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Inventory updated: Wed, Sep 09, 2026 04:02 PM cst
2022 Ch. L' Evangile Pomerol
Vintage: 2022
Region: Bordeaux Red
Color/Type: Red
Size: 6x750ML
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs.
Tasting Notes:
JD 95-97 (5/2023): The Grand Vin checks in as 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new oak, 15% in amphora, 10% in foudre, and the rest in used barrels. It has another level of purity and class, with ripe red and black cherries, leafy herbs, truffle, and spice-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol offering beautiful tannins, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Hitting 14.2% alcohol, with a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 75, this classy, balanced Pomerol shines for its purity and finesse, and it should blossom with just short-term cellaring.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): Given the young average age of this estate's vineyards, its well-draining soils and the extreme vintage, I was a little apprehensive; but the technical team evidently took the conditions in their stride, harvesting the east-facing side of the vines (which sees the hottest afternoon sun) four days earlier. The resulting 2022 L'Evangile is beautiful, offering up aromas of raspberries, vine smoke, black truffles, violets and gravely soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, it's seamless and polished, with a bright core of fruit and powdery tannins that temper 2022's inherent sweetness of fruit to sophisticated effect. At this early stage, it appears that the estate's progress with regards to élevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruit—and this superb terroir—to take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
JA 95 (5/2023): Density combined with elegance, this has the intensity and spice of the vintage, with an emphasis on tight black fruits, a clear reflection of the phenolic concentration of the year, slow and steady tannic construction that brings in graphite. Unusually for L'Evangile this feels almost Left Bank in character, with its 28hl/h yield (compared to 33hl/h in 2020 but with almost 20% more berries this yeer, but they were such small sizes). 3.8ph 2nd year of organic certification.
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. L' Evangile |
1998 |
Pomerol (6x750ML) 
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,721.98 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 93 (8/2002): Full medium ruby. Fabulous nose combines black raspberry, sweet oak, bitter chocolate, truffle and mint, all lifted by a cool, slightly medicinal black cherry note of cabernet franc. Penetrating, pure, youthfully bound-up black fruit and licorice flavors. Densely packed and extremely backward. Finishes with very firm, oak-powered tannins. A superb, powerfully structured vintage for this wine, to drink between 2010 and 2025.
WA 92 (4/2001): A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 45% new oak, this terrific l'Evangile is stuffed with concentrated blackberry and raspberry fruit. There is also an acacia-like floral character that gives the wine even more complexity. Notes of toffee, licorice, and truffles add to the aromatic fireworks. The wine is full-bodied, with superb purity as well as moderate tannin in the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020+. |
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|
2005 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,451.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (3/2018): The classicism in this L'Evangile has always seduced me with its subtle brown sugar, black olive, cedar, black truffle and dark fruit. Full body yet tight and extremely polished. Very layered and fine-grain textured. A perfect example of Pomerol. Always a perfect wine. Just opening now.
WA 96 (6/2015): The 2005 L’Evangile’s gorgeous aromatics consist of spring flowers, black raspberries, licorice, truffle and graphite. The wine is full-bodied, rich, still youthful and backward, with sweet tannin and a long, layered, full-bodied mouthfeel. This stunner is capable of another two to three decades of longevity. The greatest L’Evangile since the 1982 and before the heroic duo of 2009 and 2010?
VM 94 (6/2008): Good deep red-ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, plum, minerals, truffle and smoked meat, complicated by torrefaction notes of coffee and chocolate; very ripe but not at all roasted. Enters sweet and silky, with an almost weightless impression, then saturates the palate with seamless flavors of dark berries, minerals and cocoa powder. Finishes long and fresh, with sophisticated, fine-grained tannins and piquant minerality. A beauty. Stephen Tanzer. |
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|
2005 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,210.98 |
1 |
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JS 100 (3/2018): The classicism in this L'Evangile has always seduced me with its subtle brown sugar, black olive, cedar, black truffle and dark fruit. Full body yet tight and extremely polished. Very layered and fine-grain textured. A perfect example of Pomerol. Always a perfect wine. Just opening now.
WA 96 (6/2015): The 2005 L’Evangile’s gorgeous aromatics consist of spring flowers, black raspberries, licorice, truffle and graphite. The wine is full-bodied, rich, still youthful and backward, with sweet tannin and a long, layered, full-bodied mouthfeel. This stunner is capable of another two to three decades of longevity. The greatest L’Evangile since the 1982 and before the heroic duo of 2009 and 2010?
VM 94 (6/2008): Good deep red-ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, plum, minerals, truffle and smoked meat, complicated by torrefaction notes of coffee and chocolate; very ripe but not at all roasted. Enters sweet and silky, with an almost weightless impression, then saturates the palate with seamless flavors of dark berries, minerals and cocoa powder. Finishes long and fresh, with sophisticated, fine-grained tannins and piquant minerality. A beauty. Stephen Tanzer. |
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|
2006 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,059.97 |
1 |
|
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|
2009 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,559.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (2/2012): An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made?
JS 99 (2/2012): A wine that impresses you, with its subtlety and strength. Every molecule of the tannins and fruit seems to be almost perfectly in line. Enticing dark fruits and milk chocolate. The delicate, yet intense flavors go on for minutes. My palate is so caressed. Such class here. Might end up being better than the perfect 2005. Try after 2020.
VM 94+ (7/2012): Deep inky-ruby. A fresh violet topnote lifts and complicates aromas of dark plum and cassis on the enticing nose. Quite pure in the mouth, with mineral-driven flavors of dark berries, creamy milk chocolate and smoky plum. Lively framing acidity extends the wine's flavors impressively through a long finish. This has lost some baby fat but picked up more gracefulness since I tried it in the spring of 2010. |
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2013 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,630.99 |
1 |
|
| |
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|
2017 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,074.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 96 (2/2020): Production was down 40% at Chateau L’Evangile due to the frost. The 2017 Chateau L'Evangile is 100% Merlot, and 2017 is the first time this cuvee has not included some other variety. Aged 16 months in 75% new barrels, it's a ripe, powerful L'Evangile loaded with chocolate-laced black fruits, mocha, toasted spice, and subtle oak. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has plenty of oomph and power, yet stays flawlessly balanced and even elegant. It’s a stunning example from the vintage that’s going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. |
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|
2020 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$972.99 |
7 |
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WA 96-98+ (5/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 L'Evangile rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of mulberries, black raspberries and stewed red and black plums, plus suggestions of Indian spices, dusty soil and violets with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses compelling freshness and a fine-grained texture to support the muscular black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy. This 2020 blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc has an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.8.
VM 95-97 (5/2021): The 2020 L'evangile is fabulous. Aromatic, deep and fleshy, with magnificent purity of fruit, L'evangile dazzles right out of the gate. Bright Franc aromatics add striking lift as well as vibrancy that carries through to the long, delineated finish. There is an energy to the 2020 that is palpable. Harvest for the Merlot began on September 3, ahead of a heat wave that was forecast, and wrapped up on the 14th for the Merlot and the 21st for the Franc. That approach worked so well here. In the past, L'evangile and Lafite-Rothschild were very different stylistically, but that seems to be changing now that Saskia de Rothschild is spending a great deal of her time in Pomerol with the new winemaking team. The estate, certified biodynamic as of 2021, has been pursuing a more refined approach for a few years, but 2020 is the first recent vintage where the personality of the year seems to have aligned especially well with the current thinking here. The 2020 L'evangile is easily the most Lafite-like L'evangile I have ever tasted. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
JD 95-97+ (5/2021): Described as a new age for l’Evangile by the estate, their 2020 Château L'Evangile showed beautifully, with the pure, elegant yet still ripe, beautifully concentrated style of the estate these days. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, black cherries, blueberries, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of purity, present, ripe yet firm tannins, and a great finish. It's a promising, elegant yet at the same time powerful 2020 that's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years or more. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new French oak.
JS 98-99 (4/2021): This is so floral and pure, showing crushed-grape character with some walnut and crunchy seeds. It’s full-bodied, juicy and fresh. Purity of fruit. Juicy and long. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. |
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|
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,299.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 95-97 (5/2023): The Grand Vin checks in as 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new oak, 15% in amphora, 10% in foudre, and the rest in used barrels. It has another level of purity and class, with ripe red and black cherries, leafy herbs, truffle, and spice-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol offering beautiful tannins, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Hitting 14.2% alcohol, with a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 75, this classy, balanced Pomerol shines for its purity and finesse, and it should blossom with just short-term cellaring.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): Given the young average age of this estate's vineyards, its well-draining soils and the extreme vintage, I was a little apprehensive; but the technical team evidently took the conditions in their stride, harvesting the east-facing side of the vines (which sees the hottest afternoon sun) four days earlier. The resulting 2022 L'Evangile is beautiful, offering up aromas of raspberries, vine smoke, black truffles, violets and gravely soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, it's seamless and polished, with a bright core of fruit and powdery tannins that temper 2022's inherent sweetness of fruit to sophisticated effect. At this early stage, it appears that the estate's progress with regards to élevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruit—and this superb terroir—to take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
JA 95 (5/2023): Density combined with elegance, this has the intensity and spice of the vintage, with an emphasis on tight black fruits, a clear reflection of the phenolic concentration of the year, slow and steady tannic construction that brings in graphite. Unusually for L'Evangile this feels almost Left Bank in character, with its 28hl/h yield (compared to 33hl/h in 2020 but with almost 20% more berries this yeer, but they were such small sizes). 3.8ph 2nd year of organic certification. |
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|
2023 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,075.99 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 93-95+ (4/2024): Coming on board in 2020, winemaker and technical director Juliette Couderc continues to fine-tune this estate, and the style is unquestionably more refined and precise today compared to releases just 10-15 years ago, all without losing the inherent seamless, elegant, yet textured L'Evangile style. Based on 78% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and the final 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Château L'Evangile comes from healthy yields of 42 hectoliters per hectare and is resting in roughly 50% new French oak, with a portion in foudre and amphora. Gorgeous black cherries, blackberries, spicy oak, graphite, and hints of tobacco all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and velvety tannins. This is a classy, aristocratic, yet ripe and textured l’Evangile that should benefit from just 4-6 years of bottle age.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 L'Évangile was picked from September 4 to 28 at 42hL/ha, which is the highest for many years. Matured in 50% new oak (including 15 foudres) and 8% in amphoras (my sample only from used barrels), this has a very floral and precise bouquet with dark red fruit, blueberry, hints of blood orange and light scents. It's very L'Evangile. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Crisp and precise, there’s fine tension toward the finish with a lingering black pepper note. This is a lovely L'Évangile that deserves five or six years in bottle. It will be worth the wait. Neal Martin.
WA 93-95 (4/2024): Wafting from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries, spices, licorice and petals, framed by a sweet patina of new oak, the 2023 L'Evangile is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a textural attack that segues into a supple, integrated core that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins. It's a blend of 78% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, checking in at 13.5% alcohol, that was harvested between September 4 and 28.
JA 96 (4/2024): A fascinating exercise in terroir, as this shows the same alcohol as the Blason, but the density, fruit character and even the IPT (tannin) count are very different. You see the impact of clay soils in the building of the powerful architecture and the plush damson and black cherry fruits. There is density but tenderness to the tannins, with grilled caramel that gives a beautiful Pomerol signature. Violet floral edging arrives towards the finish, as things open up, and this is an impressive L'Evangile that can age with ease. 42hl/h yield, a record in recent years here. Certified organic since 2021. Great stuff from technical director Juliette Couderc. |
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| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Angelus |
2022 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$993.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96-98 (5/2023): This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Angélus is racy and super-expressive right out of the gate. These days a more restrained style has become the norm at Angélus, and yet there is plenty of mid-palate pliancy and overall richness. As good as this is, the most impressive 2022s I tasted at Angélus were straight out of barrel, which makes me think the Grand Vin could perhaps be at another level with a bit more selection. Even so, the 2022 is quite alluring. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angélus is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that will spend 22 months in new French oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc aged in foudre. This estate doesn't put a foot wrong, and this is clearly a profound Angélus with a deep purple, almost blue hue, extraordinary notes of cassis, blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a dense, concentrated mid-palate, all of which is grounded by a vibrant sense of freshness and purity. While older vintages were more closed and backward on release, this has a certain accessibility given its balance and purity, and I suspect it will offer incredible pleasure right out of the gate. It will evolve for 40+ years as well. |
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|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,704.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96-98 (5/2023): This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Angélus is racy and super-expressive right out of the gate. These days a more restrained style has become the norm at Angélus, and yet there is plenty of mid-palate pliancy and overall richness. As good as this is, the most impressive 2022s I tasted at Angélus were straight out of barrel, which makes me think the Grand Vin could perhaps be at another level with a bit more selection. Even so, the 2022 is quite alluring. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angélus is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that will spend 22 months in new French oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc aged in foudre. This estate doesn't put a foot wrong, and this is clearly a profound Angélus with a deep purple, almost blue hue, extraordinary notes of cassis, blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a dense, concentrated mid-palate, all of which is grounded by a vibrant sense of freshness and purity. While older vintages were more closed and backward on release, this has a certain accessibility given its balance and purity, and I suspect it will offer incredible pleasure right out of the gate. It will evolve for 40+ years as well. |
|
| Chapelle d' Ausone |
2022 |
St. Emilion 2023 en Primeur Release |
$199 |
9 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (5/2023): Cassis, red plums, graphite, chalky minerality, violet notes, and a hint of espresso all emerge from the 2022 Chapelle D'Ausone, which is based on 60% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. With a vivid purple hue, medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish, it's one hell of a second wine that will probably have 20-25 years of longevity.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Chapelle d’Ausone is a powerful but also embryonic wine. Here, too, the wine’s balance is impeccable. Super-ripe red cherry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal all meld together. Chapelle is a powerhouse second wine, if that term can even be used. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93+ (5/2023): A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Chapelle d'Ausone offers up aromas of cherries, raspberries and rose petals mingled with subtle hints of incense. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's taut and youthfully firm, concluding with a mineral finish.
JA 95 (5/2023): An impressive Chapelle that opens with a wave of opulence, rich and confident in its construction. Majors on tobacco, cigar box, liqourice, chocolate, creamy damson, black cherry puree, velvety tannins. Incredible to think that this character can be teased out of pure limestone soils, but their fingerprint, with a welcome edge of salty cracker, comes in on the finish. Takes the character of the vintage and leans right in to it. Highly accomplished. 3.5ph, 100% new oak. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. |
|
| Ch. Ausone |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,916.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): The Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.
VM 95-97+ (5/2023): The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn't help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol. Neal Martin
WA 94-96+ (5/2023): A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.
JA 98-100 (5/2023): Intense and concentrated, with fennel, aniseed and liqourice root. Where Chapelle d'Ausone celebrates a wave of opulence in the vintage, this focuses more clearly on black tea, slate, intense black chocolate. Precise and well cut, this is creamy and exuberant without sacrificing elegance and balance. Amazing depths of flavour and grip. A true En Primeur sample where you know you are a long long way from this being ready to drink. The first year, incidentally, of not Premier Grand Cru Classé A, although the ranking has not been featured on the label since 2012. No irrigation at Ausone. 100% new oak. Harvest September 5 to 27. 7.25ha. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. Potential 100. |
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| Ch. Batailley |
2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$602.97 |
1 |
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| |
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| Ch. Beau-Sejour Becot |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$626.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot is a total stunner. What a wine! The 2022 was magnificent en primeur, and it is all that from bottle. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, new leather and cedar meld into a core of pliant red-toned fruit. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's precision and finesse. I have never tasted a Beau-Séjour Bécot like this. Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (2/2025): Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is flat-out sensational, as well as the finest wine I’ve tasted from this château. Powerful aromatics of red, blue, and black fruits as well as crushed stone and violets define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins. Based on 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this heavenly Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 3-5 years of bottle age and have 30 years or more of overall longevity. Back up the truck.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of sweet wild berries mingled with rose petals, orange zest, violets, gentian and espresso roast, it's full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of cool, layered fruit, beautifully vibrant flavors and polished structuring tannins, concluding with a saline finish. As I wrote when I tasted it from barrel, this is a Saint-Émilion of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out.
JA 96 (4/2023): This has double the amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend as of this year after vineyard restructuring, and the chalkiness of the limestone helps underline the curling peony and violet floral character on the opening beats, balancing the intensity of the vintage. Plenty of blueberry and damson fruit, with bitter cocoa bean and coffee, saffran and smoked dried herbs. Highly successful. No irrigation, instead used cover crops, and reduced the height of the canopy by 15cm to limit the transevaporation. Cold maceration for 10-15 days, 55% new oak, 30% oak casks, and amphoras. Jean de Cournuaud technical director. 33hl/h yield after frost impact, harvest September 5 to 23. The new cellar will be ready for the end of August for the 2023 vintage. |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$702.98 |
1 |
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VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot is a total stunner. What a wine! The 2022 was magnificent en primeur, and it is all that from bottle. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, new leather and cedar meld into a core of pliant red-toned fruit. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's precision and finesse. I have never tasted a Beau-Séjour Bécot like this. Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (2/2025): Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is flat-out sensational, as well as the finest wine I’ve tasted from this château. Powerful aromatics of red, blue, and black fruits as well as crushed stone and violets define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins. Based on 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this heavenly Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 3-5 years of bottle age and have 30 years or more of overall longevity. Back up the truck.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of sweet wild berries mingled with rose petals, orange zest, violets, gentian and espresso roast, it's full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of cool, layered fruit, beautifully vibrant flavors and polished structuring tannins, concluding with a saline finish. As I wrote when I tasted it from barrel, this is a Saint-Émilion of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out.
JA 96 (4/2023): This has double the amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend as of this year after vineyard restructuring, and the chalkiness of the limestone helps underline the curling peony and violet floral character on the opening beats, balancing the intensity of the vintage. Plenty of blueberry and damson fruit, with bitter cocoa bean and coffee, saffran and smoked dried herbs. Highly successful. No irrigation, instead used cover crops, and reduced the height of the canopy by 15cm to limit the transevaporation. Cold maceration for 10-15 days, 55% new oak, 30% oak casks, and amphoras. Jean de Cournuaud technical director. 33hl/h yield after frost impact, harvest September 5 to 23. The new cellar will be ready for the end of August for the 2023 vintage. |
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| Ch. Beaumont |
2022 |
Haut-Medoc (24x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$356.98 |
36 |
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| |
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| Ch. Bellegrave |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$348.99 |
21 |
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| |
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| Ch. Beychevelle |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.99 |
8 |
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WA 92-94 (5/2023): Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and licorice, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Beychevelle is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by rich, unusually suave and polished tannins in the context of recent vintages at this address. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.85, quite typical for this address.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Beychevelle is fabulous. In most recent vintages Beychevelle has been a flamboyant, extravagant Saint-Julien, but in 2022 is its surprisingly vibrant and fresh, almost shockingly so. Ripe red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, rose petal and spice are all beautifully delineated. More than anything, I admire the wine’s freshness and drive, qualities that have not often been present in recent vintages. That makes the 2022 one of my favorite recent vintages here. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 95-97+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.
