|
|
 |
| |
Inventory updated: Fri, Apr 03, 2026 05:04 PM cst
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Ausone |
1996 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML) 
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,012.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (4/1999): I do not understand the critics of Alain Vautier, who now has sole control of Ausone and is taking the estate's quality to a higher level. Moreover, the wine is consistent, with great depth and richness on the mid-palate, without sacrificing Ausone's 40-50+ years of longevity. As I suspected, the 1996 is beginning to shut down. I left it in the glass for nearly 30 minutes and was impressed with the nuances that developed. The color is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness, and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspiring Ausones of the eighties and seventies. The wine is stylish, and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040. |
|
| Ch. Beau-Sejour Becot |
2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$419.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Displaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot prances out of the glass with showy scents of preserved plums, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries and raspberry preserves, plus suggestions of rose oil, ground cloves and licorice. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate shimmers with energy, offering a fantastic intensity of crunchy red and black fruits, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Simply stunning.
VM 92-94 (5/2021): The 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot was picked 8 September until 30 September, but mostly between 8-12 September, around 70% of the production. It is one of the highest percentages of Merlot in recent years partly due to restructuring of the vineyard and also higher yields (47-48hl/ha) compared to the Cabernets. With no SO2 used during fermentation and matured in 55% new oak (20hl Stockinger and Taransaud foudres and regular barriques) it is tightly wound on the nose, so I afforded the sample an hour to really open. It offers predominantly red berry fruit, wild mint and traces of dried honey, more floral scents emerging, violet and iris flower blossoming with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very well judged acidity, a very graceful and unpretentious Saint-emilion, harmonious with a touch of white pepper enhancing the precise finish. This is a classically styled Beau-Sejour Becot that conveys a brooding intensity, so I would give it several years in the cellar. Neal Martin.
JD 94-96 (5/2021): The vivid purple-hued 2020 Château Beau-Sejour Becot is another ethereal, incredibly perfumed, mineral-laced Saint-Emilion, which is common from wines from the upper, limestone plateau. Gorgeous cassis and black cherry fruits as well as floral notes, violets, and chalky minerality all define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, has wonderfulness and purity, and reveals a liqueur of rocks-like minerality on the finish. It’s another thrillingly complete wine from this team that shines for its purity, elegance, and complexity.
JS 96-97 (4/2021): This has a fantastic finish with crushed blackberries and raspberries and salt undertones. It’s full-bodied, yet really racy and polished with such fine, intense tannins. Love the length to this. Very distinguished and toned. Excellent energy. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon. |
|
| Ch. Clinet |
2000 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,576.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 99 (4/2012): Incredible concentration and richness in this wine. This is good stuff, loads of complexity with notes of flowers, vanilla, and ripe fruit. Still drinking like a baby, this is full, soft, and long. Opulent and gorgeous right now but give this five years and you’ll be better off. Pull the cork in 2015. So much fruit for a Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
WA 93 (6/2010): Beautiful aromas of plums, soy, black currants, black raspberries, espresso, and spring flowers jump from the glass of this perfumed, dense plum/ruby/purple-tinged Pomerol. Medium to full-bodied and pure with sweet tannin and impressive extract, it will benefit from 2-3 more years of bottle age, and should last for an additional two decades.
VM 90 (5/2003): Dark red, but more brown than ruby. Roasted, wild aromas of game, truffle and stewed tomato. Slightly sauvage flavors of gamey red fruits, coffee, cedar and spices; sweet and superripe but with adequate supporting acidity. More pliant than it appeared to be a year ago from barrel. Surprisingly subtle on the firm back end, yet the notes of cedar and coffee seem rather evolved. Perhaps best suited for drinking over the next ten years. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Ch. Cos d'Estournel |
2014 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$169 |
59 |
|
| |
JS 98 (2/2017): If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!
VM 95+ (2/2017): The 2014 Cos d'Estournel is rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades. The 2014 needs time to shed some baby fat, but it is quite impressive, even in the early going. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot and 2 % Cabernet Franc. Antonio Galloni.
JD 95 (11/2017): The grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.
VM 92-95 (4/2015): The 2014 Cos d'Estournel brings together gorgeous textural richness and ripeness, yet retains considerable aromatic freshness. Mocha, red plum, raspberry jam and rose petals are all beautifully nuanced. I very much like the sense of translucent energy here. Sweet floral and spice notes add to the wine's racy, voluptuous personality. Today, my impression is that the 2014 Cos will reward consumers with a long window of pure drinking pleasure. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. |
|
|
2017 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$179 |
24 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (3/2020): Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!
JS 98 (12/2019): Quite the bottle here! Spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as dried meat and plums with cedar and sandalwood. Full body. Deep and dense in the center palate and a long, long finish. Shows finesse and tightness. Very polished tannins. Long and ethereal. Try after 2023.
VM 95 (3/2020): A bold, dramatic wine, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel is seriously impressive today. Time in barrel has done wonders for the 2017, a wine that has really gained depth in elevage. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice, smoke and incense infuse the 2017 with tons of character, with the 60% new oak very well judged. In 2017, Cos has a level of textural resonance that eludes many Saint-Estèphes. The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Antonio Galloni.
JD 94 (2/2020): The grand vin 2017 Chateau Cos D'Estournel checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak. It's a classic 2017 that shows the straight, very classic style of the vintage with its medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and solid spine of acidity. Beautiful cassis, green tobacco, graphite, and cedar pencil notes all emerge from the glass, and as with the Pagodes, it's still tight and reserved on the palate. Reminding me of the 1996 with its classic, balanced style, give bottles 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades. |
|
| Ch. Cos Labory |
2018 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$49 |
35 |
|
| |
VM 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Cos Labory is fabulous. An extra kick of richness from the warm year and a bit more Petit Verdot than usual result in a Cos Labory that is wonderfully savory, powerful and layered. Black cherry, plum, cloves, chocolate and dried herbs build as this potent, exotically ripe Saint-Estèphe opens in the glass. Today, the 2018 is dark, brooding and in need of cellaring. Cos Labory is a bit wild, but that just adds to its considerable allure. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
WA 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Cos Labory has a deep garnet-purple color, bursting from the glass with bold notes of warm cassis, blackberry compote and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of roses, unsmoked cigars and tree bark. The medium-bodied palate has a very sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness supporting the rather delicately played fruit, finishing long and earthy/minerally. The structure stands out a little now, which I enjoy, but for those preferring softer, rounder expressions, give this a good 3-5 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 15-20 years.
JD 90 (3/2021): Lots of rich red and black currants, tobacco, savory spice, and new leather notes emerge from the 2018 Château Cos Labory, a medium-bodied Saint-Estèphe with terrific overall balance, ripe, velvety tannins, lots of character, and outstanding length. It's well worth cellaring and drinking any time over the coming 15+ years. |
|
| G. d' Estournel |
2020 |
Medoc ex-Negociant |
$32.99 |
47 |
|
| |
JA 92 (1/2023): So interesting tasting this against a wide range of AOC Médoc wines. It's a more expensive bottle than many of them, but it is confident, crafted and full of personality. Cocoa bean, espresso, plentiful berry fruit, touches of mandarin peel and lemongrass to lift things on the finish, slate texture tannins, good stuff.
JD 89 (2/2023): A terrific wine, the 2020 Goulee By Cos D'Estournel sports a healthy ruby/purple hue as well as ripe aromatics of currants, sandalwood, damp earth, and leafy tobacco. This medium-bodied, silky, juicy, ready-to-go Médoc is perfect for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years. (Drink between 2023-2031)
VM 89 (2/2023): The 2020 Goulée by Cos d'Estournel is very pretty and aromatic. Élevage has filled out the layers nicely, but this remains a decidedly aromatic, mid-weight vintage for the château's Médoc. Sweet pipe tobacco, leather, mint, cinnamon and dried cherry build nicely in the glass. The 2020 has come together nicely. (Drink between 2024-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Ch. La Fleur Petrus |
2017 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,147.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| La Gravette de Certan |
2018 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$447.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Haut-Brion |
2009 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,637.98 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 100 (2/2012): What a blockbuster effort! Atypically powerful, one day, the 2009 Haut-Brion may be considered to be the 21st century version of the 1959. It is an extraordinarily complex, concentrated effort made from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc with the highest alcohol ever achieved at this estate, 14.3%. Even richer than the perfect 1989, with similar technical numbers although slightly higher extract and alcohol, it offers up a sensational perfume of subtle burning embers, unsmoked cigar tobacco, charcoal, black raspberries, wet gravel, plums, figs and blueberries. There is so much going on in the aromatics that one almost hesitates to stop smelling it. However, when it hits the palate, it is hardly a letdown. This unctuously textured, full-bodied 2009 possesses low acidity along with stunning extract and remarkable clarity for a wine with a pH close to 4.0. The good news is that there are 10,500 cases of the 2009, one of the most compelling examples of Haut-Brion ever made. It requires a decade of cellaring and should last a half century or more. Readers who have loved the complexity of Haut-Brion should be prepared for a bigger, richer, more massive wine, but one that does not lose any of its prodigious aromatic attractions.
JS 100 (2/2012): Aromas of forest floor, currants and blueberries, with hints of fresh tobacco and sliced mushrooms. Turns to orange peel and blueberries. Full-bodied, with incredible structure. This is so powerful in tannins, yet so polished. This is the most structured Haut-Brion that I have ever tasted. This has 15% Cabernet Franc, which is more than normal and perhaps giving the wine a little more tannic structure. A monumental Haut-Brion made to age for centuries. I have never tasted a young Haut-Brion, with such spellbinding power and depth. A modern 1945 or 1961 HB? Better than the legendary 1989? Try in 2021.
VM 97+ (7/2012): Vivid deep ruby. Knockout fruity nose offers blackcurrant, strawberry, rosemary, truffle and a stony note. Then very closed in the middle, with cabernet sauvignon-dominated flavors of cassis, cigar box, cedar and minerals. Finishes long and deep, with massive but smooth tannins and a lingering note of violet. This will need plenty of time in the cellar but should be an Outstanding, memorable Haut Brion. Offhand, I do not recall a better pair of wines from any estate in 2009: millionaires will have a lot of fun trying to choose between La Mission and Haut Brion in 20 years' time. |
|
| Ch. Lafite Rothschild |
1999 |
Pauillac (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,376.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 93 (2/2022): The 1999 Lafite Rothschild is entering adolescence and beginning to show very well after an hour in the decanter. Offering up aromas of rich dark fruit mingled with cigar box, loamy soil, spices and subtle animal top notes. Medium to full-bodied, muscular and concentrated for the vintage, with lively acids and still rather youthfully assertive tannins, it's a fine effort that would rate higher if it displayed greater aromatic purity. 2009-2039.
