Wine Store

JRM - A convenient single-serve bottle of one of the great value wines of the world.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Pretty deep red colour. The fresh nose is on ripe red fruit with hints of cherries. Well balanced with soft tannins, it is a full and fresh wine with a nice length.

Jeremy's Notes: One of the best wine values on earth. Always well made, approachable, fruity and well balanced. A pleasure wine for drinking any time with any food. Authentic, genuine and tasty.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes -

Appearance: garnet red colour

Nose: complex and fine with notes of black fruit (blackberry / blackcurrant)

Palate: fruity with lovely notes of liquorice. Silky tannins. Creating a precise and elegant wine with lovely freshness

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - A more complex and nuanced wine from Dominio de Eguren that is the result of a more rigorous selection of grapes from lower yielding vineyards followed by a light ageing process. Mature fruit intermixed with spices and toasted coffee.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes -

Appearance: Deep, dark garnet, nearly black.

Nose: Intense and fiery with ripe fruit notes (blackcurrants/ raspberries).

Palate: Full and powerful. The ripe fruit notes are found again on the palate along with sweet spices. Pronounced silky, delicate tannins.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - The colour is a deep ruby red. The nose reveals powerful aromas of wild berries and spicies, truly typical from the "Syrah" grape. On the palate, strong flavours of blackcurrant and red berries surround a smooth fruit on the back of the wine. The finish has lots of personality.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 87 - Fresh and easy, with a stream of cherry paste flavors laced with light anise and floral notes. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes -

Appearance: bright, deep, dark garnet.

Nose: intense with notes of ripe fruit (blackcurrants/raspberries).

Palate:  delicious and full. The ripe fruit and soft spices come through again on the palate. Pronounced yet soft, delicate tannins.

Keep learning »

JRM - Delicious and attractive.  Smooth palate, lovely fruitiness and good balance.  A crowd pleaser any day.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Appearance: bright, dark garnet. Nose: powerful red berry aromas (cherry, raspberry) accompanied by cocoa and sweet spice fragrances.

Nose: powerful red berry aromas (cherry, raspberry) accompanied by cocoa and sweet spice fragrances.

Palate: delicious and juicy on entry, a profusion of red fruit, full on the palate with silky, velvety tannin. The perfect example of a Grenache noir

Keep learning »

JRM - The 2019 Beaujolais-Villages displays pretty aromas of cherries and dried flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and juicy palate, concluding with a pure and precise finish.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 88 - This juicy red has light tannins and bright acidity, offering bright red and black fruit flavors, with hints of smoke and licorice. Drink now through 2025.

Maker's Notes - Intense ruby ​​red color, medium-high layer and light orange iridescence.  Aromas of red fruits, fresh fruit (strawberry), of good intensity, well assembled with the aromas of spices, vanilla and wood.  In the mouth we find it slightly tannic, fresh, medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, with fruit well integrated with notes of oak, vanilla and light toasted notes.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 90 - A fun, open-knit red, offering lively kirsch, anise and blackberry cobbler notes, followed by a light dusting of lavender on the finish. Grenache and Syrah.

Maker's Notes - The colour shows an elegant, ruby-red hue. The aromas are delicate, dominated by red berries, such as wild strawberries and raspberries. In the mouth this wine is supple and seductive on the palate, light, easy to drink, with a deliciously fruity and fresh finish

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Fresh and inviting, with more fruit and depth than many of its peers. Offers a plum and cherry puree profile, laced with floral and red tea accents on the finish.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - This wine is clear, shiny, tuby red with cherry highlights. The varietal aromas of the Merlot express themselves with notes of red currants and black cherries. The attack is frank, the morello cherry and the vanilla accompany a final licorice and ample. With tannins that are both soft and omni-present, its potential for ageing is 10 to 12 years.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Consistently fine Cotes du Rhone from one of the world's greatest wine makers.  Versatile, tasty and very well made. Serve this with anything.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Red cherry color with a violet rim. On the nose it is extraordinarily expressive and and fresh, unique characteristics from the Tempranillo variety. On the palate it shows well structured tannins and balanced acidity with a long, warm and lasting finish.

CRU/JRM - A wine this good at this price point is remarkable.  Delicious and very moreish.  A perennial favourite for good reason.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 88 - Strawberry jam, cherry and earth flavors are the themes in this focused red. Smooth and balanced, with a light band of tannins on the finish. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - This is very attractive.  Plush mouthfeel, smooth and balanced with an elegance that belies the price-point. Medium-bodied with a nice balance of fruit and tannins, making it a good match for a wide selection of foods.  Michele Chapoutier doesn't muck around and his expertise in vineyard and cellar management shows very well in this recent Portuguese venture.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - The entry-level red is the 2019 Románico, produced with Tinta de Toro (a.k.a. Tempranillo) from younger vines (10 to 25 or 30 years old, some of them grafted) in the villages of Valdefinjas and Toro. It fermented in a traditional way, foot trodden and with soft pumping overs, with indigenous yeasts selected from their own vineyards and matured in used French oak barrels for an average of six to eight months, as some wine is kept in stainless steel and other lots are aged in barrel for longer. This is primary and fruit-driven (black fruit), with purity and something floral; it's juicy and tender, with ripe, round tannins and a soft, caressing mouthfeel. It's clean and balanced with neatly integrated oak.

Wine Spectator 87 - A lively red, juicy with orange peel acidity and flavors of raspberry coulis and strawberry Twizzlers. Medium-bodied, with light tannins on the spiced finish.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - Perrin's Reserve Rouge is a reference wine for Cotes du Rhone.  Well balanced, nuanced, elegant and delicious.  They always get this right and the 2020 is no exception.  Terrific value, punching well above its price point.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Slightly sweet, fragrant and smooth. A unique wine favoured by those who appreciate a little sweetness.  Generates lots of Oohs and Aahs.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - An Aussie shiraz with a French accent.  Dark ruby and full of black fruits and pepper aromas.  Silky smooth and elegant.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - This wine has a very expressive nose with notes of violets and fresh strawberries. Supple, rich and complex on the palate, it reveals beautiful aromas of pepper, black fruit and thyme before a long, silky and elegant finish.

Keep learning »

Winemaker's Notes - The appellation of Côte de Brouilly sits on the steep slopes of the extinct volcano Mont Brouilly and is surrounded by the larger appellation of Brouilly. The soils here are volcanic with blue stones, from diorite deposits. The Stéphane Aviron Côte de Brouilly is sourced from two separate vineyards of these slopes. The first makes up about 75% of the blend and sits in the poor soils facing southwest on the hillside. Vines average 60+ years old in this parcel and these grapes account for the wine’s depth and structure. The second parcel faces due south with younger vines (45+ years) and contributes ripe juicy fruit to the final blend.

CRU/JRM - Stephane Aviron's wines are stunning value for money.  Highly respected and consistently well made.  This is silky and moreish.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 90 - A well-balanced red in a medium-bodied frame, offering flavors of black fig reduction, leafy tobacco and fresh, loamy earth that show good concentration, with a piercing note of black licorice. Ends with fine tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2025.

Keep learning »

Vinous 90 - The 2019 Lucilla is deep, fleshy and superexpressive. Silky tannins wrap around a core of bright red berry fruit. Floral notes perk up the finish. Lucilla is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Over time, the international varieties have become domesticated.

Wine Advocate 89 - The Castello di Farnetella 2019 Lucilla offers a medium-dark ruby color and nice, easy concentration. The wine is amply perfumed with cherry, fresh plum and summer lavender flower. Other recognizable aromas include baked clay and light spice. Let Lucilla join you on your next take-home pizza night.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - Fruity and structured.  Good balance and palate feel.  Decent length with complexity but no heaviness.  Nice.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - Stephane Aviron's Julienas has been a big favourite for the last seven vintages.  The 2019 is another gem and perhaps the best vintage yet.  This is about as good as Gamay gets.  Beautifully smooth and well-crafted and a lovely complexity and finish.  Serious value for money.

Keep learning »

Vinous 89 - The 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi is laced with sweet red berry fruit, mint, spice, tobacco and dried flowers. This is an especially perfumed style of Chianti from the Colli Senesi.

