Decanter (100)

Proprietor Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni established this label in 2014. Entirely estate fruit, comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried herbs de provence round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Silky and smooth on the palate, restrained black fruit with tightly woven tannic fuzz on the palate. Plenty of fruit power, the structure will take some time to soften.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (97)

In bottle. Made as three cuvees, then assembled. A rich mid purple with a deliciously heady bouquet, the sumptuous side of dark raspberry, perfumed yet precise, purple fruit with some redder layers beneath, a little white pepper spice, multiple layers of fruit, very engaging with just a very slight youthful bitterness. Irreproachable. Drink from 2032-2045. Tasted: November 2023.

Decanter (98)

A tasting of each of the seven 2022 Musigny VV sub-sections and an approximate blend hint at a wine of almost voluptuous sensuality, with expressive mulberry and pomegranate fruit and hints of earth, smoke and liquorice that waft from the glass. The texture is powerfully tannic and dense but almost infinitely silky, and there is a dynamic interplay between the perfumed fruit and robust structure. Ideally, wait a decade before opening.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

The 2014 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has a detailed bouquet that stops you in your tracks. There is genuine mineraité and tension already locked in here, aromatics that are beautifully focused and almost Richebourg-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, succinctly interwoven new oak so that you barely notice its presence. It gently fans out towards the poised, tensile finish and by that time you are already won over by this outstanding Grand Cru from Dujac.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

The 2014 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has a detailed bouquet that stops you in your tracks. There is genuine mineraité and tension already locked in here, aromatics that are beautifully focused and almost Richebourg-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, succinctly interwoven new oak so that you barely notice its presence. It gently fans out towards the poised, tensile finish and by that time you are already won over by this outstanding Grand Cru from Dujac.

It contains two bottles of each:

2x75cl Perihelios - 100 points | Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Polysipine - 98+ points - Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Sine Fine - 98 points | Jeb Dunnuck

100 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Perihelios)

One of two perfect wines in the lineup of 2018s, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Perihelios comes from Thomas Rivers Brown and is another seamless, elegant, yet powerful wine that’s just a joy to taste. Cassis, blackberries, tobacco, graphite, licorice, and a kiss of iron define this incredible beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. Coming mostly from the Upper Range Vineyard and brought up in new barrels, it has ample up-front appeal given its balance, purity, and texture, yet there's no shortage of tannins, and it's going to evolve gracefully for 20-25 years or more.

98+ points | Jeb Dunnuck (Polysipine)

Made by Philippe Melka and a blend of sites, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Polyspline is all Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a small amount of barrel fermentation and aging in 88% new French oak. It's the most structured, backward, and in need of bottle age of the trio and has a dense purple hue to go with powerful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco, licorice, spicy oak, and graphite. Full-bodied on the palate, it's a powerhouse of a wine that has a great mid-palate, building, substantial tannins, and a great, great finish. It needs to be forgotten for at least 4-5 years but will have decades of longevity.

98 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Sine Fine)

Coming from the talented Benoit Touquette, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sine Fine offers more blue fruits as well as lots of floral, violet, iron, spicy wood, and lead pencil-like aromatics. Another exuberant, incredibly sexy wine under the Fairest Creature label, it’s full-bodied and has just about perfect tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a gorgeous finish. It's already impossible to resist, yet I've no doubt this will evolve for 20-25 years or more. The purity of fruit as well as the tannins in this wine are exceptional.

James Suckling (97-98)

Mind-blowingly deep and subtle nose of stone fruit with citrusy nuances. All the density of Batard, but with such elegance at the extremely long, focused finish. Great potential! From old vines purchased in 2008.

James Suckling (96-97)

Quite a shy nose, but on the palate this is so dense without the slightest hint of heaviness. All red fruits with an almost lemony freshness at the long, intensely mineral finish. Great potential!

Experience the distinctive taste of Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019, exquisite wine crafted in the renowned vineyards of Sonoma County, California. This bold red blend exhibits a smooth, harmonious composition of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grape varieties, matured splendidly in a balanced climate of cool nights and warm days.

