Vinous (93)

The 2000 Brut La Grande Année is a ripe, open wine bursting with generous, expansive fruit. Smoke, minerals, pastry crust and flowers add complexity to the radiant fruit. The Grande Année reveals gorgeous depth and a multi-dimensional, kaleidoscopic personality that screams of pure breed. The 2000 will be a fascinating vintage to follow. I am not sure is has the freshness to be an extremely long-lived wine, but it does a fabulous job in capturing the Bollinger house style. The 2000 Grande Année is 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay of which 76% is Grand Cru and 24% is Premier Cru. This is Lot L911736. Disgorged January 19th, 2009.

Vinous (96)

Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.

Vinous (96)

Bollinger's 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. "Balance was hard to achieve in 2015," Chef de Cave Dennis Bunner notes. "At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness." Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There's real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.

Vinous (95)

Light gold with a steady bead of pinpoint bubbles. Deep, musky aromas of buttered toast, cherry pit, blood orange, lemon rind, pungent herbs and yellow rose, with mounting spiciness. Deeply concentrated but showing unlikely finesse, with firm, gripping red berry and citrus flavors and exotic notes of candied flowers and smoky lees. Intriguing for its blend of richness and delicacy; the endless finish repeats the spice and floral notes and lingers with impressive clarity and notes of honey, anise and minerals.

Vinous (95)

Light straw-yellow. Deep, soil-inflected aromas and flavors of white stone fruits, clove, hazelnut, marzipan, white pepper, smoke and minerals, with a note of orange bitters emerging after extended aeration. Wonderfully rich, silky and mouthfilling but not at all heavy, showing considerable baby fat for young Corton-Charlemagne but with a powerful stony underpinning. Seriously rich, ageworthy wine with a touch of dusty tannins and palate-saturating breadth and salty length. This wine is seriously satisfying right now but should undergo dramatic transformation over the years as it burns off some of its baby fat, which it started to do with 72 hours in the recorked bottle. A star of the vintage, showing no sign of heat or blurriness and communicating a very strong if fully ripe impression of terroir.

Imbued with the splendour of Paso Robles, California, the Booker Fulldraw 2015 is an exquisite blend, intricately crafted by the Booker Vineyard. This boutique winery, renowned for its meticulous viticultural practices and an endearing respect for the land, gives birth to wines possessing compelling character. With a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, the Booker Fulldraw 2015 is a captivating ensemble of distinct grape varietals.

The wine reveals generous layers of ripe blackberries, kirsch, violets, and lingering notes of elegant spice. Its texture is velvety, reigned in by firm tannins that provide structure and depth. The blend undergoes fermentation in concrete and stainless steel before ageing in French oak barrels; a process that imparts a refined, woody profile to this distinctive elixir.

Booker Fulldraw 2015 is more than a wine, it's a testament to the Booker Vineyard's commitment to producing vintages of exceptional quality and authenticity.

James Suckling (98)

The floral aromas are so enticing with rose petals and lavender, which follow through to a full body with beautiful density of fruit. A long and complete finish. The best Chianti Classico ever made here in living memory. Even better than the 1961. Drink or hold.

Immerse yourself in the refined elegance of the Botanica Semillon Mary Delany Collection 2015, a masterstroke of oenological craftsmanship. This sophisticated wine, revered by connoisseurs and critics alike, hails from South Africa's renowned Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch. Under the meticulous stewardship of producer Ginny Povall, the precious grapes are cultivated on well-aged vines, capturing the very essence of the unique terroir's character.

The wine honours Mary Delany, a British artist revered for her distinct botanical artwork. The wine mirrors her precision and devotion, showcasing impeccable balance, subtle oak notes, and citrus blossom aromas. Excellent structure supports a graceful ageing potential, making it a solid addition to any discerning cellar. The Botanica Semillon Mary Delany Collection 2015 is not only a celebration of an artist’s legacy, but also a testament to the renaissance of Semillon in the winemaking world.

Vinous (95+)

Healthy dark red. Brooding aromas of tart cherry stomp and red licorice; there's something cool and medicinal here that belies the sunny vintage. Wonderfully silky and savory on entry, then densely packed and almost painfully concentrated in the middle, showing a bulletproof quality to its flavors of red berries, minerals and rose petal. The explosive, slowly building finish saturates the palate with salty minerality. Still a total baby, this wine will need to be forgotten in the cellar for a decade. (Weber noted that this wine hasn't moved since the day he bottled it in early March.)