Wine Advocate 88 - The easygoing Castello di Farnetella 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi delivers bright and lifted aromas of ruby cherry and tart forest berry. The wine shows a main focus on freshness and ease of drinking, but it also has the acidity and the mild, lean-bodied texture that you'd want next to an epic plate of cacio e pepe pasta. This 2019 vintage is slightly more concentrated compared to past editions.

Wine Spectator 88 - A hint of sweet wood smoke graces the strawberry, cherry and earth flavors in this gentle red. It firms up on the finish. Drink now through 2024.

Keep learning »

Vinous 89 - The 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi is a pleasantly bold, hearty wine packed with black cherry, game, leather, plum and spice essences. Pretty floral notes appear in the glass to brighten the finish. Readers will find a wine that is very typical of the Colli Senesi appellation.

Wine Spectator 87 - A core of black cherry and plum fruit is wrapped in a cloak of wild herbs, menthol, earth and dusty tannins in this red, which ends with freshness, if on the astringent side.

Wine Advocate 87 - This is an easy, no pretense wine with toasted nut, dry flower and simple fruit or cherry aromas. The Fèlsina 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi Berardenga delivers freshness and good primary intensity over a lean body and texture.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Our 14 hectare vineyard in Cairanne is located south west of the old village. The soils are stony, made of clay and sand. The wine is fleshy and develops beautiful aromas of blackcurrant, Garrigue and liquorice. Beautiful deep and intense purple colour. The fruity and expressive nose is an explosion of red fruit with spicy notes of pepper and juniper. Round and silky on the palate, it is a well-balanced wine between ripe fruit and slightly chalky tannins which bring elegance and structure.

Keep learning »

Terroir: This cuvée is from two of the best parcels in Moulin-à-Vent: Rochegres and Le Mont. Stéphane Aviron considers this to be one of the best terroirs of Beaujolais. The soils here are white granite with iron and manganese deposits. The vines in the parcels are all old, averaging 65 years old and many over 100 years in age.

Vinification: Grapes are vinified separately until time for the final blending and bottling. Whole bunches are used and then macerated in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for ten days. The wine is aged in neutral Burgundian barriques, 228-liter barrels, that are between three and six years old for 12 to 14 months.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - From vines of between 55 and 90 years of age located on the steep slopes of the famed La Madone vineyard in Beaujolais, this has deep colour and a fine, perfumed bouquet. The texture is silky, with a pure, fresh finish.  Fantastic value for money.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 86 - A light-bodied red, with a broad profile offering ripe blackberry and bramble fruit flavors interwoven with herb, savory spice and anise accents. Plush, light tannins.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 90 - A densely structured red, evoking blackberry, plum, earth and black pepper aromas and flavors. Saturated with fruit yet remains lively and long on the finish. Drink now through 2025.

Vinous 88 - The 2020 Dolcetto d'Alba is fresh and vibrant, with lovely blue/purplish berry fruit, lavender and

licorice. In 2020, the Dolcetto is a bit lighter in body and less persistent than in most vintages because of rain prior to

harvest.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 87 - Bright cherry, earth and bitter almond mark this light-bodied red. It has a tea-like finish, with a light astringency

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Elegant velvety crimson-red dress. The nose on this 2019 Rasteau opens with seductive aromas of cocoa and fresh strawberries. Powerful and well-balanced, the palate develops delicious notes of red fruit and black olives with delicate chalky tannins that give this wine real character.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - The Nobile is the most representative of our terroir. Here the main star is the Sangiovese which in Italian means “Jupiter’s Blood”. A wine for the Gods. Spontaneously fermented, the Blood of Jupiter naturally deserves our greatest attention, which is why we age the grapes from every single plot separately for 18 months in oak barrels and large casks. Luscious and majestic, Nobile enchants you with its fragrant mulberry notes and delicate cinnamon hints, making you feel like an Olympian.

Jeremy's Notes - This wine has a special smoothness and elegance that evokes simple luxury.  It is not bold or super-concentrated but rather palate-caressing and silky. This pairs well with most food but is an outstanding no-food sipper and we all need those.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 90 - Dark cherry and red currant fruit melds nicely with notes of red tea and warm earth. Light alder thread stitches up the solid, juicy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Keep learning »

Vinous 88 - The 2018 Barbera d'Alba is soft, supple and racy, all of which give it tremendous early appeal and accessibility. Ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and licorice are nicely pushed forward in this inviting Barbera from Altare.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 89-91 -The 2018 Côtes de Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem offers hints of grilled meat and oyster sauce, then raspberries, pepper and warmth. Medium to full-bodied.

CRU/JRM - Occultum Lapidem means "hidden jewel" and is a fitting name for this delightful and interesting wine.  A real gem.

Keep learning »

Vinous 88 - The 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo Rosso di Rocca is another pretty entry-level offering from Albino Rocca. This aromatic, light-bodied Nebbiolo is a tasty every-day drinker. Sweet red cherry, blood orange and spice linger.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 92 - The 2014 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza is a textbook vintage with some aromatic development, notes of fresh blood and some grainy tannins, perhaps less polished than previous vintages, lively and concentrated, a bit harsh. 2014 was a very rainy vintage. This is usually a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo matured in well-seasoned, neutral American oak barrels for three years.

Keep learning »

Who makes it?

The Setteporte Estate is a family run winery on the southwest side of Sicily’s active volcano, Mount Etna. The family has had a winemaking heritage here in Biancavilla dating back generations. The vineyards sit at an altitude of between 650 – 800 m and take advantage of the red volcanic soil. These vineyards need to be terraced to cope with the slope on which they are planted.

How they make it?

As you might already have worked out, Etna Rosso is easily translated to mean “Etna red”. So, it is no surprise that the main grape variety in this blend is Nerello Mascalese as it is gaining attention as an Etna grape. Besides Mascalese, there is also an addition of about 5% Nerello Cappuccio. Both of these are local grape varieties and importantly, the vineyards have organic certification. To let the wine come together, it spends 12 months in French oak, 20% of which is new.

What does it taste like?

There is plenty of intense cherry fruit with smoky nutmeg and earth. It is a medium bodied wine with supple tannins and fresh acid. A floral note joins the minerals and spice on the finish. It is a good drink.

What to drink with it?

With the savouriness of this wine it is a good companion for range of foods and flavours. For instance, a good place to start would be something simple like a tomato based sauce over pasta. Grilled lamb chops would be another.

Quickie review - An elegant take on a classic Etna red with intense cherry and a smoky minerality. Made for food, but it is good by itself.

Keep learning »

JEREMY'S NOTES - The 'baby' Amarone from Begali.  Intense bouquet, full-flavoured yet soft on the palate.  Nice finish.  Yummy.

Keep learning »

WA 88 - The 2016 Chianti Classico by Pagliarese is an elegantly trimmed down red wine with delicate aromas of wild berry, red cherry, cassis and spice. Those fruit tones are generously and seamlessly integrated within the mid-weight body of the wine. As you should expect from Sangiovese (blended in this case with 10% Canaiolo and Mammolo), you get a healthy dose of balanced acidity on the easygoing finish.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 89 - Cherry and plum paste notes are wrapped in a light-handed mix of singed alder and warmed licorice. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

Wine Advocate 87 - The tank-matured 2018 Vacqueyras Domaine des Genets—a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre—is a solid representation of the vintage. A bit lighter in weight than expected and slightly herbal, it's a silky-textured, easy-drinking wine redolent of cherries and garrigue. Drink it over the next few years.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 86 - Made in a distinctly savory, Rhône-like style, the 2014 Shay's Flat Vineyard Shiraz delivers notes of espresso, asphalt and black olives.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - I like the balance of the eponymous 2018 Emilio Moro, which achieved full-ripeness and development of aromas and flavors in a cooler vintage. Here, the wines are selected by vine age, and this comes from vines that are between 15 and 25 years of age. The oak is there but in synchrony with the fruit.

JRM - A perrenial favourite for good reason.  Meduim to full bodied with , finesse, complexity and length.  The tannins are moderate and the mouthfeel is sumptuous.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - A perennial favourite and serious value for money.  Medium-bodied, cherries and raspberries at the front and a silky textured finish.

