Vinous (97)

The 2020 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was barrel-aged for 16 months. Greenish-yellow in the glass. The intense, layered nose presents bold aromas of green apple, pear, hints of linden blossom and ginger with touches of lemon and herbs. In the mouth, it’s concentrated, rooted in a lively, heightened freshness while maintaining the variety’s expansive flow, which also delivers salinity and long-lasting flavor. A thrilling white that defines this nook of the Uco Valley.

James Suckling (99)

Super refined and beautiful with flowers, spices, dried fruit and hints of stones. Medium to full body with very fine tannins and a gorgeous finish. Shows great finesse and depth. Savory character, as always, but in check. Drink in 2022.

James Suckling (100)

This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling with such refinement and length. A blend of 62% malbec and 38% cabernet sauvignon. Available in September 2020. Better after 2024.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.

James Suckling (97)

Smelling this is like looking into a deep abyss, and someone unfamiliar with intensely mineral dry riesling might feel a bit of vertigo. However, these grapefruit, white-tea and wild-herb aromas really excite us. On the sleek palate this is super-focused with a terrific tannin structure that beautifully matches the crystalline quality on the pristine finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (98)

Here comes the boss! The dense grapefruit, rosemary and thyme nose pulls you inexorably into the orbit of this rich and concentrated dry riesling that has enveloping,salty minerality. And, in spite of all this, it is laser-beam bright and has white-flower delicacy at the very deep finish. From 110-year-old vines. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.

James Suckling (98)

If you thought you knew what peaches smell and taste like, then think again. At first there's a touch of bready character form long sur-lie maturation, but then the most ravishing peach aroma develops, plus notes of wild rose, orange and jasmine. Super-elegant on the ripe yet extremely precise palate. The peachy beauty only expands and expands at the breathtaking finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2020 Marienburg Felsterrasse offers perfectly ripe and concentrated yet refined, finely slatey and perfectly ripe fruit aromas with delicate lemon juice and herbal aromas. A stunning beauty! Silky, crystalline, lush and intense yet highly finessed and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich and very intense yet playful, saline and finessed Riesling with power and concentration and a very long, hedonistic yet always elegant and balanced finish. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.

James Suckling (99)

Essence of Mosel wine here, which immediately conjures up an image of tiny riesling grapes that have turned a perfect golden color in the autumn sun. Then, on the extremely rich and refined palate, comes a gigantic wave of minerality that sweeps you away. Enormously long finish of almost overwhelming beauty. Just doesn't want to stop. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drink or hold.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Aromas of green and yellow fruit mix it with flinty minerality. The palate shows a little more fruit than the straight Marienburg, grapefruit with peel and pith, but without any tropical aspirations. Nuances of salt and quinine give an almost medicinal tang, but a generous texture makes the medicine go down without any resistance. Very cool, the essence of mineral Riesling.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese (Gold Capsule) is clear, piquant and spicy on the coolish, earthy and darker-toned nose compared to both Goldgrube Auslesen. Cumquat and orange notes emerge after a while in the glass, indicating a certain percentage of perfect botrytis. The palate is round and intense yet weightless and very elegant, with a crystalline, beautifully seamless texture and salty-piquant and nervy mineral acidity. In fact, this is a great synthesis between the two sweet Goldgrube selections since it paints the finesse of the regular Wolfgrube with the intensity and richness of the gold-capsuled Auslese. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted from AP 06/20 in June 2020.

Wine Advocate (95+)

The 2019 Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese (Gold Capsule) is concentrated, fresh and pure on the intense and complex nose that reveals a delicate and crystalline slate aroma. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a highly delicate, finessed and stimulatingly salty Auslese with precise and perfectly ripe, elegant fruit. A fabulous Prälat, tasted from AP 59 20 in September 2020. 9% alcohol.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Erdener Treppchen Riesling GG Alte Reben comes from two very old plots adjacent the Prälat (the upper part of the former original Treppchen and the lower Herzlay) that have never been replanted since long before World War I. It shows a clear, intense yet subtle and deep, highly complex but also refined bouquet of very fine red slate and herbal aromas as well as perfectly clear and elegant Riesling fruits. Silky textured, highly finessed and perfectly balanced on the palate, this is a very intense and juicy, enormously long and concentrated yet finessed and mouthwatering Treppchen with the crystalline grip of broken slate and the intensity and complexity of biblical vines in a great terroir. The 2019 Treppchen is arguably the finest dry wine I have ever tasted from Ernie Loosen. Highly recommended. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (96+)

From volcanic soils, the 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling GG Alte Reben is beautifully clear, fresh and subtle on the precise and highly finessed bouquet of slate, iodine and herbal scents. The warm and elegant Riesling fruit intertwined with very fine herbal notes represents the very best of this exceptional grand cru in its original, much smaller size. Almost entirely sourced from the Urglück, this is a lush and intense, enormously powerful yet restrained and slatey Würzgarten GG with crystalline acidity that leads to a long, intense and still slightly astringent finish with refreshing lemon features. This wine is still developing and has the potential to become another giant of the vintage. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (95-96)

The 2021 Ürziger Würzgarten GG Alte Reben offers a clear, beautifully refined and flinty bouquet of ripe and elegant Riesling fruit spiced with stony splinters. Lush and refined on the palate, this is a very elegant, saline and textured Riesling with enormous salinity in the mouth-watering, rich and intense finish. Definitely the finest GG of the vintage here. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted as a sample at the domaine in July 2022. To be bottled in October.

