James Suckling (100)

This has a very complex nose, offering so many facets of spices and fragrance with florals and orange peel, as well as crushed stones, ripe black cherries, blackberries and dark cherries, earth, chocolate and more. The intensity and power here is very tightly held and it has a build of such precise tannins, which carry very intense and assertively ripe blackberries, dark cherries, ripe plums and blueberries. So much on offer here. This has a very bold, intense feel. Exceptional vintage. One of their finest. Try from 2028. Screw cap.

Halliday Wine Companion (95)

Matured in French and American hogsheads (18% new) for 18 months. The bouquet does indeed bellow from the glass like that a euphonium. It has a swag of red, black and purple fruits all in tune, something very different for drinking now.

Decanter (97)

Powerful but unobtrusive tannins – like an engine purring – support dark, perfectly ripe blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit, with hints of strawberry, red fruit leather and smoked charcuterie notes from the oak. Spice and dried herb nuances unfurl over three days, beautifully articulating the terroir and its 104-year-old vines through notes of black pepper, sage, tea tree, star anise, mint and cardamom. Ripe and refreshing redcurrant sustains the sweet, spiced fruit through the long, sinuous finish. Terrific purity, poise and panache. Released at £137.

Wine Advocate (97)

Notes of mint, sage and bay leaf accent bold aromas of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries on the nose of Hobbs's 2018 1905 Shiraz. Picked later than the Gregor but not dried prior to fermentation, it's a well-behaved 14.7% alcohol wine that would be at home on the table alongside a tomahawk ribeye, roast lamb or any long-cooked stew. Full-bodied and intense, it not only shows tremendous complexity—mixing red and dark berries with various herbal nuances and hints of licorice, coffee beans and seared meat—but also boasts a rich, velvety mouthfeel combined with notable drinkability. It's a terrific contrast in style with the Gregor, showing more elegance but not nearly as much power.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2018 Gregor Shiraz was partially dried prior to crushing and fermentation, so it packs considerable concentration and power, weighing in at 15.8% alcohol on the label. It's a blockbuster in every sense of the word, from its huge aromas of mint, blueberries and plums to the mind-bending intensity on the full-bodied palate. Although not as raisined or alcoholic as Dal Forno's Amarone, there are similarities in size and structure, with waves of velvety, super ripe fruit and dark chocolate bolstered by softly dusty tannins and mouthwatering acidity on a finish that must be tasted to be believed. Wow!

Wine Spectator (95)

From green clay and pebbly silex soils, the 2018 Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec offers a clear, intense but elegant and sublime nose that intermixes ripe fruit and ginger aromas with spicy-flinty notes. Very well articulated and precise on the nose, it is lush and intense on the palate, with a good structure and complex finish. This is a highly promising Vouvray whose combination of 14% alcohol and unfermented sugar asks for a couple of years of cellar aging. The finish is salty, pure, tight and vibrantly fresh. A gorgeous, highly energetic wine. Tasted in May 2019.

Vinous (97)

I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

Vinous (98)

A beguiling mix of camphor and minty herbs, along with crushed stone, blows off slowly to reveal dark depths of black raspberry, licorice, autumnal spice and worn leather as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli unfolds in the glass. Its textures are unexpectedly soft and velvety-smooth, coupled with depths of intense red fruits that make an appearance just before a mix of brisk acids and tannins creates a more tactile and youthfully clenching expression toward the finale. This leaves the palate aching under the 2016’s structural heft, yet with plenty of primary concentration to balance, as wild savory herbs and earthy mineral tones linger for up to a minute. The potential here is off the charts, but readers will need to be very patient. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a cru selection of old vines that refines for 48 months in large French oak barrels of 33–52 hectoliters.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

The base cuvée is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec sourced all from Rutherford. It has a classic, Saint Julien-like bouquet of crème de cassis, tobacco lead, damp earth, and spice that gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, textured Cabernet that hits all the right marks. The top Rubicon release has a touch more elegant and precision, but this isn't far off. Drink this stunner any time over the coming 20 years or more.