Keep learning »

Vinous 92 - Limpid magenta. Ripe, spice-tinged raspberry, boysenberry and pungent flowers on the highly fragrant nose. In a supple, fleshy style, offering juicy, well-concentrated red and blue fruit and spicecake flavors that turn livelier on the back half. Smooth and seamless on the impressively long and gently tannic finish, which leaves behind a sweet berry note.

Wine Spectator 89 - Fresh and open-knit, with a wave of raspberry and cherry puree flavors, laced with subtle chalky minerality and floral notes on the finish.

Wine Advocate 88 - The 2017 Vacqueyras les Christins is a 75-25 blend of Grenache and Syrah, matured in foudres and tanks. Scents of baked cherries are underscored by hints of darker fruit and licorice on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple and easygoing, then ends with softly dusty tannins.

Maker's Notes - Beautiful dark ruby color. The nose is intense and tasty with aromas of black fruit and spices and mineral notes. Balanced and complex on the palate, the tannins are dense and silky, with notes of blackberry, cassis and liquorice. Long and mineral on the finish, this wine is full of finesse and elegance and reveals the harmony and wisdom of old Grenache, in a traditional and pure register.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90 - Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Fleur la Mothe offers up pronounced notions of cassis, blackberry pie and Black Forest cake with hints of pencil shavings, black olives and lavender. Medium bodied, the palate has an impressive intensity of crunchy black fruits with a lively backbone and well-managed, grainy tannins, finishing long and fragrant.

Vinous 90 - I was pleased to see that the aromatics on the 2018 Fleur La Mothe have gained more refinement and focus since I tasted it from barrel, offering blackberry and briar, touches of blue fruit and sous-bois scents emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine weight and focus and just the right amount of grip on the structured finish. Allow 3–4 years in bottle, because this Cru Bourgeois can age seriously well.

Keep learning »

This is a pure and naked expression of the Tuscan grape with cherry, dried raspberry, terracotta and bitter almond. The Da.Di reveals compelling richness of fruit and a natural, mid-weight texture followed by dusty tannins.

Keep learning »

Burghound 87 - A deft application of wood easily allows the pretty red pinot fruit aromas to shine. The super-fresh and highly energetic flavors possess excellent cut and a lovely mouth feel while delivering solid depth and length. This is very good for its level and a wine that should drink well almost immediately if desired.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90 - The flagship wine that carries the name of the project is currently the 2016 Cepa 21, produced with youngish Tempranillo matured in French barrique for 12 months. It has some spicy and smoky notes from the élevage in oak, which gives it a showy profile. It's ripe without excess with a sweetness of fruit that coats the palate and makes it a bit jammy. There are plenty of tannins to stand up to food

Keep learning »

Wine Enthusiast 90 - Made with organically grown Sangiovese, this bright red has aromas of iris, baking spice and underbrush. The savory palate offers red cherry, star anise and vanilla alongside polished tannins. Drink through 2026.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - Black cherries and crushed-stone aromas are joined by blueberries and hints of cracked pepper in the 2018 Saint-Joseph Deschants. This is atypically full-bodied and concentrated for this cuvée, showing all the glory of the vintage, wrapped in soft, ripe tannins and lingering on the finish.

Vinous 91-93 - Lively aromas of fresh black/blue fruits, olive and pungent flowers are complemented by a building mineral quality. Incisive boysenberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors stain the palate and become sweeter and deeper with air. Rich but well-balanced and energetic, finishing with sharp detail and a lingering floral note shaped by smooth tannins. Aged in a mix of concrete tanks and oak barrels.

Keep learning »

Vinous 90 - The 2016 Caronne Sainte

Gemme is raised for 12 months in 25% new oak. It has a generous raspberry and blackberry scented bouquet with just a touch of cigar box, though I would have liked more personality expressed. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is commendable depth here,

the acidity well judged and it sports excellent purity and length on the finish.

There is a tender quality about this Caronne Sainte Gemme underneath that

more obvious power.

Wine Advocate 88 - The 2016 Caronne Ste Gemme is medium garnet-purple colored and quite woody to begin, with a core of cassis and plums with menthol and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, taut and savory in the mouth, it has a chewy finish.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 88 - the 2012 Lucidus rouge offers Cote Rotie-like olive, underbrush and both blackberry and raspberry-styled fruit. Medium-bodied, elegant and lightly textured, it carries surprising richness and depth. Enjoy it over the coming couple of years as well.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - Medium to full-bodied, relatively complex nose, smooth palate feel with decent length.  Lovely fragrance.  This is really well done.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - The second wine in the price hierarchy is the 2017 Almirez, produced with vines aged 10 to 35 years old from their 72 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Valdefinjas and Toro. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in French oak barrels, 30% of them new, the rest second use, for 14 months. 2017 is one of the driest years with one of the earliest harvests ever, but surprisingly enough, the wines feel lighter, fresh and aromatic, expressive and open and do not show any heat. Furthermore, it feels like a fresher year in the sense that the wine integrates the oak quite well. The change here, as Marcos Eguren explained, has been in the toast of the barrels, something they started in 2015; they have lighter toasts, from a long and slow toasting of the oak, and the barrel respects the fruit a lot more. Fine-tuning continues.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Made in the modern Rioja style, this is a deep, lush, luxurious wine with good structure and length.  Very appealing.

Keep learning »

Burghound 87 - Notably ripe yet nicely fresh aromas include those of plum, dark currant and plenty of earth. There is fine volume to the velvety and round middle weight flavors that offer very good depth in the context of what is typical for the genre, on the mildly warm and rustic finale. Worth considering.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90 - First produced in 2012, the most affordable of the reds produced here is the 2015 Calados del Puntido, and it's Tempranillo selected from 25 hectares of vineyards. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in French barriques for 16 months. This comes from Páganos, and tasting it next to other wines of similar prices from other Eguren wineries, the character of iodine of the wines is there; it has the textured palate of the wines from Páganos/Laguardia, from soils that aren't very deep and have quite a lot of silt. It's quite glyceric and round. It's medium to full-bodied and fills your mouth, and it has tannins that are rounder, more unctuous, quite different from the wines from San Vicente. A clear step up from the 2014.

Wine Spectator 89 - This red shows some muscle, with underpinnings of iron and black tea flanking the currant and blackberry flavors. Details of savory spice, olive and cola layer onto the structured finish. Drink now through 2025.

Keep learning »

Vinous 91 - The 2019 Chianti Classico Berardenga is a classic wine for the year. Bright, perfumed and light on its feet, the 2019 Chianti Classico Berardenga is so wonderfully expressive. There is a feeling of vibrancy to the 2019 that is hugely appealing. A wine of energy more than power. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon linger in a gorgeous Chianti Classico that is more about transparency than power.

Wine Advocate 91 - One of the best vantage points for drinking Chianti Classico is at the entry level. A wine like the Fèlsina 2019 Chianti Classico Berardenga offers so much freshness and cheerful, easy-drinking appeal. It's a terrific partner to pizza, pasta or basically anything on the trattoria menu tonight. This wine shows bright cherry flavors and redcurrant with pressed flowers and some tangy blood orange. It is steady and generous, with lots of bright primary intensity.

Wine Spectator 90 - This is lively, its cherry, strawberry and orange peel flavors picking up earth and woodsy accents. Firm tannins sweep in on the finish, yet this stays fresh and long. A touch more austere than many '19s.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - Saturated ruby. Vibrant, spice- and mineral-accented aromas of fresh red and dark fruits and spicecake are complemented by a suave floral topnote.  Juicy and pliant in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet raspberry, cherry cola, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that deepen through the back half. In a lively style, showing fine clarity and rounded tannins framing a very long, focused finish.

Wine Spectator 91 - Firm and compact, this dense red offers plum and currant fruit, with smoke, licorice and loamy earth notes. Muscular tannins are well-integrated, with just enough acidity to keep it lively. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2028.

Keep learning »

Vinous 92 - The 2018 Nobile di Montepulciano is pretty and understated in the glass, wafting up with a mix of black currants, savory herbs and worn

leather hints. This is round with a balanced inner sweetness, displaying mineral tinged wild berry fruit and nuances of confectionary spice. The 2018 leaves only a gentle coating of fine tannins while finishing with citrus nuances and a hint of hard red candies. The Avignonesi style lent quite well to this warm and rainy vintage; as a result, they

created a very delicate yet likable Nobile.

