The more closed but potentially greater 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is a 480-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed...

The 2022 from Alexander van Beek and the team at Giscours is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 3% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. I find a real sense of fragrant harmony but also bright energy here...

With a label designed by designer Philippe Starck, this Champagne has benefitted from its aging that has softened the wine's natural dryness and given it maturity and a light biscuit flavor. It is a fully balanced wine...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

This 2005 is really coming into its own, with soft, welcoming rose bud, chalk, bilberry, cocoa bean and tobacco. The tannins remain well structured, and you can see the muscles that kept this pretty closed for the first...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

This shows intensity and richness on the nose with aromas of cassis, crushed blackberries and hints of cedar, tobacco, violets and graphite. It’s structured and focused on the palate, with a medium to full body. It shows...

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) with the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Incredible aromatics of red and black currants, spring flowers, graphite, camphor, and cedar define the...

Among the oldest estates in St Emilion, dating back to the Middle Ages, this is pure restrained limestone, and stands as an excellent reflection of why this type of terroir worked so well in 2018. The ph for example, is...

Brought up all in tank, the 2021 Côtes De Provence Rosé has a Bandol-like vibrancy and more mineral-laced style. Light salmon-hued, with notes of orange blossom, chalky minerality, and a great finish, it's going to shine...

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion needs a swirl or two to unlock notes of blackberry pie, creme de cassis, and espresso plus nuances of truffle, tapenade, and fragrant soil. The medium to...

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...

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Sur La Roche 1er Cru has a more immediate nose than the Aux Charmes, soaring with yellow plum, fern and light smoky notes with time. It conveys a sense of classicism. The palate is beautifully...

Vallana's 2018 Boca is an old-school, super-classic wine. Firm tannins wrap around a core of macerated dark cherry, cinnamon, licorice, dried herbs and menthol. The 2018 needs a good decant. Readers will find a sturdy...

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...

A 100% varietal and estate-grown wine from the site made famous in the Paris Tasting, this offers yeasty brioche aromas that lead to crisp expansive flavors of cassis and red currant. The oak is supportive and integrated...