Wine Advocate (97)

The 2006 Barolo Riserva Granbussia is exceedingly Piemontese in character. The wine follows in local tradition with a bouquet that is ethereal and fine, yet powerful and long-lasting at the same time. It is shy and reticent at first, but once it starts to open the wine seemingly never stops. There are notes of black fruit, spice, tar, licorice, pencil shaving and a touch of rusty nail. The wine shows beautiful finesse and will definitely endure a long and prosperous drinking window. The tannins show silky integration and there is an enormous push of power and persistence in the palate.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2006 Barolo Bricco Fiasco is simply magnificent. It, too, is impressively powerful, but here the layers of flavor are beautifully filled out. Exotic, ripe red fruit, smoke and menthol are but a few of the nuances that gradually emerge as this refined and impeccably elegant wine rises from the glass. The French oak is beautifully integrated, while the wine’s weight and sheer harmony leave a lasting impression. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.

Vinous (97)

The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity. The 2006 is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, mostly done in steel, with just a touch of oak, around 5%. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.

James Suckling (99)

Baked raspberries, salted yellow plums, figs, walnuts, orange zest, mahogany and some toasted vanilla on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with beautifully integrated, very fine bubbles. Dry, with exciting and unique white-pepper and sea-salt notes. Seamless. So harmonious. Salty and spicy clove notes evolving at the end. Amazing precision. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 2g/l dosage. Disgorged November 2020. 6,750 bottles. Drink or hold.

Vinous (97)

(a berry-by-berry selection from the bottom of the slope; this never goes through malo; 195 g/l r.s.; bottled in 375-ml. format): Bright medium gold. Classic, high-toned scents of dried apricot, honey, crumbly buttery pastry shell and toffee. Incredibly dense and thick but also surprisingly racy, with its utterly seamless flavors of dried fruits, spices, hazelnut and marzipan framed and carried by almost lemony acidity. Wonderfully penetrating, exhilaratingly high-toned wine with great texture, lift and length. This is really a remarkable thing to do with Chardonnay.

Vinous (95)

Bonneau du Martray’s 2006 Corton-Charlemagne (magnum) opens with a super-classic bouquet of slate, crushed rocks and hints of reduction. Bracing and intense and energetic, the 2006 flows with superb focus and pure mineral-drenched cut. From magnum, the 2006 is simply dazzling and appears to have many years of fine drinking ahead of it. 95

Vinous (96)

The 2006 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe literally bristles with tons of pure energy and class. Freshly cut flowers, violets, mint and plums all burst from the glass in this deeply expressive, powerful Barolo. Tar, licorice, smoke and incense all develop in the glass, adding further gravitas to this already dark, layered, hulking Riserva. Readers will have to be exceedingly patient here!

Wine Spectator (96)

A textbook blanc de blancs in a relatively opulent style, with ample grilled nut, brioche and spice character alongside classic flavors of poached apricot, kumquat, oyster shell and lemon blossom. This rich profile is well-defined by racy acidity, sleek and well-cut, driving the long, lacy finish. A beauty. Drink now through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 4,500 cases made, 185 cases imported.

Experience the remarkable Chateau d'Avrille Coteaux de l'Aubance 1989, a manifestation of an exceptional vintage year. This distinct wine from the famed Loire Valley in France boasts the distinctive offering from Chateau d'Avrille, a testament to their meticulous approach to viniculture.

Produced in the small and specialised Coteaux de l'Aubance region, this luscious golden-hued dessert wine is steeped in tradition. The grapes are selectively hand-picked, ensuring only the ripest become part of this tasteful blend. Fermentation in traditional oak barrels develops an exquisite, complex taste.

Renowned for its balance, the Chateau d'Avrille Coteaux de l'Aubance 1989 offers myriad flavours of candied fruit, honey, and gentle spices. Artfully matured for over three decades, it sings a rich, haunting melody on the palate. A classic embodiment of a fine dessert wine, this bottle encapsulates the prestigious history of the Chateau d'Avrille estate.

Vinous - Josh Raynolds (92-94)

Inky ruby. Sexy red berry and floral scents, with bright graphite and cracked pepper adding complexity. Juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors are enlivened by brisk acidity and firmed by suave tannins. Finishes with tangy strawberry flavor and compelling sweetness and length. This is extremely well-balanced and graceful.

Wine Advocate (94)

Blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2006 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, opening with enticing scents of rosemary-crusted roast lamb, dried cherries, baked blackcurrants and mincemeat pie with touches of fallen leaves, cigar box and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, lively and elegantly played in the mouth, it has a firm backbone of chewy tannins and plenty of mineral accents on the long finish.

Wine Advocate (98)

A warm to hot vintage ideal for producing outstanding reds does not necessarily make for a great Sauternes vintage, but in the case of 1990 it did. Dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration that this wine exhibits. Fortunately, a little rain in late September and early October ensured that botrytis flourished well in the end, the final factor necessary to achieve this extraordinary expression.

