Wine Enthusiast (97)

This is a fabulous gran reserva from a very good but lightly heralded vintage. Aromas of spiced plum, black olive, fig, tobacco and cassis come together like a puzzle. A deep, pure palate shows near-perfect balance, while this tastes of plum, berry fruits and earthy spice. Smooth, elegant and chocolaty on the finish, this delivers all one can ask for from Rioja. Drink through 2035.

James Suckling (97)

This is very ripe with blackberries, dried fruit, toasted oak and black licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with ultra-fine, linear tannins and a racy, refined finish. This has fantastic structure and length. It goes on for minutes. It needs time to open and refine even more. One of the best Imperiale Gran Reservas in a very long time. Drink after 2023.

Each case contains:

2 bottles of 1x75cl Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella 2008 - 98 points | Eric Guido (Vinous)

1 bottle of 1x75cl Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella 2009 - 99 points | Monica Larner (Wine Advocate)

Wine Advocate (100)

As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.

James Suckling (99)

Incredible, reserved ripeness and depth already evident on the nose after one whiff, offering plum, cedar, rose hip, sandalwood, and licorice. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and an abundance of polished tannins that give the wine poise and grace, even though it’s long and powerful. The quality of the tannins are exceptional. Sheer and refined. This comes from the center of Cannubi. Aged five years in Stockinger cask. Better after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Just about pure perfection, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard comes from vines around the estate, just outside of Rutherford, which were planted in 1997. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, bay leaf, and graphite all flow to a full-bodied 2015 that has a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture that’s hard to describe. With building structure and a beautiful floral character that emerges with time in the glass, perfect balance, and a huge finish, this quintessential Napa Cabernet will benefit from a few years of bottle age and cruise for 3-4 decades. Bravo!

James Suckling (99)

Sweet white chocolate with currant, plum and subtle hazelnut on the nose. Some other spices, such as nutmeg and cloves. Floral. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go on and on. Beautiful center plate that is dense yet polished and fine and continues on. Exceptional. Fantastic finish. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to show it’s true greatness.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Also bottled the week before this tasting, the 2016 Soul of a Lion includes more Cabernet Sauvignon than the 2014 and 2015 and is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It’s an incredible achievement and has sensational notes of crème de cassis, graphite, violets, and lead pencil shavings. Made in a pure California, pedal-to-the-metal style, with full body and loads of fruit, it stays balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a layered, seamless style that just glides over the palate. Don’t think Paso Robles can make world-class Cabernet Sauvignon? Try this wine.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2017 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and wonderfully unique expression, with scents of forest floor, underbrush, English breakfast tea, espresso, blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate and exotic flowers mingling over a core of perfectly ripe wild blackberries and Morello cherries, all complemented by a classy framing of new oak spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is slow to unfurl, with a frame like liquid silk and a very long finish that gives up layer after layer of nuanced flavors. Wow!

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2018 Soul Of A Lion is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon, made exclusively from free-run juice, blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the nose opens slowly, segueing from graphite and tobacco leaves, to violets and blue fruit preserves, to cinnamon, potpourri and dark spices. The palate is seamless and cashmere-like, with expansive, pure, mineral-laced fruits enlivened by a burst of freshness that highlights the perfectly ripe fruit character this vintage. The finish is very long, offering violet perfume and iron tones that linger in the mouth. This is a gorgeous wine that combines unique personality with expert craftsmanship. It drinks well now but has all it needs for a long life in the cellar.

As an acclaimed French winemaker, David Duband casts a spell with his rendition of the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020, a quintessentially 'Burgundian' Pinot Noir. This elegant wine hails from Chambolle-Musigny, a highly reputed French appellation where winemaking has rich historic lineage. Meticulous vine management using biodynamic principles and the tinder care the Sentiers vineyard is given result in a wine marked with finesse and structure.

The David Duband Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020 exhibits vibrant aromas of dark cherry, violet, and damp earth, underpinned by an enchanting minerality. Defined by its refined palate, this wine is a harmonious balance of intense fruit, silky tannins, and a lingering finish. David Duband's talent for harnessing the terroir's unique character is evident in each bottle, promising an extraordinary journey into the heart of Burgundy enjoyment. Due to its limited production, each bottle is a prized possession for any discerning wine enthusiast.

Wine Advocate (99)

While I've had multiple looks at previous vintages, this is my first review of the 2018 Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes. Inky in hue, it boasts powerful, brooding aromas that include hints of hardwood charcoal, dark berries, licorice, crushed stone and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and almost painfully intense, it's a huge, mouthfilling wine that seems capable of aging up to three decades. Rich, supple and creamy in texture, yet possessing remarkable length and retronasal nuance, it has to rank up there with some of the Hermitage hill's classics from other, more renowned producers. It certainly deserves a seat at that table and may be a candidate for a perfect score in the future.

James Suckling (99)

Expressive, scented and nimble on the nose with refined mineral and a hint of white sesame-like reduction. Subtle white pepper, herbs and red berries extend to a extremely mineral-textured palate full of tactile allures, which makes it even more engaging. I love the subtle delineation from this vintage, which is elegant, dialed-back and soft-spoken, full of etherealness and cohesion. A vintage where La Faraona delivers more austere minerality and verticality over the more perfumed, precise Las Lamas. From organically grown grapes. Delicious now, but will hold, too.

