France

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

92 Points! The sour cherry aromas leap out of the glass at you. Sleek, juicy and joyful on the barely medium-bodied palate. But there's also a hint of darkness in its personality that adds depth to the elegant finish. Made from Marsannay village vineyards (50+ year-old vines) with gentle maceration and no new oak. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! A blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache, the 2025 Bandol Rosé reveals an elegant, perfumed bouquet of red berries, spring flowers, pear and spices mingled with a delicate note of pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, enveloping and round, it has a juicy, elegant core of fruit with good depth, concluding with a long, saline finish. It should age gracefully over the next three to five years. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

92 Points! A well-knit version, with a fine, plush texture and lemony acidity layered with flavors of crushed black currant, chopped almond, preserved lemon and toast point. Long and elegant on the fresh finish. Pinot Noir and Meunier. - Wine Spectator

94+ Points! One of the finest wine produced by Reynald Delille, the 2025 Bandol Rosé is a compelling wine not to be missed. Wafting from the glass with aromas of red berries, pomegranate, spices and iodine, it's medium- to full-bodied, dense and tense, with a precise, seamless core of fruit framed by mineral acidity and a saline, perfumed character, concluding with a long, calcareous and ethereal finish. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

92 Points! Disgorged in December 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter, Dehours’s NV Brut Grande Réserve is built on the 2022 vintage and bolstered by 40% to 50% reserve wines from a perpetual cuvée initiated in 1998, it opens with expressive aromas of pear, peach, orange zest and honeysuckle. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and ample, underpinned by vibrant acidity. Demonstrative and approachable, this wine promises immediate pleasure. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

92 Points! This textured red showcases sweet cherries, dried herbs, meat and baking spices. Medium-bodied, it’s round and densely fruited with fine tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points – Decanter
"A beautifully crafted Saint-Estèphe with impressive depth, precision, and freshness. Dark fruits, graphite, cedar, and mineral notes are framed by fine tannins and excellent persistence."

96–97 Points – James Suckling
"A refined and focused Phélan Ségur with blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stones, and floral undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with polished tannins and a long, energetic finish."

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Fresh, vibrant and classically styled, with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, and crushed rock minerality. Excellent balance and aging potential."

93–95 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Phélan Ségur offers lovely delineation with blackberry, cassis, graphite, and subtle floral aromas. The palate is structured and persistent with fine tannins and excellent precision."

92–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Black currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, and crushed rocks form the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, energetic, and loaded with classic Saint-Estèphe character, finishing with excellent length and minerality."

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A beautifully structured and polished La Chapelle with layers of dark fruit, graphite, and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins, excellent balance, and a long, focused finish. A superb second wine.”

92–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A beautiful, layered second wine from this team, the 2025 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.3% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. Ripe black cherries, graphite, red plums, smoke, and tobacco are just some of the nuances on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, fine and polished tannins, and a great finish.”

92–94 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion prances out with gregarious notes of fresh black cherries, juicy raspberries, and cassis, plus hints of lavender oil and pencil shavings with a waft of tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine-grained tannins and great tension to match the bright black and red berry flavors, finishing minerally. The blend is 28.3% Merlot, 52.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.1% Petit Verdot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.1%.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, tobacco leaves, black cherries, cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks create the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and energetic with a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit. The finish combines minerality, freshness, and length, making this one of the strongest vintages of La Chapelle in recent years.”

92 Points! A silky, fruit-driven style, with a beam of raspberry and kirsch flavors, framed by subtle iron, sandalwood and shiso leaf hints on the edges. Stylish without sacrificing length or cut. - Wine Spectator

91 Points! The most accessible of the three is the 2013 Chateauneuf du Pape Mourre des Perdrix (64% Grenache, 18% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre), which offers fresh, elegant notes of raspberries, black cherries, lots of sappy herbs and peppery spice in a medium-bodied, elegant and seamless style. - Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2023 Arbois Chardonnay Grand Curoulet bursts from the glass with ripe yellow apple, flint, pear and wet stone. The medium-bodied palate delivers a balance of elevated flavor concentration and lively acids. This delicious Jura Chardonnay offers impressive substance while maintaining a sense of restraint. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous

92 Points! This is very perfumed, with mushrooms, berries, and even strawberries. Full and round on the palate with soft tannins and lovely sweet finish. This is very long and balanced, but still needs time. Just starting to open up now, but give it a couple of years. - JamesSuckling.com, 2011

