The 2022 Giscours has a very classy, sophisticated bouquet with mineral-laden black fruit, wilted violet and crushed stone, precise with seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is silky smooth, beautifully balanced...

I thought the 2012s would be a good place to start this lunch, as the wines have always been quite open and seductive. That is very much the case today. The 2012 Cristal is quite delicate and floral, with hints of pear...

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...

The NV Champagne Le Rose, which pours a medium salmon color, is a benchmark wine in the range and classic for a reason. Medium to full-bodied, with intertwining notes of flowers and spice, it boasts notes of cherry...

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 2015 Terre de Vertus Premier Cru is 100% Chardonnay, disgorged on 15 June 2021 and with zero dosage. Pale golden in color, it sails out of the glass with expressive scents of honey-drizzled apricots, almond nougat...

This smells and tastes like the essence of Moulin-a-Vent, with stunning red fruit aromas plus delicate spicy and earthy notes. Wonderful freshness and precision for this very hot and dry vintage on the medium- to...

Even better from the bottle, this is a spell-binding sweet wine that lovers of this genre cannot be without. Intense, electric, and packed with ripe and overripe, honey-slathered tropical fruits, cashews, white peaches...

(92 + points) La Lagune 2019 is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and fruitcake waft from the glass, leading to hints of cloves, dried herbs, and pencil lead. The medium-bodied...

Magnums of Cristal are always released a few years after the original wine in bottle. This is subtle yet complex, with cranberry and apple aromas and flavors, as well as plenty of minerals and subtle bread-dough and...

The perfume bursts with a bouquet of flowers, candied lemon peels, pineapple, white peach, orange, mango, vanilla, saffron, and anise. It is a lively, bright, energetic vintage for Chateau d'Yquem. Rich, intense, opulent...

This wine, with its rich tannins and powerful structure is impressive. It has great promise with its black chocolate aroma and solid black fruits. Drink from 2028. — Roger Voss

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is intense, smoldering up with a dark blend of blackcurrants, crushed rocks, hints of graphite and sage. This is cool-toned and crisp, with crunchy red and black fruits that cascade across the...

Inky garnet to the eye, this wine has a bouquet of blackberry and bittersweet chocolate. It simultaneously offers refinement and power on the palate, with plush tannins that increase in volume and drift away, while purple...

The 2023 Morgon opens on the nose with a signature Lapierre vibrancy, revealing fragrant lavender, crushed petals and vanilla. Layers of ripe raspberries, licorice and blueberries emerge, accompanied by a subtle wave of...

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.

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.

This is stylish, with perfumy black tea and smoldering charcoal aromas followed by lightly mulled plum, fig and blackberry fruit. An echo of juniper shows on the mineral-edged finish. Drink now through 2024. — JM

2010 Lalande-Borie has a feisty and animated bouquet, more red fruit than black, with attractive pencil lead scents coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, tobacco and graphite, quite...

The 2020 Lascombes has a discrete, finely delineated bouquet that unfolds in the glass with blackberry, bilberry, crushed violet and a touch of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with sour cherry and brown spices on the...

The 2015 Lafite-Rothschild is slightly higher in tone than the Mouton-Rothschild on the nose, with scents of blackberry, iodine, cedar and crushed violet emerging with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and...

A bird of a different feather, this marries a polished feel with the nervy, underlying zip of sel gris and quinine notes, while its core of green almond, star fruit and white peach opens slowly. Shows subtle accents of...

The 2020 Barolo Monvigliero is a very pretty, ethereal wine. Crushed flowers, mint, bright, red-toned fruit, dried herbs and spice are nicely lifted. This pretty, nuanced Barolo is very classy, but also on the lighter...

Sourced predominantly from the Grand Crus of Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut pours a medium yellow color and is expressive on opening, with notes of lemon bars, honey, pear...

The 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a rich ruby hue yet remains transparent, with savory, layered aromas of red cherry, saddle leather, cedar, damp forest floor, and wild herbs. It is medium to full-bodied, with a ripe...

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.

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.

(96+ points) With a shortened cuvaison of 21 days instead of the usual 30, lower fermentation temperatures (around 26 degrees Celsius) and the abandonment of crushing, the 2023 Cos d'Estournel shows to striking effect. It...

Elegant and balanced, this offers floral blueberry and cocoa nib details inflected with lemon thyme and anise notes. The palate is smooth in texture, with generous plum and berry flavors. There's a late burst of energy...