JA 93 (5/2023): Silky and supple fruit and texture, this is impressive, with carefully built architecture, and clear ageing potential. Conveys the creamy ripe fruits of the vintage but sets them in a serious tannic frame, with bitter chocolate and slate character. Heat climbs on the finish, but the St Julien fresh mint leaf signoff comes in to keep things balanced. 36hl/h yield, 60% new oak. |
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| Ch. Le Bon Pasteur |
2022 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$904.99 |
3 |
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JD 93-95 (5/2023): Showing beautifully, the 2022 Château Bon Pasteur offers up a ripe, sexy, medium to full-bodied style as well as classic Pomerol notes of red and black fruits, leafy herbs, chocolate, and spice. It has good mid-palate depth, building, ripe tannins, and the powerful, concentrated style of the vintage. It's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age, but it's a terrific wine in the making that's going to rival the 2018, 2019, and 2020. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that will spend 15 months in 70% new oak.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Le Bon Pasteur is another impressive wine in a string of recent releases from the château. Bright, vibrant and beautifully perfumed, Le Bon Pasteur is very nicely done. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and cinnamon lend notable brilliance. This mid-weight, juicy Pomerol is a charmer. Moving away from the heavily extracted style of the past is paying off for Le Bon Pasteur. There's still plenty of richness but far more harmonious balance than in some vintages in the not-too-distant past. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JA 89 (5/2023): Plenty of deep damson and black cherry fruits here, well controlled, followed up by coffee bean and cocoa powder. Pomegrantes and pink grapefruit add juice through the mid palate, but the heat builds, throwing things off course by the finish. 70% new oak. |
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| Ch. Le Boscq |
2022 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$302.99 |
10 |
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VM 90-93 (5/2023): The 2022 Le Boscq is super-concentrated and yet also vibrant. Dark red/purplish fruit, cigar box, lavender, rose petal, licorice and pomegranate infuse the 2022 with notable depth. Yields were just 25 hectoliters per hectare after hail in June reduced the potential crop dramatically. This has real potential. Antonio Galloni.
JD 92-94+ (5/2023): An absolutely stunning Saint-Estèphe, the 2022 Château Le Boscq offers thrilling levels of plum and cassis fruits that slowly give way to more gravelly earth, licorice, and violet notes with air. Full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, with remarkable purity of fruit, this is a seriously good 2022 that will need 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for decades. If it shows this well from bottle, it will easily be the finest wine I've tasted from this château. |
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| Ch. Brane-Cantenac |
2022 |
Margaux (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$361.98 |
25 |
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JD 96-98 (5/2023): I was absolutely blown away by the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac, which looks to be a reference point vintage for this château. Based on 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and Petit Verdot, it sports a deep purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, lead pencil, sandalwood, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its purity of fruit, has ultra-fine tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. It hit 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, and like many estates today, they utilized quite a bit of press wine (15%) in the final blend. This is clearly up with the finest wines from the appellation and is well worth seeking out.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Brane-Cantenac, as usual, is a wine that you must sit and contemplate before words gush forth. It was picked from 7 September to 10 October (their tiny plot of Carmenère) at 31.5hL/ha and contains 16% vin de presse from the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is well-defined and fresh, a very subtle Margaux, precise with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and tobacco scents. As previous vintages have proven, there's a kind of "hidden depth" that will become apparent post-bottling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very elegant and unashamedly classic in style. This is blessed with haunting poise, composed and detailed on the finish. This Margaux is not a show stopper, which in any case, is not really Henri Lurton/Brane Cantenac’s signature style. Instead, it is a wine that 15 to 20 years down the road, you are going to treasure. Antonio Galloni.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, crème de cassis, black truffles, loamy soil, burning embers and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit, terrific concentration and lively acids, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific 2022 that may rival or even surpass the 2019 if it realizes all its potential in bottle.
JA 98 (5/2023): Easily one of the best wines of the appellation. Red rose petal fragrance, damp earth, rosemary, baking spice, sandalwood, incense, graphite and slate. Exceptional balance, deep chocolate and mint character, with lush damson and cassis fruits. Crushed violet flowers and salted cracker salinity, extremely impressive. Owner Henri Lurton has experience of making wine overseas, in Baja California, which may have given insights into viticultural techniques n the heat, but the real key here is the old vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the 1950s and 1960s by his late father Lucien Lurton. 100% new oak, from 8 coopers, and the meticulous approach to oak ageing care of technical director Christophe Capdeville is also important. 42% of production in the 1st wine. All the young vines, even when co-planted in the same rows were picked separately also this year. |
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| Ch. Calon-Segur |
2022 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$783.99 |
1 |
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JD 97-99 (5/2023): A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Neal Martin.
WA 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."
JA 94 (5/2023): This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. |
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2022 |
St. Estephe (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,343.97 |
1 |
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JD 97-99 (5/2023): A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Neal Martin.
WA 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."
JA 94 (5/2023): This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. |
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| Ch. Canon |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$948.99 |
1 |
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JD 97-99+ (5/2023): Tasted on three separate occasions (and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine on one of those), the 2022 Château Canon is an incredible wine in the making, and it might be the finest in the series starting in 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc harvested between August 30 and September 22, it comes from yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare and hit 14.5% alcohol. The élevage will run 16-18 months in just 30% new French oak. As classy as they come, it has a beautiful perfume of red and blue fruits as well as notes of white flowers, truffly earth, woodsmoke, and forest floor. With incredible density, a multi-layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and integrated acidity, this incredible Canon will evolve for 30-40 years. I finished my rough note on this with "Pure class."
VM 96-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Canon is elegant and sensual, with virtually no sensation of tannin. A wine with no beginning and end, Canon is totally seamless. All the Canon signatures are there, but woven together in an effortless, gracious expression of this site. It's the sort of wine that is about subtlety and nuance more than power. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice caress the palate, but ultimately, Canon is above all else a wine of exquisite detail. Haute couture. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 99-100 (5/2023): From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age.
JA 98 (5/2023): The inky intensity of the colour might make you worry that the limestone signature will be swamped, but it is very much guiding proceedings on the palate here. Expect waves of red roses, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, salinity, but also real intensity, there is a depth and complexity that quite stunning as the wine expands through the palate, with creamy blue and black fruits, and a mouthwatering oyster shell finish. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, 50% new oak, with four larger-sized oak casks. A standout in the vintage, more proof of the exceptional level that Canon is playing at right now. 50% new oak. |
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| Ch. Canon La Gaffeliere |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$557.97 |
1 |
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JD 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is brilliant stuff and should be snatched up by readers. Black cherries, iron, tapenade, and exotic floral notes all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and no shortage of mid-palate depth or length on the finish. A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that will see 40% new oak, it's a flawlessly balanced, incredibly impressive Saint-Emilion that will have no problems competing with the 2019 and 2020.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Canon La Gaffelière is bright, punchy and full of character. Blood orange, rose petal and spice overtones brighten a core of red/purplish fruit in Saint-Émilion that impresses with its saline intensity, energy and focus. If tasting this blind, I would never say it is a wine from a warm, drought year. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 retains its youthful vibrancy through élevage. This is super promising. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Canon la Gaffelière exhibits aromas of raspberries and plums, complemented by notions of iris, rose petals, incense and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's supple, suave and sophisticated, with a lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish.
JA 94 (5/2023): Intense blackberry, raspberry, loganberry fruit chracter, love that this is ripe but not overly sweet, has confident sinewy and muscular tannins, well balanced by a ton of fresh fruit with juice and character. Great stuff, with waves of fragrant floral aromatics, and plenty of nuanced personality. Ludovic Neipperg technical director and owner. 47hl/h yield, certified organic since 2014. 40% new oak. |
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| Le C des Carmes Haut Brion |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$44.95 |
60 |
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WA 94 (3/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is punching above its weight this year. Unfurling in the glass with a gourmand, lively and vibrant bouquet of raspberry, mulberries, rose, violet and cassis, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered with refined, velvety tannins and a deep core of fruit, concluding with a harmonious, elegant profile that avoids any excess, enhancing its distinctive personality. Guillaume Pouthier, Guillaume Deschepper and their team have done a fantastic job at this address, delivering an exceptional wine.
JD 94 (2/2025): The 2022 C Des Carmes Haut-Brion is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest 1% Petit Verdot that was fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged 12 months in a new foudre (there's a small part in used barrels) followed by four months all in concrete tanks. There are fewer stems in this cuvée as the vines are younger, and it has a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a spicy, peppery, complex perfume of darker berry and plum fruits, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and a beautiful sense of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant, and loaded with character, it's a singular Pessac-Léognan that will have two decades of longevity. (Drink between 2025-2045).
VM 92 (2/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) from gravelly soils, will be kept for one year in bottle before release. It has 13.3% alcohol, reduced by the 30% whole cluster contribution with infusion rather than maceration, using a coffee plunger concept to push down the cap in the vat. It aged for one year in barrel and one year on foudres. The nose presents blackberry, clove and curry leaf aromas, with a touch more mint than before. The medium-bodied palate has slightly chalky tannins and is fresh thanks to the whole bunch contribution. Quite linear and a little Syrah-like towards the finish, this lovely wine will age well over the next 12 to 20 years. (Drink between 2028-2048). Neal Martin. |
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| Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$974.98 |
4 |
|
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VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints as to what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent.
WA 100 (3/2025): The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament.
JD 98+ (2/2025): The 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You'd be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine.
JA 96 (5/2023): This is a truly delicious Pessac Léognan that shows just how much Carmes Haut-Brion sets itself apart, showing grip and stretching out through the palate. Don't expect the same character as you are going to find elsewhere in this vintage. Fragrant aromatics, roses, violets, crushed rocks, fennel, aniseed, with texture and tannic heft. Fresh dark fruits, edges of bitter Bendick mints, smoked caramel, slate. 70% whole bunch, no irrigation, cover crops intead on the clay limestone soils (when picked the grapes were at 14.4%, came down to 13.5% after vinification with use of stems and specific yeast). 40hl/h yields, 70% new oak, 3.6ph. |
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2022 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,948.98 |
3 |
|
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VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints as to what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent.
WA 100 (3/2025): The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament.
JD 98+ (2/2025): The 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You'd be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine.
JA 96 (5/2023): This is a truly delicious Pessac Léognan that shows just how much Carmes Haut-Brion sets itself apart, showing grip and stretching out through the palate. Don't expect the same character as you are going to find elsewhere in this vintage. Fragrant aromatics, roses, violets, crushed rocks, fennel, aniseed, with texture and tannic heft. Fresh dark fruits, edges of bitter Bendick mints, smoked caramel, slate. 70% whole bunch, no irrigation, cover crops intead on the clay limestone soils (when picked the grapes were at 14.4%, came down to 13.5% after vinification with use of stems and specific yeast). 40hl/h yields, 70% new oak, 3.6ph. |
|
| Carruades de Lafite |
2022 |
Pauillac (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,092.98 |
10 |
|
| |
JD 93-95 (5/2023): The second wine of Lafite checks in as 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. This smoking good second wine has more than a little Lafite character and offers ample red and black fruits, notes of tobacco, graphite, and leafy herbs, medium to full-bodied richness, silky, polished tannins, and a great finish. As with the Grand Vin, it's concentrated, powerful, and flawlessly balanced.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a real showstopper. I don’t remember tasting a Carruades quite like the 2022, a wine that combines the richness of the year with tons of supporting structure. Super-ripe red-fleshed fruit, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and rose petal all race across the palate, supported by bright citrus-driven acids that keep the flavors vibrant. I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): Aromas of sweet cherries and berries mingled with hints of cedar box, loamy soil, warm spices, violets and orange zest introduce the 2022 Carruades de Lafite, a medium to full-bodied, bright and velvety blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
JA 93 (5/2023): The vintage is marked by intense spice, with cassis, chocolate, mandarin, greengage, dense tannic architecture, with welome mint leaf and raspberry pip freshness on the finish. Need to sit with this, allow the floral aromatics to uncurl, bitter edge on the finish. A serious, almost sombre Carruades at this point, will reward ageing. 16% press wine, 38% Carruades of overall production. |
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| Ch. Cheval-Blanc |
2022 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,630.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
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|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,588.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
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|
2022 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,008.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
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| Domaine de Chevalier |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,134.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier delivers aromas of minty dark berries, cherries and ripe plums mingled with hints of licorice, coniferous forest and spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and layered, textured and elegant, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, long finish. Olivier Bernard and his team have crafted an outstanding wine that will bear a special label commemorating his 40th vinification at this Péssac-Léognan reference point.
JA 96 (5/2023): Showing how it's done in 2022, Domaine de Chevalier comes in strong with a deep ruby red colour, a vibrant rim, smoked oak on the nose, edges of tar, red roses, liquorice root, and a confident delivery of full-on tannic architecture that frames the cassis and bilberry fruit. Delivers vintage signature in a carefully controlled way, with enough slate, pummice stone, mint and eucalyptus to balance things out and slow down delivery. The fruits are fully ripe, heading towards baked plum and fig, but met step by step with a corresponding cooling flavour. 40th harvest of Olivier Bernard (meaning a special label). |
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|
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$542.99 |
17 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier delivers aromas of minty dark berries, cherries and ripe plums mingled with hints of licorice, coniferous forest and spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and layered, textured and elegant, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, long finish. Olivier Bernard and his team have crafted an outstanding wine that will bear a special label commemorating his 40th vinification at this Péssac-Léognan reference point.
JA 96 (5/2023): Showing how it's done in 2022, Domaine de Chevalier comes in strong with a deep ruby red colour, a vibrant rim, smoked oak on the nose, edges of tar, red roses, liquorice root, and a confident delivery of full-on tannic architecture that frames the cassis and bilberry fruit. Delivers vintage signature in a carefully controlled way, with enough slate, pummice stone, mint and eucalyptus to balance things out and slow down delivery. The fruits are fully ripe, heading towards baked plum and fig, but met step by step with a corresponding cooling flavour. 40th harvest of Olivier Bernard (meaning a special label). |
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| Clos du Clocher |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$521.98 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Conseillante |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,113.99 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): A wine that has perfection written all over it is the 2022 Chateau La Conseillante, which is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that’s still resting in 70% new French oak, with a tiny amount in amphora as well. Revealing a vivid purple hue, it offers a perfumed yet incredibly classy, almost discreet bouquet of crème de cassis, spring flowers, red plums, incense, and spice. This terroir never seems to yield the biggest, richest wine in a vintage, yet it's almost unrivaled in its ability to deliver complexity and elegance. Full-bodied on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again, a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts, it's going to offer pleasure with just 4-6 years of bottle age (these usually enter their prime drinking window a decade after a vintage) and have 30-40 years of prime drinking. The 2022 hit 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.65.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 La Conseillante is simply fabulous and also clearly one of the wines of the year. Rich, racy and enveloping to the core, the 2022 is super-impressive in this tasting. In fact, the 2022 is one of the best recent vintages I can remember tasting. All the elements are so well balanced for a young wine. Readers will find a Pomerol of stature and total class. That’s all there is to it. The blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare, about normal these days. For readers who appreciate technical data, the balance of 14% alcohol and 3.66pH is an example of what makes the best wines of 2022 so compelling. This is a superb showing from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team. Antonio Galloni.
WA 97-100 (5/2023): The 2022 La Conseillante is a remarkable wine that has the potential to emerge as one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, it unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, orange zest and mint. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's velvety and enveloping, with a textural attack that segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Checking in at a very healthy pH of 3.65 and 14% alcohol, it is a beautifully supple, suave wine that retains all this estate's signature elegance but in a slightly deeper-pitched and broader-shouldered format than the profound 2020. Congratulations to winemaker Marielle Cazaux, consulting enologist Thomas Duclos, the Nicolas family led by Jean-Valmy, and all the team at La Conseillante who have firmly established this estate at the very top of Pomerol's qualitative hierarchy in recent vintages.
JA 97 (5/2023): Deep inky colour, crushed rose petal and peony, such a beautiful wine, with waves of blueberry and cassis fruit, along with liqourice root, lemongrass, slate and saffran, and one of the clear standout successes of Pomerol. 95% 1st wine this year, with just 5% for Duo de La Conseillante. Slow progress through the palate, this has vintage character but leans into it. 70% new oak, 3.65ph. Harvest 5 to 20. |
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|
2022 |
Pomerol (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,237.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): A wine that has perfection written all over it is the 2022 Chateau La Conseillante, which is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that’s still resting in 70% new French oak, with a tiny amount in amphora as well. Revealing a vivid purple hue, it offers a perfumed yet incredibly classy, almost discreet bouquet of crème de cassis, spring flowers, red plums, incense, and spice. This terroir never seems to yield the biggest, richest wine in a vintage, yet it's almost unrivaled in its ability to deliver complexity and elegance. Full-bodied on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again, a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts, it's going to offer pleasure with just 4-6 years of bottle age (these usually enter their prime drinking window a decade after a vintage) and have 30-40 years of prime drinking. The 2022 hit 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.65.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 La Conseillante is simply fabulous and also clearly one of the wines of the year. Rich, racy and enveloping to the core, the 2022 is super-impressive in this tasting. In fact, the 2022 is one of the best recent vintages I can remember tasting. All the elements are so well balanced for a young wine. Readers will find a Pomerol of stature and total class. That’s all there is to it. The blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare, about normal these days. For readers who appreciate technical data, the balance of 14% alcohol and 3.66pH is an example of what makes the best wines of 2022 so compelling. This is a superb showing from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team. Antonio Galloni.
