The more closed but potentially greater 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is a 480-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed...

La Gaffeliere 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. The nose begins with notes of new leather, cedar chest, and smoked meats, giving way to notions of prunes and fruit cake, with a waft of dried sage. The medium to...

Exceptionally silky tannic frame, this is gourmet and mouthwatering, delivering raspberry and blackberry studded with white pepper, cedar and campfire smoke. Softly spoken and welcoming, not the most powerful 2009 but...

A classy, balanced and sumptuous du Tertre, a ton of appellation and vintage signature. Lace-like tannins, overperforms the estate at the time, showing just how much quality and value is out there for this vintage...

Rich and supple, evoking cherry, blackberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors. The dense, dusty tannins emerge as this builds to the long, lively finish, where a light astringency lingers. A bit rustic. Best from...

Sourced from the oldest vines in the domaine, the Charles Giraud is the flagship bottling of Saint-Préfert. A 60-40 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre accented by a whisper of clove, it's a voluminous, dazzling wine packed...

Spices, vanilla bean, and berries on the nose. A nice balance. Full and soft, with round tannins. A soft and juicy palate. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. 650 cases.

(96+ points) A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2019 Saint-Pierre is deep garnet-purple in color. It gallops out with notes of warm cassis, plum preserves, and candied violets, leading to suggestions...

Packed with ripe, juicy cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and floral aromas and flavors, this red is supple and beautifully integrated. Earth, iron and tobacco accents add detail as this winds down on the lazy, resonant...

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 La Gaffeliere has a nose of stewed red plums, black cherries, and kirsch, followed by hints of aniseed, mossy tree bark, and truffles. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refined...

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. is a dark, brooding behemoth. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2019 is in no mood to show all its cards. Intense blue fruit, gravel, menthol, lavender and pencil shavings confer...

Refined and structured, offering plenty of graphite and herbal notes up front that give way to a dark chocolate–coated blackberry and spiced plum center, with a twinge of cassis underneath. The tannins show some grip, but...

This 2005 is really coming into its own, with soft, welcoming rose bud, chalk, bilberry, cocoa bean and tobacco. The tannins remain well structured, and you can see the muscles that kept this pretty closed for the first...

A particularly pretty and floral expression of Clos Apalta, the 2022 Clos Apalta is beautifully lush and expressive on the nose, combining a deep core of black and blue fruit aromas with pencil lead, camphor and bramble...

An assemblage of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, both aged in demi-muids, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud features a hint of brown sugar on the nose, then waves of blueberries, black cherries and...

A 100% varietal and estate-grown wine from the site made famous in the Paris Tasting, this offers yeasty brioche aromas that lead to crisp expansive flavors of cassis and red currant. The oak is supportive and integrated...

Fragrant on the nose with dark fruit aromas and notes of cream and vanilla. Compact yet fresh on the palate, with a great concentration.

Such gorgeous fruit, with extremely polished tannins and a persistent finish. The new oak comes out at the finish, but it should melt together with age. A joy to taste now but better in 2016.

This shows intensity and richness on the nose with aromas of cassis, crushed blackberries and hints of cedar, tobacco, violets and graphite. It’s structured and focused on the palate, with a medium to full body. It shows...

The 2020 Franc-Mayne has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless palate of real class and purity. Vibrant...

In 2019, 50% less Lafite was released en-primeur, at a discount of 20% compared to 2018. Surprisingly forward and beautifully balanced, this has a glorious combination of richness, purity of fruit, pronounced lead...

The 2019 Red Estate is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot from the higher elevations of the Figgins estate. The 2019 is cool and collected in the glass, with soaring floral aromatics and minty herbs...

The 2014 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet in color. It is a little closed on the nose to begin, needing some coaxing to bring out evocative scents of dusty soil, iron ore, and mossy tree bark, leading to...

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) with the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Incredible aromatics of red and black currants, spring flowers, graphite, camphor, and cedar define the...

An alluring red, with fresh boysenberry and black pepper-dusted plum flavors underscored by smoked bacon, charred cedar and mocha. Pure and polished, this is well-built and seductive. Drink now through 2030. - J.M.

2018 was especially excellent for the red wine from this estate. It’s seductive, velvety, generous and round, and it’s bursting with scents of berries, herbs and peonies. It’s also balanced, despite the high alcohol.

This is 96% Merlot and just 4% Cabernet Franc, the Moueix family never having leaned into Cabernet Franc in the way much of the right bank has. Absolutely classic Trotanoy on the nose of the 2022 vintage, all dark gravel...

Blending equal parts 49% Malbec and 49% Cabernet Sauvignon with 2% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Cheval Des Andes is a study in elegant power and beautifully integrated red fruit. This is drinking heavenly now but should...