The Drinks Business (95-97)

Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux; 75% Cabernet Sauvignon; 25% Merlot; 13% alcohol; a final yield of 38 hl/ha; aging in oak barrels, 60% of which are new; tasted at the property and at the UGCB press tasting; Eric Boissenot is the consultant). A tiny bit of Cabernet Franc was in fact co-vinified with the Cabernet Sauvignon. Mildew damage reduced the amount of Merlot here. This is intensely perfumed and extremely expressive aromatically with the parfumier’s essence of violets and wild hedgerow flowers, rose petals, graphite by the nuclear reactor core-load and a rich deep, dark, cool autumnal fruit. There are also tiny wild strawberries , blood orange, and that gorgeously tender cedar note one so associates with Rauzan-Ségla, dark roast coffee beans and grated dark chocolate. This feels very composed and natural, an object lesson in purity and precision. There is a lovely fleshy softness on the attack, with super-svelte tannins. The mid-palate seems both sinuous and yet linear, precise and focussed but with great concentration and perfect harmony. There’s also a superb natural sweetness. Gentle aeration brings more cassis notes into the mouth and a refreshing sapidity. Overall, there is great plenitude, considerable tension and class without opulence. And in 2021 the wine is more floral than ever. It continues its rich vein of form, with the chewy tannins and lift on the finish hinting at the potential longevity. All the Chanel estates are in their first full year of conversion to organic viticulture, making the final yield all the more impressive. Really superb.

To ensure quality is always at its highest, the Delon family do not irrigate and harvest is only done by hand picking. This extra desire and effort to ensure they are making the best wines possible, even at this price point, is what makes the magical wines of Château Saint Baillon so good. This elegant, beautifully crisp, seasonal favourite is always our biggest seller each summer and for good reason.

Wine Advocate (95)

Drawing its fruit from a leased vineyard in Neive, the Roagna 2014 Barbaresco Albesani opens to a medium ruby color with pretty garnet highlights. The wine is redolent of dark fruit, dried cherry, tilled earth and black licorice. There is much more aromatic intensity here than you might expect given the rather subtle and nuanced appearance the wine makes in the glass. The soils in Albesani are fundamentally calcareous, and these conditions add to the perfumed and fragrant qualities you get here. Production for this wine is 230 cases (of 12 bottles each).

Vinous (94+)

Cinnamon, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and leather are some of the nuances that emerge from the 2014 Barbaresco Pajè. Pliant and open-knit, the 2014 is surprisingly open for a young Roagna Barbaresco, which makes it almost shockingly easy to enjoy even now (in relative terms), in what is the very early going by Roagna standards. Even, so there is plenty of Nebbiolo structure and tannin. Sweet rose petal, mint, tobacco, underbrush, game, and sweet red berry fruit add to the wine's stunning allure.

Vinous (95)

The 2014 Barolo Brunate is a powerhouse wine that is going to require at least a few years to shed some of its formidable tannin. Big and ample on the palate, with striking depth, the 2014 captures all of the virile intensity this site is known for. The black cherry, lavender, menthol, licorice and dark spice flavors take on shades of gravitas and exoticism in this deep, structured Barolo from Roberto Voerzio.

Decanter (93)

As high temperatures in mid-August shut down the ripening of Sangiovese, Marco Ricasoli reports picking approximately a week later than usual. He also introduced a sorting table to remove dried or green berries as well any pieces of stems. His resulting annata is pristine and sophisticated. Deep violet in colour and equally youthful on the nose, it exudes wild berries, black plum, and hints of wood spice. Tangy dark red cherry fills the mouth, buoyed by rambunctious acidity and framed by suede-textured tannins. Winter mint and liquorice root linger on the finish. With admirable complexity, this outperforms its category.

Vinous (91-93)

(100% vendange entier; 100% new oak):Dark red-ruby. Deep, brooding aromas of medicinal black cherry, licorice and black pepper suggest a very concentrated wine. Denser and more powerful than the Beaux Monts but extremely primary, even a bit youthfully brutal, today. This extremely tactile, extract-rich wine displays serious concentration and outstanding potential but will need extended aging to express itself fully. Tannins are mouthcoating but not dry.

