Wine Store

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

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Wine Spectator 86 - Star fruit, white peach and verbena notes mingle in this fresh, easygoing white.

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

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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.

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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

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Jeremy's Notes - Refreshing white featuring a fresh kiwi core, with Key lime and white peach notes mixed in. Shows a stony hint that gives the finish spine.  Good value.

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CRU/JRM - There is no better value in white wine.  This is a satisfying, palate-coating and extremely pleasant white that pairs very well with almost everything. 

Maker's Notes - Pretty pale-yellow dress. This wine reveals an elegant nose with delicate notes of white flowers and citrus. This lively wine is very fresh and has a touch of minerality on the palate.

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Maker's Notes - Pretty delicate petal-rose colour. This wine offers an expressive, particularly fruity nose with notes of red fruit and citrus. On the palate, this wine shows a beautiful aromatic richness and a perfect balance between the body and the freshness.

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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.

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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.

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Maker's Notes - Its colour is a deep ruby red, showing garnet reflections while young. With its predominately berry-fruit bouquet, this wine shows the full aromatic power of these two noble grape varieties whilst retaining the freshness imparted by well-controlled wine making.

CRU/JRM - One of our best-selling wines for many years and with good reason.  Terrific value and always consistently well made.

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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.

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

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Maker's Notes - Beautiful limpid colour with yellow and green undertones. The nose reveals a seductive fruity bouquet with notes of lemon, citrus and white flowers. Fresh on the palate, with great tension, this is a fine, elegant and well-balanced wine, offering nice acidity and a touch of bitterness on gourmet aromas of peach syrup. It will be ideal as an aperitif or to accompany a starter.

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Maker's Notes - Pretty pale pink color with pastel undertones. The nose is seductive with subtle hints of red fruit (currants, strawberries, raspberries) and delicate flowers (rose, hawthorn). Well balanced in the mouth, between freshness and roundness, it offers a refreshing lemony finish.

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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

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Maker's Notes - An intense, bright colour, with a golden hue. To the nose the specific aromas of the grape variety are to the fore, with apricots, peaches, exotic fruits and preserved citrus fruit. The palate is both smooth and fresh, finishing on dried fruits hint.

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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

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Maker's Notes -

Appearance: Pale, bright hue with slightly bluish tints.

Nose: Powerful aromas of crushed strawberries and citrus complemented by floral notes.

Palate: Extremely fine on the palate, releasing fruity and floral notes of violets, complemented by a nice acidity which prolongs the enjoyment.

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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.

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CRU/JRM - This rosé offers up an overt savory herb streak backed by a mix of white cherry and peach flavors. Plump, juicy finish. Drink now.

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Wine Spectator 89 - Plump and fresh, with inner brightness as the star fruit, green melon and white peach flavors mingle gently. Ends with a kiss of verbena on the finish. Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Viognier.

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CRU/JRM - Seriously good Cotes du Rhone.  Stays interesting glass after glass.  Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier and Clairette. Drink now.

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Vinous 89 - Shimmering orange. Ripe red berry, orange pith and floral aromas

are complemented by a subtle nectarine flourish.  Smooth and open-knit, offering plump strawberry and tangerine flavors that take on a spicy quality with air. Shows good energy on the finish, which lingers with good, floral-tinged persistence.

Wine Spectator 87 - Fresh, with a light watermelon rind edge that adds freshness and direction to the light-bodied mix of white cherry and white peach flavors. Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.

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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.

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Maker's Notes - Seductive pale pastel-pink colour with shiny reflections. With great finesse, the nose opens up with a subtle aromatic bouquet with notes of white spring flowers such as acacia and lily of the valley. Delicate and elegant, the palate reveals great freshness which continues with a beautiful length.

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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.

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

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Vinous 91 - Glistening orange-pink. Incisive red berry and citrus fruit scents are complemented by building floral and mineral nuances. Silky, dry and precise, showing good heft to the strawberry and blood orange flavors, which are braced by an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Smoothly blends depth and energy and finishes very long and focused, with lingering florality and a suggestion of chalky minerals.

