95+ Points

Our 2008 vintage Estate Cabernet Sauvignon's intrinsic aromatic notes of dry sage, black licorice and smoky earth terroir are wrapped in a cloak of dense black cherry and raspberry cream. Layered with provocative nuances of... Read More

99pts International Wine Review: The 2022 00 Wines Pinot Noir ‘Shea’ from Yamhill-Carlton showcases fruit planted at 550 feet near the treeline in 2002, hand-destemmed and fermented in amphora. Its glowing neon medium... Read More

98pts International Wine Review: The 2022 00 Wines Pinot Noir ‘Stardance’ from Yamhill-Carlton displays a medium neon ruby core with a vibrant fluorescent red rim. Sourced from vines planted in 2003, this Pinot’s... Read More

Adi Badenhorst is a central figure in the rise of Swartland, and this bottling demonstrates why the district has become so revered. The wine is named after the yellow-coloured granite rocks found in this vineyard, planted in 1966.... Read More

95pts Tim Atkin, Master of Wine: The Palomino grapes from this coastal Swartland vineyard are always delivered with a little sand, but it’s the limestone bedrock that has a greater influence on the style of this incredible... Read More

Terroirs Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV is an assemblage of four Côte de Blancs Grand Cru cuvées from old vine plantings in Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry. This Terroirs is 40% from the 2018 and 2019 vintages... Read More

2021 vintage of Amuse Bouche, featuring artwork by renowned French artist Marc Clauzade. His piece entitled Casse Croute (which roughly translates to tasty snack) portrays the beautiful chaos of a kitchen scene — its vibrant... Read More

Not yet bottled, the 2020 Mourvedre is one heck of an impressive Mourvèdre, offering textbook savory red, blue, and black fruits as well as herbes de Provence, dry-aged beef, pepper, and some spicy, floral nuance. Full-bodied... Read More

Anne Gros, the daughter of Francois Gros, took over her family’s winery at the end of the nineteen eighties. The Gros family dates back as a winemaking family within the Cote de Nuits, more specifically Vosne-Romanee since... Read More

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Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by beautiful aromas of blueberries, black currants, acacia flowers, licorice, and spice. The tannins are softer than I remember, but this is certainly one of the vintage’s most extraordinary... Read More

I have tasted this a number of times now, and it is exciting stuff with loads of energy. A nice combination of the power of 2007 and the complexity of 2006. Fabulous nose of sweet tobacco, blackberries that turn to porcini mushroom... Read More

This is just one component of the final blend. It is a vineyard that was planted in 1964. It is block 3 … it went into the 1971 Ridge and 1974 Conn Creek. Joe used to call it gold. This is full bodied and rich with a beautiful... Read More

The blackberries and spices on the nose, together with currants, earth and light chocolate, are extremely appealing, while the palate delivers a full, rich core of fruit and silky tannins. Excellent length. It’s just starting... Read More

The aroma of dried rose petals is stunning. Hints of dark fruits too. Intensely perfumed. Full-bodied, deep and condensed with incredible depth and subtlety. Powerful tannins that are hidden under the beautiful fruit. The finish... Read More

Arriving in 2006, winemaker Sam Kaplan continues to fashion rock star wines from this Howell Mountain estate. One of the best whites from Napa, as well as one of the most ageworthy, the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Estate gives up serious... Read More

The 2010 Au Sommet seems to bring together the best of qualities of 2008 and 2009. It has the fruit and depth of the former and the silkiness of the latter. Juicy dark cherries, plums, smoke, incense and tobacco are some of the... Read More

This Gorgeous Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is imbued with tremendous freshness, poise, and energy. Focused and pure aromas and flavors of black cherries and spiced plums are laced with flinty minerals, crushed cocoa nibs, and perfumed... Read More

Winemaker Chris Peterson is on fire making world-class wine in Washington! You may know him as the celebrated winemaker at DeLille cellars, but Peterson has branched into other projects in the Yakima Valley, in particular a partnership... Read More

