Vinous (93)

The 2012 Blanc de Noirs Côte de Bechalin La Parcelle is bright, precise and beautifully lifted. Orchard fruit, mint, white pepper and floral notes lend brightness. This is a decidedly taut, vibrant Blanc de Noirs, especially considering the vintage. Gracious, medium in body and supremely inviting, the Côte de Bechalin is another stellar wine in this set of new releases. No dosage. Disgorged: April, 2019.

Wine Advocate (95)

Cerbaiona's 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a nuanced and delicate wine that offers ample power, intensity and length. What the wine does best is paint a portrait of the grape in its most pure and naked state. It offers crisp outlines with loads of wild berry, blue flower and moist earth on the inside. That balanced ensemble of flavors adds to the long and polished persistence you feel in the mouth. Give this wine another 10 years of aging to best appreciate its slow evolution and budding complexity.

Wine Advocate (95)

Cerbaiona's 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a nuanced and delicate wine that offers ample power, intensity and length. What the wine does best is paint a portrait of the grape in its most pure and naked state. It offers crisp outlines with loads of wild berry, blue flower and moist earth on the inside. That balanced ensemble of flavors adds to the long and polished persistence you feel in the mouth. Give this wine another 10 years of aging to best appreciate its slow evolution and budding complexity.

Vinous (88)

The 2012 Barolo Bricco Rocche is a bit deeper and more layered than the Brunate, but it, too, comes across as understated, with limited depth, complexity and pedigree, especially considering the potential of this historic Castiglione Falletto site. Today, the Bricco Rocche looks to be an early maturing Barolo.

The CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2012 is a distinguished vintage, hailing from the famed vineyards of Chiroubles in the Beaujolais region of France. Produced by iconic winemaker, CG Paris, this wine is a jewel of the vineyard's distinguished heritage. This exceptional wine opens with a bouquet of red berries accented with a distinct, mineral undertone - an ode to the granite-rich soil in which it was cultivated.

Matured in French oak casks for 12 months, the wine flaunts a structured, well-rounded body, with tantalising flavours of ripe red cherries and a hint of rustic earthiness, providing a delightful finis. This vintage's velvety tannin structure and vibrant acidity make it a perfect accompaniment to both red meat dishes and strong cheeses. Indulge in the allure of French viticulture with the perfection that is the CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2012, a testament to centuries of winemaking expertise.

Distinguished in the illustrious Beaujolais region of France, the CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2012 is an exquisite example of expert winemaking. With the age-old vines planted on steep, granitic slopes, this wine captures the essence of its hallowed terroir. The winemaking approach, under the leviathan of Charles Gaget, adheres strictly to the traditional Beaujolais method, with semi-carbonic maceration yielding an eloquent expression of the Gamay grape.

This vintage is a testament to its remarkable year, showcasing fruit-forward complexity harmonised with vibrant acidity. The nose swoons with scents of black cherry and violets while the lush palate intrigues with vibrant raspberry and earthy undertones. A wine that embodies finesse and elegance, the CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2012 is a choice worthy of the discerning connoisseur. Clearly, a testament to the exceptional potential of the Cheroubles cru, and a maharishi in the illustrious lineage of CG Paris offerings.

Wine Advocate (93)

One can’t say enough about the amazing job that Alain Vauthier and his daughter have done at this historic property on the decomposed limestone slopes of St.-Emilion. About half of their production goes into the second wine, Chapelle D’Ausone, which gives you an indication of the compulsive perfectionist attitude of the Vauthiers. The 2012 Chapelle D’Ausone has a dense ruby/purple color and is rich, broad and expansive, with notes of plum, blueberry and black raspberry fruit, powdered chalk and flowers. The wine is medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and long and rich. This is better than many of the vintages of Ausone in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, which says a lot about what Vauthier has achieved. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.

