The 2016 Champagne Cristal is chalky and pristine, with a crystalline nature and notes of white peach, fresh citrus blossoms, and bright salinity. Tasted for the first time last year, it captures a precise and focused...

Deep rich plum in colour, spiced cumin, loganberry, blood orange, cranberry and white pepper, there is the austerity here which was true even during En Primeur, now elongating into finesse and consistency of delivery...

A very floral and gently leafy edge with lighter red fruit, leading to a very smoothly fleshy, red-fruited palate that’s sleek, even and elegant. Drink or hold.

Fragrances of vanilla, smoke and violet amplify bold blackberry and plum in this bombastic red wine. A blend of 64% Grenache, 28% Syrah and 8% Mourvèdre, it's a rich, densely textured wine with a lingering finish marked...

This may not be the most concentrated wine from the appellation, but it’s a very appealing introduction to modern-style St.-Emilion. Plenty of mixed berries and a hint of vanilla on the medium-full body. Then the chalky...

A racy nose of black fruits, smoke, wet earth and violets. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity. It has tension and balance with plenty of blueberries on the palate and a supple finish. Drink or hold.

Crisp black fruit and dried lavender are restrained on the nose but gain richness and ripeness on the palate of this buoyant red. It's laden with plum and cherry flavors yet silky in mouthfeel, freshened by a crush of...

The 2016 d’Aiguilhe is deep garnet-colored. It swans out of the glass with decadent scents of blackberry pie and blueberry compote, followed by hints of licorice, chargrill, espresso, and truffles. Full, rich and...

Smoky sweet spice with juicy, ripe red berries on the nose. The core of liquorice and star anise is supported by plump, fleshy vibrant loganberry and raspberry fruit. Fresh, chewy fig on the finish. Youthful and classy...

The 2016 B 16 is a small bottling from Bollinger that takes the place of the Grand Année, as conditions did not allow Bollinger to bottle their flagship cuveé. Brisk floral top notes give this mid-weight, expressive...

Packed with fruit as well as rich wood and smoke flavors, this wine is still young but has potential. Ripe berry fruits will come together well as the wine moves into the next stage. Drink from 2023. ROGER VOSS

This smoky wine offers a fresh black-currant flavor and attractive acidity. It is well balanced, with good synergy between fruit and the structure. While it is not a blockbuster, it is ripe, fruity and likely to age well...

The 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a simple, red cherry and strawberry scented nose, almost as if there was a bit of carbonic maceration - Beaujolais-like. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin on the entry...

A full, ripe wine, this is rich in white fruits, but balanced by bright acidity. Produced in a vineyard close to Buxy, it has a taut edge, plenty of honey and lemon flavors, and a touch of toast. It's developing well, and...

The 2016 du Tertre has a medium to deep garnet color. It rolls out with expressive scents of black raspberries, warm cassis, and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of tobacco leaf and dried Provencal herbs. Light to...

There is enough reduction present to warrant giving the wine a thorough aeration. The richer and more powerful medium-bodied flavors possess good verve along with better depth and persistence on the relatively robust if...

An array of yellow orchard fruit with tropical and citrus fruit, leading to an attractive palate that has a fleshy middle section and a composed, long and concentrated finish. Fresh and linear. Equal parts sauvignon...

The 2016 Pommard 1er Cru les Vignots, which was not touched by frost, has a lifted bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit laced with blueberry and a touch of inkwell. I like the focus and purity here. The palate is...

With 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3 % Petit Verdot, the 2016 Pavillon Rouge from Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple. It needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal notes of crushed black...

The quality of this 2016 just shines out. It's full of plump fruit, with great balance and plenty of Margaux typicity - plump red and black berry fruits and high floral aromatics, an exemplary second wine. And from a...

A single vineyard in the city of Chinon is the source for this wine. Wholly owned by this producer, the vineyard has produced an intensely perfumed wine, showing the potential of the vineyard and of ripe Cabernet Franc...

Attractive blackberry and plum aromas with hints of dried flowers and orange peel. Full body, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

(12.5% alcohol; from a steep southwest-facing slope with slightly richer soil than the Mâcon Milly-Lamartine Montagne de Cra; the vines here were planted from the late 1970s through the early '80s): Bright, full...

This has a seductive feel, with velvety plum and raspberry compote notes stretching from start to finish while light floral, anise and apple wood accents chime in and out. Nice integration through the finish. Best from...

The 2016 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is showing brilliantly from bottle, unwinding with aeration to reveal a deep and brooding bouquet of plums, cassis and cherries mingled with notions of grilled meats, ceps...