WA 97-100 (5/2023): The 2022 La Conseillante is a remarkable wine that has the potential to emerge as one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, it unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, orange zest and mint. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's velvety and enveloping, with a textural attack that segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Checking in at a very healthy pH of 3.65 and 14% alcohol, it is a beautifully supple, suave wine that retains all this estate's signature elegance but in a slightly deeper-pitched and broader-shouldered format than the profound 2020. Congratulations to winemaker Marielle Cazaux, consulting enologist Thomas Duclos, the Nicolas family led by Jean-Valmy, and all the team at La Conseillante who have firmly established this estate at the very top of Pomerol's qualitative hierarchy in recent vintages.
JA 97 (5/2023): Deep inky colour, crushed rose petal and peony, such a beautiful wine, with waves of blueberry and cassis fruit, along with liqourice root, lemongrass, slate and saffran, and one of the clear standout successes of Pomerol. 95% 1st wine this year, with just 5% for Duo de La Conseillante. Slow progress through the palate, this has vintage character but leans into it. 70% new oak, 3.65ph. Harvest 5 to 20. |
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| Ch. Croix de Labrie |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$544.99 |
2 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Dassault |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$277.99 |
7 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Deyrem Valentin |
2022 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$264.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Le Dome |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,093.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,522.99 |
1 |
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| |
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Moving to the Grand Vin, it's a slightly more Merlot-influenced blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, raised in new barrels. It brings the same level of concentration and structure as the La Croix but has another level of class, elegance, and purity, with sensational aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, sandalwood, and graphite. The purity here is truly remarkable, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, silky tannins, and a great finish. This beauty hit 14% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.8 and an IPT of 95. Given its balance as well as its texture, it's going to offer pleasure with just short-term cellaring yet also evolve for decades.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is elegant and nuanced. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, blood orange, mint and spice give the 2022 unusual brilliance. In most recent vintages, Ducru has been on the opulent side. The 2022, on the other hand, is strict and linear in construction, a wine that is more about persistence than size. Bright saline underpinnings extend the mid-palate into the striking, beaming finish. Harvest took place over four weeks, the longest ever, as opposed to the two weeks or so that is the norm. Yields were 30hL per hectare, down from the 35-37 typical in recent years. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): One of the Médoc's most powerful wines this year is the 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that opens in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with pencils shavings, vanilla pod and spices. Full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular, with a core of ripe but lively fruit underpinned by a chassis of powdery, liberally extracted tannin that asserts itself on the finish, it's a punchy, modern Saint-Julien reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2018 and 2020.
JA 98 (5/2023): Deep damson colour, poised and intense, a serious wine with crushed mint, graphite and bitter black chocolate on the opening beats, setting the tone for a slow reveal of confident St Julien character. Powerful tannins convey purity and precision, set against creamy cassis and bilberry fruits, with softer smoked earth and baked spice, and a slate finish. The construction is careful and measured, extremely impressive, this is has decades ahead. 3.8ph, 95IPT. 100% new oak. 30hl/h yield. |
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| Ch. Durfort Vivens |
2022 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$410.99 |
14 |
|
| |
|
| Clos l' Eglise |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$643.99 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (5/2023): From an incredible terroir in the heart of Pomerol (just across the street from L'Eglise Clinet), the 2022 Clos L'Eglise includes slightly less Merlot than usual and is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It has a ripe, sexy, full-bodied profile as well ample red, blue, and black fruits, notes of graphite, chalky minerality, and chocolate, ripe, velvety tannins, terrific purity, and a great finish. This classic, opulent, sexy Pomerol is going to drink nicely with just a few years of bottle age yet should evolve for two decades.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Clos L’Eglise is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, which is a bit more Franc than in the past. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, flowers, mint and blood orange are all laced together in a vibrant, sumptuous Pomerol that delivers the goods. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, berries, spices and new oak, the 2022 Clos l'Eglise is medium to full-bodied, broad and layered, with a velvety attack that segues into a vibrant, rather structured mid-palate, concluding with youthfully firm tannins. Incorporating fully 30% Cabernet Franc this year, this is a strong effort, albeit a touch on the liberally extracted side for such a concentrated vintage.
JA 93 (5/2023): Concentrated, quick build up of tannins through the palate, clear complexity and nuance, this is an enjoyable wine with the Pomerol magic of being approachable soon and yet with the sructure to age for decades. Black truffle, cocoa bean, damson, cassis. A 4.37ha estate on the north part of the plateau, owned by Hélène Garcin-Lévêque since 1997. 3.75ph. |
|
| Le Petite Eglise |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$466.97 |
9 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. L' Eglise Clinet |
2022 |
Pomerol 2023 en Primeur Release |
$349.95 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): Straight-up gorgeous, I'd put the 2022 Château L'Eglise-Clinet up with the top tier Pomerol in the vintage, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass the 2020 as well. Ripe black cherries, violets, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Compared to the 2005 by owner Noëmie Durantou (who has done an incredible job taking over the estate after the loss of her father), this rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pomerol is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years in cold cellars.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin.
JA 98 (5/2023): Turns the intensity and exoticism of the vintage on its head, unpacking it carefully, and layering up depth and character. Grilled cedar, fleshy damson and casis fruits, this is all about carefully-considered and delivered juice and flavour. Intense, with balance and carefully-extracted juice, and the precision that you want at L'Eglise Clinet, even in such an ovewheming vintage. 85% new oak, harvest September 3 to 9. Noemie Durantou and Olivier Gautrat. |
|
|
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,155.99 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): Straight-up gorgeous, I'd put the 2022 Château L'Eglise-Clinet up with the top tier Pomerol in the vintage, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass the 2020 as well. Ripe black cherries, violets, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Compared to the 2005 by owner Noëmie Durantou (who has done an incredible job taking over the estate after the loss of her father), this rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pomerol is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years in cold cellars.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin.
JA 98 (5/2023): Turns the intensity and exoticism of the vintage on its head, unpacking it carefully, and layering up depth and character. Grilled cedar, fleshy damson and casis fruits, this is all about carefully-considered and delivered juice and flavour. Intense, with balance and carefully-extracted juice, and the precision that you want at L'Eglise Clinet, even in such an ovewheming vintage. 85% new oak, harvest September 3 to 9. Noemie Durantou and Olivier Gautrat. |
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|
2022 |
Pomerol (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,438.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): Straight-up gorgeous, I'd put the 2022 Château L'Eglise-Clinet up with the top tier Pomerol in the vintage, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass the 2020 as well. Ripe black cherries, violets, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Compared to the 2005 by owner Noëmie Durantou (who has done an incredible job taking over the estate after the loss of her father), this rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pomerol is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years in cold cellars.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin.
JA 98 (5/2023): Turns the intensity and exoticism of the vintage on its head, unpacking it carefully, and layering up depth and character. Grilled cedar, fleshy damson and casis fruits, this is all about carefully-considered and delivered juice and flavour. Intense, with balance and carefully-extracted juice, and the precision that you want at L'Eglise Clinet, even in such an ovewheming vintage. 85% new oak, harvest September 3 to 9. Noemie Durantou and Olivier Gautrat. |
|
| Ch. Figeac |
2022 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$700.99 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): A beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. The wine has a vivid purple hue as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance.
VM 96-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Figeac is a magnificent, super-classic Figeac, as odd as that might sound in this freakish vintage. A wine of sublime delicacy and nuance, the 2022 possesses tremendous aromatic presence, finely sculpted fruit and phenomenal persistence. I especially admire the wine's freshness, energy and clean, mineral finish. The 2022 is a towering Figeac, a wine that brilliantly showcases the unique qualities of this site. Figeac is a rare Right Bank estate with gravel and blue clay soils that are not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property's elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.
JA 98 (5/2023): Vibrant damson in colour, edges of gunsmoke and red rose petals on the aromatics, as you so often find in Figeac, with dense cassis, black cherry, incense, graphite, slate, mint leaf, cocoa bean, cappucino and liquorice on the palate. This is creamy but airy, and full of joy. Close to the 2016 vintage in its construction and effortless confidence, no question of the ageing ability of this wine, and a fine vintage to mark the first year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Breaking down how they got here, you find inevitably careful winemaking with no pumping over, cool 26C for fermentation, making use of techniques learnt in the hot, dry summer of 2018, from cover crops to minimum green harvesting. Blend finished including 8% press in March, 3.7ph, harvest began September 1, earliest on record, until 26, second vintage in new winery. Frederic Faye director. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,987.99 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): A beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. The wine has a vivid purple hue as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance.
VM 96-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Figeac is a magnificent, super-classic Figeac, as odd as that might sound in this freakish vintage. A wine of sublime delicacy and nuance, the 2022 possesses tremendous aromatic presence, finely sculpted fruit and phenomenal persistence. I especially admire the wine's freshness, energy and clean, mineral finish. The 2022 is a towering Figeac, a wine that brilliantly showcases the unique qualities of this site. Figeac is a rare Right Bank estate with gravel and blue clay soils that are not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property's elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.
JA 98 (5/2023): Vibrant damson in colour, edges of gunsmoke and red rose petals on the aromatics, as you so often find in Figeac, with dense cassis, black cherry, incense, graphite, slate, mint leaf, cocoa bean, cappucino and liquorice on the palate. This is creamy but airy, and full of joy. Close to the 2016 vintage in its construction and effortless confidence, no question of the ageing ability of this wine, and a fine vintage to mark the first year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Breaking down how they got here, you find inevitably careful winemaking with no pumping over, cool 26C for fermentation, making use of techniques learnt in the hot, dry summer of 2018, from cover crops to minimum green harvesting. Blend finished including 8% press in March, 3.7ph, harvest began September 1, earliest on record, until 26, second vintage in new winery. Frederic Faye director. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$950.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): A beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. The wine has a vivid purple hue as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance.
VM 96-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Figeac is a magnificent, super-classic Figeac, as odd as that might sound in this freakish vintage. A wine of sublime delicacy and nuance, the 2022 possesses tremendous aromatic presence, finely sculpted fruit and phenomenal persistence. I especially admire the wine's freshness, energy and clean, mineral finish. The 2022 is a towering Figeac, a wine that brilliantly showcases the unique qualities of this site. Figeac is a rare Right Bank estate with gravel and blue clay soils that are not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property's elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.
JA 98 (5/2023): Vibrant damson in colour, edges of gunsmoke and red rose petals on the aromatics, as you so often find in Figeac, with dense cassis, black cherry, incense, graphite, slate, mint leaf, cocoa bean, cappucino and liquorice on the palate. This is creamy but airy, and full of joy. Close to the 2016 vintage in its construction and effortless confidence, no question of the ageing ability of this wine, and a fine vintage to mark the first year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Breaking down how they got here, you find inevitably careful winemaking with no pumping over, cool 26C for fermentation, making use of techniques learnt in the hot, dry summer of 2018, from cover crops to minimum green harvesting. Blend finished including 8% press in March, 3.7ph, harvest began September 1, earliest on record, until 26, second vintage in new winery. Frederic Faye director. |
|
| Ch. La Fleur de Gay |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$674.99 |
44 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. La Fleur Petrus |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,524.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Fonbadet |
2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$637.99 |
16 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Fontenil |
2022 |
Fronsac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$247.99 |
10 |
|
| |
| JD 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Fontenil is a beauty, and as with the Castillon region, Fronsac has some true gems that compete with the top wines. Black cherries, currants, spicy oak, and graphite all emerge from the glass, and this is full-bodied, with a layered, concentrated texture and ripe tannins. It's going to need 3-5 years of bottle age, but this brilliant 2022 is well worth seeking out. |
|
| Clos Fourtet |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$629.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. La Gaffeliere |
2022 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,469.97 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 99 (2/2025): The 2022 Château La Gaffelière comes from a mix of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that's from 22 hectares of classic Saint-Emilion limestone soils. The élevage spanned 19 months in just 50% new French oak. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by a stunning nose of ripe red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy wood, and crushed stone-like minerality. With flawless balance, a pure, full-bodied, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish, it's the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted and will most likely warrant a perfect rating in a decade. This is pure Saint-Emilion brilliance! Give bottles 4-6 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 20-30 years. (Drink between 2030-2060).
VM 99 (1/2025): The 2022 La Gaffelière is fantastic, but it has also closed down considerably post-bottling. Supremely elegant and perfumed, the 2022 is an absolutely stunning wine. Blood orange, pomegranate, spice, white pepper, dried herbs and all sorts of floral overtones soar from the glass. The Franc is so impressive here. I don't expect this magical Saint-Émilion to be ready any time soon. Today, it is a wine of dazzling complexity and purity for the cellar. (Drink between 2032-2052). Antonio Galloni.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 La Gaffelière, one of the finest wines I’ve encountered at this address, is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Crafted primarily from the prime hillside vineyards beneath Ausone, this wine exudes violet, dark berries, licorice, cherries and smoke, with subtly integrated oak influences. It's medium to full-bodied, deep and powerful, with a multidimensional, fleshy core of fruit and youthful yet powdery tannins framed by a tense, energetic mid-palate, typical of the limestone soils. Concluding with a long, saline and complex finish that marries tension and charming to pleasing effect, it was matured for 19 months in 50% new barrels. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$513.98 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 99 (2/2025): The 2022 Château La Gaffelière comes from a mix of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that's from 22 hectares of classic Saint-Emilion limestone soils. The élevage spanned 19 months in just 50% new French oak. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by a stunning nose of ripe red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy wood, and crushed stone-like minerality. With flawless balance, a pure, full-bodied, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish, it's the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted and will most likely warrant a perfect rating in a decade. This is pure Saint-Emilion brilliance! Give bottles 4-6 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 20-30 years. (Drink between 2030-2060).
VM 99 (1/2025): The 2022 La Gaffelière is fantastic, but it has also closed down considerably post-bottling. Supremely elegant and perfumed, the 2022 is an absolutely stunning wine. Blood orange, pomegranate, spice, white pepper, dried herbs and all sorts of floral overtones soar from the glass. The Franc is so impressive here. I don't expect this magical Saint-Émilion to be ready any time soon. Today, it is a wine of dazzling complexity and purity for the cellar. (Drink between 2032-2052). Antonio Galloni.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 La Gaffelière, one of the finest wines I’ve encountered at this address, is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Crafted primarily from the prime hillside vineyards beneath Ausone, this wine exudes violet, dark berries, licorice, cherries and smoke, with subtly integrated oak influences. It's medium to full-bodied, deep and powerful, with a multidimensional, fleshy core of fruit and youthful yet powdery tannins framed by a tense, energetic mid-palate, typical of the limestone soils. Concluding with a long, saline and complex finish that marries tension and charming to pleasing effect, it was matured for 19 months in 50% new barrels. |
|
| Ch. Le Gay |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$824.99 |
18 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (5/2023): A step up over the 2020, the 2022 Château Le Gay brings more richness and depth and has a great nose of red and black fruits, flowery incense, baking spices, and scorched earth. Medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, it shines for its purity of fruit as well its silky tannins. This should have some early accessibility yet still evolve for decades.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Le Gay is wonderfully aromatic and nuanced from the first impression. Sweet tobacco, cedar, pipe tobacco and dried herbs open first as the Cabernet Franc makes itself felt. Medium in body and graceful, the Le Gay shows the radiance of the year, but is also impeccable in its balance. Sweet floral and spice top notes grace the exquisite finish. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): The 2022 Le Gay offers up aromas of rich cassis, menthol and toasty new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and rather muscular palate framed by sweet, liberally extracted tannins that assert themselves on the finish. While this remains quite a chunky, stylized wine, defined by its fermentation in new oak barriques, it is comparatively restrained for this estate in such an extreme vintage. |
|
| Ch. Gazin |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$619.99 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Gloria |
2022 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$602.98 |
15 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (5/2023): A gem in the vintage is going to be the 2022 Château Gloria, which comes from 50 hectares of vines and is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. Harvested between September 14 and 26, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, it offers an inky purple hue to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, ripe black cherries, spicy oak, and graphite. Hitting 13.8% alcohol and aging in 60% new French oak, it's a pure, layered, elegant yet concentrated Saint-Julien that readers will love. Tasted twice.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Gloria was picked from 12-26 September and matured in 40% new oak, slightly less than the Saint-Pierre. It has a perfumed, floral nose with crushed violet infusing the black cherry and blueberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sumptuous tannins that belie the structure underneath. With pure fruit and well-judged acidity, this 2022 is sensual with a persistent and lightly spiced finish. Superb. Neal Martin.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, petals and spices, framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a succulent, enveloping core of fruit and supple tannins, it's a gourmand but nicely balanced Saint-Julien that will offer a broad drinking window.
JA 92 (5/2023): Intense with a bright plum colour, spicy, dark fruits, coffee bean and cocoa, this is almost heading towards overdone but it pulls back, leans into the vintatge and is very much on point with estate signature. It has texture and depth, a little overly concentrated through the mid palate but shows the restraint that comes with the pummic stone texture of St Julien tannins. One to watch over ageing. In biodynamic conversion. |
|
| Ch. Grand Puy Ducasse |
2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$653.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste |
2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$965.98 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from 7 to 23 September and contains more Merlot due to the high quality of the fruit, matured in 75% new oak. There is 14.2% alcohol. Therefore, this lends this GPL a little more precocity and sensuality compared to other vintages, not cut from the same "classical" cloth as, say, the 2019 or 2020. Underlying this velvety veneer are enticing traits of freshly-rolled tobacco and undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins. Silky smooth in texture, so much so that it belies that backbone underneath. There is a peacock's tail of mineral-rich, quite peppery black fruit on the finish, completing a Pauillac endowed with huge potential. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a brilliant classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that exhibits beautiful structural refinement and purity of fruit. Classy and integrated, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day and less forbiddingly structured version of this estate's brilliant 1982.
JA 96 (5/2023): Inky depths to the colour. Violet edging, bitter black chocolate and graphite, can feel the grain of the tannins, and the beautiful balance and juice to damson, cassis and plum puree fruits. Captures just the right amount of drama without sacrificing Pauillac character, this is a wine that is clearly going to age extremely well, with depth of flavour and rich tannic frame that shows how 2022 can succeed in the right hands. 75% new oak, 3.57ph. Harvest earliest ever, beginning on September 7 (2003 was September 15), 60% of production in the 1st wine, Eric Boissenot consultant. 38hl/h yield, a little over the Pauillac average. |
|
|
2022 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$494.99 |
4 |
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VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from 7 to 23 September and contains more Merlot due to the high quality of the fruit, matured in 75% new oak. There is 14.2% alcohol. Therefore, this lends this GPL a little more precocity and sensuality compared to other vintages, not cut from the same "classical" cloth as, say, the 2019 or 2020. Underlying this velvety veneer are enticing traits of freshly-rolled tobacco and undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins. Silky smooth in texture, so much so that it belies that backbone underneath. There is a peacock's tail of mineral-rich, quite peppery black fruit on the finish, completing a Pauillac endowed with huge potential. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a brilliant classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that exhibits beautiful structural refinement and purity of fruit. Classy and integrated, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day and less forbiddingly structured version of this estate's brilliant 1982.
