Rhone Valley

96+ Points! The most balanced and transparent wine in the range, the 2023 Les Jardinières is showing superbly this year. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of blood orange, elderflower, violets, peonies and dark cherries, it’s medium- to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a fleshy yet vibrant core of fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. Concluding with a long, perfumed and ethereal finish, this is one of the vintage’s most complete and characterful renditions of Gigondas. Paul Fumoso is positioning Domaine Gour de Chaulé among the most compelling addresses in the Southern Rhône today. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

98 Points! Coming from the Bois de Boursan and Crousroute lieux-dits, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Roussannes De Charles is a bigger, richer wine offering ripe stone fruits, brioche, orange marmalade, and honeyed flowers. Based on 100% Roussanne and aged six months in 100% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, brilliant mid-palate concentration, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It comes closest in style to Beaucastel's Roussanne Vieilles Vignes and is an absolutely brilliant effort that gains freshness with time in the glass. There are a scant 100 cases of this beauty. If you see a bottle, buy it. - Jeb Dunnuck

91 Points! Meaty black cherries, sappy garrigue, flowers, and black olives all emerge from the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 82% Grenache and 18% Syrah and aged 12 months in a mix of foudre, demi-muids, and used barrels. It's medium-bodied, charming, spicy, and complex, with ripe tannins and the more forward, delicious, easy style of the vintage. This beautifully balanced effort is as charming and satisfying as they come. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

Bright currant, sweet cherry, and rose hip on the nose. The palate reveals layers of darker fruits, black plum, blueberry pie, and baking spices. A sappy and exceptionally drinkable CdR. Much richer than the average.

96 Points! All Grenache from this brilliant lieu-dit with sandy soils situated just to the north of Rayas, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Secrets De Pignan was destemmed and aged 18 months in stainless steel. Gorgeous wild strawberry, spring flowers, mint, and loamy earth-like nuances all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. There are roughly 333 cases of this beauty, which is already gorgeous yet should keep for 15 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

91 Points! Juicy and vivid, this red shows notes of sweet cherries, raspberries and sweet spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Succulent, with plenty of fruit character and a spicy lift in the lively finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! Provençal red and black fruits, meaty spice, and peppery herbs all emerge from the 2023 Cairanne Les 2 Arbres, an equal blend of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah aged in cement tanks with less than 5% in neutral barrels. It's medium-bodied, round, and supple, with a nicely textured mouthfeel that's ripe and satisfying. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! 51% Roussanne, 24% Grenache Blanc, 15% Clairette, 10% Viognier. Sumptuously pure peach and melon with hints of vanilla; creamy without excess: one of those quiet wines which creep up and delight over several glasses. - Decanter World Wine Awards

91 Points! 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache. Complex bouquet of cherries, spices, tobacco and olives. Ripe fruits and herbal notes on the palate, fine grained tannins and a long, succulent finish. - Decanter World Wine Awards

98 Points! Plenty of class, a subtle texture, balance and precision. It shows aromas of raspberries, red cherries, roasted meat, warm spices and some leather. Medium- to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. The texture is so refined, restrained and savory, with a long, precise, chiseled finish. Almost crunchy, with an attractive note of orange peel. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Still in tank at the time of tasting, Charvin’s 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape shows a less flamboyant profile than last year, opening with aromas of menthol, spices, cassis and mulberries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it reveals a lively, tensile core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a finish marked by real freshness. Matured for 21 months, this blend of 82% Grenache Noir, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 4% Vaccarèse and the balance Counoise is another impressive success from Laurent Charvin, emphasizing precision and vibrancy over sheer opulence. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! Fermented with lots of stems and aged entirely in concrete tanks, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape brings textbook aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, sappy garrigue, leather, and damp flowers, as well as black pepper. It has a deep ruby/plum hue and offers medium body, a pure, focused, elegant mouthfeel, ripe yet certainly building tannins, and a great finish. This is a textbook Châteauneuf with complexity, nuances, richness, and elegance. - Jeb Dunnuck

90 Points! Based on 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and the rest Mourvèdre brought up in tank and foudre, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône offers red and black fruits, peppery herbs, licorice, and some stone minerality on the nose. It's medium-bodied, has a pretty, pure, juicy, absolutely delicious style, and delivers the goods as this cuvée always does. - Jeb Dunnuck

90+ Points! Notes of lilac, dark cherries and flowers preface Guigal’s 2022 Côtes du Rhône, a juicy, round and elegant wine that is also remarkably dense for the vintage and represents excellent value. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

97 Points! Robust, floral and intense. 100% old-vine grenache, expressing aromas of wild berries, sweet cherries, orange peel, dried flowers, grilled herbs and loads of spices. It’s full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Juicy at the center with so much energy. It’s vibrant and focused with good drive in the finish. Bright and agile. From organically grown grapes with Ecocert certification. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! There's a lot to love in this ethereal red, with stunning purity and allure. The perfumed nose is marked by black fruit, pepper, smoked bacon and tobacco, with smoky oolong tea in the backdrop. Concentrated yet doesn't feel weighed down, with fine, chalky tannins landing the finish, which stretches out in effortless harmony and reveals earthy tugs of tar and juniper. Its beautiful suppleness makes this approachable now, but this will also go the distance in the cellar. Drink now through 2040. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine du Banneret is superb, wafting from the glass with a perfumed bouquet of peonies, wildflowers, dark cherries, red berries and garrigue. Medium- to full-bodied, suave and seamless, it’s layered and textural, with a delicate, juicy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins and concluding with an expansive, lingering finish. This is arguably one of the finest wines ever produced at this address—and without contest, one of the wines of the vintage. It’s a blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and the remainder made up of small percentages of the other permitted varieties. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

90 Points! Rocking stuff, the 2024 Côtes du Rhône offers peppery red and black fruits, spice, and beautiful minerality. It's medium-bodied, fresh, focused, and balanced, with the pure, focused, graceful style of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

90 Points! Dark, inky and nicely unadorned, with violet and fresh blackberry flavors showing real purity and freshness. Ripe and weighty, offering velvety tannins that guide the chalky, smooth finish, flecked with fleur de sel, garrigue and licorice root. Solid and vibrant. - Wine Spectator

A great nose of orchard fruits, orange zest, spice, and a touch of crushed stone emerges from the 2023 Saint Joseph Mairlant Blanc, a medium gold-hued Saint Joseph Blanc from François Villard. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, has good acidity, and shows a balanced, layered, enjoyable style.  - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A terrific Condrieu, the 2023 Condrieu Deponcins has tons of sautéed peach, honeyed orange, and perfumed floral and spice nuances on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, ripe, round, and beautifully textured on the palate, with a good sense of freshness as well as a kiss of minerality on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

Villard makes four different Condrieu wines and three are single vineyards. Villard owns three hectares in the Poncins vineyard in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône and makes two wines from this parcel. DePoncins comes from 25 year old vines. Aged for 11 months, without racking, in 30% new barrels and 70% in barrels that are three to five years old. Great intensity and minerality.

94 Points! Fragrant white blossoms, honeysuckle and ripe stone fruit define this Viognier from declassified Condrieu. Cool fermentation in used oak barrels and six months of weekly bâtonnage bring richness and texture. The palate is silky and balanced, unfolding into a long, unctuous finish with mineral poise. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Based on Bourboulenc, Viognier, and Marsanne, the 2024 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel Blanc is a killer white offering honeyed peach, orange blossom, white flowers, and a kiss of minerality. It's medium-bodied, pure, focused, and elegant, with a layered mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This is legit fabulous stuff that's as good as many a top Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc and will drink beautifully over the coming 4-6 years. - Jeb Dunnuck