VM 92 (6/2002): Bright, deep ruby-red. Ripe, deep aromas of currant, flowers, coconut and mint. Firm and tight, with excellent cut and precision; brisk flavors of bitter cherry, berry skin and minerals. A slightly dry-edged midweight that's best today on the long, slow-building finish. Shows an intriguing late note of faded rose. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2001 |
Pauillac (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,017.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (6/2004): The 2001 Lafite Rothschild’s deep, saturated plum/purple color is accompanied by lead pencil liqueur-like notes intermixed with sweet red and black currants, plums, and cedar. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot is a classic example of Lafite. Extremely elegant, medium-bodied, with intense concentration, richness, and sweet tannin, it appears to be on a rapid evolutionary track, at least in comparison to recent Lafite vintages that have been far more backward and powerful. The classy 2001 should be at its finest between 2007-2020. |
|
| Ch. Latour |
2003 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,471.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2006): There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.
VM 97 (6/2006): Red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum liqueur, currant, minerals and lead pencil. Huge, lush, sweet and utterly seamless; this has the palate-caressing texture of liquid velvet. About as deep as this extreme vintage gets. Finishes with noble, compellingly sweet tannins and great length. This is amazing wine, and only its exotic character prevented me from giving it an even higher score. Interestingly, the IPT here is 65, compared to 67 for the 2005. But this voluminous and powerful wine will be more fun to drink than the 2005 for many years simply due to its sensual appeal, even if the 2005 should ultimately surpass it in verve, minerality and overall aromatic complexity. (Incidentally, Latour's third wine, simply called Pauillac, is extremely good in both 2005 and 2003-the former vintage showing terrific energy and loads of early personality, and the latter fat, round and exotic, with what Engerer described as a "Napa nose.") |
|
| La Dame de Montrose |
2019 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$569.99 |
2 |
|
| |
JA 94 (10/2021): Depth and power through the mid palate, good quality tannins, this is classically restrained St Estèphe power, with savoury yet juicy black fruits. Living up to its potential En Primeur, one to look out for, and a strong 2nd wine that beats out many 1st wines in the vintage. If you liked the Dame de Montrose 2010, get on board with this.
VM 92 (2/2023): The 2019 La Dame de Montrose has an open, fresh and energetic nose with blackberry and cedar scents, joined by black pepper and graphite with time. You might describe it as a "strapping" bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with graphite-infused black fruit, pliant tannins, edgy with a persistent and satisfying finish. This is very promising and quite sophisticated - a Deuxième Vin that has improved since bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Neal Martin.
JD 91 (4/2022): The 2019 La Dame De Montrose is another impressive second wine and certainly worth seeking out. Ripe darker cherries, currants, leafy herbs, tobacco, and a hint of classic Saint-Estèphe damp earth all emerge on the nose, and it's medium-bodied, with a silky, graceful texture, light tannins, and a great finish. It's everything a second wine should be and will evolve nicely for 10-12 years. |
|
| Les Pagodes de Cos |
2021 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$55 |
35 |
|
| |
JD 91 (4/2024): Mostly Merlot but including 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Pagodes De Cos has a juicy, medium-bodied, lively style that shows the fresher vibe of the vintage while bringing good depth of fruit and texture. Bright black cherries, currants, sappy tobacco, and some graphite/lead pencil notes all define the aromatics, and it has some classic Saint-Estèphe earth and spice. Raised in 25% new barrels and with 12.49% alcohol, drink this balanced, elegant Pagodes over the coming 10-15 years. (Drink between 2024-2039).
WA 91 (2/2024): The 2021 Les Pagodes de Cos is a strong effort, offering up aromas of cassis, charcoal, dark berries and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and fleshy palate that's quite rich and extracted, concluding with a saline finish. It's a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
JA 90 (4/2022): Visually the texture is attractive, supple, inviting. This is different to the character than you have found in Pagodes over recent years, the acidity is clearly more present through the tannins, which appear at the front of the mouth. But there are plenty of vivid blue fruits, together with bitter chocolate character, this is classically balanced, enjoyable, old school, successful in the vintage and suggests again that St Estèphe is a high spot in 2021, because so few 2nd wines have performed this well. 30% new oak, harvst September 23 to October 7. |
|
| Ch. Peby Faugeres |
2017 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$578.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 93-95 (4/2018): Made of 100% Merlot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Peby Faugeres opens with crushed blackcurrants, blackberry compote and plum preserves with touches of Chinese five spice and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs in the black fruit and spicy flavors, supported by firm yet velvety tannins and ample freshness, finishing long and spicy.
VM 92-95 (5/2018): The 2017 Peby Faugères is powerful, rich, dense and explosive. Always one of the more flamboyant wines in Saint-emilion, the Peby possesses tremendous intensity from start to finish. Raspberry jam, red cherry, wild flowers and sweet spices build to a super-expressive crescendo. In 2017, Peby is a bit more feminine than it usually is. Even so, the 2017 is full-throttle and absolutely delicious. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 94-96 (4/2018): Always from a single plot of very old vine Merlot planted on unique, brown limestone on the Castillon/Saint-Emilion border, the 2017 Peby Faugères will spend 18 months in 65% new French oak and hit 14% natural alcohol. It sports an inky purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blueberries, black cherries, leafy herbs, and graphite. It's ripe, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful purity, and sweet tannin. It's not going to make you forget the 2009, 2010, or 2015, but my money is on it offering more pleasure and depth than most. Tasted twice.
JS 95-96 (4/2018): Beautiful red with a supple and juicy undertone to the full body, pretty fruit and ripe tannins. Very refined and polished. Subtle chocolate and bluefruit. Love the layers and complexity. Really fine and juicy. Real merlot. |
|
| | Burgundy Red |
| Dom. Marquis d' Angerville |
2017 |
Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$793.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| BH 91-93 (4/2019): A softly spiced nose grudgingly reveals wafting and perfumed aromas of plum liqueur, violet and a hint of sandalwood. The medium weight flavors are not quite as dense as those of the Frémiets but they're finer still with plenty of the hallmark minerality suffusing the classy and impeccably well-balanced finale. This Zen-like effort should be approachable after only 5 to 7 years of cellaring if that's your preference. |
|
|
2017 |
Volnay 1er Cru Champans (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$844.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 92-94 (1/2019): The 2017 Volnay Les Champans 1er Cru is tasted from two barrels. It demonstrates wonderful grace and precision with mineral-infused cranberry and wild strawberry fruit. There is a sense of vitality and sophistication here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin. The oak is beautifully integrated, notes of orange rind and even just a subtle touch of honey towards the relatively powerful and sustained finish that just feels audacious. Wonderful. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2019 |
Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$894.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 92-94 (1/2021): Offering up lovely aromas of sweet berry fruit, plums, orange rind, raw cocoa and spices, the 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiet is medium to full-bodied, bright and mineral, with a firmer, more tightly wound profile than the gourmand, enveloping Clos des Angles, concluding with a saline finish. It's a touch more refined and ethereal than the 2018, but like that wine, it's built to age.
VM 91-93 (12/2020): The 2019 Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru (an anomaly since most producers label as "Les Fremiets") is very engaging on the nose with beautiful potpourri and rose petal infused red fruit that is very well defined. The palate is well balanced with succulent red cherries, cranberry and strawberry. There is a spiciness here that becomes more pronounced towards the finish with white pepper and clove, leaving the mouth tingling long after this Fremiet has departed. Excellent. (Drink between 2023-2040). Neal Martin.
BH 91-93 (4/2021): A touch of menthol is present on the slightly riper nose that displays notes of plum, violet and anise. There is good refinement here as well though it's coupled with ample punch and minerality, all wrapped in an impressively long, focused and relatively powerful finish. At least some patience strongly advised. (Drink starting 2029). |
|
|
2019 |
Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,223.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 93-95 (4/2021): A ripe, pure, and airy and elegant nose combines notes of plum, black raspberry and spice with soft earth and floral nuances. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is almost gossamer fine yet there is no lack of punch to the strikingly long and again, beautifully balanced finale. This isn't as dense as the Champans or the Clos des Ducs though it does possess that ineffable quality of breed. This is pretty much textbook Taillepieds. (Drink starting 2031).
VM 93-95 (12/2020): The 2019 Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er Cru has a perfumed bouquet with disarmingly pure red cherry, cranberry and rose petal and incense scents. This is one of the domaine’s most alluring aromatics this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very well balanced with a sensual, deep finish that caresses the mouth. This is a wonderful Volnay that will give 20-30 years of drinking pleasure. This may well end up at the top of my banded score. (Drink between 2024-2050). Neal Martin.
WA 93-95 (1/2021): The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds is unusually refined this year, even if it's still very much a vin de garde, unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, cherries, dark chocolate, warm spices and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and elegantly muscular, it's deep and layered, with bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. |
|
|
2020 |
Volnay 1er Cru Champans (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$842.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| BH 93-95 (4/2022): There is a whiff of exotic spice sitting atop the ripe aromas of black raspberry coulis, violet, orange peel and Asian-style tea. The caressing but solidly energetic middle weight plus flavors manage to be at once elegant yet powerful before culminating in an equally austere, compact and beautifully well-balanced finale. This beauty of a Champans is also going to need at least 7 to 8 years of patience and should be more than capable of rewarding 12 to 15. Drink 2032+. |
|
|
2021 |
Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$595.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. du Comte Armand |
2023 |
Auxey Duresses 1er Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$541.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Auxey Duresses Rouge (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$368.99 |
5 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Volnay (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$495.99 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$900.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Arnoux-Lachaux |
2019 |
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,633.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Bouchard Pere et Fils |
2016 |
Echezeaux Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$766.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Sylvain Cathiard |
2019 |
Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$10,059.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$7,669.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,826.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Robert Chevillon |
2005 |
Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,764.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94-95 (4/2007): Of all the Chevillon wines, their 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Vaucrains - like their Cailles and Les St.-Georges, from roughly 80-year-old vines - displays the greatest density, stoniest minerality, most piquant nuttiness, and deepest, darkest, blackberry and beet root “fruit" character. The overall impression is breath-taking in its sheer concentration, yet rather somber and brooding in personality, with an emphasis on piquancy, bitterness and stoniness. Toasted walnut and hickory, cherry pits, black chocolate, stones, and charred meat inform this wine’s powerful, penetrating finish. Were it not for a persistent primary blackberry juiciness and the great refinement of its abundant tannins, this would border on the hyper-concentrated. If further proof were needed that the Chevillons are in a class by themselves among the major Nuits-St.-Georges landholders, they certainly delivered it this year. Like so many other vintners, they reported backing off on pigeage this year - and heaven knows, the resultant wines don’t lack for concentration. Their Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, Bourgogne, and Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres had all just been sulfured and filtered, so Bertrand Chevillon declined to show them. He was as yet noncommittal, however, about when the other wines would be bottled, although this would probably continue through Spring, and be accompanied by the estate’s usual light filtration.
