2008 Wine from France

jamessuckling.com, 100 points: Disgorged October 2016 and will be the first Cristal to be released ten years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. 35 parcels used from a possible 45 in this vintage. The assemblage is 60% pinot noir and 40%...

View From The Cellar, 98 points: The 2008 vintage of Dom Pérignon is an absolute classic in the making and this is destined to be one of the great recent years for this iconic cuvée. It is far more classically structured out of the blocks than the...

Wine Spectator, 93 points: A well-cut, minerally version, with a firm backbone of acidity and a lacy mousse, layered with flavors of baked currant, toast and lemon curd. Offers a racy, spiced finish. Disgorged January 2016. Drink now through...

Decanter, 98 points: This takes a heartbeat to kick in, and then the weight and impact of this wine slowly kicks in. Those Cabernets have lift and punch, and although it's not ethereal like the Ausone or even the Lafite, it has power...

Wine Enthusiast, 100 points: One of the great Champagnes both for its richness and its longevity, this latest incarnation is superb. The wine's richness is linked to the ripe fruit and the dominance of Pinot Noir in the blend. It also shines in the...

Vinous, 91 points: Good bright red-ruby. Sexy, pure aromas of dark cherry, rose and violet. Juicy, delicate and penetrating, with pinot-like weight and sappiness. Displays a captivating sweetness without any loss of energy. Finishes long...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points: The Raphet 2008 Chambertin Clos de Beze smells alluringly of ripe dark cherry, licorice, ginger, blond tobacco, and hyacinth. Supple and tender, loaded with lightly-cooked cherry yet preserving a vintage-typical fruit...

Burghound, 92 points: (BH90-92 points) A discreet touch of wood frames fresh red pinot and raspberry fruit aromas trimmed in noticeable warm earth nuances that continue onto the sappy and highly accessible middle weight flavors that are...

Vinous, 96 points: The 2008 La Mission Haut-Brion has an open, feisty, lively bouquet with blackberry, briary, cedar, black olive and a light seaweed (Japanese nori) aroma. This is wonderful, an intoxicating bouquet. The palate is...

jamessuckling.com, 94 points: Very fragrant chardonnay here, offering white flowers, sweet smelling honey, almond nougat, lemons and peaches. The palate is very crisp, very focused and long with brioche flavor and a finely layered texture. Some chalky...

Burghound, 91 points: Classic ruby. An intensely sauvage, cool and relatively airy red currant suffused nose that is also distinctly mineral-inflected leads to solidly structured and overtly muscular flavors that finish with some dryness...

Burghound, 93 points: (BH90-93 points) This is also elegant, pure and broadly aromatic with hints of earth, underbrush and a touch of the sauvage adding nuance to the red currant and violet notes that introduce rich and rather serious...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: (WA 92 - 93 points) Exuberantly sweetly-fruited, the Billaud 2008 Chablis Vaudesir is redolent of and brims with purple plum, pineapple, quince and peach, hauntingly wreathed in gentian and violet perfume. Liquid perfume...

Vinous, 96 points: Medium orange-gold. High-toned, tangy aromas of orange, lime peel, fresh apricot, nuts and honey. The palate pairs great thickness with electric acidity, giving an almost painful quality to the very sweet apricot and...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Mainly from Aÿ (with a bit of Mailly and Oger as well as Cramant) the 2008 Grand Cru Extra Brut 1522 blends 58% Pinot Noir with 42% Chardonnay and opens with a concentrated tropical fruit aroma (pineapples, stone fruits...