Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Reminding me of the 2016, the 2018 Château Rauzan-Segla reveals this beautifully fresh, complex bouquet that still has serious richness and depth. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 65% new barrels, it offers a dense purple hue to go with gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, spring flowers, cigar wrapper, and sandalwood. A quintessential Margaux with its spicy, complex, floral character, it's full-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, a solid spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. This is a brilliant, heavenly 2018 to enjoy over the coming 30 years or more.

Wine Advocate (93+)

My favorite premier cru in the range this year is the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux, a lovely wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, green apple, pear, oyster shell and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, taut and structured, with fine concentration and chalky extract, it concludes with a mouthwateringly saline finish.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-95)

Pale colour with green tints, very fresh, there is even a little bit of noble reduction. The 2018 Forêts delivers an absolutely scintillating, crystalline purity. There is impressive weight on the palate, balanced by a refreshing greener element to the fruit.

James Suckling (96)

Deep, spicy and fragrant, this is a very concentrated and elegant Chateauneuf-du-Pape with remarkably fine tannins and floral delicacy alongside its earthy primacy. Mainly produced from grenache vines planted in 1901 and 1902. From Demeter-certified biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (90-92)

The 2016 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from the Mazoyères side, with the vines averaging 60 years of age. I much prefer the bouquet here compared to the Echézeaux: well defined with good mineral tones, redcurrant and cranberry fruit with hints of undergrowth and even a tang of marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, quite structured for a Charmes-Chambertin with a solid, quite grippy finish that needs to muster a little more charm by the finish. Give this 3 or 4 years in bottle.

Relish in the exceptional quality of the Rene Bouvier Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2019, a masterpiece of traditional winemaking from one of Burgundy's most revered producers. Reminiscent of a love letter to the exquisite climatic conditions of the Charmes-Chambertin appellation, this French gem resonates with the nuanced nature of the region.

Produced by the third-generation winemaker, Philippe Bouvier, the wine captures centuries-old traditions in each sip. The grapes are selectively hand-picked from 60-year-old Pinot Noir vines that flourish in limestone-rich soil imbuing this Grand Cru with an inimitable character and sophistication.

Aging in fine-grained French oak barrels bestows this vintage with a silky texture and layered, complex flavours, enhancing its rich expression of ripe red fruits, spice, and evolving earthiness. This is a wine that proves that the Rene Bouvier Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2019 reflects the very soul of the terroir.

Vinous (93)

Deep red. Powerful aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry cola and pungent flowers are complemented by woodsmoke and mocha nuances. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blackberry and spicecake flavors that become livelier and sweeter with air. Finishes smooth, broad and impressively long, with delivering building spiciness and harmonious tannins that lend gentle grip to the intense berry fruit.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

"We've gone more focused" says Nuschka de Vos of this complex, amphora, foudre and old wood-aged Chenin, inspired by the wines of Vouvray. Beeswax, lanolin and fennel aromas lead into a palate with good texture and structure and a pithy, mouth-watering finish.

Vinous (95)

The 2018 Capstone (or Cornerstone, as it is labeled in the UK & Europe) presents an intense nose of copious black cherry, boysenberry and cassis scents; crushed violet and incense develop with minimal encouragement. The balanced palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, ripe but not overly sweet, and caressing toward the plush finish. Irresistible and quite cerebral.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

In certain vintages, Cornerstone can be one of the best value wines in the Reyneke portfolio. Marrying Cabernet Franc with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, with maturation in 15% new wood, this no longer includes Merlot and is all the better for it. Graceful, granular and leafy, with caressing tannins, fine oak and bright plum and red berry flavours.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

A wine that led the way for Polkadraai Hills Syrah, this is a stunning new release from Johan Reyneke and his team. Indecently perfumed with fynbos, lavender and black pepper aromas, wild, savoury tannins and a core of dense tapenade, damson and blackberry flavours. Sublime stuff.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Consistently among the Cape's greatest red wines, this is a brilliant, world-class Syrah that ages convincingly too. Thyme, rosemary and oregano aromas leap out of the glass, offering a prelude to a palate that is dense, layered and intense, with black pepper and tapenade flavours, thrilling minerality and effortless complexity.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

A wine that takes its inspiration from Pouilly-Fumé, according to Rudiger Gretschel, this varietal Sauvignon Blanc is remarkably chiselled and pithy, with gooseberry and elderflower flavours, subtle wood, granitic minerality and leesy texture and complexity.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Syrah Biodynamic is drop-dead gorgeous on the nose, offering blackberry, blueberry, crushed violet and light star anise aromas that blossom with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannins and great depth and intensity, equaled by a finesse that leaves you wanting more on the finish. A sublime Syrah from Johan Reyneke.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)

Full fresh purple. A little oak here, matched by plenty of concentrated fruit. There is good tension on the palate, dark raspberry and plums, enough fruit weight. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Nov 2024.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)

A beautiful mid purple colour with a very enhanced class to the fruit on the nose. This is very complete again with the more rigid structure, little waves of fruit keep pouring across the palate, almost daintily given the power. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Nov 2024.

