Filled with grandeur, the Bart Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2018 is a fine gem from the Côte de Nuits region in Burgundy, France. This robust red, by renowned winemaker Pierre Bart, is a testament to the depth of his 6 generations-worth viticulture command.

Made from aged Pinot Noir vines, the Bart Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2018 is noted for its sumptuous layers of complexity. Its 18-month maturation in oak barrels imparts a hint of spice that pairs exquisitely with its rich fruit undertones. A waft of crushed red cherries and wild raspberries encapsulates the essence of the wine's terroir, whilst a gentle touch of mineral inflection evokes the limestone-rich soil of the vineyard.

Exuding sensuality yet profoundly structured, the Bart Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2018 treads flawlessly between power and elegance, drawing devoted followers. A wine of such mesmerising depth, it remains ever-engaging as it evolves in the glass over time.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular.

Wine Spectator (96-99)

Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is.

Wine Spectator (96-99)

Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare (normal is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-95)

The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is all Roussanne and comes from a three-hectare parcel of vines planted in 1901. It offers a heavenly bouquet of white currants, white flowers, honeysuckle, and toasted bread that opens up beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, it stays perfectly balanced on the palate and has that rare sense of richness paired with freshness that’s the hallmark of truly great wines.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

The wine of the vintage. Compelling in every sense of the word, the wine is incredibly dark in color. The aromatics kick off with an amazing display of spices, herbs, wet earth, leaf, pepper, grilled meat, black raspberry, kirsch and plum notes. The weight, density and intensity on the palate coats your taste receptors, yet retains its lush, silky texture. The seamless finish leaves the 60 second mark in its wake. This should age for decades.

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.

The Wine Cellar Insider (99)

With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.

The Wine Cellar Insider (99)

With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.

James Suckling (99)

Very intense blackberries, black olives, blueberries and dried flowers. Stony minerality. Even some pine. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and ultra fine tannins that are intense and polished. The finish is so long and delivers so much flavor, from wet earth to blackberry again. Seamless palate. Try after 2026.

Vibrantly expressing terroir-driven nuances, the Belle Brise 2018 bestows an exquisite drinking experience. From the extraordinary Pauillac region of Bordeaux, France, this sophisticated wine is cultivated by the esteemed Château Belle-Brise, famed for their meticulous, organic grape-growing traditions. Like every bottle from the estate, Belle Brise 2018 is exclusively hand-harvested, preserving grapes' integrity.

The blend manifests a remarkable combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, aged exquisitely in specially sourced oak barrels, granting an unrivalled complexity of flavour. Vive la Belle Brise!

This opulent vintage presents notes of ripe blackcurrants, luscious plums, and subtle hints of violet, underlined by a nuanced, cedarwood finish. The Belle Brise 2018 displays sublime structure, commanding depth of flavour, and an elegantly smooth finish.

A true gem within the world of fine wines, Belle Brise 2018 is a robust, well-balanced revelation, promising a sublime addition to any discerning wine cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A powerful, full-bodied, straight-up awesome wine, the 2018 Hermitage from Domaine Belle comes from the more limestone soils of the Les Murets lieu-dit and spent more than two years in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a smorgasbord-like array of kirsch, jammy blackberries, acacia flowers, violets, ground pepper, and cured meats. With full-bodied richness, a rich, opulent, incredibly sexy texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, we're in blockbuster territory, and along with the 2017, it's the finest Hermitage I've tasted from this domaine. It has another 15-20 years (probably longer) of prime drinking.

Bellene Vosne-Romanee Les Quartiers de Nuits 2018 is a sublime French red, originating from the world-renowned Burgundy region, crafted by Maison Roche de Bellene. Bellene is celebrated for exquisitely-crafted, small-batch wines that showcase both, the uniqueness of each grape variety and the intricacy of the terroir. This vintage exemplifies that ethos.

This complex Pinot Noir exhibits a refined balance of power and finesse, seducing the palate with vibrant berry notes, interwoven with hints of spice and earth. The wine was aged for two years in French oak barrels, adding depth and a velvety texture to the character.

Bellene Vosne-Romanee Les Quartiers de Nuits 2018 demonstrates Burgundian winemaking at its finest, offering a wine both instantly enjoyable and remarkable for its cellar potential. For those seeking the true expression of Burgundy Pinot Noir, this wine is the exquisite embodiment.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

A rough blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Franc made by the team at Canon (Thomas Duclos also consults here), the 2018 Château Berliquet sports a deeper purple color as well as a complex, layered style in its black raspberry, white flowers, dried earth, spice, and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and brilliant freshness and purity as well as a serious kick of minerality on the finish. Coming from a smaller 10-hectare terroir located on the clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, it will spend 16 months in 45% new French oak. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

A rough blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Franc made by the team at Canon (Thomas Duclos also consults here), the 2018 Château Berliquet sports a deeper purple color as well as a complex, layered style in its black raspberry, white flowers, dried earth, spice, and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and brilliant freshness and purity as well as a serious kick of minerality on the finish. Coming from a smaller 10-hectare terroir located on the clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, it will spend 16 months in 45% new French oak. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

A rough blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Franc made by the team at Canon (Thomas Duclos also consults here), the 2018 Château Berliquet sports a deeper purple color as well as a complex, layered style in its black raspberry, white flowers, dried earth, spice, and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and brilliant freshness and purity as well as a serious kick of minerality on the finish. Coming from a smaller 10-hectare terroir located on the clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, it will spend 16 months in 45% new French oak. Tasted twice.

