Decanter (96)

Made only in top years from the best lots, like all Noval's reds this is fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak - in this case for 10 months in 35% new oak. Signature orange blossom riffs make for a delicate interplay of fruit and flower. A plume of fine, schistous tannins and bright acidity gently but persuasively anchor and extend its inky, perfumed black berry and plum fruits, with hints of bergamot, milk chocolate, clove, cedar and cinnamon. Very fine and such a great example of the variety, and nearly half the price of the Reserva!

Mark Squires (99)

This old wine was acquired by Quinta do Vallado and said to be an 1866 Colheita (although Francisco Spratley Ferreira of the winery tells me he can't honestly say for sure if it is a true single-vintage Colheita, which is why it is marketed just as "Tributa"), pre-phylloxera vines. It was bottled for Antonia Adelaide Ferreira's 200th anniversary--a woman who built a lot of Douro and was the ancestor of Vallado's owners. Francisco told me (with some typos corrected) that "we think it is a true colheita, but it's impossible to be sure... We bought this wine and the owner said to me that [he] never touched ... this wine last 50 years! We believe that with this concentration and baume (13,5), this is really very old and wasn't "refrescado" (add young wines to fill the barrel).... At same time it' s amazing the acidity, especially thinking in this baume! The wine only was bottled last weeks!" I've run into my share of really old Ports recently--1863 Niepoort, Sequeira, the NV Wine and Soul "5G"--all were exceptional and all were very different. This would be my winner of that group. If you are really loaded, keep reading. Very dark in color and far thicker than the 5g (although not, perhaps, as vibrant), this is remarkably thick and viscous--there seems to be no question that it is old and concentrated. It is very complex, too. Laced with molasses and dark chocolate, and a touch of charcoal, it is enlivened by a big hit of acidity. The texture is quite caressing and sexy. Its age shows mostly in its thick demeanor. It reminds me of some century old Moscatels I've had in Southern Portugal. It is remarkably sweet and fresh in most other respects. It is a wonderful experience. There is bad news. You could predict this, huh? There were 1,300 bottles produced--and they are coming in special decanters running around $3,000 per 750ml bottle. (No, I didn't get one of those bottles, but I did get a sample taste!)

Richard Mayson (19)

A blend of 54% Touriga Nacional, 40% Touriga Franca / Alicante Bouschet (co fermented) and 6% Sousão (for freshness), predominantly from cooler north / north west facing vineyards: Beautifully lifted, scented floral aromas (rose petals), vinous and overt; sweet and suave initially, ripe but gentle blackberry fruit backed by velvety tannins leading to a finish that is both powerful and elegant at the same time. Wonderful freshness and vitality. A magnificent wine for drinking over the medium to long term. Just 965 cases produced representing 3% of the quinta’s total production

Rathfinny Rosé Brut 2016 is the second vintage of Rathfinny's flagship sparkling wine, with an expressive red-fruit style that beautifully showcases the increased presence of Pinot Noir within the blend. Vivid coral in hue, it has a lifted nose of wild strawberries and mandarin zest, giving way to a rich mousse of Rainier cherries and candied red apple skin, and a silky, strawberry shortcake finish.

Vinous (92-93)

Penetratingly pungent and high-toned aromas of peppermint, boxwood and lemon zest cover over any aromatic influence there might be from a relatively new Austrian cask. The feel here is polished and strikingly waxy. Alkaline and saline notes serve for enhanced invigoration and saliva-inducement on a resonant and rich yet refreshingly bright finish. Last tasted from cask shortly before an August 2017 bottling, this wine will have a lot more to say given a bit of time.

James Suckling (97)

Deep, dense and subtle, this is an imposing wine, yet remains so vital and animating. Shimmering with a thousand facets, but also with a forthright, nectarine note that makes it instantly appealing. Brilliant finish that reminds us what it's like to be up in high mountains – the light, the air. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (100)

A gently spicy thread here with all manner of fresh fruit that’s just so ripe. This offers very intense mangoes and apricots with peach essence and gentle candied kumquat. The palate is like a perfect sphere of flavor, completely seamless. This is melded together by an extraordinary vintage and delivered to the greatest heights of sweetness and balance. Really a perfect wine. Drink over decades.

James Suckling (100)

A gently spicy thread here with all manner of fresh fruit that’s just so ripe. This offers very intense mangoes and apricots with peach essence and gentle candied kumquat. The palate is like a perfect sphere of flavor, completely seamless. This is melded together by an extraordinary vintage and delivered to the greatest heights of sweetness and balance. Really a perfect wine. Drink over decades.

Decanter (93)

Facing south and southwest, the Nyulászó vineyard features brown and yellow clay soil. Minerality sets the tone of this 2016 dry Furmint, with struck match, ripe peaches, honeysuckle and dusty dried apricot aromas. The palate is explosive, warm and spicy, with layers of citrus, dried apricot, fig, melon and hints of white pepper, refreshed by a solid backbone of acidity. The concentrated flavours follow all the way to the lingering finish, complex and sophisticated.