JA 96 (5/2023): Inky depths to the colour. Violet edging, bitter black chocolate and graphite, can feel the grain of the tannins, and the beautiful balance and juice to damson, cassis and plum puree fruits. Captures just the right amount of drama without sacrificing Pauillac character, this is a wine that is clearly going to age extremely well, with depth of flavour and rich tannic frame that shows how 2022 can succeed in the right hands. 75% new oak, 3.57ph. Harvest earliest ever, beginning on September 7 (2003 was September 15), 60% of production in the 1st wine, Eric Boissenot consultant. 38hl/h yield, a little over the Pauillac average. |
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| Ch. Les Grands Chenes |
2022 |
Medoc (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$154.99 |
7 |
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| |
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| Ch. Gruaud Larose |
2022 |
St. Julien (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$422.97 |
1 |
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WA 94-96+ (5/2023): The progress at this estate continues with the terrific 2022 Gruaud Larose, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of minty blackberries, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's elegantly muscular, with a broad attack that segues into a concentrated mid-palate framed by supple, powdery tannins. Richer and more brooding than its 2020 and 2019 counterparts, it confirms Gruaud's return to the Saint-Julien élite. Around one-third of the production made it into the grand vin this year, the château's first with organic certification.
JA 96 (5/2023): Spicy, intense and concentrated, and yet delivers juicy drinkability from beginning to end, not an easy balance to achieve in 2022. The vintage trace comes through in notes of tobacco, dried herbs, cloves and sandalwood, with tannic build up through the palate, but it is balanced by fresh mint leaf, cassis, bilberry, cocoa bean, and salinity. Firm tannic architecture, excellent quality. 33% of production in the 1st wine, 95% new oak. mint, |
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2022 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,336.98 |
5 |
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WA 94-96+ (5/2023): The progress at this estate continues with the terrific 2022 Gruaud Larose, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of minty blackberries, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's elegantly muscular, with a broad attack that segues into a concentrated mid-palate framed by supple, powdery tannins. Richer and more brooding than its 2020 and 2019 counterparts, it confirms Gruaud's return to the Saint-Julien élite. Around one-third of the production made it into the grand vin this year, the château's first with organic certification.
JA 96 (5/2023): Spicy, intense and concentrated, and yet delivers juicy drinkability from beginning to end, not an easy balance to achieve in 2022. The vintage trace comes through in notes of tobacco, dried herbs, cloves and sandalwood, with tannic build up through the palate, but it is balanced by fresh mint leaf, cassis, bilberry, cocoa bean, and salinity. Firm tannic architecture, excellent quality. 33% of production in the 1st wine, 95% new oak. mint, |
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| Ch. Haut Bailly |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,793.99 |
1 |
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JD 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Haut-Bailly is going to be one of the legendary vintages at this château, and it should be a no-brainer purchase for readers. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it has an incredible perfume of cassis, ripe black cherries, crushed stone, smoke tobacco, and wood smoke. Earning more than a few expletives in my notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and ultra-fine, silky tannins. Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, this is an incredible wine in the making!
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Haut-Bailly was picked between 7 and 27 September and underwent a four-week cuvaison, taking longer to consume the sugar and was matured in 50% new oak. It has a bouquet that compels you just to sit and contemplate. It gradually unfolds with blackberry, raspberry, potpourri and iris flower scents, well-defined, not showy but suave. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Minerals, black pepper and clove off a gentle grip with an impressive crescendo. It will need a decade in bottle. This Haut-Bailly has a haunting beauty, the kind of wine that will bring people to tears! Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Haut-Bailly offers up aromas of dark berries complemented by accents of iris, lilac, rose petals, graphite and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, dense, it's layered and textural, with a deep core of fruit, powdery tannins and a penetrating, saline finish. Vinified along traditional lines, it is a structured wine that will take some time to hit its stride, but at this early stage it appears suppler and more seamless than its 2020 and 2019 predecessors. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc from grapes picked from September 7 to 27, it's maturing half in new barriques and half in one- or two-year-old barrels.
JA 97 (5/2023): Stunning aromatics, with crushed roses and fragrant spice, edges of incense and gunsmoke. On the palate the fruits are intense cassis and bilberry, dusted with cocoa and liquorice root , and shot through with gentle acidities of pomegrante, mandarin peel, saffran and slate. Concentrated dark rosemary on the finish, this is so well judged, effortlessly impressive, a little atypical of Haut-Bailly in that there is less austerity to the tannic architecture than in the more understated vintages but it captures the finessed heart of the property, and will age for decades. 3.92ph, Axel Marchal consultant. 50% of the vines here are over 50 years or 60 years old, helping them withstand the heat. 30hl/h yields, 2nd vintage in the new cellar. |
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| L' If |
2022 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$218.97 |
2 |
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| |
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| Ch. d' Issan |
2022 |
Margaux (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,075.98 |
1 |
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JD 95-97+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château D'Issan ratchets up the quality, offering more purity, precision, and length. Revealing notes of darker currants and blue fruits, graphite, and chalky minerality, this medium to full-bodied red has beautiful freshness, and is focused, straight, and elegant. Just a beautiful barrel sample, it’s very impressive.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 d'Issan is shaping up to be terrific. Dark and pliant, the 2022 captures all the intensity of the year in its super-concentrated Issan that has a ton of fruit intensity, but also the tannic spine to support it. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, dried herbs and spice infuse the 2022 with tons of depth and pedigree. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 D'Issan is a lovely wine that will delight Médoc purists, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berries, burning embers, violets and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with velvety tannins and a deep core of vibrant fruit, it's a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The estate is now equipped with a battery of 20-hectoliter tanks, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting this year.
JA 95 (5/2023): Fragrant dried cumin and turmeric spices on the opening, along with floral waves of rose petals, this maintains the finesse of Issan, delivering estate signature alongside fleshy blackberry and baked damson fruits, with waves of liquorice, graphite and crushed rocks. The oldest vines are kept for the 1st wine, and almost 80% of the new plots of Pontac Lynch are included here in Issan, giving a darker spiced character than you find in other hot vintages at this estate such as 2009. They almost pulled up the Malbec when they bought Pontac Lynch but it has once again proved its worth. 30hl/h yield (compared to 38hl/h last year). 3.67ph. 72IPT. Eric Boissenot consultant. 50% new oak. |
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| Ch. Lafite Rothschild |
2022 |
Pauillac (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,964.99 |
1 |
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JD 97-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. It's a richer, more opulent wine compared to the more classic 2020 (although the pH is higher in the 2020) and has a deep, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as classic Lafite aromatics of spicy red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and tobacco. Deep, rich, and concentrated, it nevertheless stays pure and flawlessly balanced, with ample, ripe tannins and a great finish. It's going to have some up-front appeal by Lafite standards but should still require a decade of bottle age. Director Eric Koher compares this to the 2005, but this modern-day clone of the 1959 is one of the most powerful, concentrated Lafites I've tasted.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97+ (5/2023): A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, sweet soils tones, cigar box and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most tensile of the first growths this year, with a layered, concentrated but youthfully introverted mid-palate, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It checks in at a rather high pH of 3.85, which belies its incisive profile, from a harvest that extended from August 31 to September 24.
JA 97 (5/2023): Saturated inky colour, with intense ruby reflections. This is a classically constructed Lafite, with clear power to the tannins and intense spice, a little more upfront and concentrated than you find in many En Primeur vintages at this property but it exemplifies balance and confidence. Fully in control, delivering estate signature with finesse and understatement, with pulses of graphite, slate, bitter almond and cocoa bean. Takes its time to uncurl in the glass, leaving you plenty of time to admire its architecture. Give it a good decade at least. 17.5% of press wine, 3.85ph, 41% Lafite of overall production. Harvest August 31 to September 24, earliest since 1893. 100% new oak, Eric Kohler techincal director. Potential upscore in bottle. |
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| Ch. Lafleur |
2022 |
Pomerol (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,470.99 |
2 |
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WA 100 (3/2025): The 2022 Lafleur has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with exotic aromas of mulberries, potpourri, iris, blood orange and incense, it's full-bodied, dense and layered, with a deep and multidimensional core of sweet, succulent fruit underpinned by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, expansive, rose-inflected finish. Élevage has brought a sense of harmony and classicism to the volume and richness that were already apparent en primeur, delivering a Lafleur for the ages.
JD 98+ (2/2025): The Grand Vin 2022 Château Lafleur checks in as 51% Bouschet (an older selection of Cabernet Franc) and 49% Merlot brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. It's a ripe, incredibly powerful Lafleur that has a rare mix of voluptuousness as well as a dense, structured core. Red and black currants, iron, bloody meats, truffly earth, and violet notes are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a broad, layered, expansive mouthfeel, tons of ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It needs to be forgotten for a solid decade but will evolve for 30-40 years. (Drink between 2035-2075).
VM 98 (2/2025): The 2022 Lafleur was a deeply impressive Pomerol when tasted from barrel. As Baptiste Guinaudeau mentioned, the 2022 vintage was driven by energy and not dominated by the sun, which differentiates it from the 2019 or 2020. The 2022 possesses incredible purity on the nose, with layers of black fruit, graphite and just a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied and quite linear in style, with firm tannins, strong pencil box notes and a sharp and precise finish. It lingers temptingly in the mouth, yet at the same time you know this will need many years to reach its peak. Awesome. (Drink between 2032-2075). Neal Martin. |
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| Ch. Langoa Barton |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$399.99 |
1 |
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WA 93-95+ (5/2023): The first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot vinification, the brilliant 2022 Langoa Barton offers up aromas of dark berries, cassis, violets and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy palate endowed with terrific depth and tension. Polished and penetrating, it should match or even surpass the 2019 and 2016 vintages, and it is sure to be one of the more intelligent purchases of the en primeur campaign.
JD 93-95 (5/2023): The Grand Vin 2022 Château Langoa Barton checks in as 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new barrels. Medium-bodied and vibrant, with a fresher, elegant, yet still textured profile, it has pure black and blue fruits, some lead pencil, tobacco, and earthy nuances, fine tannins, and a great finish. This 2022 is all about finesse and elegance. Tasted twice with consistent notes. |
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| Ch. Larcis-Ducasse |
2022 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,531.97 |
4 |
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| WA 94-95 (5/2023): A fleshy, opulent wine, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse bursts with aromas of rich, creamy berry fruit mingled with aromas of licorice, bay leaf and spices. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's a textural, layered wine with a ripe core of fruit, supple tannins and an expansive finish. More dramatic and unabashed than the 2020, this will appeal to readers who place a premium on flamboyant extravagance; but samples tasted later during my visit to Bordeaux exhibited greater freshness and precision. |
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| Ch. Latour-a-Pomerol |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$603.99 |
14 |
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| Ch. Leoville Barton |
2022 |
St. Julien (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$534.97 |
1 |
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WA 96-97+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the Médoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that's vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it's the first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision.
JD 94-96+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Léoville Barton is another pretty, elegant wine from this talented team. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5 % Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of ripe red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, graphite, and violets. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has fine tannins, a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's surprisingly approachable yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up over the course of its élevage. |
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|
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$626.97 |
1 |
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WA 96-97+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the Médoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that's vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it's the first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision.
JD 94-96+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Léoville Barton is another pretty, elegant wine from this talented team. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5 % Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of ripe red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, graphite, and violets. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has fine tannins, a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's surprisingly approachable yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up over the course of its élevage. |
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|
2022 |
St. Julien (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.99 |
1 |
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WA 96-97+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the Médoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that's vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it's the first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision.
JD 94-96+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Léoville Barton is another pretty, elegant wine from this talented team. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5 % Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of ripe red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, graphite, and violets. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has fine tannins, a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's surprisingly approachable yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up over the course of its élevage. |
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| Ch. Leoville Las Cases |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,793.97 |
2 |
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JD 98-100 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Léoville Las Cases, it has an almost Pauillac-like style in its ripe, powerful aromatics of graphite, lead pencil shavings, cassis, and liquid rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, has just about off-the-charts purity, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This will clearly rank with the truly greats from this address and reminds me slightly of a mix of the 2016 and 2018. It is not, however, going to be for those looking for instant gratification.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Las Cases is stunning. Fine-grained and nuanced, the 2022 Las Cases is breathtaking. Red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender, spice and mocha open gradually but what impresses most about the 2022 is its sublime finesse. Silky, plush and exceptionally beautiful, the 2022 Las Cases is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): One of the wines of the vintage this year is the 2022 Léoville Las Cases, a monument in the making that combines unerring classicism with unusual sensuality and charm by the standards of this estate's sometimes youthfully forbidding wines. Exhibiting deep aromas of dark berries, violets, pencil lead, rose petals and tobacco leaf, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, abundant but refined tannins and a long, vibrant finish. On the several occasions that I tasted it, the 2022 was surprisingly open for a young Las Cases, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were to shut down after a few years in bottle. It's a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot.
JA 97 (5/2023): Heading to Léoville Las Cases in a super ripe year is always a good idea, as the musuclar tannins are balanced by a riper mouthfeel. As quietly confident as you would expect, this is packed with depth and intensity, taking the 2022 vintage and reshaping it in the character of this St Julien powerhouse. Graphite, crushed rocks, liquorice root, cassis, bluberry, slate, saffran, smoked earth, all held in by tannins with grip and length. 3.8ph, and high alcohols for this estate, giving a seductive mouthfeel that is unusual in young Las Cases. 84% new oak, 37hl/h yield. Harvest September 8 to 30. |
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2022 |
St. Julien (3X750ML) 3-bottle OWC |
$900 |
1 |
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JD 98-100 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Léoville Las Cases, it has an almost Pauillac-like style in its ripe, powerful aromatics of graphite, lead pencil shavings, cassis, and liquid rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, has just about off-the-charts purity, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This will clearly rank with the truly greats from this address and reminds me slightly of a mix of the 2016 and 2018. It is not, however, going to be for those looking for instant gratification.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Las Cases is stunning. Fine-grained and nuanced, the 2022 Las Cases is breathtaking. Red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender, spice and mocha open gradually but what impresses most about the 2022 is its sublime finesse. Silky, plush and exceptionally beautiful, the 2022 Las Cases is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): One of the wines of the vintage this year is the 2022 Léoville Las Cases, a monument in the making that combines unerring classicism with unusual sensuality and charm by the standards of this estate's sometimes youthfully forbidding wines. Exhibiting deep aromas of dark berries, violets, pencil lead, rose petals and tobacco leaf, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, abundant but refined tannins and a long, vibrant finish. On the several occasions that I tasted it, the 2022 was surprisingly open for a young Las Cases, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were to shut down after a few years in bottle. It's a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot.
JA 97 (5/2023): Heading to Léoville Las Cases in a super ripe year is always a good idea, as the musuclar tannins are balanced by a riper mouthfeel. As quietly confident as you would expect, this is packed with depth and intensity, taking the 2022 vintage and reshaping it in the character of this St Julien powerhouse. Graphite, crushed rocks, liquorice root, cassis, bluberry, slate, saffran, smoked earth, all held in by tannins with grip and length. 3.8ph, and high alcohols for this estate, giving a seductive mouthfeel that is unusual in young Las Cases. 84% new oak, 37hl/h yield. Harvest September 8 to 30. |
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| Ch. Leoville Poyferre |
2022 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,581.99 |
1 |
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JD 97-100 (5/2023): I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
JA 96 (5/2023): Dense and succulent fruit and tannins, beautifully powerful, with fresh acidities, beautifully spicy with notes of black cherries, fresh figs, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose petals and cassis. Muscular tannins shot through with salted caramel sweetness, lifted by saffran and slate. Accomplished, impressive. Harvest September 8 to 28. 80% new oak from 16 different coopers. |
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2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$817.99 |
1 |
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JD 97-100 (5/2023): I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
JA 96 (5/2023): Dense and succulent fruit and tannins, beautifully powerful, with fresh acidities, beautifully spicy with notes of black cherries, fresh figs, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose petals and cassis. Muscular tannins shot through with salted caramel sweetness, lifted by saffran and slate. Accomplished, impressive. Harvest September 8 to 28. 80% new oak from 16 different coopers. |
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2022 |
St. Julien (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,056.97 |
1 |
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JD 97-100 (5/2023): I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
JA 96 (5/2023): Dense and succulent fruit and tannins, beautifully powerful, with fresh acidities, beautifully spicy with notes of black cherries, fresh figs, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose petals and cassis. Muscular tannins shot through with salted caramel sweetness, lifted by saffran and slate. Accomplished, impressive. Harvest September 8 to 28. 80% new oak from 16 different coopers. |
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| Ch. Lynch Bages |
2022 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,474.98 |
3 |
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JD 96-98+ (5/2023): The Grand Vin 2022 Château Lynch Bages checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It actually reminds me slightly of the 2019, and while it's a classic Lynch Bages powerhouse, it has beautiful balance and purity. Cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with terrific tannins and a layered, incredibly impressive profile that continues to open and evolve with time in the glass. Tasted twice with consistent notes.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Lynch-Bages shows all the classic Lynch layers, but dialed up to the maximum. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2022 packs tremendous punch. Sweet dark cherry, spice, leather, menthol, licorice, plum and mocha all open with time in the glass. The tannins are imposing, and yet there is more than enough fruit to balance things out, at least to some degree. I expect the 2022 will need a decade to shed some of its tannin, but it is formidable, even in the early going. Impressive. Tasted two times. "This is the third time in history we are above 14% in alcohol, the others were 2018 and 2019" Jean-Charles Cazes explained. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-96 (5/2023): One of the vintage's most powerful, muscular wines is the 2022 Lynch-Bages, a full-bodied, broad-shouldered Pauillac that unfurls in the glass with aromas of cassis, cherries, mint, pencil shavings and petroleum jelly, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Liberally extracted, its deep core of fruit is underpinned by an imposing chassis of rich, powdery tannin and lively acids. Always rather forbidding from barrel, Lynch Bages always seems to come together in bottle, and the 2022 has the makings of another success for this address.
