Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The EABA is more Syrah-dominated and checks in as 65% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, and the rest Viognier that saw plenty of stems and close to two years in 50% new French oak. Its inky purple hue is followed by a sensational bouquet of bloody blue fruits, black raspberries, iron, ground pepper, baking spices, and who knows what else. Incredibly complex and nuanced (yet intense) aromatically, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, and a finish that won't quit. It’s certainly one of the biggest, richest wines in the lineup, yet like all of Jim's wines, it remains light on its feet, has brilliant purity of fruit, and is as drinkable as could be.

James Suckling (98)

Extremely aromatic with pure cabernet franc character with blackcurrants and flowers such as violets and honeysuckle. This is so subtle on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with superb tannins that are very long and precise. A reference point cabernet franc for the area. 1.5 hectare plot of cabernet franc in the hillsides of Bolgheri surround by natural trees. 3,000 bottles. So impressive now but will be better in 2028.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, matured in 15% new oak, showed just a tiny morsel of reduction on the nose, that the concentration here was still tangible. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, taut and fresh and very precise. This has real class and verve, though it will benefit from several years in bottle.

Burghound (92-94)

Sweet spot Outstanding. Elegant if restrained aromas are cool and pure with notes of apple, acacia blossom, lemon-lime and a whiff of mineral reduction. The racy and wonderfully refined middle weight flavors are lacy, indeed almost delicate, with plenty of lovely underlying tension on the lingering and impeccably well-balanced finale. This is pretty much classic Bouchères that should age well over the medium-term. In a word, lovely.

Vinous (94)

The 2018 Barolo is a wine of extreme elegance and nuance. Dried red cherry, tobacco, dried flowers, mint and sweet spice are all nicely lifted in this sublime, delicate Barolo. All the elements fall into place so effortlessly. The 2018 naturally does not have the body of more important years, but it offers tons of persistence and fine balance. It has closed down quite a bit since I first tasted it a few months ago, which is probably a good sign. An opened bottle just got better and better over time.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Seductive and well-judged ‘reductive’ (smoky, struck-match) aroma and really toasty as it opens up, something cedary. Very Coche Dury but, most importantly, there is the fruit intensity to carry off this winemaking style. Nutty, creamy, mealy citrus. So many things going on that it makes you slow down to try to enjoy all this complexity. Deep, deliciously fresh and incredibly persistent with an aftertaste of savoury/mineral citrus. Worth every penny of its NZ price of $45 (from the producer's website). Classy and got better and better over the few days post opening.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Boekenhoutskloof has always made impressive, age-worthy Semillons, but Gottfried Mocke has taken the 2020 to another level of complexity. Using grapes from three old parcels, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942, with the largest component from the legendary La Colline vineyard, this includes 2% Muscat d'Alexandrie and some field blended Semillon Gris. Fermented in two thirds new wood, with the rest seeing concrete eggs and amphoras, it's one of the greatest ever Cape whites. Stony, flinty and layered, with wax, lemongrass and nutmeg flavours and subtle struck match reduction. Wow!

James Suckling (96)

This is extremely perfumed with violets, sage, lavender, currants and berries. Fresh and vivid. Medium-to full-bodied with super refined tannins and fruit. So subtle and refined. This is really long and gorgeous. Goes on for minutes. A change in style from past vintages and I like it. 30% syrah, 30% cabernet franc, 16% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot 7% petit verdot and 5% sangiovese. From organically grown grapes. So hard not to drink now, but better after 2023.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is very classically structured with a palate that starts off slowly. Full-bodied and chewy with a soft, creamy texture and a long finish. Savory. A touch austere. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, the rest petit verdot.

