The Real Review (95)

Light, bright lemon colour, with a restrained aroma which suggests lightly-toasted cashew nut and almond, while the palate is intense and nicely concentrated, with length and penetration, purity of fruit and lovely clarity of lemon and grapefruit flavour, which lingers very long on the aftertaste. A seriously good chardonnay and great value.

James Suckling (99)

Incredible, reserved ripeness and depth already evident on the nose after one whiff, offering plum, cedar, rose hip, sandalwood, and licorice. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and an abundance of polished tannins that give the wine poise and grace, even though it’s long and powerful. The quality of the tannins are exceptional. Sheer and refined. This comes from the center of Cannubi. Aged five years in Stockinger cask. Better after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Just about pure perfection, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard comes from vines around the estate, just outside of Rutherford, which were planted in 1997. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, bay leaf, and graphite all flow to a full-bodied 2015 that has a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture that’s hard to describe. With building structure and a beautiful floral character that emerges with time in the glass, perfect balance, and a huge finish, this quintessential Napa Cabernet will benefit from a few years of bottle age and cruise for 3-4 decades. Bravo!

James Suckling (99)

Sweet white chocolate with currant, plum and subtle hazelnut on the nose. Some other spices, such as nutmeg and cloves. Floral. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go on and on. Beautiful center plate that is dense yet polished and fine and continues on. Exceptional. Fantastic finish. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to show it’s true greatness.

Matthew Jukes (18+)

The Fifty Finest Wines 2020 I tasted a large number of Californian wines this autumn and I found many of the wines (whites and reds) over-oaked, sweet, far too high in alcohol and generally out of balance. So, when successful wines put their hands up it was very encouraging. This amazing Cabernet had the very traits I associate with exceptionally expensive Californian red wines and yet, when I discovered its price, I couldn’t believe it. I far prefer this cuvée to the ‘Reserve’, which is £55. The key to this wine’s success is its balance. Every element is in perfect harmony. The fruit is pure and resonant, the tannins are classy and there is no weird-tasting oak whatsoever. Profound balance + a delicious flavour = a mention in the Finest Fifty

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2018 Pessimist is a barrel sample blend of 62% Petite Sirah, 19% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah and 2% Lagrein. It is expected to age for 11 months in 50% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple, it offers up tar, chargrill, turned black earth and blackcurrants with wafts of blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate, smoked meats and crushed red cherries. The medium to full-bodied palate has lifted flavor layers, a firm, grainy frame and long, spicy, fresh finish.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2018 Soul Of A Lion is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon, made exclusively from free-run juice, blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the nose opens slowly, segueing from graphite and tobacco leaves, to violets and blue fruit preserves, to cinnamon, potpourri and dark spices. The palate is seamless and cashmere-like, with expansive, pure, mineral-laced fruits enlivened by a burst of freshness that highlights the perfectly ripe fruit character this vintage. The finish is very long, offering violet perfume and iron tones that linger in the mouth. This is a gorgeous wine that combines unique personality with expert craftsmanship. It drinks well now but has all it needs for a long life in the cellar.

Vinous (91)

The 2018 Aristargos is a blend of 53% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette, 13% Sémillon with some skin contact, 10% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne and 9% Viognier, from a mixture of old and younger vines from across 14 vineyards, matured in neutral oak for 11 months. It has a complex bouquet of nectarine, desiccated orange peel, grilled hazelnuts and a touch of almond. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity and quite neutral in style, offering subtle, fleeting glimpses of orange zest and a tang of sea salt, though I would like just a little more weight on the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle.

