Tight tannins mask the ripe fruit in a wine that is set for long-term aging, so there is a dry core that dominates at the moment. But not for long: the bold black fruits are insistent and are going to be delicious. This...

This is a powerful wine, made to age for a long time, from this estate which is performing in top gear. Complex tannins and dark fruits both make their presence felt. It has weight, ripeness and a dense structure. A great...

The 2014 Tenuta degli Dei is fabulous. In fact, the 2014 is one of the best recent vintages of this wine I can remember tasting. Aromatically expressive and inviting, the 2014 is terrific. Stylistically, it is perhaps not...

Even more prodigious is the 2014 LMV Salon. Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc from the sandy Bale Loam soils of the 110 acres Larkmead possesses, it is a bigger boy at 14.9% alcohol but shows lots...

(WE93-95 points) This is a serious wine, with dense tannins and concentrated structure. It has strong wood and smoky bacon notes that need to harmonize with the dark plum flavor and ample acidity.

Intensely scented dried flowers on the nose in the rose to lilac spectrum. Raspberry and blackberry undertones. Rose perfumes. It's full-bodied, yet everything's in finesse. Superfine tannins coat your palate and give you...

The 2014 IX Estate is deep garnet-black in color. Scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and blackberry pie jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of incense, iron ore, and camphor with a waft of dark chocolate...

The 2014 Chateau Poesia has a very well-defined bouquet with plenty of red and black fruit, crushed rose petals and just a touch of smoke. I love the detail here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and...

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate, from a site that sits on the valley floor at a slightly lower elevation than the Vineyard 29 Estate, is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet...

Blueberries, tar and licorice on the nose. Full-bodied, solid and dense. Velvety tannins. Long finish. Down on this! Needs at least two or three years to soften.

The red and black fruits and delicately herbal character make this quite a complex wine. For this appellation and given the wine’s youthfulness, the balance of fruit, tannins and alcohol is almost seamless. Drink in 2020...

The tannins are linear and direct in this otherwise fruity wine. Along with dark tannins, it is also rich with warm red fruits. The acidity still shows strongly and suggests that the wine needs time. Drink from 2020...

A stunning wine for this vintage although it’s still a bit shy on the nose (more spice than fruit showing than now). There’s wet earth, too, but on the palate it’s bursting with ripe yet subtle flavors. Very long and...

Incredible iodine, oyster, currants, peat and cedar. Yet subtle. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins and great depth and complexity on the finish. I love the spice and blueberry character on the finish. Vibrant. A sexy...

A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.

This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the...

This is already really delicious. The black-fruit aromas are really ripe, but there’s no hint of jammy stuff. Tastes simultaneously juicy and creamy, and the tannins are so graceful: The wine glides across the palate. If...

The ample fruitiness of this 80% Merlot wine is right up front. It comes from a large 116-acre estate on the extension of the Pomerol plateau. Firm tannins as well as generous black plum and berry fruits are well...

Spicy, rich and full of ripe fruit, this wine has great potential. It is structured and dense while bringing out a stylish elegance. Blackberry fruit dominates the tannins to create a wine that has both concentration and...

From old vines planted in a single vineyard, this is a spectacular red. It has the crisp acidity of the cool-climate Sancerre, but it also has the weight and ripeness of a fine Burgundy. The wood aging has left a spicy...

Aromas of currants and fresh herbs. Medium to full body, a soft and juicy texture and a long finish. Juicy yet tight. Excellent second wine. Better in 2020.

More forward and approachable than the 2013, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is nevertheless a massive wine that has more depth and concentration than just about every other wine in the vintage. A...

Ripe and fruity, the wine is a great success. It has juicy berry fruits that are underpinned by the firm tannins and mineral structure. It is full while also crisp: a wine that is deliciously perfumed. Drink from 2024.

Elegant and complex, with layers of red currant and incense infused with cigar box, cured meat and smoked alder accents. Evolving beautifully, with a salty vein of minerality and impressive length on the finish, this is...

From grapes picked in the Le Leon area, a single-plot vineyard covering 2.5 hectares, the 2014 Le Léon extra brut from Philipponnat has a gorgeous, fresh bouquet with aromas of white pepper, spring flowers, red berries...

A claret sort of blend, with 20% merlot meshed to even parts cab and cab franc, dried in the traditional fashion for nigh on two months. A wine of latent power, the tannic mettle serving to compress prune, alpine amaro...

Very pretty plum and chocolate aromas with hints of flowers. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a savory finish. An underlying citrus character. Such balance and finesse. Better in 2020.