The 2023 Lytton Springs is powerfully aromatic and expressive from the jump. It explodes from the glass with dark blue fruit, lavender and blood orange peel, framed by mocha-like richness and a wave of exotic spice. The...

A vertiginous tight-rope walk between savory and sweet on the nose, from white tea leaf to tart blackberries to bing cherries to damp earth and gunpowder on the nose somersaults into ripe blackberries, black cherries...

Served blind, I'd think this was a top Hermitage due to its smoky character, topped with mint, peppery herbs, barbecued meat, black currants, blackberries, along with a hint of blueberry. The palate is rich, full-bodied...

Elegant, sweet, juicy, and fresh, there is a purity to the sweet kirsch that defines the wine. The finish focuses on its mineral characteristics that accompany the raspberries, kirsch, and cherries. This is a knockout...

Crushed dark berries are complemented by violets and underbrush with a gentle touch of tobacco. The sophisticated palate shows exceptional definition and polished tannins that are seamlessly integrated into a core of...

The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria's headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian...

95+ The 2021 I Sodi di San Niccolò is a powerhouse. Many recent vintages have been showier, but not the 2021. It's a wine that is going to require many years to shed its baby fat. Dark fruit, lavender, rose petal, menthol...

This has good concentration and energy to the dense core of dark fruit and bitter cherry, with great poise and elegance despite its ripeness (an impressive feat for the vintage). Guided by finely crushed mineral accents...

The 2021 Le Petit Clos is composed of 68% Carménère, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak. It features black and red fruit with a distinct floral bouquet, contrasting with the more...

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...

Basically pristine, with sleek cassis and damson plum fruit racing through atop mouthwatering apple wood, violet and iris notes. Very youthful, this is still ever-so-slightly tight as well as seriously long, with a bright...

The pedigree and purity of this red are evident immediately from its black currant, blackberry, pomegranate, violet and wild herb aromas. Saturated with red and black fruit and picking up licorice and mineral elements...

Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents...

Beautiful stuff and one of the gems in the vintage, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée shows ripe black cherries, scorched earth, sandalwood, and incredibly peppery garrigue and spice. It's medium to full-bodied...

Macerated cherry, blackberry and black currant fruit is shaded by mint, iron and spicy oak in this dense, linear red. Quickly takes on the character of its chewy tannins, yet the ripe fruit lingers. Though balanced and...

Made with Merlot and a tiny part Alicante, the Tenuta degli Dei 2022 Le Redini shows a dry delivery that is reinforced by dusty tannins and desiccated fruit tones of currant and Fig Newtons. The effect is soft and...

Lush and powerful, yet with lively underlying acidity, this red evokes black cherry, blackberry, mineral and wild herb flavors, all wrapped in an embrace of vanilla and toasty oak. Shuts down on the finish, where the...

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend sourced from the typical three quintas (Panascal in the Tavora Valley and Quinta do Cruzeiro and Quinta de St Antonio in the Pinhão Valley). When last seen, this was in fine form. It...

Seductive. Picked just before the Yquem harvest, ripe grapes on the cusp of noble rot, delivering crisp acidity and juicy fruit, a voluptuous mid palate, and a touch of bitterness at the finish, linking back to Yquem. An...

The 2023 HGIII is a tasty entry-level Merlot-based blend from Hourglass. Forward and bright, with lovely upfront fruit, this mid-weight, juicy red is a delight. Drink it over the next few years. -- Antonio Galloni

Red-fruited, herbal, and seamless on the palate, the 2020 Nicolas Catena Zapata is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 21% Malbec. Medium-bodied and well-integrated in terms of both oak and acidity...

A blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate and violet candy. Flavors of blackberry, Mission fig, mint tea, anise and lavender are intertwined with velvety tannins...

Deep ruby-purple, the 2017 True Believer Reserve features pure scents of red and black currants, potpourri, aniseed and exotic spices. The palate offers generous, graphite-laced fruits supported by abundant, pixelated...

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...

The organic and biodynamic Caiarossa 2021 Caiarossa is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Grenache, in descending order of importance. It shows a velvety and darkly...

Inky plum colour, medium to full intensity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot dominant for the first 10 minutes in the glass, with sleek silky tannins, bilberry, blackcurrant, cocoa bean, espresso, fennel, then as it...

The Tenuta degli Dei 2021 Cavalli is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 35% Petit Verdot aged in both barrique and tonneaux for 18 months, followed by a brief time in cement. This is an inky dark...

Black cherries, strawberries, black raspberries, herbs, pepper, and flowers crowd into the perfume. There is concentration, energy, and layers of ripe, sweet, peppery fruits that linger with fruit and freshness. The wine...

A richly styled, opulent Châteauneuf that offers a streamlined cascade of ripe cherry, licorice root and toasted chestnut. Mineral energy keeps this powering long distance, with a smoldering foundation of iron. Starts off...