Wine Advocate (97)

What a beauty and what an incredible leap forward to excellence. The Tenuta Argentiera 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Argentiera shows depth and wide shoulders with soft plushness and impeccable fruit. The full-bodied wine is dialed up on all levels from perfumes, intensity, mouthfeel, texture and freshness. This bottle should hold past the 20-year mark.

Decanter (100)

To attempt to describe the aroma, star anise and sandalwood would be suitable descriptors - but this is so pure and harmonious that this really smells of nothing other than itself. Perfectly weighted, perfectly balanced, with the most incredibly elegant tannins. This wine gave me goosebumps to taste, it’s hauntingly beautiful, the soul of Côte-Rôtie in a glass. It has everything you could hope for in a Côte-Rôtie, it’s pure perfection. It's rare for young wines to deliver such emotion.

Vinous (87)

The 2019 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a lot of new oak on the nose that, like the Blanchot, renders it rather predictable. The palate is balanced but fat in the mouth, with low acidity and a rather crowd-pleasing but simple finish. So-so.

Wine Advocate (94-96)

The 2013 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has an inviting, warm and enveloping bouquet that seems to surround the senses and give them a big hug. The palate is well balanced with fine tannins, animated citrus fruit underlying the black cherries and wild strawberry notes. There is really quite wonderful precision and focus on the finish. This is one of Jadot's best 2013s.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2019 Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru is a clear step up from the Echézeaux, offering a gorgeous marine-influenced bouquet, touches of oyster shell infusing the mixture of red and black fruit, and wonderful mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied, burly and intense with an almost "heaving" structure that grips the palate, all with utmost finesse. Fist, velvet glove, etc.... it’s all here.

Immerse yourself in the distinguished taste of Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019. Born from the fertile soils of Spain's premium wine region, Ribera del Duero, this wine encapsulates the centuries-old grape cultivating traditions and modern winemaking techniques of reputed producer Mariano Garcia. The blend utilises Tempranillo grapes harvested from vines aged over 60 years and is aged 22 months in new French oak barrels to create its robust profile.

On the palate, Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019 impresses with a rich tapestry of flavours ranging from black fruits to nuances of cocoa and spices. Its structured tannins and excellent acidity culminate in a long and thrilling finish, making it a splendid complement to an array of dishes.

Commended by esteemed wine critics, this vibrant yet complex wine delivers a seamless fusion of power and elegance. Experience the ultimate indulgence with Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019, a testament to the winemaking prowess of Ribera del Duero.

Vinous (94)

The 2013 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Minéral is powerful, ample and generous. All of the natural richness of 2013 comes through in this striking, layered exquisitely beautiful Champagne that melds together the essence of top sites in Avize (Les Champboutons) and Cramant (Les Bionnes). Dried citrus, lemon oil, almond and savory herbs add striking shades of nuance throughout, but what is most remarkable about the Minéral is the interplay of textural richness and energy. A Champagne of total seduction, the 2013 simply has it all. Dosage: 5 gr/L. Disgorged: May, 2019.

Vinous (96)

The 2013 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vénus is a gorgeous and eccentric wine. Sweet floral and minty overtones give the Vénus its distinctive high-toned profile. The richness and depth of this Chardonnay from a parcel planted in 1959 that has always been manually farmed, comes alive with a bit of time in the glass. The Vénus is such a special Champagne, as it is elusive and constantly changing in the glass as it shows a different side of its personality with each taste. I very much admire the sense of precision here. Vénus remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Champagne. No dosage. Disgorged: May, 2019.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93)

Slightly the deepest in colour and the richest nose of the four premier crus. Some lemon notes and light plum, then white fruit. This has the most assured texture of the four. Good grip, as Clive Coates would have said, stretching out very nicely in a fine long finish.

Vinous (85)

Also recommended.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94)

Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here.

Decanter (95)

Moutonne is one of Chablis' finest expressions and the 2019 will be another in a long list of memorable vintages. Although not the final bottling, it is clear that there is great power here, combined with finesse and a lightness on its feet. Savoury, umami, notes on the finish. Wood is a little evident now but will integrate beautifully once in bottle for 6-12 months. A lovely example, both powerful and restrained.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

Iris, rose and baking spice aromas take center stage on this beautiful red. It's young and tight but already delicious, featuring ripe red cherry, star anise and ground clove set against a backbone of bright acidity and noble tannins. It will age well for years. Drink 2029–2039.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection in Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni is all varietal and comes two-thirds from Oakville with the balance from sites in St. Helena and Rutherford. Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak and put together by Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, it has an incredibly pure, full-bodied, massive yet weightless style that I suspect couldn’t be achieved anywhere outside of Napa Valley. Cassis, blackberries, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf are just some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate while maintaining an ethereal, seamless, utterly perfect balance between its fruit, alcohol, tannins, and acidity. As good as it gets, it needs just 2-4 years in the cellar and will evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

Also a classic expression of its terroir, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard boasts a ripe, opulent, powerful style as well as notes of darker currants, tobacco, lead pencil, chocolate, and gravelly earth. I always find a Graves-like richness as well as a sense of earth from this site, and this beauty has it all in spades. Full-bodied, ripe, and polished on the palate, it stays relatively compact and will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is more closed aromatically, yet still offers impressive red, blue, and black fruits as well as savory herbs and dried flower nuances. It too is full-bodied, with a focused, tight, straight style on the palate that warrants 4-5 years of cellaring.