Vinous (97+)

The 2016 Cepparello is dense, dark and also very closed in on itself. Those qualities bode well for the future, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass, but the 2016 is not ready to show all of its cards. This fruit was brought in during the second week of October, which is pretty much optimal at Isole e Olena. The 2016 spent 20 months in French oak, with a bit less than 30% new oak, and a few months in cask prior to bottling. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuates the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don't miss it!

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Mid crimson. Immediately more complex on the nose with fruit and spice and hint of cigar box. Really tangy on the palate, vibrant and mouth-filling at the same time. Chewy tannins need time.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is among the finest Cabernet Sauvignons in Italy. High altitude sites in Barberino yield a distinctly mid-weight, elegant, savory Cabernet that is all about reserve. Dark plum, espresso, licorice, menthol and sage start to emerge with a bit of air, but the 2016 is a wine that demands cellaring. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to taste every vintage of the Isole e Olena Cabernet. It is one of the great under the radar wines of Tuscany. The 2016 takes its place with the very finest editions.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru has a vivid bouquet of red cherries, cranberry and raspberry preserve enmeshed with crushed stone and light sous-bois scents, all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple entry, offering crisp red berry fruit laced with white pepper and clove. This is so harmonious – not the most powerful Fuées I have encountered, but sleek and sensual.

Vinous (94)

Vivid ruby. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, candied flowers and exotic spices, and a smoky mineral nuance builds as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with appealingly sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors that become livelier and spicier on the back half. Conveys an impressive blend of power and finesse and lingers with superb persistence on the finish, which features sneaky tannins and lingering florality.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

There are two special cuvées from this estate. Looking first at the 2018 Cornas Cuvée Jana, it tastes like the essence of Cornas with its meaty, bloody aromas and flavors of scorched earth, ground pepper, rare steak, iron, cedar, and dark, almost blue fruits. Tight, tannic, and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied effort packs incredible intensity and power yet stays lively, elegant, and weightless. It's a brilliant, brilliant Cornas, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. It actually reminds me slightly of the incredibly age-worthy wines from Domaine Clape, and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

Eligo is made from the best parcels of the vintage, fermented with submerged caps in small open fermenters, matured for 20 months in French hogsheads (50% new). The tannins and oak are built into the wine like an inlaid checkerboard table created by a master craftsman with decades of experience. Like John Duval.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

Fermentation with submerged cap; up to two weeks on skins, then matured for 18 months in French hogsheads (55% new). Opaque purple; incredible depths to the velvety black fruits that run on oiled stainless steel rails, making it impossible to deny

The Vintage Journal (98)

Deep crimson. Complex blackcurrant, blackberry, praline, roasted chestnut mocha, marzipan notes. Richly flavoured, round and smooth with beautiful pure blackcurrant, blackberry mocha espresso flavours, fine loose-knit grainy tannins and underlying roasted chestnut, toffee notes. Finishes chocolaty and long with a long life ahead.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Cask sample. Gorgeously intense purple fruit on the nose. Sweet ripe cherries. More damson on the palate, very ripe, just fresh enough, almost a little jammy but rich and generous.

Decanter (96)

Edi Kante is a pioneer when it comes to the indigenous grape Vitovska, which is grown just across the border in Slovenia. The soil here in the Carso is ferrous-rich and chalky. 2016 was a balanced vintage for these 20-year-old vines, and the wine was fermented and aged in oak for 12 months to create a delicate and silky wine with lime, lemon juice and gypsum powder on the nose and a light and super- refreshing acidity in the mouth.

Vinous (95)

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 7% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc and spent 22 months in seasoned French oak. It has a classy bouquet of expressive red berry fruit, cedar and light undergrowth aromas that leans toward the Left Bank. The palate is medium-bodied with great sapidity right from the start. The tannins are extremely fine here, and the finish fans out gloriously with just enough bite to tempt you back for another sip. This is an outstanding Cabernet from winemaker Alex Starey.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure.

