France

98 Points! The standout wine of the tasting (as expected). Opulent, concentrated with intense cassis notes on both the nose and palate, with a deep-purple hue in the glass (although not quite as deep as the 1995). Mint, cool, menthol on the nose with restrained oak hovering in the background. The palate is ultra-elegant with a freshness from the acidity and perfectly-ripe tannins, combined with subtle oak and intriguing spicy, cedary notes. - Decanter Magazine, 2021

97+ Points! The last time I tasted the 1996 Mouton Rothschild (maybe a couple of years ago?), I recall it was a bit broody and closed. This showing was anything but! Deep garnet in color, it sashays out of the glass with lavishly dressed, gregarious crème de cassis, baked blackberries and plum pudding scents plus touches of menthol, fenugreek, star anise and sandalwood with fleeting glimpses at dried rose petals and oolong tea. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited, opulent and oh-so seductive, with bags of youthful black fruit and lovely finely grained tannins, finishing with fantastic freshness and length. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com 2019

97 Points! Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-brick in color with lovely crème de cassis, dried roses, hoisin and baking spice notes with underlying notions of dried cherries and mulberries plus touches of wood smoke, incense and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and packed with rich fruit framed by firm, chewy tannins, it is stacked with complex, evolving flavors and finishes with incredibly long-lasting perfumed notes. According to winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, this needs about three hours of decanting at this stage. I simply love the place this wine is in right now, possessing plenty of mature, tertiary characters yet still sporting bags of fruit. It won’t be fading anytime soon either and should cellar nicely for 20-25+ more years. Drink: 2018-2043. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com 2018

100 Points! Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle. - Jane Anson, 2021

99 Points! This is compelling, with a bright, forward currant fruit that is opening well now to show the nuance of game, earth, and gunflint to the ripe, dark fruit. The texture is tannic and fresh, with tannins starting to loosen but still in evidence. A luminous, radiant wine that will doubtless improve for another half-century. The vintage saw a solid flowering and fruit set and a warm July, but cool, rainy weather in August slowed ripening. The sun returned for most of September, but there was a bit of rain in the last week, although fine weather returned in October. At Lafite, 38% of the grapes went into the grand vin, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot – more of this last and less Merlot than customary. From 1996 forward, the percentage of Cabernet was higher than it had been hitherto. - Decanter Magazine, 2022

The bold, rich 1990 has a bouquet similar to the 1989, with its sweet, forward, leathery, spicy, toffee, caramel, and berry-scented nose. There is plump, ripe fruit, medium body, fine flesh, and a long finish. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

This house supplied the likes of Krug and Salon wiht top-notch fruit until this brother/sister managemant team took it upon themselves to vinify their amazing grapes. This champagne blends 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay form the Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bar with a solera base wine started in 2013. Killer stuff!

96 Points! Forget whatever you were doing today and let yourself sink into this incredibly concentrated and vivid wine that's the essence of Beaujolais. The depth of wild-blackberry and sour-cherry aromas is no less breathtaking than the mountain of fine tannins or the crystalline acidity that makes that mountain fly. Sustainable. Matured 100% in oak casks, but no perceptible oak. Drink from release, but this could age for decades. - JamesSuckling.com

An exciting new domaine in Puligny Montrachet! The property has sold fruit for years to top producers (and still sell to cult Burg label Kei Shiogai) but do make just a few barrels of their own wine...and it's stunning...and a stunning value to boot! For now...

The 2024 Grand Bateau is wonderfully aromatic, fresh and vibrant, opening with citrus, white peach and tropical fruit along with delicate white flowers.

The palate is bright and energetic, driven by mouthwatering acidity, but there is also a lovely fleshy quality to the fruit that gives the wine substance and texture without sacrificing freshness. Citrus and stone fruit carry through the palate, with a subtle tropical note and a clean, refreshing finish.

What we particularly like about the 2024 is the balance.

It is bright and energetic, but not thin. Fresh, but not austere. Fruity and expressive, yet beautifully balanced by its acidity.

In short, it is the kind of white wine that makes you want another glass.

96 Points! This is astonishing for the appellation with enveloping black-cherry and summer-flower aromas, so fresh and uplifting. Compelling nuances of mushrooms and forest floor on the very concentrated palate. Ample fine tannins are already almost perfectly integrated. Enormously long and precise finish with a wealth of fruit and mineral detail. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

The forgotten wine? Bouchard's Beaune Greves Vignes de L'Enfant Jesus gets all the run but did you know they made another wine from this site at 1/3 the price? And it's terrific...

This wine, as musicians say, is 'in the pocket'. Straight up fire right now! Spicy, silky, lush but  with just enough austerity to highlight the terroir of the appellation, this one went great with some wild boar. Literally could not stop drinking it...untill the bottle was gone. A deal!

96 Points! A very lush and exotically floral gewurz with tremendous concentration and plenty of rose hip and caramel alongside the restrained papaya character. Very long creamy finish with a beautifully integrated sweetness that pulls you back for more. Still quite tight at the finish. Fermented for almost a year and may well show better after more bottle age. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! The Alsace grand cru 2021 Furstentum Gewurztraminer is very clear and precisely aromatic on the bright, elegant and intense nose that combines ripe and concentrated lychee aromas with delicate flint, pastry and orange blossom notes. Full-bodied, rich and savory on the palate and based on a tight yet elegant structure with a fine acidity and tannin complex, this is a substantial, stimulating saline, grippy-mineral and still youthful but very promising Gewürztraminer that will benefit from further bottle age. 13% stated alcohol. Diam cork. Tasted at the domaine in April and at home in August 2024. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

93-95 Points! Wild strawberries, raspberries, spring lowers, sandalwood, and Provençal spice notes all emerge from the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sables De La Crau, a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape based on 100% Grenache that was fermented with some stems and brought up all in used barrels. It shows the ripe yet still fresh, elegant style of the vintage beautifully. - Jeb Dunnuck

The classic 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Tradition (95% Grenache and 5% Syrah) from Jean-Marie Royer reveals a vivid ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of fresh raspberries, spring flowers, and Provençal spices. It's medium-bodied, supple, juicy, and elegant. It should be an outstanding wine and is a terrific example of the style – and quality – of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck