Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Charmois has slightly more red fruit than the Aux Lavières, hints of potpourri and lavender complementing the cranberry jus and red currants; more cassis aromas develop later. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very sensual and harmonious. The sorbet-fresh finish delivers black cherry fruit laced with citrus fruits. Very fine.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is very St.-Estephe, with blackcurrant, lead pencil, graphite and crushed stone. Medium-bodied, linear and structured. Excellent finish. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. 13.35% alcohol. 3.75 pH.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is very St.-Estephe, with blackcurrant, lead pencil, graphite and crushed stone. Medium-bodied, linear and structured. Excellent finish. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. 13.35% alcohol. 3.75 pH.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)

You just know that this estate is well placed to succeed in the vintage, and this really does walk the line of ripeness and salinity, such gorgeous definition and vivid energetic fruit. Stretches out through the palate also, has a relaxed confidece to it that is quite unusual in such a full--on vintage. Really impressive, Beaumartin family, David Suire director.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)

You just know that this estate is well placed to succeed in the vintage, and this really does walk the line of ripeness and salinity, such gorgeous definition and vivid energetic fruit. Stretches out through the palate also, has a relaxed confidece to it that is quite unusual in such a full--on vintage. Really impressive, Beaumartin family, David Suire director.

James Suckling (94-95)

There’s depth and beauty to this wine. It offers crunchy fruit, a chalky undertone and a hint of raw coffee bean. Medium body. Fine tannins. Bright and transparent. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc.

James Suckling (94-95)

There’s depth and beauty to this wine. It offers crunchy fruit, a chalky undertone and a hint of raw coffee bean. Medium body. Fine tannins. Bright and transparent. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Panzano in Chianti. 100% Sangiovese grown at 450 m above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks and aged in large oak casks. Lustrous, youthful crimson. Deep dark and minerally cherry nose with hints of raspberries. Compact tangy cherry and raspberry fruit that really deepens on the palate while keeping its nervy intensity. Coating tannins complement the whole.

James Suckling (95-96)

This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022?

James Suckling (95-96)

This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022?

James Suckling (98)

The purity here is really something. Blackberries and blackcurrants with sandalwood, mint and other classic herbs. Full-bodied and dense with ultra-fine tannins. Silky in all ways. Goes on for a long, long time. A blend of 79% cabernet sauvignon, 11% cabernet franc and 10% merlot. Joyous and serious wine for the vintage. And comparable to 2014 and 2015. Try after 2023.

Vinous (97+)

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is brooding and powerful, wafting up with a darkly floral mix of sweet mint, smoke and animal musk before a core of black cherry emerges. The textures are like pure, elegant silk, slowly draped across the palate, delivering an array of opulent black and red fruits contrasted by zesty citrus tones and spice. The sheer density here is amazing, but even more impressive is that the 2016 stays in perfect balance from start to finish, tapering off long, structured and classically dry. The Pertimali Riserva is created through a selection in the vineyard, and it spends 48 months refining in oak casks. There will be no Riserva created in 2017 or 2018.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Beautifully concentrated, this even has a bit of baby fat on it now. That's just fine as that provides a landing pad for the tangy tannins and racy acidity in this cuv e. The vines sit in iron-rich soils which give a slightly burly edge to the mouthfeel, despite the lush ripeness. For those preferring richer Pinot styles, this will show well now. For those seeking more finesse and multi-dimensional aromatic development, give this five years or so. 2023-38

Wine Advocate (93-95)

The 2016 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a clean and pure bouquet with ample smoke-tinged blackberry and raspberry fruit, controlled and focused, the mineral scents emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, plenty of dusky red fruit laced with graphite, although it deserves more complexity and detail to come through ont he finish. That may come with time. It is not up there with the outstanding 2015 but it is still extremely fine.

James Suckling (96)

I love the deep and complex nose, in which the cassis and mint of cabernet sauvignon are beautifully married to the more generous blackberry of ripe merlot and the vanilla and toasty notes from the oak are marvelously integrated. On the palate it creeps up on you slowly; the first impression is ripe yet delicate, then the fine-grained tannins charge through and light up the sky. Very long finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95-96)

Very pretty and polished with blackberry, blueberry and ink character, as well as a hint of hazelnut. It’s medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins to the fruit. Fine and flavorful finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A rock star Margaux that should be snatched up by readers, the 2018 Château Marquis D'Alesme reveals a dense purple hue as well as ripe, sexy notes of blackcurrants, spicy oak, tobacco leaf, earth, and cedar. Deep, full-bodied, and gorgeously concentrated, it has velvety tannins, a layered, mouthcoating texture, and a great finish. It's a baby, but wow, what a wine. Hide bottle for 5-7 years if you can (you'll be forgiven for opening a bottle early) and it's going to evolve for 30-40 years.

Decanter (100)

Dense garnet in colour, this vintage of Masseto is restrained with a lavish elegance on the nose, displaying mint, milk, wild fennel (typical along the roads in Bolgheri), leather and white truffle. It is vibrant and mineral on the big palate, creamy at first then velvety on the mid-palate and super-ripe on the finish, woven with refreshing acidity and cassis meatiness. One of the greatest Masseto ever, and one of the best wines produced in Bolgheri (alongside Ornellaia 1998 and Sassicaia 1985). Simply, perfect!