Matthew Jukes (19.5++)

I am informed by the top man at Klein Constantia that the price will be the same as last year’s superb 2017 and all of the likely candidates in the UK are likely to hold stock. It will require a little effort on Google and you will see that a large number of wine merchants will list 2018 Vin de Constance and while the prices swing around like no other wine I know, at £60 or so, for a half litre, it certainly makes sense to me and when you consider the sheer quality of this vintage, it is a bargain for this celestial experience. Stock is likely to arrive in September 2021, but do feel free to register your interest with your preferred wine merchant now. Vintage reports suggest that the build-up to the 2018 harvest brought the highest summer rainfall of the last six years and, combined with some of the coldest night-time temperatures on record, the vines were granted a very long and very slow growing season. These conditions have imbued extreme delicacy of perfume and flavour and also staggering concentration and length in this wine. It also means that the 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure. Light bunches and tiny Muscat de Frontignan berries underline just how unusual this vintage was and with a harvest that was a fortnight later than average and crops down by about 15% all of these facts make sense when you taste this ethereal wine. Aged for three years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small number of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres, this is both a sensual and also sensitive wine. For a start, the colour is incredibly pale – think a young Sancerre! But the viscosity is amazing when you pour a glass because the liquid moves ever so slightly slower and more deliberately into the glass. The lights come on and the brain fires up immediately and it takes you by surprise just how quickly your olfactory system senses that you are in the presence of greatness. I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is exquisite. The perfume and palate combine in an astral haze of delight with orange blossom, fig, lemon verbena, wild honey and acacia notes caressing your senses. The texture is super-smooth, incredibly long and unnervingly gentle. It certainly possesses the longest finish I can remember on a Vin de Constance and I have, very fortunately, a tasted huge number of vintages of this wine. If you have never tasted this wine before, please start with this vintage – it will blow your mind. If you have and you are a fan, this is a critical purchase for your collection. I cannot wait to add this wine to my cellar later in the year.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2018 Estate Cuvee checks 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot brought up in 90% new French oak. Tasting like the straight Cab, yet with more sex appeal, it offers a huge nose of crème de cassis, white flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and crushed flowers. This carries to a full-bodied, gorgeously textured red with incredible balance, no hard edges, a thrilling mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It's going to benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age and keep for upwards of two decades or more. Hats off to winemaker Stephan Asseo on another incredible wine, as well as, I suspect the wine of the vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (92+)

Brought up in 30% new French oak and based on an 80/20 split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château La Chenade has a classy, beautiful nose of crème de cassis, dried tobacco, lead pencil, and earth. This carries to a vibrant, medium-bodied Lalande de Pomerol with fine yet present tannins, a solid spine of acidity, and a great finish. It's another release from Denis Durantou that's going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for a decade.

Kerin O'Keefe (97)

The nose is classic forest floor, violet, new leather and ripe berry while the luminous, full-bodied palate offers layers of depth and finesse even at this young age, including succulent Morello cherry, strawberry compote, licorice and black tea. It’s delicious and beautifully balanced, with bright acidity and tightly woven, fine-grained tannins.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Bottled end of February/early in March, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is incredible stuff, and while I suspect it’s the best vintage to date, it’s going to be great comparing it to bottles of the 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2015 over the coming 15+ years. This beauty offers a thrilling blend of kirsch, blackberries, smoked earth, graphite, and licorice on the nose. It's full-bodied, deep, pure, ultra-fine, and powerful on the palate and flirts with perfection. It’s a tour de force in Grenache that readers need to snatch up!

Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

Incorporating 8% Mourvèdre, 12% Syrah and 5% other permitted variety, 60% destemmed, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes sports a deep, inky color as well as sensational notes of black currants, smoked meats, earth and crushed rocks. Deep, rich, unctuous and decadent, with huge extract and richness, yet never over the top or overripe, it's a killer wine that's going to flirt with perfection on release.

Vinous - Neal Martin (99)

The 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion was stunning from barrel, and now in bottle. It has a sublime bouquet of blackberries, briar and hints of dark chocolate and rose petals that gain intensity with aeration while maintaining ethereal delineation. It never steps on the accelerator too hard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still a veneer of new oak that will need to be assimilated over the coming years. This is a deep La Mission that caresses the mouth. Touches of graphite lingering on a finish that fans out gloriously. Is the 2016 up there with the 1955 or 1989? Nearly.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is the best La Patache I have tasted with a fantastic depth of fruit and a center palate that is solid and beautiful. Lots of dark-berry, dark-chocolate and hazelnut character. Very long and persistent palate.