I tasted four Pinot Noirs from 2014, all of them stunning. My favorite is the 2014 Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap, which is made from Dijon clones 777, 115 and 828 and aged in a combination of François Freres and Gamba oak. He... Read More

Slightly tighter, more structured and masculine, with more barbecue smoke, meat and cassis is the 2013 Pinot Noir Summit 2114, which comes from the Pfendler Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. This wine, which is made from the Calera,... Read More

Another look at perfection is the 350-case cuvée of 2014 Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Red. This is a Cheval Blanc-like blend of 57% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot aged in Gamba and Darnajou barrels. I don’t know... Read More

Even slightly better is the 2013 Pinot Noir Elevation 1376, which comes from a Sonoma Coast Vineyard called Sun Chase. This is also produced from Dijon clones 777, 667 and 115 and is his largest cuvée of Pinot Noir at 375... Read More

The 2012 EE Red Wine Blend brings together two first-class sites in Oakville, Tench and Tin Bos. Ripe, silky tannins grace the palate as this expressive, resonant wine opens up in the glass. Mocha, espresso, dark red cherries,... Read More

Blended of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, the 2014 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard has a deep garnet color. It springs from the glass with bright, youthful scents of baked red and... Read More

This has a lovely copper color with aromas of cloves, spiced apples, raspberries, gingerbread and pastries. Delicious yeasty and spicy undertones. Excellent density and focus, with fine and firm bubbles, yet it’s light on... Read More

A closed, grassy nose at first but underneath there's a restrained beautiful sophistication and youthful charm. Distinct but faint RD tones towards mushroom truffle and mineral saltiness. Slowly booming in the glass and not... Read More

Bright in colour with gold reflections, the aromatics are immediately captivating, with marzipan, acacia, apricot and patisserie all vying for attention. It’s impossibly youthful yet reassuringly mature, a bread basket of... Read More

Saturated bright, deep ruby. Pristine aromas of black cherry, blueberry, mint and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Dense, rich and deep but youthfully backward, with no easy sweetness to the powerful, slightly medicinal flavors... Read More

Truffles, blackberries and blueberries on the nose. Full body, with silky tannins and a fruity finish.

Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carraudes ever.

Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carraudes ever.

Cherry aromas burst from the glass - bright, open, and inviting - layered with bitter chocolate, tobacco, cedar, and a subtle spice. The texture is remarkable: deep yet soft, with seamlessly integrated tannins that provide a silky... Read More

Another masterpiece from the talents of Celia Welch, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes from a site on Howell Mountain and spent 20 months in new French oak. It's a full-bodied, concentrated, powerful Mountain... Read More

A very lovely and fresh, bright expression of 100% Napa Cabernet with nicely delineated dark fruit, liquorice, and tobacco notes. A wonderfully textured, medium-to-full-bodied wine with tremendous concentration on the palate and... Read More

So pure and beautiful with perfumes and cedar as well as currants. Dark mushrooms and bark. A medium-bodied wine with dark berry, currant, chocolate, hazelnut, and fine tannins. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Better in... Read More

The Bordeaux-styled reds begin with the 2007 Camaspelo, a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. The already complex aromatics reveal mineral, Asian spices, incense, violets, black currant and black... Read More

Leafy herbs, red and blue fruits, tobacco, cedarwood, and iron notes all emerge from the 2020 Camaspelo, another up-front, charming, soft, surprisingly supple red from this team. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine... Read More

Ripe black raspberries, iodine, spring flowers, gamey meats, and pepper all emerge from the 2020 Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard, a deeper, broader, medium to full-bodied Syrah with ripe, rounded tannins, a great mid-palate, and... Read More

Moving away from the Rhônes-styled efforts and the most up-front and perfumed of the Bordeaux blends (just ahead of the Widowmaker), the 2010 Flying Pig is a Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that incorporates 37% Merlot and... Read More

Tight and closed, with notions of bloody blue fruits, iodine, rose petals, and cedarwood, the 2020 Impulsivo hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a nicely balanced, layered mouthfeel, and ripe tannins that emerge... Read More