Introducing the remarkable Monte Faustino Fornaser Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2017. Born from Veneto's fabled Valpolicella region in Italy, this wine is a testament to meticulous viticulture and winemaking practices. Monte Faustino, a bespoke winery where the Fornaser family exudes passion and respects deep-rooted Italian traditions, is renowned for its singularly stunning wines.

The 2017 vintage involves hand-picked Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, partially dried on 'arele' trays, enhancing intensity and concentrating aromas. The fermentation process, followed by a 30-month maturing period in Slavonian oak barrels, yields a beautifully balanced wine that defies comparison.

Endowed with a rich ruby red hue, the Monte Faustino Fornaser Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2017 offers multifaceted sensory notes, a delightful spectrum spanning spiced fruit, tobacco to chocolate. Nuanced acidity complements embracing tannins, elegantly harmonising in a persistent finish. This fine wine is an epitome of quality, mastery, and timeless Italian character.

Halliday Wine Companion (99)

Stands proudly at the head of the Mount Mary portfolio. A blend of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, each variety handled according to its structure. Open/static fermenters, wood/stainless steel, 10-14 days on skins, 35% new oak from a range of coopers and forests, 16-20 months in barrel. Mesmerisingly silky, with a kaleidoscope of fruit and secondary flavours.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98-100)

High Cabernet, and the grape is dominant not just in blend but character, totally delicious, with tension, flesh, and confidence, building layers of black fruits, graphite, cocoa bean, espresso, pomegranate and smoked earth throughout the palate. When Cabernet works at Mouton, it is hard to beat, and it's on full display in 2023. One of my clear wines of the vintage. Of any vintage. 100% new oak for ageing. 40% grand vin, harvest September 7 to 30.

James Suckling (99)

Fantastic aromas that are complex and complete with blackcurrants, blueberries and herbs, such as basil and bay leaf. But always subtle. Full-bodied yet linear and very refined with a very persistent finish. It shows drive and brightness. So refined at the end. Needs at least three to five years to come together.

Wine Advocate (94+)

Planted in pure limestone above Gerard Perse’s other famous vineyard/terroir, Chateau Pavie, this 10-acre site’s vines average 47 years of age. Fashioned from remarkably low yields, this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc is a powerful, dense, tannic wine that will require considerable time to round into shape. It exhibits a dense purple color along with sweet aromas of mulberries, black currants, minerals, cold steel, graphite, and background spice. Full-bodied, highly-extracted, dense, and made in an unfashionably tannic, broodingly backward style, this is a wine for the ages. It requires 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 25-30+.

James Suckling (95-96)

There is a really pretty, powdery-tannin texture to this, with dark-berry and currant character. Some orange peel, too. It’s full and layered with a sense of precision and focus. Framed and open-grained in the texture. Velvety. Real Pauillac personality here. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. May be better than 2022.

James Suckling (95-96)

There is a really pretty, powdery-tannin texture to this, with dark-berry and currant character. Some orange peel, too. It’s full and layered with a sense of precision and focus. Framed and open-grained in the texture. Velvety. Real Pauillac personality here. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. May be better than 2022.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2018 St Henri Shiraz is a terrific effort, perhaps rivaling the top-flight wines under this label in 1976 and 1986. Remarkably fine and silky in texture yet simultaneously dense and concentrated, it showcases the amazing fruit harvested in 2018. Boysenberry, mulberry and mocha shadings all swirl together effortlessly in a whorl of full-bodied elegance, finishing long and effortless. Mainly Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, it includes smaller amounts of fruit from Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills, all aged 12 months in large old wooden vats.

Falstaff (99)

Bright, flint garnet red. Seductive nose with pronounced notes of wild raspberry, some strawberry, underlaid with liquorice tones. On the palate extremely juicy and clear, many churches, in addition pomegranate and some blood orange, much tension, very long finish.

James Suckling (98)

Perfumed and classy with fresh thyme and currants with some lead pencil. Medium-bodied with very crunchy fruit and a bright and energetic finish. Lively acidity frames the wine with fine tannins. Shows brightness and vivacity. Cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese. Tight now but will come out beautifully with bottle age. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Try after 2028.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

Also showing considerable elegance, the 2019 Gigondas Les Souteyrades sports a ruby/purple hue to go with beautiful and exotic notes of black raspberries, kirsch, candied orange, violets, and peppery garrigue. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, and downright silky on the palate, this heavenly Grenache should be snatched up by readers. It's going to keep for 15 years.

Kerin O'Keefe (98)

The 2019 Brunello from Salvioni is utterly gorgeous, starting with its intense aromas of lavender, new leather, perfumed berry, eucalyptus and pipe tobacco. Delicious and full-bodied but showing elegant restraint, the youthfully austere palate shows Marasca cherry, cranberry, star anise and black tea set against tightly wound, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced and energized. Give this beauty time to fully develop.