Wine Advocate (96)

From vines planted in 1911 or earlier in the Laichen lieu-dit, Loosen's 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling GG Alte Reben is sylphlike, highly delicate and fine in its multilayered, fruity, floral and crunchy/flinty bouquet that reveals very fine slate aromas and even salty notes. Absolutely fabulous! Silky textured, lush and generous yet highly finessed, this is an intense yet subtle, pure and minerally fresh Riesling from one of the Mosel's finest vineyard. The finish is long, fresh, piquant and sustainably structured as well as salty. Irresistible. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Made “like a flan”, according to Ale Vigil, this is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, with lots of whole bunches and aged in old wooden foudres. Zesty and fresh, with the low alcohol and focus that are a feature of El Enemigo style, it’s savoury and bright with salty minerality and graphite and green herb flavours.

James Suckling (98)

This is really amazing with an exotic dried-fruit character of pineapple and mangoes. Full-bodied, rich and fruity with cream, pie-crust and caramel character. Crazy chardonnay with a little Jura style and some flor undertones. It really does have flor in the barrel when aging. Love. Get it. Drink now.

James Suckling (98)

A tight and beautiful white with a dense palate of beautiful, ripe lemons and apples. Layered and refined with phenolic tension. Complex yeast and hints of oak and flor. Full body. Great length. 80 per cent flor-growth in barrel. Drink now.

James Suckling (97)

This is another rock-star chardonnay from here with dried-apple, pear-skin, crushed-stone and peach-pit character. Full body. Creamy texture. Phenolic form and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste. Always great quality for the price. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (97)

The varietal blend of the 2016 Gran Enemigo is slightly different from the 2015, there's a bit more Cabernet Franc and less Cabernet Sauvignon, so 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine is fresher and more nuanced than the 2015, and there is clout and power but also a lot of finesse and elegance. The palate revealed superb harmony and very fine tannins, the acidity is very integrated and the wine is seamless, with fine chalky minerality and a bitterness in the finish that is salty rather than sweet. There is no room for sweetness in any of these wines; these are savory wines, powerful wines with superb balance and all the ingredients to develop slowly and for a very long time in bottle and destined for the dining table. It fills your mouth, but it's not heavy; it's powerful but feels ethereal. This is probably the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 19,200 bottles were filled in December 2018 from a shorter crop than previous years.

Wine Advocate (97)

The more austere 2017 Gran Enemigo Chacayes Single Vineyard was produced with Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec from a low-yielding and early harvest of plants at 1,100 meters in altitude. The fermentations for the Enemigo wines are always with indigenous yeasts and with some whole clusters, and in 2017, it was 100% (for all the single-vineyard wines) and aged in old oak foudres to avoid excessive aromas of oak or toast. The palate reveals some austerity too, but it has pungent flavors and piercing acidity and a very tasty, almost salty finish. This is also truly impressive, outstanding for a year like 2017 and among the best Chacayes ever. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018.

Wine Advocate (96)

One of two new single-vineyard Cabernet Francs first produced in 2012 is the 2012 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a place that will soon should get its own appellation in the San Carlos district of the Valle de Uco. This is sourced from a vineyard at 1,450 meters with colluvial soils of glacial origin, with pink granite and some limestone of marine origin, as there are marine fossils. The palate is incredibly linear, sharp and austere, with the texture of stones and some aromas of graphite. There are minor traces of oak, but they are very subtle, perhaps only noticeable when tasting it next to the other single vineyards. This is austere and mineral, and it should develop beautifully in bottle. This is a superb addition to the already exceptional portfolio of Aleanna. 2,000 bottles.

Wine Advocate (97+)

These single-vineyard bottlings are like a snapshot of the place, and the 2016 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard capture the wilderness and the (scarce) local vegetation of the place: thyme, rosemary, rockrose—austere and perfumed but not exotic. The cracked black peppercorn note on the palate reminded me that this is (mostly) a Cabernet Franc, with its fine-grained tannins and its long and dry finish. 2016 was an unusual year, with lots of rain and cooler temperatures that complicated things in many places, but it was exceptional in many high-altitude locations within the Valle de Uco where El Cepillo is. This is both powerful and delicate, while the 2015 is more direct. This is simply superb. 4,000 bottles were filled in late 2018.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The nose of the 2012 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard almost made me fall from my chair. It is the expression of elegance and austerity coupled with strong minerality. It is mostly Cabernet Franc from a very chalky vineyard in Gualtallary at 1,430 meters altitude that fermented together with a small percentage of Malbec. In 2012 they fine tuned the élevage and fermentation, which was in rolling 500-liter barrels that were new in 2006 (so by then quite neutral), where the wine was kept for one more year and then transferred to 1,000-liter egg-shaped cement vats for one further year. This reminded me of my favorite Bordeaux, Lafleur, because of the elegance, the refinement of the tannins and length. It has citric, effervescent acidity that makes you salivate. Winemaker and Owner Alejandro Vigil has done a very strict selection of the soils in the field, and only kept the very center of the vineyard where the high density (12,000 plants per hectare) generates a lot of competition, because the plants from the borders have more space in the sides, which means in 2012 he could only fill 1,800 bottles. Awesome, and ultra fresh for a vintage like 2012. Bravo!