Wine Spectator (100)

This is very long and intense. Really impressive. Full and very sweet, yet racy and fresh, with spicy botrytis character. Fantastic. Score range: 95-100 -JS

Immerse yourself in the luxury of the Dalwhinnie Speyside Highland Single Malt Special Release 30YO Bottled 2020 1989, boasting a heritage steeped in Scottish tradition. This fine malt is synonymous with the Dalwhinnie distillery, nestled within the ruggedness of Scotland's highest and coldest malt distillery. The charm of Speyside makes its presence known in the spirit's character, with tones reminiscent of heather honey, citrus fruits and a hint of wood smoke.

This single malt whisky is a testament to three decades of meticulous craftsmanship. Each bottle is the reflection of the tranquillity and purity of Speyside, matured in refill hogsheads and butts. The authenticity of the Dalwhinnie Speyside Highland Single Malt Special Release 30YO Bottled 2020 1989 is indisputable - each limited-edition bottle a unique story portraying an era that dates back to 1989. An exemplar of perfected whisky craft, it's a bottled testament to Dalwhinnie's commitment to quality and sophistication.

Vinous (93)

(a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot and 13% shiraz; 15% alcohol): Medium ruby. Rather reticent aromas of spices, dark chocolate and licorice. Dense and very ripe but juicy, with a lively acid backbone currently suppressing the brooding dark berry and licorice flavors. Finishes with very ripe, dusty tannins and palate-staining persistence. This powerfully concentrated wine needs several years of additional bottle aging.

Decanter (98)

The Dom Perignon Rosé 2006 is simply amazing. Notes of raspberry, spices and mint jump from the glass in a seductive combination. The texture in the mouth is of precise, crystalline, laser-like tannins in an opulent style. A very great success in a vintage that was not always easy in Champagne.

Vinous (97+)

The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Coming soon.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

Deeply coloured, yet bright; a complex bouquet of black fruits, licorice, spice and cedary oak, then a very powerful palate enriched by 24 months in French oak. From ancient vines and, against all the odds, carries its alcohol well.

Vinous (96+)

Deep red with ruby tones. Flamboyantly ripe aromas of black fruits, blood orange, peony and espresso. Huge yet weightless, saturating every square millimeter of the mouth with very ripe dark fruits, minerals and spices. This plush, sweet, extremely unevolved wine is almost monolithic today but the explosive, palate-staining finish suggests that it has a slow and glorious evolution ahead of it. The fruit here was picked with potential alcohol of 13.7%, the same as in 2005.

Vinous (97)

Krug 2006 Vintage is bright, tense and full of energy. Lemon confit, pastry, chamomile, dried flowers and tangerine oil all race out of the glass. The breadth of the Pinot comes through on the mid-palate and finish, as the 2006 gains power and resonance with a bit of aeration. Light tropical inflections, along with hints of almond and spice, open up later, adding further shades of nuance. Although it has just been released, the 2006 is unusually open and a real pleasure to taste today. In most vintages, Krug demands cellaring, but in the 2006 readers will find a Krug Vintage that is superb, even in the early going.

Decanter (99)

The first aromatic impression is surprisingly floral in the context of such a hot vintage, and then evolves to reveal elements of menthol, liquorice and yellow fruit. With aeration, the bouquet blossoms to reveal increasing complexity, including spicy notes. On the palate, this is a fleshy and densely textured Clos du Mesnil with a salty tang on the finish, one that stands out for its singularity, albeit in the context of a classic crystalline, tense purity. Bravo – a work of art! 100% Chardonnay, disgorged at the end of 2019. Dosage: 4g/l.

Wine Advocate (93)

This limited-production, 100% Merlot cuvee is a beauty. Sweet, almost caramelized black cherry fruit and dark mountain berries intermixed with forest floor and a touch of subtle oak characterize this full-bodied, rich, concentrated, superb Pomerol that should hit its stride in 3-4 years and last for two decades. Unfortunately, the production is only about 1,500 cases.

Wine Spectator (98)

Shows the ultraripe, exotic notes characteristic of the vintage, with roasted plum, tobacco and spicy flavors. It's beginning to evolve, but needs until 2000 to really come together.--Latour vertical.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

The 2006 Cristal is a rich, explosive wine that captures all of the natural radiance of this warm year. Ample and full-bodied, the 2006 is one of the more extroverted recent Cristals. As such, it will drink well now, even though it has more than enough body to drink well for another 20 years or more. This shows real density and tons of character. It’s a big wine. “In retrospect, we might have preferred a lower dosage, but the wine was quite difficult to balance in blending, so we had to go for a higher dosage,” Lécaillon adds. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2014.