James Suckling (98)

Love the aromas to this young red with blackcurrants, sage, cinnamon and five-spice character. Changes all the time. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with a ripe and rich tannin backbone that gives form and beauty to the ripe and beautiful fruit. Tight and very long. Approachable now but will reward more in five to six years. A classic Sassicaia.

The Wine Independent (97)

The 2017 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is such an impressive wine in a hot and very dry vintage like 2017. It has a wonderful fragrance of sweet spice, pressed flowers and Mediterranean herbs with youthful, bright blackberries and forest floor notes. A problem with the 2017 vintage was that the nights were hot as well as the days so it was challenging to accumulate aromatics and achieve full phenolic ripeness. Paoli and his team had to harvest early and shorten maceration times. In any case they have done an excellent job. It has lovely concentration and power on the palate yet it still retains the classic Sassicaia signature of vibrant acidity and harmony and flow across the palate.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Tasted blind. Rich and rather opulent nose. Simple and easy with good refreshing raciness. Could be Rauzan-Ségla? Good and complete. Really zesty. Likely to be VGV.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2019 Seña was produced with a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot with the Chilean character of the high percentage of Carmenere. Most of the volume fermented in stainless steel with some 10% in concrete vats, and the final blend matured for 22 months in French oak barrels, 80% of them new, and 10% in Stockinger vats. It's 13.5% alcohol and has good acidity and freshness, coming through as medium-bodied, elegant and balanced. This is incredibly elegant, subtle and harmonious even at this early stage. It has floral aromas, notes of orange peel, a touch of creamy sweet spices and great freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, seamless and pure, with pungent flavors and a soft texture. It's long, clean, defined and super tasty. I feel this wine is getting better and better by the vintage. The grapes were picked quite early, and that helped to contain the ripeness and seems to have been a great decision. There was also an exception in the Panquehue zone where the Seña vines are, where the summer was cooler than the average, so quite different to many other regions in Chile. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021.

James Suckling (95)

Aromas of ripe fruit such as sweet strawberries and hints of orange peel and chocolate. Medium to full body, soft and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Riper style. Drink or hold.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge comes from terroir composed of 60% gravel and 40% clay and is a blend of around 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums, and juicy blackberries, with hints of candied violets, licorice, espresso, and tapenade, plus wafts of crushed rocks and wood smoke. Full-bodied, rich, and opulent in the mouth, it has very firm, super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the voluptuous, mineral-accented fruit, finishing very long and achingly perfumed.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2014 Romanée St Vivant Grand Cru, matured in two-thirds new oak, has an incredibly powerful and pure bouquet that already possesses dizzying, seductive intensity. Wow. The palate has a satin-like texture, perfect acidity and filigree tannin. However, it is the purity of this wine and the shimmering tension on the finish that is totally entrancing. One of the wines of the vintage? Most certainly. Bravo Sebastien.

Decanter (96)

It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe apricot and citrus hints. It is tense and refined, with a vivid mineral core balanced by pristine acidity and some toasted notes on the finish. It's not the most expressive today, but wait for it to awaken. This is built for cellaring.

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 (98)

This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of praline and nuts on the nose. Fine and tight bead give the Champagne a luxurious mouthfeel. One for now or the cellar. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Drink or hold.

Wine Orbit (97)

Plush and exquisite at once, this engaging syrah shows dark fruit richness, clove, floral and assorted nut aromas on the nose with a hint of dried herbs, leading to superbly weighted palate offering splendid fruit purity with sensual complexity, gorgeously framed by velvety texture and beautifully melded tannins. This is weighty, robust and sophisticated with gorgeous harmony, finishing refined and immensely satisfying.

The Real Review (99)

Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring.

The Real Review (99)

Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring.

Wine Orbit (93)

Elegant and inviting, the bouquet shows white flesh stone fruit, lemon pith, oatmeal and roasted cashew notes, followed by a succulent palate displaying flowing mouthfeel and creamy texture. Beautifully proportioned and expansive with a sustained delectable finish.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

The qualitative apogee when it comes to grenache, rivalled by few and equalled only by Yangarra. Even better than the superb 2021. Sourced from the highest, coolest site in the Vale, the venerable Smart vineyard. Ironstone imparts a ferrous bite to pithy sour cherry, cranberry, campfire, pomegranate, tamarind and sandalwood notes with a grind of white pepper across a lattice of pin bone tannins, curtailing sweetness while promoting stunning length. This is excellent. Superb! Transparent and brimming with a sense of pinoté, like a mini Rayas. A great wine of the present as much as the future. Among Australia's very greatest reds. I don't score above 97, but this could be worth a point higher.

