Burghound (92-94)

(Sweet Spot Outstanding) Here the reduction is sufficient to overshadow the fruit. There is even better volume to the sleek and delicious middleweight flavors that are less mineral-driven but more powerful and slightly more persistent and bone-dry finish that is also exceptionally well-balanced. This is excellent and I would go so far as to observe that it's the best vintage for the Clavoillon in a long time. It is typically considered to be less interesting than the other 1ers (and not without reason) in the Leflaive portfolio and while it doesn't surpass them in 2021, it is most impressive nonetheless.

Burghound (94-96)

(Don't Miss! Outstanding) Firm reduction and a whiff of oak dominate the nose at present. Much more interesting are the beautifully textured, racy and detailed medium weight flavors that also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the bitter zest-inflected finish that goes on and on. This is terrific and easily delivers grand cru quality.

Vinous (94)

The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Garenne 1er Cru is more perfumed and floral than the La Garenne. Peach skin and rosewater touches make this very seductive. The palate is composed and harmonious but needs a little more nervosité, yet the finish is very harmonious and tender. Excellent.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

5 Star Wine. There will be no En la Richarde Folatières from Héritiers Louis Jadot this year, but this bottling is superb. A little more toastiness on the nose. This builds beautifully to the back of the palate, showing an excellent backbone with just the right elegance of minerality. Really good. Bravo Drink from 2026-2033. Tasted: October 2022

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)

Fresh translucent lemon yellow. The bouquet has charm this year, almost a floral note, and not the roasted stones of the hotter years. Full-bodied, crystalline acidity, quite firm limestone tension, a light lemon wash, and very persistent. Needs time. Drink from 2025-2030.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet En Virondot 1er Cru, which was severely affected by frost, has a pretty blackcurrant leaf and candy floss-tinged bouquet, well-defined and seductive even at this early stage. The palate is well balanced with sour lemon and lime on the entry, fine depth, quite spicy and lively with orange rind and quince; touches of peach appear toward the satisfying finish. What survived the onslaught of frost is worth seeking out.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers 1er Cru has a slightly more penetrating nose than the Vergers, more mineralité coming through with time. The palate is well balanced with fine grip and matière, lime and orange pith; it's very pretty towards the finish with almond and walnut on the aftertaste.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2021 Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) is bright, pure and fresh on the still discreet but very delicate nose that shows perfectly ripe white fruit and deeper, finely weathered, flinty slate aromas. Lush and round on the palate, this is a highly finessed and stimulating saline and savory Auslese with crystalline, finely grained but nervy acidity and a long and intense yet weightless finish. The wine is finely structured but delivers mouth-filling delicate fruit and is almost irresistible at this early stage. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2021 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) offers a very clear and intense, savory, pure and elegant nose of concentrated fruits, including lemon and grapefruit aromas, intertwined with finely flinty notes of crushed slate. Round, lush and generous but also highly delicate and irresistibly savory on the palate, this is a balanced Auslese that is not as lively, bright and saline on the finish as the Wehlener, but it is more textured, richer and possibly also deeper. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.

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.

Indulge in the sumptuous experience of Oxer Marko 2021, exclusively crafted at the esteemed basque winery of Oxer Bastegieta. Located in Artadi, Spain, this boutique winery has produced a remarkable vintage, utilising age-old traditions complemented by innovative techniques. Exquisitely grown on calcium-rich clay and limestone soils, the hand-picked Hondarribi Zuri grapes are meticulously vinified via indigenous fermentation, yielding a wine that is resplendent with complexity and refinement.

The hearty essence of the Oxer Marko 2021 manifests impressive freshness, tangibility on the palate, with distinct notes of green apple, citrus, and blooming white flowers. This bottle encapsulates the essence of its terroir, reflecting the geographic singularity of its birthplace. Recommended for discerning connoisseurs, this captivating blend marvelously exemplifies Bastegieta's dedication to superior viticulture and relentless pursuit of perfection. The Oxer Marko 2021 is an unparalleled ode to Spanish wine-making majesty.

James Suckling (98)

This is fresh and perfumed with notes of beeswax, spicy herbs and orange blossom. Nuts. Honey blossom. Beautiful fruit with savory undertones and wet stone minerality. Full-bodied, so persistent and complex with depth to the fruit and stunning acidity. The finish is long and linear, changing from mineral to a steely character at the very end. Beautiful as always. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

A very fresh, piercing nose of sliced lemon with plenty of sweet perfume, too. The palate is similarly intense and vibrant with white stone-fruit and lemon flavors, delivered in an impressively intense and balanced mode. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Elegant sophistication defines the Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021, a masterful showcase from one of Burgundy's prestigious wine estates. This white wine hails from Meursault, an acclaimed wine village in Côte de Beaune, where Pierre Girardin, the 13th generation winemaker, meticulously crafts it. Painstakingly nurtured in French oak barrels, it embodies true artisanal winemaking.

The Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021 exhibits graceful, complex notes of orchard fruits, light citrus, and subtle touches of honied almonds, draped in luxurious minerality. This is the epitome of Pierre Girardin's commitment to sustainable viticulture, resulting in an expression that marries power and finesse with an exquisite finish.

With its extraordinary balance and long-lingering aftertaste, rest assured the Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021 is not just a wine, it's a remarkable Burgundian experience.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

'White Wine Discovery of the Year' - Donovan Rall has made a habit of winning one or more or my discovery of the year categories and he's done it again with this Chenin Blanc from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in the 1960s. Picked in four stages, it’s a stunning expression of the site, with saline grip, lots of extract and concentration, hay, pear and lime flavours and wonderful energy.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Donovan Rall is a consummate blender of grapes, crafting seamless assemblages like this one of Chenin Blanc with 34% Verdelho and 1% Viognier. Dominated by fruit from the granite soils of the Paardeberg, it has aromas of oatmeal, wet stone and white flowers, peach, pear and lemongrass fruit and the tangy acidity of the vintage.

To ensure quality is always at its highest, the Delon family do not irrigate and harvest is only done by hand picking. This extra desire and effort to ensure they are making the best wines possible, even at this price point, is what makes the magical wines of Château Saint Baillon so good. This elegant, beautifully crisp, seasonal favourite is always our biggest seller each summer and for good reason.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

A pair of warmer, south-facing, biodynamically farmed parcels are the source of this brilliant Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in deftly handled 85% new wood, it's something of a thiol-driven style, showing quince and passion fruit flavours and top notes of wild flowers. Complex, nuanced, layered stuff. 2023-29

Jancis Robinson (17)

VDP Ortswein. Lithe and elegant aromas of wet stone, apple and lemon zest. The stony minerality shapes the outline of the wine, while the acid sets the pace and the fruit colours in the lines. Extremely long and concentrated. Delightful, stony, pithy and fun.

James Suckling (94)

What a wide spectrum of ripe-fruit aromas this serious and delightful dry Rheingau riesling has! They range from a diversity of citrus, through persimmon to fresh pineapple and apricot. Concentrated, very elegant and focused on the medium-bodied palate, with tons of wet-stone minerality at the long, very filigree finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

The complex nose of sliced pear, white peach and white currant with delicate floral notes pulls you into this very juicy and vibrant Spatlese that leaps and bounds over your palate, in spite of the frank natural grape sweetness. Then comes the radical minerality at the very focused, long and pristine finish. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2021 Chardonnay Sophie's Vineyard comes from an isolated vineyard near the town of Yoncalla in the Umpqua Valley, planted in the late 1970s with Draper and Wente selections. Matured in oak and finished with four months in stainless steel, it has fresh scents of green pear, quince and citrus blossom with undertones of almonds, flint and honey. The light-bodied palate is creamy and plush with gently nutty fruits and a long, refreshing finish.

Wine Advocate (97+)

This 2021 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard is a sensational wine. Let me tell you about the vineyard, and then we'll come back to the glass. The Tiers vineyard was planted in the Picadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills by the Croser family in 1979. The vineyard lays at an elevation of around 450 meters (1,477 feet) above sea level at its highest point, and the wine was made by Brian Croser, an important name in Australian wine. The 2021 vintage was a goodie in South Australia. The start to the season (spring and around) was the recipient of a good level of rainfall and no ill-timed events, meaning fruit set and yields were decent, and the growing season itself was without heat events or challenges, meaning the picking windows were chosen based on the fruit, with no forced hands. So, to the wine. This is powerful, concentrated and shapely, with a core of pure citrus acidity (it's zesty and pithy). The fruit speaks of yellow peach and preserved lemon and a hint of white tea. The wine undulates across the tongue and shows line and poise that elevate it to the very top of the Chardonnay tree in Australia. One of the greats. I daresay it'll be even better in 2025.

Vinous (93)

The 2021 Cat's Cradle comes from a vineyard between parcels owned by Eben Sadie and Chris Alheit - old vine Chenin planted in 1979 on granite soils. It has an open, melted wax and broom scented nose, lemon curd and light custard-like aromas. The palate is very well balanced with a superb line of acidity, fresh and tensile with a tang of sour lemon on the finish. So much character here. Excellent.

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.