Wines

95+ Points! The 2021 Bordeaux Red Blend is the first iteration to include a significant amount of fruit from Farrow Ranch, Aperture's latest vineyard acquisition. It's a blend of 44% Merlot, 27% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries, integrated new oak spices, tobacco and tapenade. The palate is particularly elegant, balancing concentrated, nuanced flavors with a frame of velvety tannins and vibrant acidity that calls you back to the glass. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

98 Points! An absolutely brilliant wine, the 2021 Ontogeny is an appellation blend put together by Bevan, and it's a year-in, year-out incredible value. Competing with wines 2-3 times its price (if not more), it reveals a deep purple hue as well as an exuberant, full-bodied, concentrated style carrying loads of cr me de cassis, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. Super-rich, opulent, yet flawlessly balanced, with silky tannins, you should buy a case of this if you can. It should have at least 10-15 years of prime drinking. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

98 Points! Structured and powerful, this is not as forbidding as En Primeur in many vintages of Las Cases, showing both flesh and florality, but the tannic walls of this great estate remain fully in place, coupled with layers of cassis and bilberry fruits, subtle hints of bitter aniseed, fennel, cola, espresso, squid ink, textured slate tannins. Expect inky depths and unashamed austerity, a wine that will take its time to open, making no excuses for demanding patience. So so good, with a balance and classicism that delivers on the best of the vintage. 80% new oak, 6.6% press wine, 3.79h, harvest September 9 to October 2, 43hl/h yield. First year in the new cellars, with 43.5ha going into the main wine from the historic walled vineyard site. - Jane Anson

97-98 Points! Exceptional quality of cabernet comes through here, with a lot of graphite, lead pencil, crushed stone, walnut and currant fruit. It grows and expands on the palate, remaining in focus at the same time. Refined and seamless with beautiful tannins that show power and intensity. It rolls across the palate with verve. 86% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc and 4% merlot. - James Suckling

95-97 Points! The 2023 Léoville Las-Caseswas picked from September 9 to October 2 at 43hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak barrels. This has a very precise bouquet, and, like the Clos du Marquis, it is imbued with an attractive estuarine element-aromatics that transport the imbiber to the banks of the Gironde. The oak is neatly integrated; 80% is much optimal than 100% would have been. The palate is lightly spiced on the entry, moderately deep and quite lively on the mid-palate. This is a more linear Las-Cases than recent vintages, conveying a sense of "seriousness" toward the almost saturnine finish. Impressive in terms of persistence, this is a worthy follow-up to the magnificent 2022, but it will demand patience. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95-97+ Points! The 2023 Leoville Las Cases is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of ripe blackcurrants, black cherries, and mulberries slowly emerge from the glass, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of iris, crushed rocks, fertile loam, and dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate is very tightly wound with taut black berry layers and loads of mineral accents, framed by firm fine-grained tannins and wonderful tension, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. This should be a very long-lived Las Cases! The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot, with pH 3.79, alcohol of 13.1%, and TPI 72. It is aging for around 18 months in French oak barriques, 80% new. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

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

95-96 Points! This offers beautiful blackcurrants and blackberries with hints of chocolate and walnuts. Medium- to full-bodied with vivid acidity that adds tension and freshness to the mid-palate. It’s full of life and vibrancy, very fine and polished, and with nicely integrated tannins. Long finish. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 9% cabernet franc. What will be better between 2022 and 2023? - James Suckling

93-95 Points! The 2023Clos du Marquis might very well be the best Clos du Marquis I have ever tasted. A wine freshness and verve, the 2023 is all nuance. Sweet red plum, blood orange, spice, flowers, mint and white pepper are finely cut. The 2023 shows more vibrancy, less oak extraction and more refined tannins than in the past. It's a glorious wine in every way. This early tasting is hugely promising. Clos du Marquis could turn out to be one of the real surprises of 2023. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

94-95 Points! A linear and structured red with blackberry, raspberry and a hint of crushed stone. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a long, intense finish. Crunchy and minerally. Classy. Precise. 67% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon. - James Suckling

93-94 Points! The 2023 Nenin is very attractive, bursting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, dark berries, rose petals and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple palate that's pure and sensual, with a succulent core of fruit, sweet tannin and an immensely charming profile that promises a broad drinking window. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

92-94 Points! The 2023 Nenin is a classy wine that marries power with nuance. Cabernet Franc plays prominent role here, and that comes through in its aromatic presence and overall feel. There's also a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, which no doubt contributes to the wine's profile as well. Rose petal, mocha, spice, licorice, leather and cefar are all laced together in this powerhouse Pomerol. I can't wait to see where this goes. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Mocha, blood orange, creamy ripe damson and black fruits, a swirl of peony flowers, succulent but without being heavy, this is a great Nenin, showing potential of the property's 20 year old Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, used in the blend for the first time in this vintage. - Jane Anson

