Wines

95–97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Bellefont-Belcier is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that's being raised in 30% new barrels, 30% oval foudres, and the balance in once- and twice-used oak. Coming from a beautiful site just beyond Larcis Ducasse, it has fabulous aromatics of cassis and assorted red and blue fruits, along with spring flowers, graphite, tobacco, and smoke. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, remarkably elegant mouthfeel, polished tannins, and integrated tannins. It's an impressive Saint-Emilion that shows just how successful the Côte Pavie hillside can be in the vintage.”

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“The depth and intensity in the center palate makes you think. It’s medium- to full-bodied with very integrated, polished grape tannins. Creamy texture. A curated and transparent effort.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Sweet berry fruit, shows lovely grip and clear limestone signature without sacrificing flesh. Raspberry, blood orange, pomegranate, wet stones, grilled cumin, incense, oyster shell rise through the palate. Harvest September 5 to 23. 30% new oak. 3.48 pH. Yield 33 hl/ha, JC Meyrou director, Emmanuelle d'Aligny-Fulchi technical director.”

94–96 Points – Wine Advocate (Yohan Castaing)
“The 2025 Bellefont-Belcier stands out once again as one of the highlights in the Vignobles K range. It offers a lively bouquet of cassis, mulberries and cherries mingled with spices and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and seamless, it’s built around a concentrated core of fruit that's animated by bright acidity and framed by velvety tannins. The finish is long, ethereal and perfumed. It's a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured one-third in foudres, with a pH of 3.48. This is one of the most accomplished wines produced at this address to date.”

92–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Bellefont-Belcier is another step forward for this Saint-Émilion estate. Aromatic and silky but with plenty of power, the 2025 hits all the right notes. Crushed flowers, mint, tobacco, incense and anise present gorgeous layers of aromatic nuance. Silky tannins frame the close. Tasted two times.”

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

95-96 Points! Very good poise, tension and depth, with a light peppery, mineral and citrusy touch to the fruit. Good fruit here, with medium to full body and elastic, chalky tannins. There is something quite pure and transparent in the middle. So elegant, al-dente and long. An excellent wine from this difficult vintage. 70% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon. Picking between September 26 to October 8. - Zekun Shuai, James Suckling

92-94+ Points! A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Château Bellefont-Belcier is deep purple-hued and opaque, showing remarkable purity in its black and blue fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and violet notes. Medium-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and integrated acidity. This château continues to never put a foot wrong, and their 2024 will absolutely be worth your time and money. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2019 Bellevue Mondotte, picked at 18hL/ha on a single day (October 5) has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, briary, blueberry and light violet petal scents, but less of the marine aromas that I picked out from the barrel sample. However, there are some lovely orange pith scents that percolate through with continued aeration, and these are accentuated after a couple of hours. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, good acidity and fine backbone. This is quite a sturdy Saint-Émilion with impressive density toward the finish. It needs just a little more charm and personality, though they may develop with time. Very fine, but patience required. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! More seamless and elegant than the more powerful, structured Pavie Decesse (these all emerge from the Perse team), the Merlot-dominated 2019 Bellevue Mondotte just about jumps out of the glass with its ripe, spicy red, blue, and black fruits as well as spring flowers, graphite, chalky mineral, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Almost Pomerol-like with its seamless, polished tannins and gorgeous mouthfeel, it's flawlessly balanced, has a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. This stunning Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 30+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! A linear and very compacted Bellevue with blackberries, blueberries and chocolate. Full and tight with racy tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Racy and focused. 100% merlot. Give this until 2028. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