JA 97 (5/2023): Full on inky purple in colour, this is sculpted and full of character. Intense, not just a reflection of the vintage but in the increasing concentration found in Lynch Bages over the past decade. Delivers so much character, wtih charcoal, soot, campfire, liquorice, slate, bilberry, cassis. Hugely impressive and complex, will age for decades. As it opens and those fierce tannins loosen their grip a little, the floral character of the Cabernet Sauvignon becomes more clear. It's austere right now, with shoulders and muscles, but I am fully on board. One to wait for. 75% new oak. Harvest September 12 to 24. |
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2022 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$860.99 |
10 |
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JD 96-98+ (5/2023): The Grand Vin 2022 Château Lynch Bages checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It actually reminds me slightly of the 2019, and while it's a classic Lynch Bages powerhouse, it has beautiful balance and purity. Cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with terrific tannins and a layered, incredibly impressive profile that continues to open and evolve with time in the glass. Tasted twice with consistent notes.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Lynch-Bages shows all the classic Lynch layers, but dialed up to the maximum. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2022 packs tremendous punch. Sweet dark cherry, spice, leather, menthol, licorice, plum and mocha all open with time in the glass. The tannins are imposing, and yet there is more than enough fruit to balance things out, at least to some degree. I expect the 2022 will need a decade to shed some of its tannin, but it is formidable, even in the early going. Impressive. Tasted two times. "This is the third time in history we are above 14% in alcohol, the others were 2018 and 2019" Jean-Charles Cazes explained. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-96 (5/2023): One of the vintage's most powerful, muscular wines is the 2022 Lynch-Bages, a full-bodied, broad-shouldered Pauillac that unfurls in the glass with aromas of cassis, cherries, mint, pencil shavings and petroleum jelly, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Liberally extracted, its deep core of fruit is underpinned by an imposing chassis of rich, powdery tannin and lively acids. Always rather forbidding from barrel, Lynch Bages always seems to come together in bottle, and the 2022 has the makings of another success for this address.
JA 97 (5/2023): Full on inky purple in colour, this is sculpted and full of character. Intense, not just a reflection of the vintage but in the increasing concentration found in Lynch Bages over the past decade. Delivers so much character, wtih charcoal, soot, campfire, liquorice, slate, bilberry, cassis. Hugely impressive and complex, will age for decades. As it opens and those fierce tannins loosen their grip a little, the floral character of the Cabernet Sauvignon becomes more clear. It's austere right now, with shoulders and muscles, but I am fully on board. One to wait for. 75% new oak. Harvest September 12 to 24. |
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| Ch. Malescot St. Exupery |
2022 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$461.99 |
2 |
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JD 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Malescot Saint Exupéry is gorgeous and certainly a Margaux worth seeking out. Dense purple-hued, with a rich, powerful bouquet of ripe black fruits, melted chocolate, smoked tobacco, and spice, it picks up a beautiful floral character with air, is full-bodied, and has a layered, opulent mouthfeel as well as a great finish. It shows the vintage's building yet velvety tannins and is going to warrant just 4-5 years or more of bottle age, but it's a brilliant wine in the making.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Malescot Saint Exupéry was picked from 19 September until 5 October, stopping over two weekends as it rained. Every parcel contributed fruit to the Grand Vin and there is 14.5% alcohol. Raised in 70% new oak with most of the malo done in barrel, it has a fragrant bouquet with red cherries, raspberry coulis, blueberry and violet scents. The palate has a well-defined entry with sour cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant and touches of marmalade. Not powerful, but harmonious with a silky texture, this is a precision-tooled Margaux that will give 20 to 30 years of drinking pleasure. Neal Martin.
WA 93-95 (5/2023): Offering up aromas of rich blackberries, cassis, sweet spices, pencil shavings and creamy new oak, the 2022 Malescot St. Exupery is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a broad attack that segues into a layered core of expressive fruit that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, this is one of the appellation's most flamboyant wines, but it retains good balance and boasts a healthy pH of 3.65. |
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| Clos Manou |
2022 |
Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$439.98 |
5 |
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| Ch. Margaux |
2022 |
Margaux (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,028.97 |
1 |
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JD 97-99 (5/2023): The Grand Vin 2022 Château Margaux checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc that's pulled from just 40% of the total production. It's a classic Château Margaux with its overriding sense of elegance and purity, yet it's certainly in the style of the vintage with its depth, richness, and concentration. Cassis, blueberries, acacia flowers, and spice all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The alcohol hit 14.5, and I suspect the pH is relatively high (which is common in the vintage), yet this remains pure, balanced, and is absolutely show-stopping stuff.
VM 97-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Margaux is a total stunner. Ripe, opulent and explosive, the 2022 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity from start to finish. There’s a purity to the fruit that is just striking. The 2022 is a dark, unusually opulent Margaux, with a dense core of fruit, but a good deal of vibrancy to balance things out. Black cherry, lavender, spice and a kiss of new French oak build in the glass, but it is the wine’s delineation and intensity that are most captivating. Vibrant saline notes linger on the seamless, supremely elegant finish. Unforgettable. Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-97 (5/2023): A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 2022 Château Margaux is one of the most powerful wines ever produced at this estate, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, violets, burning embers, smoked tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich, velvety and seamless, with a bright core of fruit and a long, heady finish. With the highest analytical measure of tannins since 2010, and an alcohol level a touch above 14%, this is certainly a largerscaled Château Margaux, yet at this early stage, everything appears to be kept in check.
JA 98-100 (5/2023): Stunning in its density and construction, with a gorgeous balance that starts with red rose aromatics and slides into creamy and intense raspberry, damson, loganberry and cassis fruits. The intense structure of the vintage is on display, here with velvety tannins giving shape and contrast by a push and pull of slate, graphite, cloves, turmeric, cardamom and white pepper. Bitter dark chocolate ending, a character of the year but here delivered with a blast of cooling mint leaf. Philippe Bascaules director, harvest September 8 to 27, 25hl/h yield. 100% new oak, to be monitored carefully over ageing because this is the first time they have seen this level of alcohol in the Cabernet Sauvignon. 40% of the crop is into this 1st wine, one of the highest in years. Harvest September 8 to 27. They are slowly changing the row orientation in the vineyard at Margaux, begun last year but a 50 year project, and introducing more Cabernet Franc through field grafting (wanting to get up to maybe 15% of plantings, currently 5%). |
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| Clos du Marquis |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$598.99 |
2 |
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| Ch. Clos Marsalette |
2022 |
Pessac-Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$211.99 |
10 |
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| Ch. Marsau |
2022 |
Francs Cotes de Bordeaux 2023 en Primeur Release |
$29.95 |
12 |
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WA 92-94 (5/2023): This medium to full-bodied 2022 Marsau is an attractive wine produced from 100% Merlot. It has a delightfully pure bouquet of peony, violet, iris, menthol and cassis, followed by a crunchy and juicy yet fresh texture and then by a mineral-driven finish of remarkable purity, expressing elegant notes of licorice and pencil lead. Anne-Laurence and Mathieu Chadronnier have produced a red wine that punches above its weight. Bravo!
JA 92 (5/2023): Floral notes on the aromatics, shows the heavy spice of the vintage with black pepper, rosemary and turmeric notes, begins to lift through the palate as it opens. An unusual spot in Franc Côtes de Bordeaux with a lot of clay in the soils, and this is powerful and concentrated, with a flash of heat on the finish. 12ha vineyard, entirely clay, entirely Merlot, organic since 2018, no till farming, 25hl/h yield. Harvest September 7 to 12, to be aged 80% large oak casks (no new oak), 10% one year old, 10% neutral oak and amphora. |
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2022 |
Francs Cotes de Bordeaux (1.5 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$59.95 |
18 |
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WA 92-94 (5/2023): This medium to full-bodied 2022 Marsau is an attractive wine produced from 100% Merlot. It has a delightfully pure bouquet of peony, violet, iris, menthol and cassis, followed by a crunchy and juicy yet fresh texture and then by a mineral-driven finish of remarkable purity, expressing elegant notes of licorice and pencil lead. Anne-Laurence and Mathieu Chadronnier have produced a red wine that punches above its weight. Bravo!
JA 92 (5/2023): Floral notes on the aromatics, shows the heavy spice of the vintage with black pepper, rosemary and turmeric notes, begins to lift through the palate as it opens. An unusual spot in Franc Côtes de Bordeaux with a lot of clay in the soils, and this is powerful and concentrated, with a flash of heat on the finish. 12ha vineyard, entirely clay, entirely Merlot, organic since 2018, no till farming, 25hl/h yield. Harvest September 7 to 12, to be aged 80% large oak casks (no new oak), 10% one year old, 10% neutral oak and amphora. |
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| Philippe Melka |
2022 |
St. Emilion Majestique Le Chatelet Vyd. |
$150 |
3 |
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| Ch. Meyney |
2022 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$523.98 |
5 |
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WA 91-93+ (5/2023): Opening in the glass with aromas of sweet dark berries, licorice and petals, the 2022 Meyney is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit girdled by sweet but firm tannins. Pure and taut, it is a strong effort that will require a bit of patience.
JA 95 (5/2023): A vineryard that should perform strongly in this kind of vintage, because located right next to the river for air conditioning, with a mix of gravel with clear clay sections to retain freshness, and it's definitely one to look out for. Layers of redcurrant, raspberry and blackcurrant fruits, juicy mouthwatering finish, peony, pencil lead, orange peel, 3.75ph. Certainly this is a great example of Meyney. Hubert de Boüard consultant. A buy. |
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| Ch. La Mission Haut Brion |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,759.98 |
2 |
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JD 95-97 (5/2023): While I don't see the 2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion matching the legendary wines from this address at this early stage, it's nevertheless a gorgeous wine in the making. Based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, it has a pure, elegant, lengthy style as well as classic cassis and darker cherry fruits, some smoky, tobacco, scorched earth nuances, medium to full body, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its tannins, and it's a forward, seamless, balanced beauty that will shine with just short-term cellaring.
VM 97-99 (5/2023): The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Dark, powerful and imposing, with compelling inner sweetness, La Mission is positively striking. The purity of the flavors is striking, but the wine's statuesque personality might be even more impressive. Time in the glass brings out all sorts of savory and mineral notes that add complexity. The balance here is just mind-blowing. What a wine! Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A rich and muscular wine that reflects the warmth of the vintage, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion reveals aromas of dark berries, cherries and crème de cassis mingled with licorice, spices, incense and spring flowers. Full-bodied, broad and concentrated, it's surprisingly lively despite an elevated pH of 4.0, exhibiting a seamless, broad-shouldered profile with an ample core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannin. It's a blend of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc.
JA 97 (5/2023): One of the most intense Missions that I can remember in terms of colour, but the density in the phenolics is beautifully balanced on the palate by red roses and peony aromatics, edges of violet, incense, cigar box, black pepper spice, with clear grip and fierce concentration. Delivers an exceptional feeling of walking the line between excess and restraint, hard to resist. Yields a little higher on Cabernet Sauvignon than in Haut-Brion, so higher percentage here. |
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| Ch. Montrose |
2022 |
St. Estephe (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,062.97 |
1 |
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JD 100 (2/2025): One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
WA 100 (3/2025): From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss.
VM 98 (3/2026): The 2022 Montrose has a wonderful bouquet, beautifully defined with mineral-rich blackberry and bilberry fruit and a light touch of the Gironde Estuary in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, well judged acidity, focused and poised, with a finish that is just quintessential Saint-Estephe. THe pedigree of this wine is so obvious. Tated blind at the Southwold tasting in London. (Drink between 2030-2058). Neal Martin.
JA 97 (5/2023): The intensity and the depth of expression is clear from the start, with ripe damson and fig fruits, incense and espresso given balance and tension by pomegrante, slate, lemongrass and mandarin rind. Unrolls to show the depth and class of Montrose, has density without shouting, keeping the estate signature and character. The first full vintage for Pierre Grafeuille as estate director, working alongside long time technical director Vincent Decup. 12% press wine, pretty much exactly the same as ever, this really is a vineyard that delivers consistency. |
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| La Dame de Montrose |
2022 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$342.99 |
16 |
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JD 93-95 (5/2023): The second wine of Château Montrose, the 2022 La Dame De Montrose, tastes like a Grand Vin. More Merlot-dominated (71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc), the terrific purity in its cassis and blue fruits give way to complex floral, forest floor, and violet aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, balanced, and elegant, I'd be happy to drink a bottle any time over the coming 15 years.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine’s sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. Antonio Galloni.
WA 92-94 (5/2023): A second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths, the 2022 La Dame de Montrose unfurls in the glass with aromas of blackberries, violets, rose petals, charcoal and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy palate of striking concentration, energy and dimension. Seamless and complete, it's a blend of 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
JA 92 (5/2023): Higher proportion of Merlot than usual in the blend, this is deep ruby red in colour and opens to sandalwood, cedar, black pepper and rosemary notes, alongside ripe blackberry and creme de cassis fruits. A lucky vineyard located next to the river at one of the widest points of the Estuary, this is impactful and confident, with the fingerprints of the vintage. 31hl/h yield. 30% new oak. |
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| Ch. Montrose |
2022 |
St. Estephe (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,293.98 |
1 |
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JD 100 (2/2025): One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
WA 100 (3/2025): From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss.
VM 98 (3/2026): The 2022 Montrose has a wonderful bouquet, beautifully defined with mineral-rich blackberry and bilberry fruit and a light touch of the Gironde Estuary in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, well judged acidity, focused and poised, with a finish that is just quintessential Saint-Estephe. THe pedigree of this wine is so obvious. Tated blind at the Southwold tasting in London. (Drink between 2030-2058). Neal Martin.
JA 97 (5/2023): The intensity and the depth of expression is clear from the start, with ripe damson and fig fruits, incense and espresso given balance and tension by pomegrante, slate, lemongrass and mandarin rind. Unrolls to show the depth and class of Montrose, has density without shouting, keeping the estate signature and character. The first full vintage for Pierre Grafeuille as estate director, working alongside long time technical director Vincent Decup. 12% press wine, pretty much exactly the same as ever, this really is a vineyard that delivers consistency. |
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| Ch. Mouton-Rothschild |
2022 |
Le Petit Mouton Pauillac (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$637.97 |
1 |
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2022 |
Pauillac (1.5 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$1,425 |
1 |
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JD 100 (2/2025): Bottled in June of 2024, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as classic blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that was raised all in new barrels. Incredibly concentrated yet light on its feet and graceful, this inky-hued beauty has sensational notes of cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and chocolate that are to die for. It shows the ripe, opulent style of the vintage yet brings sensational purity, loads of tannins, and a gorgeous finish. For the tech geeks out there, this hit 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.86, and an IPT (tannins) of 76. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet it deserves a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 50-60 years. It reminds me of a mix of the 2009 and 2010. (Drink between 2035-2095).
JA 99 (2/2024): Inky colour, cassis, cocoa bean, cocoa dusting, crushed rose petals, juice, pep, focus and crystalline character, a serious wine that will power for decades, intense and concentrated but with an oyster shell minerality, delicious quality. A great example of how brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon can be in this part of the world, and why it sets the benchmark globally. This is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy director. 49% of production in the Grand Vin, 27% Petit Mouton. 100% new barrels for ageing, harvest September 1 to 26.
Decanter 99 (1/2025): Spicy liquorice, bitter chocolate, tobacco, cigar, and aniseed on the nose. Round and bright, with juicy, delicate fruit and velvety tannins. Super concentrated yet graceful, layering ripeness, freshness, and stoniness. Controlled power - soft in texture but packed with Cabernet structure. Starts juicy and creamy, then surges with depth and length. Sweet black fruit meets cool, steely minerality, giving complexity and definition. Black liquorice on a sticky finish. Bold for Mouton but outstanding, this is going to deliver for decades. 3.68pH. Ageing 100% new oak. (Drink between 2031-2050).
VM 98 (3/2026): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild has a very expressive, floral bouquet that suggests Margaux, with fabulous delineation and focus. It just seems to billow from the glass. The palate is velvety smooth, with fine acidity and a touch of graphite infusing the black fruit. Restrained and, paradoxically, intense on the finish, this lingers wonderfully in the glass. Deeply impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London. (Drink between 2030-2070). Neal Martin.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is one of the most muscular, almost brutally powerful wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and sweet crème de cassis mingled with notions of espresso roast, pencil lead and petroleum jelly, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with huge reserves of tannin and fruit. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that represents 49% of the estate's production, this is a prodigious Mouton that's built for the cellar. |
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2022 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,651.97 |
1 |
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JD 100 (2/2025): Bottled in June of 2024, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as classic blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that was raised all in new barrels. Incredibly concentrated yet light on its feet and graceful, this inky-hued beauty has sensational notes of cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and chocolate that are to die for. It shows the ripe, opulent style of the vintage yet brings sensational purity, loads of tannins, and a gorgeous finish. For the tech geeks out there, this hit 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.86, and an IPT (tannins) of 76. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet it deserves a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 50-60 years. It reminds me of a mix of the 2009 and 2010. (Drink between 2035-2095).
JA 99 (2/2024): Inky colour, cassis, cocoa bean, cocoa dusting, crushed rose petals, juice, pep, focus and crystalline character, a serious wine that will power for decades, intense and concentrated but with an oyster shell minerality, delicious quality. A great example of how brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon can be in this part of the world, and why it sets the benchmark globally. This is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy director. 49% of production in the Grand Vin, 27% Petit Mouton. 100% new barrels for ageing, harvest September 1 to 26.
Decanter 99 (1/2025): Spicy liquorice, bitter chocolate, tobacco, cigar, and aniseed on the nose. Round and bright, with juicy, delicate fruit and velvety tannins. Super concentrated yet graceful, layering ripeness, freshness, and stoniness. Controlled power - soft in texture but packed with Cabernet structure. Starts juicy and creamy, then surges with depth and length. Sweet black fruit meets cool, steely minerality, giving complexity and definition. Black liquorice on a sticky finish. Bold for Mouton but outstanding, this is going to deliver for decades. 3.68pH. Ageing 100% new oak. (Drink between 2031-2050).
