Vinous (91-93)

Bright ruby-red. Captivating violet and lavender lift to the aromas of black cherry, menthol and bitter chocolate. Juicy, energetic and sharply delineated, showing terrific thrust to its dark fruit, licorice and spice flavors. I would have picked this blind as a 2013. This will require at least several years of bottle aging.

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 (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 - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2014 Figeac is shaping up to be a real jewel of a wine. Powerful and structured, with plenty of tannic spine, the 2014 won't start hitting its stride for at least a few years. Even today, though, it is impressive for its energy and overall intensity. Plum, smoke, spice, graphite and leather build into the huge, expressive finish. Figeac is one of the stars of the vintage. There is real density and gravitas here, not to mention considerable personality.

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 (92)

Fontodi's 2014 Chianti Classico is one of the most finessed vintages of this wine in recent memory. The combination of the cool growing conditions and a move toward larger oak casks has resulted in a deep yet translucent wine of notable pedigree and class. There is plenty of the typical Panzano richness, but less of the overt weight that has characterized some recent vintages.

Vinous (95+)

A powerful, structured wine, the 2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo won't be ready to drink for a number of years, much less be at its best. In recent years, the Sorbo has been much more forward, but the 2014 is decidedly austere and ungiving. Graphite, smoke, black cherry, plum and licorice notes infuse the dark, mysterious finish.

Vinous (96)

The 2014 Flaccianello della Pieve will probably drink well a bit earlier than the Vigna del Sorbo, as it has more midpalate creaminess, softer contours and a slightly more immediate personality. Even so, the translucent finesse of the vintage is very much in evidence. A rush of black cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice, chocolate and spice infuses the sweet, creamy finish. The 2014 spent 18 months in oak (less than was once the norm), 80% of it new.

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.

Vinous (91+)

Now with a few months in bottle, Alessandria's 2014 Barolo is a real powerhouse. Smoke, scorched earth, tobacco, menthol, licorice and wild cherry all convey an impression of gravitas, as this potent, muscular Barolo shows off its personality. The 2014 has quite a bit of density and richness at this level. I won't be surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests. There is so much going on here.

Vinous (94)

Alessandria's 2014 Barolo Gramolere is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel, and every bit as potent, too. Huge swaths of tannin give the 2014 its shape and overall structure, with the deeply spiced, mentholated, balsamic notes that are so typical of this site. Readers will have to be patient, but the 2014 is a jewel of a wine.

James Suckling (98)

The nose opens with a startling play between white truffles, bark and tea leaves and then crushed violets, lavender, blueberry peel, lemon rind and sour cherries. Full body, ultra-fine tannins, acidity as sharp as a razor and a long, ethereally mineral finish. The length but sheer clarity and accuracy in the delivery is remarkable. Perhaps hard to believe that this better than the 2013, but it is. Drink in 2022.

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.

Wine Advocate (91)

A tribute to local tradition, the 2014 Barolo Albe represents an assembly of fruit from various vineyard plots throughout the area. Winemaking is classic in approach with a 25-day maceration period and aging in large Slavonian oak casks. This vintage shows silky, fine lines and a more accessible approach for near and medium-term drinking. I would recommend a few more years of bottle aging, however, to allow the wine the time to grow in texture and mouthfeel.

Vinous (96)

The 2014 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is positively stunning. There are many things about this wine that are super-impressive, but what stands out most is how soft and silky the tannins are. Because of that, the 2014 is much more approachable than it usually is, and yet also conveys the feeling of translucence that is such a signature of this site and wine. I am not sure I have ever tasted a young Bricco delle Viole with this much purity of fruit. The 2014 is total class. Don't miss it.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Novello. Tasted blind. Surprisingly dark ruby for this vintage. Brooding richness on the nose. Plenty of sour cherry on the palate and firm, somewhat drying tannins. This is still very youthful, and unsettled.

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.

Vinous (98)

The 2014 Ruchottes-Chambertin is a wondrous wine. Two recent tastings in Burgundy reconfirmed its strong performance when poured blind at the Burgfest tasting. It has an intense pomegranate and raspberry scented bouquet that seems to switch up through the gears with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and lithe, laden with succulent black fruit and insistent grip, perhaps just beginning to close up for a while. Outstanding. Tasted in Burgundy.

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.

Wine Advocate (100)

The Giacomo Conterno 2014 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is made with 100% fruit from the Francia cru, which is not the case for the 2015 vintage (that sees 22% Arione in the blend) or likely future vintages. In a sense, this 100-point wine represents a milestone or a chapter finale in the long and exciting trajectory of Italy's collected and revered Monfortino. I've had the great fortune of tasting this wine from barrel over the course of four years and twice again this summer during my visits to the Conterno estates (in Gattinara and in Monforte d'Alba).

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.

The Glenglassaugh distillery is one of the great success stories of the 21st century in Scotch Whisky though the roots of the distillery’s success go back much further than its current period of operation.

Founded in 1875 by James Moir, a local grocer in the nearby town of Portsoy, the idea was to supplement his burgeoning business with proprietary whisky that met the highest quality standards of the day. Situated on a site to the west of town to take advantage of a superb water source; the pure Glassaugh Springs, the distillery lies just out with the boundaries of Speyside, making this a Highland malt, though one very much in the Speyside style.

The operation was a tremendous success heading into the whisky boom of the Victorian era and within twenty years the distillery was snapped up by Highland Distillers, the forerunner of the Edrington Group (Macallan & Highland Park). The 1900s saw the expansion and reconstruction of the distillery as it began to supply malt for the likes of Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse.

After the complicated problems of the 1980s and a 23-year stretch mothballed, Glenglassaugh was purchased by new owners, reopened and began releasing pre-1986 stock as limited edition single malts, winning numerous awards in the process and placing the distillery firmly in the spotlight as a high-quality, craft producer. Since the distillery’s acquisition by Brown-Forman it has benefitted from the same treatment as legendary stablemates BenRiach and GlenDronach.

Cask Note
This 2014 Refill Hogshead is an excellent long term proposition with excellent upside given the increasingly prominent reputation of the distillery. Glenglassaugh has made a name for itself in recent years with distinctive cask finishes; including wine and sherry, so this relatively understated wood type will do well to see it through the initial, most lengthy period of ageing but will easily lend itself to re-racking into more active wood further down the line.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92+)

Dark cherry, plum, lavender and violet are some of the notes that open up in the 2014 Grand Corbin Despagne. Medium in body, with a classic sense of structure and plenty of tannin, the 2014 is built for cellaring. It shows quite a bit more overall intensity today than it did as a barrel sample, which is quite positive for its long-term prospects.