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 (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.

Indulge your senses with the Jerome Prevost Grand Cru NV, an emblematic reflection of the terroir of La Closerie, Reims. Jerome Prevost, highly admired within Champagne circles, is revered for his meticulous practice and devotion to the craft. This impeccable Grand Cru NV, predominantly made from Pinot Meunier, captures the quintessence of his artisanal approach, encapsulated in a single vineyard plot.

Bottled without fining or filtration, and fermented solely from natural yeasts, the wine exemplifies an unadulterated expression of Prevost's philosophy. The decades-old vines, deeply entrenched in calcareous soils, yield a wine of profound depth and complexity. Bright acidic backbone, entwined with nuances of chalky minerality and rich pear notes, the Jerome Prevost Grand Cru NV is a touchstone for boutique Champagne production.

Appreciated by wine purists, this beguiling wine faithfully represents the work of an innovative winemaker dedicated to precision and purity, and the eternal appeal of the Grand Cru designation.

Wine Advocate (94)

A new bottle from Prévost, the NV Extra Brut & (LC18) is a blend that marries 20% Les Béguines with the balance deriving from other sites in Gueux that share the same sandy soils. It's based on the 2018 vintage, with some 20% reserve wines from 2017. The label is easy to distinguish thanks to the large red ampersand. Offering up aromas of pear, red apple, walnuts, fresh bread and mandarin, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with a fleshy core of fruit and a saline finish. While it's produced from purchased grapes, Prévost farms some of the sites and determines the date of harvest and sorting, though he told me that the average yield is naturally a touch higher than in his own vineyards.

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 (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.

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.

James Suckling (96)

Wonderful precision and depth right away on the nose, with dried pineapple, light apricot and hints of flint and slate. Medium-bodied palate that’s firm, bright and linear. Vivid,driven acidity adds focus and perfection. Dried lemon and a wonderful, creamy texture with a mineral undertone. Extremely long, almost endless. Sophistication here. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

The tightness and tension of this is impressive considering the youngest wine from this is 2015 (hot and dry year), with some wines going back to 2000. Ginger and orange zest. Some creme brulee. It's medium-bodied with apple, pie crust and floral character. It's salty and zesty yet, at the same time, complex and gorgeous. Chamomile and other floral teas highlight everything. Turns rich and flavorful at the finish. Terrific release. Really takes off at the end. Drink or hold.

Jancis Robinson (19)

A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006.

Jancis Robinson (19)

A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006.

Wine Advocate (96+)

Based on the 2013 vintage and complemented by some 40% reserve wines dating back to 2000, Krug's newly released NV Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is showing very nicely, unfurling in the glass with notes of citrus oil, buttered toast, dried apricot, warm biscuits and marmalade. Medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive, it's a tauter, more chiseled rendition of Grande Cuvée by comparison with the richer, more textural and more demonstrative 168ème Édition (based on the 2012 vintage) that preceded it; but its bright spine of acidity is nicely cloaked in fruit. Concluding with a long and sapid finish, this is a very classically balanced Champagne that will reward bottle age

Wine Advocate (96)

Based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by some 33% reserve wines from six other vintages, Krug's new NV Brut Rosé 26ème Édition is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of tart red berries and plums mingled with notions of warm biscuits, dried fruits, flowers and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish, it's an intensely flavored, electric wine that stands out as a particularly good recent release from this storied house.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The NV Rosé 27ème Edition, much like the Grande Cuvée 171ème Edition, was created based on the 2015 vintage and is complemented with 38 reserve wines sourced from nine different years (which makes up 55% of the blend). The youngest reserve wine dates back to 2015, while the oldest goes all the way back to 2005. Additionally, the blend includes 10% Pinot Noir, sourced from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This delightful rosé boasts a stunning, fresh bouquet of peony, blueberry, grapefruit, blood orange, warm biscuits and spring flowers. It has a medium to full-bodied texture and is both tense and crystalline, with a delicate yet concentrated structure and a salty, lingering and mouthwatering finish. I find the mid-palate particularly fascinating, as it is both fleshy and delicate. This lively and pure Champagne rosé from Krug is made up of 57% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier.

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.

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.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is very tight and long for Petite Église with a very compact and focused palate. Medium-to full-bodied, compressed palate with ripe tannins that are firm and fresh.

Decanter (94)

This is intense with tons of tar and cloves against the well-defined cassis fruits and lovely vibrant violet edging. The silky texture and legs indicate generous alcohol, but this is balanced, if on the larger side. It takes its time in the glass, at first a little overpowering, but it settles into itself and has been well handled offering good ageing potential. There were new owners as of harvest 2018, as French entrepreneur Jérôme Pignard took over from American co-owners; the Gant, Ferenbach and Sachs families.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

Another winner from Margaux is the 2018 Château Labégorce, which is an interesting blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (although I was given slightly different blends for the two samples tasted). Aging in 40% new oak, this deeply colored effort offers a beautiful perfume of blueberries, raspberries, flowers, and spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, has remarkable purity, and fine tannins, and should be approachable right out of the gate. It’s worth mentioning this estate has been managed by Marjolaine de Coninck since 2009, and it’s a rocking value in the market today. Tasted twice.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse checks in as 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc that comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won't hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I've ever tasted.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

A blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc representing just 41% of the total production, the 2018 Château Laroque is still resting in barrels and oak tanks. Its deep purple color is followed by a classy bouquet of ripe black cherries, cassis, graphite, licorice, and crushed rocks. Deep, medium to full-bodied, with a beautiful mid-palate and ripe, silky tannins, it's an incredible success for the estate, which is firing on all cylinders today thanks to the talented David Suire!

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

A blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc representing just 41% of the total production, the 2018 Château Laroque is still resting in barrels and oak tanks. Its deep purple color is followed by a classy bouquet of ripe black cherries, cassis, graphite, licorice, and crushed rocks. Deep, medium to full-bodied, with a beautiful mid-palate and ripe, silky tannins, it's an incredible success for the estate, which is firing on all cylinders today thanks to the talented David Suire!

James Suckling (97)

Full body. Lightly chewy. Phenolic tension gives it form and beauty. This is the first year to use numbers. 55% chardonnay and 45% pinot noir. 2007, 2006 and 2004. Drink or hold.