Employing a traditional fermentation process in stainless steel vats with gentle pump-overs, the Warrior 2019 demonstrates the Fortunate Son winery's commitment to preserving the integrity and characteristics of each varietal. Aged in French oak barrels, this grand cuvée unveils intricate layers of blackberry, cassis and anise, underscored by notes of mocha and subtle earthiness.

Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019 encapsulates the unwavering dedication of its producers to quality and complexity. A testament of excellence, it seamlessly melds time-honoured techniques and modern innovation, making this full-bodied wine a precious addition to any well-curated collection.

Vinous (87-89)

The 2019 Bourgogne Rouge comes from vines located in Gilly in the Les Bons Batons lieu-dit. It has a well-defined bouquet of black cherries and crushed strawberry fruit. The palate is succulent on the entry with lightly spiced red fruit. Admirable grip and concentration on the finish. Excellent.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93-95)

The 2022 Chablis Vosgros 1er Cru takes a little more time to open on the nose than Picq's other cuvées but eventually reveals eucalyptus-tinged citrus fruit flanked by wet stone aromas. The palate is very well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, very saline but with a countervailing, almost honeyed element keeping this on its toes. This is a brilliant follow-up to the 2021.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (88)

The Bourgogne Blanc comes from La Bergerie in Puligny (two thirds) the rest from Lombois below Volnay. A light but pure white fruit. Nicely balanced all across the palate with a fresh acidity to finish, and good length. Very attractive with just the right oaking. Drink from 2025-2027. Tasted: October 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-97)

Medium deep red purple with a little bit of spice. Starts gently then it really swells on the palate. All is at the back of the palate with a really classy finish, perfect tension, a very elegant Chambertin.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-98)

A fine crimson colour. The bouquet is immediately appealing showing a distinction not yet apparent in the Chapelle-Chambertin, though that will come. This is the more structured of the two, possibly even a little bit stern, but with a wealth of high-class fruit behind where the refinement begins to show. Drink from 2032-2040+. Tasted: October 2023.

Burghound (88-90)

(this includes the fruit from the domaine’s .6 ha parcel of Au Bas de Combe as well as fruit from Les Lavières and the villages portion of Aux Grandes Vignes). Here the expressive nose blends hints of cassis and red berry liqueur with those of soft spice and newly turned earth. There is a lovely texture to the solidly concentrated medium weight flavors that also conclude in a firm, mildly warm and serious but not especially rustic or youthfully austere finish

Vinous (85-87)

The 2018 Marsannay Village is a cru that Jean-Nicolas Méo told me he is considering returning under the domaine since he is finding it difficult to find good sources. It has a pleasant bouquet of cassis and blueberry fruit, nicely defined and floral in style. The palate is quintessential Marsannay with quite sturdy tannins and plenty of blue fruit, although I would like to see more delineation toward the finish.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2021 Chablis Blanchots Grand Cru has the most "classic" or what you might call "old school" bouquets amongst Raveneau's 2021s and I love it: razor-sharp, struck flint and granite scents. The palate is very taut on the entry, linear, a vertical Chablis that feels very long with a saline finish that lingers in the mouth. What a superb Blanchots - one for Chablis purists.

Decanter (92)

Pretty forceful, direct acidity here. Classic Chablis style. Will age. Comes from two plots situated on the left bank of the Serein, with one positioned below Montée de Tonnerre. They are fermented and kept separate before blending. Mostly hand-harvested.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which is a more elegant, seamless wine compared to the more brooding and backward 2015. Exhibiting a deep purple color and utterly heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, white flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, insane purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. While a big, powerful wine, it’s the purity of fruit and tannin quality that sets this incredible wine at the top of the pyramid. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection from Napa Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is, as always, all Cabernet Sauvignon from an incredible site in Rutherford that spent 21 months in 70% new French oak. Incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, darker currants, smoke, tobacco, and assorted floral notes all define the bulk of the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and perfect balance. This is such a magical site, and this wine consistently checks in with the greatest wines of the world. It already offers pleasure yet should have 30 years of overall longevity. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch and the team at Scarecrow.