VM 91-94 (4/2007): Good full ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black raspberry, dark chocolate and leather; a bit less minerally and floral than the Saint-Georges. Powerful, brooding and large-scaled on the palate but currently locked up tight and showing less sweetness than the Saint-Georges. But this big boy really saturates the palate. With its serious tannic clout and leathery soil tones, this is classic Nuits-Saint-Georges.
BH 91-94 (4/2007): This is particularly ripe yet the nose is fresh and expressive with its dark raspberry fruit, earth, violet and slightly sauvage notes but the big, robust and amply muscled flavors are brooding to the point of being intensely primary and borderline backward. This is the most structured wine of the range but there is so much extract that the tannins are almost completely buffered, which will permit a long if slow evolution. This is a dramatic effort that isn't quite as classy as the Les St. Georges or Les Cailles but it is likely to be the last wine standing as it were some decades hence. Drink 2017+. Sweet spot Outstanding! |
|
| J.-F. Coche-Dury |
1996 |
Bourgogne Rouge (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,164.98 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Jean-Jacques Confuron |
2010 |
Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,506.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. de Courcel |
2005 |
Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,322.98 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 94 (4/2008): Here there is a wonderfully elegant, cool and very pure red pinot fruit nose nuanced with that crushed stone/mineral note that some terroirs seem to consistently exude that continues onto the rich, dense and remarkably powerful flavors that display no rusticity at all. The structural elements are clearly ripe and I really like the intensity here. Overall, this is finer than the Epenots but not more complex and the only difference is a bit more depth of material. Worth a special search to find and cellar but note that it's for the very patient. Drink 2020+. Outstanding!
VM 93+ (4/2008): Good full red. Pungent redcurrant and raspberry aromas sharpened by minerality. Wonderfully concentrated but less open and exotic today than the Epenots, but this, too, is seamless and sweet. There's a firm minerally, spicy character here that reminded me of the young 2006. This fills the mouth every bit as much as the Epenots does but with less weight. Finishes firmly tannic but not hard. These wines, both weighing in at 14.3% alcohol, present two very different styles, but both should give great pleasure over the next two decades. Confuron thinks that they will be accessible at virtually every stage of their development in bottle. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 93-94 (6/2007): The Courcel 2005 Pommard Rugiens comes from the chalkiest, upper portion of that great site (in fact, just below the domaine’s Vaumuriens). Everything about this wine just seems to be pulling together today - and in a promising direction. Mulberry, cassis, roasted meats, and black chocolate in the nose are joined by stimulatingly salty and soy-like savory notes on the palate. Full and rich but finely structured with incipient creaminess of texture, this displays impressive reach and grip and a seamless integration of fruit, meat, and mineral elements. |
|
| Dom. Henri Gouges |
2019 |
Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$433.99 |
9 |
|
| |
|
| Louis Jadot |
2009 |
Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,261.98 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2009 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,060.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2009 |
Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,961.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 90-93 (5/2011): This is one of the few wines to display noticeable reduction and it's enough to knock down the nose though my score assumes that this will be corrected before it is bottled. There is good richness and vibrancy to the solidly well-concentrated flavors that possess plenty of tannin-buffering dry extract though the palate impression of the finish is still quite firm, all wrapped in a backend that delivers excellent persistence. This is a bit more rough and tumble than one typically sees from a classic Griotte though it does not display any overt rusticity. Drink 2024+.
VM 90-92 (5/2011): The 2009 Griotte-Chambertin is sweet, sensual and inviting. Deceptively medium in body, the wine shows plenty of density. Flowers, cinnamon and menthol emerge in the glass as this sensual wine flows through to the finish. There is just a hint of rusticity on the close; otherwise, this is a fine, generous Burgundy. Antonio Galloni |
|
|
2010 |
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses Domaine Louis Jadot (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,130.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2010 |
Le Musigny Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,120.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2011 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,249.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2015 |
Le Musigny Grand Cru Domaine Louis Jadot (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,112.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Domaine Gagey (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$867.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Le Chambertin Grand Cru (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,307.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees Domaine Louis Jadot (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$692.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Le Chambertin Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,433.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Meo-Camuzet |
2009 |
Richebourg Grand Cru
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,175.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 94-97 (1/2011): (from a .37 ha parcel in Les Veroilles of 40+ year old vines save for a very tiny parcel in Richebourg proper). This is ripe yet even more restrained, indeed to the point of reticence though aggressive swirling liberates the blackberry and cassis-infused nose that also possesses a huge array of spice and mineral nuances. The big-bodied, concentrated, intense and superbly powerful flavors are underpinned by very firm tannins that are rugged and robust though not rustic, all wrapped in a youthfully austere finish with plenty of underlying tension as you can really sense the energy here. This should be fantastic in time though note that plenty of time will definitely be required. Drink 2029+. Don't miss!
WA 91-94 (5/2011): The 2009 Richebourg is a rather subtle wine for this site. It shows good intensity in its dark red fruit, minerals and flowers. The finish is exceptionally long and elegant, which hints at the wine’s promise. Today the Richebourg is holding back much of its potential, but it looks to be a relatively feminine Burgundy from this vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
VM 91-94 (5/2011): The 2009 Richebourg is a rather subtle wine for this site. It shows good intensity in its dark red fruit, minerals and flowers. The finish is exceptionally long and elegant, which hints at the wine's promise. Today the Richebourg is holding back much of its potential, but it looks to be a relatively feminine wine from this vineyard. |
|
|
2009 |
Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Cros Parantoux (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$10,671.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Jean Marc Pavelot |
2011 |
Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$636.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| BH 91-94 (4/2013): ( two-thirds of the vines are between 70 and 80 years of age and the remaining vines are approximately 20+ years old.) There is stunningly good aromatic complexity to the spicy black cherry, cassis and plum-inflected nose that is trimmed is noticeable wood. Like the Gravains there is Outstanding richness and volume to the mouth coating medium-bodied flavors that enjoy a plenitude of dry extract before culminating in a mineral-driven and explosively long finish. This is almost always the best wine and so it is again in 2011 as it possesses the most underlying material as well as the most development potential of any wine in the range though patience will be required. Drink 2023+. Sweet Spot Outstanding! |
|
| Dom. Jacques Prieur |
2016 |
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,231.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2017 |
Musigny Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,644.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Volnay 1er Cru Santenots (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$743.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Romanee-Conti |
2012 |
La Tache Grand Cru |
$5,500 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 97 (9/2023): Even at 11 years of age, there is relatively little evident development on the moderately restrained nose that displays good ripeness to the spiced green tea, hoisin, soy, anise, sandalwood and rose petal aromas. The cool, pure and seductively textured medium weight plus flavors brim with both minerality and plenty of dry extract that buffers the still moderately firm but not hard shaping tannins on the youthfully austere and seriously persistent finish. While the nose reflects relatively little development, the finish is clearly more supple than it was when I first reviewed it because the dense but fine tannins make their presence felt but they don't dominate. In sum, despite the presence of plenty of volume and muscle, I would still describe the 2012 LT as a wine of finesse. In a word, brilliant. I would note that I tasted another bottle in 2023 that was reduced and bretty, indeed to the point where I did not finish my glass. I have no idea what might have happened but it would be correct to say that it did not resemble what I describe above at all. (Drink starting 2032).
VM 97 (3/2016): A wine of almost raw, animal power, the 2012 La Tâche possesses stunning depth and intensity. Savory, floral and red citrus notes are pushed forward in an unusually virile, imposing La Tâche. Readers will have to be patient here, which will not surprise anyone familiar with the vintage. Still, I am taken aback by the wine’s embryonic youthfulness. (Drink between 2027-2062). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Dom. Armand Rousseau |
2009 |
Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$12,400.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 91-93 (5/2011): The 2009 Charmes-Chambertin emerges from the glass with lovely radiance and openness in its ripe, juicy fruit. The Charmes is already rather forward, and at this stage appears to be a relatively early-maturing wine. The oak is also a bit pronounced. Sweet, textured floral notes wrap around the long, polished finish. Rousseau’s Charmes is technically 60% Mazoyeres. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2029.
BH 89-92 (1/2011): A high-toned and fresh nose of wild raspberries, cranberries and warm earth aromas gives way to round, supple and unusually sophisticated medium-bodied flavors that possess lovely detail on the persistent finish. This is actually less complex than the Cazetiers though it might catch up in time. Drink: 2019+.
VM 87-90 (2/2011): Medium red. High-toned aromas of cherry and rose petal. Very sweet and ripe but not quite fat, conveying a distinct impression of surmaturite Seems higher in volatile acidity than the foregoing samples, with the warmth of the vintage currently overshadowing the terroir Rousseau told me he always picks these vines second, following the Gevrey villages. |
|
|
2012 |
Le Chambertin Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$21,315.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 97 (1/2015): Discreet wood sets off a highly reserved and not quite as overtly ripe nose of dark berries, earth, and animale nuances that are trimmed in notes of spice, in particular anise, sandalwood and exotic tea scents. There is superbly good detail and focused power to the large-scaled flavors that also possess an Outstanding concentration of structure buffering dry extract that imparts a sappy texture to the intensely mineral-driven and explosively long finish. This is a youthfully austere example of the genre that is presently quite compact and linear and thus will require at least a decade to flesh out and unwind but if you have the patience to wait it should be a great Chambertin in 20+ years.
VM 97 (4/2015): Rousseau's 2012 Chambertin towers out of the glass. Sophisticated, finessed yet also powerful to the core, the 2012 Chambertin captures a compelling range of expressions. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint, leather and cedar meld into a huge core of fruit in a dramatic, powerful Chambertin that will require considerable bottle age to show the full breadth of its potential.
VM 96+ (3/2015): Healthy medium red. Reticent aromas of redcurrant, black cherry, raspberry and smoky minerality. Hugely concentrated and sweet, but in a distinctly cooler and less expressive style than the Clos de Bèze. Sappy, saline wine with an incredible whiplash of a finish that leaves the palate saturated. Showing more red fruits than black in the early going, this is still an infant.
