Wine Advocate (97)

From a warm and sunny vintage that produced darkly concentrated fruit, the Tenuta Guado al Tasso 2017 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a teaser and a super pleaser. This is one flashy wine. This carefully calculated blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot pours from the bottle with a beautifully saturated and rich color. I double-decanted my sample before writing this review, and the wine's aromas showed immediate harmony and intensity. The wine seduces and flirts with all your senses. This vintage caps many years of study regarding blending: The Merlot is slightly decreased here, and the Cabernet Franc is slowly taking on a more important supporting role. The Petit Verdot that was used as a peppery accent two years ago has now been removed altogether. The results are pliant, seamless and fluid, and that's the big takeaway here. The wine is bountiful, round, supple and full-bodied. Unless you are decidedly not a fan of this style, there's nothing not to love. I had anticipated more tightness in terms of possible hot-vintage tannins, but I am very pleased by the general integration of the mouthfeel. The Guado al Tasso vineyards are located not too far from the sea, at a low elevation of about 60 meters above sea level. The soils are alluvial with a unique mix of limestone clay and sand, with pockets of rocks and are generally known as the Bolgheri Agglomerate. Some 120,000 bottles of this vintage hit the market in February 2020.

Wine Advocate (96)

Renzo Cotarella, managing director of Marchesi Antinori tells me that the 2018 vintage showed very different results in the inland and hilly Chianti Classico appellation compared to the flat, sea-facing Bolgheri appellation. This season saw some rain right before harvest. That extra humidity rolled right off the Chianti Classico hills and disappeared without effect, but it stuck around longer in the thicker, flatter soils of Guado al Tasso. For this reason, one of the estate's top wines, the Cabernet Franc-based Matarocchio, was not produced in 2018 for fear that the fruit would not offer the concentration required of a wine of that important stature. The best of that fruit was used in this wine instead. For that reason, the 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso sees a little more Cabernet Franc (clocking in at about 22% of the blend) and less Merlot, with the rest being Cabernet Sauvignon, of course, (at about 60%). To be honest, the percentage of Cabernet Franc has been deliberately creeping up over the years to render a more focused and sharper bouquet. Aromas of dark fruit and freshly milled white pepper replace the more banal cherry-based flavors delivered by the Merlot, and the wine appears more lifted and precise as a result. The Cabernet Sauvignon delivers spice and licorice, and these pretty aromas are likewise given more breathing room, thanks to the counterparts found in the Cabernet Franc. Linearity, sharpness, pencil shavings and dark currant or blackberry—this is the direction Guado al Tasso is taking, and this 2018 vintage opens the door to a new chapter for the wine. Some 115,000 bottles were made.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

The ample richness of the 2019 Guado al Tasso is balanced with great energy that drives through the core of this wine. Polished, with aromas of black plum, graphite, cedar, and leather, it is ripe and full-bodied, with good tannins and a linear drive but a long finish. This remarkable wine will benefit from cellaring. Drink 2025-2045.

Wine Advocate (100)

Marked by sensationally deep notes of crushed stone, cassis and blueberry, the 2019 Ermitage l'Ermite is a tremendous effort and a worthy rival to the wines produced in the past four vintages. Full-bodied, it's rich and restrained, expansive yet structured—just a complete wine from mouthwatering aromas to velvety mouthfeel and long, stony finish. While delicious now, I'd expect it to close up shortly, yet still be going strong two decades from now. Wow!

Wine Advocate (100)

Marked by sensationally deep notes of crushed stone, cassis and blueberry, the 2019 Ermitage l'Ermite is a tremendous effort and a worthy rival to the wines produced in the past four vintages. Full-bodied, it's rich and restrained, expansive yet structured—just a complete wine from mouthwatering aromas to velvety mouthfeel and long, stony finish. While delicious now, I'd expect it to close up shortly, yet still be going strong two decades from now. Wow!

Wine Advocate (100)

As in 2016, my favorite of the white parcel selections this year is the 2017 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc (231 cases produced), as it perfectly balances richness and power with refinement and structure. Toasted brioche and citrus marmalade, honey and truffle notes deliver sheer full-bodied, mouth-filling decadence, supported by austere notes of crushed granite, zesty grapefruit rind and cooling brine. Huge and intense yet refreshing, it's the essence of granite-grown Marsanne.

Wine Advocate (100)

Easily the finest vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2013 Ermitage le Meal Blanc doesn’t give an inch to the more heralded Cuvee de L’Orée or l’Ermite. Pure perfection in a glass, with awesome caramelized citrus, pineapple, crushed rock, toasted bread and buttered peach, it’s full-bodied, massive and concentrated on the palate, with incredible purity, richness and length. As with the other top whites here, it needs a year or two in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of longevity.

