James Suckling (95-96)

This is the most powerful Phélan Segur I have ever tasted. A solid core of dense fruit and layered tannins that are so refined and polished. Remains fresh, energetic and bright. Yet, there’s plenty of harmony and balance.

The Wine Cellar Insider (99)

With a remarkable depth of color, the wine opens from the glass with touches of espresso, smoke, tobacco, flowers, spice and an array of red and black fruits. Full-bodied, richly textured, opulent, velvety and silken, the wine is off the charts with its decadent sex-appeal. This is a modern day version of the legendary 1982 that will easily age for 3-4 decades without fear. Give it at least 10 years in the cellar before pulling a cork. Bravo to the team of Nicolas Glumineau for producing this incredible wine!

Wine Advocate (95)

Great elegance and finesse already on the perfectly brilliant and aromatic nose shows Pol Roger's 2008 Blanc de Blancs Brut, displaying white and stewed apples with fine citrus flavors and discreet chalky aromas. The palate is dense and citric, as if limes and lemons are squeezed on a chalky rock. The purity, power and intensity is as remarkable, as is the finesse and persistence of the bubbles, the mousse on the palate and the long, persistent finish. Dosed with seven grams per liter, this extraordinary Blanc de Blanc Brut tastes drier than the Réserve Brut, but reveals a perfect ripeness of yellow fruits. The finish is lovely aromatic and intense, but also clear, fresh, firm and absolutely stimulating. This is a great Blanc de Blancs from the Grand Cru villages of Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger.

Tim Atkin MW (100)

In the right hands, great sites produce great wines. Since its inception in 2010, Porseleinberg has been one of the Cape's most exciting reds, but nothing quite prepared me for the transcendent brilliance of this wine. In uenced by some time spent at Domaine Jamet in Côte Rôtie - particularly their use of a submerged cap during fermentation - Callie Louw has made a stunning Syrah, proving his skills as both a farmer and a winemaker. In 2018, the style has shifted, away from power and grip to something more scented and re ned. Focused, nuanced and very delicately oaked, with raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, clove and white pepper spice and textured tannins. Simply world class. 2023-35

James Suckling (99)

This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023.

Vinous (97)

The 2018 MR de Compostella is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It presents a compelling bouquet of blackberry, charcoal, cedar and tobacco, all showing wonderful delineation and focus. But it is not the most flamboyant on the nose compared to other vintages; this takes its time to open at a stately pace. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfectly judged acidity, a silky-smooth texture and an utterly harmonious, complex finish. Residues of allspice and clove linger on the long aftertaste. Brilliant.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

A wine doesn't have to be big to be complex," says Donovan Rall of this refined, ageworthy Cinsault, which combines fruit from Darling and the Swartland. Textured, refreshing yet with quite a bit of tannin for the variety, this is crunchy, complex and elegant with layers of summer berry and black cherry fruit. 2022-26

IWSC (97)

An expressive buttered brioche nose, gun smoke reduction, red fruit and toasted almond and pistachio notes. This very precise and elegant Champagne has a piercing acidity that underscores the long finish of lime zest, quince and apple.

Vinous (95)

Glistening ruby. Expansive aromas of black raspberry and cherry cola are complemented by pungent floral flourishes, incense and exotic spices. Seamless and energetic on the palate, offering juicy, spice-tinged red and dark berry preserve, violet pastille and mocha flavors. Becomes sweeter and deeper on the strikingly long, seamless finish, which features polished tannins and resonating spice and floral qualities.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Reminding me of the 2016, the 2018 Château Rauzan-Segla reveals this beautifully fresh, complex bouquet that still has serious richness and depth. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 65% new barrels, it offers a dense purple hue to go with gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, spring flowers, cigar wrapper, and sandalwood. A quintessential Margaux with its spicy, complex, floral character, it's full-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, a solid spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. This is a brilliant, heavenly 2018 to enjoy over the coming 30 years or more.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91)

(5-Star Wine) One plot is in Valvent opposite 1er cru Epinottes, the other opposite Forêts. There is more yellow in the colour here than the Petit Chablis, with an exceptional intensity that makes it almost hard to taste. Immaculate youthful bitterness and great length.

James Suckling (93-94)

A rich and dense second wine of Pichon Lalande with a full body, round and juicy tannins and a fruit-driven finish. Chewy, too.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

A welcome relief from the blandness of many commercial Sauvignon Blancs, this is an ambitious, dynamically farmed white from the brilliant team at Reyneke. Sappy, reductive and nettley, with a flinty note that's reminiscent of a great Pouilly-Fumé and a long, saline finish. 2020-24

Wine Advocate (97)

The latest release, the 2008 Tokaji Essencia from the Royal Tokaji Wine Company, was tasted over a period of three days. It is clearly cut from a different cloth to the 2007, disproving the idea that wines of such extraordinary sweetness conform to type. It is lighter on the nose than the 2007, with freshly cut tangerines, apricot and orange zest. There is a brightness here, a sense of energy. The palate is founded upon energy and tension, a silver thread of acidity that cuts through the layer upon layer of orange zest, Japanese yuzu, tangerine and honey. This is an elegant and you might argue, more reserved Essencia compared to the 2007. The alcohol is slightly higher at a whopping 4%, a relatively easier Essencia to consume compared to the unctuous previous vintage. While it might not achieve the concentration of the 2007, the 2008 Essencia remains an otherworldly feat of nature. I actually shared the remaining bottle with winemakers from Argentina and Portugal in Hong Kong and they became wide-eyed with amazement. That's the magic of Essencia. It might constitute blasphemy, but the freshness means you can enjoy this now, or as my drinking window suggests, wait another 100 years, as temporally fantastical as that sounds.

James Suckling (97)

An outstanding grenache from old bush vines in the Smart Vineyard, perched up on the Clarendon ridge line. This has an edge of white pepper and pomegranate with notes of bright raspberries and fresh leaves. This wine fuses elegance and power with a sleekly defined palate that carries real intensity in 2018. The structure is keenly tailored. Long and taut, red-fruit finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Wine Advocate (90)

The 2018 Cotes du Rhone is 100% Syrah, sourced from the Gard (on the right bank of the Rhône) and Vinsobres (left bank, higher elevation). Violets, black olives and cassis and blueberry flavors provide terrific varietal expression in a medium to full-bodied package framed by silky tannins. Depending on your local pricing (I've seen it for as little as $12.99 or as much as $20), it should be a terrific value.

Vinous (96)

Saturated ruby. Highly expressive, mineral-accented cherry and dark berry liqueur, cola, licorice and potpourri scents are complemented by an exotic spice nuance. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter and more lively as the wine opens up. Shows excellent clarity and floral lift and finishes extremely long and spicy, with steadily building tannins adding closing grip.

Vinous (95)

Limpid ruby-red. A highly complex, mineral-accented bouquet displays Chambord, incense and baking spice qualities, and a suave floral nuance builds with air. Stains the palate with lively, sharply delineated red berry liqueur, lavender and spicecake flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. In a vibrant style, finishing spicy and very long, leaving notes of candied flowers behind.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

The 2018 Gigondas La Louisiane looks to be another terrific example of this cuvée. Raspberries, black cherries, tea leaves and violets all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, velvety and long on the finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)

The base Gigondas, the 2018 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes is a blend from both the La Louisiane and Pigière lieux-dits near the estate (due to the dismal yields, there’s no Souteyrade cuvée in 2018) and is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah brought up in foudre. It has a wonderful flowery incense and blue fruit quality as well as medium to full body, a ripe, rounded mid-palate, and a great texture. It’s a more forward, charming, sexy wine that’s going to drink nicely in its youth yet also evolve gracefully.

The Wine Independent (97)

For Tenuta San Guido, "2008 was a beautiful year. Hot but not dry and not too hot," comments Carlo Paoli, general manager and head of winemaking. This 2008 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is still tight and youthful, and it is just starting to develop a garnet rim. The aromas were slow to reveal themselves but after 30 minutes, some notes of juniper, "macchia mediterranea", mint, and sweet tobacco appear. The texture is sublimely soft, round, and velvety - not heavy, but melting - with lots of juicy, vibrant acidity. With this vintage, the tannins continue in their refinement.

Wine Advocate (97+)

This is a classic vintage of an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia lays out a familiar blueprint that borrows from the proven track record of this landmark estate that extends into the hills just beyond the Tyrrhenian shores of Tuscany. This vintage is crystalline and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to mistake this wine for anything but Sassicaia. The growing season started off cool and wet but turned to warm and dry conditions comfortably before the harvest. Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc in a supporting role deliver a graceful mid-weight texture that holds back style-wise in terms of phenolic density. The wine's careful balance is achieved thanks to the nuanced character of the fruit, the present acidity, the well-managed structure and the contained alcohol. The palate is lifted and bright, the finish is polished and long, and the wine skips over any heaviness on the mid-palate. The bouquet is especially intriguing with a very lively plummy fruit element that is enhanced by baker's chocolate, pepper spice, iron ore, caramel and pie crust. There is also a green character that adds positively to the bouquet with aniseed, tea leaf, soya, menthol rub and black olive. The fruit maturity is spot-on with no elements that feel over or underripe. Overall, the 2018 Sassicaia weighs in with a svelte frame and long persistence. Moreover, it is distinguished by the archetypal elegance and pedigree of the classic vintages of the past. This new release gives you much pleasure to await.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Scarecrow’s 2018 reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, toasted spices, chocolate, darker currants, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied, dense, off-the-charts sexy 2018 that has the vintage’s purity and freshness backed up by flawless balance, a layered mouthfeel, and building yet elegant tannins. This cuvée is hard to resist given its texture and wealth of fruit, but it will ideally be given 3-5 years and should evolve for 30 years or more.

