Wines

93 Points! This is a robust and unflinching red wine with a succulent core of ripe cherry fruit. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Montosoli is more restrained and elegant compared to many of its peers from this hot vintage. Those scorching summer temperatures have been expertly absorbed, and the wine never feels jammy or heavy. The mid-weight finish is fine and graceful. Only 2,493 bottles were produced. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! From barrel, the 2022 Barbera D’Alba Carra sports a youthful dark purple color and is fruity with ripe plum and pressed lavender as well as some iron richness and gamey notes. Medium to full-bodied, it’s snappy with fresh acidity, but it has a more rounded feel. With some notes of ripe wild herbs that last through the elegant finish, this is a classic and ripe vintage, but it retains very nice freshness. Drink it over the next several years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The Cascina Penna-Currado 2022 Barbera d'Alba Carrà is executed as a "Superiore," although it is not labeled as such. Proprietors Elena Penna and Luca Currado say they only envisage having one Barbera in their new portfolio in addition to cru selections of Nebbiolo. They have a 25-year lease on the site that provides fruit for this pretty wine, and a careful selection is made to prioritize the best clusters. Healthy fruit is produced here thanks to luminosity and cool hillside breezes. A brief maceration is executed, and the wine matures in Slavonian oak casks. Tart plum and blackberry is folded into tangy licorice over medium-plus richness. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Luca and Elena have always been particularly invested in Barbera d’Alba as they were among the first to invest in it seriously. They believe strongly in the potential of this grape in communicating what the Langhe has to offer to a wide audience. The Carrà site is in the San Sebastiano area of Municipality of Monforte, with a particularly great natural biodiversity. Grapes come from predominantly from two parcels; one planted in 1965 and another in 2000. The wine is vinified partially whole cluster and aged in botti making it rich and concentrated but not too ripe.

99 Points! This is really perfumed and gorgeous, with black cherries, blackcurrants and violets. Full-bodied with totally integrated tannins and a palate presence that is pretty spectacular. Wonderful finish. Give this three or four years.- JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! The 2020 L'Apparita will soon take its place among the great Apparitas. Unctuous and layered in the glass, the 2020 possesses exceptional balance and tons of character right out of the gate. Exotic scents of blackberry jam, chocolate, new leather, licorice and smoke are so alluring. Imposing tannins need time to soften, but once that happens readers will be treated to a spectacular Apparita that captures all the best the vintage had to offer. Marco Pallanti waited until mid-September (late for the year) to bring in this fruit. That decision paid off handsomely. - Antono Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! A delicious, well-rounded and velvety Chianti Classico with aromas of strawberries, raspberries and mild spices. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins and texture. Juicy and velvety with elegance and a pure character. Fresh and delicious finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Aromas of vivid raspberries with a floral undertone and an austere hint of slate. The palate is composed and balanced, combining generous red fruit with vibrant acidity. Well crafted and precise. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! There’s considerable flesh, along with developing flavors of cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and wild herbs. Mineral and tobacco elements add detail. This is just hitting its stride, with an impression of dusty tannins and oak spice notes on the lingering aftertaste. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! This opens with aromas of dried apricots and salted lemons, lifted by a floral note of chamomile. The palate is medium to full-bodied with tension, subtle salinity and pleasant fleshiness. A blend of fruit from the Adrianna and Domingo vineyards, this is a deeply comforting chardonnay combining a generous texture with incisiveness. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Catena Alta Historic Rows was sourced from Villa Bastías and Gualtallary in Tupungato. Aged for up to 14 months in new and used French oak barrels, this bright yellow wine offers notes of pear and mint, complemented by subtle oak nuances. Dry, creamy and broad, the oak plays a significant role on the palate. However, it remains refreshing, with a long-lasting hazelnut finish. This is a classic continental-style wine. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

93 Points! The appellation series Malbecs are typically made in the same manner, seeing 11-13 months in 100% French oak, a small percentage of it new. Here, the 2022 Malbec Appellation Paraje Altamira is from the cooler region of Altamira, where it retains acidity and freshness while offering crisp red fruit and silky texture, lasting for days on the palate. It should age well another 10-12 years as well. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! Another highlight of the Catena Appellation range is the 2022 Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec, opening with the region's signature purple-flower note and accented with fresh herbs and a citrus-driven zest quality. On the palate, it combines a svelte, seamless purity with lifted, focused energy that runs through the crunchy, high-toned finish. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! Crème de cassis, graphite, sweet tobacco, and sweet, loamy earth notes all define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a nicely textured, layered, pure, seamless barrel sample. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The stunning nose of ripe black cherry announces what this concentrated, fresh red Burgundy is all about. So much energy, plus a firm yet fine tannin structure and long, mineral finish make a serious statement for this underrated appellation. From biodynamically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! It's difficult to predict how the final wine will compare to a barrel sample. To my way of thinking. tasting a barrel sample is somewhat analogous to viewing a single frame of a motion picture. The ending may be a surprise. That said, this unsulfured, unfiltered barrel sample showed great potential. Less ripe than the 2018, it already shows the tantalising combination of savoury minerality and cherry-like flavours. Its glossy texture comes as no surpise. Bright acidity enlivens the palate. I can't wait to taste it after bottling. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2019 Givry 1er Cru Clos du Cellier Aux Moines unwinds in the glass with aromas of wild berries, petals, orange rind and loamy soil, complemented by deep spice tones. Medium to full-bodied, layered and lively, it's nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and bright acids. Combining soe of the substance of the 2018 with the charm and elegance of the 2017, this is the finest Clos du Cellier Aux Moines the Domaine has produced to date. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

