Wonderful aromas of fresh herbs, such as sage and mint. Currants. Extremely aromatic. Full body. Fantastic tension and focus. Reminds me of the 1974. Really exceptional. Gorgeous. Cool and sleek. Try after 2023, but...

The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn't show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it's austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is...

This terroir always delivers a wild, opulent, gamey style of wine, and the 2017 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert doesn’t disappoint. Loads of chocolaty black fruits, ground pepper, truffle, and smoked game, as well...

Forthcoming aromas of rose, cherry and licorice are the hallmarks of this supple red. Bright and well defined, with notes of tobacco, cut hay and tar adding detail. Solidly built, this should develop nicely over the next...

This has aromas of blackberries, porcini mushrooms, tobacco and charred bark. It’s medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins. Savory, with plenty of earth and mineral character. Fresh finish. Drink or hold.

Nice fruit definition to this wine with blueberry and blackberry aromas and some toasted oak. Medium-to full-bodied, creamy and balanced with chocolate and hazelnuts. Bright and vivid with just a touch of alcohol...

There is a high-pitched red fruit note on the nose of the 2017 El Molar, and it's a wine with a lot of light, something that is quite remarkable for a warm and Mediterranean year like 2017. This is a Garnacha that feels...

The 2017 Vinyes Velles was produced with 74% Cariñena and 26% Garnacha from slope vineyards older than 70 years on llicorella slate soils all within the limits of the village of Porrera. All of the wines are produced in a...

More reserved but no less brilliant, the 2017 Shiraz Lily's Garden comes from the McLaren Vale and spent 18 months in just 9% new French oak. Classic Syrah notes of dark black fruits, damp herbs, scorched earth, and...

The 2017 Saint Chinian Je Me Souviens is 80% Mourvèdre (from schist and limestone soils) and 20% Syrah (from schist). Matured 24 months in new French oak, this inky-hued wine shows little overt wood—the fruit has...

Rich and polished, this shows a light hand with new oak. Black cherry, plum, blackberry, iron, vanilla, coffee and tobacco flavors mingle, supported by lively acidity and dense, refined tannins. Balanced and long...

I loved the nose of the 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley. It just screams Pinot Noir with its spiced cherry, raspberry, white pepper, and sappy herb aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, fresh, and lively...

The 2017 Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge is one of the most intriguing, layered Pinots in this range, as it so often is. Bright and precise in feel, the Comptche Ridge is built on a palpable sense of linear energy. A whole...

The bright cherry core of this red is framed by smoke, vanilla and saline mineral notes. Vibrant and balanced, backed by dense tannins. The finish evokes dark cherry, plum and spice elements, extended by the lively...

The 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is incredibly polished and sophisticated. Silky tannins give the 2017 its racy, sleek personality. Over the last year, the 2017 has really settled into a gorgeous place. There is...

A resounding success, the deep ruby-colored 2017 Sorella displays beautiful purple highlights and explodes from the glass with aromas of blackberry, cigar box and dried tobacco with hints of graphite and dusty purple...

This is really transparent with sweet strawberries, flowers and orange peel, as well as some conifer and pine-nut undertones. Full-bodied and layered with intense young tannins, intertwined with bright fruit. Great...

Fascinating aromas of white pepper, dark berries, dark chocolate and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, tight and tannic, yet the tannins are fine and angular. Bright acidity. Shows drive and focus. Extremely well done. Better...

The classic Bruno Rocca 2017 Barbaresco surprisingly reveals cool-vintage aromas from what was in fact a warm growing season. When given ample time to open, this pretty Nebbiolo offers a long list of aromatic...

The 2017 Barolo Castelletto captures all of the savory and mineral complexity of this high-altitude site. Ethereal and gracious, the Castelletto has so much to offer. Pine, mint, blood orange, crushed raspberry and star...

Very exotic Parusso Barolo as always, with dried fruit, strawberries and tangerines. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and a powerful, intense finish. This is really structured. Needs four or five years to soften. Try in 2025.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is sure to make Dunn fans happy. Powerful and ample, it marries the natural intensity of the year with the savoriness that makes Howell Mountain Cabernets so distinctive. Dark...

(WA 95-97 points) The 2017 Pavie Macquin is deep garnet-purple in color and opens with flamboyant notes of warm black and red plums, black cherries and tilled soil with delicate touches of cloves, star anise, red roses...

Highly Recommended. A smoky red, infused with notes of autumn woods and herbs, featuring a core of strawberry and wild cherry flavors. Silky in texture and balanced, ending with a long, tightly wound and minerally finish...

Extremely aromatic with crushed berries, currants, flowers and hints of uncured tobacco leaf. Carnations. Medium to full body and extremely fine tannins that are firm and polished. Vertical tannins draw you down. Some...

Plenty of complexity to this, with cherry, plum, blackberry and hints of cedar and stone. Full-bodied with layered, velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Punctuated and defined for the 2017 vintage. Drinkable now, but...