Wine Advocate (100)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Screaming Eagle soars out of the glass with vibrant notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries and fresh red and black currants plus wafts of licorice, candied violets, cedar chest and clove oil with a beguiling touch of sea spray. Medium-bodied with jaw-dropping elegance, the palate is finely textured and yet built like a brick house with a super taut backbone and exquisitely knit acidity. The intense black and red fruit flavors are accented by layers of mineral and floral notions, finishing with incredible length and depth. Undeniably stunning. “I loved it!” winemaker Nick Gislason told me when I asked him for his thoughts on the 2018 vintage. “Everything is just really perfumey with a lot of verve and a lot of freshness. It’s a wholesome vintage, if that makes sense? The canopies were big and healthy; there was a lot of life in the vineyard. After 2017, it felt like the bloom that comes afterward.” He went on to say, "We made a little 2017 red. Only four barrels of the Cab! Ten barrels of The Flight. Only from grapes that came in before the fires—mainly Merlot and a couple of blocks of Cabernet." Whereas Screaming Eagle is mainly sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the western side of the estate, there is one plot of old Merlot (1980s plantings) on the eastern side of the vineyard that continually makes the backbone of this Second Flight/The Flight. This is planted on very gravelly, well-drained soils. Gislason explained, “The Cabernet Sauvignon for The Flight is always about being fresh, light and perfumey, without the firmer tannins that Cabernet can sometimes give. There is a ‘fresh’ end of the property that this tends to come from. There is some other Merlot on the other side of the property that doesn’t have the acidity, perfume or brightness we’re looking for. We don’t use this in The Flight.”

Vinous (92)

(57% cabernet sauvignon, 20% carmenere, 10% merlot, 8% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc) Ruby-red. Musky redcurrant, cherry, spicecake and rose oil on the seductively perfumed nose. Silky, suave and fine-grained, in a distinctly elegant style. Red fruit and spice notes are complemented by a touch of bitter chocolate. The racy, dry, palate-staining finish shows full ripeness yet the wine comes off weightless. I'd bet on it rewarding at least another six or seven years of cellaring.

James Suckling (100)

This is a very thoughtful Seña that shows unique aromas of warm earth, mushrooms and conifer, turning to dark berries and black olives. The palate is more glamorous with ultra-fine tannins that envelop your palate. Shows power and vibrancy at the end. Toned muscles. It’s a very intellectual wine that harkens back to the 2015. Blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 18% malbec, 15% carmenere, 7% cabernet franc and 5% merlot.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2018 Sergant, which impressed from barrel, has a captivating bouquet of precise black cherry, wild strawberry and rose petal aromas that waft from the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine-grained tannins, a silky-smooth texture and beautifully integrated oak toward the finish. This is a top-quality Lalande de Pomerol, a bit of a hidden gem. Go seek!

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks, and spice. Deep, profoundly concentrated, beautifully seamless and textured on the palate, it reminds me of the 2009 with its opulent, powerful style. It's a brilliant wine from this terrific estate and up with the top wines in the vintage. Hats off to director Fabien Teitgen who continues to make an elegant yet powerful, uncompromising style of wine.

Vinous (98)

Antinori’s 2018 Solaia captures all of the elegance of this important vintage. The bouquet alone is mesmerizing. It speaks to the stunning beauty and pedigree of Cabernet Sauvignon as grown at the Antinori family’s Tignanello property. Sweet scents of crème de cassis, lavender, graphite, mint, spice and espresso lead into a fine, delineated palate. Bright and energetic, Solaia is decidedly medium in body in 2018, with striking purity and exceptional beauty. I can’t remember ever tasting a young Solaia with this much sheer appeal and balance in the early going. In 2018 Solaia is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 7% Cabernet Franc. Production is down to around 60,000 bottles because of strict selection.

Vinous (94)

The 2018 Carema is a very pretty, ethereal wine. Sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco, cedar, dried flowers, mint and rosewater all grace this beautifully lifted, understated Carema. Spice and earthy notes develop in the glass, adding layers of nuance. The 2018 is a jewel of a wine. This understated silky Carema is all class.