98 Points! The 2020 Bellevue Mondotte is another powerhouse from the team at Pavie. All Merlot from the upper plateau above Château Pavie (the soils here contain a touch more clay), this full-bodied, deep, concentrated 2020 has a tight, unevolved bouquet of darker raspberries, cassis, truffly earth, and chocolate. Balanced, structured, and incredibly pure, it's mostly potential at this point and needs to be forgotten for 5-6 years. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! A tense, minerally yet perfumed wine. The nose shows vibrant stone fruit such as peaches, subtle smoke, ferns, lemon peel, seaweed and chalk. Medium- to full-bodied and smooth, with weight and concentration, a silky texture and vibrancy. Focused and slightly peaty finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Production: 14,900 cases Alcohol: 13.7% Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Harvest Dates: September 27 to October 31. This superb vintage in northern Napa Valley yielded smaller than normal quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon. It was basically problem free other than relatively small crops. Some torrid heat in early August created some problems, but otherwise it was an even growing season with few difficulties. Beringer’s 1994 Private Reserve came from four vineyard sites, Bancroft Ranch (47%), Tre Colline, and the balance from Chabot and St. Helena Home Vineyard. A stunning, seamless Cabernet Sauvignon, it boasts abundant notes of white chocolate, creme de cassis, woodsmoke, spice box, licorice and forest floor, superb concentration, a full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet, integrated tannin and admirable youthfulness as well as freshness. This is one of the most Bordeaux-like wines in this vertical, with the lead pencil shavings and scorched earth characteristics pointing toward a Graves style. This beauty will continue to drink well for another two decades. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com 2011

97 Points! Beringer's Private Reserve in the 2021 vintage combines 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 65% new French oak. It's a very stylish wine with an excellent balance between its powerful, fine-grained tannins and plump, juicy, black-toned fruits. The bouquet is lovely, too, revealing a wealth of vintage-specific savoury potpourri character in its sagebrush, dried rose petal, and coriander atop candied red berry fruits and fragrant ironstone minerality. Full-bodied, with a deep core of succulent blackberry fruit that is downright silky. Between the dazzling fruit character and perfectly integrated tannin, the Private Reserve has a seamless quality, making it so approachable now but well-endowed with the structure to age gracefully. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

97 Points! The 2021 Private Reserve is the most refined of the 2021s from Beringer. The aromatics alone are so alluring. There's 12% Cabernet Franc in the blend this year, and that comes through loud and clear. Crushed flowers, espresso, mint, licorice and red/purplish fruit all grace this silky, super-polished offering. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points! So much dark berry, dried berry, matchstick and iodine here. Plus intense aromas of black currants and black berries. So floral. Full-bodied with firm and compacted tannins that are super polished and balanced. Very long and linear. The tightness, focus and complexity harks back to the 1990s but the purity and transparency is today. September 2024 release. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, and 2% malbec. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! The fruit for this 2019 Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is picked predominantly from the old 1868 plantings in the Concongella vineyard on the Best's property. It is a resoundingly elegant wine, with a core of fruit that crouches, waiting on the mid-palate. It is complex and complete already, offering a window into what will be a very long life, indeed. It is an exercise in balance and length, line and form (mineral austerity comes to mind), with not a hair out of place. You'd be forgiven for saying the structure has an open weave, almost loose-knit quality about it, were it not for the super streamlined finish that shows all the openness and approachability is merely a clever disguise. This wine can be drunk now, and sure, it should be (it's delicious, the feel of it in the mouth is insane). But if you have the patience, wisdom and foresight to cellar it, your children will be amply rewarded. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

96 Points! An extremely sophisticated and concentrated shiraz that’s so precise and focused on the beautifully balanced, medium-bodied palate. The interplay of fine tannins and lively acidity is really fascinating. Very clean and long finish. From the Concongella Vineyard. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The star of the show is the 2022 Ontogeny, a broad, layered, richly textured 2022 that has gorgeous cassis and blue fruits as well as integrated oak, some classic Cabernet graphite, iron, and smoked tobacco. It’s rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully complex, with ripe tannins and a great, great finish. I love it today yet it should cruise over the coming 10-15 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! A 60-40 blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine Sugarloaf Mountain exudes sensual aromas of mocha and black cherries underscored by gentle hints of tobacco and sage. Full-bodied, plush and supple, with a long, softly dusty finish, this makes a compelling argument for non-Cabernet Sauvignon wines in Napa. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