93+ Points! I have been drinking this wine out of half bottle, and this was the first regular bottle I have had over recent years. While this Pomerol is loaded, it remains extremely backward - hence the lower score. I would not touch a bottle for another 5-8 years. The half bottles are tasting at least 4 to 5 points better, and are obviously much more evolved. The full bottle exhibited a dense plum/purple color along with notes of cedar, forest floor, sweet jammy plums, black currants, licorice, and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied and powerful with high tannins as well as a rustic, massive mouthfeel and finish, it should be fully mature by 2015, and keep until 2030+ - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2009

93 Points! There's a little more ripeness and concentration in the 2020 Parajes, which matured in well-seasoned (at least fourth use) barriques and a 5,000-liter oak foudre. It's a little rounder and creamier, a more powerful wine (it was bottled 15 days before I tasted it) with a nice Bierzo character. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94+ Points! From a site on the other (southern) side of the appellation, the 2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir saw quite a bit more stems and was fermented with 40% stems and brought up in 20% new oak. It has a wonderful nose of ripe red and black currants as well as subtle woodsmoke, dried herbs, and forest floor. This carries to a pure, medium-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir with ripe tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It opens up nicely with time in the glass and will no doubt benefit from another year or two of bottle age. These latest releases from Gavin Chanin are pretty much straight-up brilliant across the board. - Jeb Dunnuck

91-93 Points! The 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is herbal and lifted on the nose, leading to a dark-fruited, silky palate that combines svelte richness with delicious freshness. As always, this is shaping up to be an overperforming overview of the Sta. Rita Hills from a uniquely pretty vintage.

Gavin Chanin entered the wine world through an eight-year stint at Au Bon Climat, quickly becoming protégé of the late Jim Clendenen. Chanin founded his namesake label in 2007, an era that allowed him to secure contracts for old-vine plantings from some of the region's most historic vineyards while newly established sites were more in vogue. Much of the straightforward practicality learned from Clendenen is employed in the cellar: the Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed, barrel fermented and aged on lees for 14 months, then racked and returned to barrel for another four months before bottling. Heavy-toast François Frères barrels are the norm—favoring the Bertranges forest for Chardonnay and Vosges for Pinot Noir—and range from 10% to 50% new. Pinot Noir generally includes 30% to 50% whole clusters, with slightly higher percentages of new wood. Across the spectrum, the wines continually balance supple generosity with focus and refinement, delivered through a deceptively slender frame despite their richly flavored nature. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

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

96 Points! The second wine of this brilliant château, the 2022 Chapelle D'Ausone checks in as 65% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised 20 months in barrels. Classic Cabernet Franc notes of black raspberries, currants, spring flowers, candied violets, and sappy mint herbs all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. While it's not the best vintage for the second wines, you wouldn't know it by tasting this. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps with expressive scents of red currant preserves, fresh blackberries, and violets, plus nuances of cedar chest and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with rich black and red berry layers, supported by velvety tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

93 Points! The Chapelle d'Ausone is a powerful but also embryonic wine. Here, too, the wine's balance is impeccable. Super-ripe red cherry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal all meld together. Chapelle is a powerhouse second wine, if that term can even be used. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

$289.98 at checkout, 99 Points! A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with profound scents of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and mulberries, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity and great poise, offering fine-grained, ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

93 Points! A killer wine and great value, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Signature reveals tons of cassis and darker, almost blue fruits intermixed with sappy spring flowers, crushed stone, and lead pencil nuances. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, and 2% Merlot, it's balanced and medium to full-bodied, with beautiful tannins. - Jeb Dunnuck

92-93 Points! Very effusive, youthful red-fruit aromas and a delicacy that is striking even in the elegant 2022 context. Restrained tannins will make this delightful from release. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A solid, focused, juicy and poised wine, showing red berries, sweet spices and dried-flower aromas. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Lovely crushed-strawberry character to the silky texture. Bright and fruit-forward, this has a seductive, succulent finish and a lift of peppercorns. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Bottled three months ago and showing beautifully, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel is based on 30% each of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre with 10% Cinsault and brought up all in foudre. It offers darker berries, pepper, sappy flowers, and some obvious stony, earth-like minerality in a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, layered style. It's balanced with terrific purity, ripe tannins, and outstanding length, offering incredible pleasure today, yet it will keep for 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck