Wine Advocate (97)

What a beauty and what an incredible leap forward to excellence. The Tenuta Argentiera 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Argentiera shows depth and wide shoulders with soft plushness and impeccable fruit. The full-bodied wine is dialed up on all levels from perfumes, intensity, mouthfeel, texture and freshness. This bottle should hold past the 20-year mark.

Decanter (100)

To attempt to describe the aroma, star anise and sandalwood would be suitable descriptors - but this is so pure and harmonious that this really smells of nothing other than itself. Perfectly weighted, perfectly balanced, with the most incredibly elegant tannins. This wine gave me goosebumps to taste, it’s hauntingly beautiful, the soul of Côte-Rôtie in a glass. It has everything you could hope for in a Côte-Rôtie, it’s pure perfection. It's rare for young wines to deliver such emotion.

Vinous (87)

The 2019 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a lot of new oak on the nose that, like the Blanchot, renders it rather predictable. The palate is balanced but fat in the mouth, with low acidity and a rather crowd-pleasing but simple finish. So-so.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2019 Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru is a clear step up from the Echézeaux, offering a gorgeous marine-influenced bouquet, touches of oyster shell infusing the mixture of red and black fruit, and wonderful mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied, burly and intense with an almost "heaving" structure that grips the palate, all with utmost finesse. Fist, velvet glove, etc.... it’s all here.

Immerse yourself in the distinguished taste of Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019. Born from the fertile soils of Spain's premium wine region, Ribera del Duero, this wine encapsulates the centuries-old grape cultivating traditions and modern winemaking techniques of reputed producer Mariano Garcia. The blend utilises Tempranillo grapes harvested from vines aged over 60 years and is aged 22 months in new French oak barrels to create its robust profile.

On the palate, Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019 impresses with a rich tapestry of flavours ranging from black fruits to nuances of cocoa and spices. Its structured tannins and excellent acidity culminate in a long and thrilling finish, making it a splendid complement to an array of dishes.

Commended by esteemed wine critics, this vibrant yet complex wine delivers a seamless fusion of power and elegance. Experience the ultimate indulgence with Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2019, a testament to the winemaking prowess of Ribera del Duero.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

One rocking wine, the 2015 Cappella is a powerful, rich effort that has badass levels of black, black fruits, graphite, licorice, and crushed rocks. From a site on the west side of St. Helena and a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 13% Petit Verdot, it has a layered, multi-dimensional, stacked profile and is just loaded with glycerin and opulence. Feel free to drink this thriller any time over the coming 3 decades or more.

James Suckling (99)

The aromas are perfect with black olives, blueberries, fresh mushrooms, rose petals and mint undertones, all following through to a full-bodied palate. Round yet tightly grained tannins and an incredibly persistent finish. Gorgeous. Drink in 2022.

Vinous (95)

The NV (2015) Brut Nature Exp. '15 is another highly intriguing release. The Exp. is a 2015 wine, all Chardonnay, from the Robards and Bionnes lieux-dits in Avize. Pascal Agrapart uses unfermented juice from the following harvest, in this case 2016 (rather than sugar), to create the secondary fermentation in bottle, also known as prise de mousse, in which still wine becomes Champagne. The Exp. '15 is done entirely without sulfur and is bottled with no dosage. It is one of the most unique and distinctive wines in Champagne. Disgorged: April, 2020.

Vinous (95)

The 2015 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Vénus Grand Cru is sublime. Lemon confit, menthol, dried herbs and white pepper all meld together in the glass. More of a wine than Champagne, the Vénus is creamy and open-knit, with lovely freshness and plenty of character. No dosage. Disgorged: May, 2021.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93)

Slightly the deepest in colour and the richest nose of the four premier crus. Some lemon notes and light plum, then white fruit. This has the most assured texture of the four. Good grip, as Clive Coates would have said, stretching out very nicely in a fine long finish.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94)

Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here.

Decanter (95)

Moutonne is one of Chablis' finest expressions and the 2019 will be another in a long list of memorable vintages. Although not the final bottling, it is clear that there is great power here, combined with finesse and a lightness on its feet. Savoury, umami, notes on the finish. Wood is a little evident now but will integrate beautifully once in bottle for 6-12 months. A lovely example, both powerful and restrained.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

Iris, rose and baking spice aromas take center stage on this beautiful red. It's young and tight but already delicious, featuring ripe red cherry, star anise and ground clove set against a backbone of bright acidity and noble tannins. It will age well for years. Drink 2029–2039.

