Wine Enthusiast: Barrel sample. Powerful, but smooth, with ripe milk chocolate and sweetness. Very velvet in texture, with just enough acidity. R.V.

Wine Spectator: Black licorice and mineral on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Balanced and silky. But turns just a tad chewy.

Wine Enthusiast: It's the 100% Merlot that gives the alcohol and superripe fruit to this wine, redeemed by the acidity. Licorice and dark chocolate flavors go with the sweetest plums and spice...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Dark ruby. Deeply pitched dark berries and dried flowers on the nose, with a brighter red fruit quality emerging with air. Spicy raspberry and blackberry flavors coat the pala...

Wine Spectator: Tar and black licorice on the nose. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a silky finish. Turns to asphalt. Stylish.

Wine Spectator: This isn't shy, with well-toasted spice, mocha and ripe blueberry aromas and flavors leading the way, followed by singed vanilla, sweet plum and fig pate de fruit notes and a ...

Wine Spectator: Ripe and dense, this delicious red offers a lovely creamy mouthfeel to its crushed plum, blackberry and anise flavors, carried by long, velvety tannins. Lovely spice and toast...

Wine Enthusiast: In style, Coutale doesn't make many concessions to Malbec tannins. What you get is an impressively structured, firmly tannic wine, packed also with black fruits. The solid str...

Wine Spectator: This rich, spicy red shows ripe blackberry and raspberry ganache flavors, with dried herb, smoke and dark chocolate notes. There's lip-smacking sour cherry acidity framing the...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Inky ruby. Spicy cherry and blackberry aromas, with an energetic floral note adding complexity and tangy mineral providing lift. Silky and sweet, with sappy berry liqueur an...

Eddie Wolowski: Pale gold. Nose balances tropical fruit, sea shells, spice, and minerality with citrus fruit. Full-bodied, focused, and balanced, with a hint of creaminess on the solid mid-pa...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2010 Chablis is simply dazzling, and makes for a great introduction to the estate's 2010s. It boasts gorgeous, bright fruit supported by attractive minerality. High toned ...

Burghound: A reticent but elegant green fruit nose is primary but very fresh and solidly complex and leads to racy, intense and pure middle weight flavors that are textured, minerally an...

Burghound: This is not quite as elegant as the wood is a bit more obvious but offers more aromatic breadth with floral and spice notes added to the tidal pool and white orchard fruit aro...

Wine Spectator: Pretty Cabernet Franc aromas of crushed berries and some milk chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins. Long sweet fruit on the finish. -JS

About this Wine: "a red fruity, spicy wine, a great complexity in aromas, well balanced between fruit and tannin, long at the palate, harmonious and fine."

Wine Enthusiast: In its youth, this is intensely grassy, the grapefruit and green pepper flavors adding to the general crispness of the wine. It will be an attractive wine, full of pep, with a...

Wine Spectator: Ripe, juicy and flattering, with delicious linzer torte, boysenberry and blackberry compote aromas and flavors, supported by solid grip and nice lingering anise and espresso o...

James Suckling: It's a little short but I am impressed with the character of dried oranges, pineapple and spices. It full and round with good acidity and a freshness.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: From the bottle, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape has lived up to its pre-bottle form. Composed of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre, Cinsault and other varietals, it...