VM 98 (3/2026): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild has a very expressive, floral bouquet that suggests Margaux, with fabulous delineation and focus. It just seems to billow from the glass. The palate is velvety smooth, with fine acidity and a touch of graphite infusing the black fruit. Restrained and, paradoxically, intense on the finish, this lingers wonderfully in the glass. Deeply impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London. (Drink between 2030-2070). Neal Martin.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is one of the most muscular, almost brutally powerful wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and sweet crème de cassis mingled with notions of espresso roast, pencil lead and petroleum jelly, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with huge reserves of tannin and fruit. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that represents 49% of the estate's production, this is a prodigious Mouton that's built for the cellar. |
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| Ch. Ormes de Pez |
2022 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$466.98 |
5 |
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| Alter Ego de Palmer |
2022 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$636.99 |
2 |
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JD 93-95 (5/2023): I always love the second wine from this estate, and their 2022 Alter Ego De Palmer should be terrific. Based on 61% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 25% new oak, it's a deeply hued Margaux with lots of ripe red and blue fruits, some classic chalky minerality, and floral notes. It shows the vintage's powerful, concentrated style and is full-bodied, with terrific balance.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Alter Ego is a total pleasure bomb. Ripe and sensual, with caressing tannins, the 2022 is exceptionally beautiful. Floral and spice top notes lend tons of aromatic presence. More than anything, though, I am so impressed with the wine’s exceptional balance. Especially the tannins. Nothing in particular stands out, as the wine’s balance is nothing short of magnificent. The 2022 is pure and total sensuality. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Alter Ego de Palmer offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries and plums mingled with vine smoke and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and brooding, with a layered core of fruit, lively acids and rich, powdery tannins, it's a gourmand, voluptuous wine that will offer a broad drinking window.
JA 92 (5/2023): Dense fruits, violet reflections, with a hit of iris, peony and roses. This is a serious wine, with intense phenolics and full extraction that just walks the line, edges of ripe cassis, fig, saffran spice, cocoa bean, grilled campfire notes, dark bitter chocolate and fennel. High drama, maintains estate signature, keeping its own imprint and personality. Harvest September 7 right through to October 5. Blend done by December, yield 23hl/h. 3.73ph. Thomas Duroux director. |
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2022 |
Margaux (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$381.97 |
2 |
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JD 93-95 (5/2023): I always love the second wine from this estate, and their 2022 Alter Ego De Palmer should be terrific. Based on 61% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 25% new oak, it's a deeply hued Margaux with lots of ripe red and blue fruits, some classic chalky minerality, and floral notes. It shows the vintage's powerful, concentrated style and is full-bodied, with terrific balance.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Alter Ego is a total pleasure bomb. Ripe and sensual, with caressing tannins, the 2022 is exceptionally beautiful. Floral and spice top notes lend tons of aromatic presence. More than anything, though, I am so impressed with the wine’s exceptional balance. Especially the tannins. Nothing in particular stands out, as the wine’s balance is nothing short of magnificent. The 2022 is pure and total sensuality. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93 (5/2023): A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Alter Ego de Palmer offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries and plums mingled with vine smoke and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and brooding, with a layered core of fruit, lively acids and rich, powdery tannins, it's a gourmand, voluptuous wine that will offer a broad drinking window.
JA 92 (5/2023): Dense fruits, violet reflections, with a hit of iris, peony and roses. This is a serious wine, with intense phenolics and full extraction that just walks the line, edges of ripe cassis, fig, saffran spice, cocoa bean, grilled campfire notes, dark bitter chocolate and fennel. High drama, maintains estate signature, keeping its own imprint and personality. Harvest September 7 right through to October 5. Blend done by December, yield 23hl/h. 3.73ph. Thomas Duroux director. |
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| Ch. Pape-Clement |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$100.99 |
2 |
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JD 94-96+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc is another beauty from this team, and if it puts on some weight over the course of its élevage, it will merit an even higher score. Honeyed lychee, minty herbs, melon, and stone fruits define the bulk of the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions with consistent notes.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Pape Clément was picked 7-27 September at 35hL/ha, aged in 60% new oak. It has quite an open and expressive bouquet at this stage, with blackcurrant and bilberry scents. A more sensual Pape Clément perhaps, the oak is neatly integrated. Black olives emerge with time, hints of sea spray - this is certainly a wine you have to stay with. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Layers of black fruit laced with graphite and cedar, rending this 2022 quite Pauillac-like in style. Nicely controlled on the finish, this is a Pape Clément with breeding. Tasted four times. Neal Martin.
WA 90-93 (5/2023): A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle, the 2022 Pape Clément Blanc exhibits aromas of spices, spring flowers, lemon, peach and hints of jasmine and grapefruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, with an oaky frame. The finish is long, persistent and elegantly spicy.
JA 95 (5/2023): Deep and intense, but not the full on ink colour that I might have expected. Cocoa bean, fig, rosemary, kirsch, cigar box, black pepper, mint leaf, this ripples with the exuberance of the vintage but the tannins are firm, musuclar and hold things firmly in place, ensuring a sense of proportion. This walks the line, it is a big wine that absolutely delivers estate signature, and has a clear sense of future potential, with plenty of complexity. Rises to meet the vintage, not overpowered by it. Will age well. |
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2022 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$521.99 |
2 |
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JD 94-96+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc is another beauty from this team, and if it puts on some weight over the course of its élevage, it will merit an even higher score. Honeyed lychee, minty herbs, melon, and stone fruits define the bulk of the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions with consistent notes.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Pape Clément was picked 7-27 September at 35hL/ha, aged in 60% new oak. It has quite an open and expressive bouquet at this stage, with blackcurrant and bilberry scents. A more sensual Pape Clément perhaps, the oak is neatly integrated. Black olives emerge with time, hints of sea spray - this is certainly a wine you have to stay with. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Layers of black fruit laced with graphite and cedar, rending this 2022 quite Pauillac-like in style. Nicely controlled on the finish, this is a Pape Clément with breeding. Tasted four times. Neal Martin.
WA 90-93 (5/2023): A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle, the 2022 Pape Clément Blanc exhibits aromas of spices, spring flowers, lemon, peach and hints of jasmine and grapefruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, with an oaky frame. The finish is long, persistent and elegantly spicy.
JA 95 (5/2023): Deep and intense, but not the full on ink colour that I might have expected. Cocoa bean, fig, rosemary, kirsch, cigar box, black pepper, mint leaf, this ripples with the exuberance of the vintage but the tannins are firm, musuclar and hold things firmly in place, ensuring a sense of proportion. This walks the line, it is a big wine that absolutely delivers estate signature, and has a clear sense of future potential, with plenty of complexity. Rises to meet the vintage, not overpowered by it. Will age well. |
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| Les Aromes de Pavie |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$461.99 |
4 |
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| |
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| Ch. Peby Faugeres |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$726.99 |
5 |
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| |
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| Ch. Petit Gravet Aine |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$300.99 |
5 |
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| |
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| Le Pin |
2022 |
Pomerol
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,263.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 99 (2/2025): Wow, the 2022 Château Le Pin is absolutely stunning and has a heavenly perfume of black raspberries, spicy wood, flowers, incense, and camphor that develops beautifully with time in the glass. With sensational elegance, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and flawlessly integrated oak, it's one of the 2022s that's just about impossible to resist. As always, this cuvée is 100% Merlot from a tiny parcel not far from Vieux Chateau Certan, and the 2022 was raised in 65% new French oak. While this wine is frightfully expensive and hard to find, it certainly brings the goods in 2022! (Drink between 2029-2059).
VM 98 (2/2025): The 2022 Le Pin was certainly more closed than the L'Hêtre or L'If upon initial taste, so I gave my decanted glass another decant, pouring from one glass to another several times. That helped to reveal a very perfumed bouquet with black cherries, raspberry, hints of cigar humidor and a light anise scent in the background. This has razor-sharp delineation. The palate boasts a silky texture on the entry that immediately caresses the mouth. There is very fine depth here, displaying a mixture of red and black fruit mixed with marmalade and allspice as it fans out wonderfully toward the finish. If you intend to drink this, a) decant it, and b) invite me. Otherwise, cellar this for several years before broaching. (Drink between 2032-2060). Neal Martin.
JA 97 (5/2023): Delivers the plush texture of Le Pin, with rippling cassis and blueberry fruits, bitter slabs of chocolate, slate, crushed rocks. The extreme ripeness of the year seems effortless at a property that knows how to capture your attention, and how to draw velvety tannins around intensely spiced fruits. A slow build through the palate, need to take your time to explores the depths of this wine, give it time. Expertly structured and intense. Harvest September 6 to 17, here yield 29hl/h, 3.77ph, 65% new oak. Potential upscore in bottle.
WA 95 (3/2025): The 2022 Le Pin has turned out very well, retaining impressive energy for such an early-ripening, well-draining site in so warm a year. Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, berries, licorice and violets, framed by a creamy patina of new oak, it's full-bodied, layered and exotic, with a sweet core of ripe fruit, polished tannins and a layered, seamless profile. |
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|
2022 |
Pomerol (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$14,018.97 |
1 |
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JD 99 (2/2025): Wow, the 2022 Château Le Pin is absolutely stunning and has a heavenly perfume of black raspberries, spicy wood, flowers, incense, and camphor that develops beautifully with time in the glass. With sensational elegance, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and flawlessly integrated oak, it's one of the 2022s that's just about impossible to resist. As always, this cuvée is 100% Merlot from a tiny parcel not far from Vieux Chateau Certan, and the 2022 was raised in 65% new French oak. While this wine is frightfully expensive and hard to find, it certainly brings the goods in 2022! (Drink between 2029-2059).
VM 98 (2/2025): The 2022 Le Pin was certainly more closed than the L'Hêtre or L'If upon initial taste, so I gave my decanted glass another decant, pouring from one glass to another several times. That helped to reveal a very perfumed bouquet with black cherries, raspberry, hints of cigar humidor and a light anise scent in the background. This has razor-sharp delineation. The palate boasts a silky texture on the entry that immediately caresses the mouth. There is very fine depth here, displaying a mixture of red and black fruit mixed with marmalade and allspice as it fans out wonderfully toward the finish. If you intend to drink this, a) decant it, and b) invite me. Otherwise, cellar this for several years before broaching. (Drink between 2032-2060). Neal Martin.
JA 97 (5/2023): Delivers the plush texture of Le Pin, with rippling cassis and blueberry fruits, bitter slabs of chocolate, slate, crushed rocks. The extreme ripeness of the year seems effortless at a property that knows how to capture your attention, and how to draw velvety tannins around intensely spiced fruits. A slow build through the palate, need to take your time to explores the depths of this wine, give it time. Expertly structured and intense. Harvest September 6 to 17, here yield 29hl/h, 3.77ph, 65% new oak. Potential upscore in bottle.
WA 95 (3/2025): The 2022 Le Pin has turned out very well, retaining impressive energy for such an early-ripening, well-draining site in so warm a year. Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, berries, licorice and violets, framed by a creamy patina of new oak, it's full-bodied, layered and exotic, with a sweet core of ripe fruit, polished tannins and a layered, seamless profile. |
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| Ch. Pontet Canet |
2022 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$726.97 |
2 |
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| |
JD 97-99+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Pontet-Canet is brilliant and should easily be up with the crème de la crème from the Médoc. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was vinified mostly in concrete (there's a small part in wood), and the aging is in 50% new French oak, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has an incredibly pure bouquet of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth. This carries to a full-bodied Pauillac with a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the purity, richness, and structure that makes this vintage so compelling and is going to be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age but have an incredibly long life.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a surprising wine. Usually much more opulent, especially in warm, dry years, the 2022 comes across as restrained and understated. It is a wine of linear intensity rather than size, marked by notable freshness and a feeling of tension and precision I don’t recall seeing in the past. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the precision and vibrancy here. Unforgettable. Antonio Galloni.
JA 94 (5/2023): Vivid plum colour, violet reflections, chewy tannins from the first moments. Loaded with cassis, blueberry and fresh fig fruits, laced through with rosemary, sage, dried herbs, edges of chamomile and fresh mushroom. Tight in its tannic structure, with smoked earth, cinammo, cardamom and lavender. Mathieu Bessonnet technical director, and the 47th vintage of owner Alfred Tesseron, 50% new oak, 35% amphora, 15% one year old barrels, 55 year average age of the vines. Harvest September 8 to 28, with clay used as sunscreen on the grapes to avoid sunburn, and a selection before harvest to drop any shrivelled berries. |
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|
2022 |
Pauillac (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$788.99 |
3 |
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| |
JD 97-99+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Pontet-Canet is brilliant and should easily be up with the crème de la crème from the Médoc. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was vinified mostly in concrete (there's a small part in wood), and the aging is in 50% new French oak, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has an incredibly pure bouquet of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth. This carries to a full-bodied Pauillac with a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the purity, richness, and structure that makes this vintage so compelling and is going to be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age but have an incredibly long life.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a surprising wine. Usually much more opulent, especially in warm, dry years, the 2022 comes across as restrained and understated. It is a wine of linear intensity rather than size, marked by notable freshness and a feeling of tension and precision I don’t recall seeing in the past. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the precision and vibrancy here. Unforgettable. Antonio Galloni.
JA 94 (5/2023): Vivid plum colour, violet reflections, chewy tannins from the first moments. Loaded with cassis, blueberry and fresh fig fruits, laced through with rosemary, sage, dried herbs, edges of chamomile and fresh mushroom. Tight in its tannic structure, with smoked earth, cinammo, cardamom and lavender. Mathieu Bessonnet technical director, and the 47th vintage of owner Alfred Tesseron, 50% new oak, 35% amphora, 15% one year old barrels, 55 year average age of the vines. Harvest September 8 to 28, with clay used as sunscreen on the grapes to avoid sunburn, and a selection before harvest to drop any shrivelled berries. |
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| Reserve de la Comtesse |
2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$817.97 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Saintayme |
2022 |
St. Emilion (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$154.97 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Clos de Sarpe |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$361.99 |
7 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Siran |
2022 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$274.99 |
4 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$834.99 |
10 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. This ripe, powerful, concentrated wine reminds me of the 2010 with its structure, concentrated mid-palate, and just sheer density and regal, full-bodied style on the palate. Despite its size, it stays balanced, has a beautiful perfume of sweet black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers, building tannins, and a great, great finish.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte is a regal, elegant wine. Succulent inky fruit, licorice, spice, lavender and mocha open in a gracious, sublime Grand Vin. Here, too, the wine’s persistence and energy are notable. The Cabernet is especially evident this year, in both the wine’s flavor profile and overall structural feel. In many vintages, the Grand Vin is more immediate and alluring. The 2022 is quite reticent. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte opens in the glass with attractive aromas of cassis, spices, tobacco, graphite and licorice, followed by a medium to fullbodied palate that is deep and layered, with good depth and powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot will require some patience, given its somewhat extracted style.
JA 97 (5/2023): Inky colour, with vivid vibrant edging, curling and fragrant floral aromatics, plenty of energy from the first kick of peony and mandarin peel. The rich density of the blue and black fruits are set against slate and grippy tannins, giving textural contrast which makes it engaging, together with a saline scrape on the finish. Blueberry, cassis, ink, liquorice root, graphite, pink grapefruit, intensely expressed with a vertical rise through the palate, very much true to estate signature. 29hl/h, 3.65ph, 10% whole bunches fermentation, using a mix of full bunches and stalks that they select after destemming. 33% 1st wine, 4% press used in the blend, harvest September 5 to 30. Fabien Teitgen technical director. |
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| Ch. Talbot |
2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$420.98 |
18 |
|
| |
JD 93-95+ (5/2023): Readers will love the 2022 Château Talbot, one of the finest vintages from this château that I can recall. Possessing a gorgeous nose of pure cassis, blackberries, tobacco, and iron, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and perfectly integrated tannins. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that’s resting in 60% new French oak, this utterly classic, pure, lengthy Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and have a broad drink window. Bravo.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Talbot is another impressive effort from the château. Savory and nuanced, the 2022 its wonderfully energetic in the glass. Dried herbs, incense, tobacco, menthol and licorice all build in a potent, virile Saint-Julien that checks all the right boxes. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Talbot is especially impressive, and if it fulfills all its promise, it is likely to emerge as this large Saint-Julien property's most exciting wine since the 1980s. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit, rich structuring tannins and a long, lively finish. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that's being matured in 60% new oak.
JA 94 (5/2023): Ruby colour with violet reflections, vivid and intense, well sculpted, this is delicious, with texture and heart. There are clear depths to the nuanced blackberry and cassis fruits, great quality, with St Julien balance. One to follow over ageing, this is an impressive Talbot. 60% new oak for ageing. |
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| Ch. Tertre Roteboeuf |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,693.97 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Tronquoy |
2022 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$264.99 |
14 |
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| |
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| Ch. Troplong Mondot |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$869.99 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Clearly the finest wine to date under the new team and direction here, the 2022 Château Troplong Mondot reveals a vivid purple hue as well as sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and graphite, with a beautiful underpinning of chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. The purity, precision, and just sheer class are something to behold.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Troplong Mondot is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted here. Seamless and layered, the 2022 caresses the palate with layers of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, leather and mocha. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. The typical Troplong stature is present, but the tannins are nearly imperceptible. Clean saline notes extend the long, precise finish. In 2022, the estate was quite selective and only bottled about 70% of the production as Grand Vin, as opposed to the more typical 90% or so. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot's vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.
JA 98 (5/2023): Violet edged with an inky core. Expertly delivers the sense of energy that is so key to the best wines in 2022. As powerful as you would expect from these clay-limestone soils, the vintage character shows in dried rosemary and white pepper spice, lacing the fresher blueberry and loganberry fruits. These are big tanins that take a long time to uncurl during tasting and will take a long time in bottle to come around. Contained power, with chocolate block, liqourice, dried roses, delicate but underpinned by menancingly powerful tannins, and a saline twist. Expert construction from director Aymeric de Gironde, carefully containing both the natural power of the soils of Troplong and the natural concentration of the vintage. 50hl/h yield. Harvest began on August 29 through to September 26. Thomas Duclos consultant. Around 3% whole bunch used during fermentation, aged in 55% new oak, 24% one year old, 21% large 2,000l oak casks. |
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|
2022 |
St. Emilion (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$869.99 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Clearly the finest wine to date under the new team and direction here, the 2022 Château Troplong Mondot reveals a vivid purple hue as well as sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and graphite, with a beautiful underpinning of chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. The purity, precision, and just sheer class are something to behold.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Troplong Mondot is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted here. Seamless and layered, the 2022 caresses the palate with layers of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, leather and mocha. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. The typical Troplong stature is present, but the tannins are nearly imperceptible. Clean saline notes extend the long, precise finish. In 2022, the estate was quite selective and only bottled about 70% of the production as Grand Vin, as opposed to the more typical 90% or so. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot's vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.