Decanter (100)

Proprietor Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni established this label in 2014. Entirely estate fruit, comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried herbs de provence round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated.

The Alessandro & Gian Fantino Barolo Cascina Dardi Bussia Riserva 2013 originates from the renowned vineyards of Monforte d’Alba, in Italy’s Barolo region. Produced by the visionary siblings Alessandro & Gian Fantino, this desirable Barolo is a testament to tradition, innovation, and meticulous craftsmanship. Using only hand-harvested Nebbiolo grapes and fermenting in steel vats before ageing in Slavonian oak barrels, this wine exudes the essence of the artisanal wine-making philosophy upheld by the Fantinos.

They are lauded for their organic viticulture techniques, accentuating the unique complexities of the terroir in each bottle. The Alessandro & Gian Fantino Barolo Cascina Dardi Bussia Riserva 2013 distinguishes itself with an intoxicating bouquet of dried fruit, leather, and spices, leading into a silky mouthfeel loaded with expressive, ripe berry notes. The lingering finish, robust tannins, and ageing potential make this Scallop Shell Barolo a connoisseur's delight.

Decanter (98)

Delicate yet formidable, this wine’s dense, multiple layers of complex texture and flavour speak eloquently. There’s fresh raspberry and graphite, rhubarb and red earth, dark plum and ironstone, and a suggestion of sage and nutmeg among blackberry bite, caressed by fine tannins. Sourced from only 200 vines planted in the 1950s, this 0.27ha micro-terroir boasts red-brown earth over limestone with traces of iron, providing fruit of rare depth and concentration. More sensuous and ethereal that its raw-boned sibling Alkina Polygon 5, but their common characteristic is extraordinary length of the purest flavours.

Decanter (98)

Delicate yet formidable, this wine’s dense, multiple layers of complex texture and flavour speak eloquently. There’s fresh raspberry and graphite, rhubarb and red earth, dark plum and ironstone, and a suggestion of sage and nutmeg among blackberry bite, caressed by fine tannins. Sourced from only 200 vines planted in the 1950s, this 0.27ha micro-terroir boasts red-brown earth over limestone with traces of iron, providing fruit of rare depth and concentration. More sensuous and ethereal that its raw-boned sibling Alkina Polygon 5, but their common characteristic is extraordinary length of the purest flavours.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Concentration is easy to achieve in Argentina,” says Alberto Antonini, “but texture is much harder.” All I can say is that he has succeeded here on this best-ever release from Altos Las Hormigas, which brings Burgundian levels of grace and complexity to Malbec. Scented, hauntingly graceful and complex with remarkable focus and depth, a hint of oak, sweet red fruits and a lingering finish. Exceptional winemaking.

Wine Advocate (97)

The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota (445 cases) is absolutely magnificent. Opaque black/purple in color, it comes across like a Château Montrose from a great vintage – a very earthy St.-Estèphe-inspired wine with the essence of loamy soil and crushed rocks interwoven with blackberry and cassis fruit. Some oak makes an appearance, but it is pushed to the background by the extravagance and enormous body and extract of this wine of phenomenal intensity. This is a classic Pierre Seillan style of wine meant for 25-40 years of cellaring.

James Suckling (98)

Redcurrants, sweet tobacco and flowers with some sandalwood. Very perfumed and floral. So pure. Full-bodied, yet so refined and layered, with a soft, compact palate and a crushed-velvet mouth-feel. Poised fruit at the end, together with fresh, rare wood and a light chocolate undertone to the aftertaste. This is open, yet there’s so much in reserve. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Leave it in the cellar for at least eight years. Try after 2029.

Crafted in the Southern Rhône Valley, the Anglore Lirac 2019 is a remarkable expression of Eric Pfifferling's expert winemaking prowess. Cultivated under the Mediterranean sun, in the mineral-rich terroir of Lirac, this unique blend benefits greatly from the old Carignan and Grenache vines it’s sourced from. Produced organically with no added sulphites, through the process of spontaneous fermentation, the Anglore Lirac 2019 delivers a harmonious balance of fruit and terroir, capturing the rich essence of its environment.

The wine reveals a stunningly rustic palette, boasting of stewed cherries, laced with hints of baking spice and a mesmerising earthiness. Turning towards a velvety textured, medium-bodied composition, it delivers a complex and lingering finish. The character and finesse of the Anglore Lirac 2019 cement it as a leading example of natural wines from the Rhône region, not just a joy to savor but a true testament to Pfifferling's dedication to quality and authenticity.

Vinous (94)

Crushed ashen stone, peppery black fruits, camphor and lifting mineral tones waft up from the 2019 Syrah Bramasole. This is soft and deeply textural, guided by brisk acids and salty minerals which mix with its masses of ripe dark fruits to create a harmonious expression. Aggressive tannins saturate toward the close. There’s so much potential here and with incredible length. A “wow” wine for sure; one that will provide a long and steady evolution in the cellar.

Vinous (94)

The 2013 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is remarkable wine in many ways. For starters, the 2013 is the first vintage of the Badia a Passignano done entirely in cask and in a more refined style than was the norm in the past, when this wine was rather bombastic. Outrageously beautiful, vivid and voluptuous, the wine is dark and enveloping, with tons of character and remarkable finesse. To be sure, this site will always produce ample, broad wines, but the 2013 is also incredibly elegant.