Jeb Dunnuck (97-99)

Not yet bottled, the 2019 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from the Varogne lieu-dit located just to the west of Hermitage. This is a cooler, more shaded vineyard of pure granite soils, and I always find an Hermitage-like character in this wine. Lots of blackberry, cassis, crushed stone, leather, and violet notes emerge from the glass, and it's rich, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, with lots of structure yet more than enough fruit. The quality of this cuvée has soared recently and the 2019 will be another gem readers will love.

Vinous (93)

Vivid ruby. Smoky blackberry, cherry-cola, violet pastille, licorice and mineral aromas are complemented by a spicy cracked pepper nuance. Ripe, palate-coating black and blue fruit, olive paste and spicecake flavors show sharp focus, and a sweet hint of cola builds in the glass. Supple and broad on the long, spicy finish, which is framed by smooth, slowly building tannins.

Vinous (93)

Opaque magenta. Smoke-accented cherry, dark berry, fruitcake and pipe tobacco aromas are complemented by suggestions of vanilla and bacon fat. Fleshy and broad on the palate, offering appealingly sweet black and blue fruit, vanilla, allspice and dark chocolate flavors and repeating smokiness. Shows fine clarity and dark fruit thrust on the long, smooth finish, which features harmonious tannins and reverberating spice and floral notes.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2019 La Bruja de Rozas was one of the few 2019s already bottled when I tasted the whole range in November 2020. This is a village Garnacha from Las Rozas de Puerto Real, their first approach to the grape, trying to capture the essence of the fresh fruit and the fluidity of the wine. 2019 is a ripe vintage, and the wine is a little more powerful, juicy and balanced, with rich aromas and flavors. It comes from different plots of old vines ranging from 40 to 65 years of age and planted at some 900 meters in altitude on sandy granite soils in a zone that has plenty of rain, averaging 800 liters per year. Like all of their vineyards, these plots are worked organically and biodynamically. Each vineyard fermented separately in oak vats with indigenous yeasts with a soft maceration. The wine matured in oak vats of different sizes, ranging from 1,500 to 6,000 liters. The 2019 effect seems to be quite mild here; the wine follows the profile of the 2018, despite being a little riper, and it's still very balanced. There are notes of flowers, basil and a touch of bacon intermixed with the wild berries and herbs. There's a little more concentration, and the tannins are a little chalkier and more austere. But there is no excess ripeness or anything out of place, and it has acidity and length and finishes dry and mineral. 41,853 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2020.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2021 La Bruja de Rozas is their edgiest and most austere mineral and soil-driven version of their entry-level red. It's herbal, with no concession for fruit, and it has electricity and grip. It's a good preview of what's to come from 2021. It has a lot of 2018 and 2016 characteristics, a cool summer, a year with rain and even some during harvest that complicated matters and made them lose some grapes, but there's more grip, more minerality, more depth, layers and subtleness. It needs time in the glass, and my guess is that at age eight it's going to reach an outstanding level. A grown-up Bruja, it’s more for soil fanatics than the general public, and it’s one to lay down in your cellar (by the case) while you drink your 2020s. There were 55,184 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2022.

Unveiling an exceptional vintage, the Comando G Navatalgordo 2022 is a masterful representation of Spain's finest viticulture. This remarkable wine is hailing from the harsh, mountainous terrains of Sierra de Gredos, a region celebrated for its unique granite soils. The two youthful vintners, Daniel Landi and Fernando García, behind Comando G harness the potential of these surroundings, employing biodynamic principles, rigorous selection, and old vine Grenache clusters to render this majestic libation.

Comando G Navatalgordo 2022 epitomises the quintessence of a classic Grenache, boasting an intriguing amalgamation of red fruit notes underpinned by an alluring minerality. The craftsmen used whole-bunch fermentation, and an extended maceration process with gentle punch-downs, followed by 14 months maturation in large French oak foudres to confer this wine its unassailable complexity and depth.

Tasting Comando G Navatalgordo 2022 is akin to savouring the essence of Navatalgordo terroir, a wine elegantly enveloped in its unique geographical narrative.

Experience the pure essence and seasonal rhythm of the Spanish terroir with Comando G Rozas 2022. Cultivated in the elemental wilds of the Sierra de Gredos mountains, this robust Grenache breaks conventional norms through meticulous vinification, resulting in a characteristically vigorous and complex spirit. Crafted by Fabio Bartolomei and Daniel Landi, the guiding hands behind the revolutionary Comando G winery, this wine embodies their rebellious spirit and reverence for native soil.

Comando G Rozas 2022 is marked by vibrant minerality, framed within lively strawberry and thyme aromas that adorn a poised, profound palate. A meticulous whole-bunch fermentation process ensures the integral preservation of the grape's character. Organic viticulture and an unhindered respect for seasonal variations in the vineyard augment the wine's authentic expression of place. Experience Comando G Rozas 2022 – a triumphant anthem to nature and the art of winemaking.