Vinous (94)

The 2014 is a unique rendition of Dal Forno’s Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta. It's a remarkably pretty wine, displaying crushed ripe strawberries and plums with cinnamon, clove, vanilla bean and a cooling hint of mint. The textures are velvety, coating all that they touch in glycerol fruit concentration, yet somehow coming across as zesty and spry, contrasting weight with saturating notes of tart blackberry and savory spice. There’s a bit of a lull in the midpalate, yet it hardly takes away from the experience. At times, the Monte Lodoletta can seem almost salty, especially through its long, mouthwatering finish, where hints of cherry pits and herbs linger. This atypical yet truly enjoyable expression is the result of the extremely difficult 2014 vintage, when hail damaged and reduced the crop in the lower-elevation vineyards, followed by rain from August through September. As a result, Dal Forno decided not to produce their Amarone, and to instead focus all of their attention on the Valpolicella. The result is a wine that no Dal Forno fan should miss, but be aware that production was down 30% from an average year.

Vinous (96)

The 2021 Treinspoor is Sadie's Tinta Barocca that the man himself likens to Nebbiolo, also opining that it is a wine that needs considerable ageing. These vines were planted in 1974, and the blend includes 40% whole clusters. It has a complex, succinctly defined bouquet with melted tar and graphite infused dark berry fruit, a hint of Lapsang Souchong. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly-tuned acidity, almost Burgundian in texture yet with more pepperiness towards the finish. So elegant and harmonious - this is stunning from every angle you look at it.

Vinous (95-97)

Brilliant violet color. Displays pungent, mineral- and spice-accented cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and licorice aromas, along with hints of savory herbs, vanilla and incense. Chewy and tightly focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, dark berry and Moroccan spice flavors that unfurl slowly through the back half. It closes with firm tension, chewy tannins and excellent tenacity, leaving resonating cherry and floral notes behind. All barriques, a third of them new.

Vinous (93-95)

Vivid ruby. A highly fragrant bouquet evokes candied red fruits, smoky minerals and lavender; a spicy nuance builds as the wine opens up. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, juicy raspberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors show good heft, seamless texture and real energy. It finishes spicy and impressively long, with sneaky tannins adding a final grip. This is shaping up to be a highly impressive entry-level bottling, which is not surprising given that this is the only Gigondas that will be bottled this year, so all the juice from the Louisiane and Souteyrades is going into this wine. Get it, lots of it, if you can. Raised in neutral, 50 hectoliter oak foudres.

Vinous (88)

The 2014 Rosso di Montalcino is the only wine Salvioni will release in a year marked by everything except good weather. Rain and poor overall conditions during the critical summer months plus an attack of the Suzukii fruit fly during harvest and high disease pressure proved to be too much to overcome. The 2014 Rosso is an attractive wine made from the best fruit Salvioni was able to salvage. Hints of dried cherry, tobacco, spice and dried herbs add modest complexity to a mid-weight wine that is best enjoyed sooner rather than later, before the forward flavors mature too much further. For the year, there is good depth and delineation, but even the Salvionis aren't miracle workers. Production is 10,000 bottles, down sharply from the 16-17,000 that are more of the norm here. Today, it looks like there will be no Rosso in 2012, 2013 or 2015.

Wine Advocate (94)

From a balanced vintage that delivers acidity and structure, the organic 2021 Chianti Classico reveals a shiny dark garnet color and a clean, mid-weight appearance. There's so much energy and vibrancy on the bouquet, which is a quality that Sangiovese achieves when growing conditions are ideal. Tangy cherry, cassis, blue flower, violet and soft earth give this wine an authentic sense of place. So do the elegant mineral notes. This is a special wine (that is priced very competitively).

Greg Sherwood MW (95)

There doesn’t seem to be complete agreement amongst growers as to whether 2021 in Bolgheri was an easy or difficult vintage. What certainly is in agreement is that this cooler Tuscan vintage yielded some incredibly taut, intense, vibrant wines. Aged in 85% French and 15% American oak 225 litre barrels, 40% new, for 15 months, this beautiful Guidalberto 2021 boasts fabulously piercing aromatics of violets, black cherries, blackberry compote and seductive dark plum over sweet exotic Christmas spices and stony graphite notes. The oak and vanilla wood spice is still busy integrating with the super taut, tight palate fruit intensity, perhaps at a slightly slower pace than in a riper, warmer vintage. But it’s the palate’s chiselled focus and linearity that marks this vintage as a true stand out expression amongst more recent dryer, warmer years. The texture is laser focused but also wonderfully transparent showing the true mineral terroir characteristics of Bolgheri together with a wonderfully fresh, tart, glassy acidity supported by sleek, polished marble tannins on a pithy cherry cola packed finish. A vintage to be truly celebrated but also one best to bury in the cellar for an another 8 to 10+ years.