97+ Points! Gorgeous blue fruits, mountain scrub brush, sage, espresso, black raspberry, and violet notes all emerge from the 2021 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that's full-bodied and has terrific overall balance, building, fine-grained tannins, and a good spine of acidity that carries through the finish. This is another gorgeous wine in the lineup that shines for its complexity, balance, and depth. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2022 Beychevelle is so impressive. A wine of precision and stature, the 2022 has so much to offer. Inky dark fruit, licorice, mocha and lavender build in a sumptuous, creamy Saint-Julien. All of that intensity mounts through the mid-palate, reaching a stunning crescendo on the explosive, resonant finish. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2022 retains a gorgeous sense of freshness and vibrancy. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Intense blackberries and blackcurrants with spice and lead-pencil aromas. Medium-bodied, it has creamy and polished tannins and a long and flavorful finish. The cabernet sauvignon is singing here. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Give it three to five years of bottle age. - JamesSuckling.com

96–98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A brilliant, deeply hued wine, the 2025 Château Beychevelle is based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, and is still resting in 70% new oak. One of the earliest harvests ever recorded at this château, with very tiny yields, it has a ripe, sexy, gorgeously textured style with ripe black cherries, graphite, spicy wood, and dried flowers on the nose. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a round, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a blockbuster finish. Hitting 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, this is a ripe, expressive Beychevelle that will evolve gracefully for 30 years or more.”

96–98 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“The floral bouquet is what you initially notice; from there, your attention quickly turns to its array of red and black fruits, licorice, tobacco, mint leaves, and cedar. The palate is elegant, silky, creamy, fresh, and concentrated. It takes just a second to sense the wealth of fruit on the palate, with vibrancy, refinement, and purity. The finish continues along the same path, with layers of perfectly ripe fruit, a touch of salinity, and hints of licorice, espresso, and cocoa. Clearly, this is among the best wines in the estate's history.”

95–97 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2025 Beychevelle was picked from September 5 to 21 at 31 hl/ha. Matured in 70% new oak, this has a concentrated nose with blackcurrants, blueberry, inkwell and light violet scents. Very fine definition, a Beychevelle that leans on the more opulent side aromatically, though always controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety smooth entry that lends it sensuality. Extremely precise, exquisite pure fruit, quite mineral-driven with a very long, sensual finish. I don't think Philippe Blanc has overseen a Beychevelle as good as this.”

95–97 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Beychevelle is a very sexy wine. Plush and exuberant, the 2025 is seriously impressive right out of the gate. Blackberry, lavender, mocha, crème de cassis and a kick of French oak are all beautifully amplified in the glass. More than anything else, the 2025 is a wine of extreme pleasure. It is an exceptional Beychevelle, one of the finest in recent memory.”

94 Points – Decanter
“Such a gorgeous fragrance on the nose, so alive, so floral and expressive with milk chocolate, cherries and violets. Grippy and alive in the mouth, fun, bright, certainly full of tannins and grip with a lovely core of black bramble fruit with straight acidity. It's a big, powerful, muscular wine but so poised, mouthwatering and charming.”

95 Points! The 2022 Ikewen Tinto reminds me of the character of the 2018, perhaps a little narrower and spicier. It fermented with 100% full clusters but was still unoaked. There's also a lot of finesse here; it's elegant and floral, ethereal but with lots of energy and light. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97+ Points! A blend of 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay, the 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of red berries, rose, peony, orange blood and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and broad, it's dense and deep with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a textural structure, concluding with a long, delicate, mouthwatering finish. This is one of the finest rosé I've tasted at this address. Kudos! - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