WA 96-98 (12/2013): The 2012 Chambertin Grand Cru has an ethereal bouquet with pure raspberry, wild strawberry, orange blossom, hints of iodine and a subtle marine influence. The oak is more integrated at this stage than the Clos de Beze: a multi-dimensional bouquet whose secrets will only be revealed with bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with supremely fine tannins. There is a brooding intensity here – a sense of completeness and harmony that is entrancing. It is not a powerful Chambertin nor even a multidimensional one - at the moment. But it is an effortless Chambertin that will age 20-30 years with little problem, bewitching everywhere it goes. |
|
| Dom. Comte de Vogue |
1999 |
Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,100.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 97 (3/2018): (tasted from a 375-milliter bottle): Very bright red with ruby tones; looks like a young wine. Deep, dark red and black fruit aromas are complicated by cinnamon, black pepper, roast coffee and a hint of truffley underbrush. Wonderfully rich but classy and reserved, and not a bit heavy. Utterly silky, plush, energetic wine with a relaxed quality to its lively dark fruit and dark chocolate flavors. Finishes classically dry, with beautifully buffered tannins and captivating building sweetness. Amazingly, this 375-milliliter bottle seems still short of its peak, so I would imagine that well-stored 750s still need time. I'd guess 2022-2042 for 750s. Stephen Tanzer.
BH 94 (1/2002): In contrast to the general style of the vintage, this is aromatically austere though with coaxing, reveals wonderfully complex aromas of a simply incredible array of black fruits, earth, spice, crushed herbs and notes of chocolate with flavors that are huge but fine, powerful but subtle and rich yet detailed with a stupendously long finish that offers intense minerality. This is genuinely stunning juice and not to be missed. Drink 2010-2025. |
|
|
2000 |
Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,506.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 93 (10/2005): Extravagant, very ripe spice aromas explode from the glass with remarkable complexity that frame superbly elegant, gorgeously textured flavors that are intense and vibrant. This is really quite powerful for the vintage and incredibly long yet remains classy and fine. It is not especially big or dense as de Vogüe Musigny goes but is tautly muscular and defined. Extremely impressive for the vintage. Drink 2010+.
WA 93 (6/2003): There is an enthralling sappy richness to the floral and blackberry-scented 2000 Musigny. Supremely elegant, it is not quite as dense as the 2001 yet reveals Outstanding depth, purity, and concentration. Lush, stony red and black fruits are interspersed with violets and tangy raspberries in its exceptionally long, expressive, plump character. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2012.
VM 92+ (4/2003): Saturated dark red. Deep, nuanced nose combines dark fruits, minerals and underbrush. Sweet and highly concentrated but tight and backward, even a bit sullen today; fruit and stone flavors are quite primary for the vintage. Finishes with substantial broad tannins and very good grip. May ultimately merit an even higher rating. |
|
|
2009 |
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$13,721.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2012 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,856.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 95 (1/2015): (from a 2.67 ha parcel situated entirely in terres rouges soil in the south-west portion of the vineyard.) Deep ruby. This is also quite floral with excellent ripeness but also fine freshness to the plum, black cherry, cassis and blueberry aromas. The supple but tautly muscular medium weight plus flavors possess a suave mouth feel thanks to the abundant dry extract that both coats the palate and buffers the very firm tannic spine on the highly persistent and imposingly powerful finish. Here too plenty of patience will be required. Drink 2027+.
VM 94+ (3/2015): Dark, bright red. Red raspberry, licorice and menthol on the nose, complicated by notes of bitter chocolate and spices. Large-scaled and broad but less forthcoming today than the Chambolle 1er Cru, with dark raspberry, cherry and spice flavors showing a medicinal reserve and a touch of wildness. Shades toward blacker fruits on the dense, sappy back end, which features substantial ripe tannins and strong saline minerality. This very backward, powerful wine will need a long time to fully express itself. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2015 |
Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$10,511.99 |
1 |
|
| |
BH 95-98 (1/2017): (from an incredible 6.46 ha parcel, which doesn't include the .67 ha parcel planted to chardonnay.) Like the Amoureuses this too is kaleidoscopically spicy with its broad-ranging nose of red cherry, cassis, plum, violet, Asian-style tea, sandalwood and hoisin. The velvety and mouth coating imposingly-scaled and intense mineral-driven flavors are also blessed with seemingly endless reserves of dry extract that coat the palate on the highly seductive finish that delivers fantastically good length on the youthfully austere, backward and immaculately well-balanced finale. This too is going to require a very long snooze in a very cool cellar but it should be a remarkable Musigny when it emerges. Drink 2035+. Don't miss!
VM 94-97 (1/2017): Bright ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and bitter chocolate are lifted by the most pungent minerality of this range. Combines compelling sweetness and density, but with a finesse of texture that gives this wine an improbably light touch. Remarkably dense but reserved wine, with purple berry liqueur and mineral flavors conveying terrific lift. Easily the best of these 2015s, finishing with a juicy whiplash of flavor. Here the tannins arrive very late and are perfectly integrated with the wine's fruit and soil elements. Still, this vibrant wine is extremely backward and unevolved in the early going and will require long aging. Winemaker François Millet expects to do a very light fining at the bottling. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 95-97 (12/2016): The 2015 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is initially more introspective compared to the Bonnes-Mares. Predominantly black fruit here with blueberry developing in the glass, there is a slight earthiness in character that shimmies towards floral scents as it opens. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and more salinity than then Bonnes Mares or the Chambolle-Musigny les Amoureuses. It feels crunchy and fresh in the mouth with plenty of blueberry and blackberry towards the long and persistent finish. This is an Outstanding Musigny Vieilles Vignes of substance that will age over 30-40 years. |
|
|
2016 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,983.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2017 |
Chambolle Musigny (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$918.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 90 (1/2020): The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Village has a mixture of red and black fruit, plus hints of damp woodland and truffle lingering on the sidelines. The palate is well balanced with red currant and cranberry fruit on the entry, a fine bead of acidity and touches of Chinese five-spice and sage toward the finish. Fine. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2018 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,807.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,307.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| BH 93 (1/2021): Deep ruby color. A beautifully broad-ranging nose reflects liqueur-like notes of black raspberry, cassis, exotic tea, violet and a hint of sandalwood. Here too the opulent medium weight flavors possess a notably sleek mouthfeel along with outstanding intensity and detail, all wrapped in a dusty, serious and youthfully austere finish. This powerful but balanced effort is even firmer and is a wine that will need at least 6 to 8 years to be approachable. |
|
|
2019 |
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,768.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Chambolle Musigny (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,060.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,113.99 |
3 |
|
| |
| BH 95-98 (1/2022): (from an incredible 6.46 ha parcel, which doesn't include the .67 ha section planted to chardonnay.) As is often the case, this is aromatically similar to the Chambolle 1er but it's less expressive and perhaps more densely fruited. There is notably better mid-palate concentration to the substantially sized big-bodied flavors that also possess a positively gorgeous mouthfeel while exuding an abundance of mineral character on the hugely long and impeccably well-balanced and youthfully austere finale. This Zen-like effort is superb and a wine that should also age gracefully over the next two decades. Drink 2040+. Don't miss! |
|
|
2021 |
Chambolle Musigny (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$808.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JM 89-91 (11/2022): The fruit comes from a large block of Les Porlottes plus the two 1ers crus, Baudes and Fuées. A fine bright mid purple, noticeably reductive. Very intense red fruit, strict up the front. Strict and lively, all in pure fresh red fruit. Promising. All destemmed. Drink from 2026-2032.
BH 89-91 (1/2023): A perfumed and nicely spicy nose blends notes of red berries, plum and a touch of violet. The sleek, intense and well-detailed middleweight flavors exude a discreet bead of minerality on the refreshing, moderately austere and sufficiently firm finale to warrant up to a decade of keeping. This very pretty effort will likely be approachable after only 5 or so years of keeping. Drink 2029+.
VM 88-90 (1/2023): The 2021 Chambolle-Musigny Village comes mainly from a large parcel in Porlettes with 10% from Les Fuées and Baudes. This was co-fermented instead of blended at the end of the barrel maturation; that was the modus operandi under François Millet. It is the only cuvée that does not include whole clusters. It has a clean and precise bouquet with dark cherries, hints of iodine and iris flower. The palate is tensile and light, well focused with an understated, open blackberry and raspberry finish, a touch of black pepper on the aftertaste. Fine. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2021 |
Musigny Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,860.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95-97 (1/2023): The 2021 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru underwent a picked piecemeal from the 30 different plots to find the best order that actually was linked to vine age. It has a gorgeous bouquet with brambly red fruit, loam, blood oranges and subtle graphite aromas. Superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, fresh citrus like acidity, tensile and focused. This is a very classic, mineral-driven Musigny with surfeit of salinity that gets the saliva flowing on the finish. So bright on the finish. Neal Martin.
JM 95-97 (11/2022): Three tanks were made, in order of picking, then assembled as there is no terroir logic to them, though this has changed for 2022. A fine bright and reasonably deep purple. Classy with just a touch of pepper. Less immediately compelling that some previous vintages, but it is growing steadily in the glass. There is a huge volume of red and black fruit intertwined with a fresh mineral streak running through the middle, supplying excellent length to complete the job. Splendid stuff! A firmer finish but there is plenty of time for that to resolve. Drink from 2030-2040.