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

98-100 Points! A wine to convince you of the quality and ripeness of Cabernet Sauvignon in Pauillac in this 2023 vintage, showcasing superbly supple tannins, great balance, depth and savoury blue and black fruit character, bitter cocoa bean, freshly cut herbs, black tea, fennel, all vivid and with purity of character. There is density here but it is not overt, with heightened raspberry leaf, peony and violet aromatics. Vinified in the newly-completed section of the cellars, with sunken qveri-style cement vats (and egg-shaped wooden vats coming for the 2024 vintage). 50% new oak for ageing, with 35% amphora and 15% one year old barrels. One of the wines of the vintage. - Jane Anson

97-99 Points! The 2023 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of juicy blueberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant jelly spill from the glass, giving way to nuances of violets, black truffle, fertile loam, and mossy tree bark with a hint of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is so, so silky, elegant, and fine, with perfumed black and blue fruit layers and beautiful tension, finishing long with lots of shimmery mineral and floral sparkles. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new oak, 35% amphorae, and 15% used barrels. With an alcohol this year of just 13.8%, this is a beautifully poised, tightly packed powerhouse that promises to keep the firework displays bedazzling collectors for many years to come. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

97-98 Points! A very structured Pontet-Canet that expands in the mouth with a gorgeous combination of beautifully ripe fruit and intense tannins. Very structured for the vintage. Full-bodied with excellent presence and length. So much raw pencil shavings to the blackcurrants. Graphite and tar. Fresh and vivid. They picked cabernet at the right time at the end of September. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. - James Suckling

94-97 Points! The 2023 Pontet-Canet is a powerful, impressively constituted wine. Dark, vibrant and sensual in the glass, the 2023 is somber and mysterious in bearing. Black plum, gravel, lavender, graphite and licorice all meld together in the glass. More than anything else, the 2023 is incredibly well put together. In this vintage, the wine was blended at the beginning of elevage rather than at the end, as was the custom in the past. This is a gorgeous and hugely promising Pontet-Canet. I especially admire its finely cut precision and soaring aromatics. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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

97-98 Points! Wow, this is really something. Very fruity, with dark blackberries and blueberries, as well as blood oranges. It’s full and layered with great depth of fruit and chewy, polished tannins. Turns lightly salty at the end. Power with precision. 84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. - James Suckling

95-97 Points! The 2023 Valandraud delivers exactly what you expect on the nose from Jean-Luc Thunevin's crown jewel: very polished scents of black cherries, cassis and crushed violets. One sample has a soupcon of sur-maturite, although another at the Chateau displayed more composure and coolness. The palate is rich and fruit-driven with layers of black fruit. The sample at the Chateau showed more backbone and grip, a healthy sprinkling of cracked black pepper and a long and persistent finish. Give this three to five years, because it is a seriously good Saint-Emilion. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95 Points! Inky depths to Valandraud in this vintage, well constructued, intense sweet liqourice and black chocolate, starts out threatening a more old school feel for this wine, with crème de cassis dominant and high alcohols, but it is given focus and lift as it moves through the palate, with lilting aromatics of red roses, welcome pummice stone tannins, squid ink salinity, and mouthwatering freshness. Skilful, confident, impressive. - Jane Anson

99 Points! The 2019 Stones Longitude-Latitude, an even split of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, is another deep, rich, layered wine with a beautiful sense of elegance and finesse, no doubt due to the high quantity of Cabernet Franc. Cassis, violets, resinous herbs, and exotic flower notes all define the nose, and it’s pure, seamless, and balanced as they come, with perfect tannins. It too will have over two decades of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2019 Champoux Vineyard checks in as a mix of 54% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petite Verdot, aged 23 months in 30% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of pure cassis and dark cherry fruits as well as spring flowers, spicy oak, and chocolaty herbs. Rich, fleshy, opulent, and full-bodied on the palate, with its Merlot component front and center, it's going to deliver loads of pleasure over the coming 15 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! An extremely aromatic and focused Clos Apalta with blackberry, blueberry, floral and hot stone character. Full body, very linear and ultra-fine tannins. Focused and tight. Precise and long. This is the most polished and beautiful definition of this wine ever. You want to drink it now but better in 2020. A blend of carmenére, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Fonplegade opens with a very savory nose of smoked meats, tapenade, sautéed herbs and beef drippings over a core of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and cedar chest plus wafts of violets and cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses both intensity and elegance, with the black fruit layers superbly framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

94 Points! This is very complex on the nose with incense, Indian spices, blackberries and blueberries. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, velvety tannins that lead you down the palate. Solid at the end. Shows poise and tension. Give it time to soften. Try after 2023. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2019 Le Redini is another fabulous wine in this lineup. A blend of Merlot and Alicante, Le Redini impresses with its energy and vibrancy. Plum, mocha, gravel, spice and licorice are all beautifully delineated. In 2019, Le Redini has an extra kick of energy that is just compelling. It's a wine of extreme pleasure. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media