Wine Spectator 88 - This lively rosé has a glossy texture sporting cherry, tea and blood orange notes that are fresh and inviting. Accents of herb and stony mineral fine-tune the finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Rolle.

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CRU/JRM - Superbly made, elegant, long, balanced and delicious. Top shelf CDR. Super value.  Grenache and Syrah.

Maker's Notes - Beautiful garnet-red robe. The nose offers a superb aromatic bouquet with notes of red and black fruit such as cherries and blackcurrants mixed with floral notes, spices and "garrigue". With elegance, the mouth develops into fine and silky tannins with aromas of small red fruit and a beautiful aromatic and racy finish with subtle notes of tobacco.

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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.

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Maker's Notes - Pretty pink-gold colour with shiny reflections. On the nose, Nature Rosé offers a superb aromatic bouquet of great intensity with notes of red fruit such as pomegranate and blackcurrants. The palate is full of delicacies with delicious notes of small red fruit such as redcurrants and blackcurrants, perfectly balanced by great freshness.

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Maker's notes - Elegant, very pale colour with subtle green reflections. With great finesse, the nose opens up with delicate notes of white flowers and citrus. Balanced and fresh, the palate reveals the same seductive aromas and ends with a superb saline finish which offers beautiful length.

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Vinous 90 - Pale pink. Racy and focused on the nose, displaying spice-tinged red fruit and citrus pith scents and a hint of florality. In a tense, nervy style, showing fine delineation to its strawberry, redcurrant and clementine flavors. Finishes tight and long, with the citrus fruit and floral notes repeating.

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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.

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Maker's Notes - The wine has a pale golden hue. The bouquet of this Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise shows intense fruity and floral aromas. On the palate, this wine has deliciously elegant freshness. It is full-bodied without excess, and has lingering fruity aromas on a melon and lemon-tinged finish.

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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.

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Vinous 92 - Limpid orange. Expressive, mineral-accented nectarine, strawberry and melon scents, along with blood orange and floral nuances. Palate-staining red berry, citrus and pit fruit and honeysuckle flavors deftly meld depth and liveliness. Shows firm cut and repeating mineral and floral notes on the impressively persistent, finely etched finish.

Wine Spectator 88 - This mineral-laced rosé shows elements of red berries, flint and spice encased in a smooth, supple texture. A vivid acidity gives this elegance, with melon and herb notes on the finish.

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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.

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Wine Advocate 90-93 - A 60-40 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2018 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde l'Esquerda looks potentially outstanding. Crushed stone accents give this full-bodied red a sense of austerity, while the blueberry and cherry fruit is bold and muscular, yielding to a long, mouthwatering finish.

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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.

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Wine Spectator 93 - A refined, powerful white, with enveloping flavors of almond, white peach and spiced apple infused with wool, baking spice and vivid mineral elements. Dried flowers, heather, matchstick and honey notes mesh together on the long, lingering finish. Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Vermentino. Drink now through 2024.

Wine Advocate 89 - The 2017 Côtes du Roussillon Occultum Lapidem Blanc is a 60-40 blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, half fermented and aged in steel, the other half in demi-muids. It's plump and medium-bodied, with notes of lime zest and melon, a silky mouthfeel and hints of peach on the fresh, vibrant finish.

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Wine Advocate 89 - Matured in a mix of tank and demi-muids, the 2020 Saint-Péray Les Tanneurs boasts scents of ripe pears, melons and a hint of citrus. It's medium to full-bodied and round in the mouth, and while not that rich or concentrated, it's nicely balanced, citrusy and long on the finish.

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

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WA 88 - Chapoutier's large-production white Crozes, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage Blanc La Petite Ruche, is a modest, melon and citrus-scented wine that's plump and round on the medium-bodied palate, lush and easy to drink, with a finish that's marked by notes of salted licorice and citrus zest.