Vinous (92)

Vivid ruby. Highly aromatic cherry and red berry scents are complicated by licorice, Indian spices and cola. Deeply concentrated dark fruit flavors show a suave blend of sweet and tangy, with a mineral nuance adding lift. Gains weight and sweetness on the clinging finish, which features a cherry-cola quality and fine-grained tannins that come on late.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2012 Ermitage Cuvee de l'Oree is still firing on all cylinders, sporting heavenly notes of powdered rock, white flowers, honeyed orange blossom, white currants and a saltiness that keeps you coming back to the glass. Full-bodied, voluptuous and decadent, drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2012 Ermitage Cuvee de l'Oree is still firing on all cylinders, sporting heavenly notes of powdered rock, white flowers, honeyed orange blossom, white currants and a saltiness that keeps you coming back to the glass. Full-bodied, voluptuous and decadent, drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

Another wine that topped out on my scale, the 523-case 2012 Ermitage l'Ermite is as profound an Hermitage as you can find. Coming from the granite soils located around the Chapel on the top of Hermitage hill, it's always the most tight, backward and structured of the releases, even more so than the Pavillon, which always seems to have another layer of sweet fruit to me. The 2012 is deeper and richer than the 2011, yet as with most 2012s, it more approachable and forward than the 2010 (and 2009 in this case). Exhibiting awesome notes of powdered rock, creme de cassis, liquid violets and lite gunpowder, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, awesome mid-palate depth and building, ultra-fine tannin that frame the finish. It's an incredible wine that will won't start to become approachable until a decade after the vintage, and then will keep for three decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

White wine simply doesn't get any better than the 2012 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc. A massive, concentrated, yet insanely pure and focused effort, it has an incredible bouquet (almond paste, orange rind, caramelized peach), full-bodied richness, no hard edges and finish that just won't quit. Of all the 2012 whites, this has the most minerality, purity and precision. I'd happily drink it anytime over the coming 3-4 decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

Sharing some similarities to the le Meal (yet its from a very different terroir), with its full-bodied, decadent, heavenly profile that somehow stays pure, poised and elegant, the 2012 Ermitage le Pavillon (767 cases) offers an extraordinary perfume of cassis, raspberries, crushed flowers, powdered rock and smoked earth. Coming all from the granite soils of the les Bessards lieu-dit, which produces some of the most muscular, concentrated wines on the planet, this serious 2012 is more approachable than either the 2009 or 2010, yet certainly is at the same level of quality. Give it 6-7 years in the cellar and enjoy it through 2042.

Wine Advocate (97)

A wine I've been lucky enough to have multiple times recently, the 2012 Ermitage les Greffieux is a full-bodied, deeply fruited, concentrated and blockbuster effort that's stays elegant, polished and balanced. Exhibiting incredible amounts of bloody meat, olive tapenade, campfire and sweet, expansive fruit, it needs 4-5 years in the cellar, and will drink nicely through 2034.

Vinous (92)

(20% new oak): Opaque ruby. Intense, mineral-driven aromas of ripe blackberry, smoked meat and incense. Pliant, supple and sweet, with a distinct smokiness to its dark berry and spicecake flavors. Finishes with slow-building tannins, repeating smokiness and strong floral persistence. A very strong showing for this bottling.

Wine Advocate (96+)

In complete contrast to the sexy, flamboyant les Granits, the tiny production 2012 Saint Joseph le Clos (which comes from a vineyard just a couple kilometers from the les Granits) is firm, tight and structured, with edgy notes of cassis, blackberry, powdered rock and ground herbs. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it needs 3-4 years in the cellar, and will have two decades of longevity. This is almost non-existent in the marketplace, but it's worth the effort to track down.

Vinous (94+)

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is rich and explosive, with tons of concentration, depth and structure. Dark blue and black fruit, mocha, smoke, menthol, licorice and spices all burst from the glass as this huge, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its pure class. Readers will have to be patient with the 2012, a wine that will blow the roof off the house with its unbridled power.

Andreas Larsson (96)

Bright light golden colour with fine and lively bubbles. Nice purity on the nose, chalky and flinty with ripe but fresh yellow fruit like peach, passion fruit, lemongrass, fresh butter, brioche and floral notes. The palate shows a nice bite and precision, lovely freshness, fine extract, rounded creaminess with layers of succulent stone fruit, crushed nuts and pastry notes. Very long and lingering finish, still in a youthful stage but great potential here.

Burghound (95)

Here the nose is similar to the regular cuvée from a compositional standpoint but the fruit is denser, slightly riper and more complex as well. The very concentrated broad-shouldered flavors possess excellent concentration as the copious dry extract both coats the palate and buffers the extremely firm tannic spine on the explosively long but impeccably well-balanced finish. This is distinctly old school in style and will require extended cellaring to arrive at its peak. I would not recommend buying this ultra-serious effort unless you have the express intention of cellaring it over the longer-term.

