The Real Review (HH) (98)

Full golden-yellow colour; very toasty old-wine bouquet which gradually opened up and revealed more with time in the glass. Aromas of toasted bread, toffee, vanilla, apricot, blood orange, quince paste; the palate full, rich and very dry, the penetrating acidity powering a very long finish. A very mature Champagne, not for everyone, but for those who enjoy aged Champagne, it's a joy. The rating is purely about pleasure. (60/40 pinot noir / chardonnay. 4 grams/litre dosage; disgorged in January 2022)

Greg Sherwood MW (99)

The MR de Compostella from Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve possesses one of the most successful critical track records out of almost any red wine produced in South Africa let alone just in the Cape Bordeaux Blend category. The newest 2021 release astonishingly takes this wine to yet another higher niveau of quality with a blend of 26% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Made from vines aged between 9 and 22 years old, all grown on deep decomposed dolomitic granite soils with table mountain sandstone, the aromatics are wonderfully bold and exuberant displaying seductive notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, violets, sweet cherry tobacco, black cherries and tart black plum. The lifted perfumed intensity is incredibly pure and piercing with salty liquorice, cedar spice and beautifully detailed maritime oyster shell nuances. In the mouth, the concentration and focused steely intensity is astounding – tart, bright and architecturally soaring, shaping this wine into a powerful, linear, multi-dimensional masterpiece. Packed full of salty cassis, tart plum and black currant, the tightly wound core of power, refined extraction and polished marble tannins leave you in no doubt that this harmonious, vibrant beauty is a spellbinding, timeless classic in the making. If you wanted just one wine to convince an international fine wine connoisseur of the true greatness of South Africa’s finest terroirs and winemaking, you have found your candidate! Simply an incredible wine. Drink this beauty from 2024 and savour over the next 30+ years. But you might need more than just one or two cases in your cellar!!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Scarecrow’s 2018 reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, toasted spices, chocolate, darker currants, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied, dense, off-the-charts sexy 2018 that has the vintage’s purity and freshness backed up by flawless balance, a layered mouthfeel, and building yet elegant tannins. This cuvée is hard to resist given its texture and wealth of fruit, but it will ideally be given 3-5 years and should evolve for 30 years or more.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Full bottle 1,604 g. From a 7.35-ha site called Cold Harbour vineyard, planted in 2005. Sustainably farmed. 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier, 10% Chardonnay. Ana and Dermot Sugrue's new release. Deep, shining, copper-coral colour. It looks like sunrise on a crisp, clear-as-a-bell autumn morning. It tastes like sunrise on a crisp, clear-as-a-bell autumn morning. The tiny bubbles are like a shower of dewdrop diamonds, which seem to turn ruby-gemstone red as they meet the sweet flood of rose hip, red apple and clementine. And then it pixelates on the tongue, crystalline acidity and exquisitely precise fruit in a kaleidoscopic collision of dazzling dimensions. Breath-taking, spine-tingling purity shot forward, arrow-like, by acidity that tastes of blood oranges. A wine to watch the sun rise with.

Vinous (98)

We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes.

James Suckling (100)

The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold.

Wine Orbit (98)

This is brimming with gorgeous aromas of Black Doris plum, violet, warm spice and toasted almond on the nose, leading to a concentrated palate offering a rich texture and plush mouthfeel. It’s powerful and imposing while remaining gracious and captivating, beautifully framed by fine grainy tannins, finishing persistent and immensely satisfying.

Vinous (96)

The 2018 Tenuta Degli Dei is dense, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Silky tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather. In the glass, the 2018 is intensely aromatic and layered, with exceptional balance and tons of character. Here, too, the wine's overall sense of harmony can only be described as exquisite.

Vinous (88)

The 2017 Boca is dominated by strong savory, earthy and feral notes, while the fruit is dried out and pushed into the background. It is not my favorite wine in this range.

