Wine Enthusiast (98)

Hailing from one of the most celebrated vineyards in the entire denomination, this focused beauty boasts layers of complexity and depth, starting with its classic Nebbiolo aromas of forest floor, new leather, violet and wild berry. Balanced and firmly structured, the palate shows tension, power and elegance, delivering succulent Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, tobacco and licorice alongside firm, aristocratic tannins. It's still young but already beautifully balanced, with bright acidity.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

All you need is a few swirls of the glass to release the perfumed aromas of wild berry, forest floor, new leather and crushed herb. The palate shows precision and finesse, offering red cherry, cranberry, baking spice and tobacco set against taut refined tannins and bright acidity. It's still youthfully austere but will bloom with more bottle aging.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2019 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese is fascinatingly pure, bright, refined and flinty on the nose that reveals very fine Riesling, slate and iron aromas. Pure, fresh and filigreed on the palate, this is a crystalline, fresh and piquant, crisp and crystalline JSU Spätlese in the acidity-accentuated MFR style. The finish is pure and salty, piquant and concise and makes this an exciting wine to try again in 20 years. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (94)

From vines planted in the 1890s, the 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling GG "Uralte Reben" trocken is still quite reductive on the nose but very fine, bright and floral on the delicately slatey and intensely fruity yet subtle nose. Intense and powerful on the palate (at 11.5% alcohol!), this is a crystalline, tight and salty Sonnenuhr with still shy mirabelle aromas on the nose. It is beautifully pure and filigreed yet long and intense—a wine that deserves our patience and attention for 20 or more years. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (94)

This wine is a symbolic bridge from the Old World to the New. The Mazzei 2019 Philip is an all-Tuscan expression of Cabernet Sauvignon (with a tiny part Cabernet Franc) that delivers rich texture, ripeness and ripe fruit. The wine is named after Philip Mazzei (1730–1816), who was a contemporary of Thomas Jefferson. The two men reportedly exchanged winemaking tips and vineyard techniques. The 2019 vintage nails that proverbial sweet spot between softness, structure, fruit and spice. This is a plush, fruit-forward and balanced Tuscan red.

Vinous (99)

The 2019 Siepi continues a trend towards greater finesse and nuance in this wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice, licorice and plum meld together effortlessly in the glass. Dense and layered, with striking detail, the 2019 is so impressive. The flavors are bright, bold and punchy. An exceptionally beautiful and riveting wine, the 2019 is rich and concentrated, but not at all heavy. What a total knock-out.

Wine Advocate (94)

Aromas of cherries and berries mingle with notions of licorice, spices and sweet soil tones to introduce the 2019 Morgon Côte du Py, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated wine that's seamless and complete, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, sapid finish. Serious and compelling, it's a terrific effort from Mee Godard.

Vinous (93)

Pale bright yellow. Pear, apple and stone on the nose. Juicy and intense on the palate, showing lovely energy and minerality. A major step up in intensity and length from the Charmes, displaying lovely definition and a saline quality. Offers a rather refined texture, with its harmonious acidity well supported by flesh. Finishes with good lingering fruit and stone flavors.

Jancis Robinson (18)

100% Sauvignon Blanc. The only vineyard that exists in DO Zapallar and located just 7 km from the coast. Clayey enriched soils and a dry steppe climate. Hand-harvested bunches are destemmed, cold-soaked for 12–24 hours, the must is settled for 24 h, then inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora yeasts. Fermentation at low temperature. Aged on its lees for 6–8 months. How much pleasure! A wine with a lot of aroma, with endless layers of aromatic complexity. It has a great mouth-coating texture triggering a herbal memory. The palate is full, rich, pleasant, although with sharp acidity above the rich texture. It is very well delineated, fresh, rich, deep and concentrated. A complete Sauvignon Blanc that will make you salivate. Delicious!

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

This is an excellent vintage of Montlandrie, with smoked coffee and cocoa bean, a ton of salinity, powerful blue and red fruits, super juicy on the finish. Enticing curled woodsmoke as it comes out of the glass, slate finish with a scrape of minerality. 40% new oak. Harvest September 30 to October 10.

Wine Advocate (97)

Concentrated, silky and lingering, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is elegant and fine with salted licorice, ripe raspberry, dark chocolate and exotic spice. It's a beautiful wine that continues the legacy of Moss Wood Cabernets, albeit with a slightly softer, more lilting voice. Age-worthy in the supreme.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Chenin Blanc is the marquee variety here, with support from 26% Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Semillon Gris, Viura and Verdelho, most of which is sourced from 37 to 70-year-old vines. Lemon, lime and wet stone flavours with some phenolic grip and remarkable palate length.

James Suckling (97)

This has such attractively fleshy red and dark cherry. Sweetly earthy. The oak is spicy and nicely placed among intense ripe and vibrant cherries. There’s plushness to the supple, fleshy palate. Smoothly rendered and juicy with rich dark cherry to close. The acidity is pitch perfect. Mouthwatering, delicious pinot. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets is shaping up beautifully, unfurling in the glass with scents of peonies, sweet berry fruit, blood orange, smoke and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and perfumed, it's velvety and charming, with melting tannins and an ample core of fruit. This is the highest in alcohol of all of Rossignol's 2019s, but it appears to be seamlessly integrated.