BH 92-95 (1/2023): This is compositionally similar to the Chambolle "1er", but the brooding nose only grudgingly displays both notably better complexity and more floral nuances as well a background hint of kirsch. As is always the case, there is markedly more size, weight and density to the bigger-bodied and notably more powerful flavors that conclude in a very backward, compact and even more mineral-driven finish. This is still in need of additional élevage, but it should ultimately be quite impressive. Drink 2036+. |
|
| Dom. de la Vougeraie |
2014 |
Musigny Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,946.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Musigny Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,892.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,291.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| | Burgundy White |
| Pierre Boisson |
2022 |
Bourgogne Blanc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$596.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Bouchard Pere et Fils |
2018 |
Le Montrachet Grand Cru (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,565.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Le Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,032.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey |
2019 |
Meursault Les Narvaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,699.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Louis Jadot |
2019 |
Batard Montrachet Grand Cru (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,075.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru Les Demoiselles Heritiers Louis Jadot (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,171.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Leflaive |
2019 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,243.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Ane (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,405.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,378.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Puligny Montrachet (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,935.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,556.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,313.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,897.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand Cru (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,733.99 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,863.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,621.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,625.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand Cru (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,961.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Francois Mikulski |
2022 |
Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,494.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Ponsot |
2017 |
Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,487.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Jacques Prieur |
2016 |
Le Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,193.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,147.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,644.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Le Montrachet Grand Cru (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,600.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Comte de Vogue |
2015 |
Musigny Blanc Grand Cru (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$23,726.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Musigny Blanc Grand Cru
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,290.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Musigny Blanc Grand Cru (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,102.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| | Champagne |
| Dom Perignon |
1996 |
Oenotheque Champagne (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,981.97 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 97 (12/2010): The 1996 Dom Perignon OEenotheque offers up layers of pastry, lemon, smoke and toastiness. At first deceptively understated, the wine turns positively explosive and layered on the palate, showing remarkable tension, elegance and power, all wrapped around a seriously intense frame. The balance between fruit and acidity is awesome. This is a marvelous DP OEeno. The OEeno is the same juice as the regular Dom Perignon, except the OEeno is aged on the cork while the regular DP is aged in crown-sealed bottles. Once disgorged, the OEenos gets a slightly lower dosage than is typical for the original release DP. This bottle was disgorged in 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. |
|
| Charles Heidsieck |
NV |
Brut Reserve Champagne (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$334.99 |
7 |
|
| |
|
| Lacourte Godbillon |
|
Mi-Pentes Premier Cru Champagne Disgorged 1/2024 |
$64.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Louis Roederer |
2013 |
Cristal Champagne (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$633.97 |
5 |
|
| |
| VM 97+ (11/2021): The 2013 Cristal is a wine of extraordinary precision and tension. Searing acids drive a bold, racy Champagne that won’t be ready to offer its best drinking anytime soon. In recent vintages, Cristal has been quite open on release. That is far from the case with the 2013. Readers should plan on being quite patient. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle) and 40% Chardonnay (Mesnil, Avize, Cramant). Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon was especially selective and used only 30 out of the potential 45 plots that are typically available for Cristal. About 32% of the lots were done in oak, the rest in steel, with the malolactic fermentation blocked across the board. It was an October harvest, the sort of harvest that has become increasingly rare in Champagne. Lecaillon describes the summer as similar to 2012, but adds the vines were a month behind in their development. In tasting, the 2013 reminds me of the 1996 in its austerity, even more so than the epic 2008. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| | Chile |
| Vinedo Chadwick |
2014 |
Red Wine (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$901.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94 (4/2017): The 2014 Viñedo Chadwick is their flagship pure Cabernet Sauvignon from the appellation Puente Alto in Maipo cropped from a low yielding year as the result of some frosts in September. The vines were planted in 1992 on alluvial soils with clay with a high content of stones. It has moderate alcohol and very good freshness and acidity and nicely integrated oak after the malolactic and 22 months in 75% new barriques. They did a super selection here and ended up producing almost half of the bottles they used to produce. The result is a more elegant and finer version of this bottling. A classical Maipo Cabernet with unusual elegance.
VM 93 (8/2022): The early frost of October 2013 set the tone for a year of low yields that was also a little cooler than average. The resulting 2014 Viñedo Chadwick is a more concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, and was aged for 22 months in 75% new French barrels. The aromatic profile features red fruit, herbs and hints of blackcurrant, oak and dark fruit. In the mouth, it’s juicy with accomplished freshness, intense flavor and a fruity kick later on. Will grow more profound and complex with time in the bottle. Joaquin Hidalgo. |
|
| | Germany |
| Weingut Hermann Donnhoff |
2007 |
Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spatlese (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$443.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| | Italy |
| Azelia |
2016 |
Barolo San Rocco (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$994.99 |
4 |
|
| |
| VM 94 (2/2020): Azelia's 2016 Barolo San Rocco shows terrific density and richness, but it is less aromatically expressive than most of the other 2016s in the range. Readers will have to give this at least a few years in bottle for the tannins to soften. Even in the early going, though, the 2016 is deep, powerful and loaded with pedigree. Now that most of Azelia's wines are aged in cask, the influence of small French oak is especially evident. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Produttori del Barbaresco |
2021 |
Barbaresco Asili Riserva (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$707.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Tenuta di Biserno |
2017 |
Biserno Toscana IGT (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$996.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Biserno Toscana IGT (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,016.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Giacomo Conterno |
2017 |
Barolo Cerretta (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$397.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (11/2021): Thanks to altitude and heavier soils, Cerretta performs well in hot vintages, such as 2017, 2015 and 2011. The vines (planted a quarter century ago) sit at about 400 meters in elevation and water moisture is absorbed by the clay of Serralunga d'Alba. These conditions help to shape the wine's important tannins and elegant structure. Ultimately however, I found the 2017 Barolo Cerretta to be very much identified by its birth year. The wine offers a long interlude of intense brightness with sweet cherry, fragolino and wild rose, which soften any angular or hard edges put forth by the Nebbiolo grape. This 2017 vintage is exceedingly smooth and silky in character with a pliant or yielding quality that should serve it nicely as the wine completes its aging trajectory.
VM 95 (10/2021): Conterno's 2017 Barolo Cerretta offers a classic expression of this Serralunga site. The tannins are just a bit nervy today, which lends a feeling of energy and brightness that is palpable. Bright floral and white pepper accents lift bright red-toned fruit in a Barolo that is wonderfully translucent and nuanced. (Drink between 2027-2057). Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Barbera d’Alba Cascina Francia (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$461.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Bibi Graetz |
2001 |
Testamatta Toscana IGT (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$786.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Casanova di Neri |
2021 |
Brunello di Montalcino |
$71.99 |
18 |
|
| |
VM 95 (11/2025): The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is an understated beauty, mixing dusty rose and lavender with shavings of blood orange and black cherries. It is surprisingly juicy yet elegant and refined, as ripe wild berry fruits slowly drench the palate in primary concentration. Structured and dramatically long, the 2021 finishes spicy and intense with nuances of citrus, clove and licorice. The complexity here is off the charts and the energy is incredible. (Drink between 2028-2040). Eric Guido.
WA 93 (1/2026): The Casanova di Neri 2021 Brunello di Montalcino shows dark fruit flavors of plum and soft berry. A glossy texture lends polish and shine to the mouthfeel, while the wine delivers medium-lean weight and moderate length with good brightness and freshness. Aging sees 42 months in large oak casks. This bottling represents the estate’s classic, multi-vineyard village expression, designed to balance consistency, accessibility and regional typicity. Production totals 94,800 bottles. |
|
|
2021 |
Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova |
$136.99 |
15 |
|
| |
VM 96 (11/2025): Citrus-infused herbal tea, crushed raspberries, pine shavings and incense beguile as the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova blossoms in the glass. It is surprisingly juicy yet deep and complex, with tart wild berry saturation and nuances of ground clove that add cheek-pinching tension and a balancing tinge of zesty acidity. An array of edgy tannins frames the incredibly long finish, which is spicy and youthfully tense with a blackberry resonance. This is a fascinating vintage for Tenuta Nuova that shows a humbling level of complexity. (Drink between 2028-2046). Eric Guido.
WA 96 (1/2026): The Casanova di Neri 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova comes across as more lifted and punchy compared to recent past vintages, showing a brighter fruit profile and added energy. I know that some whole-cluster fruit is used in the Giovanni Neri bottling, and there is a reminiscent aromatic effect on this wine that contributes to its primary freshness. The mouthfeel is medium-rich, and while the wine initially felt reserved, a return to the open bottle revealed a more expressive and harmonious profile, indicating that it benefits from time or a quick double decant. Introduced in the early 1990s, Tenuta Nuova marked a stylistic turning point for the estate, emphasizing precision, ripeness and site expression. The tannins are well managed and elegant, and the freshness arrives with well-judged intensity. Aging takes place for 30 months in tonneaux, rather than large casks, and production stands at 58,800 bottles. |
|
| Giuseppe Rinaldi |
2018 |
Langhe Freisa (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$772.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Trinoro |
2019 |
Palazzi Rosso Toscana (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,383.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Tenuta di Trinoro |
2019 |
Trinoro IGT (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,405.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (10/2021): This is a stunning wine and one of the best in this report covering the icons of Tuscany. The 2019 Tenuta di Trinoro is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Fruit is sourced from the very best parcels, and the blending formula changes according to vintage and the style desired by vintner Andrea Franchetti. These vineyard parcels vary in altitude, ranging from 400 to 600 meters above sea level, and the soils are quite varied with pockets of clay, sand and rock. The Trinoro is profoundly deep and pure with a solid core of black fruit that is framed by an elegant contour of spice, tobacco, smoke and crushed stone. To the palate, the wine is long and the finish can be counted in minutes, but the entire experience is beautifully streamlined and velvety. This vintage saw an important freeze event on the 7th of May, and 9,000 fire candles were lit in the lower vineyard blocks to fight off frost damage.
VM 97+ (7/2022): The 2019 Tenuta di Trinoro is a surprisingly reticent wine. That's not a descriptor I find myself reaching for often here, but it seems appropriate. Medium in body and quite nervy, the 2019 is going to need time to come together. The tannins are a bit severe at this stage. And yet there is plenty of Trinoro intensity waiting to emerge. Time brings out hints of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, mocha, licorice and incense. There's plenty to look forward to. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Eduardo Valentini |
2020 |
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$874.99 |
4 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$874.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| | Other Red |
| Sadie Family |
2018 |
Columella Proprietary Blend (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,185.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| | Port |
| Taylor |
1977 |
Port |
$185 |
9 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (1/1989): This house must certainly be the Latour of Portugal. Their ports are remarkably backward yet still impressive when young. Of all the vintage ports, those of Taylor need the longest time to mature and even when fully mature seem to have an inner strength and firmness that keep them going for decades. Their tawnys are also among the very best, though somewhat expensive. The 1977 has consistently been at the top of my list of vintage ports in this great vintage, although the Dow, Graham, and Fonseca are equally splendid. It is a mammoth, opaque, statuesque vintage port of remarkable depth and power, but is should not be touched before 2000. |
|
|
2017 |
Port (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$445.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (8/2022): The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in wood. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. Rich, concentrated and often sensational, this is well structured, even better in its fruit profile. While the fruit is terrific, it is also wonderfully fresh. This is arguably a great Taylor's, but it still needs to prove its final case in the cellar. I don't think that will be a problem. As I said when I first saw it, it effortlessly combines brilliant fruit and structure. It does everything right, and it is a formidable competitor to its Vinha Velha sibling in this report. And at half the price.