This is meaty, with ripe dark berries, plum skins, smoked bacon, cocoa and ground spiced and pepper. Medium- to full-bodied with firm, chalky tannins and a polished texture, with crushed-stone minerality and dried orange peel.... Read More

54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 337 and a site on the western valley floor in Oakville. Whoever gets fruit from this vineyard always seems to get a mixture of aromatic... Read More

One of the standouts of the vintage that impressed equally on three different occasions. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, lovely scents and dark fruits. Smooth and crisp, silky but concentrated, such precision and detail straight... Read More

A very bold, ripe and complex wine with excellent concentration and a warm, engaging personality (cinnamon and allspice) that's hard to resist. With aeration a hint of dried fruit character emerges. Massive, yet polished finish.... Read More

Armailhac has held its success from en primeur and has further gained in weight during ageing. This is a wine that is changing a little in style, deepening in profile and upping the new oak for ageing from 30% to 50% (and staying... Read More

Ripe fruit on the nose, cherries, blackcurrants and plums, fresh, open and inviting. Sleek and smooth, this is intense but juicy giving tannic strength, just shy of chewy but appealingly chalky and fleshy giving a mouthfilling... Read More

The 2012 Haut Bailly is brilliant and does nothing to damper my belief that this vintage is underrated in the market. Offering up a classic bouquet of tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, blackcurrants, lead pencil, and graphite, this... Read More

Floral and fruity red with hints of vanilla. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. Loosely knit. This needs three or four years to come together. Better after 2018.

Chewy, lively, bright, clean, intense, sleek, sharp and straight - this has it all. Excellent definition and poise, refined but still full of life and flavour. Appealing shots of milk chocolate, blackcurrant, black cherry and... Read More

An evocative nose with perfumed aromas jumping out of the glass. This balances intensity with freshness giving sour cherry, blueberry and raspberry fruit flavours alongside wet stone, salty mineral notes. There is a precision... Read More

Still an infant that needs even more cellaring, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon that brings to mind the 1991 Dominus (maybe not quite as voluptuous). Still vibrant and youthfully color, it... Read More

Sharp, energetic, racy and electric. The power and concentration is evident in the dark, rich, concentrated fruit with tannins that grip and take hold with a crushed stone texture, liquorice, graphite, tobacco and cool mint spice.... Read More

Another absolute legend in the vintage is the 2005 Château Pape Clément, which is just now starting to hit prime time. Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep, powerful, incredibly seductive... Read More

Even more flamboyant and sexy than the 2000, the 2005 Pavie has everything you could ever want from a wine. Deep, inky purple-colored, an awesome perfume of cassis, blackberries, toasty oak, graphite, and incredible minerality,... Read More

The Derenoncourt consultancy here has produced a wine with pronounced aromas of plum and blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, and smoke. The palate features firm tannins, chewy density, and good length thanks to the blend of two-thirds... Read More

This is the 2019, because Rieussec is no longer showing En Primeur but instead when it is in bottle. Marmalade and bitter orange peel is totally gorgeous, and this is one of the best Rieussec's that I can remember. A ton of... Read More

Black pepper and cloves on the attack, with bigger tannins overall than many in this vintage, and attractive menthol notes on the finish. This is good, if austere. Frost meant there was no second wine, Carillon de Rouget, in 2017.... Read More

Sweet plums and raspberries. Forest floor character. Full body, with firm and silky tannins and a bright finish of dark fruits and citrus. Racy and refined. Dense and balanced. Closed still. Excellent potential from Tim Mondavi.... Read More

A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot, the 2010 Continuum was produced with 92% of the fruit from Pritchard Hill, with small amounts from Mt. Veeder and Diamond Mountain. It is... Read More

There's clarity and vivacity to this wine with dark fruits, dark chocolate and a mineral undertone. Full body, firm tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Powerful and long yet balanced and bright.

