Rhone Valley

95 Points! An attractive, layered, velvety and poised Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of cherries, strawberries, dried herbs, tar and baking spices. It's full-bodied with fine tannins. Succulent and well composed. There’s elegance here, yet it has character and structure. It's in control, seductive and flavorful with a long finish. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Deeper ruby-hued and semi-opaque, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape reveals ultra-classic aromatics of ripe black cherries, peppered meats, garrigue, lavender, and sandalwood nuances. Based on 75% Grenache, 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault, it was partially destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and aged 12 months in large foudre. It's medium-bodied and has a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This plays in the more charming, forward style of the vintage yet has everything in the right place, with flawless balance, and it’s just loaded with charm and character. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! I continue to love this wine from Ferraton. Their 2019 Hermitage Les Miaux reveals a medium gold hue as well as a classic bouquet of caramelized citrus, quince, white flowers, marzipan, and white flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, this is a rock star bottle of wine that's going to drink brilliant for upwards of a decade, and I suspect an extended aged example will also show brilliantly. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 opens in the glass with ripe raspberry, black cherry, cassis and cedar. Scheduled to age in large foudres for two years, ripe tannins offer the wine a good structure and framework. Finishing on a savory note, the 2022 looks quite promising at this early stage. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous

The classic red of the domaine accounts for approximately 85% of the annual production of the estate.  It is composed of 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and a balance of other traditional varieties. The grapes are not destemmed, the cuvaison lasts for three weeks and the élevage encompasses an additional 18 months in traditional foudre wood vats before the wine is bottled unfiltered. The fruit is perfectly in balance with the textural elements, showing typical dark fruit notes with discernible energy and liveliness. Its slighty sauvage character and firm structural backbone is leavened by its exceptional breed.

95 Points! Power, structure and freshness are united in this stunning, modern Chateauneuf-du-Pape that has stacks of Mediterranean herb and raw meat character. Excellent concentration and energy. The elegantly dry finish is very long and precisely contoured. Sustainable. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! I love the wines from this estate, which always shine for their incredible perfume and complexity. Exotic red and black fruits, lavender, basil, peppery garrigue, and sandalwood notes define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 58% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 18% Mourvèdre that was brought up mostly in larger foudre but with a small part in used barrels. With medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, present tannins, and outstanding length, this beauty is well worth your time and money. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Medium gold-hued, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Fontaine Blanc offers rich, complex aromatics of ripe orchard fruits, white flowers, almond paste, and hints of fresh croissant. It's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, and it’s beautifully layered and textured, with integrated acidity and a blockbuster of a finish. Pure gold in white Rhône, I wouldn't push the aging curve here and would drink bottles over the coming 5-7 years, possibly a decade. Don't let that deter you, though. This is absolutely riveting stuff. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-92 Points! Blackberries, spicy garrigue, herbes de Provence, and some peppery nuances all emerge from the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sinards, a medium-bodied, supple, elegant red with tons of character. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2020 Gigondas Clos Des Tourelles should be a step up. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and remarkably well-balanced, it has a terrific mix of red and almost blue fruits as well as peppery herbs and flowers. Already complex and nuanced, yet concentrated and rich, it’s a serious effort from the Perrin family that’s going to have 15+ years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-92 Points! Lots of black and blue fruits, burning embers, and candied flower notes all emerge from the 2020 Crozes-Hermitage. Medium to full-bodied, it has a pretty, elegant, seamless texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! I think the finest vintage for the classic cuvee ever, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sensational blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah and the balance other permitted varieties. Aged mostly in tank, it offers a massive array of smoked herbs, lavender, black raspberries, toasted nuts, truffle and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe, decadent and concentrated, it has slightly less structure than the '09, but has more raw material. This flat-out awesome Chateauneuf will have 20 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com, 2015

95 Points! The 2017 Chimère reminds me a little of the 2011 with its more elegant yet still powerful style. Beautiful notes of black cherries, blueberries, cured meats, pepper, tree bark, and new leather all emerge from the glass, followed by a rich, medium to full-bodied, tight, backward and unevolved Mourvèdre that needs forgotten for 4-5 years. As always, this cuvée is primarily Mourvèdre (it’s normally blended with Grenache and other varieties, even some white varieties) and there are a scant 100 cases made. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! A bigger, richer wine based mostly on Grenache from a single parcel around the estate on the lower plain of Gigondas, the 2023 Gigondas La Louisiane shows darker blackberries and kirsch intermixed with ground pepper, sappy garrigue, and some meaty, spicy nuances that give this an ultra-classic Gigondas style. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a pure, focused mouthfeel, ultra-fine yet building tannins, and integrated acidity. It's a brilliant effort that will stand toe to toe with anything in the vintage and should drink well over the coming 15+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

