Decanter (100)

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year - the eponymous project of husband and wife duo; viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. A beautifully scented nose full of rose and violet touches, the Cabernet Franc nuances leap from the glass - fresh and minty, full of herbal sun-kissed ripe fruit but pristinely delivered. Smooth and driving on the palate, crunchy, crisp flavours give a real bite to the palate - red berries, blackcurrants and raisins, all nicely integrated and balanced. This doesn't feel super worked and polished, instead it gives crystalline iron-minerality, lifted acidity and fragrance throughout - real signatures of the terroir and the minimal interventionist winemaking style - the grapes speak more than the winemaking. I just love the sense of wildness, a smoked touch with blue fruits, Asian spices and slightly angular tannins but with ripe fruit giving the body and cool acidity giving the freshness. A stunning wine and welcome addition to the Place. Ageing in French oak barrels (50% new).

Decanter (100)

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year - the eponymous project of husband and wife duo; viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. A beautifully scented nose full of rose and violet touches, the Cabernet Franc nuances leap from the glass - fresh and minty, full of herbal sun-kissed ripe fruit but pristinely delivered. Smooth and driving on the palate, crunchy, crisp flavours give a real bite to the palate - red berries, blackcurrants and raisins, all nicely integrated and balanced. This doesn't feel super worked and polished, instead it gives crystalline iron-minerality, lifted acidity and fragrance throughout - real signatures of the terroir and the minimal interventionist winemaking style - the grapes speak more than the winemaking. I just love the sense of wildness, a smoked touch with blue fruits, Asian spices and slightly angular tannins but with ripe fruit giving the body and cool acidity giving the freshness. A stunning wine and welcome addition to the Place. Ageing in French oak barrels (50% new).

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (99)

Andy Erickson and Annie Favia have deftly handled the drought of 2021, and although this is a relatively small and concentrated crop, it has sacrificed none of the nuance that you expect from this winemaking family. Love the aromatics curling out of the glass, beautiful gunsmoke character, and a clear textural feel to the tannins, a little chalky, allowing the grain, depth and florality to come through. Clear brightness and mint leaf through the mid palate, with blueberry and cassis fruits alongside waves of sage and cocoa bean. Wide V trellice system through the growing season that gives a lot of shade potential, and helps capture the acidity. 50% new oak for ageing, bottled unfiltered and unfined. First year back after 2019, with nothing bottled in 2020. Vines on volcanic and sandstone hillside sites just above Coombsville on the eastern side of the valley, heading into the Vaca mountains at 300m altitude.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (99)

Andy Erickson and Annie Favia have deftly handled the drought of 2021, and although this is a relatively small and concentrated crop, it has sacrificed none of the nuance that you expect from this winemaking family. Love the aromatics curling out of the glass, beautiful gunsmoke character, and a clear textural feel to the tannins, a little chalky, allowing the grain, depth and florality to come through. Clear brightness and mint leaf through the mid palate, with blueberry and cassis fruits alongside waves of sage and cocoa bean. Wide V trellice system through the growing season that gives a lot of shade potential, and helps capture the acidity. 50% new oak for ageing, bottled unfiltered and unfined. First year back after 2019, with nothing bottled in 2020. Vines on volcanic and sandstone hillside sites just above Coombsville on the eastern side of the valley, heading into the Vaca mountains at 300m altitude.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville opens with strong floral and savory notes that are so typical of Coombsville. Cedar, pipe tobacco, dried herbs, mint, juniper berry and graphite are all beautifully delineated. This sensual, highly expressive Cabernet Sauvignon will drink well for another handful of years, maybe more.

