Rhone Valley

98 Points! Tasting this very powerful and concentrated Cornas is like listening to a piece of organ music when the bass kicks in. Very meaty. A wealth of blackberry aromas unfurls as it aerates in the glass. More than enough fruit and flesh to wrap around the imposing core of beautifully crafted tannins. The deep bass notes echo on and on in the compelling finish. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! No Renaissance was produced in this vintage. Reminding me of the 2017, the 2022 Cornas reveals gorgeous red and black fruits, violets, bouquet garni, and gamey, iron-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a gorgeous finish. This is well worth your time and money, and I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades. This is another beautiful lineup from the Clape family. The 2023s are supple and upfront, with terrific depth of fruit. Due to tiny yields, no Renaissance cuvée was produced in 2022, and the Grand Vin is brilliant stuff, with a sunny yet concentrated, structured style that reminds me of the estate's 2017. These are beautiful, classic Cornas that readers will love. In addition, don't miss their Saint-Péray, a fresher, crisp, absolutely delicious white. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A tasting of various barrel samples suggests that the 2022 vintage here will be very good, if not necessarily the most powerful year. The fruit is quite dark in character and there's a good sense of purity if not the same freshness as 2021 or 2020, or the grandeur of 2019. Nonetheless, an excellent wine and a fairly typical expression of Clape Cornas. Tannins are ripe and elegant. - Decanter Magazine

92 Points! A balanced, lively and precise white with aromas of fresh lemons, linden and exotic spices such as turmeric. It’s medium-bodied, with a bright core of aromatic herbs and spices bringing vitality on the palate. Vivid and focused, with a well-driven, persistent finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel Blanc is terrific, with a soft, supple, forward style in its pure white peach, quince, and honeyed flower aromas and flavors. It's medium-bodied and has the vintage's purity as well as outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! A finely calibrated version that offers high-toned elements of violet, plum and black currant alongside an iron-edged, chalky mineral backbone. Warm earth and humus notes fill in, with salty intensity and smoked bacon accents. Singed mesquite smoke wafts through the delicious finish, which shows good density. Drink now through 2032. - Wine Spectator

92 Points!  Floral notes redolent of iris and violet mingled with peony preface the 2023 Vacqueyras from Domaine Santa Duc, a moderately weighted, tense and straight wine with a lot of energy, a juicy texture and a long, ethereal, tangy and endless finish. With time in the cellar, this wine promises to develop greater complexity, revealing its full potential. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! Youthful purple. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, star anise, olive, violet and tobacco. A smoky mineral accent builds steadily in the glass and energizes the spice-laced, dark berry liqueur, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Clings with strong tenacity on the youthfully tannic finish, leaving behind sappy blue fruit, cracked pepper and mineral notes. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

92-94 Points! A prospective blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache and 20% Carignan, the 2022 Cairanne la Brunote offers up notions of black truffles, black cherries and black licorice. Full-bodied and richly concentrated, it's almost creamy in texture, with a lingering finish. Yum. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

#Domaine_Alary_Part_II

94-96 Points! It features stunning aromas of licorice, blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, it finishes long and silky, with hints of black olive lending a welcome savory edge.- Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2022 Cairanne L'Estevenas offers red and black fruits, spring flowers, game, mint, and rose petals in a Côte-Rôtie look-alike. Medium-bodied, focused, and elegant, with beautiful tannins, this 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah includes 30% whole clusters and was aged 18 months in concrete, bottled without filtration. Drink bottles over the coming 7-10 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

#Domaine_Alary_Part_II

92 Points! Stacks of toasted nut, candied citrus and pineapple aromas on the nose, plus a touch of melted butter. Quite full-bodied thanks also to the mutually reinforcing ripeness and fine tannins. Nice stony minerality and some saltiness at the long finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A lush, broad version, with creamed peach and apricot racing alongside heather, bitter almond and green herbs. A salty mineral vein keeps the energy high, with flickers of salted butter and smoke at the end, which shows bitter contrast. Drink now through 2028.- Wine Spectator

97 Points! A strong candidate for the title of the wine of the vintage, the 2022 Hermitage Le Greal is gorgeous. Evoking a perfumed, complex and vibrant bouquet of blackberry, rose petal, violet, flowers and dark cherries mingled with lovely notes of lead pencil, it's suave and sappy, complete and deep, with a multidimensional core of fruit and beautifully refined tannins enhanced by an energetic mid-palate that segues into a long, perfumed and ethereal finish due to the use of whole bunches. Truly gorgeous. It should gain raciness with age. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

92 Points! Offers a seductive, refined nose of potpourri, currant and fresh plum notes. Finely grained tannins encase the smooth palate, firmly grounded with bolts of iron. Heady incense and perfume notes carry through the medium palate, tightly packed with mouthwatering acidity and smoke. - Wine Spectator

100 Points! Even better (as well as a perfect wine), the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Collection Charles Giraud checks in as a nominal blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre that was brought up in demi-muids. It reveals a deep purple color as well as heavenly notes of blackberry and currant fruits intermixed with loads of cured meats, spice box, Asian spices, and a distinct loamy soil and minerality. Always more structured and powerful than the Reserve Auguste Favier release (no doubt due to the Mourvèdre component), it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. Pure perfection in a glass, it’s as good as wine gets. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades. Hats off to winemaker Isabelle Ferrando for yet another thrilling wine! - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Plenty of chocolate plus some caramel and anchovy aromas. Rich and structured with ample richness wrapped around the rather fine tannins. Easy to enjoy thanks to the very good balance through the lingering finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Toasty, meaty and inviting, this fresh red shows an understated, savory side, with notes of singed spices, mesquite, wet earth and fresh tobacco leaf flanking a silky range of plum and warm cherry compote flavors. Channels its terroir, with a round feel held in check by refined tannins. The finish is lined with cool minerality and heavy iron. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! A step up, the 2021 Saint Joseph Le Lombard Blanc is more rounded and complete, with beautiful honeyed quince, spice, and dried herbs in a medium-bodied, round, supple package that's already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! From a single parcel of 65-year-old vines, the 2017 Cairanne Col du Debat features subtle cinnamon and clove notes on the nose. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, with plenty of raspberry and cherry fruit, plus attractive resiny notes of rosemary and pine on the long finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

96 Points! The 2019 Saint Joseph Cuvée Revirand is all Syrah that was not destemmed and saw malolactic fermentation in barrel followed by 18 months in French oak. Just a thrilling Saint Joseph that pretty much stopped me in my tracks, it has ample red and black fruits, notes of leather, woodsmoke, iron, and pepper, full-bodied richness, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it showed more structure and depth with air. It can certainly be drunk today, but it will ideally be given 2-3 years in the cellar, and I’d be shocked if it didn’t evolve gracefully for another decade or more.

I don’t have much experience with this domaine, which was created in 2007, but I certainly came away impressed. These are well worth the extra effort to track down. - Jeb Dunnuck