Even better, and seriously underrated by me last year, is the 2008 Dancing Hares. A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, production is 525 cases of this exceptionally opulent,... Read More

Dark red berries, tobacco, flowers, mint and licorice all jump from the glass in the 2010 Dancing Hares Red Wine. There is a sense of energy and pure cut to the 2010 that is highly appealing. Brighter and more focused than the... Read More

Though delineated by its vibrant acidity, this white shows some weight, with a creamy texture enveloping flavors of vanilla, buttery croissant, lime blossoms and hazelnut. Lithe and persistent on the finish, where accents of lime... Read More

The 2002 Syrah Eddie’s Patch is an amazingly impressive effort from a steeply terraced vineyard. Inky/black (squid ink comes to mind) to the rim, this full-bodied Syrah boasts notes of charcoal-infused blackberries intermixed... Read More

Slightly more mineral-laced and focused, with brilliant purity of fruit, the 2010 DuMOL Syrah Eddie's Patch (100% Syrah aged 17 months in 43% new French oak hogsheads) is easily one of the top Russian River Valley Syrahs being... Read More

El Lugar is the passion project of Coby Parker-Garcia & his family. Parker-Garcia made a name for himself at Clairborne & Churchill in Santa Barabara County for Alsatian white varieties, but Pinot Noir and Syrah were always a... Read More

More tobacco, peppery herbs, graphite, asphalt, and crushed stone notes emerge from the 2019 Chopping Block, another rich, powerful, yet still fresh and lively wine from winemaker Connor McMahon. It's going to round into form... Read More

The 2012 5500 brings together the raciness of the vintage along with the precision and nuance that are such signatures of Stags Leap. Dark red cherry, mocha, plum, mint, pine and licorice flesh out as this sumptuous, deeply expressive... Read More

An explosive, captivating wine, the 2009 Futo bursts from the glass with an exotic melange of incense, tobacco, wild flowers, licorice and plums. Full-bodied and racy, the 2009 covers every inch of the palate with stunning depth... Read More

This is a wine with wonderful tannin outline that gives it precision and refinement. Full body, very polished and brilliant. Fine grain texture. Very pretty and classic in every sense of the word. Needs at least three or four... Read More

Leading off with the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon OV|SL, which is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, this wine offers an incredibly pure, precise profile that carries loads of crème... Read More

Leading off with the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon OV|SL, which is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, this wine offers an incredibly pure, precise profile that carries loads of crème... Read More

This is extremely perfumed with black cherries, purple fruit and cedar. Some lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a beautiful finish. Needs time to soften, but already very beautiful. Drink after... Read More

Softened by 6% Merlot, this is a classically elegant wine, juicy in cranberry, cassis and teases of coffee bean, the tannins broadly etched and brawny in their youth. Integrated oak provides a spiciness of toffee and black licorice,... Read More

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is exquisite. It has an impenetrable blue/black color to the rim, a gorgeous nose of incense, charcoal, mulberry and blackberry liqueur, a multi-layered texture, and terrific purity... Read More

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece is another wine that’s going to flirt with perfection in a few years. Currants, cassis, liquid rock and hints of graphite are just some of the nuances here, and it hits... Read More

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece is one of the more broad, expansive and sexy wines in the lineup. Offering a blood of Cabernet like bouquet of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite and white flowers, it's... Read More

As it often is, Hall's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap is one of the most distinctive wines in the range. Blueberries, blackberries, cassis, mint and violets literally jump from the glass in this beguiling, exotic beauty.... Read More

Although Hall is in St. Helena, they have produced a 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap. A Châteaux Margaux-ish style of wine, with floral notes intermixed with blueberry, black raspberry, and blackcurrant, the wine has... Read More

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap is a charming, sexy and silky wine that shows the forward, polished style of the vintage (and of Stags Leap) beautifully. Blueberries, blackberries, spring flowers and liquid violets... Read More

Heitz produced terrific wines in the drought vintage of 1976, and Martha's Vineyard is, as ever, the queen of the cellar. Aromas of dark cherries, cocoa powder, scorched earth, mint and subtle tobacco leaf are followed by... Read More

Heitz Cellars receives the entire production from the famed vineyard in Oakville for its limited edition of vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive minty, characteristics, rich flavors, and overall balance have... Read More

