Jeb Dunnuck (100)

A flagship best barrel selection, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni checks in as 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc from a mix of Oakville and St. Helena fruit that spent 22 months in 72% new barrels. It's another inky-hued, glass-staining wine revealing incredible aromatics of pure crème de cassis, black raspberries, flowery incense, new leather, and chocolate. These all carry to a full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, utterly heavenly 2021 that has ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, incredible purity, and a great, great finish. finish. It needs 4-5 years to show its full potential but will be a 30+ year wine.

Decanter (99)

Winemaker Matt Sands has turned out perfection from the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in St. Helena with his Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in 2021. Here, a barrel sample offers Cabernet Sauvignon as 92% of the blend, with Cabernet Franc filling out the rest. In the typical Lithology style, this is an inky black wine with a sumptuously silky and satiny profile, but in 2021, there is freshness, lift, and tension. The full-bodied palate offers fine, intricate tannins that are assertive yet harmonious with the dark berry fruit. At the same time, a rich vein of iron-like minerality and earth mingles with fragrant cedarwood, herbs and slivers of dark chocolate on a long and satisfying finish—polished, expressive, and delicious, all from an exceptional site in a terrific vintage. I am absolutely a candidate for a 100-point wine and will taste it again in the early months of 2024.

Decanter (100)

It is an absolute stand-out wine that is just seamless, with a purity of dark fruit flavours and spices balanced by threads of distinct minerality, freshness, and tension. Pure blackberry and black cherry fruit notes are tinged with bright capsicum. The depth and intensity of this wine are just as bewildering as the freshness conveyed on the palate. The dusty tannin backbone, a classic quality of the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane vineyard in St. Helena, frames a panoply of savoury spices, crushed herbs, liquorice and black ironstone minerality, delivering a perfect Cabernet Franc in the heady, rich, opulent and mineral-driven style Lithology is known for, but with tremendous energy in the 2021s, which conveys a real elegance to match this wine’s intensity.

Decanter (99)

Lithology’s Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Franc is a riveting, opulent, flashy red, embodying everything there is to love about a full-flavoured California red wine. Loaded with blue fruit that will surely mellow with age, but for classicists looking forward to a finesse-driven Cabernet Franc, look elsewhere. This is larger-than-life Cabernet Franc, and there’s no denying the delicious factor, fueled by layers of blueberry, plum, and boysenberry fruit tinged with sweet cedar spices. A generous dose of minerality overtakes the mid-palate, and dusty tannins build on the finish, which gains in savoury saline edges. One can see a window into the future of this wine, which is bright and more refined as it will eventually shed some of its youthful exuberance.

Wine Advocate (97)

The site-specific 2018 Malbec Appellation Gualtallary comes from specific soils, two plots that they believe transmit the maximum expression of limestone to Malbec, giving a structured wine with fine-grained tannins but a little wild. The vines are on stony and gravelly soils with a high percentage of limestone and sand with around 3% clay at 1,300 meters in altitude. The grapes fermented in small concrete vats with indigenous yeasts at some 25 degrees Celsius for 15 days. It matured in untoasted 3,500-liter French oak foudres for 18 months and no less than 12 months in bottle. This comes from sandy soils and very low yields that give it chalkier tannins and a savage way. This has a slightly rustic touch, vertical and with some lightness. There's always a fresh touch of aromatic herbs (thyme and rockrose), with a textured palate and very tasty and clean flavors in the finish. 20,600 bottles were filled in September 2019.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Another perfect wine from Jim Binns is the 2019 No 8, a blend of 88% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre, and 3% Viognier. This full-bodied powerhouse of a wine has that rare mix of richness and elegance as well as a stunning array of red, blue, and black fruits along with notes of ground pepper, violets, and spring flowers. The balance is as good as it gets, it has ultra-fine tannins, and again, a mix of power and finesse that's something to behold. It's unquestionably approachable today yet should benefit from a few years of bottle age and keep for 15+.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2021 Chardonnay Aurata is brimming with peach, quince paste, almond tart and orange blossom aromas. The full-bodied palate melds ripe fruit, spice and honey and has an especially luxurious, satiny texture. Its sapidity is balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a long, layered finish.

Indulge in the prestigious Antica Terra Pinot Noir Ceras 2021, a masterful fruit of Oregon's mist-kissed landscapes. Epitomising class and finesse, this wine stands as an icon of the Antica Terra estate, celebrated for producing world-beating Pinot Noirs. Traversing the diverse terroirs of Eola-Amity Hills, at an elevation of 350 to 500 feet, the vineyard's 11 acres unfurl in an enchanting labyrinth of vines.

Winemaker Maggie Harrison, formerly of Sine Qua Non, meticulously champions an artisanal approach. This particular bottling wine is crafted from meticulously hand-picked fruit. The 2021 Ceras unfurls layers of dark cherries and crispy, refined tannins, underpinning a symphony of silken textures. The finesse of the palate is a testament to its biodynamic farming and native yeast fermentation. With age, it promises to evolve even more complexity.

The Antica Terra Pinot Noir Ceras 2021 embodies the sublime union of earth's bounty and human touch, a must-have addition to every fine wine admirer's collection.

Wine Advocate (95)

Medium ruby, the 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley bursts with pure cranberries, black cherries, charcuterie, loamy earth and blood orange aromas. Medium-bodied, it has pleasing graininess and bursts of freshness to support the full, ripe fruits and flavorful finish. This cuvée offers classic Russian River fruit in a very classy frame.

Discover the pinnacle of American viticulture with the Bookster Napa Valley Merlot 2005. An exquisite creation from the celebrated region of Napa Valley, California, this Merlot is the embodiment of the deep-rooted winemaking traditions of Bookster Winery. At Bookster, meticulous viticultural practices are carried out to derive the superior quality fruit central to the robust, complex profile of this delightful wine.