Vinous (95)

Glass-staining ruby. Pungent dark berry preserve, floral pastille, botanical herb and olive aromas are complemented by hints of woodsmoke, licorice and pipe tobacco. Round and expansive in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet, mineral- and spice-accented blackberry, cherry-cola and candied violet flavors and a bitter chocolate nuance. Closes chewy, smoky and impressively long, with lingering spiciness and youthfully firm tannins. The balance of weight and energy here is superb.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

More bloody meat, black raspberries, wood smoke, spice, and truffle notes emerge from the 2017 Hermitage Le Méal, a massive, opulent effort that has loads of opulence and fruit, building tannins, a gorgeous mid-palate, and a monster finish. It's one of the finest wines I've tasted from this estate! It’s already approachable yet promises to evolve gracefully for 20-25 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

Inky colored, the 2016 Ermitage Les Dionnières offers classic Hermitage notes of blackcurrants, smoked herbs, violets and toasted spice. It shows more minerality with time in the glass, is deep, rich and concentrated on the palate, has plenty of tannin, and a great finish. This is terrific, but unfortunately, there are only 125 cases produced.

Vinous (96)

Opaque ruby. Highly expressive aromas of black/blue fruit preserves, exotic spices and incense pick up a smoky nuance as the wine opens up. Seamless and broad in the mouth but distinctly energetic as well, offering intense, mineral-inflected black raspberry, bitter cherry and blueberry flavors and a hint of candied violet. Finishes seamless and extremely long, with an echo of juicy blue fruit and harmonious tannins that add gentle grip. This wine is an especially lively example of the vintage; no way I would have guessed that it came from a hot year. (20% whole clusters and 25% new oak)

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Lastly, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal is the top wine from Ferraton, and rightly so, as it’s a magical wine in 2016. Rocking notes of black raspberries, blackberries, toasted spices, tapenade, and dry aged beef all emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with a wealth of material yet stays balanced, layered, and seamless. It's a sensational wine that's up with the top wines of the vintage. Hats off to the team at Ferraton for this remarkable wine as well as their full lineup of wines in 2016.

Vinous (96)

The 2018 Grattamacco is the most elegant, refined and satisfying wine I have ever tasted from Grattamacco. There is a level of finesse here that is simply unreal. Bright and translucent, with tons of detail, the 2018 oozes with pedigree. Lavender, spice, mint, tobacco and dried flowers add an attractive upper register.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Just about perfection in a glass, the 2017 Hermitage Ex Voto Blanc is a tour de force, offering a heavenly bouquet of white currants, quince, toasted bread, spice box, and assorted flower oil-like nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, it has a distinct salty minerality, a stacked mid-palate, and bright acidity, all making for a Hermitage Blanc that needs 4-5 years of bottle age, yet will keep for two decades or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

A powerhouse of a wine that flirts with perfection, the 2019 Hermitage reveals a dense purple hue as well as an extraordinary bouquet of sweet blue fruits supported by notes of crushed stone, lead pencil, leather, and ground pepper, with hints of flowers in the background. Full-bodied, stunningly pure, and massively concentrated, yet with riveting precision and elegance, it needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for a decade and will evolve for 30, 40, if not 50 years. Tasting the trilogy of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 over the coming decades will be the equivalent of wine nirvana.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Another heavenly white from this estate is the 2020 Hermitage Blanc, which is the usual 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne from a mix lieux-dits. Incredibly perfumed with notes of acacia flowers, buttered stone fruits, toasted brioche, honeysuckle, and crushed stone, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. The purity, balance, and intensity here are just about off the charts, and this beauty deserves a solid decade of bottle age, although you'll be excused if you drink one in its youth as well.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The Three Graces of Le Macchiole are Messorio, Scrio and Paleo (Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, respectively). Of these three top-tier releases, my favorite is the 2017 Paleo. This is an upright and direct expression of the grape that carefully sheds some dusty or mineral aromas before opening the way for determined black fruit, charred meat, spice and cured tobacco or cigar. There is quite a bit of oak, but it works beautifully against the natural intensity and rich concentration of the hot vintage. More unexpected are those pretty tones of lilac, blue flower and aniseed that add to the detailed rendering and complexity of the bouquet. This wine won my heart.