Vinous (93)

The 2012 Vacqueyras Réserve sports a flamboyant perfume of cherry liquor and strawberry compote mixed with delicate notions of tobacco and dried lavender. Enveloped in silky tannins, this full-bodied beauty is packed with ample concentration and finesse. It seamlessly glides across the palate and concludes with an expansive finish. This utterly seductive 2012 red has reached its plateau of maturity and is ready for business.

Indulge in the exquisite sensation of the Chateau Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012, the unrivalled product of a renowned winery nestled within the Burgundy wine region of France. This high-profile monopole, born from the combined soils of iron-rich clay and deadly limestone, promises a dense, deeply layered Pinot Noir. The grapes, hand-picked at optimal maturation, follow a prudent vinification process ensuring preservation of inherent character and quality.

Considered a stellar vintage, 2012 was marked by challenging climatic conditions, which ultimately led to a smaller but supremely fine yield. The end result is a wine of elegant complexity, exhibited through an array of ripe red fruit, earthy undertones and delicate tannins. On the palate, the Chateau Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012 unfolds with incredible balance, escalating into a lasting, intensely flavoured finish. This is a profound reflection of meticulous winemaking in harmony with respect for terroir - a captivating portrayal of Pommard's Monopole heritage.

Indulge in the exquisite sensation of the Chateau Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012, the unrivalled product of a renowned winery nestled within the Burgundy wine region of France. This high-profile monopole, born from the combined soils of iron-rich clay and deadly limestone, promises a dense, deeply layered Pinot Noir. The grapes, hand-picked at optimal maturation, follow a prudent vinification process ensuring preservation of inherent character and quality.

Considered a stellar vintage, 2012 was marked by challenging climatic conditions, which ultimately led to a smaller but supremely fine yield. The end result is a wine of elegant complexity, exhibited through an array of ripe red fruit, earthy undertones and delicate tannins. On the palate, the Chateau Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012 unfolds with incredible balance, escalating into a lasting, intensely flavoured finish. This is a profound reflection of meticulous winemaking in harmony with respect for terroir - a captivating portrayal of Pommard's Monopole heritage.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90)

The 2012 Puygueraud is a soft, supple red to drink now and over the next handful of years. Licorice, tobacco, menthol, plums and earthy notes are all laced together nicely in the glass. Medium in body and already quite forward, the 2012 is an excellent choice for drinking over the next handful of years. An intriguing array of sweet and savory notes lingers on the inviting finish. The tannins are a bit gritty, but this is a solid effort nonetheless. The 2012 is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.

Jeb Dunnuck (96+)

A step up over the 2011, the 2012 Chateau Cheval Blanc offers a similar medium to full-bodied, elegant style yet has slightly more freshness and purity. Smoked black fruits, cassis, tobacco leaf, and sappy flower notes all emerge from this thrillingly textured, balanced, focused 2012. It opens up with time in the glass, has ripe, sweet tannins, and it’s another one of those wines that offers pleasure today yet will cruise for decades. The final blend is the usual 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Readers should be happy to have bottles in their cellars.

James Suckling (97)

One of the most complex and floral Chevals. Full to medium body, ultra-fine. How I tasted.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2012 Barolo Mosconi is one of the big surprises of this tasting. This is a gorgeous expression with a deep and enduring sense of balance. The wine offers excellent intensity with black fruit and spice, nicely contrasted against more subtle tones of licorice, red rose and polished river stone. The tannins are firm and tight, yet they show the latitude needed for long cellar-aging.

Vinous (93)

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is the first commercial release from Christian Moueix's Oakville property. Sensual and alluring, yet with striking depth, the 2012 is full of sweet red cherry, raspberry jam, wild flowers, all pushed forward in a sexy, layered Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers terrific depth for a wine from this generally uneven vintage. Sweet floral and spiced notes add lift on the finish. I imagine the 2012 will reward readers with a good two decades of fine drinking.

Vinous (93)

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is the first commercial release from Christian Moueix's Oakville property. Sensual and alluring, yet with striking depth, the 2012 is full of sweet red cherry, raspberry jam, wild flowers, all pushed forward in a sexy, layered Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers terrific depth for a wine from this generally uneven vintage. Sweet floral and spiced notes add lift on the finish. I imagine the 2012 will reward readers with a good two decades of fine drinking.