Wine Advocate (99)

The 2002 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is spectacular today, soaring from the glass with a complex bouquet of smoky pear, lemon, mandarin orange and peach mingled with smoke, praline, crushed mint and hints of wet chalk. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and strikingly complete, with a textural attack that segues into a concentrated core framed by a vibrant spine of acidity and buttressed by chalky extract. Long and penetrating, this is one of the finest vintages Francis Egly has produced to date.

James Suckling (97)

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.

The Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2021 is an exquisite expression of fine wine crafted by a legendary producer in Italy's Abruzzo region. Each bottle of this timeless edition captures the distinctive finesse and individuality imbued by its terroir.

Emidio Pepe's artisanal winemaking commences with hand-harvested grapes, delicately destemmed, hand-crushed, and fermented with indigenous yeasts, ensuring the preservation of the characterful native nuances. Aged substantially in botti before bottling, this bio-dynamic elixir enthralls with a harmonious blend of finesse and power.

As a masterpiece from one of Italy's celebrated wine artisans, the Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2021 showcases tantalisingly deep garnet hues, complimented by seductive aromas and intense flavours of autumnal fruits, florals, spices and an earthy complexity.

This vintage is further enhanced by its impressive cellaring potential, making it a quintessential choice for discerning enthusiasts and collectors of fine wines.

James Suckling (98)

Nervy, nicely funky, precise and mineral nose with a “protective” flintiness and an alluring peppery edge to the wild berries and pomegranate. Fine, dissolved tannins with a mealy, dusty texture, tapping into a super tangy, fresh palate full of grapefruit zest and wild berries. Really long and irresistible now, but can age.

Real Review (97)

Intense, dense wine with cassis, blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, mixed spice and nutty oak flavours. Concentrated wine that is beautifully structured making it accessible now but with obvious potential

James Suckling (95)

A juicy and savory 2021 with dried strawberry, meat, mineral and earth undertones. Medium to full body. Chewy tannins and layered. Slightly smoky at the end. Charcoal. Very drinkable but better in 2025. Screw cap.

Burghound (93-96)

Don't Miss! An overtly floral-suffused nose features notes of lilac, carnation and acacia blossom that are trimmed in spice, citrus rind and soft wood wisps. The strikingly pure and beautifully defined larger-bodied flavors are not super-dense but I very much like the texture, all wrapped in a clean, bone-dry and compact finish that flashes plenty of focused power. This could also use a bit more depth but that shouldn't be an issue. As an aside, for those readers who were Sauzet fans 25-ish years ago, the '21 Bâtard reminds me quite a bit of the 1993, which is one of Sauzet's all-time great vintages.

James Suckling (100)

Super-concentrated and super-elegant, this is as refined as dry riesling can be. And after you’ve taken in the ravishing beauty of the peachy fruit, the lime freshness and what they do for each other, comes a tidal wave of crushed-rock minerality that sweeps you away. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2021 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more backward and surly than the Bienvenues at this stage, less "welcoming". The palate is well balanced with a tangy entry, orange rind and lemon peel, touches of grapefruit towards the finish, though the Bienvenues has more cohesion. Still commendable given the season.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

Pale but pretty colour. Light fruit on the nose. Spared from the frost, and as is typical of such cuvees in 2021, the wine feels more complete – in fact, displaying a particularly long finish. This avoids also the blocky side of Clos Vougeot, showing instead a rather fine fresh but light strawberry fruit. One could almost suggest that it is ethereal for this appellation! Drink from 2030-2038.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)

A pretty fresh ruby crimson. The nose is elegant for Corton, fruit enhanced by a floral top note. Very good. Crisp, mineral, vertical, somewhat raw but with a fine quality of fruit, reasonable persistence. The new wood is not marking in flavour but does help to make the structure. Drink from 2028-2036.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Fairly dense crimson in colour. There is a solid weight of fruit on the nose, dark raspberry with some strawberry too. Some depth to this. A mix of mineral and floral for Jérôme while I find something earthier. Firm tannins at the finish but plenty of fruit to surround them. Drink from 2028-2036.

James Suckling (93)

Fresh and vivid aromas of fruit, bark, mushrooms and crushed stones. Medium body with very fine tannins and lots of fresh cherry and orange peel on the finish. Crunchy. 90% sangiovese, 5% ciliegiolo and 5% alicante.