Vinous (99)

The 2018 D'Alceo is a wild, exotic wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come together in a wine that is sumptuous, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Inky blue/purplish fruit, sage, mint, lavender and chocolate are some of the many notes that take shape. The 2018 was fermented in cement then aged 12 months in a combination of 500L tonneaux and barriques. This really blooms with time.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Sammarco is brilliant. Bright and explosive, with tons of linear drive, the 2018 is exceptionally polished. Cabernet Sauvignon is up to 80% of the blend, and that very much comes through in a wine endowed with tremendous purity. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, mint and blood orange all race across the palate. I love the freshness here.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2020 Chapelle d’Ausone is 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Rich, deep and expressive, the Chapelle is loaded with class. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, dried herbs, ginger, leather and dried flowers infuse the Chapelle with notable depth and complexity. This mid-weight, exotic Saint-Émilion is loaded with character. The clean, mineral-drenched finish is a thing of absolute beauty. The Chapelle is a blend of young vines and barrels that don't make it into the Grand Vin. In a word: dazzling.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won't hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Clos de Tart Grand Cru was wonderful from barrel but now it seems to have gone up another level. It has an exquisite bouquet with wonderful mineralité infusing the brambly red fruit. Wonderful focus and quite profound complexity. You could nose this forever. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins married with a killer line of natural acidity. Everything is perfectly proportioned in this wine, very persistent with layers of dark berry fruit laced with white pepper and tea leaf on the finish. Immense. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.

Experience the essence of Burgundy with the David Duband Vosne Romanee 2020. Made by the expert hands of David Duband, a respected French vigneron who has been making wine since 1991. He embraces the concept of terroir viticulture, incorporating principles of organic and biodynamic farming.

This exquisite Pinot Noir originates from the acclaimed Vosne-Romanée appellation, renowned for producing world-class wines. The 2020 vintage enjoyed superb weather conditions, producing complex, elegant wines of remarkable balance.

David Duband Vosne Romanee 2020 showcases a radiant ruby hue, enamoured with harmonious aromas of violet, blackcurrant and truffle. On the palate, one can savour spicy notes of liquorice and clove, accentuated by a silky-smooth texture and long finish. It exhibits excellence in its purest form.

This is an extraordinary wine, encapsulating the famed elegance of Burgundy in a single bottle. A remarkable testament to the mastery of David Duband and the exceptional terroir of Vosne-Romanee.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 Estate Chardonnay matured for 10 months in about 20% new oak and an additional six months in stainless steel. It has deep scents of baked apples, toast, honey and hay with hints of chaparral and cream. The medium-bodied palate offers surprising concentration, exploding with savory apple flavors. It has a satiny texture, bright balancing acidity and a long, flavorful finish.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2020 Pinot Noir Estate is concentrated and structured and will benefit from more bottle time. Medium ruby, it has intense aromas of dried cranberry, burnt orange peel, cinnamon stick, aniseed, tar and chaparral. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and fresh with crunchy red fruits and loads of botanical and earthy accents, and it finishes with a touch of sweet spice across the finish.

Wine Advocate (94)

Here is another must-try wine if you love Trebbiano from Italy's rustic and beautiful Abruzzo region. On a scale of Italian whites, there is no doubt regarding the aging potential of this fascinating workhorse grape. The Emidio Pepe 2020 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (a certified organic wine) delivers some of the distinctive flavors that come with extended skin contact. You get dried apricot, honey, pine nut and beeswax. Those robust aromas meet the wine's generous mouthfeel and creamy texture. The alcohol is measured at a manageable 12.5%. This contributes greatly to the pleasure factor of this wine. Production is 33,811 bottles.

James Suckling (96)

Intensely spicy and perfumed with concentrated notes of purple plums, cherry stones, rosemary, neroli, cloves, cigar box and ground coffee. The tannins are firm and tightly-knit, providing a solid frame to the dark fruit. Sensual and distinctive. Try this from 2024. Screw cap.

Decanter (96)

The wine has an inky dark colour and pronounced aromas of blackberry, fig, smoke and spice. The texture is lush, yet there are firm tannins and the wine never seems overbearing or aggressive - everything is kept in elegant balance. Faiveley is the proprietor of three parcels that total 1.27ha in the Clos de Vougeot, including a portion in Grand Maupertuis and two parcels nearer the bottom. The fruit was picked very ripe (14.5%) and partially destemmed before fermentation, with a very careful extraction and ageing in cask (half new).