Wine Spectator 91 - A powerful red, with savory eucalyptus, tobacco and tomato leaf aromas and flavors offset by cherry and plum notes. Beefy tannins set the stage for a lingering, grainy finish.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes -

Appearance: very intense, beautiful ruby red hue.

Nose: the nose is powerful and shows great finesse. The alternation of strawberry jam aromas and spicy/peppery notes creates a very pleasant bouquet.

Palate: floral then spicy (pepper) notes on entry. The wine displays a superb tannic structure and lovely long-lingering flavours.

Keep learning »

WA 90 - Boasting a mid-weight style, the 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva exhibits a firm and tightly knit texture that is carefully interwoven with dark fruit, spice, leather and gravel. I really love the fact you can taste those crushed rocks in this new generation of wines from one of my favorite Italian appellations, Chianti Classico. Those aromas offer a level of elegance that is specific to this beautiful territory. This wine is a blend of 90% Sangiovese with 5% Canaiolo and 5% Mammolo aged in large oak casks.

Keep learning »

WS 91 - Intense and complex, this combines cherry and berry fruit with earth, iron, leather and spice flavors, finishing with sour cherry, leather and tobacco notes. Drink now through 2022.

WA 90+ - Piancornello does a great job with its lower-end Rosso. Indeed, the 2016 Rosso di Montalcino makes a great impression in the glass, thanks to its beautifully dark ruby color. The bouquet offers black cherry, spice, tar and licorice. The mouthfeel is simple and crisp. It makes the perfect pairing partner to wood-fired pizza with extra mozzarella cheese melted on top.

CRU/JRM  Once again and not surprisingly, very hard to tell this from a full-blown Brunello.  A magnificent effort and a steal of a bargain.  The yields are less but the quality is stunning. Claudio Monaci is the little master of Montalcino.  Delectably complex and long.  Bravo.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 92+ - 2011 was a warmer and riper year, but there's not a huge difference between the 2011 Viña Bosconia Reserva and the 2010; this is perhaps mellower, with more integrated acidity. It's 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.3 and 6.7 grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter, and it fermented in the 144-year-old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels for five years.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90 - The 2016 Cap de Faugeres (composed of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a medium garnet-purple color and reveals notions of warm plums, blackberry pie and black raspberries with touches of pencil shavings and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied with a velvety texture and good core of black fruits, it finishes on a long-lasting earthy note.

Wine Spectator 90 - This is racy and fresh, showing a beam of loganberry and red currant coulis flavors driving along, laced with subtle savory detail and tobacco and iron notes. The racy finish is carried by mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2028.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - The Vendimia Seleccionada is produced with the best plot of the vineyards they use for the Emilio Moro range in a given year, and for the second year in a row, it was the vineyard they call Turquilla, as the 2017 Vendimia Seleccionada that I tasted next to the 2016 was also produced with grapes from that vineyard. 2017 is a very challenging year, as 50% of the crop was lost to frost. They have done a very good job for the conditions of the year, but having the 2016 next to it shows the superiority of the older vintage, as this does not reach the same quality levels; there is less complexity and depth. It has fine, grainy tannins and a supple, dry finish and it opens up quite nicely in the glass.

Keep learning »

Vinous 88 - The 2012 Le Sartre is juicy and exuberant, with lovely mid-palate depth and terrific overall balance, especially at this level. Sweet tobacco, menthol, licorice and dried flowers add nuance in a racy, hearty red to drink over the next few years.

Wine Spectator 88 - Juicy and enticing, with raspberry and plum fruit forming the core while anise and fruitcake notes fill in the background. A tarry spine holds the finish, letting the fruit play out.

Keep learning »

Vinous 91 The 2015 Barbera d'Alba Gepin is terrific. Dark, rich and voluptuous, but with plenty of structure, the 2015 expresses all of the natural intensity of the year while retaining a very appealing sense of translucency. Succulent dark cherry, plum, spice, leather, mint and dried herbs add to the wine's forward, racy personality.

CRU/JRM  Aged one year in large oak casks.  Good depth on the nose - cherries and stone - quite expansive and plush on the palate with dense fruitiness and some minerality.  Excellent balance and fair density with good length.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - The colour is a deep garnet red. In its youth it reveals black cherry aromas which will evolve towards notes of woodland and spices. On the palate, this is a warm, heady wine whose texture is well-rounded and silky. The finish is perfectly balanced.

CRU/JRM - Delas' Gigondas is consistently good, vintage after vintage.  This compares with wines at much higher prices.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - The 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva Borro del Diavolo is rich and generous in the glass, which is to say very much in the style of the year. Sweet red cherry, orange peel, spice, leather, tobacco, cedar and dried flowers all meld together nicely. There are some elements of rusticity, but they are tempered by the open-knit style of the year. The 2017 spent around 30 months in cask. Readers should expect a decidedly old-school Riserva.

Wine Spectator 92 - Bright, with cherry, currant, mineral and woodsy aromas and flavors, this red is balanced and ready to enjoy. The core of sweet fruit offsets the refined tannins. Firms up on the finish, so there's no rush to drink this. Drink now through 2027.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90-92 - The 2016 Fourney has an attractive, slightly earthy bouquet that opens nicely in the bottle, well defined and full of charm. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite classic in style with plenty of tobacco and smoke towards the structured finish. Give this two or three years in bottle and you should have a fine Saint Emilion.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 88 - Juicy and fresh, with a core of cassis and dark plum lined with singed alder notes and backed by a mouthwatering sanguine hint.

Wine Advocate 86- Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois annual tasting, the 2015 Larose Perganson felt a little muddled on the nose compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly tough tannin, muscular yet balanced with a firm finish that will hopefully soften with bottle age. Tasted September 2017.

Keep learning »

Jeremy’s Notes: An entry-level priced Burgundian Pinot Noir with lovely complexity, depth and finish. Vosne-Romanée richness at a bargain price. An inexpensive way to fall in love with fine Burgundy.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 89 - The third vintage of the new organic Tempranillo produced without added sulfur is the 2018 La Felisa. It reached 13.5% alcohol and kept healthy acidity parameters in a cooler year than 2017. The wine was produced with grapes from vines aged 15 to 25 years old, fermented with 18 days maceration and matured for seven to 10 months in oak barrels. It has a tender nose with floral notes, somehow delicate and expressive, coming through as fully developed, perhaps a little fragile, aromatic and very open. It feels like it's developing quite quickly, even if it has quite a lot of tannin. I'd opt for drinking this sooner rather than later.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Very deep, intense cherry red in colour. It is expressive and elegant on the nose with an outstanding aromatic intensity based on the Tempranillo variety,

the spices and the torrefacto notes from its passage through French oak, bringing richness, volume and complexity to the whole. It is broad and meaty in the mouth with polished tannins and a long and persistent aftertaste.

CRU/JRM - Moro's Malleolus is a consistently top-notch Ribera with great depth, length and satisfying palate.  The 2018 continues a stellar reputation for quality and luxury.

Keep learning »

JRM - The 'Meritage" wine of the Langhe, combining the finest qualities of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Complex, elegant and long with a sumptuous nose and great palate-feel. A unique and luxurious wine.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - This is a powerful and generous wine expressing itself with delicacy thanks to a very delicate tannic structure. Intense flavors of ripe fruits and spices combined to a fine acidity – a hyphen between richness and strength reflecting perfectly the terroir of Heathcote.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 90 - This is very spicy, with vanilla, sandalwood and clove notes playing against currant, cherry and smoke flavors. Dusty tannins coat the mouth as this exits lazily on the finish.

Burghound 88 - A brooding and somber nose consists of ripe plum, pungent earth and a hint of the sauvage. The solidly well-concentrated flavors are lush to the point of opulence while brimming with dry extract that buffers the moderately firm tannic spine on the mildly rustic finale. This could be enjoyed young.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 88 - This red is supple and focused, with bright cherry, raspberry and currant flavors. Picks up a touch of earth and spice as it fades gracefully on the finish. Drink now.