Wine Advocate (93)

The Ornellaia 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia (a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) is a generous and darkly toned red blend that has the extra fruit fiber, sweetness and generous plumpness of a warm vintage. The fullness of the fruit is on full display, but in a very relaxed and natural manner. The wine never feels like too much. The tannins are yielding and velvety, and this purebred Tuscan red wraps thickly over the palate. It's poised for near- and medium-term drinking.

Vinous (98)

The 2015 Ornellaia is a dream wine with magnificent balance. All the elements are in the right place. In most vintages, Ornellaia needs time to fully come together, but the 2015 is just impeccable, even in the early going. The warm vintage notwithstanding, winemaker Axel Heinz crafted and Ornellaia is more about finesse and power. The potent, bruising tannins Ornellaia can show as a young wine are nowhere to be found. Bright raspberry jam, mint, white flowers and pomegranate are some of the many notes that punctuate the finish in a memorable Ornellaia that will go down among the great vintages produced at this reference-point estate.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

From a great vintage for Bolgheri, the 2016 Ornellaia is a classic blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot that was aged 20 months in 70% new French oak. Its saturated purple color is followed by a deep, beautifully concentrated yet primordial effort that offers serious intensity in its cassis, black cherry, graphite, bay leaf, forest floor, and spring flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and multi-dimensional on the palate, it has thrilling purity of fruit, ample tannins, and a great, great finish. This is a tour de force in red wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

From a great vintage for Bolgheri, the 2016 Ornellaia is a classic blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot that was aged 20 months in 70% new French oak. Its saturated purple color is followed by a deep, beautifully concentrated yet primordial effort that offers serious intensity in its cassis, black cherry, graphite, bay leaf, forest floor, and spring flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and multi-dimensional on the palate, it has thrilling purity of fruit, ample tannins, and a great, great finish. This is a tour de force in red wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades.

James Suckling (97)

A big, rich wine for the vintage, yet poised and lively with firm, chewy tannins that give form and intensity to the wine. It shows loads of blackberry, blackcurrant and walnut flavors. Ripe yet polished tannins. Give this three or four years to come together.

Vinous (97)

The 2018 Ornellaia is an introvert at this stage. Medium in body, with terrific persistence and impeccable balance, the 2018 is not in any mood to show all its cards today. Hints of red berry fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing. I won’t be surprised to see it put on weight with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to. Readers should expect a silky, aromatic Ornellaia in line with vintages such as 2004 that are more about finesse than raw power. This is the first time in which Merlot drives the blend in Ornellaia.

The Wine Independent (100)

The Ornellaia 2019 with 62% has the most Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend since the 65% used in the 2001 and 2002 vintages. It is bold and bright on the nose, full of joyful blackberry, cream, and sweet spice. It is very much like the 2016 Ornellaia in terms of finesse and harmony but bigger, bolder, more youthful, and maybe on a larger scale in terms of the brightness of aromas and flavors. On standing the nose becomes much more nuanced and fragrant with blue flowers like iris and violet. There is great concentration on the palate, but it is held together within a very elegant, tight structure. This is a powerful style of Ornellaia but with the 2019 the tannins are more refined than ever and there is a thrilling acidity enlivening the palate! According to Axel Heinz, Director of the Estate, "I think we have learned to tame the tannins.” This 2019 Ornellaia is a beautiful, luxurious, and vivacious wine.

Matthew Jukes (20+)

