Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

The 2019 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is fabulous. Rich, powerful and vibrant, Le Petit packs a serious punch. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. Black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, mocha and dried herbs build as this effusive, generous wine shows off its racy, alluring personality. I loved it.

James Suckling (97)

What a sensational perfume this Morgon has! So rich and sensual, yet so refined and complete on the enveloping yet delicate palate. Mind-blowing concentration at the breathtakingly long finish that builds to a gigantic climax. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2010 Viña Tondonia Reserva has all I expect from a Reserva from Tondonia, complexity, elegance and evolution, a developed nose with notes of forest floor and wild berries, herbs and flowers, a touch of iodine, brick dust and very fine, polished tannins. It has the seriousness and elegance of Tondonia. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name of the grape) and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in the ancient oak vats from when the winery was created 144 years ago and matured in well-seasoned, American oak barrels for six years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity. 260,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.

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.

Decanter (99)

Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. Nominated by Peter Liem

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed, and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey, freshly shaved ginger, marzipan, and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose, giving way to a core of pear tart, persimmons, and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse, featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances, finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity, soft-spoken expression, and impeccable crafting. It won't disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes, yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer, toastier, more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2008 Château Margaux is a beauty and has everything you could want from a wine. A huge nose of cassis, Asian spices, dried flowers, and incense all soar from the glass, and on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and pure, with ripe tannins and a great finish. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot made from an incredibly strict selection (only 36% of the production made it into the top wine), this elegant, regal, incredibly classic Chateau Margaux is thrilling today, but will drink well for another 20-30 years.

Decanter (94)

While at the village level in 2018 we seem to find more dilute wines, Massolino should be considered an exception because they produced just a village Barolo, a blend of all their MGAs, including Vigna Rionda. The wine shines for its bright ruby colour, meaty and tarry with a incredible depth of rhubarb and minerality. Open-knit with its wild strawberry and cherry fruits, it flows on the velvety palate, lean yet refined, with polished tannins and brilliant integrated acidity. The finish is all cherry kernel and liquorice root. With this 2018 the estate confirms its consistency.

The West Australian (97)

The 2017 vintage was one of the milder vintages in WA. The latest Moss Wood captures this vintage perfectly and is without doubt one of the more restrained and tightly framed Moss Woods of recent years. Not the opulence of 2014 or the firm power of the 2016. Yet it retains the elegance, perfume and soft approachability that is Moss Wood. And hidden within is a wine that I suspect will still be drinking beautifully in 30 years. Make sure you decant it even now before drinking.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2021 Coche has to be one of the finest white wines from Portugal that I've tasted. It was produced with grapes grown at 600 meters in altitude, from very old vineyards with the right field blend with a majority of Rabigato but also other local varieties. It has a fine and elegant reductive character with flinty notes, hints of smoke and dry herbs. This is sharp and super tasty, with an almost salty twist in the finish. It fermented and matured in French oak barrels (mostly 228-liter ones) for one year. It's serious, nuanced, a little austere and vertical, with a dry finish, a chalky sensation and very good persistence. It has 11.8% alcohol, a pH of 3.26 and 5.8 grams of acidity. I've drunk all the vintages of Coche since the first year (2010), and this is the finest to date. Bravo. 9,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023.

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.

James Suckling (98)

Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.

Vinous (97)

Luminous deep red. Aromas of herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf), sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and ripe red cherry. Very saline, juicy acidity lifts and extends the blue and red berry flavors on the long delicately herbal and spicy finish. Very ready to drink, but will age well. This will go on sale at the end of this year.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. Don't think about drinking before 2025.

James Suckling (99)

The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate in an encompassing yet always elegant and pure way. It’s succulent and unadulterated. Like crushed, perfectly ripened grapes. The length is rather endless. The tannins build. Fabulous young red. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028, but an absolute joy to taste now.

James Suckling (98-99)

This is integrated, with superb density and beauty, offering blackcurrant, mineral and some bark. Full-bodied, yet so polished and refined. Crushed stone. Lots of expression and texture to this wine. Creamy. Pure and precise. Elegant, yet layered. Slightly plusher than the 2019. Dense, yet agile. Fresh as always. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae.

