Wine Advocate (93+)

Made of 45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet colored 2010 Les Carmes Haut-Brion gives up notes of baked blackberries, blackcurrants, black raspberries and cedar chest with hints of baking spices, black olives, pencil lead and Marmite toast. Full-bodied, the generously fruited palate has a solid backbone of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting all that tightly-packed brawn, finishing with great length and purity. Still incredibly youthful, I suspect this wine has a lot more to give in the years to come!

Wine Advocate (97)

2010 was a very dry vintage of exceptional quality, producing incredibly structured and complex wines that are a little formidable when young but should age incredibly. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose of the 2010 Les Forts de Latour is broody with subtle notes of licorice, tar, crushed black berries and plums with hints of spice cake and hoisin. Full-bodied, firm and grainy with an impenetrable core of muscular fruit, it finishes with fantastic persistence. Give it 5-7 years at least, and then it may well outlive the 1970 Les Forts that I recently tasted with Latour's CEO, Frédéric Engerer!

Discover Liber Pater 2010, a one-of-a-kind expression of Bordeaux's finest grapes. Liber Pater, Latin for 'Free Father', is a nod to the ancient Roman god of wine. Established in 2005 in Graves, a revered sub-region of Bordeaux, this elite winery produces wines that embody the authentic character of ungrafted varietals. The unique 2010 vintage is crafted using age-old vine training and vinification techniques and is produced entirely from pre-phylloxera vines, offering a genuine taste of terroir.

On tasting, the Liber Pater 2010 captivates with a mesmerising bouquet of ripe fruit, exotic spice, and earthy undertones. The palate commands attention with velvety tannins and an intriguing blend of blackberry, licorice and graphite nuances, leading to an unforgettable finish. This experience is encapsulated in the meticulous work of wine visionary, Loic Pasquet. Purchase Liber Pater 2010 and indulge in an unparalleled Bordeaux wine experience.

James Suckling (98)

This is intense and complex yet subtle with fantastic aromas of rose petal, plum, clove and fresh mushroom. Hints of stems. Full body, focused and polished with a linear line of tannins and fabulous length. A beauty. Better after 2021 but already a joy to taste.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2010 Viña Tondonia Reserva has all I expect from a Reserva from Tondonia, complexity, elegance and evolution, a developed nose with notes of forest floor and wild berries, herbs and flowers, a touch of iodine, brick dust and very fine, polished tannins. It has the seriousness and elegance of Tondonia. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name of the grape) and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in the ancient oak vats from when the winery was created 144 years ago and matured in well-seasoned, American oak barrels for six years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity. 260,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.

Decanter (99)

Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. Nominated by Peter Liem

Vinous (99)

Tasted from magnum, the 2013 Cristal Rosé is ravishing. Dense, creamy and powerful, the 2013 captures all the qualities of the vintage, specifically the interplay of rich fruit from the warm summer and cooler inflections from a year that started late and ended late with a rare October harvest. Today, the 2013 is deep and beautifully seamless, but it is also young – far too young to be at its best. Dosage is 6.5 grams per liter, a bit less than for the standard bottlings, a decision taken to balance longer aging on the lees and a bit more residual sugar that is always left in the magnums after fermentation. Readers who can find the 2013 in magnum will experience one of the greatest thrills in wine.

Vinous (92)

The 2013 Barolo Terlo is a very pretty and expressive entry-level Barolo from Einaudi. Ample, generous and inviting, the 2013 possesses striking richness and intensity. A host of dark cherry, plum, spice, blood orange and pomegranate hit the palate in a forward, powerful Barolo endowed with considerable fruit as well as structural intensity. Far from an easy going, entry-level Barolo, the Terlo possesses serious depth. Rose petal, menthol, sage and tobacco infuse the exotic finish.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

The perfume teases you with its depth and intensity of what’s to come with its aromas of violets, smoky oak, licorice, earth, vanilla and mélange of dark berries. From the first sip, the wine coats your palate and taste buds with pure, fresh, rich, thick, polished blackberries, silky tannins and a finish that builds and expands for close to 60 seconds! The wine continued to build and expand in the glass for the two hours we spent with the wine over lunch.

