Wonderful aromas of fresh herbs, such as sage and mint. Currants. Extremely aromatic. Full body. Fantastic tension and focus. Reminds me of the 1974. Really exceptional. Gorgeous. Cool and sleek. Try after 2023, but...

This is very complex on the nose with incense, Indian spices, blackberries and blueberries. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, velvety tannins that lead you down the palate. Solid at the end. Shows poise and tension. Give...

The more recent 2014 Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra was finally my favorite of all the bottles I tasted in this sitting, which were quite a few. This aged in ancient large clay amphorae and used 500- and 600-liter French oak...

A firm, linear red with cherry, plum and hints of chocolate, as well as bark. Some fruit-tea leaves as well. It’s full-bodied and layered, chewy and intense. Fine tannins. Drink after 2023.

The 2019 Le Grand Clos is a quiet and graceful wine. It's as if a symphony orchestra has been playing pianissimo and then they've come to a collective pause, holding its bows and breath before releasing the tension and...

(92-94 points) Deeper and more concentrated than the 2018, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is as impressive as I can remember this cuvée ever being. Dark in hue, overflowing with dark fruit, full-bodied and velvety in...

A lush plum nose precedes a rich and dense palate with lovely plum, cherry, and toasty oak. It’s clear that the fruit was skillfully vinified, resulting in a very special and classic wine that’s succulent, balanced, long...

(91-94 points) Two plots, of, which one, next to the Clos des Epeneaux, was planted in 1904. The other is also very old. Lighter purple at the edge. This is very classy on the nose, graceful and with detail. Succulent...

A beauty in the making, with waves of dark currant preserves, warmed fig and steeped blackberry fruit, all infused with chai spice, tobacco, singed alder and espresso cream accents. Very grippy on the finish, but this is...

Blueberries and blackberries with hints of lavender and fresh mushroom. Full body, wonderful depth and resounding intensity. Plenty of asphalt and tar. Hot stones. Gorgeous ripe and fine tannins. Great depth. Drink or...

Rich and polished, this shows a light hand with new oak. Black cherry, plum, blackberry, iron, vanilla, coffee and tobacco flavors mingle, supported by lively acidity and dense, refined tannins. Balanced and long...

A big and rich wine but it shows freshness and energy underneath the juicy and rather thick fruit with plush tannins. Some chewiness, too. Needs two or three years to soften. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

There is a high-pitched red fruit note on the nose of the 2017 El Molar, and it's a wine with a lot of light, something that is quite remarkable for a warm and Mediterranean year like 2017. This is a Garnacha that feels...

Solid tannins mark this still very young wine. At the same time, the fruit is rich and well proportioned. Black currants dominate the fruity spectrum, giving the wine richness as well as great potential. Drink from 2025...

This full, fruity wine is packed with acidity as well as ripeness. It has a fresh black-currant character, and the structure underneath is strong. It will develop relatively quickly, but then could hold at its peak for...

Lush and lovely fruits highlight this wine. White peaches, lemon curd, sweet pineapple, quince and a dash of honey all combine gracefully, with a nice kick of fresh acidity. A light touch with new French oak (20%) adds a...

A cuvée made for winemaker Brennen Leighton's wife and a field blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 5% Syrah, the 2017 Gratitude ranks with the finest Mourvèdres to come from the state. Awesome notes of black...

The 2018 Calcáreo de Granito de Tupungato was produced with grapes from Gualtallary (Tupungato Winelands); it will eventually show Gualtallary on the label, but for now it says Tupungato. The wine has the wilderness of...

94+ The 2018 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast spent 15 months in 30% new French oak. It's pure class, offering bright citrus and pineapple fruit as well as lots of white flowers, salty minerality, and just a touch of background...

(95+ points) Once again, I tasted the impressive 2018 Mencía de Espanillo that I already tasted last time, and it was interesting to see how different it was from the 2019 Mengoba, which is also from Espanillo and...

The brilliant 2011 Troplong Mondot is one of the superstars of the vintage. The final blend was 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, and the wine tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Its opaque...

As it was recently bottled the nose is a little closed right now, but with a minute in the glass this starts to drum roll, building up flavour and layers of texture. This is going to age beautifully. Just 38hl/ha were...

The 2015 L'Amiral is an impressive, savory, refined Cabernet Franc that is almost Bordeaux-like in its classicism. This cuvée is only made in what the producer deems to be an exceptional year, and then aged in barrel for...

Another beautiful showing for this wine, the 2016 Côtes du Roussillon Villages L'Edre (60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Carignan and the rest Mourvèdre) offers lots of classy cassis, black cherries, graphite, and peppery...

Blend dominated by Touriga Franca (41%) and Touriga Nacional (37%). Mainly picked eight days after the mid-September rain: initially deep, ripe and dense on the nose, opening up to reveal a scented berry fruit bouquet...

Dark blueberry and shiitake mushroom turn to mineral and blue fruits. Full body, juicy and rich. Soft and round. Gorgeous. Rich style but remains so velvety. Available in January 2017. Better in 2019.

La Spinetta’s 2017 Barbaresco Valeirano is classy, elegant and polished from start to finish. Freshly cut flowers, mint, sweet red berry fruit and blood orange are some of the many notes that grace this super-expressive...

More reserved but no less brilliant, the 2017 Shiraz Lily's Garden comes from the McLaren Vale and spent 18 months in just 9% new French oak. Classic Syrah notes of dark black fruits, damp herbs, scorched earth, and...

This is a very pretty, with currant, cherry and some mahogany and cigar-box character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tight, linear tannins that are long and very intense. Polished nicely. Hard not to drink now, but...

A beautiful, focused red with intensity and brilliance, showing cherry, watermelon, truffle and mushroom aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and refined. Long finish. Try after 2023.