Vinous (98)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville is a blend mostly from Meteor. A stunning wine, the 2019 possesses off the charts richness and tremendous depth that just builds with time in the glass. Inky dark fruit, plum, spice, licorice, menthol and crushed berries saturate the palate. The 2019 is one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Andy Erickson and Annie Favia. Don't miss it.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)

Intense and concentrated, showcasing the nuanced results of the Erikson's exceptionally intuitive approach to viticulture and winemaking. Layers of velvet tannins capturing the plump cassis and blueberry fruit and setting it against deep slabs of tapenade, graphite, crayon, cloves, tea and black chocolate. Hard to argue with, compelling and just rather delicious - a clear sign that cooler-climate Coombsville is a place to look for in the intense 2020 vintage. 50% new oak. Natural yeasts, low intervention, no filtering or fining.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

A wine that makes me so happy to be tasting, with nuance, depth of flavour, just a beautifully constructed glass of gunsmoke, sage, fennel, cut herbs, blackberry and raspberry fruits, muscular tannins that give grip without constriction. Andy Erikson and Annie Favia owners and winemakers. 50% new oak, unfiltered, unfined.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Next up, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a slightly broader, more expansive wine with textbook notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, Asian spices, loamy soil, camphor, and chocolate. Offering full-bodied richness, a beautiful weightlessness on the palate, and building tannins, this is another gorgeous, seamless, singular wine from this estate that will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 20-25 years or more.

Intricacies of viniculture are magnificently portrayed through the Fayat 2011. Cultivated in its namesake Chateau Fayat vineyard in Pomerol on Bordeaux's Right Bank, this blend exemplifies exceptional viticulture and craftsmanship. The fortuitous 2011 vintage delivered condition perfect for Bordeaux’s typical Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Fayat 2011 matured under meticulously controlled conditions, aged in French oak barrels for eighteen months to infuse it with quintessential flairs. Characterised by an exquisite bouquet of dark fruits and spices, followed by silky tannins and a lingering finish, this wine is emblematic of Pomerol's renowned elegance and depth.

Representing the inheritance of three generations, the Fayat family stays faithful to tradition while embracing innovative winemaking techniques. Their commitment to perfection is reflected in each bottle of Fayat 2011. Guided by their philosophy, the family augments the reputation of the historic Pomerol region with bottles that enchant aficionados worldwide.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (86)

The 2012 Fayat offers good immediacy, but lacks complexity and depth. I would prefer to drink the 2012 over the next few years, while the flavors remain bold and juicy, as there isn't much material here to allow for aging.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89-91)

The 2019 Fayat is a friendly, easygoing Pomerol. I would prefer to drink it on the young side, while the fruit retains its youthful juiciness. Inky blue fruit and sweet spice meld into the supple finish. The 2019 is not especially complex, but it is quite tasty. Best of all, it should drink well upon release.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2020 Fayat was the most promising vintage that I had encountered from barrel. Now in bottle, it certainly possesses an appealing nose: black cherries, boysenberry, black truffle all vying for attention. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine structure. It eases the brakes on towards the finish in order to retain refinement and freshness, completing yes, the best Fayat in many years.

Vinous (88-90)

The 2018 Beaune Champs Pimont 1er Cru is a new fermage for Felittig, courtesy of a 0.5-hectare parcel that was picked after the Chambolle-Musigny Village, and matured in 50% new oak. This comes across a little overpowering on the nose, although it does become more refined with aeration. Precocious blueberry, boysenberry and fig notes blossom in the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine definition and, being completely de-stemmed, has a silky sheen and very pure fruit. Blood orange and light peppery notes with a long tail on the finish. Promising.

Burghound (91-93)

A ripe and brooding nose offers up notes of both red and dark currant, raspberry and a really lovely array of floral elements. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is at once finer and more delineated though notably less concentrated and powerful while the lingering and equally firmly structured finish possesses a different texture as the 100% whole cluster vinification is more obvious. Good stuff here as well in a built-to-age style.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Carrières 1er Cru, which contains 100% whole bunch, has a vivacious bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, a light tobacco scent emerging with time, then pressed rose petals/white flowers. The palate is underpinned by fine tannins, taut and fresh with wonderful salinity and tension on the finish. Superb.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Les Carrières 1er Cru, which contains 100% whole bunch, has a vivacious bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, a light tobacco scent emerging with time, then pressed rose petals/white flowers. The palate is underpinned by fine tannins, taut and fresh with wonderful salinity and tension on the finish. Superb.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

One third whole bunch vinification. Fine rich mid purple. A beautiful nose with the floral attributes of the whole bunches, lifting the perfume. Svelte and suave, this is magical and has become silkier though there is still a firm limestone thread throughout. A lovely expression. Gilbert feels he has tamed the overt acidity of this vineyard. Drink from 2026-2032.