The 2013 Rouge from Daumas Gassac is a particularly profound wine and one of the best this year from the south of France. Spicy, powerful and deeply structured, it feels like an iron fist in one of Aimé's velvet gloves.

Wine Spectator (96)

This is smoky, with tobacco- and mineral-tinged cherry and strawberry flavors. Quickly gives way to firm, mouthcoating tannins, yet finds equilibrium overall, lingering well. Best from 2019 through 2035. 150 cases imported. -BS

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2010 Barolo Parussi hits its stride with an amazing bouquet that is as generous as it is complex and compelling. The wine boasts a dark ruby color with delicate amber highlights and shows a deep level of color saturation and richness. Its perfumes are redolent of sweet cherry, black fruit, dark licorice, cigar ash and wet earth. There’s a bright floral note of pressed red rose that lifts delicately as the wine warms in the glass. The meeting of the wine’s acidic component and its tannic firmness is absolutely seamless. Drink: 2017-2030.

Vinous (94)

The 2013 Barolo Parussi, the only Massolino Barolo made from Castiglione Falletto fruit, is also the most accessible of the single-vineyard Barolos. All the Parussi signatures of bright red fruit, flowers and citrus are present, but they are amped by the unnaturally low yields of the year in this site that also give the wine more mid-palate plushness and power than is typically the case. Orange peel, herbs, mint, licorice, crushed flowers and sweet red cherry build in an exotic, beguiling Barolo full of personality. The 2013 Parussi has been alluring every time I have tasted it.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Hailing from one of the most celebrated vineyards in the entire denomination, this focused beauty boasts layers of complexity and depth, starting with its classic Nebbiolo aromas of forest floor, new leather, violet and wild berry. Balanced and firmly structured, the palate shows tension, power and elegance, delivering succulent Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, tobacco and licorice alongside firm, aristocratic tannins. It's still young but already beautifully balanced, with bright acidity.

Vinous (97)

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a huge, dark wine. Virile, imposing and massively structured in the glass, the 2013 is a wine for readers who can be patient. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive, with potent tannins and a real feeling of gravitas to back things up. Black cherry, game, smoke, gravel and licorice add to an impression of brooding intensity. In many ways, the 2013 reminds me of some of the great wines of the 1970s in its dark, imposing personality.

Wine Advocate (94)

One of the highlights of this tasting was the 2013 Corton-Renardes Grand Cru, a beautiful wine that bursts from the glass with a surprisingly expressive bouquet of wild berries, plums and spices, complemented by savory bass notes of dark chocolate, game bird and dried ceps. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. The combination of ultra-refined tannins and mouthwatering cut makes for a very elegant style of Corton-Renardes this year, and it will delight Burgundy purists.

Wine Advocate (94)

One of the highlights of this tasting was the 2013 Corton-Renardes Grand Cru, a beautiful wine that bursts from the glass with a surprisingly expressive bouquet of wild berries, plums and spices, complemented by savory bass notes of dark chocolate, game bird and dried ceps. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. The combination of ultra-refined tannins and mouthwatering cut makes for a very elegant style of Corton-Renardes this year, and it will delight Burgundy purists.

Wine Advocate (94)

A wine of grand cru depth and dimension even in this challenging vintage, the 2013 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens delivers a reserved bouquet of sweet red fruits, spices, candied peel and subtle espresso roast. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with excellent concentration, satiny tannins and a long, chewy finish that's lent delineation by the wine's tangy acids. The only missing ingredient is time.

Wine Advocate (94)

