Vinous - Neal Martin (92+)

Tasting, the 2014 Haut Marbuzet has a potent marine influence on the nose, hints of kelp and mudflats infusing the blackberry and bilberry fruit, becoming more brine-like with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with dusty tannin, moderate acidity, finally mustering some fleshiness towards the peppery finish. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Wine Advocate (94)

Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong. Some 110,000 bottles were made.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2014 Cuvée Jean Gautreau is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot picked between September 23 and October 11. It has a much more appealing bouquet than the 2013, offering a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and smoke; clarity increases with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, showing supple tannin, a fine line of acidity and a well-defined, sensual finish that takes the oak in stride. This is an excellent Cuvée Jean Gautreau that should age with style. Tasted at the vertical tasting at Sociando-Mallet.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of fresh red and blue fruits, potpourri and incense gain vivacity from a smoky mineral nuance. Offers deeply concentrated blueberry, black raspberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors, while suggestions of candied licorice and white pepper emerge on the back half. Finishes on a suave, alluringly sweet note of red fruit liqueur, featuring slowly emerging tannins and outstanding vivacity and focus.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of fresh red and blue fruits, potpourri and incense gain vivacity from a smoky mineral nuance. Offers deeply concentrated blueberry, black raspberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors, while suggestions of candied licorice and white pepper emerge on the back half. Finishes on a suave, alluringly sweet note of red fruit liqueur, featuring slowly emerging tannins and outstanding vivacity and focus.

James Suckling (91)

This is racy for a 2006 with plenty of tobacco, berries and hints of mushroom. Light, stylish earthy character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a pretty finish with lovely tension. Drink or hold.

Vinous (91-93)

Inky ruby. A complex, deeply perfumed bouquet displays scents of boysenberry, cola, peppery spices and candied flowers, and a smoky mineral note emerges with air. Stains the palate with vibrant red and blue fruit and lavender pastille flavors; juicy acidity and a snap of white pepper provide focus and lift. Impressively balanced and densely packed, finishing with excellent persistence and smooth tannins that are quickly absorbed by the plush fruit.

Wine Advocate (99)

The same can be said about the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve and it offers incredible cassis, toasted bread, bouquet garni and earth aromas and flavors to go with full-bodied richness, incredible concentration and a seamless, thrillingly pure texture that’s hard to believe. It’s easily the greatest wine I’ve tasted from this vintage.

Wine Advocate (99)

The same can be said about the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve and it offers incredible cassis, toasted bread, bouquet garni and earth aromas and flavors to go with full-bodied richness, incredible concentration and a seamless, thrillingly pure texture that’s hard to believe. It’s easily the greatest wine I’ve tasted from this vintage.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-92)

The 2014 Le Crock is soft, voluptuous and quite expressive, with the fruit pushed forward and silky tannins to round things out. Today, the flavors are quite primary, but it is the wine's textural harmony and overall balance that stand out most. Hints of plum, crème de cassis, cloves and new leather meld into the inviting finish. Even with all of its richness, the 2014 Le Crock preserves lovely freshness and perfume. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape is forward and ready to go, with plenty of kirsch, blackberry, garrigue and cured meat aromas and flavors all emerging from the glass. Full-bodied and nicely concentrated, it’s a classic, elegant and complex red that can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or longer. As is common with a lot of 2006s, it has a traditional feel, yet offers solid fruit and texture.

Vinous (93+)

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a wonderfully plush, warm Brunello loaded with radiant fruit. Flowers, licorice and leather develop in the glass, adding dimension to this opulent, expressive wine. The sheer depth of the fruit and the open, sweet bouquet completely cover the tannins, making this one of the most approachable wines of the vintage. This remains a rich, full-bodied Brunello capable of delivering plenty of enjoyment now and over the next handful of years at a minimum.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

Yes, this wine is tannic. To begin with it seems austere and mineral. But then the substrate of black berry juice asserts itself. The fruits are fresh rather than sweet, combining with leather, spice and a presence of new wood. Typical of Montrose, it is hard to appreciate this young, with those tannins needing to open out. But wait 10 years.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

This is a very fine wine showing a new level of quality at Montrose. With its almost velvet tannins inside the intense black fruits, the wine is rich, smooth and generous. Blackberry and black-plum fruits are to the fore along with the fine acidity and great structure. A wine to age for decades, it will be ready to drink from 2027.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89)

The 2014 Peyrabon is an attractive, supple Haut-Médoc to drink now and over the next few years. Succulent red cherry, plum, tobacco and cedar wrap around the juicy, pliant finish. This is nicely done.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2006 Pingus is a spectacular effort. A glass-staining saturated opaque purple, it delivers an other-worldly perfume of smoke, lavender, mineral, scorched earth, and an amalgam of kinky black fruits. Voluptuous on the palate in a measured way, it has superb balance, layered, complex flavors, ripe tannin that is entirely covered by the fruit, and a decade of aging potential. This monumental wine will evolve effortlessly for 10-15 years and offer a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2036.