VM 98 (6/2019): The 2017 Taylor's Vintage Port comes from their three quintas: Vargellas, de Terra Feita and do Junco, picking commencing at Vargellas on September 1, the earliest since 1945. Now this boasts a bold and more flamboyant bouquet vis-à-vis the Croft with layers of blackcurrant, blueberries, violet and allspice. Wonderful definition here and as it ratchets up through the gears with aeration manages to maintain impressive delineation. The palate is medium, rather full-bodied. The first impression is one of freshness, completely disguising that summer’s dryness and warmth, a disarming finesse built around the frame of tannins that would have been impossible years ago. It is a silky-smooth Taylor’s, one of the most polished 2017 Vintage Ports with energy and tension flooding through the finish. Aristocratic as ever, totally Taylor’s, yet still translating the growing season with aplomb. Total production is 11,500 cases. Neal Martin. |
|
| | Rhone Red |
| Dom. Henri Bonneau |
2012 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,938.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (10/2017): Scheduled to be bottled in October (it’s probably already in bottle), the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins is gorgeous stuff and has everything you expect from this estate. Black currants, garrigue, beef blood and ground pepper all give way to a ripe, sexy and full-bodied beauty that has sweet tannin. I’m quite sure Henri would snub his nose and call the wine too easy, in his gregarious way, but count me as a fan.
WA 94-96 (10/2017): According to Marcel Bonneau on this visit, all of the 2012 wine will be bottled as Reserve des Celestins. Tasted from barrel, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins flirts with that fine line between deep, chocolaty richness and raisiny over-ripeness. This is full-bodied and powerful but silky at the same time. If it's bottled soon, it should be amazing.
VM 93-95 (4/2015): Deep ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of cherry compote, blueberry, anise and smoky herbs, with a suave potpourri flourish adding complexity. Juicy, expansive and concentrated, offering intense, spice-accented black and blue fruit flavors and a touch of floral pastilles. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on the very long, focused finish, which leaves a sexy lavender note behind. Josh Raynolds. |
|
| Clos des Papes |
2017 |
Chateauneuf du Pape (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$903.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98+ (8/2019): One of the strongest wines in the vintage is the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Vincent Avril. This beauty has everything you could ask for. As with the 2018, the blend is heavily shifted toward Mourvèdre, and it offers a mammoth bouquet of black cherries, graphite, cured meats, Asian spices, and assorted garrigue-like nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it stays straight and focused on the palate (whereas the 2016 is more expansive and voluptuous), with a stacked mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, and fabulous length. You’re going to want bottles of this in the cellar, and comparing the 2007, 2010, 2016, and 2017 over the coming two decades is going to be a treat.
WA 96 (8/2019): As predicted last year by Paul-Vincent Avril, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, about 10% Syrah and the rest other permitted varieties. It boasts a cool, fresh nose of strawberries, cola and tree bark, yet it's full-bodied and tannic on the palate. Dense and chewy, albeit with a mouthwatering sense of freshness, this will need a few years to relax and unwind, but it looks very promising. |
|
|
2017 |
Chateauneuf du Pape (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$944.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98+ (8/2019): One of the strongest wines in the vintage is the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Vincent Avril. This beauty has everything you could ask for. As with the 2018, the blend is heavily shifted toward Mourvèdre, and it offers a mammoth bouquet of black cherries, graphite, cured meats, Asian spices, and assorted garrigue-like nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it stays straight and focused on the palate (whereas the 2016 is more expansive and voluptuous), with a stacked mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, and fabulous length. You’re going to want bottles of this in the cellar, and comparing the 2007, 2010, 2016, and 2017 over the coming two decades is going to be a treat.
WA 96 (8/2019): As predicted last year by Paul-Vincent Avril, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, about 10% Syrah and the rest other permitted varieties. It boasts a cool, fresh nose of strawberries, cola and tree bark, yet it's full-bodied and tannic on the palate. Dense and chewy, albeit with a mouthwatering sense of freshness, this will need a few years to relax and unwind, but it looks very promising. |
|
| Dom. Saint Damien |
2019 |
Gigondas Vieilles Vignes (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$236.99 |
4 |
|
| |
|
| Clos Saint Jean |
2007 |
Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,065.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (10/2009): The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous (meaning “Valley of the Fools"), which comes from a specific vineyard known as Les Combes, was cropped at extremely low yields of 20-25 hectoliters per hectare. Atypically for a Chateauneuf du Pape, it contains a high percentage of Vaccarese (10%), along with 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault. The Grenache was aged in tank, and the other varietals spent time in old small barrels or demi-muids. Explosive aromatics include spring flowers, boysenberries, blueberries, black raspberries, graphite, and charcoal. A powerful wine with great depth, full body, and an endless finish, it is exquisitely pure with not a rough edge to be found. It is the equivalent of liquid haute couture. The Musigny of the southern Rhone, it possesses extraordinary aromatics followed by a wine with the texture, length, and multilayered mouthfeel that are the stuff of dreams. Looking back at my tasting notes, the first thing I wrote was “whoa!" Deep plum/purple to the rim, this wine should evolve for 20-25 years, but it is already remarkably accessible. The vintage’s freshness as evidenced by the lack of any excessive heat and cool nights has given an aromatic singularity to the 2007s that is largely unprecedented in my tasting experience.
JD 98 (8/2009): The absolutely stunning 2007 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Vaccarese and offers up amazing aromatics of kirsch, raspberries, bakers spice, incense, and potpourri that are both ripe/hedonistic and complex and nuanced. With air, it picks up an underlying minerality that keeps the wine fresh and vibrant. The palate is pure silk and despite its massive, sweet fruit and full body, remains elegant, seamless and perfectly balanced. The finish shows the wine’s structure and everything points to this lasting a long time… and the fruit should have it drinkable for all of its life! A stunning bottle of wine.
VM 95 (2/2010): Inky ruby. Pungent, strongly perfumed bouquet of ripe dark berries, cherry compote, olive and floral oils. Smooth, palate-coating mulberry and kirsch flavors are complicated by candied lavender and rose qualities that gain power with aeration. The floral element dominates the very long, spicy, strikingly pure finish. This is extremely sexy now but clearly destined for a long life. |
|
|
2019 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$587.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 97-100 (10/2020): The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is going to be one of the wines of the vintage. All Grenache sourced from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit and raised all in demi-muids, it sports a more ruby/purple hue that’s not completely opaque and has an incredible bouquet of kirsch liqueur, ripe blackcurrants, scorched earth. graphite, ground pepper, and assorted cured meats. With an incredibly singular character, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and carries incredible power and richness, yet it nevertheless still glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness, ultra-fine tannins, and a remarkable sense of purity and elegance. This is another magical Grenache from this team. It’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and knock your socks off over the following 20 years or more.
WA 96-98 (10/2020): The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum—a 100% Grenache cuvee (from vines planted in 1905) matured in new demi-muids—looks to have the concentrated fruit to handle the oak better than the 2018. Dark and intense, it delivers waves of purple berries and black cherries, barely touched by vanilla and cedar. It's full-bodied and rich, and although the wood tannins do leave an impression, it's a gentle one relative to the wine's overall profile. While it may not quite equal the near-perfect 2016, it's close. |
|
| Dom. de la Vieille Julienne |
2019 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,234.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (11/2021): Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is another magical wine, and I might have rated this cuvee a perfect score more than any other Southern Rhône. Unquestionably in the same realm as the 2017, 2016, 2010, 2005, 2003, and 2001, it has an incredible, full-bodied, massive style that somehow stays perfectly balanced, with flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, acidity, and alcohol. Lots of red, blue, and black fruits, loamy earth, Asian spice, licorice, and violet nuances emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s a sexier, more opulent wine than the Les Hauts-Lieux release yet has the same perfect tannins that are so rare to find in the vintage. This required at least 4-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly for 20-25+ years. |
|
| | Spain |
| Alion |
2021 |
Ribera del Duero (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.99 |
10 |
|
| |
|
| Bodegas y Vinedos Alnardo |
2021 |
Ribera del Duero Psi (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$557.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Artadi |
2020 |
Vina El Pison Rioja (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,584.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Clos Figueras |
2018 |
Priorat |
$77.99 |
6 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (9/2022): The 2018 Clos Figueres follows the path of cleanliness and precision of the 2017 in a better vintage. It's Garnacha and Cariñena from old vines with Cabernet sauvignon, Syrah and Monastrell, which seems to be a Mediterranean grape that is coming out of the closet in Priorat. It fermented and matured in new and second use 300- and 500-liter French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months. It's powerful and ripe at 15% alcohol, but with a low pH and good freshness. It's nuanced and complex and has elegance and some floral notes, with a more developed nose compared to the younger 2019 and 2020 tasted next to it. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Clos Figueres ever. 5,150 bottles were filled in February 2020. |
|
|
2023 |
Serras del Priorat Blanco Priorat |
$31.95 |
12 |
|
| |
| WA 91+ (5/2025): The white 2023 Serras del Priorat Blanc has a profile of purity and elegance, with freshness and balance. It was produced exclusively with Garnacha Blanca that achieved 14% alcohol, but it kept very good freshness. It's clean and precise, very tasty and pleasant. It matured exclusively in stainless steel. 3,900 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2024. |
|
|
2023 |
Serras del Priorat Priorat |
$31.99 |
12 |
|
| |
| WA 91 (5/2025): The red 2023 Serras del Priorat was produced with a blend of Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah fermented in stainless steel and matured in 500-liter French oak barrels. It has a nose of ripe berry fruit, aromatic Mediterranean herbs and a touch of sweet spices. It comes in at 15% alcohol, but it does not feel alcoholic; it's quite balanced and fine-boned. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024. |
|
| R. Lopez de Heredia |
2017 |
Vina Gravonia Blanco (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$421.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Marques de Murrieta |
2010 |
Castillo Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva Especial (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,335.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 97 (4/2021): Brilliant ruby. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes spice-accented red and dark berry preserves, potpourri, pipe tobacco and vanilla, and violet and mineral accents emerge as the wine stretches out. Palate-staining blackberry, cherry-vanilla, cassis, fruitcake, mocha and candied licorice flavors show superb depth and clarity while hints of floral pastilles and Moroccan spices add complexity. Gains weight with air, with no loss of energy, showing powerful, spicy thrust on a strikingly long, gently tannic and floral-driven finish. Josh Raynolds.