A wine of grand cru depth and dimension even in this challenging vintage, the 2013 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens delivers a reserved bouquet of sweet red fruits, spices, candied peel and subtle espresso roast. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with excellent concentration, satiny tannins and a long, chewy finish that's lent delineation by the wine's tangy acids. The only missing ingredient is time.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2010 Montrose is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to bring out notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, warm cassis, and licorice, followed by hints of mocha, tapenade, crushed rocks, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate has a formidable structure of very firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long, long, long.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2013 Blaufränkisch Burgenland Reserve is sourced from limestone soils and was bottled July 2015 (thus eight months longer in barrels than the regular Blaufränkisch). With a dark cherry color, the wine opens with an intense and ripe, lovely spicy dark ripe cherry flavor and a touch of cassis. Intense and more meaty on the palate than the more crystalline and charming regular 2013 Blaufränkisch, this is a full-bodied, fruit-intense, fleshy and more tannic but fresh and still pure red with a spicy finish. It should age for at least 4 or 5 years, and be matched with braised meat and red cabbage with spices like cloves and pimento. The finish is juicy and intense and the tannins become finer and finer the more aeration the wines gets. The purity and silkiness from the limestone soils shine through better now. This is still a completely introverted wine at the moment but – perhaps – the bigger, more structured and masculine Blaufränkisch next to the the "regular" one with more mealy tannins.

Vinous (92)

(made from two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah): Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red berry preserves, lavender, anise and sandalwood, lifted by a peppery topnote. Offers intense, palate-staining raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that gain weight with air. Impressively lively and pure on the persistent finish, which features gentle tannins and a late note of bitter chocolate.

Vinous (93)

The 2013 Bramaterra is fabulous. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2013 is a wine of resonance, vertical reach and, most importantly, real pedigree. Dried flowers, herbs, mint, dried cherry and tobacco all meld together effortlessly. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of floral and savory overtones that add aromatic dimension. Vivid and enticing, the 2013 Bramaterra will delight readers for many years to come.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The 2010 Opus One is on another level and is a deep, concentrated, full-bodied, flawlessly balanced beauty. From a cooler vintage that saw significant heat spikes later in the year, it has incredible purity in its cassis and darker fruits as well as leafy tobacco, flowers, and background oak. With a great mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and full-bodied richness on the palate, it’s a brilliant wine that has another two decades or more of prime drinking.

Decanter (100)

I love the 2012, but honestly the 2013 just has the edge, because it is just as concentrated and full of fruit but acidity and floral nuance balances out the richness. Dark deep rosemary spice and black olive paste deepens the flavours through the mid-palate and you just have to hang on as this goes spiralling through, drawing the flavours out to a lengthy finish. 2% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 18 days skin contact.

An exquisitely refined creation, the Oreste Stefano Barolo Perno 2013 presents a delightful symphony of flavor, embodying the remarkable winemaking quality of Oreste Stefano. Acclaimed for his traditional Barolo production methods, Oreste Stefano crafts this wine from carefully selected Nebbiolo grapes hailing from the esteemed Perno vineyards in Piedmont, Italy.

Undertaking an extensive maceration period followed by 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, the wine boasts a magnificent maturation process. Exhibiting a captivating garnet red colour, it reveals an expressive array of aromas, from ripe cherry to nuanced hints of tobacco and spices, coupled with elegant, robust tannins and balanced acidity. Credible wine publications extol its longevity and potential for cellar aging.

The Oreste Stefano Barolo Perno 2013 represents an authentic expression of Oreste Stefano's commitment to creating extraordinary, superior quality Barolo wines, promoting a sensory journey with every sip. A splendid choice for true connoisseurs of fine wine.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

92-94 A gorgeous, opulently surfaced wine. The freshness cuts through the tannins to give the ripest of plum juice fruits. Powerful, while also deliciously juicy

Indulge in the opulent tastes of the Palladino Barolo Ornato 2013, a prestigious Italian wine originating from the revered plot 'Ornato' in Serralunga d'Alba. Celebrated producer, Palladino, masterfully adopts the classic method of long maceration for this vintage, enhancing the inherent complexities and fortitude derived from Nebbiolo grapes.

Its deep garnet hue is a mere prologue to the symphony of flavours within, encapsulating robust layers of ripe red fruits, truffle and sweet spices. The wine's substantial body is perfectly matched by a rich, enduring finish; a true testament to the potential of its Serralunga provenance.

The Palladino Barolo Ornato 2013 sees 36 months of aging in Slavonian oak barrels, contributing to its distinguished tannic structure and extraordinary ageing potential. Crafted for the discerning palate, each sip encapsulates the finest quality of Barolo wines.

Distinguished and timeless, the Palladino Barolo Ornato 2013 captures the heart of the Piedmont region.