The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!

James Suckling (97)

The brightness and vivid fruit character here is so very impressive. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins. Extremely long and linear with a gorgeous finish. I can’t wait on this. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Jennifer’s Vineyard displays intense notes of grapefruit, green guava, mango and pineapple with nuances of talc, oyster shells and fresh ginger. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and super intense with tightly wound layers of citrus and tropical fruits and bags of mineral notions on the epically long finish. This needs time but should emerge from the cellar gloriously in 2-3 years! 337 cases produced.

James Suckling (98)

Wonderful aromas of tobacco, sweet fruit and licorice follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Love the length and subtlety to this young wine. Gorgeous. Drink after 2024.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2016 Haut-Batailley was tasted from two bottles, the first showing a touch of TCA. The second has an airy and well-defined bouquet of blackberry, graphite and subtle floral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and very classic in style, displaying impressive grip. I appreciate the substance toward the finish, and the pencil lead lingering on the aftertaste. This is an outstanding Haut-Batailley. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

The Wine Independent (100)

Composed of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Haut-Brion is deep garnet in color. The nose beings with simple licorice notes before slowly unfurling to deliver growing scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, dark chocolate, and lilacs, followed by suggestions of crushed rocks, tar, black truffles and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is a tightly coiled spring, taut with black fruit preserves and earthy layers and framed by very firm, grainy tannins, delivering a burst of freshness to carry the long, long, long finish. This will need a good 7-10 more years to fully blossom, and it will be well worth the wait.

James Suckling (93)

The reductive twist holds red and purple fruit, in fresh and slightly exotic mode, with a plum-compote edge. The palate delivers a linear shape with good persistence and focus on the finish. A blend of 65 per cent merlot and 35 per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2022.

Crafted by master vigneron Henri Bonneau, the revered Henri Bonneau Les Rouliers Vin de France NV is an exuberant symphony of complex flavour and bouquet. Originating from the wondrous terroir of Southern Rhône, this natural vin de table displays Richard-like dedication to the art of winemaking. Drawing from old-vine Grenache, this ruby liquid showcases rich, profound notes of black fruit, exotic spices, and hauntingly elegant earthiness, sure to enrapture the senses.

Intensive manual labour ensures careful selection, producing grapes expressive of time and place. Aging takes place in a labyrinth of ancient barrels, adding to the mystique and unique character of each bottle. The result is an ethereal wine, exhibiting luscious complexity and longevity making the Henri Bonneau Les Rouliers Vin de France NV a coveted addition to any collection.

Ignore trends and taste the Rhone Valley's timeless tradition personified in this most enchanting bottling by Henri Bonneau.

James Suckling (97)

An edgy, lively Champagne with bread dough, dried apples and apricots. Toffee with caramel with a lifted sense. Light oxidation with some nuts and saltiness. Full-bodied and very layered with so much going on. Creme brulee, pie crust and zingy acidity. Minty and lively. Strawberries and oranges coming through. This is 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay, all fermented in wood, 60% new. Drink now.

Vinous (97)

The MV 16 is bright, fresh and airy and yet has the natural richness of Aÿ that Giraud fans have come to expect. Apricot, tangerine oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, chamomile and dried flowers all meld together in a creamy, ample Champagne that hits all the right notes. A Champagne of towering presence, the MV 16 is classy, understated and undeniably alluring. It is also one of the most impressive Champagnes I have ever tasted from Claude Giraud. Even in the early going, the 70% new oak is so well-integrated. This set of new releases is full of highlights, but the MV 16 is especially fine. Don't miss it! Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 11, 2020.

Matthew Jukes (19)

Made from 100% Grand Cru Aÿ fruit – 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay – with 66% coming from the 2017 vintage. The balance is taken from a perpetual reserve that dates back to 1990. It sees a huge amount of oak, and this forest of staves forms the backdrop to this extraordinary performance. Deep gold in colour, there is a staggeringly full nose of brioche and panettone over an orange zest palate, and toasted almond notes come at you from all angles. The finish is thrillingly long with amazingly bold oak-smoke details. There is an air of luxury here that verges on the gastronomic as opposed to the vinous, and I swear I can detect notes of foie gras and roast chicken jus! I left a small amount of wine in the bottle with a stopper and tasted it a week later – it was incredible. Still sparkling, densely perfumed, hugely impactful and massively rich. If you love the wines of Salon, Selosse, Krug, Egly and other mighty Houses, then you will adore the intense fanfare of flavours that accompanies a bottle of Henri Giraud Champagne.