#SAINT-DAMIEN

98 Points! Based on 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre and aged 12 months in foudres, the 2023 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is possibly the most exotic of the lineup from Saint-Damien. Kirsch liqueur, blackberries, exotic flowers, and sappy, garrigue-like nuances all define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, an incredible mix of richness and elegance, and a gorgeous finish. It's another absolutely riveting Gigondas from this estate that readers should snatch up! - Jeb Dunnuck

#SAINT-DAMIEN

95 Points! Black cherries, blue fruits, bloody meats, and roasted herbs all emerge from the 2022 Cornas Empreintes, a rich, meaty, mouth-filling Cornas that brings beautiful fruit, a stacked mid-palate, and velvety tannins. It's slightly broader and more textured compared to the more inward, structured Confidence release and will need just a few years of bottle age. Drink 2027-2042. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! Mostly Clairette (there’s 20% Grenache Blanc), the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Bernardine Blanc has a gorgeous array of ripe pears, honeyed tangerines, white flowers, and a wonderful sense of stony minerality. This all carries to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured, and flawlessly balanced white with integrated acidity and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Full, expressive nose of candied citrus, dried pear and vanilla that pulls you into this very structured, full-bodied white Chateauneuf, which has energetic acidity for this hot and dry vintage. The positive, fine tannins really help to drive this cuvee with clairette from the extreme east of the appellation and grenache blanc from the extreme west. This was vinified in a mix of demi-muid and foudre oak casks. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Recently bottled, the 2021 Hermitage Blanc is a brilliant wine that shows a fresher, more mineral-driven style while still clearly being in the classic Jean-Louis concentrated, textured style. White currants, crushed citrus, flowers, green almond, and a kiss of reductive-like minerality all define the aromatics, and if you called this a great Grand Cru White Burgundy in a blind tasting, I wouldn't hold it against you. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, with a terrific salinity on the finish, it's going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and I suspect evolve for 20-25 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! In spite of its extreme youth, this great Chateuneuf-du-Pape leaps out at you with its depth of wet-earth, ripe red-berry and dried-flower aromas. Rich and concentrated, but so suave and refined. Incredible length! Already delicous, but this has a great future ahead of it. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A classic blend (yet with a touch more Mourvèdre due to tiny yields), the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 65% Grenache, 15% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault and other varieties, aged 20-22 months in 60-hectoliter French oak foudres. A gorgeous wine, it shows the ultra-classic style of this domaine perfectly with ripe red and black berries, peppery garrigue, flowers, and an undeniably mineral character. Medium to full-bodied, with a fresh, focused mouthfeel, ripe and building tannins, and outstanding length, it offers pleasure today yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 20-30 years if you're so inclined. - Jeb Dunnuck

91 Points! A fruity and delicate red with sour cherries, blueberries, violets, black pepper and hints of smoke. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Precise and fresh with crunchy berries towards the salivating finish. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! This savory, gentle-styled red shows the hallmark of the leaner vintage. Wild berry and smoked meat notes cruise alongside dried herbs, crushed iron and white pepper. Harmonious and elegant, with well-integrated, salty tannins and a floral perfume. - Wine Spectator

96-98 Points! Displays potent, mineral-accented dark berry preserve, olive paste and incense aromas that are complemented by floral oil, pipe tobacco and exotic spice flourishes. Chewy, densely packed and sharply focused on the palate, offering intense, spice-laced blackberry, blueberry, bitter cherry, violet pastille and smoky bacon flavors that turn livelier with air. Closes on an emphatic mineral note, with solid thrust, gripping tannins and superb, floral-tinged persistence. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

90 Points! Juicy red berries, herbes de Provence, pepper, and a hint of sandalwood lift from the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Mon Coeur. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with savory tannins and tons of personality and charm, it's perfect for drinking over the coming 4-6 years. Drink 2025-2031. - Jeb Dunnuck