2012 Red Wine

Wine Spectator, 96 points: Cherry, leather and iron notes mark this suave, elegant red. A bit reticent now, but the fruit is fresh and long on the finish. The dense tannins leave a mouthcoating impression, but this opens up beautifully over a few...

Wine Spectator, 91 points: Admirably rich for the vintage, with solid plum and black currant paste flavors, allied to a decidedly brisk and racy structure and backed by plum pit, iron and singed alder notes through the finish, giving this a rather...

Decanter, 97 points: Rounded and layered aromas of dried fruits, red cherry, smoke and coconut. Well polished and presented with red fruit and plum flavours sluicing through the palate. It is, simply, a beautiful wine with the X-factor.

Wine Spectator, 98 points: Bright and juicy, this is packed with cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Linear in shape and tightly wound, yet very pure, with a long, detailed aftertaste that pulls all the elements together...

jamessuckling.com, 94 points: Lots of complexity comes through from the outset on the nose, borne out in terms of smoky black cherries, dried rose stems, asphalt, tar and licorice. Full, structured body that dives through layers of dark fruit, driven...

jamessuckling.com, 93 points: Incredible chalk and salt character with minerala and cocoa as well as berries. Full-bodied, tightly wound and long. So much going on. From Hong Kong’s Kwok family who also own Haut-Brisson in St. Emilion. This is the...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: The 2012 is another truly great wine from Troplong Mondot. It’s always sentimental to taste this wine, realizing that proprietress Christine Valette (the larger-than-life heart and soul behind this estate) has passed...

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: I like the ripe-fruit and smoked-meat aromas to this. Subtle and complex. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and chewy finish. Needs time to soften. Very structured for the vintage. Better in 2020.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The 2012 Aglianico del Vulture Covo dei Briganti is a gorgeous expression with dark fruit tones of blackberry and currant that are smoothed out by tobacco, leather and dusty mineral tones. Cove dei Briganti pays homage to...

Wine Spectator, 93 points: A rich version, this savory red evokes cherry, blackberry, beet, black currant, smoke and tobacco notes. Dense yet supple in texture, with a firm underlying structure and a compact finish. The long aftertaste suggests tar...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points: More serious than the Premices, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Tradition has additional structure and depth, with classic red and black fruits, leather, bouquet garni and spice aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely...

Wine Spectator, 96 points: A bright and elegant yet taut and structured version, this red features buried cherry, plum, earth, iron and tobacco flavors. Dynamic despite the firm grip of tannins, this should come around in a few years. Licorice...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: My favorite of the lineup, the 2012 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Le Clos des Fées is a sensational effort that’s most likely the wine of the vintage. Made from 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Carignan and the rest Mourvèdre...

Wine Spectator, 95 points: This is spicy, with underlying flavors of cherry, plum, mineral, earth and tobacco. Saturated midpalate, this combines power and finesse, showing harmony and a long, complex aftertaste. Iron and graphite details linger...

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: This is an incredible 2012 with fantastic depth, richness, focus and tension. Full body, polished and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Goes on for minutes. Better in 2020 but a joy to taste now. One of the...