Matthew Jukes (20++)

There are 12 rows of Shiraz, which were planted in c1852 and they made their way into this inaugural vintage of The Forebear. The Torbreck team started to resurrect these vines in 2014, and when Ian Hongell joined Torbreck in 2017, he saw something genuinely momentous here. This fruit was previously tucked away in Woodcutters (the ‘estate-level’ Shiraz) while its vineyard transformation was underway, and in 2019, this wine was given its chance to perform solo under The Forebear name. The verb – to forebear – means to hold oneself back. As a noun, it means ancestor, which refers to the founders of this vineyard who left Wiltshire in 1848 and settled in Lyndoch. Therefore, The Forebear is the perfect name for this incredible wine. Whereas the Laird is a Marananga-based wine, The Forebear is from Lyndoch, and consequently, it cannot be compared to the wine below. The Forebear is matured in 100% new, tight-grained French oak barriques for 24 months, and the Laird sees three whole years. The origins and regimes are different, and they suit the fruit perfectly. There were only 100 dozen made of 2019 The Forebear, and I cannot imagine this yield will change, so this will always be a very rare wine. As I tasted this wine and watched it evolve in the glass over four hours, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. As always with a Torbreck wine, there is a flavour transparency despite the density of black fruit, liquorice, tar and butcher’s apron notes. It is difficult to understand until you spend several hours unlocking its code. I wrote the word ‘Mordor’ in my notebook – it is that dark – and this might be a barrier to entry for some, particularly those unfamiliar with Torbreck wines, but it is sensational! I have never tasted the inaugural vintage of a wine to which I have given a perfect score. I hoped it would happen one day, and it took 38 years working in the wine trade for this to happen, and it happened with 2019 Torbreck The Forebear.

Vinous (98+)

Luminous straw. Penetrating nuances of lime and guava join the lemon verbena, jasmine, mineral and white stone fruit aromas on the knockout, captivating nose. Then dense, complex and multilayered, offering profound flavors of fresh citrus fruit, sweet spices and talcum powder. Closes extremely long, clean and precise; this is a young white wine of utterly mesmerizing beauty. I find this to be one of the best young CSHs I have ever tasted; it is stylistically different but almost on the same quality level as the marvelous 2010 CSH. One sniff (never mind taste) and I was left almost speechless - and I’m not usually one who keeps his mouth shut when I recognize a truly great wine.

Decanter (99)

Such a seductive soft perfume to the nose, delicate yet generous aromatics of cherry and rose. The palate is juicy and fresh, charming yet energetic with such crystalline purity and balance. Tannins are smooth but softly textured giving nuance to the flavours where refreshing high toned ripe red and black cherry fruit play alongside mint, dark chocolate and graphite. Clearly powerfully but carefully controlled from start to finish giving such a satisfying overall mouthful and lasting impression. Incredible.

Wine Advocate (95+)

The 2021 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard blossoms dramatically as it spends time in the glass, opening with saline and crème fraîche before blossoming to apricot, roasted almonds and honey. The medium-bodied palate combines expansive, honeyed flavors with a vibrant spine of acidity and a singular, chalky texture. It has complex flinty undertones and a long, nutty finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years' development in bottle.

Wine Advocate (98)

The NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2015) 60 months is spectacular, soaring from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, anise, beeswax, white flowers and almonds. Full-bodied, layered and complete, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and a long, penetratingly saline finish. This late-disgorged version of Les Enfers is produced in very small quantities, but readers who can secure a bottle or two shouldn't hesitate.

James Suckling (96)

Fresh and very floral with violets and berries. Blackberries and orange peel, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, linear tannins. Excellent length and structure. Seriously structured, Better after 2024, but already beautiful.

Vinous (100)

The 2016 Barolo Ravera is bursting with all of the tension that is the most singular characteristic of this site. Freshly cut flowers, white pepper and mint lend energy to a wine that is very shy and tightly wound today. Then again, it is Ravera. Macerated dark cherry, lavender, mint, crushed rocks and sage race out of the glass in a potent, stunning Barolo endowed with magnificent purity and translucency. The 2010 is quite simply a stunning, breathtaking wine. Don't miss it.