Vinous (92)

The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020.

James Suckling (96)

A vinous Champagne with so much depth and soft power. Hazelnuts, apricots, peach pits, lemons, pomelos and seashells. Round, creamy bubbles. Complex, but with wonderful drinkability. Converges with precision at the end. Very deep. 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay. Blend of 2 solera systems of perpetual reserve, started in 1990. Drink or hold.

Vinous (92-95)

Bright dark red. The most reduced of these 2016s on the nose today, offering scents of cherry, plum, licorice and mocha. Densely packed, fine-grained and sweet, showing terrific juicy cut and vinosity to its primary dark fruit, chocolate and violet flavors. Finishes with serious but essentially smooth tannins and rising purple fruits that saturate the mouth and leave the taste buds glistening. At once more refined and more powerful than the Vaucrains, this wine is built for a graceful evolution in bottle.

James Suckling (100)

This has a very complex nose, offering so many facets of spices and fragrance with florals and orange peel, as well as crushed stones, ripe black cherries, blackberries and dark cherries, earth, chocolate and more. The intensity and power here is very tightly held and it has a build of such precise tannins, which carry very intense and assertively ripe blackberries, dark cherries, ripe plums and blueberries. So much on offer here. This has a very bold, intense feel. Exceptional vintage. One of their finest. Try from 2028. Screw cap.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

The vines were 26yo in '16, too young for inclusion in Hill of Grace, notwithstanding its undoubted quality, matured for 14 months in French hogsheads (30% new). There's not a single hair out of place in a perfectly framed, medium-bodied shiraz. Bred in the purple.

Halliday Wine Companion (95)

Matured in French and American hogsheads (18% new) for 18 months. The bouquet does indeed bellow from the glass like that a euphonium. It has a swag of red, black and purple fruits all in tune, something very different for drinking now.

Decanter (97)

Powerful but unobtrusive tannins – like an engine purring – support dark, perfectly ripe blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit, with hints of strawberry, red fruit leather and smoked charcuterie notes from the oak. Spice and dried herb nuances unfurl over three days, beautifully articulating the terroir and its 104-year-old vines through notes of black pepper, sage, tea tree, star anise, mint and cardamom. Ripe and refreshing redcurrant sustains the sweet, spiced fruit through the long, sinuous finish. Terrific purity, poise and panache. Released at £137.

Vinous (95)

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru has a slightly meaty/feral bouquet, just a hint of gaminess that might become more conspicuous with bottle age. Otherwise I find this well defined and with flattering red cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is a fine bead of acidity here, a pleasant fleshy mouthfeel towards the finish and a residual salinity that beckons you back for the next sip. This represents another impressive wine from Charles Van Canneyt. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Burghound (90-92)

An exuberantly expressive and spicy nose offers up a lovely mélange of pure red and dark cherry and floral aromas. The sleek, indeed satin-textured middle weight flavors brim with minerality on the super-saline infused finish. I really like the delineation and energy here plus the mid-palate concentration is better than usual. In 2016 this is very Chambollesque in character.

Wine Advocate (100)