JA 98 (5/2023): Violet edged with an inky core. Expertly delivers the sense of energy that is so key to the best wines in 2022. As powerful as you would expect from these clay-limestone soils, the vintage character shows in dried rosemary and white pepper spice, lacing the fresher blueberry and loganberry fruits. These are big tanins that take a long time to uncurl during tasting and will take a long time in bottle to come around. Contained power, with chocolate block, liqourice, dried roses, delicate but underpinned by menancingly powerful tannins, and a saline twist. Expert construction from director Aymeric de Gironde, carefully containing both the natural power of the soils of Troplong and the natural concentration of the vintage. 50hl/h yield. Harvest began on August 29 through to September 26. Thomas Duclos consultant. Around 3% whole bunch used during fermentation, aged in 55% new oak, 24% one year old, 21% large 2,000l oak casks. |
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| Virginie de Valandraud |
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$337.99 |
10 |
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| |
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| Vieux Chateau Certan |
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,113.99 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Vieux Chateauy Certan was stellar from barrel. Now, just a week after I retasted the immortal 1947, this latest iteration proves that qualitty remains as high under Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont as it did during the golden postwar era under Georges Thienpoint. Boasting an intense bouquet of blackberry, briar, iodine and iris flower, this is one of the most complex and mesmerizing wines in all of Bordeaux this vintage, let alone Pomerol. The palate offers exquisite balance, razor-sharp tannins, real sapidity and a fabulous grainy texture. The Cabernet components are very expressive and lend a completely different dimension to the finish. This is exceptional. (Drink between 2032-2075). Neal Martin.
JD 100 (2/2025): The 2022 Vieux Château Certan checks in as 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 18 months in two-thirds new French oak. Incredible aromatics of blackcurrants, mulled cherries, chocolate, woodsmoke, and flowery, spicy nuances all give way to a full-bodied Vieux Château Certan that builds incrementally on the palate, with flawless overall balance, a deep, layered mouthfeel, and velvety tannins. I love everything about this beauty, and while it's almost impossible to resist today, it's going to benefit from a decade in the cellar and shine for 40+ years.
WA 98 (3/2025): The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is deep and harmonious, unwinding in the glass with aromas of inky blackberries and cherries mingled with scents of burning embers, truffle and lilac. Full-bodied, dense and layered, it's rich and enveloping, its concentrated core of sweet fruit framed by powdery tannins and juicy acids. Integrated, complete and precise, this blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant vintage for Vieux Château Certan.
JA 96 (5/2023): Firm tannic frame, with ink, graphite, violet flowers and red roses, even hints of black truffles at this young age, a sign of the exuberance of the vintage and one that will no doubt increase with age. A little less Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual because they have one plot uprooted right now. The aromatics are explosing, but things are more serious on the palate, with grip and austerity, and it will need a good eight to ten years in bottle to soften. Beautiful nutmeg and clove spice, with a mouthwatering finish. 35hl/h yield. 65% new oak. Oldest vines date back to 1958. 75% new oak. |
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| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Baron de Brane |
2019 |
Margaux Ex-Negociant |
$32.99 |
29 |
|
| |
VM 92 (2/2022): The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours. Drink it over the next handful of years. Tasted two times.
JA 89 (10/2026): Inky plum colour, deep and rich damson and raspberry fruits, with touches of peony aromatics. This is good quality, confident stuff. An upscore from En Primeur.
JD 88 (4/2022): The second wine of Brane-Cantenac, the 2019 Baron De Brane is more Merlot-dominated and has a fleshy, medium-bodied, supple style as well as rock-solid aromatics of black cherries, cedar pencil, and chocolaty herbs. It's already drinking nicely yet should keep for a decade. |
|
|
2023 |
Margaux ex-Negociant |
$35.99 |
55 |
|
| |
JA 92 (4/2024): Baron de Brane once again sets the bar high once again in terms of 2nd wines, with fragrant floral aromatics, nuance and depth from the attack and continuing through the mid palate, firm tannins and concentrated black fruits. 20% new oak.
Decanter 92 (4/2024): Ripe and floral notes on the nose, really quite expressive and open aromatically. There’s a richness to the scents with ripe blackcurrants, cherries and touches of rose and violets too with some milk chocolate. Supple and tart, high acidity, juicy and ripe fruit, with crunchiness, quite lean but there’s great length with freshly picked mint and some cedar and herbal aspects. Crisp and clean, lovely purity and precision. Not so layered or plush but it’s fresh and inviting with lift and a lovely mineral undertone. Accessible. Ageing 12 months, 20% new oak. 14.5 press wine. Almost 100 IPT. 40% of production. (Drink between 2027-2038) |
|
| Ch. Boyd-Cantenac |
2020 |
Margaux |
$49 |
58 |
|
| |
| JA 95 (11/2025): Inky purple in colour with a fist of toasted oak on the aromatics, but here it is skilfully coupled with a punch of cassis and blueberry fruits, and a lift of violet flowers, and creamy smoked caramel. It's exceptionally good, for me the best of the lineup, with clear precision on show. One to look out for, easy to recommend. 80% new oak. Lucien Guillemet owner and winemaker. No external consultant. |
|
| Ch. Capbern |
2019 |
St. Estephe Ex-Negociant |
$32 |
32 |
|
| |
JD 94 (4/2022): I love the nose on the 2019 Château Capbern, a medium to full-bodied, spicy, rich, tobacco and cedar pencil-filled beauty with ripe yet building tannins, a great mix of richness and freshness, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's incredibly impressive, and while it offers pleasure even today, it deserves 5-6 years of bottle age, and I can't imagine it not evolving for two decades. (Drink between 2027-2042).
VM 89 (2/2023): The 2019 Capbern has improved since I tasted it just after bottling. Finally, it has developed a more elegant bouquet, mainly black fruit fused with cedar and undergrowth scents. It has mustered more classicism. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong graphite element on the entry, fine depth, quite fresh with a structured, gritty finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2025-2045). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Cos Labory |
2018 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$49 |
16 |
|
| |
VM 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Cos Labory is fabulous. An extra kick of richness from the warm year and a bit more Petit Verdot than usual result in a Cos Labory that is wonderfully savory, powerful and layered. Black cherry, plum, cloves, chocolate and dried herbs build as this potent, exotically ripe Saint-Estèphe opens in the glass. Today, the 2018 is dark, brooding and in need of cellaring. Cos Labory is a bit wild, but that just adds to its considerable allure. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
WA 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Cos Labory has a deep garnet-purple color, bursting from the glass with bold notes of warm cassis, blackberry compote and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of roses, unsmoked cigars and tree bark. The medium-bodied palate has a very sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness supporting the rather delicately played fruit, finishing long and earthy/minerally. The structure stands out a little now, which I enjoy, but for those preferring softer, rounder expressions, give this a good 3-5 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 15-20 years.
JD 90 (3/2021): Lots of rich red and black currants, tobacco, savory spice, and new leather notes emerge from the 2018 Château Cos Labory, a medium-bodied Saint-Estèphe with terrific overall balance, ripe, velvety tannins, lots of character, and outstanding length. It's well worth cellaring and drinking any time over the coming 15+ years. |
|
| Ch. de Francs |
2018 |
Francs Cotes de Bordeaux |
$20 |
12 |
|
| |
| JD 88 (3/2021): Bright cherry and mulberry fruits, a touch of cedary oak, and tobacco all emerge from the 2018 Château De Francs. Medium-bodied, with good overall balance and a clean finish, this is a solid, bistro-style drinker to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years. (Drink between 2021-2027) |
|
| Ch. de Pez |
2019 |
St. Estephe |
$44.99 |
18 |
|
| |
JD 93 (4/2022): Currants, plums, new leather, and cedar pencil notes all emerge from the 2019 Château De Pez, a nicely balanced, medium to full-bodied Saint-Estèphe that has plenty of classic character as well as class. With ripe, polished tannins and terrific purity, it can be drunk any time over the coming 20-25 years. (Drink between 2022-2047)
VM 92 (2/2022): The 2019 de Pez has gained tremendously in weight, power and substance. A wine of breadth and pure power, Pez possesses tremendous resonance and intensity, right out of the gate. Scorched earth, incense, plum, menthol and tar hit the palate. This rich, heady Saint-Estèphe has a ton to offer. Antonio Galloni.
WA 92-94 (6/2020): This year's blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 de Pez comes tumbling out of the glass with an astonishingly beautiful perfume of lilacs, black cherries and black raspberries over a core of stewed plums, clove oil, dark chocolate and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with energetic black fruits, supported by a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed. I love where this once-malingering château is headed—bravo to winemaker Nicolas Glumineau from Pichon Lalande! |
|
| Ch. Fonbadet |
2019 |
Pauillac (375 ML) Ex-Negociant |
$22.99 |
22 |
|
| |
JD 93 (4/2022): Blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and some cedary, spicy, lead pencil notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Fonbadet, a medium to full-bodied, rich, mouth-filling Pauillac with plenty of tannins, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, good concentration, and outstanding length. It will evolve for 20+ years if stored properly. (Drink between 2022-2044).
VM 93 (2/2022): The 2019 Fonbadet, impressive from barrel, has a delineated bouquet of blackberry, bilberry and touch of licorice that gains intensity with aeration; this is a Pauillac with ambition. The palate is medium-bodied with grip and density, broad shoulders and a very saline finish. This should age supremely well. (Drink between 2025-2050). Neal Martin.
WA 90 (4/2022): From a 12-hectare estate sandwiched in between Pontet Canet, Pédesclaux and Lafite, the 2019 Fonbadet offers up aromas of cassis, plums, cocoa nib and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, lively and creditably concentrated, it's built around powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully chewy finish. |
|
| Ch. Haut Simard |
2012 |
St. Emilion ex-Negociant |
$39.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| VM 91 (1/2016): The 2012 Haut-Simard offers good mid-palate depth for the vintage, with a distinctly gamy, pleasantly rustic personality that distinguishes it in the Vauthier family's range of wines. Tobacco, savory herbs, leather and dark-fleshed fruits open into the finish. The tannins are a bit rough around the edges, but otherwise this is a fine effort. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Ch. Joanin Becot |
2018 |
Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux ex-Negociant |
$29.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JD 93 (3/2021): Emerging from the team of Beau-Séjour Bécot, the 2018 Château Joanin Bécot is based on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc coming from the limestone soils of the Côtes de Castillon region. Lots of black cherry and redcurrant fruit as well as leafy herbs, dried flowers, chalky minerality, and camphor emerge on the nose. This carries to a medium-bodied, seamless 2018 with terrific overall balance, ripe yet present tannins, and outstanding length on the finish. Tasting like a topflight Saint-Emilion, it will benefit from a year or so in the cellar and impress for at least a decade. Readers looking for a brilliant Right Bank wine to put in the cellar should jump on this beauty. (Drink between 2021-2033).
WA 92 (4/2023): A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Joanin Bécot exhibits delicate aromas of blueberries, flowers and violets with touches of tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, it’s a lively, rather delicate wine with a fleshy core of fruit and a crystalline texture overlaid with a fresh, penetrating finish that has racy acidity. The wine will offer a broad tasting window.
VM 89 (3/2021): The 2018 Joanin Bécot has retained the earthy, cedar-tinged bouquet that takes a few swirls of the glass to emerge. There is crisp black fruit here, pine fresh. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine grip on the entry and dusky black fruit mixed with tobacco and sage. Almost Left Bank in style toward the graphite-tinged finish. This is fine Joanin that should drink well for 8–10 years. (Drink between 2021-2030). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. La Gurgue |
2016 |
Margaux |
$39 |
26 |
|
| |
| JS 93-94 (4/2017): Tight and chewy with currant and blueberry character. Medium body, a lovely center palate and a subtle finish. Pretty continuation to the 2015. |
|
| Ch. Labegorce |
2016 |
Margaux ex-Negociant |
$42.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JA 94 (3/2023): Concentrated but restrained with old school charm and an abundance of muscular tannins, it's easy to feel the heart of this wine, packed with liqourice, slate, black chocolate, cassis, brambled hedgerow, aniseed and fennel, with plenty of grip. Years ahead of it, an impressive wine in this exceptional vintage, offering good value. Harvest September 4 to October 21. 50% new oak, technical director Marjolaine de Coninck.
JD 94 (2/2019): From an estate on the uptick and showing beautifully on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Labégorce is a head-turner of a Margaux that’s based on 52% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that was brought up in 45% new oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. Sexy notes of blackcurrants, black raspberries, crushed flowers, sandalwood, and incense all flow to a medium to full-bodied, fabulously textured Margaux that carries ripe tannins, loads of fruit and richness, and a great finish. Since arriving in 2009, Marjolaine de Coninck has resurrected this estate and the wines now play with the top in the appellation. Give bottles 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more. (Drink between 2022-2042)
WA 93+ (11/2018): The 2016 Labégorce is composed of 52% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aged in 45% new and 55% one-year-old French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps out of the glass with gregarious cassis, kirsch and black raspberries, candied violets, dark chocolate and spearmint. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and with exciting intensity, it delivers a fantastically long, fragrant finish. 12,000 cases produced.
VM 93 (4/2026): The 2016 Labégorce has a very pretty nose with blackberry, briar, cedar and well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannins, a little more acidity than its peers, segueing into a savoury, black pepper-tinged finish that shows admirable persistence and sapidity. This is a classy Margaux that is ageing with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting. (Drink between 2027-2042). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Lilian Ladouys |
2018 |
St. Estephe ex-Negociant |
$27.50 |
60 |
|
| |
JA 93 (7/2021): Owed by Jacky Lorenzetti (new owner also of Ch Lafon Rochet in the same appellation), this is one of those surefire estates that delivers St Estèphe power with a touch of luxury. There are layers of ripe black fruits and chewy tannins here, so it will benefit from a few more years in bottle or a serious carafing before drinking. 48hl/h yield, 35% new oak with both 225l and 400l barrels. Converting to organic farming as of 2020.
VM 92 (3/2021): The 2018 Lilian Ladouys is showing nicely now that the wine is in bottle. It has a riper bouquet compared to, say, the Calon-Ségur, more lush – a 2018 with wider appeal, featuring blueberry and cassis scents that soar from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that disguise the backbone of this Saint-Estèphe. It is not the most powerful Lilian Ladouys in recent years, safeguarding its linearity and strictness all the way through to the finish. But it conveys a sense of classicism and has abundant freshness that should see it age well over the next two decades. (Drink between 2023-2040). Neal Martin.
JD 92 (3/2021): A year-in, year-out value, the 2018 Château Lilian Ladouys checks in as 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was brought up in 35% new oak. Jammy blueberries, ripe cherries, damp earth, tobacco, and spicy wood notes define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a plump, rounded texture, opulent aromas and flavors, and a great finish. (Drink between 2021-2036) |
|
| Ch. Marsau |
2019 |
Francs Cotes de Bordeaux |
$29.95 |
60 |
|
| |
| Decanter 93 (1/2022): A svelte, seductive and seriously appealing 100% Merlot grown atypically on clay-dominant soils on one of the highest points of the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux. Wild strawberries, Morello cherries and subtle spices on the nose and palate, softly sweet, generous, round, plump, juicy and mouth filling, all harmoniously packaged and carefully balanced with freshness from start to finish. Complete and evocative with purity of expression. Seek it out. (Drink between 2023-2031) |
|
|
2022 |
Francs Cotes de Bordeaux 2023 en Primeur Release |
$29.95 |
12 |
|
| |
WA 92-94 (5/2023): This medium to full-bodied 2022 Marsau is an attractive wine produced from 100% Merlot. It has a delightfully pure bouquet of peony, violet, iris, menthol and cassis, followed by a crunchy and juicy yet fresh texture and then by a mineral-driven finish of remarkable purity, expressing elegant notes of licorice and pencil lead. Anne-Laurence and Mathieu Chadronnier have produced a red wine that punches above its weight. Bravo!
JA 92 (5/2023): Floral notes on the aromatics, shows the heavy spice of the vintage with black pepper, rosemary and turmeric notes, begins to lift through the palate as it opens. An unusual spot in Franc Côtes de Bordeaux with a lot of clay in the soils, and this is powerful and concentrated, with a flash of heat on the finish. 12ha vineyard, entirely clay, entirely Merlot, organic since 2018, no till farming, 25hl/h yield. Harvest September 7 to 12, to be aged 80% large oak casks (no new oak), 10% one year old, 10% neutral oak and amphora. |
|
| Ch. Pibran |
2020 |
Pauillac Ex-Negociant |
$39 |
18 |
|
| |
JD 93 (3/2023): Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 50% new oak, the 2020 Château Pibran is a classic wine in the vintage that has a pure, layered, medium to full-bodied style as well as textbook notes of darker berries, cassis, irone, and tobacco. With ripe tannins, a good spine of acidity, and plenty of texture, it's going to evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. (Drink between 2023-2043).
VM 93 (2/2023): The 2020 Pibran is a potent wine. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and chocolate are nicely dialed up in this rich, heady Pauillac. Soft, plush and exuberant, Pibran is a total charmer. Best of all, it will be ready to drink with minimal cellaring. Bright acids and floral notes lift the finish. (Drink between 2025-2035). Antonio Galloni.
WA 90+ (4/2023): Aromas of cassis, raw cocoa, licorice and loamy soil introduce the 2020 Pibran, a medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety wine framed by powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. |
|
| Ch. Sociando Mallet |
2020 |
Haut Medoc |
$38 |
48 |
|
| |
JS 94 (12/2022): This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.
VM 93 (2/2023): The 2020 Sociando Mallet has retained its impressive aromatics from its showing in barrel with beautifully defined blackberry and raspberry fruit, pressed violet and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm backbone, a little powdery in texture, fine backbone with ample freshness and tension towards its graphite-infused finish. Bravo! Neal Martin. |
|
| Clos Sainte Anne |
2018 |
Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux ex-Negociant |
$16.99 |
40 |
|
| |
|
| Esprit de Chevalier |
2020 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$28.99 |
26 |
|
| |
VM 92 (11/2024): The 2020 L'Esprit de Chevalier has a tad too much wood influence on the nose, but there is sufficient fruit to absorb it. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, fleshy, lively and detailed, with a dash of white pepper toward the finish. This is another delicious, classically styled Pessac-Léognan. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Drink between 2026-2042). Neal Martin.