WA 97 (6/2019): I had very high expectations for the 2010 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, and the wine delivered as expected. 2010 was one of the finest vintages in Rioja in recent years, and this blend of Tempranillo with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) has to be one of the finest modern day Castillo de Ygays. The grapes come from a plot planted in 1966 at 485 meters in altitude, the highest in the estate, and the vines yielded 3,500 kilos per hectare. The two varieties fermented separately in stainless steel for 11 days, and the wine spent 26 months in a mixture of American and French oak barrels. I tasted the 2009 next to this 2010, and I had also had a bottle two nights before. So, I was able to compare this with the 2009, which was a very different year, as 2010 was a cooler year and a priori a more adequate year for long-aging wines like this Gran Reserva. The difference was the vegetative cycle, as the vinification and elevage was the same. This is sleeker and sharper, less developed and livelier than the 2009, which already shows some signs of "old wine" with aromas that remind me of the old classical Rioja reds. It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear. 130,853 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2015. |
|
| Dominio de Pingus |
2014 |
Pingus (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,189.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2017 |
Pingus (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,742.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Pingus (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,865.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Pingus (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,889.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Pingus (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,313.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| | USA Red |
| Larkmead Vineyards |
2004 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$99 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98 (4/2014): The 2004 Salon is a proprietary blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot and 3% Malbec. It possesses a youthful dense purple color along with an explosive nose of spring flowers, black raspberries and black currants, a touch of graphite, but no evidence of oak. The wine boasts extraordinary opulence and complexity, multiple dimensions, endless depth and richness, and perfect balance. This compelling 2004 is one of the superstars of the vintage. Approachable now, it should age for 20-30+ years, possibly as long as 50 years.
VM 90 (8/2019): Dark red color is more vibrant than that of the '04 Solari Reserve. Very ripe, slightly high-toned aromas of raspberry, graphite, mocha, coffee and tobacco. Very smooth, fat and thick, conveying a liqueur-like warmth to its raspberry and plum flavors; notes of licorice and exotic spices emerge with aeration. A bit longer than the Solari Reserve but aggressive as well, finishing with tongue-clenching tannins that turned increasingly dry in the glass. (15.7% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2023). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2004 |
Solari Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$209 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 99 (4/2014): Another titan of Napa Valley is Larkmead’s 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Reserve. Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, it is a sumptuous, virtually perfect expression of wine with an inky/purple color, beautiful floral aromas intermixed with sweet, pure black currants and hints of licorice as well as subtle oak. The extraordinary ripeness of the tannins, the flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol, the remarkable finish, and the full-bodied texture make for a tour de force in winemaking. It can be drunk now, but will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring. It will age effortlessly for 20-40+ years.
VM 90 (8/2019): Medium red. Roasted aromas of dark berries, plum, black cherry, truffle and chocolate show a hint of incipient oxidation. Large-scaled, thick and a bit aggressive--from the earliest harvest for Larkmead until 2014. Plenty of sweetness here to buffer the wine's slightly drying tannins. Finishes with an impressive blast of black cherry. I had a much firmer and more minerally sample of this wine as part of my 2004 Napa Cabernet horizontal tasting in 2015, but this bottle is fully evolved. (16.2% alcohol) (Drink starting 2019). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2006 |
The Lark Proprietary Blend |
$225 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (12/2008): A new cuvee, the 2006 The Lark (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) comes from the proprietor’s favorite block, which was once identified by the late Harold Olmo as his choice for Cabernet Sauvignon. It is only four barrels, or 100 cases, so I’ll keep my notes short. The wine displays beautiful sweetness and opulence in a style very much like the Solari, and at this stage it seems hard to differentiate from that wine. |
|
|
2006 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$109 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (12/2008): Equally prodigious are the 800 cases of 2006 LMV Salon Proprietary Red, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the rest the other three Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot). Spicy, chocolatey espresso roast notes intermixed with spring flowers and a hint of bay leaf are followed by a full-bodied wine with oodles of black currant and cherry fruit. The sweetness of the tannins, the breadth and savory mouthfeel, as well as the layered texture, make for an exceptional glass of sumptuous wine. It should drink nicely for 15+ years.
VM 91 (8/2019): Good dark red-ruby. Less high-toned than the '06 Solari. Aromas of black raspberry, dark cherry, mocha and licorice show less of the spicy high tones of the '06 Solari. In a rather powerful style, like the Solari, with dark fruit, graphite and licorice flavors dominating. Here the tannins come across as a bit rough but still supported by the wine's strong fruit and extract. Less suave than the Solari but softened considerably with aeration, showing an attractive sweetness and emerging soil tones. (15.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2029). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2007 |
The Lark Proprietary Blend |
$199 |
3 |
|
| |
| VM 96 (12/2011): The 2007 The Lark has developed lovely smokiness. It shows gorgeous textural finesse and the silkiest of tannins in an understated, classy style. This is one of the more refined 2007s readers will come across. But is also quite shut down and not fully expressive. The 2007 is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot, aged in 100% new barrels. (Drink between 2017-2037). Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2007 |
Firebelle Proprietary Blend |
$79 |
12 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (12/2009): The dense purple-colored 2007 Firebelle (a 1,500-case blend of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec) offers abundant aromas of mocha, black cherries, black currants, mocha, coffee, and a subtle hint of herbs. This superbly textured, full-bodied, opulent red is already delicious, and promises to evolve for 15+ years. |
|
|
2007 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 97 (12/2009): A prodigious effort is the 2007 LMV Salon (a 1,000-case blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot). A proprietary red of this quality with a Napa appellation usually sells for $200 or more. A dense purple color is followed by a beautiful perfume of spring flowers, ink, espresso roast, creme de cassis, and black cherries, a full-bodied, voluptuous texture, staggering depth and purity, and a 50-second finish. This exceptional Napa Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for 20-25+ years.
JS 95 (6/2011): Lots of graphite and lead pencil to the nose and palate. Full yet racy and long with a beautiful backbone of acidity and ultra-fine tannins. Almost a saltiness. Savory at the end. I like this slightly better than 2007. Wonderful length. 530 cases.
VM 92+ (5/2017): (14.5% alcohol): Bright full ruby. Slightly high-toned aromas of blueberry pastille, licorice and violet. Very concentrated and rich but clearly tougher than the last two Larkmead bottlings, with dark berry, licorice and herb flavors firmed by a solid mineral underpinning. Finishes with strong but fine-grained tannins and resounding notes of licorice and bitter chocolate. This still needs time. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$75 |
10 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (12/2010): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot aged 20 months in 60% new French oak) reveals a Medoc-like nose of cedarwood, damp earth, black currants and hints of bay leaf and unsmoked cigar tobacco. Opulence, purity and density combined with a thick, full-bodied mouthfeel and a superb finish all suggest a wine that can be drunk now or cellared for two decades. |
|
|
2008 |
Firebelle Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
11 |
|
| |
WA 94 (12/2010): The 2008 Firebelle (55% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Malbec; 1,050 cases produced) exhibits a dense opaque purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of creme de cassis, white chocolate and cocoa, great fruit, purity and intensity, a full-bodied, layered mouthfeel and elegance and finesse. Already evolved, complex and delicious, it should continue to drink well for a decade or more. This is an estate where the 2008 may actually eclipse the 2007.
VM 92 (5/2011): (55% merlot, 27% cabernet sauvignon and 18% malbec): Ruby-red. Plum, dark chocolate and licorice on the nose, plus a whiff of woodsmoke. Lush and sweet, with a distinctly glyceral texture and attractive gravelly lift to the dark raspberry and tobacco flavors. The tannins arrive late, allowing the wine to expand on the aftertaste. I like this. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$99 |
6 |
|
| |
| VM 93+ (5/2011): (a blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 18% cabernet franc and 9% each merlot, malbec and petit verdot): Ruby-red. Distinctly gravelly aromas of plum, minerals, menthol and tobacco. Dense but bright and high-pitched, with lively black fruit and bitter chocolate flavors complicated by licorice and flowers. Really conveys the energy of the best 2008s. |
|
|
2008 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$155 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 96 (12/2010): Made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot (550 cases), the prodigious 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Reserve is an opaque purple-colored, multidimensional wine displaying silky sweet tannin along with copious quantities of blackberry, creme de cassis, crushed rock, licorice and camphor characteristics. Powerful yet elegant with layers of depth, this is a wine of great nuance, complexity and nobility. A dead-ringer for the compelling 2007, the 2008 should drink well for 20-25 years or more.
VM 93 (8/2019): Healthy dark ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, dark raspberry, coffee and violet reminded me of a wine from Saint-Emilion. Not large-scaled but intensely flavored and suave, with its dark berry and dried cranberry flavors accented by Vermouth-like herbal complexity. This wine delivers the creaminess of the vintage's better examples. Finishes with smooth, nicely buffered tannins that saturate the teeth. Easygoing and perfect to drink now, this wine should go on for a while on its balance and underlying gravelly minerality. Two thousand eight is a perfect example of how this hot site can excel in less-heralded vintages. (15.2% alcohol; 4.01 pH) (Drink between 2019-2028). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2009 |
The Lark Proprietary Blend |
$199 |
6 |
|
| |
VM 97 (12/2012): Just as impressive as it was last year, the 2009 Proprietary Red Wine The Lark is all pencil shavings, graphite, incense and smoke. A deep, beguiling wine, the 2009 stands out for its perfumed aromatics, delineated fruit and phenomenal overall balance. Still powerful and implosive, the 2009 will require patience. It has much less of the early appeal and sheer sexiness of the other 2009s here. (Drink between 2019-2039). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (10/2013): The 2009 Proprietary Red The Lark, which was released in early 2013, comes from a single plot of rocky soils as well as the Eisele clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. More tannic, backward and brooding, this classic red needs more time in the bottle. Like many 2009s, it appears to have gone into a dormant state with the tannins dominating at present. However, the wine exhibits impressive purity, power, richness and a full-bodied mouthfeel. Cellar it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 20-25 years. |
|
|
2009 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$85 |
12 |
|
| |
WA 94 (12/2011): The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with a rush of black fruit, smoke, licorice, graphite and tar. All the elements flow together gracefully towards the big, fleshy finish. There is plenty of tannin to support the fruit, suggesting the wine will drink well for a number of years. I especially like the way the wine keeps growing in the glass. This is one of the firmer, more vibrant 2009s readers will come across. Simply put, it is fabulous. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029.
