Spain

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95-96 Points! A beautifully structured and complex white with pristine, bright citrus fruit and an exotic touch. There’s a mineral character to it, too, with oyster-shell and crushed-stone notes. It’s medium- to full-bodied with racy acidity that adds energy and tension. Very long finish with fine tannins that frame it nicely. - James Suckling

95 Points! Bright and steely, serious; upright with vertical lift, smoked oak fairly evident, with a little more present oak than some of them; there is some leafy mint qulaity steely, will age. - Jane Anson

92-94 Points! The white Malartic Lagraviere 2023 bursts with notes of honey-drizzled peaches, fresh Golden Delicious apples, and grapefruit oil, leading to touches of mandarin peel, crushed stones, and beeswax. The medium-bodied palate has impressive tension and texture framing the intense orchard fruit flavors, finishing long and perfumed. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

92-94 Points! The 2023 Malartic-Lagravière Blanc has a taut, correct and, in some ways, conservative bouquet that takes time to unfold in the glass. But, I appreciate the tension and mineralité. Hints of petrichor and Granny Smiths eventually take control. The palate is very well balanced with a fresh lemon sherbet-, orange pith- and lemongrass-tinged opening. There's a very appealing texture and impressive weight on the finish. Overall, this is a superb white Malartic to drink over the next 20 years. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95-96 Points! Very pretty and polished with blackberry, blueberry and ink character, as well as a hint of hazelnut. It’s medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins to the fruit. Fine and flavorful finish. - James Suckling

95 Points! Excellent vintage at Malartic, rich plum colour, cocoa bean, black chocolate, anis and fennel, this is skilfully constructed. Peony and iris notes arrive through the mid palate, giving a focus on savoury Cabernet, cassis bud, mint leaf, elegant and well measured. You can see the building blocks and feel totally confident about how well it will develop over the next decade and beyond - suggest waiting at least six to eight years before opening. Great stuff from the Bonnie family, who continue to make this an unmissable Pessac. - Jane Anson

92-94 Points! The 2023 Malartic Lagravière is a beautifully poised, elegant wine. It is perhaps not as exuberant as many wines in this vintage, and yet all the elements are very nicely balanced. I find the interplay of rich, heady flavors, aromatics and classicism to be intriguing. It will be interesting to see where this goes, but I like the direction. Lifted floral top notes add to an impression of understated finesse. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2021 Dits del Terra shows lower alcohol and more freshness, and it has an herbal note and feels very young and undeveloped. Like most of the 2021s, they shortened the time of aging, and it was completely in concrete and didn't touch any oak (they sold all the foudres). There's purity and precision, elegance and freshness. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92+ Points! The ripe red 2018 Terra de Cuques is a 50/50 blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from different vineyards around the village of Torroja (there are some grapes from Poboleda, a cooler village) that fermented equal parts in stainless steel and concrete; it matured in concrete and foudres but with the intention to abandon the aging in oak in the near future. It has lots of notes of licorice and Mediterranean herbs, intermixed with ripe berries and very little impact from the oak. The palate is round and reveals abundant grainy tannins. This is a powerful Terra de Cuques. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93+ Points! The very recently bottled 2021 Terra de Cuques Blanc was produced with 90% Pedro Ximénez and 10% Muscat with a moderate 13% alcohol, the minimum required by the appellation. It's serious, with good freshness, a little reductive at first but then more expressive with abundant notes of pollen and a honeyed touch, with a little skin contact that gives it character and some notes of quince and fine tannins. There's finesse and elegance and it's very clean. They have food in mind when they do the wines, so there is a constant search for freshness. There is a good demand for whites, and they sell everything, but the planting of white vineyards is limited. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! Subtle green spice and cement to the squeezed lemon and grapefruit, with a hint of nori-like umami. Dry, creamy and sleek, with medium to full body and lovely texture to the neutral fruit, though not lacking in substance. Very contained. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: After a fateful tasting at Can Roca followed by the tasting menu, Dominik Huber became convinced that not enough attention was being paid to white wines in the Priorat. Out of the dozen courses he had, only about three were suited to red wines so when he got back to Torroja he set about creating two new wines at Terroir al Limit – Terra de Cuques and Pedra de Guix. Naturally when Dominik launched Terroir Històric in 2015, the white wasn’t going to be an afterthought and it in fact represents half of his production. A blend of Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeu, the Terroir Historic Blanc is pressed whole cluster, and ferments and ages for 6 months in a 5000L concrete tank. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

