Greg Sherwood MW (95)

There doesn’t seem to be complete agreement amongst growers as to whether 2021 in Bolgheri was an easy or difficult vintage. What certainly is in agreement is that this cooler Tuscan vintage yielded some incredibly taut, intense, vibrant wines. Aged in 85% French and 15% American oak 225 litre barrels, 40% new, for 15 months, this beautiful Guidalberto 2021 boasts fabulously piercing aromatics of violets, black cherries, blackberry compote and seductive dark plum over sweet exotic Christmas spices and stony graphite notes. The oak and vanilla wood spice is still busy integrating with the super taut, tight palate fruit intensity, perhaps at a slightly slower pace than in a riper, warmer vintage. But it’s the palate’s chiselled focus and linearity that marks this vintage as a true stand out expression amongst more recent dryer, warmer years. The texture is laser focused but also wonderfully transparent showing the true mineral terroir characteristics of Bolgheri together with a wonderfully fresh, tart, glassy acidity supported by sleek, polished marble tannins on a pithy cherry cola packed finish. A vintage to be truly celebrated but also one best to bury in the cellar for an another 8 to 10+ years.

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.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet in color. It strides confidently from the glass with classic notes of cassis and blackberry preserves followed by wafts of cedar chest, pencil lead, wild sage, crushed rocks, and lilacs, plus a hint of black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is super-intense, with loads of earth-tinged black fruit layers and a firm structure, finishing long and refreshing.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Full bottle 1,604 g. From a 7.35-ha site called Cold Harbour vineyard, planted in 2005. Sustainably farmed. 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier, 10% Chardonnay. Ana and Dermot Sugrue's new release. Deep, shining, copper-coral colour. It looks like sunrise on a crisp, clear-as-a-bell autumn morning. It tastes like sunrise on a crisp, clear-as-a-bell autumn morning. The tiny bubbles are like a shower of dewdrop diamonds, which seem to turn ruby-gemstone red as they meet the sweet flood of rose hip, red apple and clementine. And then it pixelates on the tongue, crystalline acidity and exquisitely precise fruit in a kaleidoscopic collision of dazzling dimensions. Breath-taking, spine-tingling purity shot forward, arrow-like, by acidity that tastes of blood oranges. A wine to watch the sun rise with.

Vinous (98)

We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes.

James Suckling (100)

The perfect blanc de blancs. Full-bodied with a lovely framework of acidity and dry fruit, such as apples, pears and peaches. Opulent. Dense and muscular. Yet, it’s balanced and harmonious. Line of acidity at the end. Totally in tune. Superb. Deep and complete. Has everything. One for the cellar. It is the greatest Comte ever. It has everything. A perfect upgrade from two years ago. Drink or hold.

Wine Orbit (98)

This is brimming with gorgeous aromas of Black Doris plum, violet, warm spice and toasted almond on the nose, leading to a concentrated palate offering a rich texture and plush mouthfeel. It’s powerful and imposing while remaining gracious and captivating, beautifully framed by fine grainy tannins, finishing persistent and immensely satisfying.

Vinous (96)

The 2018 Tenuta Degli Dei is dense, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Silky tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather. In the glass, the 2018 is intensely aromatic and layered, with exceptional balance and tons of character. Here, too, the wine's overall sense of harmony can only be described as exquisite.

Vinous (88)

The 2017 Boca is dominated by strong savory, earthy and feral notes, while the fruit is dried out and pushed into the background. It is not my favorite wine in this range.

Christian Eedes (97)

32% Roussanne, 29% Semillon, 19% Chardonnay, 16% Chenin Blanc and 4% Clairette Blanche sourced from the Cape winelands. Sensational aromatics of green, white and yellow fruit, flowers, herbs and spice plus a touch of flinty reduction – very expressive but not at all vulgar or overwrought. The palate has great fruit definition, a lovely line of acidity and finish that is long and dry. Precisely made, the whole very much more than the sum of the parts.