Wine Advocate (96)

Tasted blind, Bouchard's 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru put in a fabulous showing, making my tasting note from earlier this year seem decidedly conservative. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of Meyer lemon, mandarin, orange blossom, dried white flowers and toasted hazelnut, the wine is full-bodied, ample and textural, with an incredibly elegant, pure and precise profile. Above all, it's beautifully balanced, with the ineffable sense of completeness that distinguishes Montrachet at its best.

James Suckling (92-93)

A fresh and fruity red with blackberry, walnut and mushroom aromas and flavors. Iodine undertones. Full body, silky tannins and a clean finish.

Wine Advocate (94)

This fully mature, gorgeous 2003 Branaire Ducru possesses silky tannins, lots of cedary, spice box, floral, black cherry, forest floor and velvety leather-like notes, full body, and an opulent, complex yet elegant style. A beauty of complexity, richness and finesse, it should continue to drink well for another 5-6 years.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2015 Branaire Ducru is a gorgeous, totally sexy wine. Rose petal, lavender, mint, sweet red berry and gently spiced notes give the wine much of its gracious, lilting personality. Precise and nuanced to the core, the 2015 Branaire is all class. It's easy to overlook Brainaire in the context of Saint-Julien, where most of the other important wines are much more powerful. Branaire always speaks with a hushed, discreet voice. Readers who appreciate finesse will find much to admire here. The 2015 is a wine of pure and total sensual pleasure. In 2015, the blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. Don't miss it. Tasted two times.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years to become approachable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age.

Vinous (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.

Vinous (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.

Vinous (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.

Wine Advocate (94)

Showing some immediate softness, the 2015 Barolo Garblèt Sue' is beautifully approachable and generously accommodating, even at this early stage in the wine's drinking window. Bring it out with a selection of goat cheeses. It's interesting to note that, at 40 years old, the vines of this cru in Castiglione Falletto actually rank as some of the youngest held by the Brovia estate, founded in 1863, before the unification of Italy.

Wine Advocate (94)

Showing some immediate softness, the 2015 Barolo Garblèt Sue' is beautifully approachable and generously accommodating, even at this early stage in the wine's drinking window. Bring it out with a selection of goat cheeses. It's interesting to note that, at 40 years old, the vines of this cru in Castiglione Falletto actually rank as some of the youngest held by the Brovia estate, founded in 1863, before the unification of Italy.

Vinous (94)

Brovia's flagship 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a decidedly full-bodied wine. The richness of this warm vintage comes through loud and clear in an ample, resonant Barolo endowed with serious textural depth. Lifted floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register as the 2015 starts to open up in the glass. Even so, the Rocche stands out for its volume and sheer size, both of which are unusual for this Castiglione Falletto site, where the wines tend to be more lithe. The Rocche appears to be the Barolo most shaped by the growing season in this range.

Vinous (94)

Brovia's flagship 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a decidedly full-bodied wine. The richness of this warm vintage comes through loud and clear in an ample, resonant Barolo endowed with serious textural depth. Lifted floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register as the 2015 starts to open up in the glass. Even so, the Rocche stands out for its volume and sheer size, both of which are unusual for this Castiglione Falletto site, where the wines tend to be more lithe. The Rocche appears to be the Barolo most shaped by the growing season in this range.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2015 Barolo Villero offers richness and darkness with fruit from Castiglione Falletto, and it's one of the more intense wines I tasted within this selection. The Villero is a balanced and polished Barolo that opens to nicely integrated fruit and spice tones, expertly interwoven and united. The wine has a beautiful entry to the palate. Indeed, this pretty wine presented a united front, with seamless and graceful integration.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2015 Barolo Villero offers richness and darkness with fruit from Castiglione Falletto, and it's one of the more intense wines I tasted within this selection. The Villero is a balanced and polished Barolo that opens to nicely integrated fruit and spice tones, expertly interwoven and united. The wine has a beautiful entry to the palate. Indeed, this pretty wine presented a united front, with seamless and graceful integration.

Vinous (89-92)

(no hail or frost here in 2015, according to Clair): Medium red. Musky, deeply pitched aromas of raspberry, strawberry and smoky, flinty minerality. Quite taut in the early going, even a bit tough, and not showing the vintage's fleshy side today. But this firmly structured wine finishes with palate-stimulating salinity and subtle length. I would not be surprised if this eventually merited a rating at the top end of my projected range.

James Suckling (95)

Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019.

James Suckling (95)

Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019.

James Suckling (98)

The nose alone on this is reason enough to buy this. Rich and decadent with dried meats, dried mushrooms, ripe fruits, all tied together by flowers and a light cigar box character. The palate isn't bad either, loads of dried fruits, full-bodied and rich. Total decadence with a wild character. Makes me smile.