Vinous (96)

The ripeness of the 2018 vintage gives an almost Syrah/Viognier character to the Chinon La Croix Boissée, which offers sweet black fruit and a creamy apricot note. Sumptuous yet never ever opulent, it's almost as if the wine's just done a yoga class. Plentiful tannins give the inside of your cheeks a chalky rub, while there's surprising freshness considering the ripeness, leading to a lengthy finish. This is a baby that will turn out to be a great adult.

Burghound (92-94)

Here the more expressive nose is quite floral and high-toned with its mélange of red currant, pomegranate and soft earth scents. Once again there is excellent mid-palate density to the sleek, intense and powerful flavors that flash fine detail and minerality on the mildly austere, complex and strikingly long finish. This is a classic Champeaux of power and grace though one that is also clearly constructed to age for years.

Vinous (91-93)

Assembled from several parcels of 80- to 100-year-old vines, the 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin "Cuvée Coeur de Roy" has an elegant, seductive bouquet of pure raspberry and wild strawberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe sappy red fruit, good structure and very well-integrated new oak toward the finish. This has good potential.

Introducing the esteemed Bernard Millot Meursault La Barre 2018, a remarkable white Burgundy from the world-renowned vineyard of Bernard Millot. Located in the heart of Meursault, a village celebrated for its exemplary Chardonnays, the vineyard reflects its distinctive terroir in every bottle. The 2018 vintage, harvested from the La Barre single vineyard, embodies a unique blend of artisanal skill and nature's bounty.

This wine underwent meticulous vinification involving gentle pressing and fermentation in French oak, lending nuances of toasted almond and vanilla to its vibrant citrus and white orchard fruit flavours. Its balanced acidity and long, mineral-driven finish exemplify Meursault's character.

Matured for 12 undisturbed months in the cellar, the Bernard Millot Meursault La Barre 2018 typifies the exceptional precision and finesse synonymous with the Bernard Millot name. Experience the embodiment of French winemaking culture in this exquisite vintage.

Eminent for its elegance, Bernard Millot Meursault Les Vireuils 2018 is an embodiment of top-tier white Burgundy wine. From the distinguished vineyards of Meursault, a revered village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy, France, comes this pristine expression of the Chardonnay grape. Renowned producer Bernard Millot meticulously crafts this refined wine, using traditional vinification methods. Maturation occurs in French oak barrels, introducing a subtle hint of spice to the wine's complex palate.

A treat to finer palates, Bernard Millot Meursault Les Vireuils 2018 exudes bright, enchanting aromas of ripe orchard fruits and fresh, zingy citrus. This melds seamlessly into rich, creamy undertones with a mineral-driven finish, unveiling the elegant depth of this Chardonnay. Each bottle reflects the exceptional terroir it hails from and the skilled winemaking philosophy of the Millot Estate. Invest in Bernard Millot Meursault Les Vireuils 2018, and appreciate a marvellous wine that symbolises the peerless quality of white Burgundy.

Vinous (90)

The 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay, which had been bottled by the time of my visit, has a clean, precise apple blossom and citrus-scented bouquet that shows impressive definition for a generic white Burgundy. The palate is taut and fresh with a touch of bitter lemon on the entry, superb acidity and a saline finish. You will not find a better white Bourgogne Blanc in 2018.

Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

The first release from this site, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard boasts a saturated purple color as well as a heavenly bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, ground herbs, and gravelly minerality. It's one of those powerful yet ethereal, weightless wines that carries full-bodied richness, seamless tannins, and just a heavenly finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-99)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard has a classic gamey black and blue fruit character as well as notes of black olive, leafy herbs, and dark chocolate. It's rich, powerful, and full-bodied, with remarkable purity and a great finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

While this cuvée is one of the least expensive in the lineup, it’s often one of my favorites. The 2018 Ontogeny is no exception and should be snatched up by readers. A classic 2018 nose of ripe, pure blue fruits, cassis, violets, and smoked earth gives way to a full-bodied, dense, concentrated Cabernet with beautiful tannins and length. It’s going to evolve for 20 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

The same 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, brought up in new oak, the 2018 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine is another incredibly pure, complex, yet powerful 2018. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, spring flowers, chocolate, and graphite give way to a full-bodied, pure, and seamless wine that has incredible potential.

Vinous (97)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard Vixen Block is one of the most complex wines in the entire range. Red fruit, iron, mint, rose petal, spice and blood orange give the 2018 a real feeling of exotic beauty. Each taste reveals a new facet. Time in the glass brings out the wine's striking aromatic presence and overall intensity.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)

Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016!

James Suckling (99)

What intense aromas of cherries and raspberries! Then it turns to flowers and orange peel. Roses, too. This is really full and powerful with layers of ripe tannins. It’s super fine-tannined, but shows wonderful length and intensity. A great expression of Lamole in Chianti Classico with ancient vines. Some older than 100 years. Best ever? Superb. Try after 2024 and onwards.