Vinous (92-94)

The 2017 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru, matured entirely in new oak, offers a mixture of red and black fruit on a nose that is harmonious yet reserved, revealing hints of mushroom and sous-bois in the background. The lightly spiced palate is smooth on the entry, offering silky tannin and a fine bead of acidity, leading to a precise, harmonious finish. Hints of cassis and crushed stone linger on the finish. A classy Les Beaumonts.

Vinous (89-91)

The 2021 Vosne-Romanée Village is perfumed, floral and pure on the nose with wilted violet petals infusing the red fruit - très Vosne. The palate is silky smooth with a fine body. This sample is taken from a new barrel so it has some François Frères imprint on the finish, but there is appreciable focus and length.

Jeb Dunnuck (94+)

One of the riper, more powerful wines in the vintage, the 2017 Enclos Tourmaline boasts a deep purple color as well as a monster bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, plums, roasted herbs, and candied violets. Structured, tannic, full-bodied, and in need of a solid 4-5 years (or more) of bottle age, it should be one of the longer-lived wines in the vintage from Pomerol. This cuvee comes from a miniscule one-hectare plot, just beside Chateau Clinet, that prior to 2012 belonged to Chateau La Patache. It was purchased in 2012 by Hong Kong financer Peter Kwok and it’s been up with the top wines of the vintage ever since. The wine is always 100% Merlot, aged 20 months all in new barrels, and it hit 14.5% natural alcohol. There are a tiny 2,000 bottles produced.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-99)

From a miniscule one-hectare parcel right across from Clinet, on the upper plateau of Pomerol, the 2018 Enclos Tourmaline is a blockbuster in the making, and I suspect it’s going to give the 2016 a run for its money. Checking in as a 100% Merlot raised in new oak, which hit 14.7% natural alcohol, this inky color blockbuster boasts a massive bouquet of black fruits, smoke herbs, chocolate, and damp earth. It shows a more floral edge with time in the glass and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and plush on the palate, with sweet tannins. It’s certainly one of the sexiest wines in this terrific vintage. Hats off to vineyard manager and winemaker Jérôme Aguirre as well as consultant Michel Rolland for another brilliant wine in the making. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The 2019 Enclos Tourmaline is a tiny production Pomerol coming from a one-hectare vineyard beside Clinet. It's a rich, powerful, yet incredibly elegant Pomerol that does everything right, offering beautiful cassis and darker cherry fruits, notes of cedarwood, spicy oak, and chocolate, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a great finish. It marries opulence with finesse perfectly and is one heck of an impressive Pomerol that can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or so. Pomerol was one of the standout appellations in 2019, and this shows it.

James Suckling (96-97)

A solid, tight red with blackberries, black olives and hints of brown sugar and walnuts. Full and tight with fine, persistent tannins. Tight and focused.

James Suckling (94-95)

A solid young wine with plums, dark cherries and a hint of coffee. Medium to full body with a beautiful finish. Tannic and solid.

EnRoute Pinot Noir Pommiers 2019, crafted by the esteemed EnRoute winery, exemplifies superior winemaking tradition. Nestled in the prestigious Russian River Valley appellation of California, the winery employs meticulous artisan techniques to capture the distinctive flavours of various vineyard sites.

Proprietary clones are hand-selected, and meticulously farmed until they reach optimal maturity, then hand-sorted at harvest to ensure pristine quality. Each small lot is fermented separately to preserve the individual character. Vinted utilising traditional Burgundian practices including open top fermenters and native yeast fermentation, this Pinot Noir bursts with complex, layered red fruit tones.

The 2019 vintage marries rich intensity with graceful elegance, offering enticing aromas of ripe black cherry, dried flowers and exotic spice, leading to plush, full-bodied palate, with a harmonious, lingering finish. Trust this meticulously crafted, iconic EnRoute Pinot Noir Pommiers 2019 for an elevated wine experience.