The “dark expression of Ark Vineyard" continues with the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Ark. Deep garnet-black, the nose is profoundly earthy/meaty, slowly revealing beguiling notes of damp soil, truffles and crushed rocks, before giving way to a core of crème de cassis, black cherry compote and fruitcake with wafts of beef drippings and wild fungi. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-earthy in the mouth, the palate delivers layers of black fruit preserves, beautifully offset by a lively backbone and velvety tannins, finishing epically long and layered. There is something hauntingly cerebral and yet satisfyingly visceral about this vintage—a singular experience!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Probably my favorite in the entire lineup, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between comes from a tiny site just outside of Calistoga formerly known as the Pickett Road Vineyard. Like the 2015, the 2016 includes a touch of Cabernet Franc and spent the usual 32 months in 100% new French oak. This full-bodied, majestic Napa Valley Cabernet reveals a dense purple hue, awesome crème de cassis and kirsch fruit, amazing complexity in its spicy, sandalwood, and floral aromatics, and a massive yet elegant, lengthy personality. The texture is through the roof, it’s as seamless and polished as they come, perfectly balanced, and while I’d happily drink bottles today, my money is on this evolving for 3-4 decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith soars out of the glass with Black Forest cake, Indian spices, tobacco leaf, dried Provence herbs and smoked meats notes, with touches of damp soil, black truffles and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with layer upon earthy layer of nuanced black fruits, framed by finely grained tannins, finishing with a lifted, bright red fruit burst. It's like a complex scent puzzle that only begins to make sense when knitted with the textures in the mouth and then long after the wine has been swallowed. Still incredibly youthful, give it another 5 years in the cellar, at least, and drink it over the next 40 years+.

Hure Freres 4 Elements Pinot Noir 2016 embodies excellence. This delectable wine hails from France's Champagne region, renowned for pristine-quality grapes. Hand-picked to ensure supreme quality, the 100% Pinot Noir grapes, are meticulously processed, paying respect to each of the four elements: earth, fire, air and water. Hure Freres, the esteemed family vineyard, expertly harnesses their years of winemaking heritage, beautifully infusing these elements into each bottle. Savour the intense fragrance of ripe cherry and plum with an echoing smoky note.

On the palate, Hure Freres 4 Elements Pinot Noir 2016 is a sensuous delight. It unveils complex layers of red fruit and spice, intertwined with subtle wood nuances, balanced by an invigorating acidity. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, this wine flaunts a sophisticated silkiness that lingers on the palate. Reflecting its regal lineage, this wine stands testament to refined winemaking, making Hure Freres 4 Elements Pinot Noir 2016 a coveted choice for the discerned palate.

The Hure Freres Memoire Extra Brut NV is a sophisticated combination of elegance and complexity. Crafted from 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, this blend is a distinguished product of 30-year-old vines located in the prestigious Champagne region of France. The house has been producing fine wines since 1960, and their expertise is wonderfully highlighted in this best-selling spirit.

The Hure Freres Memoire Extra Brut NV undergoes dual fermentation, first in enamel-coated and stainless steel vats, and then aged on lees for over seven years, resulting in a matured effervescence that teases the palate. You'll appreciate its golden hue, the result of a carefully controlled malolactic fermentation. The cascade of fine bubbles, impressive minerality, and an elegant finish pay tribute to the meticulous traditional methods of the Hure Frères winery.

As a testament to its superb craftsmanship, this wine perfectly encapsulates the Hure Freres Memoire Extra Brut NV's passion for producing exquisite wines that captivate connoisseurs and collectors alike.

Decanter (98)

2016 was a later harvest, with picking interspersed with rain showers. 18 micro-vinifications took place in 25% new tonneaux and 75% stainless steel tanks, using wild yeast for the first time (the 2015 was inoculated). It was also the first year of using large barrels as the team sought to reduce overt oakiness in the wine, and so the 2016 was matured for 24 months in new tonneaux and one large 15hl barrel, followed by five months in cement before bottling. It has a darker profile with more black cherry character compared to 2015, grippier, more powerful and silky in the mouth. It has great freshness, showing plenty of balsamic influence and raspberry acidity, finishing with flourishes of wood, herbs, spice and earthiness. 3,600 bottles produced.

Vinous (97)

The 2016 Il Caberlot (Magnum) is a knock-out. Rich, ample and expansive, with superb intensity, the 2016 has so much to offer. A rush of red cherry jam, wild herbs, mocha, rose petal, mint and blood orange builds in a towering, explosive Caberlot that captures all of the personality of this unique Merlot/Cabernet Franc hybrid. Deep, plush and beautifully resonant, the 2016 is a total stunner. It is also one of the very finest vintages I have ever tasted here. In a word: magnificent!

Falstaff (100)

Clear, powerful ruby. A lot of fresh and vivid fruit, full of dark cherries, pomegranate and fresh leather. Opens on the palate with a lot of vivid, fine-meshed tannin spans a wide arc, very juicy and long aftertaste.

Vinous (97)

I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.