The Bookster Napa Valley Merlot 2005 exhibits an elegant, rich ruby colour that lures you into a vibrant bouquet bursting with refined notes of black cherry, plum, and chocolate, accentuated by subtle nuances of toasted oak. Velvety, rounded tannins and a well-integrated acidity frame the intense dark fruit core, leading to a long, luscious finish. Aged gracefully, this 14.5% abv wine is an excellent choice for any discerning palate. Experience the masterpiece that is Bookster Napa Valley Merlot 2005, a fine specimen at the apex of Napa Valley's wine renaissance.

James Suckling (97)

This is one of the most direct and clear Caros in a long time with blue-fruit, violet and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Crushed-stone, too. Full-bodied, yet tight and contracted with a level of shyness to its strength. The length derives from the excellence of the cabernet. One for the cellar. Blend of 74% malbec and 26% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2023, but exciting to drink all the same.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

Let the aromatics slowly unfurl out of the glass, really give it time. Crushed raspberries and tobacco, fresh flowers, salty crackers, oyster shell. The weight, the texture, the acidity are all in balance, playing off each other, and this is just a wonderful wine that stops you in your tracks. Located at 1,450m, from a 1.4ha limestone plot, particularly rich in microorganisms (as we learnt through their brilliant recent terroir studies). It’s a place where phenolic ripeness happens slowly, and the complexity builds as a result. A spring frost reduced yields by about 20%, fermented with 50% whole cluster between concrete vats and oak casks. 4800 bottles produced.

James Suckling (99)

This is made from over 100-year-old vineyards and offers blackberries with blue fruit and dark chocolate. Shows bark and black truffle undertones, too. Tight and more focused than in past vintages. The quality of the tannins is more precise and fine. Blackberries and black truffles at the end. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

This is made from over 100-year-old vineyards and offers blackberries with blue fruit and dark chocolate. Shows bark and black truffle undertones, too. Tight and more focused than in past vintages. The quality of the tannins is more precise and fine. Blackberries and black truffles at the end. Drink or hold.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)

A sit up and take notice wine. Inky colour, smooth tannins, still young and crouched but already combining subtlety and confidence. On the palate, you get a wall of liquorice, crushed cardamom, rosemary, cassis, liqueur, all expertly delivered by winemaker Fernando Buscema. Sensational wine. Tasted twice, same impression each time, of a wine full of life and interest. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

James Suckling (97)

There’s real direction and clarity to this white with sliced dried apples, crushed stones and minerals on the nose, as well as hints of biscuit and praline. Some honeysuckle and lemon-grass undertones, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and lively with a line of fresh acidity running through the palate, providing energy and depth. From the owner of Chacra and Burgundy’s Jean-Marc Roulot. Drinkable now, but much better in three to four years. Try after 2023.

James Suckling (98)

This is probably the finest answer to Puligny or Meursault in Argentina and it will be hard to pass by. Beautiful brioche notes give a fine creaminess with mineral, fine reduction, beeswax and a hint of white sesame to the lemon curd. Extremely textured and tense on the palate with fresh, medium acidity and a long, long finish. This is all about texture and purity. Also intellectual. Drink or hold. From biodynamically grown grapes.

Vinous (95)

The 2020 Chardonnay Mainqué was made in partnership with the Burgundy winemaker Jean Marc Roulot with grapes from an old vineyard in Mainqué, Río Negro. Seventy-three percent of the wine was aged in mostly used French barrels, the rest in concrete tanks for 11 months. Yellow in the glass. The clear, expressive nose presents notes of acacia, hawthorn and honey with hints of pear and apple. Subtle aromas from the aging process enhance the complexity. Saline with expressive freshness, the flow is delicate while ginger notes develop at the back of the mouth. A rich, nuanced, vibrant wine.

James Suckling (97)

Such a flinty nose that delivers a full package of minerality. Quarry, chalk, gun powder and lime. The nose really speaks to you. Creamy and textured on the palate with bright but chiselled acidity and real tension. One of the best Mainque’s ever? Chacra’s answer to fine Chablis. Drink or hold. From biodynamically grown grapes.

James Suckling (98)

Extremely perfumed and beautiful with ripe strawberries and citrus fruit, as well as aromatic flowers. Full-bodied with plenty of fruit and creamy, chewy tannins that are polished and very impressive. Long and linear. One of the best of this bottling. Drink after 2023, but already a gorgeous bottle.

Vinous (94+)

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is dark, ample and totally seductive. Black cherry, mocha, plum, spice, new leather and tobacco all meld together. Pliant and supple, the 2016 is already incredibly delicious. This is an especially mid-weight wine and style. Accordingly, the 2016 Estate will drink well with minimal cellaring. The Estate was bottled just two months before this tasting. I imagine it will put on some weight with further time in bottle. All the elements appear to be in the right place for that to happen.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

Right up there with the best Chardonnays Chile, and South America, has ever produced. This stunning wine comes from five specific blocks within the Quebrada Secain Limarí. Tangy, chiselled and refined, with very stylish oak. It’s the kind of thing that could embarrass a range of Puligny-Montrachet Premiers Crus in a blind tasting. Simply stunning

James Suckling (98)

This is a red with extremely creamy tannins that are fine and polished, giving length and definition to the wine. Full-bodied, yet tight and compact with plenty of currants and fresh herbs. Extremely long and flavorful. Drinking beautifully now.

James Suckling (98)

Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Ballard Vineyard is fabulous. Rich and voluptuous in the glass, with striking presence, the 2019 is the sort of wine that will disappear at the dinner table in an instant. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mocha, with bright Spring Mountain acids that extend the finish effortlessly. This sumptuous, open-knit Cabernet is a real head-turner.