Wines

95 Points! From vines that were planted in 1910. This is aromatically similar to the regular cuvée but there is notably more concentration, power and dry extract to the broad-shouldered flavors that pushes the very firm tannic spine to the background on the hugely long, palate coating and driving finish. This opulently full-on effort is a manifestly old school Clos de Vougeot that is not only very much built-to-age but is going to require lots of it. In a word, excellent. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

93 Points! The 2015 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza reflects the warmer conditions of the year, and with the riper fruit they picked to produce this wine, they still managed to keep around 13.5% alcohol. The Cubillo vineyard has more clay, and sometimes clay soils take heat better and make the wines fresher than those from poorer soils. - 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

94+ Points! This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The 2015 Moulin Saint-Georges is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a gorgeous plum preserves, licorice and blackberry pie-laced nose with touches of cedar chest, cigar box, black olives and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and very firmly textured with grainy tannins, it has a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruit, finishing with lingering savory notes. Give it a good 5 years or more in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years.- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

95 Points! Blackberry, fresh herb, wet earth and tar aromas follow through to a full body, with powerful tannins and density yet an agile and polished, textured finish. Much better than 2014. The second wine of Clos Apalta. Try it in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Readers should note that with the 1997 Brunello di Montalcino, the label has changed to emphasize the proprietor's name, Livio Sassetti, rather than the estate name, Pertimali. Always a top-notch Brunello, the 1997 is staggering in its aromatic fireworks and concentrated, long, intense flavors. Sumptuous aromas of dried Provencal herbs, roasted meats, soy, spice box, asphalt, truffles, and black fruits linger in the air. Flavors of new saddle leather are added to jammy black fruit characteristics. Opulently-textured, full-bodied, and gorgeously pure, this wine creates an olfactory overload. Its low acidity, high glycerin, and huge fruit reserves suggest drinking it now and over the next 12-18 years. Mamma mia! - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2002

91+ Points! The 2007 Barbaresco Asili speaks eloquently to the silkiness and elegance of this great site. Freshly cut roses and berries of all sorts make a positive first impression. The Asili shows gorgeous freshness and depth in a classic, mid-weight expression of this vineyard. There is a wonderful sense of harmony that flows through to the finish, as the fruit and tannins remain composed and nicely integrated. With time in the glass the Asili closes in on itself. I am not sure it has the warm radiance that is typical of so many wines in this vintage, but it is nevertheless a strong effort. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

95 Points! A wine with purity and integration, offering black-cherry, blueberry and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Hot stone, too. Full-bodied and very tight with integrated tannins that go on. Needs time to show it all. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! This red is opulent and bursting with cherry, raspberry, rose and earth flavors, and an underlying spiciness from the new oak. Harmonious and long, refined tannins detail the finish. Best from 2023 through 2043. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed, and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey, freshly shaved ginger, marzipan, and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose, giving way to a core of pear tart, persimmons, and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse, featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances, finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity, soft-spoken expression, and impeccable crafting. It won't disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes, yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer, toastier, more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

97 Points! For the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! This is very minerally and stony, with chalk and salt and oyster-shell undertones. It’s full-bodied and layered, yet remains intense with a lively finish. Done dry. Umami. No dosage. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Field blend from a single plot in Cumieres. Better in a few years. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2015 Champagne Starck Brut Nature is forward with vinous and spicy aromas of saline and red currant, orange blossom, and smoke. It is expansive on the palate while maintaining a core of fresh acidity, with peach, dried flowers, and wet stone. This complex and unique expression is full of energy and has great gastronomic appeal. Drink 2022-2040. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A great 2015 vintage champagne! Super-elegant synthesis of pinot noir and chardonnay character with a dazzling interplay of complex red apple, citrus and delicate floral aromas with racy acidity and chalky minerality, that is animating for mind and body. Unusually graceful finish for the vintage. 70% pinot noir from Verzy, the highest point of the Montagne de Reims, that’s also very close to the forest. 30% chardonnay from Chouilly, another rather cool location. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2015 Blanc de Blancs is a fabulous choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Soft and creamy, the 2015 is immediately caressing in its embrace. Citrus confit, white flowers, spice and a hint of pastry all meld together. There is something effortless about the 2015 that is hard to describe. The 2015 is not the last word in complexity, but it is supremely delicious. Terrific for the year. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Fragrant, with wafts of lime blossoms and exotic cardamom, anise and saffron spices, this weaves a firm streak of racy acidity with a satiny texture and finely detailed notes of crushed blackberry, ripe yellow peach, blanched almond and a crackle of fleur de sel, which lingers on the lively, lasting finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged March 2022. Best from 2025 through 2033. - Wine Spectator

94+ Points! The swan song vintage of this cuvée, Doyard's 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru mingles aromas of citrus oil with notions of buttery pastry, dried white flowers and warm biscuits. Medium to full-bodied, layered and structured, with chalky dry extract and lively acids, it's a taut, compact wine that will require a bit of bottle age to unwind. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97+ Points! The 2015 Riesling Clos Sainte Hune comes from the historic, south- and partly east-facing part (1.67 ha) of today's Grand Cru Rosacker. From deep Muschelkalk soils, the Sainte Hune opens with a deep, ripe, precise and highly complex nose with nutty and lemon flavors. Powerful, rich, piquant and concentrated on the palate, this is a beautifully complex, highly elegant and salty Riesling with intense citrus flavors and great balance in the endless finish. This Riesling builds effortlessly in the mouth. Its acidity is perfectly integrated: richness and power are magnificently poised by finesse and elegance and don't weigh heavily. This is a truly great and mouthwatering Riesling in the dry style (bottled with 14 grams of residual sugar and 14% alcohol) and can age over decades. It is surely among the finest wines being produced in 2015 in Alsace and one of the greatest Saint Hunes I have ever tasted. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com