Each case contains 1 bottle each of:

1. Mezes Maly Great First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 18.5/20 points Jancis Robinson MW
2. Szt Tamas First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 19/20 points Jancis Robinson MW
3. Nyulaszo First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 18.5/20 points Jancis Robinson MW
4. Betsek First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 18/20 points Jancis Robinson MW
5. Birsalmas Second Growth Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 18.5/20 points Jancis Robinson MW
6. Gold Label 6 Puttonyos 2008 | 17/20 points Jancis Robinson MW

1 x 50cl each of the following selection:
Royal Tokaji Blue Label 5 Puttonyos 2016 | 17.5+/20 Jancis Robinson
Royal Tokaji Aszu Tokaji Gold Label 6 Puttonyos 2016 | 17+/20 Jancis Robinson
Royal Tokaji Szt Tamas First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2016 | 18++/20 Jancis Robinson
Royal Tokaji Mezes Maly Great First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2016 | 18.5++/20 Jancis Robinosn
Royal Tokaji Betsek First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2016 | 18+/20 Jancis Robinson
Royal Tokaji Nyulaszo First Growth 6 Puttonyos 2016 | 17+/20 Jancis Robinson

Wine Enthusiast (100)

This is going to be a major, impressive wine. All the elements are there: ripe blackberry fruit, powerful acidity, dense tannins and spice. It has the structure to live on for decades.

James Suckling (95)

The combination of cool, peachy aroma and flintiness makes the nose of this wine totally ravishing. Then, the brilliant minerality on the sleek and sharply focused palate adds another compelling argument for the greatness of this wine. Love the very long, crystalline finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (100)

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James Suckling (99)

Very cool and reserved at the front, but this is an enormously deep and complex wine that has staggering mineral intensity. The lime and oolong-tea freshness effortlessly swallows up the unfermented grape sweetness, as if it didn’t really exist. Some will criticize, saying that this is too radical, but that’s what creates the great excitement! The herbal freshness at the finish is really astounding. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.

Wine Advocate (99+)

Fermented in glass balloon for 22 months and bottled at the end of August this year, the 2018 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is highly concentrated yet pure and spicy/stony on the apricot-scented nose that is enormously detailed and refined for this class. Enormously rich and juicy-piquant on the palate, this is a fantastically precise and stimulating TBA that will become a legend years from now. This is a perfectly balanced noble sweet wine with unreal precision. Picked with 201° Oechsle and bottled with nearly 7% alcohol, 318 grams of residual sugar and 11.5 grams of total acidity. Tasted from AP 22 20 in September 2020.

Falstaff (96)

An intriguing mix of cream, vanilla and smoke makes for a dramatic opening. Creamy mousse defines the palate, expressing salty oyster shell and preserved lemon, shortbread richness and subtle saltiness. The smoky echo returns on the finish which is of pristine lemon expressing depth and soaring freshness in equal measure. The finish is pure and lasting. Lay this down and you will have treasure. Drink by 2035.

Vinous (91)

The 2015 The Trouble With Dreams was tasted twice. The first, disgorged in April 2020, exhibited a little sweet botrytis that Sugrue advised might have originated from a warm night in October. A later disgorgement is more nervy on the nose, displaying a distinct sea spray/oyster shell influence that translates across onto the palate. Taut and more linear, it has a strictness and stoicism that I admire. Brisk and mouthwateringly saline on the aftertaste. Certainly the second disgorgement is superior.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2017 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a field blend of typical grapes (like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca) aged for 20 months in French wood. It comes in with 105 grams of residual sugar. When last seen, this was only a tank sample. A darker flavor profile than the regular Taylor's, more leaning to plums and blackberries, this shows all that great Taylor's fruit and welds it to a serious backbone. The regular Taylor's seems a bit brighter, while this seems a bit sterner and richer, but at this point in their very young lives, I am not sure there is a lot to choose from qualitatively. That may change, in favor of this, I think, as they go further into their very long lives. Today, there isn't much to separate them except style and price. I'd take this, both for the style and the upside potential, but the price spike is certainly worth noting for many, while the qualitative difference is nominal.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Blackish crimson with medium rim. Heady and ripe on the nose. Subtle and savoury. Satin-smooth palate entry and a very dry end but really exciting and herbal in the middle. Very much in the Taylor's idiom. Neat and ambitious.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2016 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Superior displays very clear and intense, beautifully ripe and concentrated fruit with highly delicate, flinty/crunchy slate aromas. There is a stony baseline on the nose that indicates an excitingly mineral and tensioned wine—and that's exactly what you get. Full-bodied, straight, lush and piquant, this is a pure and crystalline, terribly tight and salty but also rich and intense Abtsberg with great aging potential. Fascinating. Bottled with 15 to 16 grams of residual sugar and 11.5% alcohol.

Wine Advocate (86)

This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The1975 is soft, supple and clearly mature.

Whisky Advocate (93)

The first thing you notice is the elegant fragrance of lychee, spring blossoms, lily, rosewater, and raspberry meringue. Deeper in, grassy notes with star fruit, kumquat, and kaffir lime leaves. The flavors offer perfection in their simplicity: silky honey, soft spices, crystalized pineapple, barley sugar, lemon, and orange. On the finish, the spices chatter on and on as the sweet citrus and honey fade in and out. One to cherish.