2012 Wine

Vinous, 94 points: The 2012 Lessona Riserva is ample, creamy and voluptuous, and yet it also avoids some of the excess heaviness and ripeness found in other wines of the year. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, dried flowers and anise...

Vinous, 93 points: (91-93 points) Jadot's 2012 Beaune Theurons is quite a bit firmer and more structured than the Greves. Iron, red fruit, minerals, chalk and smoke are some of the many notes that open up in the glass. The 2012 is going to...

Wine & Spirits, 94 points: This is pinot noir from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, part aged in stainless steel with some malolactic conversion, part in barrels without malolactic. This wine excited me personally, having just spent some time in the...

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Cellar Selection. The dark, almost black color and the wonderful violet aromas set the scene for this complex, dense and textured wine. It has a touch of spice, along with the rich plum and dark berry fruits. While it is...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 1 is composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Oakville Ranch and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Sadly, there are only 101 cases of this fabulous wine. Aromas of lead pencil...

jamessuckling.com, 97 points: A decadent nose of treacle tart, chocolate, tar, tons of black fruit such as blackberries and mulberries and even ash and licorice. A dense, layered mouthfeel makes for a full-bodied palate that's explosive yet somehow so...

Wine Spectator, 90 points: Juicy, with still-youthful plum, cherry and blackberry compote flavors, flanked by hints of ganache, licorice and bramble, which keep the finish lively. Drink now through 2023. 80,000 cases made. — JM

Burghound, 92 points: This is aromatically brooding and reserved with restrained and distinctly cool aromas of both red and dark currants that are liberally laced with earth, underbrush and subtle spice nuances. There is good concentration, at...

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: From estate-grown Chardonnay, this is a gorgeously crafted and aged sparkling wine that is persistently crisp in stone, green apple, nectarine and lemon. Firm in lasting acidity, this has beautiful composure and an...

Burghound, 91 points: There is enough wood to notice surrounding the earthy and brooding dark berry fruit and game suffused aromas. As one might reasonably expect there is markedly better richness and mid-palate concentration to the...

Vinous, 93 points: (AG91-93 points) The 2012 Clos Vougeot is another huge, explosive wine from Chézeaux in this vintage. Smoke, iron, tar, licorice and dark red fruit notes jump from the glass. Broad- shouldered, rich and intense to the...

Burghound, 93 points: (90-93) A background application of wood frames the very ripe aromas of cassis, black cherry, earth and a touch of the sauvage. There is a lush and opulent mouth feel to the concentrated and palate coating medium weight...

Wine Enthusiast, 92 points: One of the winery's most celebrated releases each year, this blend of all five major Bordeaux red varieties is an excellent showcase of Carmel Valley's class. Freshly squeezed blackberry and blackcurrant fruit meet with...

Vinous, 89 points: Slightly liqueur-like red fruits and mint on the nose, along with a medicinal aspect. Ripe, dry, broad and concentrated, but showing a rougher texture than the 2013 version, and a bit less acidity. Finishes spicy and...