Vinous (94)

The name of the maiden 2018 Plat’bos (“low bush”) indicates the kind of vines it comes from, lying in a vineyard adjacent to the Skaliekop on pure granite soils. It has a unapologetically silty, stony bouquet, very reserved and austere yet with an enthralling intensity that seems almost paradoxical. The palate is very well balanced. Perhaps one of the most concentrated of David and Nadia Sadie’s wines, it reveals a crescendo of flavors, with tangerine, citrus peel, stem ginger and a touch of rhubarb toward the persistent finish. This is another impressive Chenin from this producer.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Skaliekop comes from shale soils in the Paaderberg subregion, the Chenin Blanc vines planted in 1985. It is blessed with a very aromatic bouquet of pressed white flowers and jasmine; a little honeysuckle emerges with time. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. This is understated and very well balanced, and quite reminiscent of Chris Alheit’s style of winemaking. A delicious tang of sea salt appears toward the finish. One of those wines where the adage “more is better” is surely apt.

Vinous (92)

The 2018 Chenin Blanc comes from seven vineyards, the vines planted between 1962 and 1982 (and therefore eligible for the “Old Vine Project”). It has a lovely bouquet of apricot blossom, white peach, pine nuts and orange pith, the latter becoming more pronounced with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, rounded texture. This is a slightly richer Chenin Blanc from Sadie, yet still very well balanced. Nashi pear and clementine notes appear toward the elegant, almost understated finish. Top-class. Just 5,000 bottles.

Vinous (92)

The 2018 Grenache includes 60% whole bunches and comes from two main sites, on iron and granite soils. It has a lovely, very pure bouquet of red cherries, crushed strawberry, pressed flowers and wild hedgerow, all extremely natural and well defined. The palate is fresh on the entry, offering plenty of crunchy fruit and oddly reminiscent of an artisan Beaujolais. The light but energetic, tensile finish has just enough dryness to encourage another sip. Very fine.

Hailing from the prestigious vineyards of Burgundy, David Duband Haute Cotes Nuits Louis Auguste 2018 is an embodiment of refinement and elegance. This capstone of David Duband's craft boasts a charming nose of spiced red fruits, underpinned by subtle earthiness. The palate is rich in silky tannins, showcasing a perfect marriage of power and finesse.

This sublime creation comes from the expert hands of David Duband, a fourth-generation winemaker whose philosophy harmoniously blends tradition with organic viticulture. With 50 parcels of vineyard stretching over the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Duband pursues a non-interventionist vinification approach to best reveal each terroir's character. Predominantly matured in used oak barrels, the ageing lends subtle complexity to this Pinot Noir's flavours.

David Duband Haute Cotes Nuits Louis Auguste 2018 is undoubtedly a wine of enviable sophistication, a promise of an indulgent journey to the terroirs of Burgundy with each sip.

Expertly crafted by renowned vigneron David Duband, the exquisite David Duband Nuits-Saint-Georges Rouge 2018 embodies the distinct characteristics of its terroir. Hailing from high-quality, biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, France, this red wine is a paragon of pinot noir excellence.

Meticulously harvested and performed whole-cluster fermentation, this wine showcases Duband's minimalist approach. Each Berry underwent a cold soak before fermentation to extract the right tannins and colour and is naturally fermented, without any additional yeasts. The wine aged for 14 months in French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Nuanced layers of ripe red fruits, spice, and earthy undertones are elegantly woven together in the David Duband Nuits-Saint-Georges Rouge 2018, rendering a mouth-watering acidity and a refined finish. Truly, this vintage stands as a testament to David Duband's mastery and commitment to authenticity.

Vinous (90-92)

(two-thirds vendange entier; 25% new oak): Bright, full red. Distinctly limestone-driven aromas of raspberry, earth and smoky minerality. Silky, sappy and impressively concentrated, with black raspberry and cooler cherry flavors framed and enlivened by brisk acidity. The serious, broad tannins arrive late, allowing the wine's fruit flavors to carry well on the aftertaste.

Wine Advocate (88)

A full range of fruits can be seen with the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. Red, black and blue fruit are all present on the nose, with oak tones hiding in the back as well as subtle earth and cigar box aromas. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, dark cherry, cassis and juicy blueberry glide across the mid-palate, showing integrated soft, earthy aromas of leather and inorganic rock, ending with a long finish. This is a pleasing and structured Cabernet with a focused balance. The wine spent 22 months in oak barrels, 35% new. 8,040 bottles were made.