Dive into the exquisite world of the EnRoute Pinot Noir Pommiers 2021, a quintessential expression of the Russian River Valley in California. This robust yet elegantly balanced Pinot Noir is produced by the esteemed Far Niente family of wineries, known for crafting meticulous and refined wines. The unique terroir of their Pommiers vineyard, with its cool, fog-kissed climate and well-drained Goldridge sandy loam, brings out an enchanting blend of opulent fruit notes and earthy undertones.

Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, it yields an intoxicating nose of cherry, raspberry, and spiced plum, with subtle notes of savoury herbs and toasty oak. The palate is vibrant with red and black berry flavours, underscored by lively acidity and smooth, mouth-coating tannins. A typical Pinot Noir with expressive complexity, the EnRoute Pinot Noir Pommiers 2021 continues the winemaker's commitment to expressive, terroir-driven wine. It's truly a profound, indulgent experience for the discerning oenophile.

Wine Advocate (93)

2016 saw more rain and even snow in this very dry zone, which helped the plants for the grapes used for the 2016 Albahra to regain balance and retain more acidity. The Garnacha Tintorera comes from 25-year-old vines on limestone and clay soils at 800 meters altitude, and the Moravia Agria (which represents 30% of the volume) comes from 40-year-old vines on limestone, sand and clay soils at 710 meters altitude. The Garnacha is kept unoaked, but the Moravia is put in neutral barriques for eight months. I nearly fell off my chair when I put my nose in the glass. There is a jump in quality from 2015 to this vintage, and they seem to have mastered the Moravia, which has a lot more tannin than they thought. It also has a lot of acidity, but here it seems to provide a very elegant and floral touch, with Mediterranean hints of balsam and herbs. The palate has a juicy texture with a refreshing touch. 30,000 bottles were filled in June 2017.

Wine Advocate (94+)

2020 was a great vintage in the Mediterranean, and the 2020 Albahra, a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera from the zone of Almansa and 30% Moravia Agria from Manchuela, showed better than ever. The two grapes fermented separately with part of full clusters in concrete and with indigenous yeasts. The Garnacha matured in concrete and the Moravia in neutral 228-liter barrels for eight months. It has 13% alcohol and good freshness, a fine thread and round tannins. It's juicy and supple—the harvest was easy with great weather, very different from 2019— and the acidity of the Moravia is more polished. The wine has a bright ruby color and is aromatic and clean, precise and attractive. It's medium-bodied and silky with very round tannins. They compare it with 2017. This is one of the most incredible bargains from Spain. Drink or hold. 59,000 bottles and 750 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2021.

James Suckling (98)

Nervy, nicely funky, precise and mineral nose with a “protective” flintiness and an alluring peppery edge to the wild berries and pomegranate. Fine, dissolved tannins with a mealy, dusty texture, tapping into a super tangy, fresh palate full of grapefruit zest and wild berries. Really long and irresistible now, but can age.

Wine Advocate (96)

The Enzo Boglietti 2016 Barolo Arione draws its fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, from a vineyard site that has gained much attention in recent years. Arione has thick silty soils and these contribute to the gentle finesse and floral perfumes of the wine. Don't forget power. There is plenty of muscle flexing in this brawny, determined Nebbiolo with firm tannins and deep structure. A mere 2,000 bottles were produced. Count on this wine to complete a long and rewarding drinking arc.

Vinous (91)

The 2005 Barolo Case Nere is a dark, brooding wine redolent of charred notes, tar, smoke, spices and dark fruit. This bruising, heavyweight Barolo offers tons of intensity and muscle but the brooding style could use a touch more elegance. Still, the wine possesses terrific harmony and plenty of personality.

Vinous (90)

The 2006 Barolo Case Nere is a hulking wine packed with dark cherries, spices and French oak. It is the most imposing and backwardly tannic of these 2006s. While the concentration is impressive, ultimately the Case Nere is missing some of the delineation that make's Boglietti's finest wines so compelling.