Wine Spectator (95)

A rich, cherry- and floral-scented red, effusive in aroma, with the core of cherry prevailing on the palate. Though fleshy, this gives way to firm tannins that line the lingering aftertaste. Inviting and full of energy, so decant now or wait.

Wine Advocate (94)

The Pajè vineyard is among the most calcareous in terms of soil composition within the entire Barbaresco appellation. The vines are 50 years old, and those six years of barrel and bottle aging are absolutely necessary. This plot is a little under two hectares in size, and this site has been in family hands since 1953. In fact, Roagna is releasing all its expressions from 2013 at the same time. Thanks in part to the relative youth of the vines (young I suppose only by Roagna standards), the 2013 Barbaresco Pajè's aromas are large in scale and generally more fleshed out. The tannins are also a bit more dry or astringent. The wine shows deep contrasts between the sweet nature of the bouquet and the very sharp nature of the mouthfeel.

Decanter (97)

From one of the most iconic wineries in the Orientale, this is aged for two years in oak and a further three in bottle. A proper meditation wine, great with game, strong cheeses or a cigar. It has a huge nose of stewed red fruits, ethereal bramble forest fruits and blackberry jam. Generous, with spicy, bitter cherry-stone freshness. Full-bodied with a rich, intense, spicy undertone.

Wine Advocate (93)

Another wine that doesn’t lack for structure, the 2013 Gigondas Le Claux (99% Grenache and 1% Syrah) offers lots of camphor, graphite, ground pepper and limestone-like minerality to go with a medium to full-bodied, very fresh, focused and elegant style on the palate. As with the Hominis Fides, it shows more tannic grip with time in the glass, and will benefit from short term cellaring.

Introducing the distinguished Salicutti Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione Riserva 2013, a profound embodiment of Italian winemaking. Produced in the globally renowned Montalcino region, this exceptional wine hails from Salicutti, a prestigious estate committed to biodynamic practices and dedicated to preserving the purity of Sangiovese. The Salicutti Brunello di Montalcino Piaggione Riserva 2013 is birthed from grapes harvested from the Piaggione vineyard, known for its uniquely diverse microclimate and rich soil composition.

Aged for over 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels, this rich, ruby-red coloured Brunello offers a complex bouquet of ripe cherries, blackberries, and tobacco, all underpinned by a solid structure and velvety tannins. The lengthy ageing process enhances the wine’s depth and ensures its long-term potential, allowing connoisseurs to appreciate its evolving character. Offering an unparalleled taste experience, it is a testimony to Salicutti's commitment to creating an excellent and environmentally conscious winemaking.

James Suckling (97-98)

This is an impressive wine with blackberry, currant and spice. Full body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A rich and structured young Brunello. Try in 2021.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2013 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia was one of the stars of this vertical for me and a big surprise. It is just so graceful and harmonious. The aromas and flavors are brighter and in sharper focus and the tannins are even more seamless than before. Carlo Paoli told me that he also loves this vintage - the weather conditions were so good, with no excess of heat or rain. As he says, "Everything was slow, calm and beautiful." The 2013 Sassicaia reflects this ease. The palate has a lovely combination of a velvety texture, with just the right weight, and thrilling acidity. The fine tannins almost disappear on the finish.

Bob Campbell MW (97)

Seresin’s flagship pinot noir deserves its exalted status. It offers a seductive sweet and silken first impression revealing a structure of ripe, sappy tannins on its lingering finish. Layers of ripe fruit interspersed with subtle floral and herb characters demonstrate real complexity. Approachable now, this wine deserves at least another 4-5 years careful cellaring to reveal its true colours. 2/3/2017 Drink 2017 to 2024

Vinous (92)

Socré's 2013 Barbaresco is a terrific example of the vintage at its best. The aromatics alone are enticing. Sweet dark cherry, plum, sage, lavender, rose petal mint and licorice give the 2013 a dark, mysterious quality that is hard to fully describe. Deep and yet also weightless as only Nebbiolo can be, the 2013 hits all the right notes. This is a vivid and impeccable Barbaresco from Socré.

Vinous (93)

The 2013 Barbaresco Roncaglie is a potent wine. Rich and broad on the palate, with considerable breadth, the Roncaglie is all about power. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, smoke add to an impression of weight and gravitas. I am not sure the Roncaglie is a meaningfully better wine than the straight Barbaresco. The style is very close to being forced, in my view.

Vinous (93)

The 2013 Barbaresco Roncaglie is a potent wine. Rich and broad on the palate, with considerable breadth, the Roncaglie is all about power. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, smoke add to an impression of weight and gravitas. I am not sure the Roncaglie is a meaningfully better wine than the straight Barbaresco. The style is very close to being forced, in my view.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The best vintages of Solaia are 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and now 2013. Marchesi Antinori's 2013 Solaia is a profound and meaningful wine that is based mostly on Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc in supporting roles. It sports a dark and thick texture with plump fruit and spice, grilled herb and black pepper. The bouquet is intense and layered with the kind of complexity that is best admired as the wine shifts and evolves in the glass. The textual impact is also impressive—you feel the inherent power and the structure, but these elements are never overdone. The best is yet to come; this Solaia is built for long cellar aging.

Intensely dark, black fruits fill the glass with the blackberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and ripe Damson plum taking center stage. Unctuous and resinous, the complex notes of leather, coffee extract, cocoa liquor and crushed rocks are given lift and lightness by an integrated essence of camphor, anise and potpourri. While the palate is initially a bit compact and focused, it quickly blossoms into a wonderfully mouth coating elixir with a fine-grained structure and a lively, granular texture that keeps on keeping on. This 2013 Salus Cabernet Sauvignon is at present a big, structured and tightly wrapped wine that will give and grow when given time and air.