Christian Eedes (97)

32% Roussanne, 29% Semillon, 19% Chardonnay, 16% Chenin Blanc and 4% Clairette Blanche sourced from the Cape winelands. Sensational aromatics of green, white and yellow fruit, flowers, herbs and spice plus a touch of flinty reduction – very expressive but not at all vulgar or overwrought. The palate has great fruit definition, a lovely line of acidity and finish that is long and dry. Precisely made, the whole very much more than the sum of the parts.

Introducing the remarkable Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2019, a lustrous ruby-red wine produced in the renowned French vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin. This exceptional offering is meticulously crafted by Domaine Tortochot, a burgundy winemaker cherished for honouring the traditional, organic winemaking techniques inherited over generations. The 2019 vintage is carefully vinified using 100% hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes, contributing to its refined structure and supple tannins.

The Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2019 boasts radiant flavours, harmoniously combining venerated old world production with contemporary indulgence. It unveils the alluring notes of wild berries, accentuated by a mesmerizing hint of exotic spices and an elegant earthy undertone. The finish lingers pleasingly, reaffirming the powerful prestige of this spectacular Premier Cru. Savour the distinctive character of this admirable French wine, a true testament to the meticulous attention to detail and dedication to quality upheld by Domaine Tortochot.

Indulge in the exquisite elegance of Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes 2019. This esteemed vintage, crafted in the celebrated vineyards of Burgundy, France, is a sensory delight. Domaine Tortochot, a revered wine producer since the 19th century, utilises traditional methods; hand-harvested grapes and maturation in French oak barrels ensure an inviting complexity to this Pinot Noir.

The 2019 edition exhibits a remarkable depth of colour, resembling polished garnet. Offering a robust nose replete with ripe dark fruits, earthy undertones, and a hint of spice; it's a prelude to the sumptuous taste. On the palate, expect an exquisite balance of rich fruit flavours, refined tannins, and an enduring finish that sings of the terroir.

Conveying the unique charm of Morey-Saint-Denis' premier cru vineyard, the Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes 2019 is a must-have addition for the discerning wine enthusiast.

Greg Sherwood MW (94)

The 2021 Seriously Old Dirt is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 2% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc and shows a bright and piercing black cherry coloured core with an enticing ruby red rim. The aromatics are wonderfully seductive showing attractive notes of ripe mulberry, pressed violets, sun raisined black cherries, smoky wood embers, dried herbs and subtle earthy black currant nuances. Given time in the glass, the wine unfurls to reveal a complex savoury earthiness underpinned by sleek plush velvety tannins, soft sumptuous acids and a seamless core of red and black berry fruits with a definite Cabernet crème de cassis signature note. This is an incredibly fine-tuned, focused red blend from a great vintage that is silky and soft textured with incredible length and persistence. Devotees of Seriously Old Dirt are in for a thrilling treat this vintage as this exceptional wine will allow immediate drinking but will also reward 6 to 8+ years of extra cellaring.

Wine Advocate (94)

I tasted the 2022 Regueirón, a single-vineyard Godello from the village of Éntoma on slate and schist soils. It's a much more Burgundian white, with notes of fennel and flowers, very tasty and elegant. It's also a powerful white with impressive aromas and flavors, intensity and depth; it's vibrant and complex, alive, with a pH of 3.1 and 6.8 grams of acidity. They believe the soils are the difference, and character of the wine is very mineral, a little à la Meursault, with purity. It fermented and matured in 500-liter oak barrels, 50% of them new, then they blended the juice and put it into a 2,000-liter foudre for two months. A white of purity, precision and elegance, it's impressive, very young and with aging potential. 2,488 bottles and 60 magnums were filled in August 2023.

The Real Review (97)

Impressively dense, dark, glass-staining colour with a strong tint of purple. Concentrated and superripe blackberry aromas, bright and intense and beautifully ripe with minimal herbal accents. Nuances of tar and licorice as well. It's full bodied and rich, concentrated and ample, with lashings of supple, fine-grained tannins and a long carry. A powerful wine but one that glides across the palate effortlessly. A beautiful and long-term cabernet.