95pts John Gilman: The 1990 vintage of Martha’s Vineyard is less ripe and powerful than the 1991 and is one of Kathleen Heitz Myers’ favorite vintages from the decade of the 1990s. One taste and it is very easy to... Read More

Heitz Cellars receives the entire production from the famed vineyard in Oakville for its limited edition of vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive minty, characteristics, rich flavors, and overall balance have... Read More

The wine blooms with pear blossoms, lemons, lime zest, tangerines, lemon blossoms, then creamy but delicate flavors of butter, vanilla bean, lemon curd, chalky minerals and salinity. Medium- to full-bodied, it finishes long and... Read More

Jean-Louis Chave considers that his white Hermitage should either be drunk in its youth, or mature, when it has emerged from its adolescent sulk. It has long been a favourite of mine, since a visit to the estate in the early 1980s,... Read More

Bright gold. Intensely spicy pear, peach and apricot pit aromas, with a strong suggestion of sweet butter. Round and weighty but at the same time juicy, with focused peach and pear nectar flavors enlivened by exotic spice and... Read More

Another wine that's just about to be bottled is the 2020 Todos, which is a final blend of 57% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest a mix of varieties. Ripe blueberries, fresh plums,... Read More

A beautiful nose of olive oil, baked lemon, crushed thyme and wet stone. Medium bodied with lovely nuance and delicacy. Cream and fresh herbs color the fresh citrus and white pepper notes. Elegant. Subtle and long. Drink or hold.... Read More

Dark cherries, plums, spices, smoke, licorice and menthol all flesh out in the Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall. Inviting, rich and seductive, the 2012 is beautiful and totally expressive today. Sweet floral, spice and raspberry... Read More

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall from Napa is another blockbuster, exhibiting an opaque bluish purple color, notes of charcoal, graphite, blackberry, chocolate and exotic spices, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long, long... Read More

The 2021 The Judge Chardonnay is slightly more closed than the Napa Chardonnay at this stage, needing some coaxing to bring out notes of ripe apricots, candied ginger, baking bread, and white truffle giving way to nuances of orange... Read More

The 2021 The Judge Chardonnay is slightly more closed than the Napa Chardonnay at this stage, needing some coaxing to bring out notes of ripe apricots, candied ginger, baking bread, and white truffle giving way to nuances of orange... Read More

I have always enjoyed the elegant, French-styled Syrahs from this winery, and this 2005 appears to be the finest they have yet produced. A beautiful deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of blueberries, black raspberries,... Read More

It’s always educational, and a treat, to taste the latest vintage of Louis Roederer’s flagship Cristal Champagne. This cuvee is sourced from 45 separate plots covering just under 200 acres spread between the villages... Read More

So much dried flower, mushroom, iron, rust, sweet berry, and grilled orange. Full-bodied with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of place and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse... Read More

Brought up in 60/40 new barrels and concrete eggs, the 2016 Chardonnay UV Vineyard is scheduled to be bottled next summer. It offers an exotic, tropical style with its mint, lime, tangerine peel notes. Medium-bodied, fresh, focused,... Read More

Brought up in 60/40 new barrels and concrete eggs, the 2016 Chardonnay UV Vineyard is scheduled to be bottled next summer. It offers an exotic, tropical style with its mint, lime, tangerine peel notes. Medium-bodied, fresh, focused,... Read More

Deeper colored, the 2017 Proprietary Red Wine is based on 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that saw the same 60% new French oak for 21 months. It offers an incredibly classic, classy... Read More

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard exhibits a rocky, stony, gravelly, hot pebble-sort of nose that I often associate with wines such as Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion. Beautifully sweet blueberry... Read More

98pts- Tasting Panel:

With an attention- getting purple-black hue, this astound- ing red is silky but manages to eke out teeth-grabbing, dusty black-tea tannins. A host of flavors, among them graphite, black raspberry, violets,... Read More

The 2022 Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast has a gorgeous perfume of wild raspberries, fresh flowers, anise, and fresh forest herbs. Medium-bodied, with a lovely structure, it’s long on the palate and has a fresh feel throughout.... Read More