Krug 2006 is composed of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier and shows an impressive aromatic richness of white flowers, smoke and toasted hazelnuts. There’s both density and crystalline texture here, with... Read More

The 2019 Pinot Noir The Eyrie which includes fruit from 54-year-old vines has alluring aromas of cranberries blackberries orange peel mushroom powder and pipe tobacco with streaks of flint. The medium-bodied palate is soft and... Read More

Just bottled the 2015 Barolo Riserva Cascina Dardi is a real powerhouse. This full-bodied potent Barolo packs a huge punch. It won't be ready to drink anytime soon that much is obvious. Time in the glass brings out aromatic... Read More

What Is Laboro Disubbidiente?
Laboro Disubbidiente is a Barolo in all but name. Produced from vines with an average age of 60 years from the Bussia vineyard of Dardi. Laboro is a play on the word Barolo and a nod to the labor... Read More

In 1985 in Laguardia, a small town in the Alevesa region of Rioja, a group of local vineyard owners founded Artadi as a co-operative with the view of focussing on their vineyards. This project was taken over in 1992 by the Localle... Read More

While I don't think the 2019 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) is going to hit the heights of the 2016 (or maybe the 2018) it's still a brilliant wine from what's clearly a terrific vintage for the Right Bank.... Read More

A full-bodied sparkling with sliced cooked pears and apples. Dusty chalk and some mineral and stone undertones. Full-bodied with firmness and tightness at the end. Linear and compact on the palate. Tangy finish. Drink or hold.... Read More

There is an apparent paradox with concentration and movement vying for ascendancy. The structure of the wine is tense and assertive. Its energy almost tactile is contained for a moment before vibrating and exploding. Its opulence... Read More

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Chateau La Grande Roche is a bold punchy wine. Red cherry/plum fruit kirsch rose petal mint and white flowers abound. This mid-weight pliant Cabernet Sauvignon delivers the goods and then some. Readers... Read More

Brilliant stuff, the 2019 Château Lafon-Rochet shows the best of the vintage with its pure, precise, elegant, yet at the same time concentrated style. Showing lots of ripe currant, plum, tobacco, Asian spice, and cedar pencil... Read More

Well-polished blackcurrant, cassis and bilberry, everything pretty silky and firm. Not fully showing its generosity at this point but no question that it is going to get there soon. Clear charcoal, graphite and woodsmoke as it... Read More

The 2009 Léoville Poyferré has an outstanding bouquet with blackberry mint and cedar aromas almost Pauillac in style very dense and with plenty of horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine saturated tannins... Read More

The 2019 Château Malartic-Lagravière showed brilliantly with an elegant pure flawlessly balanced style. Giving up ripe black cherry currants tobacco leaf and spicy oak with textbook Graves scorched earth it hits the palate with... Read More

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Finely spiced dark forest berries, nuances of blueberry and blackberry mingle with the typical cassis nuances, tobacco and herbal spices, tiny animalistic hints. Complex... Read More

The grand vin 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte comes from the heart of the Léognan region and beautiful gravelly soils. Deeply hued it's a slightly fresher more structured wine and has beautiful crème... Read More

The 2018 Gattinara Molsino emerges from a relatively warm sunny spot on the estate at 400 meters in elevation. It presents myriad shades of dark cherry/plum fruit sage menthol new leather and dark spices. Potent and virile in... Read More

The 2018 Gattinara Valferana is explosive right out of the glass. Supporting veins of tannin carry a core of red fruit cinnamon rose petal blood orange mint and white pepper. The Valferana is complex and wonderfully deep from... Read More

Here too moderate reduction renders the nose difficult to assess. The relatively delicate and refined middle weight flavors possess no lack of punch that carries over to the youthfully austere complex and sneaky long finish that... Read More

Tasted out of tank the 2020 Hermitage ranks with the legendary wines from this address. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant version of the 2010 it's a deep inky hued effort revealing utterly classic Hermitage aromatics... Read More

Ripe but markedly fresher aromas of poached plum black cherry coulis warm earth and pretty floral nuances lead to intense vibrant and very concentrated larger-scaled flavors that deliver excellent length on the ever-so-slightly... Read More

The juicy velvety and aromatic red 2020 Pícaro del Águila Tinto is fine-boned and quite faithfully represents what they want to express with this cuvée; it's very tasty and has some chalkiness (perhaps through less ripeness... Read More

This too is very firmly reduced. The more refined and slightly denser flavors possess a more sophisticated texture with notably better depth and persistence on the balanced if chalky and slightly austere finale. In contrast to... Read More

Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot the 2019 Dominus was harvested from September 29 to October 10. It was aged in 40% new oak. Deep garnet-purple colored the nose slowly unfurls to unveil... Read More

I was blown away by the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon DVO, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc made as a collaboration between the team at Dalla Valle and Ornellaia. Remarkable notes of red and black currants, spring... Read More

Blackberry, black-cherry, bark and ink aromas follow through to a full body with tight, integrated tannins and a solid core of fruit at the same time. A little hard and tight now. From organically grown grapes. Needs time to open.... Read More

I loved the 2020 Condrieu. It’s made in a more vibrant reductive racy style that carries classic white peach tangerine and apricot aromas and flavors. Brought up all in amphora this pretty bright elegant Condrieu is ideal for... Read More

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... Read More

Like the Poruzots there is a noticeable phenolic character to the slightly riper aromas of jasmine tea white peach and floral nuances. The gorgeously textured medium weight flavors possess excellent mid-palate density along with... Read More

The 18 hectare Le Chiuse estate is situated on the northern side of town on calcareous clay soils rich in marine fossils at elevation of between 300 and 330 meters. There are family ties here to the owners of Biondi Santi. There... Read More

Scents of crisp citrus fruit orange blossom freshly baked bread and peach preface the 2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay a medium-bodied racy and incisive wine with chalky structure and a penetrating saline finish. It has turned out very... Read More

Four barrels made from this domaine vineyard. Camille started by destemming then saw how good the grapes were and changed her mind finishing with 40% whole bunches. A lovely mid purple. This is more complete and more classic with... Read More

The 2017 Geremia is a revelation. It might be even better than the 2015 or 2016 which is saying a lot. Soaring aromatics make a strong first impression. In 2017 the fruit profile leans more into the red fruit end of the spectrum.... Read More