Wines

93 Points! Pure and focused, offering violet, cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas and flavors. Shaped by vibrant acidity, this red persists with a lingering, resonant aftertaste. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! The 2021 Whole Bunch is pure Shiraz and…whole bunch (obvs). The stems are nicely integrated here with black pepper infused black fruit that feels energetic. The palate is medium-bodied with peppery red and black fruit, taut and fresh with a touch of black olive compote on the finish. I love this - surfeit with freshness and vibrancy. Delicious. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

92-94 Points! A year-in, year-out smoking wine, the 2022 Syrah Santa Barbara County reveals a deep ruby hue as well as a ripe, decadent, full-bodied style in its pure black and blue fruits, peppery herbs, and violet-driven aromas and flavors. Textured and beautifully balanced, with a great finish, it's going to shine right out of the gate. - JebDunnuck.com

93 Points! Part of the Scarrone Vineyard was replanted in 1989, and these younger vines give rise to the Vietti 2020 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone. This wine is also thick and darkly concentrated but not to the same degree as the version made with fruit from old vines. Indeed, it's fun to try these two bottles side by side. Dark fruit, baked plum and sweet spice give extra dimension and volume to this wine. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2021 Syrah is gently meaty on the nose, but very fresh, though. Forty percent of the fruit underwent carbonic maceration, which has imbued the wine with life, energy and a bit of a party. There's a pleasurable fatty sweetness here; it extends the wine out in the mouth and through the finish. It's very good. This is vibrant and bright, but it's slinky too. Gee, it's good. The tannins that shape the wine make it savory, but the core of fruit is pure. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2020 Barbera d’Alba Vigna Serraboella is bright, effusive and full of character. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal and pipe tobacco makes a strong first impression. Ripe, silky tannins add to the wine’s considerable appeal. The Serraboella is such a delicious wine. It spent 18 months in cask and neutral oak. - Antonio Galloni , Vinous Media

94 Points! Elegant and refined on the nose, it evokes Cote Rotie just as it did in its youth, hints of Provencal herbs comgin through with time... - Neal Martin, Vinous Media 2022

93 Points! Made with 40% whole cluster, the 2016 Syrah opens with a beautiful floral and red fruit expression of Syrah, with dark cherry skin, ripe and juicy plum, pomegranate, soft potpourri spices, subtle oak tones and nuances of red spiced tea and peppercorn. Subtly savory with energetic acidity, the medium-bodied wine expresses elegance with tart, lively red fruit and spices that sway across the mid-palate with a vibrant and food-friendly sensation. It ends with flavors of lavender, redcurrants and dark cherry skin on the long, lingering finish—marking another stellar bottling from Samantha O'Keefe. - Anthony Mueller, robertparker.com

This is one of the most under the radar wines in all of Piedmont. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93-95 Points! I tasted barrels from a couple of the lieux-dits that will go into Faury's 2020 Cote Rotie, both of which impressed for their rich yet silky textures, floral overtones and concentrated fruit. Faury believes that 2020 is a great year in Cote Rotie, and these samples seem to support his theory. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

92 Points! Moving to the reds, the 2018 Syrah Transverse comes from a mix of vineyards and was brought up all in neutral French oak puncheons. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a spicy, peppery Syrah offering lots of ripe dark fruits, some cool-climate, gamey nuances, medium-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine and a great value. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Boasting even more striking aromas of blueberries, violets and peppery spice than the La Rochette bottling, the 2018 Crozes Hermitage La Cuvee Nicolas is almost Côte-Rôtie-like. Medium to full-bodied without seeming at all heavy, ripe without being overdone, silky and fine from start to finish, it's a real beauty and a testament to the potential of the commune of Gervans—a small granitic outpost within the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

93 Points! Named after Yalumba founder Samuel Smith, Shiraz grapes come from diverse Barossa vineyards aged between 10 to more than 35 years old. The goal is accessibility, with a strong varietal and regional accent – and it hits the back of the net. Very Barossa, with generous Black Forest gateaux-like cherry and mocha oak (26% new French, American and Hungarian hogsheads, barriques and octaves), juicy blackberry and plum fruit and meaty, peppery undertones. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Packed with dark fig, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, this pumps along with ample depth and drive, picking up licorice snap, roasted applewood and dark tea notes along the way. Nice energy through the finish too, thanks to an underlying iron note. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! The 2018 Syrah Roll Ranch, from a site in Ventura County, offers a fascinating interplay of fruit richness and savory intensity. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, sage and dried herbs all build in the glass. Whole clusters (73%) add nuance without overpowering the wine. All the elements are so well balanced. The long, substantial finish rounds things out. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The 2019 Dogliani Superiore Vigne Sori' San Martino is a big, dense wine. Black cherry, smoke, tobacco, game, incense, dried herbs and rose petal build in a Dogliani that exudes power and breadth. Another year or two in bottle will help soften the formidable tannins. Readers will find a wine of tremendous distinction. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95+ Points! A wine readers should snatch up is the 2019 Cornas from Johan Michel, a majestic, full-bodied, incredibly seamless beauty that does everything right. It certainly shows the ripe, sunny style of the vintage and brings ample fruit, richness, and power, yet it still has incredible focus as well as purity and freshness. Black raspberries, cassis, blueberries, violets, bacon fat, and peppery notes all emerge from the glass, and it has no hard edges and a sensational mouthfeel that keeps you coming back to the glass. It will evolve for 15 years or more, and I doubt it will ever close down. Those who like ripe, sexy, yet still pure, focused, and flawlessly balanced Cornas should back up the truck for this sensational wine. - Jeb Dunnuck