James Suckling (96)

Gorgeous aromas of dark berries, cedar and very ripe fruit that follow through to a full body, deep and dense tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Plush. Drink in 2022 and beyond.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection in Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni is all varietal and comes two-thirds from Oakville with the balance from sites in St. Helena and Rutherford. Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak and put together by Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, it has an incredibly pure, full-bodied, massive yet weightless style that I suspect couldn’t be achieved anywhere outside of Napa Valley. Cassis, blackberries, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf are just some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate while maintaining an ethereal, seamless, utterly perfect balance between its fruit, alcohol, tannins, and acidity. As good as it gets, it needs just 2-4 years in the cellar and will evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

Also a classic expression of its terroir, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard boasts a ripe, opulent, powerful style as well as notes of darker currants, tobacco, lead pencil, chocolate, and gravelly earth. I always find a Graves-like richness as well as a sense of earth from this site, and this beauty has it all in spades. Full-bodied, ripe, and polished on the palate, it stays relatively compact and will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is more closed aromatically, yet still offers impressive red, blue, and black fruits as well as savory herbs and dried flower nuances. It too is full-bodied, with a focused, tight, straight style on the palate that warrants 4-5 years of cellaring.

Decanter (100)

Proprietor Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni established this label in 2014. Entirely estate fruit, comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried herbs de provence round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated.

Decanter (98)

Delicate yet formidable, this wine’s dense, multiple layers of complex texture and flavour speak eloquently. There’s fresh raspberry and graphite, rhubarb and red earth, dark plum and ironstone, and a suggestion of sage and nutmeg among blackberry bite, caressed by fine tannins. Sourced from only 200 vines planted in the 1950s, this 0.27ha micro-terroir boasts red-brown earth over limestone with traces of iron, providing fruit of rare depth and concentration. More sensuous and ethereal that its raw-boned sibling Alkina Polygon 5, but their common characteristic is extraordinary length of the purest flavours.

Decanter (98)

Delicate yet formidable, this wine’s dense, multiple layers of complex texture and flavour speak eloquently. There’s fresh raspberry and graphite, rhubarb and red earth, dark plum and ironstone, and a suggestion of sage and nutmeg among blackberry bite, caressed by fine tannins. Sourced from only 200 vines planted in the 1950s, this 0.27ha micro-terroir boasts red-brown earth over limestone with traces of iron, providing fruit of rare depth and concentration. More sensuous and ethereal that its raw-boned sibling Alkina Polygon 5, but their common characteristic is extraordinary length of the purest flavours.

Dating back to 2015, the Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 is a luxuriously complex synergy of French artistry. Renowned Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno and Rhône winemaker Michel Chapoutier immaculately craft this exquisite spirit. Sourced from a parcel on Saint Joseph's hill known as 'Croix Chabot,' the vineyard embraces an ideal geographic spot. This fertile land nurtures granitic soils that imbue the wine with a distinct minerality.

The features of Syrah grapes beautifully shine through their vinification in concrete tanks followed by an ageing process in oak barrels for a span of 12 to 18 months. This meticulous process ensures a harmonious blend of the wine's fruity and spicy characters.

The elegant full-bodied Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 unfurls flavours of dark fruit and undertones of liquorice and violet. With a delightful lingering finish, it offers a rich and inviting experience for the true wine connoisseur.

James Suckling (97)

A very nuanced but powerful Brunello showing hibiscus, raspberry tea, gunpowder, petrichor, dried orange rind and spearmint. The rows of sharp tannins are very defined and agile, and the acidity is tensely strung up in overtures of vivacious red fruit. A beautiful, nimble Brunello 2015. Drink from 2024.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Concentration is easy to achieve in Argentina,” says Alberto Antonini, “but texture is much harder.” All I can say is that he has succeeded here on this best-ever release from Altos Las Hormigas, which brings Burgundian levels of grace and complexity to Malbec. Scented, hauntingly graceful and complex with remarkable focus and depth, a hint of oak, sweet red fruits and a lingering finish. Exceptional winemaking.

Wine Advocate (97)

The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced.

Wine Advocate (97)

Very deep purple-black in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard has a compelling savoriness of char-grilled meat and roasted nuts on the nose with a core of crème de cassis, violets and crushed plums plus a touch of garrigue. Medium-bodied and tautly structured with firm, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, it has a incredible depth of primary fruit and earthy layers, finishing with incredible length and a lovely mineral hint. 432 cases produced.

James Suckling (99-100)

This shows the purity of Angelus. I have never tasted a wine from here with such incredible clarity. Full body, full fruit and full beauty. Super silky tannins. A joy to taste. Makes you want to drink it. 62% merlot and 38% cabernet franc.

James Suckling (99-100)

This shows the purity of Angelus. I have never tasted a wine from here with such incredible clarity. Full body, full fruit and full beauty. Super silky tannins. A joy to taste. Makes you want to drink it. 62% merlot and 38% cabernet franc.

James Suckling (98)

Redcurrants, sweet tobacco and flowers with some sandalwood. Very perfumed and floral. So pure. Full-bodied, yet so refined and layered, with a soft, compact palate and a crushed-velvet mouth-feel. Poised fruit at the end, together with fresh, rare wood and a light chocolate undertone to the aftertaste. This is open, yet there’s so much in reserve. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Leave it in the cellar for at least eight years. Try after 2029.