Wine Advocate (100)

I don't think I've ever tasted a wine more recently bottled than the 2014 Pingus, which was bottled in the morning and I tasted it that very same evening! Peter Sisseck compares this to the 1995, the first vintage ever produced, when he learned that when you have such perfect grapes, you should do very little to the wine. He's been trying to replicate that first vintage, but there's nothing you can do to force it, as it has to be the natural conditions of the vintage that bring those grapes. What he also learned with the 1995 was that with wines like that, you need a long and slow aging in oak; so for the 2014, he decided to do a little longer élevage—three winters in barrel—but in 100% used barrels, something he started in 2012. If it would have been new oak, as in the past, it would have been impossible to have such extended aging without marking the wine too much and possibly forever. The wine was quite tannic to start with, but it was racked every six months, and in that way they have managed to tame those tannins without getting the wine tired, as the aging itself was quite reductive. The nose is quite harmonious and open, but maybe not very expressive, a normal thing considering the extremely short bottle age it had (hours!), but it should gain precision in bottle. In instances like this, you have to guide yourself by the palate. And it's precisely on the palate where you find that texture that is almost unique to Ribera del Duero when it's as perfect as this. It's very different from other zones, a velvety mouthfeel and a surrounding sensation of comfort, incredibly long. The tannins are ultra fine and with that subtle chalkiness of the limestone soils, which also added to the tastiness and the supple aftertaste. In short, I cannot think of a way of improving this Pingus other, than getting a magnum instead of a regular bottle! Congratulations, Peter Sisseck! 4,800 bottles were filled on January 16th of 2017, a slightly shorter production than the average, because part of the vines were hit by hail and didn't make it into the final blend. Now stay tuned for 2015 and 2016.

The Rodero Ribera Duero Reserva 2014 is a product of artistry and refinement, emanating from the profound greeneries of Ribera del Duero in Spain. Cultivated by the esteemed Bodegas Rodero, this Grand Reserve is an embodiment of age-old viticulture skills and state-of-the-art techniques. Matured in carefully selected French oak barrels for no less than 24 months, and rested for another 36 in the bottle, it impeccably harmonises intensity with finesse.

The Rodero Ribera Duero Reserva 2014 boasts a regal burgundy hue with purple undertones and an impressive nose showcasing blackberry, vanilla, and cocoa nuances. Its velvety palate surprise with plum, cherry and liquorice notes wonderfully balanced with soft tannins and a sustained finish. The Rodero Ribera Duero Reserva 2014 is an eloquent expression of the Tempranillo grape varietal blend and a testament to Bodegas Rodero's winemaking legacy. An elegant addition worthy of the most discerning oenophile's collection.

Vinous (93-96)

Opaque ruby. A sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh blue fruits, Asian spices, smoky minerals and candied flowers. Sappy, expansive and pure on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that become livelier and sweeter with air. Ripe and broad yet lithe on the tenacious finish, which displays sneaky tannins and repeating blue fruit and floral flavors.

Vinous (93-96)

Opaque ruby. A sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh blue fruits, Asian spices, smoky minerals and candied flowers. Sappy, expansive and pure on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that become livelier and sweeter with air. Ripe and broad yet lithe on the tenacious finish, which displays sneaky tannins and repeating blue fruit and floral flavors.

Wine Advocate (90)

The 2014 Senejac has a withdrawn but well defined bouquet with more undergrowth aromas than many of its peers, unreservedly classic in style (and there is nothing wrong with that). The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe blackberry and boysenberry on the entry, a slight tinniness on the back palate with a very tightly wound finish. This clearly needs 4-5 years in bottle but it has the matière to repay those with patience. Tasted September 2016.

Vinous (92+)

Deep red-ruby. Spicy, earthy nuances complement the ripe red cherry, balsamic and herbal aromas and flavors; this is just a touch bigger and riper than the 2014 Brunello Pellagrilli. The finish is long and smooth; this is one of the best showings for the vintage.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

With a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has both structured and superbly rich fruit. The tannins are firm, but show a sweet, enticing edge to them, giving a full body and classic, fresh black currant acidity. An impressive wine, which definitely needs to age—five years or more.

Vinous - Josh Raynolds (91-93)

Ruby-red. Explosively perfumed bouquet of spicy red berries and cherry, with suave minerality. Vibrant red fruit flavors are finely etched and gain sweetness with air, finishing with great sappy persistence. This boasts impressive balance.

James Suckling (100)

Incredibly floral and beautiful with dark berry, spice, cedar and mint. Chinese plums. Asian spices. Bark. Tea. Full body, dense and so soft and complex. The finish goes on for minutes. Endless and fine. January 2017 release. This reminds me of the gorgeous 1991 or 1964. Drink forever. A wine that you want to spend time with.