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Wine Spectator 93 - Fresh, ripe and well-defined, with raspberry, bitter cherry and plum puree notes that race through, carried by a fine minerally spine while savory and sanguine details infuse the finish. Drink now through 2030.

Vinous 92 - Vivid ruby. Displays ripe, smoke-accented cherry and dark berry

scents that are complemented by hints of licorice, game and cracked pepper. Juicy and broad in the mouth, offering appealingly jammy red and blue fruit liqueur and baking spice flavors and a

salty touch of olive. Finishes long and

smooth, with well-knit tannins and repeating pepper and cherry notes.

Wine Advocate 91 - An exceptional vintage for this wine, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage les Meysonniers showcases violets, cassis and crushed stone aromas on its complex, nuanced nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's silky and seductive, with a long, exquisitely balanced finish.

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Wine Spectator 92 - Plump and bright, with star fruit, green almond and chamomile notes backed by an alluring lemon shortbread accent on the finish. Utterly delicious. Marsanne and Roussanne.

Wine Advocate 89 - The 2020 Crozes Hermitage les Launes Blanc features modest, composed aromas of melon, pear and citrus. It's a mellow, medium-bodied effort that hits the right buttons, delivering ample weight and richness on the palate without sacrificing length on the finish.

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Vinous 91 - Vivid orange-pink. Mineral tinged red berries, orange zest and nectarine aromas show fine clarity and pick up a floral nuance with air.  Juicy and focused on the palate offering sappy

tangerine and strawberry flavors that deepen steadily and take on a spicy white pepper note through the back half. Finishes long, gently chewy and precise, with repeating red fruit and spice notes.

Wine Spectator 90 - Pure and chiseled in feel, with racy-edged white cherry, rose petal, jicama and jasmine notes backed by a lingering wet stone accent on the finish. This has length and subtleties that set it apart from the pack. Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle and Tibouren.

Wine Spectator 90 - This elegant rosé combines orange pith, white cherry and grapefruit flavors, with undertones of mineral, spice and heather accents. Refreshing acidity gives this a mouthwatering finish.

Wine Advocate 89 - Plump and rounded on the palate, Miraval's 2021 Cotes de Provence Rose follows that up with a mouthwatering, citrusy finish. It's a pretty standard Provence offering but executed at a high level, with attractive scents of crushed stone accenting peach, melon and lime-like notes. Just who owns this wine estate may be in the hands of a French court, but the winemaking is firmly under the control of the Perrin family and reflects their high standards of quality.

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Maker's Notes -

Appearance: intense garnet red.

Nose: very floral (violet), developing into liquorice and spices.

Palate: supple attack with a dominance of red fruits. The finish is long with spices.

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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.

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Wine Advocate 88 - Broad and corpulent, the 2019 Saint-Joseph Deschants Blanc is honeyed on the nose, with ripe pear and melon notes. Full-bodied, rich and round, it appears to be a fast-maturing example of this cuvée.

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Wine Advocate 91 - A step up from La Petite Ruche, Chapoutier's 2019 Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Meysonniers ratchets up the intensity and complexity, adding hints of honey and crushed stone to notes of ripe melon and citrus. Medium to full-bodied, round and succulent on the palate, it finishes with mouth-coating flavors and ample length. Aged in a mix of demi-muids and stainless steel, it's a deftly balanced but opulent Marsanne that drinks well now, so why wait?

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CRU/JRM - A cut above most southern Rhone whites, this has plenty depth, and good intensity.  The flavour profile is quite complex and satisfying.  This would do good justice to fish, scallops and shrimp dishes, or provide a superb aperitif on its own.

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Wine Spectator 92 - Tasty lemon curd, verbena white peach and chamomile notes are guided by a flattering whiff of shortbread through the plump finish. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2025.

Wine Advocate 88 - Honeydew and cantaloupe notes feature prominently on the nose of the 2020 Saint Joseph les Challeys Blanc, an 80-20 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Medium to full-bodied, it's not the biggest, richest Saint-Joseph blanc, but it's smooth, easy drinking and harmonious, with a clean, refreshing finish.