Vinous (89)

Pale gold-tinged yellow. Slightly musky, subdued scents of pineapple and fig. Broad, plush and dry, conveying serious palate presence and a suggestion of spicy oak that gives the finish a bit of phenolic firmness. A rather uncompromising Chenin Blanc, notable more for its texture than for its lift or fruit definition.

Platter’s Wine Guide (94)

4.5* Naturally fermented fruit (as all) from 4 Mont Fleur and Keermont parcels. Fine tannin structure for intense bramble fruit, plum pudding spice from 19 months in 35% new oak. Beautiful balance and great prospects. Also showed great freshness. Unfined and unfiltered.

Vinous (92)

The 2015 Syrah 393 includes 10% whole bunch fruit and was matured for 12 months in 40% new fine-grain French oak with a light toasting, and then transferred into used oak for another nine months. It has a very attractive bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, crushed violet and vanilla scents that are pure and opulent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin, and quite harmonious and smooth, delivering good density while not compromising on fruit. This is still quite backward and deserves another couple of years in bottle, but there is good potential here.

Vinous (93)

Dark purple. Expansive aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, smoky Indian spices and olive, with a suave floral nuance that gains strength with air. Deeply concentrated but energetic as well, offering palate-staining blueberry and violet pastille flavors and building spiciness. Rounded tannins add gentle grip to a strikingly long penetrating finish that clings with strong tenacity.

Wine Advocate (99)

While I've had multiple looks at previous vintages, this is my first review of the 2018 Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes. Inky in hue, it boasts powerful, brooding aromas that include hints of hardwood charcoal, dark berries, licorice, crushed stone and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and almost painfully intense, it's a huge, mouthfilling wine that seems capable of aging up to three decades. Rich, supple and creamy in texture, yet possessing remarkable length and retronasal nuance, it has to rank up there with some of the Hermitage hill's classics from other, more renowned producers. It certainly deserves a seat at that table and may be a candidate for a perfect score in the future.

Wine Advocate (99)

While I've had multiple looks at previous vintages, this is my first review of the 2018 Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes. Inky in hue, it boasts powerful, brooding aromas that include hints of hardwood charcoal, dark berries, licorice, crushed stone and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and almost painfully intense, it's a huge, mouthfilling wine that seems capable of aging up to three decades. Rich, supple and creamy in texture, yet possessing remarkable length and retronasal nuance, it has to rank up there with some of the Hermitage hill's classics from other, more renowned producers. It certainly deserves a seat at that table and may be a candidate for a perfect score in the future.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru is matured entirely in new oak with 40-50% whole-bunch fruit. It displays sublime purity on the nose, which offers layers of brambly red fruit mixed with crushed stone, pressed rose petals and freshly tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins and a perfect line of acidity. Tighter than the Mazis-Chambertin, with a precise and quite conservative finish. This is another profound Chambertin from Arnaud Mortet.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru includes 30% whole bunch and 60% new oak. It has a clean, well-defined bouquet with sous-bois and black truffle aromas permeating the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and charming, leading to an elegant, refined, caressing finish. Delicious and probably one of Mortet’s earlier-drinking cuvées.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru is completely de-stemmed and raised in 70% new oak. It has a very well-defined bouquet of raspberry and wild strawberry scents, plus pressed rose petal and a touch of orange pith. The palate is very well defined with supple tannins, a perfect line of acidity and a slight confit-like finish. Understated and refined, this will give two decades of drinking pleasure.

Oh, Las Lamas… she never disappoints, and what a fine vintage to play to her strengths. I honestly spent at least ten minutes just breathing in the phenomenal aromas of this wine. The nose is so open with a lovely fine balance, poised between sweet red fruit and granitic splendour. The palate is so mineral and the wet stone purity in this is exceptional. However, the deep cranberry fruit behind is gently sweet and frames the fine, incredibly long length. This has notes of raspberry tea and is another Bierzo wine with a rainwater finish. Gorgeous. Drink 2021-2030.