Vinous (91)

The 2021 Le Difese is redolent of crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, lavender, spice and sweet pipe tobacco. Medium in body yet nicely layered, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. It is also a sheer delight to taste at this early stage. In many vintages, Le Difese is a fruity, forward wine, but the 2021 has a nervy feeling of classicism that is hugely appealing. It's one of my favorite recent vintages. As it has been for some time, Le Difese is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate and Sangiovese purchased from several properties in Chianti Classico, with the energy of Sangiovese very much driving the feel in this vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which is a more elegant, seamless wine compared to the more brooding and backward 2015. Exhibiting a deep purple color and utterly heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, white flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, insane purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. While a big, powerful wine, it’s the purity of fruit and tannin quality that sets this incredible wine at the top of the pyramid. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch!

James Suckling (94)

What a wide spectrum of ripe-fruit aromas this serious and delightful dry Rheingau riesling has! They range from a diversity of citrus, through persimmon to fresh pineapple and apricot. Concentrated, very elegant and focused on the medium-bodied palate, with tons of wet-stone minerality at the long, very filigree finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

The complex nose of sliced pear, white peach and white currant with delicate floral notes pulls you into this very juicy and vibrant Spatlese that leaps and bounds over your palate, in spite of the frank natural grape sweetness. Then comes the radical minerality at the very focused, long and pristine finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (100)

An extremely pure and elegant vintage for Seña. This is really fresh, nimble and floral on the nose with subtle cherries, plums, redcurrants and wild lavender. More red fruit here with lots of layers and just a touch of sweet spice. Very discreet and subtle, with the elegance, freshness and poise you’d expect from 2021. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with a bit more flesh and depth if you compare it with Roca de Seña, their second wine. The impeccable tannins show the supreme quality of the fruit this year. Persistent, seamless finish, but comes in a subtle way. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 27% malbec, 17% carmenere and 6% petit verdot. Effortlessly drinkable now, but it will age beautifully.

Immerse yourself in the spectacular world of the Sequitur Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay 2021. Born in the esteemed Ribbon Ridge AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley, this single-vineyard Chardonnay is the manifestation of meticulous vinification. It's produced by Sequitur, headed by famed winemaker Michael Etzel, who champions bio-dynamic farming and minimal intervention techniques.

Cooled by coastal breezes and rooted in marine sedimentary soils, the vines here produce a Chardonnay of breath-taking elegance, layered with seamless complexity. The wine reveals a luminous golden colour. On the nose, one experiences alluring bouquets of ripe apple, white flowers, and hints of fresh brioche. Upon sipping, it unveils delectable flavours of citrus, pear and subtle vanilla, all framed by a balanced acidity and structure that compel a long, sophisticated finish.

Indulge in the fine craftsmanship of the Sequitur Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay 2021 - an unforgettable encounter with this organically nurtured offering from one of Oregon's pioneering vineyards.

James Suckling (94)

Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of minerals. Full body, very fine tannins with orange peel and currant character. Chewy yet polished tannins. Better in 2018 but already delicious. Impressive for the difficult 2014 vintage.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

In 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte produced an exceptionally soft, sexy Grand Vin. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice, menthol and red-toned fruit are all nicely delineated, while expressive floral notes give the wine a closing flourish of aromatic intensity. The 2014 is quite pretty, if a touch slender. It will drink well with minimal cellaring given its soft contours and supple, inviting personality. The blend is 62 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 6 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Tasted two times.

Vinous (89)

The 2014 Barbaresco Roncaglie is dark, virile and quite concentrated, but also rough around the edges. Big, coarse tannins reinforce an impression of rusticity. Smoke, game, leather, licorice and incense add layers of complexity, but that is not enough to fully compensate for the wine's somewhat unpolished feel.

Vinous (89)

The 2014 Barbaresco Roncaglie is dark, virile and quite concentrated, but also rough around the edges. Big, coarse tannins reinforce an impression of rusticity. Smoke, game, leather, licorice and incense add layers of complexity, but that is not enough to fully compensate for the wine's somewhat unpolished feel.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2014 Solaia will be released during the second half of 2017. This is a fine-tuned expression that shows a focused sense of detail and careful attention. The quota of Cabernet Franc has been upped by a hair and this makes a big difference, especially in terms of the wine's bouquet. Otherwise, this celebrated Tuscan blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese. It opens to dark fruit aromas with crushed mineral, pipe tobacco, pressed flower and toasted spice. Its appearance is midnight black and profound. The wine delivers a sense of sheer excitement and nervousness that will subside with another few years of bottle age. Nonetheless, I think a certain amount of that bright edginess or rigidness will always be part of this cool vintage Solaia. In the mouth, the wine is firm, compact and dense. The tannins are chiseled to the point of sublime integration. Marchesi Antinori made 40% less Solaia in this vintage in order to maintain the quality you taste here.