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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.

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Vinous 92 - Saturated ruby. Bright and focused on the nose, displaying ripe, red fruit, lavender and spice aromas. Juicy and openknit, offering concentrated,

appealingly sweet raspberry, cherry and

candied licorice flavors that tighten up and become livelier as the wine opens up. Finishes long, smooth and juicy, with resonating licorice, red berry notes and just a hint of dusty tannins.

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Wine Advocate 92 - Toasted marshmallow and grilled melon notes appear on the nose of the 2017 Saint-Joseph Les Granilites Blanc. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it represents the next step up from the Deschants bottling. Sourced from the Tournon-Mauves area of the appellation, it's marked by the region's granitic soils, remaining fresh and long on the finish, despite being velvety in texture.

Wine Spectator 92 - Ripe and rich, with brioche, white ginger, creamed melon and green fig fruit flavors entwined together and gliding through the broad, creamy finish.

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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.

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Wine Advocate 92 - Bottled just a week before my visit, the 2018 Saint-Péray Lieu-dit Hongrie was already showing off its stuff, bursting with notes of grilled pineapple and citrus. It's medium to full-bodied but crisp and firmly built, with a silky feel on the palate and a lingering, nicely focused finish.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Wine Advocate 92 - The full-bodied, richly textured 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Sinards Blanc is a barrel-fermented blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, all drawn from a single vineyard parcel. Notes of pencil shavings accent honeyed pineapple and white peaches, backed by hints of lime and tangerine in this lush, almost decadent white wine.

Wine Spectator 92 - Bright, high-pitched style, with talc, white peach and jicama notes laced with hints of lime pith and fennel. Nice tension and energy through the mineral-edged finish. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette.

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Wine Advocate 91-93 - Comprising old vines not from la Crau or le Pied Long (two years ago, the Bruniers purchased eight hectares of 60-year-old Grenache, specifically for this cuvée) and young vines from those lieux-dits, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme delivers pretty notions of strawberries and raspberries, plus just a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied but silky, fine and elegant, this looks like the finest wine I've tasted under this label—a solid wine of its own.

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Vinous 93 - Light bright yellow. Expansive aromas of white peach, tangerine, melon and pungent white flowers pick up a hint of honey with aeration. Plush orchard and pit fruit nectar flavors slowly become spicier and livelier with air. The floral quality lingers on a very long, seamless finish that shows excellent focus and spicy cling. In a hefty but surprisingly vibrant style, and pretty delicious already.

WA 91 - Not the most aromatic wine of the appellation, the 2016 Condrieu la Galopine relies instead on texture and charm. This medium-bodied wine was partly barrel fermented, and there is a vague sensation of roasted nuts, although apricots and melons dominate the palate before fading quickly into peppery-gingery spice on the finish.

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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 - 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.

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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.

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CRU/ JRM - White Chateauneuf is a wine produced in insufficient quantities.  The complexity and elegance, combined with richness makes this a wine of luxury; palate-coating and scrumptious, with persistence and a long, satisfying finish.  Yum.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Robert Parker - 92: The top-notch 2006 Hermitage La Sizeranne boasts an opaque ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of black raspberries, creme de cassis, acacia flowers, crushed rocks, and subtle wood. Full-bodied, rich, and broad with moderate tannin, good acidity, and a long finish, the 2006 will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age, and keep for 15+ years.

Wine Spectator - 91: A bright, juicy style, with forward raspberry and boysenberry fruit backed by sweet spice and fruitcake hints. The solid, juicy finish has a good graphite edge.

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WA 95 - A much smaller production cuvée, the 2015 Condrieu Clos Boucher (aged 80% in barrel and 20% in stainless steel) is a sensational Condrieu that offers textbook, yet pedal to the metal notes of white peach, tangerine, citrus blossom and hints of minerality. Impeccably balanced, fresh and lively, it should be given six months in bottle and enjoyed over the following 4-5 years.

