Vinous (94)

Dark magenta. Intense dark fruit and floral scents, along with hints of olive paste, smoked meat and exotic spices. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors that are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Rich and broad but energetic as well, showing bright clarity and a lingering floral nuance on the long, youthfully tannic finish.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

Tasted as a sample blended from several foudres, the 2018 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel features scents of sun-warmed stones and ripe raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it's plush and open-knit, already giving a lot of pleasure, and finishing zesty and long.

Decanter (92)

A well-balanced, perfectly ripe, very fresh expression this year. Fine tannins, with good grip, harmonious acidity and dark streak of concentrated fruit into the finish. You'll be glad you bought some of this. Not hugely deep or hugely complex, but beautifully balanced. 30% Grenache, 30% Mourv

Famille Perrin Tasting note: A fabulous year for the reds of Coudoulet of Beaucastel. Full-bodied, lush, velvety in texture, featuring notes cherry and plum paste, laced with stony minerality and garrigue accents. Very balanced wine with beautiful tannins. The finish has great length and very complex.

James Suckling (92)

There’s a lot of complexity here. Plump, red plums and cherries with some wild herbs and meaty elements. Supple and plush, red-fruit palate. Slick and ripe. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

Including more Mourvèdre, the 2018 Côtes du Rhône La Reserve checks in as 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre that was brought up all in demi-muids. Almost opaque ruby, with a blockbuster nose of Bing cherries, black raspberries, flowery incense, toasted spices, and dry-aged beef, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, loads of fruit, and a great finish. The level of purity as well as finesse in this wine, paired with plenty of richness, is something to behold. It way over-delivers for a Côtes du Rhône. In fact, for my money, this is one of the best Côtes du Rhône out there. It’s terrific today yet will evolve nicely for a solid decade. Does Côtes du Rhônes get any better?

Wine Advocate (91-93)

A blend of 80% Grenache (maturing in demi-muids and foudre) and 20% Syrah (in used barriques), the 2020 Cotes du Rhone Les Quartz was entirely destemmed, yet it offers up seductive floral-herbal notes of rose garden alongside raspberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, silky and voluminous on the palate, it finishes long and elegant. It's another terrific wine that should prove relatively affordable upon release.

Wine Advocate (98)

A warm to hot vintage ideal for producing outstanding reds does not necessarily make for a great Sauternes vintage, but in the case of 1990 it did. Dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration that this wine exhibits. Fortunately, a little rain in late September and early October ensured that botrytis flourished well in the end, the final factor necessary to achieve this extraordinary expression.

Vinous - Neal Martin (100)

Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips.

Vinous - Neal Martin (100)

Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips.

Wine Spectator (100)

This is very long and intense. Really impressive. Full and very sweet, yet racy and fresh, with spicy botrytis character. Fantastic. Score range: 95-100 -JS

Wine Spectator (99)

A lovely, creamy, tropical style, with mango, papaya and guava notes lending a caressing feel, while singed almond and warm piecrust accents blossom through the lush finish. Just when you think that's all there is, toasted coconut, fig, orange blossom and persimmon details kick in, lending length and dimension. The finish is ridiculously long. Best from 2020 through 2060. -JM

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Wine Advocate (100)

Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.

Wine Advocate (100)

Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

Owners LVMH took the decision to delay the release of the 2019 Yquem until spring 2022. It was tasted with winemaker Sandrine Garbay in London. After the summer drought when Sauternes received just 2.5mm of rain until 26 July, that day saw a 112mm deluge that replenished underground reserves and gave ripening the push it needed. Dry and warm conditions prevailed throughout September when there was no sign of botrytis infection. That was finally provoked by 38mm of rain between 21 and 25 of September, followed by warm clement weather. After minor picking of Sauvignon Blanc on 7 of October, the main harvest began in earnest on 10 October. Pickers worked over the following five days, including Sunday. Time was of the essence because, as forecasts predicted, the weather suddenly changed on 14 of October with 40mm or rain. After that, the picking teams skirted between showers between 17 and 22 of October, though by now the fruit had begun to deteriorate. Therefore, the key aspect of this Yquem is the extremely tight picking window. The final blend contains 138g/L residual sugar, which is slightly less than the previous vintage, with 5.5g/L total acidity and 14.4% alcohol. Tasting the 2019, I noticed that it has a slightly paler hue compared to recent vintages (though I never read too much into the colour of young Sauternes.) For certain, it has a highly-aromatic bouquet that is beguiling in purity, enticing aromas of honeysuckle and saffron, soon joined by camomile, white flowers and orange blossom. It has wonderful delineation and gains intensity with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious and armed with just the right amount of viscosity, this Yquem is surprisingly understated at first but gains presence, offering irresistible flavours of layers of honey, lemongrass, lemon thyme and orange pith. Yquem is so tempting in its youth, but I feel that this vintage will repay those with the nous to cellar for at least a decade.

Vinous (91)

Bright purple. Textbook Syrah aromas of dark berries, olive, cracked pepper and smoky bacon carry a subtle floral topnote. Silky and sweet on the palate, offering juicy blackberry and cherry flavors and a touch of candied violet. Finishes on a spicy floral note; smooth tannins shape the clinging finish.

Vinous (91)

Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Fresh dark berry and floral pastille aromas are complemented by hints of black pepper and licorice. Juicy and supple in style, offering energetic blackberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that firm up on the back half. The long, smooth, subtly sweet finish features harmonious tannins and a touch of smokiness.

Vinous (92)

Opaque violet color. Aromas of ripe, smoke-tinged dark berries and fresh flowers are sharpened by building mineral and spice notes. Spicy and broad on the palate, offering juicy blackcurrant, cherry and violet pastille flavors with subtle olive and cracked pepper flourishes. Tightens up with air and finishes spicy and long, displaying fine clarity, even tannins and repeating florality.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

The 2020 Doisy-Daëne L'Extravagant is gracious and light on its feet. Scents of tangerine peel, mint, lemon confit, marzipan, jasmine and passionfruit are all beautifully lifted. Weightless and elegant, L'Extravagant is wonderfully subdued in 2020.

Vinous (92)

(made from two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah): Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red berry preserves, lavender, anise and sandalwood, lifted by a peppery topnote. Offers intense, palate-staining raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that gain weight with air. Impressively lively and pure on the persistent finish, which features gentle tannins and a late note of bitter chocolate.

James Suckling (97-98)

The is a phenomenal wine with dried pineapple and pear aromas and flavors. Full, very sweet. Incredible depth and power. Super complex.

James Suckling (97)

So much botrytis on the nose with spice, dried mushrooms and nutmeg. Dried lemons and mangoes. Full-bodied and medium sweet with density and, at the same time, lightness. I like that it is full of botrytis on the palate at the beginning and then turns fruity and very pretty at the end with citrus and fruit. Balanced, creamy and rich. Try after 2024, but already gorgeous.

Decanter (97)

An exceptional wine, this is just stuffed full of exotic fruits, layers of apricot, saffron, truffle and citrus, all powering through the palate with a mouthwatering finish. An early harvest - they finished picking in 2017 the same day that they started in 2018, and the crop showed unusually pure botrytis, needing less sorting than usual. Absolutely one to look out for.