The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. 41 out of 53 blocks have had a part to play this year, representing 10 different soil types. The Grand Vin in 2019 represents 82% of production. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose fragrant scents of Indian spice, potpourri, star anise, and cardamom, over a core of preserved plums, boysenberries, and charcoal with touches of wood smoke and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and immediately impactful in the mouth, the layered nuances slowly expand, beautifully framed by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with cascading savory and earth flavors and lots of lingering mineral notes.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+.

Wine Advocate (96)

Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard Old Firs Block has singular scents of conifer, wilted lilac, orange peel and crushed cranberries, with accents of lemon peel and black tea leaves. The palate offers ultra perfumed, delicately styled strawberry and raspberry fruits, a fine, dusty texture, seamless freshness and a long, spicy finish. It’s a delicate expression that will be great for earlier drinking.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard was made with 50% whole clusters and matured for 22 months in 40% new French oak. It is delicate and broody on the nose at this stage, with a core of raspberry fruit and accents of saline, seaweed, cracked pepper and violet. The light-bodied palate is delicate, grainy and fresh, with layer after layer of detailed fruits and a latent finish that hints at more to come as this matures in bottle.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2019 Pinot Noir Rice Spivak Vineyard was made with about 40% whole clusters and matured for 22 months in 40% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and pure aromas of cranberries, raspberries and rhubarb—those dark red fruit characteristics of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir in the 2019 vintage—plus accents of orange peel, Angostura bitters, moss and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate manages a slender frame and very intense flavors, supported by an abundance of silty tannins and juicy acidity driving the very long, very layered finish.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, made with 40% whole clusters, has ringing tones of cranberry, rhubarb, tobacco leaves and botanical undertones. The light-bodied palate features concentrated, nuanced red fruit supported by a frame of chalky tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish. 950 cases produced.

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.

The Wine Independent (100)

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Cos d'Estournel is quite closed to start, requiring a lot of coaxing to bring out profound notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, black cherry compote, and rose oil, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, crushed rocks, and dried lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is both opulent and energetic, revealing loads of perfumed black fruit layers and a plush, polished texture, finishing with epic length and depth.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

87% Cabernet sauvignon, with 7/3/2/1% merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. Matured for 15 months in barrique, 45% new. Cassis and red licorice on the nose, bay and salt bush, too. The palate is salty and fine with layers upon layers of spice and texture. The tannins are like finely textured gills, stacked as delicately as the folds in a mushroom. The length of flavour unfurls and extends across the palate, taking so long to fade that this entire tasting note is possible off one sip. The rest are just for pleasure. Drink it now, or in 40+ years from now… both will be possible.

Decanter (93)

Some weight of fruit here underneath the measured clove oak. Smooth, ripe, with well-balanced acidity, this has a good sense of balance and elegance. Fresh, with plentiful cinnamon spice and forest berry fruit that's just-ripe, neither over nor under. A fairly compact, early-drinking Hermitage, not a powerful one, but one that has some natural class.

Decanter (93)

With its bright apricot characters, this is juicy and full of flavour. It’s punchy, with nice vibrancy and good acidity. A Marsanne-dominated, crystalline style.

Wine Advocate (97)

Quite different from the 2015 was the 2016 Reserva, a red from a cooler year with good yields, so they were able to increase production of this wine over twofold and increase the quality! It took some seven months to complete fermentation, and the élevage in barrel lasted some 29 months. It has an incredible nose, violets and something musky, intriguing, complex and nuanced, mysterious and difficult to define, with some notes reminiscent of soy sauce. The palate is seamless and with terrific balance, a silky texture and very fine but chalky tannins. This is an amazing Ribera del Duero. 18,834 bottles and 519 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2019.

The Donatsch Passion Chardonnay 2022 is a masterstroke from the eminent Donatsch family's winery in the picturesque Malans region of Switzerland. Harnessing the unique terroir of the region's limestone-rich soil and cool alpine climate, this spellbinding Chardonnay is meticulously crafted from low-yielding Burgundy clone vines. The grapes are handpicked at optimum ripeness, lending the wine an exquisite balance between acidity and fruit expression.

A gradual, controlled fermentation in French oak barrels follows, fortifying the wine's profound depth and complexity. Maturation on lees imparts a creamy texture and enriches its layered nuances. Resplendent with alluring notes of ripe apples, crisp pears, and subtle vanilla, the Donatsch Passion Chardonnay 2022 exudes an elegant minerality. The finish is long, persistent, and endearingly refreshing. A firm favourite amongst true connoisseurs, this Chardonnay encapsulates the Donatsch family's relentless pursuit of viticultural excellence and passion for creating world-class wine.

Discover the exquisite delight of Donatsch Passion Pinot Noir 2022 - an exceptional Swiss offering whose refinement and delicacy speak volumes of the mastery of winemaker Thomas Donatsch. This wine hails from the renowned Malanser in the Graubünden region of Switzerland and boasts the fifth-generation expertise of the Donatsch family. Each berry used in Donatsch Passion Pinot Noir 2022 is hand-picked only from old vines that have borne fruit for over 30 years.

The wine expresses a fascinating interplay between fruity sweetness and subtle acidity. Its sparkling ruby colour and distinctive aromas of black cherries and subtle earthy tones transport you to the vineyards on the slopes of the Swiss Alps. The carefully executed barrique ageing process brings out robust, refined nuances to delight the palate. Experience the lyrical balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin in Donatsch Passion Pinot Noir 2022 and fall in love with the seductive allure of Swiss Pinot Noir.

One of the oldest estates in the Medoc their wine structures very well to age, a characteristic of the best Bordeaux wines. The 1996 is full bodied with typical muscularity and good concentration. There is lots of ripe tannin but even more fruit presence.

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.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2019 Echo Lynch Bages is an absolutely joyous second wine. Ripe, plummy and wonderfully forward, the 2019 Echo is all pleasure. The signature of the house style comes through loud and clear. Hints of spice, tobacco and cedar round out the creamy, inviting finish.

James Suckling (100)

A complex, restrained and deliciously austere cabernet franc with damp earth, oyster shells, blueberries, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Super serious and chalky on the palate with lots of dissolved, minerally-textured tannins. Very long and uncompromising! An incredible cabernet franc from Gualtallary by Alejandro Vigil. Extremely pure, mineral and seductive. A fabulous cabernet franc that grows on the palate with remarkable tension and texture. I’d want to drink a bottle now even it can hold extremely well.

Wine Advocate (97)

Here's a new discovery that I'd like to broadcast far and near. This Riserva is a new wine from Elena Fucci that was initiated with this vintage. It is a limited-edition wine made only in magnums. In fact, I tasted bottle number 1 of 400 made to write this review. The 2013 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Riserva Titolo is a dark and savory expression with an evolved and profound bouquet that covers all the bases. It offers dried fruit and blackberry with smoke, ash and crushed river stone. That mineral identity is the wine's most important defining characteristic. Aglianico tends to deliver astringent tannins, but this Riserva shows excellent integration and structural management. A new benchmark wine for southern Italy has just been created.

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!