95 Points! Medium-rich in style (92 g/l residual sugar), the grapes for this wine originate from Calheta on the warmer south coast of Madeira. Mid-amber hue with gently smoked, yet rich savoury-spicy aromas – quite seductive and evocative. Lovely Elvas plum and quince marmalade richness with a spicy backdrop, balanced by fresh appley acidity. The long finish is akin to a gently cinnamon-spiced tarte tatin. Shows great complexity for a colheita. Glorious with savoury patés and stands up well to a curry, though equally good with caramelised oranges or a hedonistic slice of fruit cake mid-morning. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! They consider the 2023 La Servil a paraje wine, despite coming from a large vineyard with different soils. It's always a floral and expressive red, and in a year of low yields, the larger size of the grapes compensated and gave the wines more texture and more tension, resulting in a subtle and fine vintage for the reds. It fermented completely destemmed and matured in foudre for 18 months, as they are extending the time in oak for all their wines (the 2024s will be two years). All the 2023 reds are around 14% alcohol, but they're very balanced and fine-boned. In this case, it showcases the sandy, elegant soils that resulted in finer tannins. All the reds are very pure, fresh and mineral, with a strong stony sensation. I think there is more elegance this year. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! A suave red, lightly mouthwatering and enticing, with a generous range of ripe black raspberry and black currant fruit and blood orange peel, plus accents of dark chocolate, roasted vanilla, cigar box, herbs and spices. The muscular tannins are limber and well-integrated in feel as they power the profile through the long, fragrant finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Very pale in colour yet surprisingly concentrated for a wine of such light hue, delivering lots of delicate red berries and an ample palate with plenty of fleshy fruit and texture. The 100% Garnacha fruit is sourced from 70- to 90-year-old vines on several plots at 600m-750m. Only half of the free-run must is used, fermented plot by plot in small oak vats, with the wine remaining on its lees for at least four months before a final selection and blend is made. Wonderfully elegant with stony minerality, this is seamless, fruity and refined, with a very moreish finish. A really clear definition of the region. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! The top rosé is also extremely young. The 2025 Flor de Muga Rosado was produced with the direct pressing of Garnacha grapes from the Najerilla and Oja valleys, grapes that usually ripen but keep a pale red color and are not suitable for red wines. It fermented in small oak vats, where it was kept with fine lees and bâtonnage for four months. This is even paler and certainly subtler, more elegant and complex than the regular rosé. It comes in at a lower 13.5% alcohol, keeping very good freshness, reflected by a pH of 3.27 and 6.2 grams of acidity. It's balanced and subtle, really elegant and more delicate, with more freshness. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

99 Points! Given its consistently outstanding quality, it’s easy to forget that the average age of Porseleinberg's 14 hectares of vineyards is only seven years' old. Showing what Callie Louw calls a "little more crunch" in 2021, this is a Syrah with time on its side. Wild herb aromas of sage, oregano and rosemary introduce you to a palate that's dense yet refined, with lots of whole bunch spice and structure, negligible oak influence, detailed, layered tannins, some underlying grip and layers of dark berry fruit. One of the world's great reds from a very special site. - Tim Atkin, MW

97 Points! The 2021 Porseleinberg is whole bunch fermented and aged for 12 months in foudres. I gave my glass plenty of aeration. Chatting with winemaker Callie Louw, this wine can be closed, this being the first time I had tasted it at the remote Swartland estate. It has a compelling bouquet with fabulous delineation, a mélange of, say, one-third red and two-thirds black fruit, hints of iron filings and reflecting its soils, slate-like scents. Obstinately backward, after 10 minutes, it positively blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with filigree tannins framing the mineral-rich black fruit. Plenty of extract is interwoven, but perhaps unlike the vintages of old, Louw's winemaking sense means that it's not immediately tangible. A discrete build in the mouth reveals hidden layers as it sashays towards its crunchy finish and then delivers a dash of cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Outstanding…but what else do we expect? - Neal Martin, Vinous

97 Points! What an intense nose of charcuterie, grilled herbs, iron, black berry fruit and cracked pepper. Flavor explosion on the palate, too, with a full body, yet so much freshness with an underlying iron and peppercorn character. Firm, yet fine tannins. Even better from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com