An long-forgotten image flashed into my mind when I first tasted this wine. It took me back to a visit, as a child, to a stately home. Goodness knows where this place was, but I remember walking down a long corridor when a huge door opened to my left. As I walked past, I caught a glimpse of the most glamorous and beautifully decorated room beyond the person holding the door ajar. The door closed, and I passed by, but this image has stuck with me ever since. This momentary glimpse of incredible splendour is echoed in this magnificent wine. It starts midnight black in the glass, then as one focuses on the surface, can one see stars? Interestingly, it finishes black, too, in the form of ultra-fine sooty tannins that caress the taste buds as the flavour senesces. Between these two moments of perfect calm, there is layer upon layer of splendour and magnificence. The keyword for this vintage is ‘proportion’, as I found out half an hour through the presentation. It is an inspired choice because every element of 2020 Ornellaia is in scintillating proportion. 2020 Ornellaia represents more than harmony or balance and more than composure and equilibrium – it is truly in perfect proportion. In fact, I have never tasted a vintage of Ornellaia like it. There is a sense of greatness here, both in the intensity of the fruit and also its freshness and lift on the nose and palate – it is astonishing. The Cabernet theme (the blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) is dominant both in the primary fruit notes but also in the signature flavours. Merlot adds glossiness and also traction, while Cabernet Franc appears to add grace and also crispness and aromatic flourishes. Petit Verdot acts as the invisible welds that pin this magnificent structure together – a complete three-dimensional flavour with no apparent flaws whatsoever. This wine will undoubtedly drink early in its life, given the silkiness and generosity on display, but it will not genuinely get into its stride for a decade, and I feel it will take another decade for it to blossom fully. My childlike fascination with today’s glimpse into the glass will no doubt grow into a full-blown stroll around this wine with the door flung open wide in years to come. This wine will prove to those with the good fortune to own it that its best is yet to come, so be patient in spite of its early allure. Until then, I do not doubt that it is a work of perfect proportion, so I am delighted to award it my first-ever perfect score for Ornellaia.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 1966 La Chapelle's bouquet possessed the most spectacular and persistent aromas of any wine in the vertical tasting. Dried herbs, new saddle leather, soy, roasted duck, grilled steak, and copious quantities of cassis, blackberry, and prune notes soared from the glass of this spectacularly fragrant effort. The promise exhibited by the bouquet did not come through on the palate. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of life remaining in this glycerin-imbued, expansive, lush, low acid, concentrated La Chapelle.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle showed incredibly well and is a brilliant wine that's reminiscent of a richer, denser 2011. Loads of sun-kissed dark fruits, leather, graphite, and flowers, with ample spice and sandalwood nuances, give way to a full-bodied, pure, deep, multi-dimensional Hermitage that’s just about as good as it gets. The balance, length, and depth of this is something to behold, and while it unquestionably offers pleasure today, it has another 20-30 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

Matthew Jukes (20++)

Like La Maison Bleue, La Chapelle barely moved an inch over the five days that it sat open (and gradually oxidising) on my tasting bench. This is a monumental wine with the finest Syrah nose I have seen since the ethereal and intriguing beauty of the remarkable 2016 vintage and also the monolithic stance of the legendary 1990. However, this is not to say that this vintage can be directly compared to either year. There is a latent power about this wine that is as elusive as it is impressive. This solaire vintage has certainly given La Chapelle a sense of foreboding power and yet there is so much grace here, too. You could be sniffing a handful of granite and gravel, a bouquet of freshly picked herbs, a mortar of freshly ground pepper or a punnet of juicy black fruit and yet there is so much more to discover here. What I find so remarkable about this wine is that it does not show any trace of over-ripeness nor does it have any unwanted oiliness or excessive alcohol. In spite of its richness and depth, this is a pristinely refreshing wine with crunch and crackle of filigree tannin which enlivens every sip. In this regard, it is a far less obvious superstar than the preening 1990 and it is a more erudite and statuesque model than the esoteric 2016. In short, this is one of only a handful of vintages of La Chapelle to which I have awarded a perfect score and who is to say that this will not happen again before too long? The care and attention in this entire portfolio of wines are evident and the hard work and holistic approach are not only paying off in the vineyards but also in the glass, too, and this makes 2019 another phenomenally successful vintage for Jaboulet.

Matthew Jukes (19++)

I fell for this wine in a microsecond – the very moment the first molecule of perfume exploded on my receptors. This is a step-change vintage for La Maison Bleue because I have not seen this degree of single-mindedness and overriding intention before in this wine. 2019 La Maison Bleue seems as if it has realised that it does not need to sit behind La Chapelle in Caroline Frey’s portfolio. It signals, loud and clear, that it ought to be seated alongside its more renowned stablemate and be accorded the opportunity to address the masses as an equal, not a subordinate. This is a bold move from this honed, sleek wine. In 2019, with just that little bit more power and ambition under its belt, it has broken free and it looks absolutely sensational. The fruit is regal and layered and the tannins are precision-cut and perfectly positioned making it every inch a superstar. By the end of day five of my tasting these amazing wines, La Maison Bleue seemed as if it were saying, let’s keep going! While this is a ‘finished barrel sample’, this wine wanted to be tested to its limits and I cannot fault its enthusiasm and excellence. You simply must track it down!

Matthew Jukes (18.5+)

With epic balance and stunning poise, La Maison Bleue is a Burgundian-shaped Hermitage in 2020, making it all the more intriguing and memorable. Like the others in this portfolio, the control here is remarkable, and the weight and length are astounding, too. Iodine and menthol hints coupled with garrigue and sanguineous moments add drama and detail to the sleek black core, but this is not an over-ripe or over-enthusiastic wine but a measured and contemplative soul. Delicious.