From the heart of Italy's Piedmont region comes the Runchet Barbaresco 2016, a refined and suitably suave expression of the cherished Nebbiolo grape variety. This lavish red wine is born from Runchet's meticulously tended vineyards within the acclaimed Langhe hills. Runchet's commitment to environmental sustainability ensures that nature and viticulture exist in harmony, providing the best terroir for Nebbiolo flourishment.

The Runchet Barbaresco 2016 rewards the palate with layered, expressive flavours - the harmonious blend of red cherry, dried rose, and licorice is underscored by hints of truffle and tobacco. Its distinguished complexity and elegant, velvety tannins are the result of meticulous vinification process incorporating stainless steel fermentation, followed by maturation in large Slavonian oak casks. A testament to Runchet's winemaking artistry, the Runchet Barbaresco 2016 will age gracefully, offering exquisite nuance and dimension to the discerning oenophile.

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 (88)

The 2016 Barbaresco from Socré is a powerful, virile wine. Black cherry, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, sage, leather and cedar infuse this potent Barbaresco with a good bit of character. The 2016 offers plenty of breath and power, but the balance is dominated by the tannins at this stage. I am not sure bottle age will make a meaningful difference.

Vinous (88)

The 2016 Barbaresco from Socré is a powerful, virile wine. Black cherry, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, sage, leather and cedar infuse this potent Barbaresco with a good bit of character. The 2016 offers plenty of breath and power, but the balance is dominated by the tannins at this stage. I am not sure bottle age will make a meaningful difference.

Vinous (90)

The 2017 Barbaresco is an attractive wine for current drinking. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit and cedar give this mid-weight, ethereal Barbaresco lovely aromatic complexity and nuance.

Vinous (89)

The 2018 Socré Barbaresco is a soft, forward wine to drink now and over the next handful of years. Soft contours give the 2018 much of its immediacy and overall appeal. Macerated dark cherry, spice, rose petal and new leather linger. This effortless Barbaresco is a real charmer.

Vinous (90)

Socré's 2019 Barbaresco is a very pretty wine. Sweet dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried leaves give this mid-weight, ethereal Barbaresco lovely aromatic presence to match its mid-weight structure.

Vinous (90)

Socré's 2019 Barbaresco is a very pretty wine. Sweet dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried leaves give this mid-weight, ethereal Barbaresco lovely aromatic presence to match its mid-weight structure.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2008 Barbaresco Roncaglie is a bit darker and richer than the straight bottling. The flavor profile of dark cherries, licorice and spices is quite similar to that wine, but the Roncaglie shows additional volume from the greater reliance on French oak and more textural richness. The aromas and flavors build towards the authoritative, powerful finish. This is a hugely impressive effort within the context of the year. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.

Vinous (93)

Dark red cherries, plums, cloves, mint and licorice wrap around the palate in Socrè's 2010 Barbaresco Roncaglie. Fleshy, seductive and totally delicious, the 2010 is wonderfully expressive, even today. Intensely perfumed notes add lift and freshness, but it is the wine's depth and mid-palate pliancy that impress above all else.

Vinous (92)

The 2011 Barbaresco Roncaglie is darker and more powerful than the estate's straight Barbaresco. A powerful, structured wine, the 2011 opens up with hints of savory herbs, smoke, tobacco and menthol, all of which add nuance to the direct, expressive fruit. Stylistically, the Roncaglie is much more intense than the straight Barbaresco; not necessarily better or more complex, just a different expression of Nebbiolo.

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.

Vinous (89)

The 2014 Barbaresco Roncaglie is dark, virile and quite concentrated, but also rough around the edges. Big, coarse tannins reinforce an impression of rusticity. Smoke, game, leather, licorice and incense add layers of complexity, but that is not enough to fully compensate for the wine's somewhat unpolished feel.

Vinous (89)

The 2014 Barbaresco Roncaglie is dark, virile and quite concentrated, but also rough around the edges. Big, coarse tannins reinforce an impression of rusticity. Smoke, game, leather, licorice and incense add layers of complexity, but that is not enough to fully compensate for the wine's somewhat unpolished feel.

Vinous (80)

The 2015 Barbaresco Roncaglie is, frankly, a challenging wine. The combination of forward, roasted flavors and aggressive tannins suggest this fruit was not picked at the right time. It's hard to see the 2015 ever being in balance.

Vinous (80)

The 2015 Barbaresco Roncaglie is, frankly, a challenging wine. The combination of forward, roasted flavors and aggressive tannins suggest this fruit was not picked at the right time. It's hard to see the 2015 ever being in balance.

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Barbaresco Roncaglie is loaded with black cherry, plum, tobacco, sage, licorice, smoke and menthol flavors. A potent, strapping wine, the 2016 has plenty to offer. I would cellar it for a few years to allow the tannins to soften a bit. There is a lot of substance here.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Barbaresco Roncaglie is deep and wonderfully resonant from the very first taste. Succulent dark cherry, incense, tobacco, orange peel, cloves, leather and menthol fold around the palate, framed by silky tannins that wrap it all together. This deep, expressive Barbaresco is a winner.

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)

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 2015 - 99 Points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

1x75cl La Muse 2015 - 97 Points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

1x75cl La Désir 2015 - 100 Points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

Jeb Dunnuck (La Muse) (100)

Including the highest percentage of Merlot (at the moment anyway), the 2016 La Muse checks in as 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec that spent 15-16 months in roughly 90% new French oak. This magical wine shows how good Merlot (and Sonoma) can be and offers extraordinary notes of crushed violets, spring flowers, scorched earth, graphite, black cherries, and crème de cassis. As elegant and seamless as they come, it’s full-bodied, perfectly balanced, has an incredible spine of acidity and tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It has the class and purity to drink well even today, but it’s not going to hit prime time for at least another decade and will keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!

Containing 1 bottle each of:

Vérité La Muse 2018 | 100 WA, 99 JD

Vérité La Joie 2018 | 98 WA, 98+ JD

Vérité Le Désir 2018 | 97+ WA, 98+ JD

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2012 La Joie, which is a blend of 76% Cabernet, 12% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, blew me away. A profound effort, with 55% of it coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 31% from Knights Valley and the balance from Chalk Hill, the wine shows great minerality, oodles of crme de cassis fruit, incense, licorice, crushed rock, and a provocative full-throttle mouthfeel. A wine of great intensity, purity and equilibrium, this definitely begs for 4-7 years of bottle aging and should drink well for at least 30+ years.

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.