Vinous 94 - Very light gold. Powerful, mineral-accented orange pith, melon, white peach and violet scents show impressive focus and vivacity. Possesses an impressive blend of depth and finesse, offering concentrated citrus and pit fruit, honey and candied ginger flavors complemented by a subtle anise quality. Finishes with superb mineral cut and lift, leaving suave floral and mineral notes behind. This complex, densely packed wine would complement lighter foods as well as rich ones and, from my experience with older vintages such as the 2005 and 2010, it's a highly reliable cellar candidate.

WS 93 - Ripe and creamy in feel, with pear, quince, almond cream, shortbread and warm brioche notes melded together, backed by a light hazelnut echo on the flattering finish. Drink now through 2020.

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Wine Advocate 93-95 - The 2018 Hermitage Chante-Alouette is ripe and custardy in feel, with plenty of richness that's balanced by ample freshness. Hints of citrus, melon and white peach mingle easily on the nose and palate, offering a lovely introduction to white Hermitage.

Vinous 93 - Pale, glistening yellow. Penetrating aromas of fresh orchard and pit fruits are accompanied by hints of chalky minerals and pungent flowers. Juicy and concentrated in style, offering pear nectar, white peach and Meyer lemon flavors that tighten up and show fine definition on the back half. The floral note repeats strongly on the energetic finish, which hangs on with impressive, mineral-tinged persistence.

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Wine Advocate 94 - One of the gems in the vintage is the 2013 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, which comes from both the Bessards and Grandes Vignes lieux-dits on Hermitage Hill. Completely destemmed, then vinified in stainless steel and concrete tanks, the wine is aged 18 months in 30% new French oak; it offers terrific notes of dark fruits, graphite and ample minerality in a full-bodied, layered, ripe profile. It’s more approachable than the Les Bessards, yet will still have three decades of longevity.

Vinous 93 - Brilliant violet. Complex mineral- and smoke-accented scents of dark fruit liqueur, violet and olive paste gain urgency from a smoky mineral quality . Juicy and sharply focused on the palate, offering sappy blueberry and bitter cherry flavors that deepen and become sweeter with air. Shows excellent depth and vivacity and finishes spicy and very long, displaying a resonating floral quality and building tannins.

Wine Spectator 92 - Ripe for the vintage, with a fleshy core of plum compote and raspberry coulis flavors, backed by ample cocoa-edged grip that melds through the loam- and anise-accented finish. Best from 2017 through 2023.

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Wine Advocate 96-98 - Even better than I remember it being last year, and potentially edging out the L'Argnée this vintage, the 2017 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles is just flat-out terrific juice. From yields around 15 hectoliters per hectare, it's 80% Grenache and 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, all aged in foudre. Soaring floral notes of rose petals, violets and garrigue appear on the nose, followed by ripe raspberry flavors that flow almost weightlessly across the silky, full-bodied palate. So fine, so elegant, so long, it nearly left me speechless.

Vinous 95 - Opaque, bright-rimmed ruby. Intensely perfumed, mineral-accented cherry and dark berry scents are accompanied by suggestions of licorice, candied flowers and exotic spices. Fleshy and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated cherry pastry and blackberry flavors that become more energetic as the wine stretches out. Shows superb energy and mineral lift on an impressively long, subtly tannic finish that leaves behind a suave floral note.

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Wine Advocate 95-97 - There are a whopping two demi-muids of the stellar 2017 Gigondas L'Argnee Vieilles Vignes in the pipeline, so readers will have to be on their toes to grab a bottle or two. Made from the same pre-Phylloxera parcel of Grenache, it's incredibly intense this vintage, boasting enough purple raspberries, black cherries and Asian spices to send me almost into sensory overload. Yet for all the flavor, this full-bodied wine is velvety-silky in feel, with a long, elegant finish.