Wine Advocate (90-92)

Aromas of cherries, cassis and rose petal preface the 2023 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots, a medium-bodied, supple and floral rendition of this northern Nuits premier cru. It will offer a broad drinking window.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

The colour offers a huge depth of royal purple. A most impressive bouquet, weight and concentration without heaviness, very stony beneath which helps to leaven the power of the fruit. Drink from 2031-2037. Tasted Nov 2024.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

Not so deep in colour and as a result more prettily perfumed, the floral side of raspberry. Balanced structure with firm tannins and very good length. A punch down and a pump over every day explains the structure. Drink from 2032-2037. Tasted Nov 2024.

Burghound (89-92)

Outstanding Top value. An ultra-fresh nose speaks of ripe red and dark berries plus an abundance of earth character. There is better volume and density to the energetic medium weight flavors where the supporting tannins are unusually fine in the context of what is typical for a Nuits villages. Excellent and worth your interest.

Wine Advocate (96)

Vinified in stück and doppelstück (1,200- and 2,400-liter barrels, respectively) and aged on the full lees until the end of July, the 2020 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken shows a fascinating, deep, intense and generous as well as complex and aristocratic bouquet of ripe yellow fruits and crushed dark stones. The Turmberg is darker-toned and deeper than the Klosterberg, maybe also even more complex and provided with substantial but elegant fruit. Full-bodied, refined and elegant on the palate, this is a lush, intense and expressive, seriously structured, very long, complex and tensioned Turmberg with a spectacularly long, multilayered and persistently salty finish. Seriously, the Turmberg has never been better than in 2020. For the first time since its re-activation in 2005, the Turmberg premier cru is on grand cru level. Its aftertaste is incredibly dense and compact but also salivating and provided with the energy and expression of a great wine. A Must Buy of the vintage and a Best Buy as well! Magnums preferred. Tasted at the domain in August 2021.

Wine Advocate (98)

Picked on January 7, the 2016 Rheingau Riesling Kiedrich Gräfenberg Eiswein is super precise and spicy on the concentrated and aromatic nose where pineapple and some ethereal, spicy aromas are displayed. The wine is rich, round and elegant on the palate, very sweet but also piquant and pure, with very fine tannins and a long, vibrant finish. This is a truly great Eiswein with mind-blowing precision and sensual intensity. Total production: 900 liters. Tasted in October 2017.

Wine Advocate (98)

Picked on January 7, the 2016 Rheingau Riesling Kiedrich Gräfenberg Eiswein is super precise and spicy on the concentrated and aromatic nose where pineapple and some ethereal, spicy aromas are displayed. The wine is rich, round and elegant on the palate, very sweet but also piquant and pure, with very fine tannins and a long, vibrant finish. This is a truly great Eiswein with mind-blowing precision and sensual intensity. Total production: 900 liters. Tasted in October 2017.

James Suckling (93)

A very classic dry Rheingau riesling with plenty of mineral depth, packed in a rather sleek body. Delicate white-fruit aromas with some yellow-peach and floral notes. Long and precise, dry finish, the freshness of which pulls you back for more. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

James Suckling (100)

Wow. This is archetypal Barolo with a solid cylinder of polished tannins running through the center of the wine from start to finish. Full-bodied and wonderfully constructed with the tannins and beautiful fruit in all the right places. Dark fruit, dried earth and mushrooms with mild, hazelnut notes. Fantastic is the word to describe it. Endless finish. Drink after 2024 and onwards.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2022 Chardonnay has turned out beautifully, bursting with aromas of pear, white flowers, bread dough and hazelnuts, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate with a satiny attack that segues into a charming, lively mid-palate, with good cut and a saline finish. Dancer sold off two-thirds of his crop in 2021, but the quality of his raw materials in 2022 should permit a less draconian selection.

Wine Advocate (92)

Théo Dancer's 2022 Pinot Noir is rather deep and muscular this year, opening in the glass with aromas of plumy fruit and sweet spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and primary palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. It's matured in used 500-liter barrels.