Decanter (93)

Vanilla-laced citrus and tropical fruit aromas with soft floral flecks. Generous and lively with pineapple, lemon and mango fruit giving richness while an undercurrent of salty, flint minerality gives tension and drive. Concentrated, long and balanced. 59% Sauvignon Blanc (vinified in stainless steel) and 41% Semillon (new oak barrels for six months with regular lees stirring). Grapes are grown on gravel soils over sandy clay.

James Suckling (98)

This is amazing on the nose with dried strawberries, sandalwood, mahogany and tea leaf. Iron and rust underneath the fruit. Dried flowers, nutmeg and rose petals. Full-bodied yet agile and energetic with layers of fine dusty tannins. Entrancing finish. Give this four or five years in the bottle, but it’s hard not to drink.

Wine Advocate (97+)

A strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage in Chablis this year, the Raveneau family's 2019 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur unwinds in the glass with aromas of crisp green apple, citrus zest, iodine, oyster shell and fresh hazelnuts. Full-bodied, taut and chiseled, it's incredibly taut and concentrated, with huge depth at the core, tangy acids and a long, penetrating, pungently saline finish. Might this turn out to be even better than the magical 2017? Time will tell, but this is clearly a masterful achievement.

Robert Ampeau Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Combettes 1997 offers an unforgettable journey to the heart of fine winemaking, embodying the renowned tradition of French viticulture. This exquisite white wine, crafted under the watchful eye of the esteemed Robert Ampeau, hails from Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy and is part of the premier cru, denoting its exceptional quality.

The wine is famed for its elegant vibrancy and subtle complexity, a testament to Robert Ampeau's meticulous approach. Spared from invasive modern techniques, Ampeau tends his vineyards with care, allowing the authentic terroir of Montrachet to your glass.

The Robert Ampeau Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Combettes 1997 showcases rich character, nuanced with pear, citrus, almond and stony mineral notes. The palate is robust yet impeccably balanced, carrying through to a lingering, sophisticated finish.

Let this vintage transport you, an emblem of time, passion, and the indomitable spirit of French winemaking tradition.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige is fabulous, revealing gorgeous darker strawberry and almost blue-tinged fruit as well as spring flowers, ground pepper, Provençal spice, and leather. It's full-bodied deep, rich, and concentrated, with gorgeous tannins and a layered, silky, polished style.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru came across more closed than the domaine’s other Premier crus, light chalk dust scents permeating the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a very smooth texture, more compact and denser than expected but displaying a verticality that will appease those who like "cool," understated Pinot Noir rather than opulence. I suspect it will age extremely well.

Vinous (86-88)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes comes from vines up to 85 years old. It has a sensual bouquet of brambly red fruit, undergrowth and light truffle aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, moderate acidity and decent length. What is missing is a little tension and precision on the finish compared to other vintages.

Vinous (87-89)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes has a clean and pure bouquet with perfumed raspberry and wild strawberry scents, a subtle earthiness underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, gentle grip with a nicely structured, Morey-like finish. Fine.

James Suckling (99)

A gloriously detailed, focused and concentrated rendition of grenache, this has a punchy and energetically youthful stance. The nose has such fresh and vivid raspberries and boysenberries, together with some red plums, floral bursts and a gently sappy edge. Such pure fruit here. The palate has a smooth outer layer that glazes compact, fine and layered tannins seamlessly. Super-fresh finish with bright acidity. The fruit power here is supercharged. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Wine Enthusiast (99)

As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025.

Each Limited Edition 2008 Oenotheque Case contains:

2 x 75cl Salon 2004 - 96 pts | William Kelley (Wine Advocate) & 97 pts | Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

2 x 75cl Salon 2006 - 95 pts | William Kelley (Wine Advocate) & 96 pts | Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

2 x 75cl Salon 2007 - 96 pts | William Kelley (Wine Advocate) & 97 pts | Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

1 x 150cl Magnum of Salon 2008 - 100 pts | William Kelley (Wine Advocate) & 100 pts | Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

• Highly sought with immense collectable value

• Each vintage scores at least 95 points by William Kelley (Wine Advocate)

• Only 8,000 magnums of the 2008 vintage ever produced

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.