Vinous (96)

The 2013 San Sebastiano allo Zoppo is a wine of tremendous structure and bearing. Regal in the glass, the 2013 offers up an exciting mélange of black cherry, incense, sweet pipe tobacco, spice, orange zest and crushed flowers. Deep and packed, yet also wonderfully translucent the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo expresses all the magic of Nebbiolo in Lessona. This is a tremendous edition of one of the region's very top wines. Don't miss it.

Wine Advocate (95+)

Similar to the Dits del Terra but from a north-facing slope, the 2013 Arbossar is pure Cariñena from an ancient vineyard planted around 90 years ago, and it is always a fresher and more floral style of Cariñena, matured in a Stockinger foudre for some 16 months. I already tasted an unbottled sample last year and it showed great, lively, very red fruit-driven, electric and full of flowers and minerals, and the bottled version has delivered as expected. It's a bright ruby colored red, which is always fragrant and perfumed, more feminine than the Dits del Terra, which is the comparison because both vineyards are in Torroja and the wines share the same price range. The nose reveals bright red fruit, and feels fresher than the 2014. The tannins are ultra-sleek, really elegant and balanced. This is a superb, elegant and fresh Cariñena, without any rusticity. Super! 4,669 bottles were filled in August 2015.

James Suckling (98)

A juicy, young Brunello with berry, dried mushroom and flower character. Orange peel, too. Full body, firm and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. So complex and beautiful. It goes on for minutes. I love the balance that makes it so enjoyable to try now but it will age for decades ahead. Try to leave it until 2021.

James Suckling (98)

This has a polished and complex nose of poached plums, dark cherries, tea leaves, graphite, milk chocolate and a touch of caramel. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm yet creamy tannins. Caressing, seductive and ripe, but with underlying freshness. 97% tempranillo and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. The normal bottle will be released 2023 and the magnum in 2025. Try after 2023.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

First made in 2001, with a break in 2002 and 2010, V is the top wine at Vergelegen and is suitably ambitious stuff, aged entirely in new oak. Polished, elegant and refined, with smooth tannins, notes of graphite and iron and a long, complex finish that promises more in bottle.

A collaboration between winemakers Jess Jackson and Pierre Seillan, Vérité was launched with the aim of creating wines from Sonoma that could rival that of Pétrus. Since its inaugural vintage in 1998, Vérité has achieved colossal success, including being awarded seven 100 point scores from Robert M. Parker Jr. Guided by Pierre Seillan’s micro-cru philosophy and over 50 years of experience, Vérité produces 3 blends – La Joie, La Muse and La Désir, from a myriad of over 50 distinct plots spread across 4 appellations across Sonoma - namely Knights Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and Bennet Valley AVAs.

It contains one bottle of each:

1x75cl La Joie 2013 - 100 Points | Robert M. Parker, Jr. (Wine Advocate)

1x75cl La Muse 2013 - 100 Points | Robert M. Parker, Jr. (Wine Advocate)

1x75cl La Désir 2013 - 99 Points | Robert M. Parker, Jr. (Wine Advocate)

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2013 La Joie, which is 46% from Knights Valley, 32% from Chalk Hill and 22% from Alexander Valley, is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Showing loads of graphite, cedar wood, charcoal, crème de cassis and forest floor, this may well turn out to be a 50+-year wine. It tastes like a great first-growth Pauillac and has an amazing amount of complexity and richness.

Wine Advocate (99)

The Vietti 2013 Barolo Riserva Villero is a stunning wine, full of life, energy and beautiful complexity. This vintage opens in such a graceful manner, tickling the senses like a feather. With time, that initial softness begins to rise, and the wine grows in aromatic momentum and textural importance to take on magnificent fruit weight. It is soft, caressing and long. Tasted seven years after the harvest, this Riserva is expertly integrated with vibrant primary fruit, tangy acidity and non-intrusive tannins. These elements that make up the grand totality of the wine are carefully contained and chiseled down to a most elegant and beautiful common denominator.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2013 Vieux Château Certan has plentiful fruit on the nose considering the vintage: raspberry coulis, crushed strawberry and a touch of blackcurrant pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied and while it might not rank with the greatest VCC's of recent years in terms of complexity, there is admirable depth and purity with a crisp, almost edgy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. This comes recommended for the vintage and I suspect it will give 12-15 years of drinking pleasure.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2013 Vieux Château Certan has plentiful fruit on the nose considering the vintage: raspberry coulis, crushed strawberry and a touch of blackcurrant pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied and while it might not rank with the greatest VCC's of recent years in terms of complexity, there is admirable depth and purity with a crisp, almost edgy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. This comes recommended for the vintage and I suspect it will give 12-15 years of drinking pleasure.

Matthew Jukes (19.5+)

2013 is a powerhouse, with density, structure and presence, but it is not a heavy wine! Instead, this is a cerebral, through-provoking number with layer upon layer of savoury, noble fruit. The differences between the yin and yang of these two vintages is also evident in the blend. 2012 was made of 79% Cabernet (of which 27% was Barossan and the lion’s share was from Coonawarra) and 21% Barossa Shiraz. In 2013 KG marries 55% Coonawarra Cabernet with 45% Barossa Shiraz. This is a more ‘historical-Aussie-claret-shaped’ wine and the extra splash of Barossa Shiraz helps to bring flesh to the upright, masterful Cabernet.