Wines

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

97 Points! The 2003 Melbury comes from a slopeside site on the northern side of Lake Hennessey, opposite the Rutherford valley floor. Winemaker Bob Levy compares the 2003 to the 2006 because of the wet winter and spring and the summer’s heat spikes. A brilliant effort from sedimentary soil with rocks over compacted clay, it is a gorgeous wine offering raspberry, black currant, spring flower and blueberry characteristics along with a dense purple color, a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel and sweet tannin. This stunningly rich hillside Cabernet Sauvignon should reach full maturity in 4-5 years and keep for 15-20 years thereafter. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2011 Pluribus is absolutely magnificent. It represents a synthesis of the preceding wines in the range, marrying the freshness of the Melbury with the greater textural resonance found in the other Cabernets. This site, which is at elevation on Spring Mountain, benefitted from more favorable conditions than vineyards on the valley floor. The result is a distinctive, potent Cabernet Sauvignon that is has aged impeccably and is in the zone today. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2021

98 Points! The gem of the 2014s is the 2014 Pluribus, which comes from a 7-acre site on Spring Mountain. This incredible wine offers a full-bodied, seamless, perfectly balanced profile as well as heavenly notes of black and blue fruits, white chocolate, and licorice. With a world class texture, fine, fine tannin, and a great finish, it’s a tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that’s as good as anything out there. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! Very deep purple-black colored, the 2014 Pluribus offers up notions of crushed black plums, black currant cordial and pencil shavings over a meaty core of chargrill and beef drippings plus hints of Chinese five spice and underbrush. Full-bodied and firmly framed with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, it features plenty of earthy and savory layers, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Quella gives aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries and mulberries with touches of tobacco, new leather, iron ore and truffles plus a hint of tree back. The palate is full-bodied, muscular and laden with earth and mineral layers, finishing with persistent savory notes. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2015 Quella is a darker, more mineral-laced wine and offers a classic Quella bouquet of black fruits, black truffle, tobacco, and dried earth. It’s full-bodied, deep and layered on the palate, with ripe, present tannins and terrific elegance as well as purity. It has the balance and texture to shine today, yet the class to evolve for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

98+ Points! The 2014 Vecina displays a deep garnet-purple color and has a broody, baked blueberries, cassis and anise-laced nose with suggestions of garrigue, dusty earth and bay leaves. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and powerful in the mouth, it offers a lot of latent layers and promises great, great things to come with an incredibly long, layered finish. It needs a bit of time but should cellar beautifully for a good 25 years+. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

97 Points! Vecina vineyard is located in the western foothills of Oakville, just to the southeast of the winery (up on Oakville Grade). Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Vecina needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of black currants, blackberries and blueberry compote with hints of dusty soil, cinnamon stick and fallen leaves. Slightly more structured than the other Bond 2017s, it has a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black and blue fruit flavors, finishing long and earthy. It will likely need a little longer to come around than its siblings, but it should also be longer lived. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

95 Points! Deep, bright red. Knockout vibrant nose combines purple and red berries, crushed stone, violet and animal fur. Lush, thick and deep but with terrific chalky energy animating the middle palate. Conveys striking depth to its red fruit and floral flavors, with the 45% new oak practically invisible today. Finishes with huge but round, noble tannins and outstanding lingering sweetness. In a more opulent style than the potentially great 2013, and probably for drinking before that wine. - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

97 Points! The nose of this very beautiful Corton-Charlemagne transports me to an Alpine meadow, when all the wild flowers are blossoming. I love the restrained, citrusy richness that is effortlessly interwoven with the stony minerality on the medium- to full-bodied palate of this graceful, yet highly-structured wine. Still quite tight at the very salty finish, but so much to give. From a 3.65 hectare plot at the very top of the hill of Corton, directly below the forest with a yellow mark soil. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The years when Brane was starting to really come sharply into focus, and this is easily one of the best 2009s in the Margaux appellation, and great value in comparison to some of the biggest names. One for serious Bordeaux lovers, just super competent and impressive winemaking. You get pretty much 90% of what you need to know on the aromatics alone, concentrated cassis, a ton of depth, with fruit, acidity and tannins all perfectly in balance, so juicy and drinkable, concentrated and enjoyable. Decades ahead of it. 70% new oak for ageing, harvest September 22 to October 9. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, 2024

95 Points! Showing beautifully, the 2009 Château Brane-Cantenac is loaded with classic Margaux notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, spice, truffle, and blackcurrants. Based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied and has a beautifully textured, elegant mouthfeel, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck, 2020

98 Points! Blackberries, plums, currants, tobacco and violets on the nose. Bitter chocolate and mocha, too. It’s refined and focused, with a medium to full body and firm, tightly-knit tannins. Very long, laser-focused and polished. Very classy. Best of the trilogy. Try after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

97 Points! Heady and expressive on the nose, seductive tones of ripe fruit and perfumed flowers. Gorgeous intensity on the palate, rich, round and ripe - gently chewy - but cool and refreshing too. This has a dynamic undercurrent with tannins that are fine but firm giving a slightly narrow frame. It’s a bit more serious than some, brooding, but clearly well made with definition. There’s a confidence here, vibrant and detailed fruit with an excellent lingering impression of the terroir in the slightly salty, chalky, graphite touch. Layered and well built with supreme classicism. A top buy. I'd like to own this one! - Decanter Magazine
 

94 Points! Like the Steinmassel vinified in stainless steel, the 2019 Ried Heiligenstein 1ÖTW Kamptal Riesling was bottled in late June 2020. The wine opens with herbal, minty notes of bright yet finely concentrated and even dried fruits. Full-bodied and enormously concentrated yet still very tight on the palate, this is an ambitious and grippy Heiligenstein that needs some years or a lot of aeration to sing. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted at Schloss Gobelsburg in June 2021. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

93-95 Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Les Champs Martin unwinds in the glass with scents of freshly baked bread, wet stones, white currants, confit citrus and crisp green orchard fruit. Full-bodied, ample and seamless, it's layered and racy, with broad shoulders, bright acids and a long, mineral finish. Its elegant profile belies considerable reserves of chalky structuring extract that will make this a wine for the long haul. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93-95+ Points! The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of wild berries, vine smoke, raw cocoa, cloves, anise and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and complete, with a tightly wound core of vibrant fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. Less demonstrative than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, I suspect it will emerge as the finest of the trilogy in the fulness of time, but it will require patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

96 Points! Bright and lifted aromas of strawberries, wild raspberries, citrus peel and cherries on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins giving notes of blackberries, mocha, lead pencil and wet bark. Refined and pure with 20% whole-cluster. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Elegant, plush and lush, with fresh flavors of black cherry, raspberry preserves and lingonberry jam. Herbal accents of dried thyme, sage and matcha, along with whiffs of white pepper and crushed pine needle, linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2038. - Wine Spectator