Vinous 86-88 - The 2019 Côte de Nuits Villages Vieilles Vignes is fresh and well defined on the nose of blackberry and bilberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip and a pleasant, quite saline finish. A delicious and pure Côtes de Nuits Village.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 88 - This red is supple and focused, with bright cherry, raspberry and currant flavors. Picks up a touch of earth and spice as it fades gracefully on the finish.

Vinous 86-88 - The 2019 Côte de Nuits-Villages Vieilles Vignes is fresh and well defined on the nose of blackberry and bilberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip and a pleasant, quite saline finish. A delicious and pure Côtes de Nuits Village.

Keep learning »

Vinous 92-93 - Bright and expansive on the perfumed nose, displaying vibrant dark berry and floral scents that develop spicy character as the wine opens up. In an energetic, fruit-driven style, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors and suggestions of licorice and candied flowers. Finishes very long and chewy, with building tannins and repeating spiciness.

Wine Advocate 92 -Aged mainly in barrel, the 2018 Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon boasts flamboyant aromas of cracked pepper, clove, baking spices and cedar set against a backdrop of black cherries and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, richly textured and long on the finish, it shows the structure of its granite sources—a sense of tannic restraint that suggests ample aging potential, yet doesn't preclude present-day enjoyment.

Wine Spectator 93 - Fresh and focused, with a lovely beam of dark cherry and bitter plum reduction notes laced with graphite, violet and anise. Racy, tightly focused finish. Best from 2021 through 2029.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 96 - The 2010 Viña Tondonia Reserva has all I expect from a Reserva from Tondonia, complexity, elegance and evolution, a developed nose with notes of forest floor and wild berries, herbs and flowers, a touch of iodine, brick dust and very fine, polished tannins. It has the seriousness and elegance of Tondonia. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name of the grape) and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in the ancient oak vats from when the winery was created 144 years ago and matured in well-seasoned, American oak barrels for six years.

Wine Spectator 93 - This elegant red is fine and creamy on the palate, with notes of sun-dried cherry, iron, spiced orange peel, graphite and mocha that slowly unfurl. A bit high-toned on the nose as well as loaded with mineral aromas. Muscular tannins are deftly integrated, while savory dried mint and eucalyptus notes play on the lasting finish. Tempranillo, Garnacho, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2030.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 92 - Expressive, with welcoming black cherry and plum pâte de fruit aromas and flavors, gilded with violet and anise notes. Reveals a graphite edge on the finish. Tasty.

Wine Advocate 89-91 - The medium to full-bodied 2020 Crozes Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins features gently floral aromas and a backdrop of cherry fruit. It's silky and fine, with a hint of mocha on the lingering finish.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 93 - Compared to the 2014 vintage, the 2015 Colección Privada is explosive, showy and hedonistic. It jumps out of the glass with a mix of flowers, wild berries and exotic spices, really showy. There is additional freshness here, and the wine seems to have taken the aging in oak (16 months in brand new barrels, 50% American and 50% French) much better than the 2014. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Colección Privada.

Wine Spectator 92 - This big red is light-footed, as fresh acidity and well-integrated tannins support the broad texture. Plum and blackberry flavors mingle with toast, licorice and black olive notes, leaving a savory finish. Drink now through 2030.

Vinous 93 - Lurid violet color. Highpitched red/blue fruit, floral pastille, spicecake,

coconut and allspice aromas, along with a

smoky mineral quality that emerges with

aeration. Sweet, nervy and seamless in

texture, offering juicy, spice-accented

raspberry, blueberry and mocha flavors that deepen and fan out on the back half. Shows excellent clarity and repeating florality on a very long, spicy finish that's given shape by supple, even tannins.

Keep learning »

Jeremy's Notes - We have imported La Bernardine every year and it never fails to sell out.  That's because it's wonderfully well made, scrumptious, luxurious and elegant.  Complex, smooth and long.  It will also age well if you decide to lay it down.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 92 - Features melted red licorice, fresh currant, spiced fruit cake and raspberry tart flavors that are inviting and supple yet quickly firm up on the palate, thanks to fine-grained tannins and red tea-laced acidity. Reveals good tension and persistence. Grenache and Syrah.

Wine Advocate 91+ - Delas's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Haute Pierre is a blend of Grenache and Syrah vinified in concrete and aged in foudre. Remarkably, I still detected hints of cedar on the nose, joined by notes of leather, clove and raspberries. It's full-bodied and reasonably supple, except for some woody tannins. While it came across as a bit disjointed, in a few years this should come together nicely.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Tuscan Pinot Noir is by no means a common item but Felsina have a masterful hand at vineyards and wine making. The Nero di Nubi is not released young, the current vintage is going on seven years in the cellar.  It will not fool you into thinking this is a classic Burgundy but it is miles better than all the tutti-frutti pinot noirs from the wannabe new world sites.  This is an elegant, smooth and complex pinot noir produced in miniscule quantities and well worth the price.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 93 -   I also tasted the 2013 San Vicente, which will be released in September 2016, from a vintage that has provided fresh and elegant wine. It has great freshness within its style. This is clearly a lighter vintage, slightly different, more aromatic and floral, with tension and precision--a style I like very much.

Vinous 92 - (fermented in large oak tanks, with malolactic fermentation and 20 months of aging in 90 percent French and 10 percent American oak barriques, all of them new) Bright violet. An explosively perfumed bouquet of primary red and blue fruits, incense, candied violet and vanilla carries a sexy Moroccan spice overtone. Sweet, expansive and seamless on the palate, offering deeply concentrated boysenberry, cherry liqueur, rose pastille and spicecake flavors and a repeating vanilla quality. Fine-grained tannins build steadily on an extremely long, focused finish that emphatically repeats the floral and spice notes. I really like the marriage of fruit and tannins here, and there's impressive depth of flavor for the vintage.

Wine Spectator 92 - This voluptuous red delivers bold flavors of blackberry, licorice, black olive and mineral, with toast and espresso notes adding interest. Well-integrated tannins and citrusy acidity support the generous texture. A fruity, modern style. Drink now through 2025. 1,500 cases made.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 94 - This lets a core of warm plum sauce, dark loganberry and singed anise flavors ooze out, while violet, white pepper, bay leaf and dark olive notes provide the frame. A mouthwatering mineral edge weaves throughout. Best from 2020 through 2035.

Vinous - 93: Dark purple. Dark berry preserve, licorice, incense, olive and exotic spice scents are accompanied by a building woodsmoke note. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering spice-tinged bitter cherry, blueberry and violet pastille flavors supported by juicy acidity. The floral note carries through a very long, dark-fruit-driven finish, and gently chewy tannins add shape and grip.

Robert Parker 91 -  The 2016 Cornas Chante Perdrix starts off a little tarry, but it quickly shapes up in the glass to reveal grilled meat and red plum aromas. It's medium to full-bodied, with an open-knit texture and a long, peppery and crisp finish. It should drink well for a decade or so.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - No ratings yet but this typically scores in the low to mid 90's with good reason.  It's as good as ever.

Maker's Notes - Beautiful, limpid colour of shiny ruby-red. The nose is revealed with finesse with an aromatic bouquet of fruit, full of freshness. On the palate, this wine is soft, elegant, with good acidity and seductive tangy notes of red fruit such as red currant. A wine of great finesse.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 91 - Bright and cheerful, showing a burst of damson plum, bitter cherry and raspberry fruit flavors liberally laced with dried lavender, warm earth and tobacco notes. The finish features light mesquite accents. Accessible now. Drink now through 2030.

Wine Advocate 90-92 - The final blend from tank of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme boasts delicate, floral aromas and hints of strawberries and raspberries. It's full-bodied but silky and tender, very charming, with decent length. I haven't been a huge fan of this cuvée in the past, but this is pretty darn good.

Keep learning »

Vinous 92 - The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the more successful wines of the vintage. Sage, lavender, iron, smoke and dark red cherry notes flesh out in a supple, inviting Brunello. A kick of Mediterranean warmth gives the 2011 its generous texture, with all of the elements very much in the right place. I would prefer to drink the 2011 over the next handful of years or so. This is a strong showing from Piancornello.