92+ Points! The 2019 Terroir Históric is charming, approachable, round, open and expressive, with good ripeness and 14% alcohol, a juicy palate with a soft mouthfeel and round tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94-96 Points! A powerful, brooding wine. Black cherry, lavender, dark spice, menthol, licorice and plum bring out somber shades of expression in this decidedly virile Pessac Leognan…there is so much to look forward to here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! Moving to the red, the 2019 Domaine De La Solitude (Pessac-Léognan) reveals a ruby/plum color as well as textbook Graves notes of red and black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has ripe, supple, yet building tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done, and while I'd happily drink a bottle today, it will keep for upwards of two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! This wine stands out as a sensational effort just a few years away from full maturity. A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine displays loads of scorched earth and smoky barbecue scents along with blueberry, black raspberry and black currant. The wine is expansive, has a savory, broad palate and a full-bodied mouthfeel, yet possesses vivid purity and uplift. The tannins are still present, but they are sweet and well-integrated. This wine should hit full maturity in another year or two and last for at least 20 more years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2010

100 Points! One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2012

96 Points! The 1990 La Mission Haut-Brion is drinking brilliantly right now. Revealing aromas of truffles, spices, mocha, prune and a touch of tobacco, it’s beautifully balanced, satiny and sensual, with incredible concentration and a long, delicate finish. It’s a very beautiful 1990 with all the characteristics of this estate: finesse and elegance. I recommend drinking it now and until 2040. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

100 Points! One of the great wines of the vintage, and the last produced under the ownership of the Woltner family, the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion remains remarkably youthful, exhibiting a saturated ruby-black hue. Unfurling in the glass with rich aromas of black fruits, cigar smoke, loamy soil, black truffle, peat and pencil shavings, it's full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. Over the last decade, the wine has become increasingly seamless and elegant, without losing any of its vitality, and it is now clear, if it were ever in doubt, that this wine can stand alongside vintages such as 1961 and 1955 as one of the great La Mission Haut-Brions of the 20th century. Readers should note that the La Tour Haut-Brion of the same vintage performs at a very similar level of quality. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! Intense aromas of violets, berries and spices follow through to a full-bodied palate, with layers of supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Very classic in style. All in elegance and length. I like it better than the 2000. Best after 2009. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Haut-Brion’s 2001, which was bottled late (the end of September, 2003), possesses an unmistakable nobility as well as a burgeoning complexity. Plum/purple to the rim, this blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc is playing it close to the vest, having closed down considerably after bottling. Nevertheless, it reveals pure notes of sweet and sour cherries, black currants, licorice, smoke, and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with excellent purity, firm tannin, and an angular, structured finish, it requires 5-7 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

96 Points! A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 Haut-Bailly possesses incredible complexity. Tell-tale notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal, damp earth, black cherries and black currants intermixed with a hint of subtle barbecue smoke are present in this classic, quintessential Graves. Medium-bodied with an emerging, precocious complexity, it is a super-pure, beautifully textured, long wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo! - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

94 Points! Fully mature, yet still pure and layered, with plenty of vibrancy, the 2008 Château Haut-Bailly has quintessential Haut-Bailly sweet darker berries, smoked tobacco, minty herbs, and floral aromas and flavors. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has firmer, focusing tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is a more austere, focused style from the estate that has a classic, age-worthy style. It should hold nicely going forward and, I suspect, have another 10-15 years of prime drinking, with a gradual decline thereafter. - Jeb Dunnuck, 2023

97 Points! The iconic 2012 Pape Clement is a candidate for near-perfection as well as one of the wines of the vintage. From proprietor Bernard Magrez, this is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. This extraordinary vineyard (a few miles to the west of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion) has hit all the highlights of this vintage. Interestingly, the quality of the Pomerols and Graves wines in 2012 is closer to what one would consider a great vintage than the general image of 2012. This is truly great wine and not far off their magnificent 2005 and 2010. Full-bodied, with rich cassis, subtle burning embers and spice followed by velvety, well-integrated tannins, the wine is lush, expansive, savory and profound. This is a remarkable wine that could be drunk at a reasonably young age, but should cellar brilliantly for a quarter-century. Yields were modest at 37 hectoliters per hectare from this 132-acre estate. The alcohol level came in at 13.5%. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2015