Greg Sherwood MW (97-99)

This lovely signature Niepoort 2019 vintage Port apparently has higher tannins than the famed 2017, but at this youthful stage, it is hard to comprehend this with its rich, accessible, voluptuous layers of silky, juicy soft black fruits. Benchmark certainly, a notable success – absolutely. The aromatics are so much more important than the palate flavours at this early blending phase (according to Dirk) and this enticing 2019 shows attractive notes of sweet sun ripened black berry fruits, hints of creamy molasses, savoury black stewed winter orchard fruits and a dusty, stony, smoked cigars complexity. Beautifully silky, supple and textured, there is also a fine, stony, grippy mineral tannin mouthfeel that lends a wonderful frame for the juicy blue and black berry fruit finery to be displayed. Fabulously drinkable, deliciously fresh and vibrant, but eminently bold and characterful, this is certainly another very accomplished wine from the House of Niepoort. (Residual Sugar: 88 g/l RS)

Decanter (100)

I love the 2012, but honestly the 2013 just has the edge, because it is just as concentrated and full of fruit but acidity and floral nuance balances out the richness. Dark deep rosemary spice and black olive paste deepens the flavours through the mid-palate and you just have to hang on as this goes spiralling through, drawing the flavours out to a lengthy finish. 2% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 18 days skin contact.

James Suckling (99)

The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028.

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.

The Wine Independent (99)

The Palmer 2019 is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs considerable shaking to unlock notions of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, leading to wafts of rose oil and espresso. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with rich, seductive black and blue fruit, supported by heart-thumping tension and very fine tannins, finishing with epic length and jaw-dropping fragrance. Stunning!

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

As to the Grand Vin 2019 Château Pape Clement, it reveals a dense purple hue to go with stunning aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencils shavings, scorched earth, and tobacco. Beautifully balanced, with flawless tannins, this full-bodied Pessac has that rare mix of elegance and power, a great mid-palate, and again, perfect balance. It's one of the gems of the vintage and has some accessibility today given its purity and balance, yet deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for 20-25 years or more in cold cellars. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, brought up in two-thirds new French oak.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard displays loads of charcoal, barbecue smoke, blueberry and blackberry fruit, an opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, and hints of charcoal and subtle oak in a full-bodied, multi-dimensional style. Drink it over the next 20 years.

Wine Advocate (100)

The second perfect score I have given to a Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (the other was the 2002), the 2013 is as spectacular as his 2002 was. There are 638 cases of this massive wine that comes across like a first-growth Pauillac. Lead pencil shavings, cedar wood, blueberry and blackberry liqueur as well as hints of forest floor and tobacco leaf are all present in this fragrant, sumptuously textured, full-bodied, massively rich yet sensationally well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a finish of well over 55 seconds. This is amazing work, and interestingly, I believe Hobbs was the first to offer a Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon.

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 (19+)

There is extraordinary equilibrium in this sensational wine. It is so finely balanced it is baffling, and the depth and richness is offset with the most dramatic acid and strident minerality I have seen in a wine of this style. There are profound meadow-flower and stone fruit flavour here which enchant the senses but they are marshalled brilliantly by the citrus pith and green apple skin raspiness on the finish. This is the most exciting Chevalier I have ever tasted and it rivals the very best whites from this region and others besides.

James Suckling (98-99)

Really classy red, offering blueberries, minerals, salt, limestone and light fresh herbs. It’s full-bodied, but so refined. Fine layers of fruit and tannins. It’s like millefeuille. The 2018 is more exuberant, but I love the elegance and structure here. Subtle and complex. 78% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon.

James Suckling (96)

Fresh tobacco, currant and earth, opening up to forest flowers. It’s rich in tannins, but very soft and beautiful. Layered, with lots of fine fruit and a velvety texture. Blackberry and chocolate in the finish too. 27% of the crop and a blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot, the rest petit verdot and cabernet franc. Delicious already, but give it at least six years of bottle age. Better after 2027.

Vinous (97)

The 2019 Syrah Sonoma Hillsides is once again the star of this range from Pax Mahle. Rich and exotic, with notable depth, the Hillsides is quite a bit brighter than the other Syrahs in the portfolio. Red cherry, plum, pomegranate, mocha, spice, leather and tobacco abound. The whole clusters are present, but nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. As always, the Hillsides is a blend taken from several sites, done with 100% whole clusters and aged in concrete. Every time I taste the Hillsides, I think the same thing: why doesn't Pax Mahle treat all his Syrahs this way?

Wine Advocate (100)

This vintage is a blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and Magill Estate. Very deep inky purple-black colored, the 2013 Grange has a profoundly scented nose of crème de cassis, preserved black plums, blueberry pie and licorice over nuances of baker’s chocolate, smoky bacon and fragrant earth, plus exotic spice wafts of cumin seed, cardamom, fenugreek and star anise. Unfurling and slowly building in the medium to full-bodied mouth with wonderful grace and depth, it reveals an incredible array of ripe black fruit, spice, meat and earth-inspired flavors, with a rock-solid frame to support this beauty (it should easily cellar for 40+ years!), while previously latent flavors emerge fully on the epically long finish, culminating in that ultimate Grange experience. Oh, yes.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 RWT Shiraz Bin 798 is a powerhouse of bloody fruit and firm tannin. It veritably explodes from the blocks, showing plum skin, raspberry leaf, blackberry, mulberry, lashings of salted licorice and rendered lamb fat. I am coming to love (in a big and serious way) the Barossa Shiraz' bottlings from 2020—the year was significantly down in yields, warm and dry, and responsible for wines of muscle, density and gravitas. So, too, for this wine. Excellent.