WA 91 -  Here's a pretty, ruby-colored Sangiovese from the heart of southern Tuscany. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino shows a lot of purity and red fruit intensity with wild berry and dried cherries in pole position. The wine offers a good sense of depth and balance thanks to those warmer notes of light tobacco and spice that add complexity in a subtle and lasting way. This Brunello is also distinguished by the mouthfeel that is tonic and bright without feeling too ripe or thick. This is a silky and elegant wine with a medium finish.

Keep learning »

WA 93 - The 2011 Victorino is produced with Tempranillo grapes from 35 hectares of ungrafted, old vineyards in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and Villabuena del Puente, which fermented with yeasts selected from their own vineyards and aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. This is the fruitier and more approachable of the three wines I tasted from them, with aromas of clean, ripe, terse fruit, with hints of violets and a pinch of spices mixed with echoes from the soil. The palate is full-bodied, with glossy tannins, dense and ripe, with very good acidity, balanced and elegant. It’s approachable, but should develop more complexity with time in the bottle. 40,000 bottles produced. Drink 2014-2019.

Wine Spectator 93 - A firm structure supports the plush texture of this rich red. Savory notes of espresso and anise mingle with a deep core of plum, black olive and mineral. Not that expressive now, but harmonious nonetheless. Best from 2016 through 2026.

Vinous 92 - Dark purple. Powerful aromas of cassis, licorice, roasted coffee and cocoa powder. Juicy and broad in the mouth, offering dark fruit liqueur flavors lifted by sexy floral and oak spice qualities. Shows real intensity on the creamy, clinging finish, which features polished tannins and a note of smoky minerals.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 90 - Chapoutier's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Pie VI offers distinctive aromas of peppermint, saddle leather and black olives. There's a healthy proportion of Syrah in this cuvée, and it seems to show. Medium to full-bodied, this is fairly structured and tannic, a bit more streamlined than most CdPs, but with a lingering finish laced with hints of meat, leather and peppery spice.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 93 - Drawn from three lieux-dits, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Pie VI is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Rich and concentrated, it marries dark, boysenberry fruit with hints of chocolate, leather and garrigue. It's full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, grainy finish.

Keep learning »

Burghound 89-91 - Spiced plum, floral and soft earth aromas introduce vibrant and well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess fine density before terminating in a dusty and youthfully austere finale. This is very good for its level as the premier cru contribution shows.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 93 - Ripe, fresh and racy in feel, with a well-detailed beam of plum, blackberry and anise notes, laced with violet, white pepper and black olive accents. The sleek finish features an iron hint vibrating like a tuning fork. Drink now through 2036.

Vinous 93 - Inky ruby. Ripe blackberry and cherry liqueur aromas are complemented by suggestions of nallspice, smoked meat, licorice and

violet. Taut, energetic black and blue fruit

flavors show very good depth, and a

smoky mineral element adds lift and

back-end cut. Chewy tannins lend grip to a spicy, floraldominated finish that hangs on with strong tenacity. This wine is made from fruit grown in some of the appellation's top sites, Reynard, Mazard and Saint-Pierre.

Vinous 93 - Bright purple. Powerful dark berry, cherry, incense and licorice scents are accompanied by building vanilla and floral pastille flourishes. Fleshy blueberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors stain the palate and pick up a smoky bacon nuance on the back half. Unwinds steadily with air and finishes chewy and impressively long, displaying alluring sweetness, an echo of florality and youthfully gripping tannins.

Wine Advocate 92 - A blend of grapes sourced from Reynard and Croix St Pierre (near the top of the appellation), the 2017 Cornas Temenos shows greater depth and richness than Les Arenes, with blackberry and black cherry fruit in reserve behind notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings (it's aged in 228-liter oak, 15% to 20% new). Medium to full-bodied, it's firmly structured and promising for the future.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate - 91: Warm, generous dark fruit, spices and flowers come through in the 2005 Barolo Gattera. This beautifully balanced wine reveals an outstanding sense of proportion and an elegant, refined finish. This is the hottest of the microclimates in the Veglio stable, and has the vines with the most age, both of which were clearly a help in 2005.

Wine Spectator - 91: Very ripe fruit on the nose, with floral and dried berry character. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and impressive concentration that turns to cedar, berry and blackberry.

International Wine Cellar - 90: Good deep red. More subdued and medicinal on the nose than the Arborina; lower-pitched too. Then big, rich and fairly full in the mouth but less forthcoming today and not showing the clarity of flavor of the Arborina. The medicinal quality carries through on the aftertaste, which shows more serious tannins and very good breadth.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - The 2011 Barolo Arborina delivers a tight and austere personality. The wine was slightly shut down upon release but has since gained in volume and depth. It shows sharp lines and great definition with plenty of dark fruit, cassis and dried cherry. The tannins are ripe and dry. Only 6,000 bottles were produced.

Vinous 91 - The 2011 Barolo Arborina is dark, fleshy and supple on the palate, with lovely overall presence. Wild flowers, spices, new leather and tobacco all add shades of nuance. The firm Arborina tannins kick in on the finish, giving wine an attractive burst of energy and persistence.

Wine Spectator 90 - A rich version, displaying sweet cherry, strawberry, licorice and spice flavors, this borders on chewy, with dense tannins gracing the finish. Best from 2018 through 2030.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 91 - The 2014 Siran has a very refined bouquet with blackberry, briary and light tertiary aromas. There is fine precision here, understated compared to the Sirans of old. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a keen line of acidity. Linear in style and a little conservative towards the finish, but showing freshness from start to finish. Edouard Miailhe, proprietor of Siran, has really upped the ante here and this 2014 is just a classic Bordeaux claret that should drink well from the start, yet has the substance to suggest it will age with aplomb.

Decanter 91 - This exhibits a big, ripe, fleshy, blackberry nose, with vibrant fruit and a deep red colour. It’s sumptuous, concentrated and very rich, balanced by bold tannins yet not too extracted. It’s quite spicy and just lacks a little drive on the finish, but this is a fine offering from this increasingly impressive estate.

Wine Spectator 89 - Alluring black tea and singed sandalwood notes glide through, backed by accents of supple-edged cherry and plum preserves. Offers a gentle but persistent finish. Drink now through 2024.

Keep learning »

Vinous 94 - Inky ruby color. Intensely

perfumed dark berry, floral and spice qualities on the mineral-driven nose. Stains the palate with appealingly sweet

cherry-cola, black raspberry and candied

violet flavors that are sharpened by a spicy suggestion of freshly cracked pepper. Smoothly melds depth and energy and finishes extremely long and precise, with slowly emerging tannins and resonating floral and mineral notes.

Wine Advocate 93 - The 2019 Crozes Hermitage le Clos managed to escape hail damage but remains an intense, concentrated effort. Hints of violets and garrigue appear on the nose alongside cassis and black cherries, while the full-bodied palate is supple, leading into a long, licorice-tinged finish. Drink it over the next decade or so. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

Wine Spectator 93 - Sleek and refined, with a smoldering bay and cast iron hints along the edges of a core of dark cherry and plum preserve notes. Juicy, yet restrained, iron-tinged finish. Drink now through 2030.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - Deep red. Smoke- and spice accented cherry and vanilla aromas are

complemented by hints of dried flowers,

camphor and pipe tobacco. Sweet and

seamless on the palate, offering juicy red fruit, spicecake and mint flavors that deepen with air. Shows very good energy and appealing floral character on an

impressively long, penetrating finish that's given shape by discreet tannins.

Wine Advocate 92 - The 2006 El Puntido Gran Reserva is pure Tempranillo grapes from the Puntido vineyard that are selected from the eastern-most part of the vineyard close to Laguardia, which is more exposed to the north winds and gives a wine of marked tannins that needs more time in barrel and is ideal to create a Gran Reserva. This wine ages for 24-26 months in barrel and is kept in bottle for a further five years. The 2006 is still dark ruby-colored, with an open and expressive nose of leather, cold bonfire, incense and steak tartar notes and a medium-bodied palate with some gritty tannins and very pure flavors where the leather and meaty notes linger in the aftertaste. This is the most classical wine I’ve ever seen from the Eguren family, and an exceptional effort for the 2006 vintage. Modernity meets tradition!