Burghound (91-93)

An airy and perfumed nose features notes of spice, red currant and a lovely array of floral nuances. There is excellent vibrancy to the solidly concentrated and unusually powerful medium-bodied flavors that are also quite compact on the lingering and balanced finale. Once again, this is firmly austere and a wine that will need at least half a dozen years of keeping first.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Mid purple, not so much distinction coming from the nose. But an impressive depth of fruit behind, really singing. Now the fruit comes out. There is a sumptuous aspect to the fruit halfway to grand cru, though nothing vulgar. Perhaps just a mite chunky. Long finish on pure red fruit. Drink from 2027-2033.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (89-92)

A small amount of whole bunch and a lot of sorting. The 2021 Chambolle has a rich deep purple colour with a fairly full deep dark fruit on the nose. Nothing overly weighty, a bit of grenadine alongside the dark raspberry fruit, good acidity, lively and fresh with fine persistence Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted: December 2022

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-92)

Made from two-thirds Chaillots to one-third Lavières. 10% whole bunch. A full purple. The nose is a little less expressive than the Vosne Romanée but very typical of the appellation, plums and red berries together. There is a good depth of fruit behind, deepening further back on the palate, then a fresh finish with lively tannins and good acidity. Drink from 2026-2031. Tasted: December 2022

Vinous (90-92)

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru has a little more vigour and energy on the nose compared to the Vergers or Morgeots. The palate is well balanced with lime and orange pith, edgier than other cuvées with orange rind and ginger arming the finish. I can see this maturing nicely in bottle.

Vinous (94)

The 2021 Teroldego Sgarzon is an elegant beauty. Roses and cloves complement bright cherries and strawberries. It's silky to the core, balancing sweet red fruits and acidity, creating a perfectly harmonious red. The Sgarzon finishes remarkably fresh yet potent and long, with a framing of gentle tannins, and licorice and mineral hints that linger on. The 2021 is quite possibly the prettiest interpretation of Sgarzon to date.

Wine Advocate (94+)

What a beautifully refreshing summer wine for ambitious wine freaks! Gantenbein's 2021 Pinot Noir opens with a deep, pure, slightly flinty and toasty yet intensely fruity bouquet with raspberry and blackberry as well as chocolate and oak aromas. Full-bodied, straight and fresh on the palate, this is a very elegant, juicy, silky textured and full-bodied Pinot with a straight, tight, long and saline finish that reveals fine but grippy tannins. Impressive wine! 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in Lütjensee in June 2023.

Prepare your palate for the Georges Lelektsoglou Crozes-Hermitage Vieilles Vignes de Gervans 2021, a majestic embodiment of French viticulture. Crafted in the celebrated Crozes-Hermitage appellation in the Northern Rhône region of France, this sumptuous wine is the brainchild of acclaimed producer Georges Lelektsoglou. True to its illustrious lineage, its grapes burgeon on vintage vineyards that nestle amidst the verdurous slopes of Gervans.

Georges Lelektsoglou hones traditional methods, using sustainable practices to venerate the terroir's complexity. This 2021 vintage enchants with expressive Syrah varietal, yielding pronounced dark fruit notes enveloped in a robust structure, soft tannins, and intoxicating spice accents. Enjoy its velvety texture, balanced acidity, and harmonious bouquet; manifesting an eloquent testament to the enduring artistry of Rhône winemaking. Experience the captivating allure of 'Georges Lelektsoglou Crozes-Hermitage Vieilles Vignes de Gervans 2021'—a wine of remarkable elegance.

Decanter (95)

Pale creamy white. Perfumed aromas of lemons and lavender. On the palate, the oak is well integrated, with notes of creamy, honeyed richness and white almonds, opening up to vibrant, ripe red berries and floral notes. The palate is intense and powerful with rounded ripe fruit, a well-balanced structure and mouth-watering, salted lemon concentration. Rebellious in terms of pricing and weighty complexity, the wine, despite being released when young, has a strong focus on ageability.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

From the Primavera vineyard at Woori Yallock, planted in 2001 on the same red soil as Wombat Creek. Both destemmed (55%) and whole-bunch components. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. A very bright crimson purple. So pure and perfumed with briary cherries, ripe redcurrants and freshly cut roses. Poised, juicy and energetic, the wine has so much tang and crunch, you barely notice that this is also structured finishing with long, gently puckering tannins. A wine with immediate appeal, but also one that will reward at least another 7-10 years in the cellar.

Discover the magnificent Gilles Bouton & Fils Saint-Aubin Les Argillers 2021. A heralded creation from the esteemed Bourgogne winery, this wine is a benchmark of quality craftsmanship, rooted in the deep traditions of French winemaking. This exceptional white wine is grown in the celebrated soil of Saint-Aubin, a vineyard nestled on the slopes of the Côte de Beaune. Gilles Bouton, a fourth-generation vintner, and his son, Julien, expertly oversee the vinification process using traditional methods, resulting in a rich, full-bodied wine exhibited in its truest form.

The Gilles Bouton & Fils Saint-Aubin Les Argillers 2021 showcases a delightful harmony of freshness and complexity. Its captivating bouquet reveals notes of mature golden apple, white flowers, coupled with a lingering minerality. The longevity in the bottle further enhances its lush, refined palate, making it a splendid accompaniment to your gourmet meals. Savour true wine mastery with this sublime French classic.