Vinous (94+)

Cinnamon, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and leather are some of the nuances that emerge from the 2014 Barbaresco Pajè. Pliant and open-knit, the 2014 is surprisingly open for a young Roagna Barbaresco, which makes it almost shockingly easy to enjoy even now (in relative terms), in what is the very early going by Roagna standards. Even, so there is plenty of Nebbiolo structure and tannin. Sweet rose petal, mint, tobacco, underbrush, game, and sweet red berry fruit add to the wine's stunning allure.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Structured but also loaded with finesse, this opens with earthy aromas of truffle, blue wildflowers, new leather and ripe dark-skinned berries. Juicy and delicious, the full-bodied palate doles out succulent Morello cherry, crushed raspberry and licorice before closing on a hint of tobacco. Noble tannins and fresh acidity provide the firm framework and balance. Give it plenty of time to fully develop.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Blue flower, tobacco, camphor and ripe berry are just some of the aromas you'll find on the stunning red. Firmly structured and still youthfully austere, the compelling palate features ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and crushed mint alongside noble tannins. Bright acidity keeps it well-balanced and lends a seriously ageworthy structure.

Wine Advocate (98+)

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red Wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 55% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of candied violets, red roses, black raspberries and fragrant earth over a core of cassis, wild blueberries and Morello cherries with a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully balanced velvety tannins and seamless freshness framing the opulent black and red berry layers, finishing very long and perfumed. 670 cases were made.

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.

Wine Spectator (94)

'#1 in Wine Spectator Top 100 2022' - Packs in generous steeped plum, boysenberry and mulberry flavors backed by a broad swath of roasted alder and bittersweet cocoa. Brimming with dense fruit, and is squarely in the not-shy style. The long finish has a serious loamy tug, too. Best from 2023 through 2035. 10,000 cases made.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2015 Screaming Eagle is another monumental wine from this address, and it's one of those cases where if you afford it, you should buy it. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, this magical elixir boasts a deep purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blueberries, creme de cassis, violets, incense, and cedarwood. Reminding me of the 2015 Château Margaux with its off the charts class and purity, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly textured, and has a finish that just won't quit. This legendary wine is going to keep for 30-40 years.

Wine Advocate (97+)

Beautiful floral notes intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice and charcoal jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2002. Opulent, broad, full-bodied and more mature than I expected given how this wine showed in its youth, this deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon is exceptional. However, in this vintage it has to take a back seat to a number of other cuvees. The final blend was 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

James Suckling (100)

The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now. Give it three or four years to come around, but this already sings.

Wine Advocate (100)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Screaming Eagle soars out of the glass with vibrant notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries and fresh red and black currants plus wafts of licorice, candied violets, cedar chest and clove oil with a beguiling touch of sea spray. Medium-bodied with jaw-dropping elegance, the palate is finely textured and yet built like a brick house with a super taut backbone and exquisitely knit acidity. The intense black and red fruit flavors are accented by layers of mineral and floral notions, finishing with incredible length and depth. Undeniably stunning. “I loved it!” winemaker Nick Gislason told me when I asked him for his thoughts on the 2018 vintage. “Everything is just really perfumey with a lot of verve and a lot of freshness. It’s a wholesome vintage, if that makes sense? The canopies were big and healthy; there was a lot of life in the vineyard. After 2017, it felt like the bloom that comes afterward.” He went on to say, "We made a little 2017 red. Only four barrels of the Cab! Ten barrels of The Flight. Only from grapes that came in before the fires—mainly Merlot and a couple of blocks of Cabernet." Whereas Screaming Eagle is mainly sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the western side of the estate, there is one plot of old Merlot (1980s plantings) on the eastern side of the vineyard that continually makes the backbone of this Second Flight/The Flight. This is planted on very gravelly, well-drained soils. Gislason explained, “The Cabernet Sauvignon for The Flight is always about being fresh, light and perfumey, without the firmer tannins that Cabernet can sometimes give. There is a ‘fresh’ end of the property that this tends to come from. There is some other Merlot on the other side of the property that doesn’t have the acidity, perfume or brightness we’re looking for. We don’t use this in The Flight.”

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, coming from a small section of estate vines closer to the Napa river. It is entirely fermented in French oak, but only about 5% is new. The grapes are pressed straight to barrels and kept on their gross lees. The wine is fermented using native yeasts. This vintage, the nose is not at all shy—it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of ripe peaches, passion fruit and musk perfume plus wafts of honeycomb, elderflower, ripe gooseberries and lemongrass with a waft of Bosc pears. The palate is super intense and yet ethereally weighted, light-bodied and oh-so-fine, elegant and refreshing, featuring a whole array of chalk and sea spray sparks, creating a shimmer to all the many citrus and stone fruit layers, finishing with great length and energy. There is a truly interesting phenolic texture to the palate that reminds me of some Chardonnays, particularly Burgundian examples. Winemaker Nick Gislason commented that the gross lees contain a lot of phenolic content, which is where the wine picks up that textural component. Love it!

Vinous (98)

The 2016 The Flight is gorgeous. Dark, brooding and closed in on itself, the 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best, but it is incredibly beguiling today. Plum, black cherry, lavender, blood orange menthol, and a host of more mineral-driven notes punctuate this super-expressive wine. This is a decidedly tannic and powerful edition of The Flight. I can't wait to see how it ages. Bottled just six weeks before this tasting, the 2016 appears to have a very bright future. Time in the glass brings out some of the softer edges that will almost surely emerge with cellaring. The Flight is built on a core of older Merlot vines from the southeast corner of the estate. It is an absolutely riveting wine from Screaming Eagle.

James Suckling (100)

This is an incredible wine with such depth and energy and ethereal, mind-blowing sensibility. It sent shivers down my spine tasting it. It just shines on the nose, like bright sunlight breaking through a dark sky. Aromas of raspberries, citrus, violets and dark earth. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go vertical and endless, from top to bottom. A monument for merlot-based wines. Drinkable now, but needs six to eight years to come around.

James Suckling (99)

Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.

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.