Wine Advocate (91-94)

I tasted three components of the 2020 Crozes Hermitage Les Trois Chênes—maybe four, as Darnaud hadn't yet decided on whether the last one would be included in this cuvée or bottled separately as Au Fil du Temps. The blend should reflect a balanced blend of floral, stemmy notes, bright red cherries and notes of dark-skinned fruit and black olives. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it should drink well on release and for up to a decade. The final sample, aged in second use François Frères barrels, stood out for its suave, silky texture, smoky notes, vibrant raspberry fruit and long finish. If Darnaud bottles it separately, don't hesitate to snap it up.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2015 Clos Santuy is produced with the grapes from an ungrafted, head-pruned 1.12-hectare vineyard in the village of Piquera de San Esteban in the province of Soria, just outside the limits of Ribera del Duero, so it’s sold as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León. The vineyard is planted at some 968 meters in altitude on shallow sandstone soils and is enclosed by a dry stonewall. Bougnaud has been working and vinifying this plot separately since 2010 and noticed its personality and aging potential, but this 2015 is the first vintage to be released. This is a textbook elegant and fresh Ribera from the cooler part; it’s ripe and powerful but really in balance and includes some 10% of white Albillo grapes that surely add to the silky texture and the fresh sensation on the palate. What a portfolio Galia showed in 2015, and this jewel of the crown filled some 1,073 bottles in September 2017. Bravo!

Wine Advocate (96)

The nose of the 2016 Clos Santuy was a little more discrete and reticent than the 2016 Villages. This comes from a 1.2-hectare plot of ungrafted vines in the village of Piquera de San Esteban that somehow was left out of the Ribera del Duero appellation. There is a sense of harmony and depth unlike that of the Villages, which felt more open and immediate. The palate is pure rock, austere and chalky, with a sense of minerality that was striking. It's approximately 80% Tempranillo and 20% Albillo fermented together with 20% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in one 225-liter barrel and one 600-liter demi-muid for 22 months. 1,095 bottles were filled in September 2018.

Wine Advocate (95)

The nose of the 2016 Villages was stunning. It's a blend of Tempranillo with 9% Garnacha and 4% white Albillo from vineyards in Piquera de San Esteban, Fuentelcésped, Hontangas, Cuevas de Provanco, Quintanilla de Onésimo and Trigueros del Valle. It fermented by soil types with indigenous yeasts and some 20% full clusters (the Garnacha was 100% whole clusters) and matured in a mixture of 225-liter barriques, 600-liter demi-muids and 1,200-liter foudres for 21 months. The élevage was very respectful with the wine, which comes through as floral and terribly aromatic, ripe without excess and with a medium to full-bodied palate, pungent flavors and great length and persistence. The tannins are round and velvety, and there is a sense of integration and balance that I liked very much. 16,140 bottles and 230 magnums were filled in July 2018.

Prepare your palate for the Georges Lelektsoglou Crozes-Hermitage Vieilles Vignes de Gervans 2021, a majestic embodiment of French viticulture. Crafted in the celebrated Crozes-Hermitage appellation in the Northern Rhône region of France, this sumptuous wine is the brainchild of acclaimed producer Georges Lelektsoglou. True to its illustrious lineage, its grapes burgeon on vintage vineyards that nestle amidst the verdurous slopes of Gervans.

Georges Lelektsoglou hones traditional methods, using sustainable practices to venerate the terroir's complexity. This 2021 vintage enchants with expressive Syrah varietal, yielding pronounced dark fruit notes enveloped in a robust structure, soft tannins, and intoxicating spice accents. Enjoy its velvety texture, balanced acidity, and harmonious bouquet; manifesting an eloquent testament to the enduring artistry of Rhône winemaking. Experience the captivating allure of 'Georges Lelektsoglou Crozes-Hermitage Vieilles Vignes de Gervans 2021'—a wine of remarkable elegance.

Wine Advocate (94)

Bearing more than a passing resemblance to an actual Hermitage, the 2017 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Roure comes from granitic soils, and it comes across as darker, more concentrated and sturdier than Jaboulet's other Crozes bottlings. Cassis and black olive notes abound in this full-bodied, structured wine, which finishes long and velvety, picking up hints of baking spices along the way.

Vinous (94)

Inky ruby. Suave, mineral-accented scents of ripe blueberry, black currant and Indian spices, along with a slowly emerging floral component. Plush, broad and deeply concentrated, displaying black and blue fruit, licorice and mocha flavors that are energized by an intense, peppery overtone. Finishes extremely long, fleshy and sweet, delivering intense mineral thrust, a subtle cracked pepper nuance and youthful, building tannins.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

This terroir always delivers a wild, opulent, gamey style of wine, and the 2017 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert doesn’t disappoint. Loads of chocolaty black fruits, ground pepper, truffle, and smoked game, as well as a hint of black olives, emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a rocking texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s a classic example of this wine and terroir. Drink it over the coming 15 years or so.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

Although the fruit sourcing has changed from the old days, the 2018 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert remains a solid offering in the Jaboulet lineup. Violets accent blackberries and plums on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, lush and velvety, underscored by doses of salinity and licorice on the lengthy finish.

Matthew Jukes (18+)

Following on from the terrific 2018 vintage, this is another exuberant wine with an inky dark hue and masses of swirling, black fruit notes. This is certainly the most exotically perfumed Thalabert I can remember and this reflects the unique fruit concentration and ripeness found in this vintage. Once you taste this wine you see that it is not all about the luxuriously appointed nose because the palate is packed with spice and tension and the finish is positively electric. In terms of accessibility and also potential, this wine is a conundrum – how can something so young and attractive also seem so compact and age-worthy? This is the key to all of Jaboulet’s 2019s. The exquisite balance between ravishing fruit and refreshing, robust tannins is mesmerising. This is a stupendous Thalabert and I think it is a notch up on the brilliant 2018.