Wine Spectator 92 - This rich red delivers a mouthful of black currant fruit, with strong notes of espresso, tar and mineral. Full-bodied, backed by muscular tannins and balsamic acidity. A modern style. Drink now through 2026.

Keep learning »

Vinous 92+ - Tobacco, sage, menthol, licorice, leather and dark-fleshed fruits are some of the signatures in the 2013 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto. Nuanced and expressive throughout, the Ovello is another striking wine from Albino Rocca.

Wine Spectator 92 - A broad, rich style, with dense tannins shoring up the sweet plum, cherry and berry flavors. The tannins are assertive and will need some time to resolve, but everything is in the right place. Best from 2020 through 2032. 216 cases made.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - Deep violet. Dark berries, exotic spices and incense on the expansive nose, along with hints of pungent flowers and vanilla. Juicy and open-knit, offering sweet black and blue fruit, spicecake and mocha flavors that slowly firm up on the back half. Round, even tannins frame a long, spice-laced finish that leaves dark cherry and cassis

notes behind.

Wine Spectator 89 - Cherry flavors shade from Bing to maraschino in this fruity red, backed by cocoa and toasty notes. Firm tannins and citrusy acidity give it a lively structure. Drink now through 2027.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 94 - The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Maestro Raro is a wine of brooding density and muscular might. The bouquet is chiseled and extra tight with all levels of black fruit and spice packed tight at its core. That bounty is yearning to be released, as it will when the wine is further down its evolutionary course. I actually felt a moment of pause tasting this wine so young because I am confident that the best is yet to come. It would be a real shame not to wait. Tart blackberries and cherries segue to tar, spice, cola and crushed river stone. That tannic tightness on the close still needs time to soften. Only 6,500 bottles were made, but this is a terrific, terrific value.

Keep learning »

CRU/JRM - Piombaia's 2016 Brunello is very well made. Long, quite complex and elegant, it will improve for at least another decade.  Classic Brunello flavours.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 94 - The Begali Lorenzo 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a beautiful wine that shows ample ripeness, with balance. It shows elegant restraint, but it is also exuberant and fully loaded. Its opulent character is very much in line with the hot vintage and the basic promise of Amarone that always prioritizes big intensity and lots of brooding fruit. This estate opts for more Rondinella in the blend, clocking in at about 35%, with 60% Corvina and 5% other complementary grapes. Rondinella adds much of the darkness and the extra concentration you see here. It is aged in French tonneaux and botte for three years. The Lorenzo Begali house style offers oak contours and renderings with extra softness and textural density.

Vinous 93 - Dark, rich and deeply

seductive, the 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico lifts up with notes of

crushed blackberries, balsamic spice, smoke and lifting hints of mentholated

herbs. It’s silky, coating the palate in glycerol-like textures contrasted by

saturating black fruits, salty minerals and bitter cocoa. A fine layer of tannin clamps

down hard, leaving only purple-tinged inner florals and hints of black licorice to

resonate throughout. The 2017 does a wonderful job of straddling both the savory and sweet side of Amarone, but it will require a good amount of cellaring to fully flesh out.

Keep learning »

Vinous 95 - The 2013 Barbaresco Ronchi is superb. Ample and large scaled, as wines from this clay-rich site often are, the Ronchi is firing on all cylinders today.

Layers of dark red stone fruit fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. Pine, menthol, anise, citrus peel and tobacco add attractive aromatic overtones, but it is the wine's balance that is most impressive today. Simply put, the Ronchi is a standout.

Wine Advocate 91 - The 2013 Barbaresco Ronchi shows richness and density that grounds this wine firmly to the palate. This is a lasting and enriched expression that offers the intensity and the natural length that characterizes this vintage. Dark cherries and spice segue to balsam herb and cola. This is an elegant and nicely articulated expression from the Ronchi cru.

Wine Spectator 91 - A tightly wound red, with firm, raspy tannins that make the future difficult to predict. With air, sweet cherry, licorice and spice flavors emerge. Fans out nicely on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2032.

Keep learning »

Robert Parker - 89-91: Probably the finest basic Cote Rotie he has made since 1991 is the 2006 Cote Rotie Les Becasses. Dark ruby/purple with notes of cassis, bacon fat, smoke, and tapenade, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ripe, chewy, and long. This is heady stuff, a classic Cote Rotie that can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years.

Wine Spectator - 91: Edgy, with lots of green pepper, tobacco, olive and sage notes laid over a core of black currant fruit. Briary finish. This has plenty of range, but just needs to settle into itself.

Keep learning »

WA 96 - The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia knocks it out of the park. Like the other new releases from Fèlsina, this pure expression of Sangiovese needs more time to evolve and improve with bottle age. But even at this young stage, you are made fully aware of the beautiful intensity and complexity of the quality fruit at its core. There is so much energy and tension here, further reinforced by the fresh acidity of the vintage. There are vibrant tones of wild cherry, raspberry and spice, followed up by white truffle and tilled earth.

WS 94 - This features ripe, juicy black cherry and black currant fruit, with licorice, earth and tobacco flavors. Firm tannins frame the elements, imparting structure and complexity for the long haul. Terrific texture. Best from 2022 through 2042.

Vinous 94-97 - The 2016 Chianti ClassicoR iserva Rancia is yet another magnificent wine in this range from Fèlsina. Silky, gracious and inviting, the 2016 starts off gradually and then builds,

gaining volume and explosiveness with air. A wine of breadth, textural intensity and pure power, the 2016 Rancia is shaping

up to be epic. That's pretty much all there is to it.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - The 2014 Barbaresco Fausoni is all grace. Aromatic and lifted, with striking inner perfume and sweetness, the 2014 Fausoni is a terrific example of the year. Sweet red cherry, red plum, rose petal and mint infuse this pliant, super-expressive Barbaresco. In many years, Fausoni can be a bit lean, but in 2014, the late-ripening season allow for the full ripeness of fruit and tannin. What a gorgeous wine this is.

Wine Advocate 91 - This Nebbiolo shows amber and garnet hues over a lean and delicate appearance. The 2014 Barbaresco Fausoni is broad and accessible in character. The bouquet really puts it all out there and holds nothing back. It delivers bright fruit, spice and white licorice. The fruit feels a degree riper and darker in this unusual vintage that ended with a blast of pre-harvest heat following a cool summer. The Fausoni vineyard is home to 45-year-old vines.

Wine Spectator 91 - Shades of spice augment the cherry and medicinal herb flavors in this savory red. A firm line of dusty tannins holds court on the finish despite the relatively open texture. Best from 2019 through 2033.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93 - The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà, often a big, bombastic wine, is unusually refined in this vintage. The deep center of fruit that has always defined this wine is present, but there is more freshness and less of the heaviness that often marks this wine. Hints of blood orange, mint and rosewater give the 2014 an exotic upper register. Shades of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and savory herbs add the closing shades of nuance.

Wine Advocate 93 - The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà does not offer the acute high notes that you get with the other beautiful Barbarescos from Sottimano in this vintage. The intensity is broader and flatter, so to speak, but overall, the wine's intensity is just as bright and compelling as the others, albeit in a more subdued manner. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, anise and cured leather. The wine feels soft and rich in texture as well. Some 10% of the wine is aged in new oak barrel.

Wine Spectator 93 - Pretty cherry, floral, mineral and tobacco flavors line this racy red. There is an underlying density to the structure and a lingering aftertaste of fruit, iron, underbrush and tobacco. Best from 2020 through 2033.

Keep learning »

Vinous 95 - The 2014 Barbaresco Pajoré is broad, ample and super-expressive. Dark cherry, spice, lavender, licorice and leather flesh out in a multi-dimensional, complex Barbaresco endowed with myriad shades of nuance. Here, too, the tannins are fully ripe, which allows all the purity of the fruit to come through loud and clear.

Wine Advocate 94 - The 2014 Barbaresco Pajorè is a lovely wine with a firm and convincing sense of inner intensity and elegance. Red cherries and cassis rise from the bouquet, which is delivered with almost musical pulses of brightness that keep time and tempo. The wine's concentration is dark ruby and luminous. Dried mint, anise and licorice appears on the silky finish. The 1.5-hectare Pajorè vineyard is located in Treiso. Vines are up to 70 years old.