Vinous 94 - Opaque ruby. Highly expressive aromas of mineral-tinged red berries, incense and licorice candy, along with a suave floral nuance that builds as the wine opens up. Appealingly sweet and seamless on the palate, offering penetrating raspberry, cherry, spicecake and candied lavender flavors that are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes silky, sweet and impressively long, with gentle tannins and lingering floral pastille and exotic spice notes.

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WA 94 - A blend of 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne, the 2017 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Blanc features scents of toasted almond, honey and pineapple. Full-bodied, rich and creamy, it's rounded out on the palate by melon-like fruit, then adds citrus zest, crushed stone and brine on the long finish. Drink it now or after about 10 years.

Vinous 93 - Pale gold. Powerful orchard and citrus fruit scents are complemented by suggestions of smoky minerals, chamomile and fennel. Chewy and broad in the mouth, offering concentrated pear, Meyer lemon and honeysuckle flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Delivers a solid punch of ripe pit fruits on an impressively long, focused finish that echoes the floral and mineral notes.

Wine Spectator 93 - This is suave, with macadamia nut, salted butter and verbena notes weaving around a core of creamed Jonagold apple, star fruit and Bosc pear flavors. Everything entwines seamlessly through the finish. Best from 2021 through 2028.

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Wine Advocate 90 - The 2012 reds started with the 2012 Hermitage la Sizeranne, which comes from a number of lieux-dits in Hermitage. Outstanding stuff, it has lots of smoked herbs, saddle leather, pepper and minerality to go with a solid core of raspberry/blackberry fruit. Fleshy, ripe and textured, with fantastic purity, it's a pleasure-bent effort to drink over the coming 7-8 years.

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Wine Spectator 95 - This is loaded with well-defined loganberry, blackberry and boysenberry pâte de fruit flavors, flecked with anise and black tea notes and carried by a fine iron streak that lingers wonderfully. A wine of cut, purity and precision. Best from 2020 through 2035.

Wine Advocate 94 - A blend of Syrah grapes from several lieux-dits, including Les Bessards, the 2015 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is aged in new and second use barrels. It's a dark, concentrated wine, meaty, rich and tannic but with a bright beam of cassis fruit that lifts it and gives it great definition and shape on the palate. Give this medium to full-bodied wine at least 5 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 15.

Vinous 92-94 - Inky ruby. Dark fruit and floral scents unfold slowly to reveal Indian spice and mineral accents. Densely concentrated cassis and blueberry flavors are lifted by a core of smoky minerality and a jolt of cracked pepper. Smoothly plays richness off vivacity and finishes impressively long and chewy; dusty tannins frame the sweet dark fruit.

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Wine Advocate 96+ - The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a hugely successful vintage, marked by scents of sun-warmed stones, garrigue, black cherries and black olives. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it finishes with tremendous length and softly dusty tannins, which should help ensure a long, positive evolution.

Wine Spectator 93 - Silky and refined, with focused cherry puree, plum reduction and raspberry coulis notes racing through, infused subtly with rose petal, warm stone and lavender hints. Features nice perfume through the finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Drink now through 2036.

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Wine Advocate 95-97 - Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare ("normal" is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish.

Vinous 92-94 - Deep ruby-red. Ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur and hints of garrigue, smoked meat and potpourri on the mineral-accented nose. Palate-staining black currant and cherry pie flavors show excellent clarity, chewy texture and a hint of spicecake that builds as the wine opens up. The energetic, impressively long finish repeats the floral and dark fruit notes, and youthfully chewy tannins add shape and solid closing grip.

Decanter 96 - This is a towering, muscular Beaucastel this year with more depth, intensity and black fruit, pushing towards blackcurrant. It’s very dense and extremely concentrated in 2018, more than most but it has the energy and the vibrancy to thrust it front and forward ending with a saline finish. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 - Moving to the reds, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed nicely with a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic Beaucastel aromas and flavors of darker currents, blueberries, smoked meats, black licorice and roasted herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, clean, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this seamless, elegant Beaucastel will be approachable in its youth, yet still have 20+ years of prime drinking.

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