VM 93 (5/2012): (blended with 12% petit verdot and 8% cabernet franc): Ruby-red. Blackberry, licorice, minerals and chocolate on the nose, plus a whiff of shoe polish. Dense, spicy and nicely delineated, with excellent intensity to the dark cherry and mineral flavors. Firmly structured cabernet with granular tannins and a suggestion of medicinal reserve. This will need at least four or five years of bottle aging. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2009 |
Firebelle Proprietary Blend |
$65 |
12 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (12/2011): The 2009 Firebelle is 53% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc. Dark red fruit, flowers, spices and licorice are some of the many notes that emerge from this impeccable, totally classy wine. It can be enjoyed now, but there is more than enough freshness to allow the wine to age gracefully for a number of years. Darker notes of tar and iron add considerable depth and muscle to the finish. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2009 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$159 |
6 |
|
| |
VM 93 (8/2019): Dark red with ruby tones. Aromas of black raspberry, kirsch, mocha and graphite are lifted by a strong floral topnote and complicated by some oaky torrefaction. Plush, rich and deep, with its concentrated black fruit flavors currently muted by a medicinal menthol element. Plenty of texture and sweetness here but the wine is in a somewhat monolithic stage today. The building tannins currently cut off the wine's fruit a bit on the slightly aggressive finish. This bottle suffered by being tasted after the pair of 2010s but its underlying rocky minerality suggests that there's much more to come. Incidentally, Larkmead finished harvesting by the end of September in 2009 and thus escaped the impact of the rainstorms in early October. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 94 (1/2020): Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari charges out of the gate with bold black fruit preserves, notes of blackberry compote, crème de cassis and dried mulberries plus underlying notes of mossy tree bark, tilled soil, camphor and tobacco leaf plus a hint of spice box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rugged frame of chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering stewed tea note. |
|
|
2010 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$79 |
9 |
|
| |
| WA 95+ (12/2012): Larkmead’s entry-level 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate captivates all of the senses from the very first taste. A huge, opulent yet structured Cabernet, the 2010 shows off tons of richness, power and structure, all while maintaining considerable detail and nuance. Black currants, melted road tar and asphalt blast thorough to the intense, palate-staining finish. I can’t imagine this being ready to drink before its 10th birthday. The 2010 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. This is a great 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. |
|
|
2010 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$169 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 96 (10/2013): The compelling 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) boasts an opaque purple color as well as notes of black currants, licorice, graphite and charcoal, sweet black fruits on the entry, and hints of pen ink and toast. The terrific aromatics are followed by a textured, multidimensional wine with a 45-second finish. As the wine sits in the glass, aromas of crushed rock and spice box also emerge. This complex, intriguing effort should drink well for 25+ years.
VM 96 (5/2020): Good dark red-ruby. Knockout nose melds black raspberry, mocha, licorice and sexy soil tones, with some very ripe suggestions leavened by dried sage and lavender nuances. Wonderfully sweet yet fresh, with its plush, fine-grained flavors of raspberry, cherry, plum and mocha given shape by perfectly integrated acidity. Finishes with firm but harmonious tannins and terrific rising length. The wine's sweetness is nicely buffered on the back end by an impression of medicinal reserve, but more in a red cherry way than black. This wine was tightly wound when I originally tasted it from bottle but it's evolving beautifully and could provide great pleasure now with some aeration. Outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon, and a beautiful expression of its site. Incidentally, the winery did not produce their special top-of-the-line Lark bottling in 2010 as yields were so low, so that juice went into the Solari. Harvested on October 13. (Drink between 2020-2039). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2012 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$99 |
8 |
|
| |
JS 94 (7/2015): Aromas of currant, blueberry and brick character. Some dried herb too. Full body, firm and racy tannins plus dark berry, dark chocolate and mahogany. Wonderful finish. 94% cabernet sauvignon and the rest petit verdot. Drink or hold.
WA 93+ (10/2014): The soft, delicious, complex 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers notes of cedarwood, blackcurrants, baking spices, Asian soy, crème de cassis, licorice and a touch of graphite. It continues to remind me of a hypothetical blend of a second or third-growth Bordeaux Pauillac with a Napa Valley Cabernet. Composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 54% new French oak, it possesses full body, sweet tannin and should drink well for two decades or more.
VM 93 (12/2014): The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with tons of depth and overall intensity. Graphite, menthol, new leather, smoke, herbs and black fruit are all laced together nicely. Today the tannins are a bit dusty and rough around the edges, but at the same time, the 2012 is nowhere near ready to drink, so there is plenty of time for those contours to soften a touch. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty tannic wine for the year, so patience is key. |
|
|
2012 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$209 |
5 |
|
| |
| WA 99 (10/2014): The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 70% new French oak) is even better than I thought last year. This spectacular wine boasts notes of white chocolate, hot gravel, crème de cassis, blackberries, licorice and forest floor. A subtle smoky barbecue character is noticeable in the background. This is a thrilling, full-bodied, majestic Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25-30 years, although its tannic structure suggests cellaring it for 2-5 years will be beneficial. |
|
|
2013 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$95 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 93 (10/2015): The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (White Label) is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in about two-thirds new French oak. Very Bordeaux-like, with a St.-Julien-like personality, there are notes of crushed stones, gunflint, licorice, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake and loads of red and blackcurrants. It is a powerful wine with a hint of chocolate as well. This beautiful and structured yet elegant wine should drink well for at least 15-25 years.
VM 92 (10/2015): A dark, powerful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (white label) hits the palate with masses of dark fruit, cedar, tobacco, savory herbs and leather. Today the tannins are a bit rustic, but the 2013 possesses remarkable density and the pedigree to age for many years. The distinctly ferrous, iron-infused and meaty notes are some of the key Larkmead signatures. Antonio Galloni.
JD 92 (10/2023): Looking first at the classic 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, this still deep plum-hued Cabernet has a touch of lightening at the rim as well as youthfully mature, Bordeaux-like aromatics of darker currants, truffle, smoked cigar, leather, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, round, nicely textured, and concentrated, with a great finish, this classic, impeccably made Cabernet Sauvignon is fully in its prime drink window, with another decade of longevity ahead of it. |
|
|
2013 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 97 (10/2015): The 2013 Proprietary Red LMV Salon, which is a proprietary red of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Cabernet Franc, is stunning. The Cabernet Franc seems to give this wine a tremendous fragrance, as the opaque purple color offers notes of cedar wood, underbrush, forest floor and spring flowers along with creme de cassis and black cherries. With a full body, ripe texture and moderately high tannins, this wine will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and keep 30-35 years. |
|
|
2014 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$189 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (10/2016): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari, which is again 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, flirts with perfection. It spent 20 months in 80% new French oak and hails from their Cortina Gravel and clay sectors of the vineyard. They made 793 cases of this compelling wine, which offers great freshness and energy, profound depth of flavor, an opaque black/purple color, and oodles of pure crème de cassis and blackberry fruit intermixed with incense, charcoal and white flowers. It’s a stunner to drink now and over the next three decades.
JD 98+ (12/2017): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is flat out awesome. Always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 20 months in 80% new French oak, this ripe, sexy, multi-dimensional beauty boasts a deep, saturated purple color as well as layers of plum and cassis fruit intermixed with lots of cedar, spice-cabinet, spring flowers and earth. Possessing full-bodied richness, an expansive, layered texture, incredible depth and a ripe, yet building tannin, it can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.
VM 92+ (8/2019): Lucid red-ruby. Sexy aromas of brambly raspberry, clove and tobacco are lifted and enlivened by notes of flowers and mint. Then densely packed and sweet, offering palate-saturating flavors of dark fruits and smoky herbs. This very long, lively wine finishes with integrated, building tannins that turned a bit dustier with air. Winemaker Petroski noted that the warm nights during the summer of 2014 meant that the vines were "constantly moving" and never really shut down. The harvest, he went on, was very early (9/12) but 2015 was even earlier (9/4). (15.3% alcohol) (Drink between 2023-2034). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2017 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$75 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 93 (1/2020): The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a real overachiever in its peer group. Wonderfully layered and vibrant, the 2017 is just magnificent. All the elements come together in a sublime, wonderfully nuanced Cabernet. Larkmead ultimately decided not to bottle their Dr. Olmo Cabernet and instead used that wine (which was fabulous from barrel) to improve this blend - which it most certainly did. Antonio Galloni.
JD 92+ (1/2020): Starting with the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, it comes all from the estate in the north part of the valley and is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It has a deep, serious bouquet of scorched earth, graphite, crushed rocks, new saddle leather, and smoked tobacco all ground by a core a ripe dark fruit. With medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, building tannins, and the classic, focused style of the vintage, it's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. |
|
|
2017 |
Firebelle Proprietary Blend |
$69 |
2 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (1/2020): The 2017 Firebelle, Larkmead's Merlot-based wine, is laced with sweet red cherry, spice, mint, cedar, tobacco and orange peel. Medium in body, silky and nicely lifted, the 2017 is decidedly understated for Larkmead. I would prefer to drink it over the next handful of years, give or take, because of its mid-weight structure. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2017 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 92 (12/2019): A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 LMV Salon (White Label) has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is scented of chocolate-covered cherries, fresh blackcurrants, kirsch and black raspberries with touches of bouquet garni, forest floor, charcoal and black olive. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is filled with ripe red and black fruits and a firm, rugged texture, possessing just enough freshness to deliver a long, earth-laced finish. 470 cases were made.
VM 92+ (1/2020): Cabernet Franc, with its bright, high-toned aromatics, takes the lead in the 2017 LMV Salon. Sweet dried red cherry, mint, tobacco and wild flowers are all nicely lifted throughout. Supple and racy with tons of immediacy, the 2017 is already inviting, although it will develop more nuance with time in bottle. Even just a bit of air brings out an attractive fleshiness. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Marcassin |
2021 |
Marcassin Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$350 |
12 |
|
| |
| VM 98 (1/2026): The 2021 Pinot Nor Marcassin Vinetards is glorious. Dark, ample and enveloping, the 2021 is promising but also very, very young. A blast of dark blue/purplish fruit makes a strong opening statement. The 2021 is youthful and packed to the core; it's going to need a t least a few years to come into its own. This is a seriously impressive young Pinot from Marcassin. |
|
| | USA White |
| Marcassin |
2021 |
Marcassin Vyd. Chardonnay |
$499 |
8 |
|
| |
| VM 97 (1/2026): The 2021 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard is rich and resonant in the glass. It's a grand, sweeping wine that will thrill those lucky enough to find it. Plush contours wrap around a core of lemon confit, dried herbs, marzipan and white flowers. Brisk acids suggest further time in bottle will be beneficial. Although quite heady in its first impression, the 2021 turns more and more delicate with time in the glass. It's classic Marcassin all the way. (Drink between 2028-2036). Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
|