Wine Advocate (100)

It's an historical wine, a one-off, semi-sweet white produced at the end of the Spanish Civil War, a wine impossible to replicate, fruit of impossible circumstances, a wine I've had the luck to drink and share with many people on a number of occasions and which never fails to impress everyone. The perfect 1939 CVNE Rioja Blanco Semi Dulce Corona is a mythical wine! 1939 saw the end of Spain's Civil War, and the country was upside down. There were some major battles fought in Rioja, and by the time they had to harvest the grapes, there were not enough men in the village. They must have focused on the best parcels, surely giving priority to red grapes. Some vineyards were overlooked, as happened with the whites that eventually produced this wine. These grapes were harvested extremely late, into November, close to December and their health was not optimal, they had developed some botrytis and were clearly rotten. The people in charge of making the wine surely didn't know about botrytis cynerea, or noble rot, and were surely afraid their grapes were rotten and they would not be able to produce any decent white. So they did the best they could, but the fermentation never finished completely and there was some residual sugar in the wine. So, as they did with all their wines, they put it in oak barrels to mature and kind of put it in a corner hoping nobody would notice its shortcomings. We have to realize that CVNE was already producing quite a lot of wine at the time, so it's not unusual to have a few stray barrels here or there that nobody pays attention to. What is not that normal is that the wine was REALLY forgotten and was "found" during a stock take for an audit in 1970! So the wine aged slowly in barrel for some 30 years! Once found, nobody saw any reason to keep the wine in barrel any longer, so they decided to bottle it. Not knowing quite what to do with it, the bottles were stacked somewhere and the same story was repeated, as the stash was forgotten and basically untouched until thirty something years later: thanks to the daughter of one of the family owners (the winery is still in the hand of the same family that created it back in 1879). The proud father had a vague idea about a somewhat sweet wine that could be served at his daughter's wedding and asked to get some bottles to taste. They uncorked it, tasted it and found a complex, subtle white with great balance between alcohol, acidity and a little bit of residual sugar (around 20 grams), which took the edge off the acidity and made the wine rounder, as old Viura can be too austere. The slow aging, first in an oxidative way during the years in oak provided some nuttiness, and spicy aromas, while the botrytis added some of those dry apricot, beeswax and pollen notes, hinting on honey, but also the long reductive period in bottle made it very elegant and polished, with infinite nuances of white pepper, quince, faint smoke, walnuts, petrol...This redefines complexity, elegance and slow aging. The palate is prodigious, with a gobsmacking (literally!) balance, pungent flavors, freshness, acidity, very faint sweetness and length like only something which has slowly evolved over 70 years can be. The aftertaste should not be measured in seconds, but in minutes, and the empty glass keeps changing and giving different tones for hours. If you leave a little bit in the bottle for the day after (yes, it's difficult, I know!) the wine is even better on the second day. There is no reason to believe that if the wine is as good as it is today it is not going to reach its one-hundredth birthday. The wine is mainly Viura, but there might have been a little bit of the white Garnacha Blanca in the blend. At this stage nobody really knows (or cares). This is simply otherworldly, superb, perfect wine, whose only improvement would come if they had bottled some magnums! A dream. A unique, historical wine. If there is a perfect white Rioja, this is surely it. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2039.

Emanating from France's Champagne region, J. de Telmont Heritage Brut Vintage 1975 1975 is an exceptional wine steeped in tradition and exclusivity. Assembled by leading producer J. de Telmont, this vintage Brut is a lavish expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, harvested from the producer's oldest vineyards. Distinguished by a meticulous vinification process that includes manual harvesting and gentle pressing, each bottle encapsulates the skill and patience of its creators. The 1975 vintage boasts a rich, golden hue, enlivened by delicate bubbles and a complex bouquet.

The exceptional maturity of J. de Telmont Heritage Brut Vintage 1975 reveals deep, layered flavours, underscored by smooth effervescence and lingering hints of honey and dried fruit. With its rarity and supreme quality, it is an unmissable jewel in the crown of any serious collector or fine wine connoisseur. J. de Telmont's dedication to artistry and excellence shines through each sip of this remarkable champagne.

James Suckling (100)

The much-anticipated 2002 has impeccable detail and depth with a lot of chalky, stony and flinty elements on the nose as well as a very fresh edge. The nose is very complex and wound up tight but presents itself as very integrated and compressed. There are aromas of lemon rind, lime juice and a lime custard all at once, complemented in turn by a super-restrained hazelnut-like edge. Undertones of brown mushrooms, chalky minerals and lemon leaf. The palate has a core of sizzlingly intense, concentrated chardonnay framed whitin a powerful phenolic structure that will underpin the future of this Champagne. Flawlessly fresh and as perfect as it gets. Give this time as it needs to settle: best from 2020 and then for another decade beyond.

Vinous (92+)

I must admit, Krug's 2000 Clos d'Ambonnay remains a mystery. The first bottle I tasted, in March, at Krug, was utterly spectacular. Rich, creamy and ample on the palate, the 2000 was captivating from start to finish. Two thousand is the first vintage made entirely by current Chef de Caves Eric Lebel. My impression at the time was that Lebel had given his Ambonnay softer, gentler contours than the 1995, 1996 and 1998, all which were much more austere when first released. But then I tasted the 2000 several times in the US, where it has so far been less impressive. I am hoping issues with shipping for a handful of samples will turn out to be the root cause, and that the 'real' Ambonnay will be closer to what I tasted at Krug in March. If that turns out to be the case the 2000 will be due for a major upgrade.

Wine Advocate (95)

2011 was a year of good ripeness and dry weather, similar to 2015 or 2019, a traditional Mediterranean year, when the 2011 Mas del Serral also showed a more traditional profile, with more toasty notes, some hints of cereals, honey and a touch of caramel, a little more oxidative than the 2012. It has 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.05, produced by pressing the full grapes and fermenting the juice in stainless steel and concrete eggs, kept with the lees for at least nine months and put to referment in bottle with Champagne neutral yeasts, and then matured with lees in bottle for 100+ months. It's a long-aging sparkling wine with high minerality and an austere mouthfeel, developing slowly in the glass and unfurling Mediterranean notes of fennel and esparto grass. It finishes very dry. This seems to be aging a little faster than the 2012.

Decanter (100)

An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection.

Vinous (99)

The 2013 is the most powerful, dense young Salon I have ever tasted. Champagne of mind-bending complexity, the 2013 possesses tremendous mid-palate intensity and power from the very first taste. Lemon confit, dried flowers, mint and a touch of brioche appear first, followed by light tropical accents that add an exotic flair. Imagine the sizzling energy of the 2008 and the persistence of 2004, with more mid-palate richness and riper fruit. Two-thousand thirteen was a cool, late ripening year. Harvest started at the beginning of October under sunny, dry days and cool nights, conditions that have not been seen since then. Readers will find a spectacular, modern Salon endowed with tremendous depth and very little of the youthful austerity that once defined Champagnes from cooler years here. The 5.5 grams per liter of dosage is perfectly judged. In a word: Magnificent.

Vinous (95)

The 2012 Extra-Brut Les Blanc de Blancs Blanches Voies is stellar. It offers tons of brilliance and energy, especially for a year in which most wines are quite a bit more radiant. It's a style that works quite well here, though. Crushed rocks, white pepper, mint and lemon peel all build as the 2012 shows off its alluring, saline-infused personality. This is an especially chiseled, finely cut 2012. I loved it. Disgorged: June, 2020.