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2019 Marchesi Antinori Tignanello is brimming with youthful ebullience and demands to be noticed. The nose is immediate, direct, and very charming, with sweet, ripe, cherry fruit. On the palate it is supremely harmonious and balanced with delicious flavors of cream, spice and vivid, just-ripe, crunchy blackberry. The tannins are beautifully refined as with the superb 2016 but, if anything, there is even more refinement. Although it has not had time to develop any of its complexity or depth yet, it shows incredible potential and is already very much at ease with itself. It seems a return to a more normal vintage in 2019 has meant the vines were comfortable and not overly stressed. This 2019 Tignanello seems to reflect this wonderful sense of ease. Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Antinori and head of winemaking described this wine as ‘sbarazzino’ – vivacious. I can see what he means.

Introducing the remarkable Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2019, a lustrous ruby-red wine produced in the renowned French vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin. This exceptional offering is meticulously crafted by Domaine Tortochot, a burgundy winemaker cherished for honouring the traditional, organic winemaking techniques inherited over generations. The 2019 vintage is carefully vinified using 100% hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes, contributing to its refined structure and supple tannins.

The Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2019 boasts radiant flavours, harmoniously combining venerated old world production with contemporary indulgence. It unveils the alluring notes of wild berries, accentuated by a mesmerizing hint of exotic spices and an elegant earthy undertone. The finish lingers pleasingly, reaffirming the powerful prestige of this spectacular Premier Cru. Savour the distinctive character of this admirable French wine, a true testament to the meticulous attention to detail and dedication to quality upheld by Domaine Tortochot.

Indulge in the exquisite elegance of Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes 2019. This esteemed vintage, crafted in the celebrated vineyards of Burgundy, France, is a sensory delight. Domaine Tortochot, a revered wine producer since the 19th century, utilises traditional methods; hand-harvested grapes and maturation in French oak barrels ensure an inviting complexity to this Pinot Noir.

The 2019 edition exhibits a remarkable depth of colour, resembling polished garnet. Offering a robust nose replete with ripe dark fruits, earthy undertones, and a hint of spice; it's a prelude to the sumptuous taste. On the palate, expect an exquisite balance of rich fruit flavours, refined tannins, and an enduring finish that sings of the terroir.

Conveying the unique charm of Morey-Saint-Denis' premier cru vineyard, the Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes 2019 is a must-have addition for the discerning wine enthusiast.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

There were 32 barrels of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley produced. It’s a great wine, offering full-bodied richness and depth in a rich, concentrated, satisfying package. Classic Cabernet notes of cassis, tobacco, and chocolate all emerge from the glass, and it has ripe tannins, no hard edges, and the purity that’s the hallmark of the vintage front and center. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, enjoy bottles any time over the coming 20 years or more.

Wine Advocate (94)

I tasted the 2022 Regueirón, a single-vineyard Godello from the village of Éntoma on slate and schist soils. It's a much more Burgundian white, with notes of fennel and flowers, very tasty and elegant. It's also a powerful white with impressive aromas and flavors, intensity and depth; it's vibrant and complex, alive, with a pH of 3.1 and 6.8 grams of acidity. They believe the soils are the difference, and character of the wine is very mineral, a little à la Meursault, with purity. It fermented and matured in 500-liter oak barrels, 50% of them new, then they blended the juice and put it into a 2,000-liter foudre for two months. A white of purity, precision and elegance, it's impressive, very young and with aging potential. 2,488 bottles and 60 magnums were filled in August 2023.

The Real Review (97)

Impressively dense, dark, glass-staining colour with a strong tint of purple. Concentrated and superripe blackberry aromas, bright and intense and beautifully ripe with minimal herbal accents. Nuances of tar and licorice as well. It's full bodied and rich, concentrated and ample, with lashings of supple, fine-grained tannins and a long carry. A powerful wine but one that glides across the palate effortlessly. A beautiful and long-term cabernet.

James Suckling (98)

This is one of those wines where your nose is in the glass for ages, enjoying the complex array of aromas that range from raspberries to dates, perfumed bark to polished wood, pressed flowers to fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, dense and focused with fine, well-integrated tannins, plenty of fruit flavor and an endless finish. A joy to drink even now, but this will age gracefully for many a year.