92 Points! The NV Brut Réserve is the foundational wine at Bérêche, and the latest release is based on the 2022 vintage, incorporating a 40% perpetual reserve component, uniting the freshness of the northern slopes and the maturity of the hot, dry vintage. Fruit for this wine comes from vineyard sites across the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de Marne, and the Champagne was disgorged in October 2024 with six grams per liter dosage. Bursting from the glass with aromas of nectarine, orange zest and brioche, it's medium- to full-bodied and ample, with considerable density, underpinned by racy acidity and concluding with a chalky finish. The Brut Réserve has seen the most refinements in recent years as it no longer incorporates tailles and now features Chardonnay from Trépail; technically, this means that the pH is lower and the acidity is higher. It’s one of the most reliable entry-level NV bottlings on the market. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

92 Points! The enticing aromas of orange blossoms, chamomile and toasted baguette pull you into this very attractive and juicy sparkling wine with a discreet mousse on the medium-bodied palate. Moderate acidity for this appellation with a touch of salty minerality. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

A must-have for all you footballers!

92 Points! Fresh croissants, green apples, grapefruit and light walnuts on the nose of this crisp, balanced Champagne. Medium-bodied, seamless and sleek. 40% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 25% pinot meunier. - JamesSuckling.com

The aging of Brut Reserve on the lees for almost 4 years more than doubles the legal minimum of 15 months. This extra time in the cellars allows the wine to reach the peak of aromatic maturity, and the result is a delicately balanced Champagne, known for its consistently excellent quality.

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“So much energy in this wine, with freshness, vivid cherry and raspberry character, fine tannins and bright acidity. Medium-bodied. How a 2025 should be.”

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Ripe black fruit with liquorice, tobacco and cedar aromas. Sleek and polished, this has both brightness and subtle power to it. The tannins are beautifully positioned and integrated. Polished!”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Estate signature, showing inky depths and character, damson, blueberry, espresso, a good quality wine with character and impact. Real potential over ageing.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Red, blue, and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and tons of violet nuances all define the rock-solid 2025 Château Faugères, a beautifully polished, layered Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé.”

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Lafon-Rochet is classy and polished, as it so often is. Readers will find a Saint-Estèphe of nuance, delineation and understated class. Vibrant blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage and menthol are some of the many nuances that begin to open with some coaxing. This is classic Lafon-Rochet all the way.”

94 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Wonderful fragrance emitting out of the glass. Fruity and juicy straight away, clean, crisp, bright and fresh with a really cool, wet stone undercurrent. There’s firmness but also finesse with lovely structure and focus. Super long, with that cool fresh grip really extending on the finish. Joyous.”

93–94 Points – James Suckling
“A dense, chocolaty and focused red showing generous fruit and bark on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, chewy tannins. Textural, with nice concentration and a long, vivid, flavorful finish.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A serious, focused wine from this Saint-Estèphe château, the 2025 Château Lafon-Rochet offers darker, juicy blue fruits, leafy herbs, graphite, and liquid violets and spring flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's structured and concentrated, with integrated acidity and outstanding length.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black currants, licorice, spice, mint and cedar aromatics emerge easily in the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, and energetic, with chewy currants, a touch of cocoa, and classic Saint-Estèphe character on the finish.”

92 Points! The 2023 Chablis—sourced chiefly from vineyard parcels that border La Forest—continues to distinguish itself as one of the finest examples in its category. Its bouquet weaves together citrus oils, pear and white peach. The medium- to full-bodied palate is ample and textural, displaying considerable depth and energy that persist through to a long, sapid finish. While it can—and undoubtedly will—be approached young, it possesses all the prerequisites for graceful evolution, bearing in mind that a wine’s longevity depends not on the vineyard-site name alone but on the way it is worked and made. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"This has the intensity and the structure of the vintage, matched by a ton of juice and black fruits, orange peel, black chocolate, slate, crayon. Great potential, if lacking a little in the real luscious tannic quality that you get in Pomerol in the best vintages. Vignobles K, JC Meyrou director. Harvest September 4 to 17. 27 hl/ha yield. 3.51 pH. 100% new oak."

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Enclos Tourmaline is a selection of the best plots the Kwok family owns in Pomerol. Dark and ample, with tremendous power, the 2025 captures all the natural richness of the year and also remains remarkably balanced. Dark-toned fruit, espresso, chocolate, new leather and licorice build nicely. Enclos Tourmaline is fermented in barrel, an approach that works quite well here."