Wine Spectator 92 - Fresh thyme, cherry, tobacco and mineral flavors are the hallmarks of this firm, linear red, which is shy aromatically, but there is a core of sweet fruit. Fine length and freshness. Best from 2020 through 2032.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 98+ - The 2016 Fontalloro is the best vintage of this landmark wine that I have tasted thus far. This is a very elegant vintage, with more volume in the mouth and precise notes of tar, licorice, camphor ash, resin and Indian spice. In a race between the highly competitive 2015 and 2016 vintages, I give a slight advantage to this wine. The warmer 2015 vintage shows more richness and exuberant fruit. However, this wine from 2016 offers a more focused and chiseled delivery. I am hopeful that this wine will continue to evolve and sharpen as it ages in the bottle. This is a beautiful wine to put aside in your cellar for ten years or more.

Vinous 96 - The 2016 Fontalloro is bold,

hearty and deeply flavored, with all of the Sangiovese wildness that is so typical

of Fontalloro. Ripe dark cherry, grilled herbs, smoke, leather, game and incense are some of the many aromas and flavors

that open up in a potent, virile Fontalloro loaded with personality and character. In so many ways 2016 is THE archetype of

what Fontalloro is - a Sangiovese that is a bit wild and unruly but also full of charm.

Wine Spectator 92 - This is rich and polished, with black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors matched to dense tannins and bright acidity. Tips toward the tannic side now, picking up earth, spice and tar notes on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2028.

Keep learning »

Burghound 90 - Noticeable wood and menthol nuances surround the notably ripe aromas of plum liqueur, violet and soft warm earth nuances. The slightly finer though still obviously powerful flavors possess outstanding richness while delivering better depth and persistence on the firm and ever-so-slightly warm finale.

CRU/JRM - A wine for laying down a few years.  Will reward patience.

Keep learning »

Burghound - 89-92: This is spicy, ripe and seductive and very Vosne with its mix of red and dark pinot fruit aromas that dissolve gracefully into rich, full and very generous fleshy medium-bodied flavors that possess both good volume and depth on the sappy, velvety and persistent finish. This isn't classy or sophisticated but it's easy to admire and has the depth to rise well above the ordinary.

Here the fruit aromas are darker and edged with caramel. In the mouth it is softer and a hint sweeter than the Malconsorts – there’s an impressively intense concentration of fruit in the mid-palate. Again some faint astringency to the tannin – this is a super Chaumes.

Keep learning »

WA 94 - Slighter richer is the 2015 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles. It shows similar floral notes but fills the mouth with ripe stone fruit and cherries, fine tannins and an incredibly silky finish. All of the Perrin Gigondas show the elegant side of the appellation.

Vinous 92-94 - Vivid ruby. Expressive aromas of blackberry, cherry compote and candied flowers are sharpened by a smoky mineral topnote. Gently sweet and focused on the palate, offering intense red and blue fruit flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with aeration. Shows hints of candied licorice and allspice on a very long, sappy finish that features smooth tannins and an exotic twist of blood orange.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 96 - Pretty cherry, strawberry and floral aromas and flavors define this elegant, supple red. Firmly structured and beautifully integrated, leaving a lingering aftertaste of iron, tobacco and underbrush. Best from 2022 through 2042.

Wine Advocate 92+ - Of the three single-vineyard expressions of Barbaresco from Albino Rocca tasted this year, the 2015 Barbaresco Ovello (with 2,500 bottles made) exhibits the most defined mineral note. The bouquet shows dark fruit, spice and medicinal herb. It also delivers a very pretty and defined note of crushed granite or pencil shaving. The Ovello is also distinguished by a sweet and more succulent mouthfeel. Of these three wines, including the Barbaresco Cottà and the Barbaresco Ronchi, this is my favorite.

Vinous 92+ - The 2015 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto is beautifully lifted in the glass. Even in this warm vintage, the Loreto retains the nerve and tension that are such signatures of this Barbaresco vineyard. Crushed flowers, dried herbs, mint and chalk are all nicely delineated in a precise, finely sculpted Barbaresco endowed with real character. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2015 for at least a few years before diving into bottles.

Keep learning »

Vinous 93+ - Here in its first release, 2015 Barbaresco Cottà, shows the natural breadth of this vineyard in Neive. There has a real sense of weight and gravitas that distinguishes the Cottà in this range. I would give the 2015 at least a few years in bottle to fully come together. This is certainly an auspicious debut. The Cottà could very well be a new star in the range.

Wine Advocate 91 - The 2015 Barbaresco Cottà displays a subdued but steady personality. The bouquet is stitched carefully together with dried berries followed by balsam herb, rosemary sprig and cherry cola. There is an oxidative or slightly evolved note, but it is well massaged into the black fruit and spice that sits at the core of this Barbaresco from Neive. The mouthfeel is elegant and bright. This is the inaugural vintage by Albino Rocca. Some 2,000 bottles were produced.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 94 - Pure, exhibiting rose, cherry and raspberry aromas. Elements of tobacco, eucalyptus, mineral and tar chime in on the palate. Elegant and long on the finish. Firms up and shows fine balance overall. Best from 2022 through 2037.

Vinous 92 - The 2016 Barbaresco

Montersino is marked by distinct floral overtones, bright red berry fruit and

gracious, mid-weight structure. Clean mineral notes add energy to a Barbaresco that stands out for its tense, crystalline personality.  Pine, mint, chalk and crushed rocks give the 2016 its distinctive aromatic upper register to balance things out. This is such a vivid and expressive wine.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 92 - Fruity and savory, this red evokes cherry, raspberry, wild thyme, rosemary and chalky mineral flavors. Tightens up on the finish, with assertive tannins. Best from 2023 through 2038.

Wine Advocate 88-90 - (Barrel Tasting) The 2016 Nuits Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes offers simple, slightly smudged redcurrant and strawberry fruit on the nose. More definition here would have been nice. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, moderate depth, the 100% whole bunch lending sous-bois/woodland notes toward the finish that finally delivers the complexity I would be seeking. I suspect that this will improve during the remainder of its élevage.

Burghound 87 - A discreet application of wood sets off equally somber aromas of herbal tea, spice, earth and plum liqueur. The succulent, round and impressively voluminous flavors exude a subtle minerality that adds a sense of lift to the mildly tough and austere if complex and lingering finish that flashes evident rusticity.

Keep learning »

Wine Advocate 93 - Black cherries and garrigue appear on the nose of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape, a blend of about 60% to 70% Grenache, plus lesser amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah. Full-bodied, richly concentrated and tannic, with a long, mouthwatering finish, it's one entry-level CdP that should be cellared a year or two prior to consumption.

Keep learning »

Maker's Notes - Deep, sophisticated Brunello wine with pronounced aromas of violet, raspberry and eucalyptus, underpinned by notes of cedar and white pepper. The palate reveals flavours of wild strawberry, truffle and almond. Cava d’Onice Brunello is a big, full-bodied wine with powerful tannins and velvety mouthfeel.

Keep learning »

Wine Spectator 94 - A suave and smoky style, with sandalwood, black tea, olive, juniper and bay leaf notes leading the way, followed by a core of lightly steeped bitter plum and blackberry fruit. Concentrated, showing latent length as all the elements take a late encore, supported by a lingering mineral echo. Should unwind a bit more slowly than most of its colleagues. Best from 2022 through 2035.

Wine Advocate 93 - The 2017 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine comes from a couple of vineyards planted in 1981 on weathered granite soils geologically identical to those found in Hermitage's Les Bessards. Crushed stone, salted licorice and pencil shavings accent black cherries and black olives, while the full-bodied palate is velvety but structured, ripe and warm but firm and mouthwatering, with at least a decade of aging potential. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

Vinous 93 - Opaque ruby. Deep-pitched black and blue fruit, licorice and pungent floral qualities on the powerfully scented nose. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering bitter cherry, cassis and salty olive flavors that become more lively and turn sweeter on the back half. Smoothly blends power and energy and finishes long and spicy, with a hint of smokiness and slowly mounting tannins.

Keep learning »