Richard Juhlin (95)

It was time for the good James to enjoy one of the most magnificent champagnes for the release of the 25th Bond film. The decision to use Pinot Noir for this 2011 vintage, exclusively from the home village of Aÿ with its mighty fruit is nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps wait about ten years until the wine has reached its peak and completely integrated its enormous fruit with the barrel notes, but the wine is already magnificent with its deep ripe aroma of Gravenstein apples, backed by fresh wooden notes. House typical and powerful.

Vinous (95+)

The 2011 Sammarco is so youthful it almost tastes like a barrel sample! Dark, rich and inviting, the 2011 possesses notable concentration and depth, with round yet powerful tannins and a surprising level of freshness for the year. A host of black cherry, graphite, smoke, plum and lavender notes accompany the powerful finish. It will be quite some time before the 2011 is ready to drink, but there is plenty to look forward to.

Vinous (95+)

(13.4% alcohol): Explosive aromas and flavors of raspberry, smoked meat, woodsmoke, bacon fat, truffle and black olive, along with notes of minerals and bloody steak. Densely packed but juicy and almost magically light on its feet, with strong smoky minerality contributing to the impression of inner-mouth tension. Like a great Cote-Rotie in its sappiness and spicy lift. Finishes with a whiplash of flavor and subtle building length. Christophe Baron used just 10% new to age this wine as well as the En Cerise and Cailloux, letting his extraordinary sites speak for themselves.

Wine Advocate (94)

We finished the tasting with the two Bordeaux blends. About as sexy and voluptuous as they come in the vintage, the 2011 Merlot Northridge Vineyard gives up loads of plum, violets, cassis, graphite and hints of spring flowers to go with a full-bodied, hedonistically styled profile on the palate. Possessing no hard edges, yet solid concentration and sweet tannin, it will put a smile on anyone’s face over the coming 7-82years.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

This is a fabulous gran reserva from a very good but lightly heralded vintage. Aromas of spiced plum, black olive, fig, tobacco and cassis come together like a puzzle. A deep, pure palate shows near-perfect balance, while this tastes of plum, berry fruits and earthy spice. Smooth, elegant and chocolaty on the finish, this delivers all one can ask for from Rioja. Drink through 2035.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

This is a fabulous gran reserva from a very good but lightly heralded vintage. Aromas of spiced plum, black olive, fig, tobacco and cassis come together like a puzzle. A deep, pure palate shows near-perfect balance, while this tastes of plum, berry fruits and earthy spice. Smooth, elegant and chocolaty on the finish, this delivers all one can ask for from Rioja. Drink through 2035.

Wine Advocate (97-99)

The Fonseca 2011 is typically more forthcoming on the nose compared to the bashful Croft: a strident bouquet with lifted scents of freshly picked blackberries, kirsch, crushed stone and a dash of Hoi Sin and oyster sauce. It is very well-defined, very focused and direct. The palate is silky smooth with not a rough edge in sight, though not a typically voluptuous Fonseca because of the keen thread of acidity and the structure that lends this mighty Port wonderful backbone. A slight viscosity on the finish lacquers the tongue and indicates a core of sweet fruit is ticking away underneath that will surely explode several years after bottling. A tincture of salted licorice on the aftertaste is very attractive. This will turn out to become an outstanding Fonseca, the growing season taming its exuberance with spectacular results. So much potential, but just 6,000 cases were produced. Tasted May 2013.

Wine Advocate (97)

I'm increasingly convinced that Pierre Larmandier produced Champagne's wines of the vintage this year, and the 2011 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant only compounds that suspicion. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex nose of citrus zest, crisp yellow apples, smoke, warm bread, mandarin oil and oyster shell, it's full-bodied and fleshy but incisive, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, intensely saline finish. Totally transcending the reputation of 2011, it has many of the textural properties of a great white Burgundy, married with the cut and chalky grip of Champagne's Côte de Blancs.

Wine Advocate (93)

From a difficult year (no Cristal, no Vintage) with a wet summer and a harvest already in August (like 2017 and most probably also 2018), Roederer's soon-to-be-released 2011 Blanc de Blancs offers a clear, bright, fresh and very delicate and floral bouquet with almond, hazelnut and nougat aromas. Sourced entirely in Avize (toward Cramant in the north and Oger in the south), where Chardonnay behaved quite well that year, as Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon put it. He noted that the 2011 Blanc de Blancs comes along like a Crémant from the Loire Valley rather than a Champagne from the Côte des Blancs due to its low pressure. Thirty percent of the cuvée was fermented in oak (in 2017, it's 32%) to give a more rich and round style of Blanc de Blancs since the characteristic salinity comes in the finish anyway. We like texture! That's why we pick very ripe grapes at 11% alcohol. We don't chaptalize, and—since 1930—we don't need malolactic fermentation here. We just reduce the pressure to ensure a fuller, richer flow of bubbles. In fact, the 2011 is deliciously rich and charming but also pure, highly delicate (if not tender) and lifted by an airy freshness. The finish is pure and salty and underlines the great elegance, finesse and supple lightness of the 2011. To tell you the truth, this is a damn good 2011! Disgorged in January 2018; tasted May 2018.

Revered for its captivating expression of terroir, the Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 3* White Capsule 2011 is a genuine marvel from Germany's renowned Mosel wine region. Markus Molitor, a revered artisanal vintner who assumes a minimalist approach in the vineyard and winery, meticulously crafts this Riesling from the esteemed Sonnenuhr vineyard, famed for its blue Devon slate soil. Hand-picked at perfect ripeness, the grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation before a veritable slumber in large oak foudres, allowing for a harmonious fusion of fruit, acidity and mineral nuances.

The Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 3* White Capsule 2011 radiates opulence through its expansive, multi-layered profile. Laden with tropical fruit, honeyed notes and a thread of profound minerality, this Auslese culminates in a prodigious finish. Beverage connoisseurs can anticipate decadent sipping, particularly when paired with dishes of piquant complexities.

Experience the transcendent ethos embodied by the Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 3* White Capsule 2011, a testament to the grandeur of German Riesling.

Vinous (91)

Opaque ruby. Oak-spice-accented red and blue fruits, vanilla, roasted coffee and a hint of smokiness on the perfumed nose. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering concentrated black raspberry and cherry-vanilla flavors that turn sweeter with air. The vanilla and cherry notes linger on the sweet, persistent finish, which is shaped by supple, harmonious tannins. Definitely showing its oak right now, but there's plenty of fruit to back it up.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2011 Boggina sees fruit sourced from the same single-vineyard, only this expression sees 12 days of maceration and 14 moths of barrel aging (both tonneaux and botte). This is a radically different wine that shows precision and dark focus. The BogginAnfora feels fuzzy and foggy in comparison with a broader aromatic presentation, although both wines offer considerable charm. Here, the aromas are delivered straight to your senses with power and determination. The mouthfeel is richly layered with sweet cherry and spice. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028.

Expertly crafted by acclaimed winemaker Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, the Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 2011 is a superb expression of Spanish finesse. Grapes are handpicked from the oldest vines in Rioja Alavesa, aged for 22 months in French oak, then bottled without filtration or clarification — manifesting an intense character that truly reflects its terroir. Its voluptuous bouquet bears notes of ripe red fruits, sweet spices, and smoky cedar, while the palate is noted for its well-structured tannins and endless finish. Drinking wonderfully now, the Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 2011 also possesses remarkable cellaring potential. A benchmark in modern Rioja winemaking, this distinguished reserva aligns tradition with innovation, achieving a harmony highly coveted among fine wine enthusiasts. Fully certified by the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja, it is indeed a testament to uncompromising quality and style.