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask.

Wine Advocate (90+)

I absolutely have a soft spot for the Pelaverga grape that achieves such beautiful, but unusual, characteristics when given the chance. The 2018 Verduno Pelaverga Speziale is a happy and cheerful wine destined for easy-drinking occasions like with pizza or wood-fire flatbread with spicy sausage and broccoli. Native to Verduno in Piedmont, the grape typically shows a strong layer of freshly milled white pepper. That's exactly what you get in this cool and balanced vintage. This is a lean-bodied red to drink within the next 18 months.

Hailing from the esteemed Barolo region of Italy, the Grasso Tiziano Barolo Briccolina 2018 invites you on a taste journey boasting of supreme class. Its rich, ruby hues create a tantalising prelude to the complex taste profiles within. Skilfully crafted through traditional winemaking techniques, this robust, Nebbiolo varietal is hand-picked to ensure optimal ripeness - a testament to Tiziano Grasso's artisanal approach.

Maturation in both large and small oak barrels for 30 months bestows upon this Grasso Tiziano Barolo Briccolina 2018 an exquisite balance of fruit, spice, and smoky undertones. On the palate, sublime layers of red and black cherries, anise, and hints of truffle meld harmoniously, complemented by refined tannins and a seductively long finish. This wine, a product of a cooler vintage, resonates beautifully with connoisseurs seeking elegance and complexity.

From the hands of producer Tiziano Grasso, renowned for his precise crafting, Barolo Briccolina 2018 affirms the artistry of fine Italian winemaking.

Decanter (98)

The clean, fresh aromas of just-picked citrus fruits belie the enormous power of lime juice and rich lemon pith that immediately fills the front palate on this latest vintage. There’s poise in addition to the power though, with multiple layers of rounded citrus and mineral flavours enjoying a luxurious textural roll through the mid-palate. Perfect integration of fresh citric acid carries the pure fruit qualities through extraordinary length to a crisp, lip-smacking finish.

Wine Advocate (98-100)

Subtle hints of fresh pea shoots accent characteristic dark notes of roasted meat, espresso and black olives in the full-bodied 2018 Cote Rotie La Landonne. Rich, concentrated and velvety-textured, with ample length and plenty of ripe tannins on the finish, it should benefit from a decade or more of bottle age—once it gets there. It's a brooding beast of a Cote Rotie that serious collectors will want to have in their cellars.

Wine Advocate (98-100)

Like the 2017, Guigal's 2018 Cote Rotie La Mouline boasts incredible aromatics, with highs ranging from violets and peppery spice to ripe blueberries and raspberries. The oak is in the background, supporting the supple fruit. Full-bodied, lush and silky, La Mouline seems to have it all in 2018.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-96)

5 Star Wine. 50% whole bunch, with one third new wood. This has a deliciously inviting fresh purple colour and a ravishing bouquet, all about the fruit. No sign of the stems. I loved this cuvee in 2017 and again this year. If this is in your price point, don’t hesitate. There is a really classy finish with fruit and light tannic structure perfectly balanced.

Kerin O'Keefe (97)

This fragrant, gorgeous red opens with enticing scents of rose hips, new leather and forest berries. Showing the house style of extreme elegance and vibrancy, the focused, racy palate features juicy red cherries, white pepper and dark spices encased in taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced and energized. Absolutely fantastic. Drink 2026–2043.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese is intense and complex on the still introverted but complex nose that shows clear, bright fruit aromas (baby pineapple) intermingled with fine, flinty slate notes. What an aristocratic appearance! Round, crystalline and saline on the palate, this 2020 Auslese is much more openhearted and fruity as well as frisky and frivolous than it pretends to be on the nose. This is a really Catholic Riesling or a picture-book Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese. Its finish, however, is Protestant: rigorously linear, straight and with serious structure and grip. All in all, this is the world's most ecumenical Sonnenuhr. Pure fascination. 7% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 38 21 in July 2022.