Oh, Las Lamas… she never disappoints, and what a fine vintage to play to her strengths. I honestly spent at least ten minutes just breathing in the phenomenal aromas of this wine. The nose is so open with a lovely fine balance, poised between sweet red fruit and granitic splendour. The palate is so mineral and the wet stone purity in this is exceptional. However, the deep cranberry fruit behind is gently sweet and frames the fine, incredibly long length. This has notes of raspberry tea and is another Bierzo wine with a rainwater finish. Gorgeous. Drink 2021-2030.

James Suckling (98)

A Bierzo with great depth and soft-spoken complexity, but still upbeat, effusing a mineral twist to the smoked herbs, iron, raw meat, black cherries, blueberries, dried botanicals, violets and slate. Medium to full body with an ethereal and layered mid-palate that leads to a super-long, lingering finish. The tannins are so dusty and polished. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better after 2024.

James Suckling (98)

Delineated, precise and elegant berries with subtle white pepper funk, mineral and white sesame characters make this so attractive. Nimble and almost “Atlantic” with fresh, tangy fruit that follows through to a textured, medium-bodied palate full of silky, mineral-textured tannins. The long, even and cohesive finish is persistent and ethereal. From organically grown grapes. Delicious now, but don’t underestimate its potential for aging, as balance is the key.

2018 Moncerbal is exceptionally fragrant with near crystalline purity. It is a fine, elegant, dancing wine with extremely subtle black berry and black cherry fruit coming through. Its incredible freshness cuts like a knife through the palate which is mineral beyond belief, and the length goes on forever. If you are ever lucky enough to visit this astonishing 1.5ha vineyard, you will see how the vines cling, unbelievably, to vertiginous slopes. That determination somehow comes through in the precision and focus of this stunning 2018 wine. It is exceptional. Drink 2024-2035.

Vinous (98)

The 2004 Dom Pérignon is a totally different beast. It is the product of a very long and cool growing season marked by heavy summer rains in some sectors of the region and then ideal conditions through to harvest. After a brutally torrid 2003, the vines responded by setting a huge crop. In fact, 2004 remains the most abundant vintage in the history of Champagne. The best wines, though, well, they have always impressed with their laser-like cut and focus. That’s exactly what comes through in the 2004 Dom Pérignon. Tasted from magnum, the 2004 shows all the linear energy and crystalline precision of the year, but with that extra magic that comes from fermentation and longer aging in the big bottle. The 2004 has long been one of my favorite Dom Pérignons. From magnum, it is especially captivating.

Vinous (98)

The 2008 Dom Pérignon is once again stunning. More than anything else, I am surprised by how well the 2008 drinks given all the tension and energy it holds. Then again, that is precisely what makes 2008 such a unique vintage namely that the best wines are so chiseled and yet not at all austere. Lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke and crushed rocks are all finely sculpted, but it is the wine’s textural feel, drive and persistence that elevate it into the realm of the sublime. The 2008 will be even better with time in the cellar, but it is absolutely phenomenal even today, in the early going. Three recent bottles have all been nothing short of magnificent.

James Suckling (98)

A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely.

Decanter (98)

What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition.

Wine Advocate - Robert Parker (96)

The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine's volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off.

One of the top expressions from 2012 was the imperious Dom Pérignon awarded a huge 98 points by Yohan Castaing alongside 97 points, courtesy of Antonio Galloni (Vinous) and 96+ points from William Kelley (Wine Advocate).

 

An outing which “incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity”, this blend of 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Chardonnay is a great pick right now for both superb drinking in a number of years' time and more immediate appreciation given the current explosive market for Champagne.

Decanter (99)

And so from P1 methuselah to P2, which for Geoffroy ‘goes beyond Champagne’. P2, he continues, must be ‘deeper, richer, longer…better than P1' - otherwise why release it? Well, they haven't yet, although it's pencilled in for later in 2019. Here we have drive, vinosity and incredible length. The sweet and savoury balance indulges with a seductive embrace. Gustav Klimt in a glass maybe. Outstanding.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

The 2004 Champagne Plentitudes 2 is a stark contrast to the 2003 vintage and offers a more compact and linear expression, with energetic tension and persistence. Composed of 38% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir, the nose is flush with wet stone reminiscent of great Chablis, along with white nectarine and white flowers. The palate runs seamless with a super-fine mousse, vibrant peach orchard fruit, and a silky mineral texture. This may well prove to be the longer-lived of the two wines. Drink 2024-2044.

James Suckling (99)

A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows rose petal and cooked peaches. Medium to full body, with ultra-fine tannins that feel like fine silk. The finish goes on for mintutes. It floats across the palate. The winemaker says the closet vintage to this is the 1990, but I think this is better.

Decanter (98)

The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.

James Suckling (99)

This shows incredible depth of fruit with strawberry, cherry and phenolics. Full-bodied and layered with an incredible, three-dimensional element to the wine. This is so transparent and dynamic with dark fruit, yet it remains vivid and bright. Refined and precise, it goes on and on. Really savory, fresh and incredibly pinot-noir-like. What a wine. 13 years of maturation in the bottle. So drinkable now, but it will age for many years ahead.