes reminiscent of curry, a little à la Vosne-Romanée, a little cinnamon perhaps, but with the Tempranillo austerity, of course. The palate is medium-bodied, with great balance and super fine and elegant tannins. The wine is a little closed at the moment, but it should grow with time in bottle. It's really good and challenges El Carretil this year. I give it the edge—perhaps because it is the more approachable of the 2023s. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points!  The 2023 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Old Vines blossoms in the glass, where balsamic-tinged black cherries mingle with dried roses, nuances of gravel dust and a hint of clove. This wine is seamless and elegant, silken in texture, with a solid core of minerals to balance citrus-infused wild berry fruits that slowly saturate the palate. It tapers off chewy and extremely long, leaving the palate water for more, all framed by regal tannins.  - Eric Guido, Vinous Nedia

95 Points! Beautiful cherries and red currants lead the way, showcasing a classic Dundee profile, with hints of red flowers and citrus peel. Bright and crunchy with a vibrant character. The texture is refined, with medium body and a compact tannin core. Succulent fruit and a mineral backbone lead to a precise and harmonious, bone-dry finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! From 97% Tempranillo, the rest Merlot and Albillo Mayor, the 2021 Reserva spent 28 months in French oak barrel and has quite a bit of toastiness on the palate. The tannins are smoothened and round, with a hint of chalkiness and grip. From a sizable percentage of old-vine grapes, it has an ethereal freshness and full-bodied layers of dark berry, leather, anise, and dried herb. It should offer 15-20 years more of aging. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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95 Points! They adjusted the picking dates, and the 2022 Camino de Auritz sees a jump in freshness and elegance, finishing with a full 1% less alcohol than the 2021 (this has 13.5%). It's Garnacha from two old plots of 0.22 and 0.1 hectares on limestone soils at 450-plus meters above sea level, where they found some plants of Garnacha Gris. It fermented with 50% full clusters and indigenous yeasts (including malolactic) and matured in used French oak barrels for 11 months. This is a big jump in quality from the previous year. Unfortunately, there are only 874 bottles of this wine. It was bottled in August 2024. The wine is harmonious and approachable but should also age nicely in bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The pale and delicate red 2023 Ollos de Maia, made with 40% each Brancellao and Caíño Longo and 20% Zamarrica (a.k.a. Caíño da Terra), was produced with a very long maceration. It's perfumed, aromatic and elegant, with notes of dried rose petals and wild herbs and is fine-boned and elegant palate with very fine tannins and great balance and harmony. It's really impressive, clean, focused and precise. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! A really classic Ausone, reminiscent of the great ones of the 1980s. Medium-bodied, it has such clarity and brightness and length. Purity and precision with drive and focus from superb viticulture and winemaking. A blend of 65% cabernet franc and 35% merlot. - James Suckling

94-97 Points! A classic blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot resting in new barrels, the 2024 Château Ausone sports a vivid ruby hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, subtle cassis, graphite, sappy flowers, and lead pencil. It's gorgeous on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, focused, remarkably elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and perfectly integrated oak. This classy, perfumed, sensationally elegant Ausone will drink nicely with just a few years of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-96 Points! The 2024 Ausone is pure sensuality. Intensly perfumed, pliant and silky on the palate, Ausone is haunting in its beauty. All the elements are so well balanced. Black cherry, lavender, mocha, espresso and exotic spice overtones all take shape in the glass. A wine of understated depth, the 2024 is impressive. Even in the early going, the 100% new oak is not at all evident, suggesting a wine with superior balance. The blend is 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

99-100 Points James Suckling
"A high-definition wine. Wow. The aromas are incredible, with roses, strawberries and crushed stones. So perfumed. It's the magic of perfectly ripe Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a firm and silky finish. Sublime length and mouthfeel. Cool, subtle, sophisticated and stunning."

97-99 Points Wine Advocate - William Kelley
"A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Ausone unwinds in the glass with notes of sweet raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of mint, rose petals and blood orange. Medium- to full-bodied, lively and perfumed, with lovely energy, exquisitely refined tannins and a bright, precise finish. One of the most refined, classy Ausone vintages in recent years."

97-99 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate
"The 2025 Ausone slowly unfurls to reveal ripe blackberries, red currant preserves, blueberry compote, rose bud tea, lilacs and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is simply electric with intense fruit, very fine-grained tannins, incredible tension, and epic length and depth. Stunning."

97 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Nuanced layers of rose petals and iris flowers, knitted down, textural and expansive, will take its sweet time to uncoil and uncurl, but you can see exactly how rewarding it will be to follow its journey. A stunning example of Ausone."

96-98 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Ausone represents the entirety of the vineyard this year. Beautifully defined and a little less precocious than usual, there is a sense of classicism here that I admire. Layers of blackberry and raspberry fruit, hints of white pepper and clove, with a very long peacock-tail finish."

95-97+ Points Jeb Dunnuck
"A very classic expression from this château, with ripe black cherries, graphite, classy oak, liquid violets, and chalky minerality on the nose. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with a straight, focused, beautifully concentrated mouthfeel, plenty of chalky tannins, and a great finish."

95-97 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Ausone is powerful, dense and packed to the core. Readers will have to be patient. Time in the glass brings out hints of blood orange, rose petal, mint and raspberry jam. It will be fascinating to see how the 2025 ages."

95 Points! A layered and complex wine with fresh, elegant aromas of balsamic, eucalyptus, bergamot, licorice, bark and cherry pits. Elegant on the palate as well, with a medium to full body, high yet integrated acidity, fine chalky tannins and a firm, polished finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94–96 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers and plums fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, juicy, fresh, long, and packed with ripe, sweet black cherries, chocolate, oceanic influences, mint, and licorice. The finish has great energy, with flesh and length. Clearly, this is one of the best vintages of Barde Haut ever produced.”

94–96 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The nose of the 2025 Barde Haut is a field of flowers—violets, roses, and lavender—leading to a core of black raspberries and black cherries, plus a hint of forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully graceful with very fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension framing the perfumed black and blue fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Barde-Haut has beautiful notes of ripe black fruits, sappy flowers, tobacco, and chocolate on the nose. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. This is a seriously impressive Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé that's well worth your time and money.”

93–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Barde-Haut is powerful and resonant. Macerated dark cherry, spice, new leather, cedar and menthol confer tons of intensity. Broad and ample, with notable textural intensity.”