JD 91 (3/2023): The 2020 L'Esprit De Chevalier is more restrained aromatically, yet has outstanding purity in its red and black fruits as well as notes of dried herbs, tobacco, chocolate, and damp earth. It's a medium-bodied, elegant, balanced, and certainly delicious second wine that will benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and shine for a decade. (Drink between 2023-2033)
WA 90 (4/2023): Fleshy and demonstrative, the 2020 L'Esprit de Chevalier bursts with aromas of sweet berries, plums and petals. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with polished tannins and an expansive finish, it will drink well young. |
|
| Fleur de Pedesclaux |
2019 |
Pauillac ex-Negociant |
$32.95 |
25 |
|
| |
| VM 90 (2/2022): The 2019 Fleur de Pédesclaux, matured in 30% new oak, has been increasing its Cabernet Sauvignon since 2009, when it was pure Merlot (and also undergoing organic conversion since 2013). Raspberry, blackberry, cedar and light tobacco scents unfurl in the glass. The palate is still quite fleshy and rounded, and lightly spiced, retaining that hint of Chinese five-spice toward the tender finish. A lovely second wine. (Drink between 2023-2033). Neal Martin. |
|
| G. d' Estournel |
2020 |
Medoc ex-Negociant |
$32.99 |
39 |
|
| |
JA 92 (1/2023): So interesting tasting this against a wide range of AOC Médoc wines. It's a more expensive bottle than many of them, but it is confident, crafted and full of personality. Cocoa bean, espresso, plentiful berry fruit, touches of mandarin peel and lemongrass to lift things on the finish, slate texture tannins, good stuff.
JD 89 (2/2023): A terrific wine, the 2020 Goulee By Cos D'Estournel sports a healthy ruby/purple hue as well as ripe aromatics of currants, sandalwood, damp earth, and leafy tobacco. This medium-bodied, silky, juicy, ready-to-go Médoc is perfect for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years. (Drink between 2023-2031)
VM 89 (2/2023): The 2020 Goulée by Cos d'Estournel is very pretty and aromatic. Élevage has filled out the layers nicely, but this remains a decidedly aromatic, mid-weight vintage for the château's Médoc. Sweet pipe tobacco, leather, mint, cinnamon and dried cherry build nicely in the glass. The 2020 has come together nicely. (Drink between 2024-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Le C des Carmes Haut Brion |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$44.95 |
60 |
|
| |
WA 94 (3/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is punching above its weight this year. Unfurling in the glass with a gourmand, lively and vibrant bouquet of raspberry, mulberries, rose, violet and cassis, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered with refined, velvety tannins and a deep core of fruit, concluding with a harmonious, elegant profile that avoids any excess, enhancing its distinctive personality. Guillaume Pouthier, Guillaume Deschepper and their team have done a fantastic job at this address, delivering an exceptional wine.
JD 94 (2/2025): The 2022 C Des Carmes Haut-Brion is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest 1% Petit Verdot that was fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged 12 months in a new foudre (there's a small part in used barrels) followed by four months all in concrete tanks. There are fewer stems in this cuvée as the vines are younger, and it has a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a spicy, peppery, complex perfume of darker berry and plum fruits, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and a beautiful sense of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant, and loaded with character, it's a singular Pessac-Léognan that will have two decades of longevity. (Drink between 2025-2045).
VM 92 (2/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) from gravelly soils, will be kept for one year in bottle before release. It has 13.3% alcohol, reduced by the 30% whole cluster contribution with infusion rather than maceration, using a coffee plunger concept to push down the cap in the vat. It aged for one year in barrel and one year on foudres. The nose presents blackberry, clove and curry leaf aromas, with a touch more mint than before. The medium-bodied palate has slightly chalky tannins and is fresh thanks to the whole bunch contribution. Quite linear and a little Syrah-like towards the finish, this lovely wine will age well over the next 12 to 20 years. (Drink between 2028-2048). Neal Martin. |
|
| Les Fiefs de Lagrange |
2010 |
St. Julien (375 ML) |
$32 |
58 |
|
| |
| WA 89-91 (5/2011): A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot, this has a very fine nose of blackberry, briary and a touch of black tea. Good definition and purity. The Petit Verdot add a little edginess to this wine that has fine tension if lacking a little length on the saturated, slightly chewy finish. Very good purity and precision though. |
|
| Les Griffons de Pichon Baron |
2019 |
Pauillac Ex-Negociant |
$49 |
20 |
|
| |
JD 94 (4/2022): The second wine of this great estate, the 2019 Les Griffons De Pichon Baron is a more Merlot-dominated release and is 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 40% new oak. It has a gorgeous nose of ripe blackcurrant and darker cherry fruits as well as tobacco, smoked herbs, violets, and freshly sharpened pencils. Vibrant, pure, and complex aromatically, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has the vintage's pure, elegant character, terrific depth on the mid-palate, and outstanding length. It's a wonderful, already approachable Pauillac that will deliver the goods over the coming 20+ years. (Drink between 2022-2044).
VM 90 (2/2023): The 2019 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron has a slightly evolved nose, red fruit mixed with melted tar and mixed herbs. The palate is better with firm tannins, fine acidity, quite a solid wine with admirable grip on the finish. Enjoy this over the next 10 to 12 years. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2025-2035). Neal Martin. |
|
| | Bordeaux White |
| Baron de Brane |
2023 |
Bordeaux Blanc ex-Negociant |
$25.95 |
32 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. de Rayne-Vigneau |
2014 |
Sauternes (375 ML) ex-Negociant |
$34.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 95 (2/2017): A rich, exotic Sauternes, the 2014 de Rayne Vigneau exudes class. A mélange of apricot jam, wild flowers, mint and lemon confit fills out the wine's frame effortlessly. Ample, powerful and super-inviting, the 2014 shows beautifully today. This is one of the more over, extroverted Sauternes of the vintage. (Drink between 2017-2029). Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-96 (4/2015): The Château Rayne-Vigneau 2014 could be one of the standouts of the vintage. It was showing a little new oak on the nose, though readers should note that this sample was taken from a new Burgundy barrel. There are touches of vanilla infusing the honeyed fruit. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry. This is very balanced and poised with superb tension, energetic but classy, a sophisticated Sauternes that feels persistent and long in the mouth. Talented winemaker Anne Le Naour has crafted another beauty from this estate that deserves more respect. |
|
| Ch. Rieussec |
2024 |
"R" de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc Sec ex-Negociant |
$39.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JA 94 (4/2025): This is succulent and precise, definitely one to look out, plenty of energy and lift through the palate, elderflower, citrus, white pepper, sage, lime zest, apricot, nectarine, saffron, steel and slate. Great stuff from Rieussec in this vintage. 3.15ph. |
|
| | Burgundy Red |
| Dom. Michele and Patrice Rion |
2023 |
Bourgogne Bons Batons ex-Domaine |
$39.95 |
22 |
|
| |
VM 88-90 (1/2025): The 2023 Bourgogne Rouge Bon Baton comes from a parcel adjacent to Ghislaine Barthod's on stonier soils, aged mostly in one-year-old barrels. Lightly perfumed on the nose, this conjures raspberry, strawberry and wild hedgerow scents, more complex than your common or garden Bourgogne Rouge. The palate is medium-bodied with satisfying concentration, not weighty or dense but light on its feet with commendable purity and grip on the finish. Traces of tobacco emerge on the aftertaste. Village Cru in quality. (Drink between 2026-2031). Neal Martin.
JM 87-89 (10/2024): An even purple colour. A very attractive stylish perfumed floral nose, with a little more body than the regular. Not massively concentrated but distinguished in its length. Sound acidity. The flavours stay with you. Drink from 2026-2030.
BH 86-89 (1/2025): A slightly riper and more deeply pitched nose features aromas of dark cherry, poached plum and freshly turned earth. The delicious if not especially dense flavors do possess a lovely sense of underlying tension before culminating in a youthfully austere, lingering and mildly austere finale. This is also very good for its level and worth checking out. Drink 2027+. Outstanding! |
|
| Dom. Patrick Javillier |
2023 |
Pernand Vergelesses Rouge ex-Domaine |
$39.99 |
50 |
|
| |
BH 89 (4/2025): Here too there is a mentholated top note to the fresh and more deeply pitched nose of poached plum, dark berries and more subtle earth nuances. There is better volume to the solidly concentrated middle weight flavors that possess both a finer texture and a discreet bead of minerality on the balanced, youthfully austere and slightly firmer finale. This is a quality Pernand villages. (Drink starting 2028).
JM 87-89 (12/2024): An even light crimson colour. While there is less fruit evident on the nose, there is more concentration than expected on the palate, with a certain density towards the back, in a crunchy strawberry raspberry style. Once the bouquet develops this will, become an interesting wine. |
|
| Patrice Rion |
2023 |
Bourgogne Pinot Noir ex-Domaine |
$32.99 |
44 |
|
| |
JM 86-87 (10/2024): A fine red to crimson colour, with an agreeable immediate red fruit nose, no great concentration but nicely made. Perfumed with some cherries, a slight hardness at the finish still needing time to soften – recently racked – and good acidity. Some young vines in this. Drink from 2026-2028.
BH 86-89 (1/2025): (from Chambolle vines.) An expressive and fresh nose offers up notes of red and blue pinot fruit laced with earth and discreet spice nuances. The supple, delicious and fleshy middle weight flavors conclude in a refreshing and long finish where a touch of rusticity eventually surfaces. Solid quality here. Outstanding! |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes de Nuits Villages Vieilles Vignes ex-Domaine |
$39.95 |
32 |
|
| |
VM 89-91 (1/2025): The 2023 Côte de Nuits-Villages comprises two-thirds fruit purchased from Clombanchien, and the rest Domaine fruit from En Luret lieu-dit. Blackcurrant and raspberry combine nicely on the nose, not concentrated per se, yet showing decent clarity and purity. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly granular texture on the entry, lightly peppered though there are no stems in the blend. Focused and harmonious toward the finish, this is a worthy follow-up to the 2022. (Drink between 2027-2037). Neal Martin.
JM 89-90 (10/2024): A mix of their own vines, one third from Au Leurey, and the rest purchases in Comblanchien. There is more depth to the purple colour here. A perfumed nose with a more sensual and floral bouquet redolent of the sunshine. Good acidity behind, medium density, some length. Drink from 2027-2030.
BH 88-91 (1/2025): (mostly from Belle-Vue in Comblanchien with small amounts of Les Loges, Les Leurey and Vaucrains.) This is aromatically similar to the Bon Bâtons but with notably more spice influence. The supple, delicious and energetic medium weight flavors possess a highly seductive, even velvety, texture while displaying very good length and depth on the balanced bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. Drink 2028+. |
|
| Pierre Boisson |
2023 |
Hautes Cotes de Beaune Rouge |
$39.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| | Burgundy White |
| Anne Boisson |
2023 |
Bourgogne Aligote |
$33.95 |
24 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Bourgogne Blanc Les Clous Perrons |
$47.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Bessin-Tremblay |
2023 |
Chablis ex-Domaine |
$37.99 |
47 |
|
| |
BH 89-91 (10/2024): Cool and airy aromas include those of Granny Smith apple, citrus rind and ample Chablis character, especially seaweed. The delicious middle weight flavors possess a lovely texture, especially for a villages Chablis, while displaying a subtle materiality on the youthfully austere and lingering finale. Lovely. (Drink starting 2027).
JM 88 (6/2025): Bottled in March 2025. Pale lime green. Fresh and chiselled nose, some lime blossom all as minerals, Plenty of energy, not at all too fleshy, backward. Drink from 2025-2027. |
|
| Dom. des Malandes |
2023 |
Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu Ex-Domaine |
$49.95 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 91 (7/2025): The 2023 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a well-focused, quite animated bouquet that unfolds in the glass with touches of orchard fruit and grassy meadow. The palate is balanced with a fine bead of acidity. This is lightly spiced but just needs a little more tension on the finish. Overall, it's a very well-made Mont de Milieu that should age nicely in bottle. Tasted blind at the BIVB offices in Chablis. Neal Martin.
BH 88-90 (10/2024): (from a parcel of .26 ha). A funky nose of leesy reduction and lactic character. By contrast there is good freshness to the rich, generously proportioned and succulent medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a delicious if somewhat short finish. This should improve once it’s racked but it’s awkward today. Drink 2027+ |
|
|
2023 |
Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey Ex-Domaine |
$46.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 90 (7/2025): The 2023 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru, aged 50% in used oak, has a light, fresh apple blossom- and pear-scented nose with hints of pressed white flowers. The palate is well balanced with slightly honeyed citrus fruit and modest weight, though it needs more Neal Martin.
BH 89-91 (10/2024): (from a 3.52 ha parcel aged in 30% wood). A fresh, ripe and expressive nose reflects good Chablis typicity that includes quinine, sea breeze, lemon rind and cool white fleshed fruit. There is fine density to the delicious, intense and solidly voluminous flavors that offer better depth and persistence on the youthfully austere finale. Drink 2028+ |
|
| Dom. Patrick Javillier |
2022 |
Bourgogne Cuvee des Forgets ex-Domaine |
$43.99 |
60 |
|
| |
BH 87 (6/2024): Bright aromas of just sliced citrus, white peach and pretty floral nuances are complemented by delicious middleweight flavors that are supported by lemon-tinged acidity on the vibrant, lingering and refreshing finale. Moreover, this is not your usual 'pop and pour' Bourgogne as it has the legs to repay 4 to 7 years of keeping. Worth checking out. Drink 2027+. Outstanding Top Value!
JM 87-89 (10/2023): A similar colour, pale primrose perhaps. A little bit crisper and more classic in bouquet. Delicious white fruit, very balanced, feel the limestone, enough flesh yet with precision as well. A longer and more mineral finish than Forgets. |
|
|
2023 |
Bourgogne Cuvee des Forgets ex-Domaine |
$41.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JM 89-91 (12/2024): To bottle in the New Year. A fine mid lemon yellow with an engaging generosity of fruit already apparent on the nose. The Javilliers have manged to harness freshness with ripeness in a most engaging fashion. Apple and plum fruit throughout, with a fine long finish. Drink from 2026-2029.
BH 87 (6/2025): Smoky aromas include those of apple, pear and a pretty floral top note. There is fine density, particularly in the context of the 2023 vintage, to the attractively textured and punchy flavors that conclude in a supple and lingering finish that is perhaps a bit less dry than usual. Even so, this is lovely and worth considering. (Drink starting 2026).
VM 87 (3/2025): The 2023 Bourgogne Côte d'Or Cuvée des Forgets has a light grass clipping- and apple blossom-scented nose. The palate is fresh with admirable weight, more expressive than the aromatics at the moment, with citrus peel and a hint of apricot on the finish. Drink over the next five years. (Drink between 2025-2030). Neal Martin. |
|
|
2023 |
Bourgogne Cuvee Oligocene ex-Domaine |
$39.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 89 (3/2025): The 2023 Bourgogne Côte d'Or Cuvée Oligocène has a little more evidence of oak on the nose and a touch more yellow fruit than the Cuvée des Forgets. The palate is fresh and lively, mixing citrus lemon with orange rind and a dash of lemongrass towards the finish. Great value as always, this comes recommended. (Drink between 2025-2032). Neal Martin.
JM 89 (12/2024): Bottled end November. A slightly paler lemon yellow. Oligocene proposes a more cerebral aspect after the joyous Forgets. Ther is still an excellent concentration of ripe fruit, with a clear limestone backbone. Very good tension here with some lime notes as well as ripe lemon. Balanced and classy. Drink from 2026-2029.
BH 87 (6/2025): A more layered nose is comprised by notes of petrol, various white orchard fruit, acacia and a whiff of citrus confit. There is a bit more volume to the vibrant and utterly delicious middle weight flavors that retain a fine sense of detail on the drier, longer and more complex finale. This is an excellent Bourgogne and warmly recommended. (Drink starting 2027). |
|
| Dom. Potinet-Ampeau |
2018 |
Bourgogne Aligote ex-Domaine |
$29.99 |
59 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Bourgogne Blanc Ex-Domaine |
$44.99 |
28 |
|
| |
|
| Patrice Rion |
2023 |
Bourgogne Chardonnay ex-Domaine |
$32.99 |
60 |
|
| |
BH 86-88 (6/2025): Fresh and bright aromas include those of pear and apple compote, citrus rind and a hint of spice. There is equally good verve to the delicious and acceptably dense flavors that possess a succulent mid-palate that contrasts mildly with the youthfully austere and balanced finale. This could use better depth so a year, or perhaps two, of cellaring should help. (Drink starting 2026).
JM 86-87 (10/2024): A fine red to crimson colour, with an agreeable immediate red fruit nose, no great concentration but nicely made. Perfumed with some cherries, a slight hardness at the finish still needing time to soften – recently racked – and good ac |
|
| Pierre Boisson |
2022 |
Macon-Villages au Poirier Chanin |
$46.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Macon-Villages Blanc |
$31.99 |
24 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Rully Blanc Les Cailloux |
$42.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Pierre Morey |
2023 |
Bourgogne Aligote |
$31.99 |
20 |
|
| |
VM 88 (3/2025): The 2023 Bourgogne Aligoté, which had been bottled, offers lilting citrus peel and clementine scents on the nose that just need a little coaxing from the glass. The palate is well balanced with an underlying sapidity, slightly viscous in texture with veins of lemongrass towards the persistent finish. This is a fine upstanding Aligoté from Anne Morey. (Drink between 2025-2030).
BH 87 (6/2025): A textbook aligoté nose is comprised by notes of various citrus elements, spice and ripe green apple. The seductive, even suave, middle weight flavors possess excellent punch as well as an almost pungent minerality that seems to build on the bone-dry, youthfully austere and borderline rustic and tannic finale. This is an old school effort that will need a year or two of keeping first. A quality aligoté. (Drink starting 2027). |
|
| | Rhone Red |
| Dom. Coursodon |
2021 |
St. Joseph Rouge l’Olivaie ex-Domaine |
$39.99 |
60 |
|
| |
Decanter 92 (9/2022): Sparky herbal notes on the nose, with thyme and rosemary. There’s some roundness on the palate thanks in part down to the oak, which isn't overly dominating. Good presence on the palate thanks to the firm tannins, and a fairly long finish. A good option in 2021. 60-year-old vines, all destemmed, 15% new oak.
JD 90-92 (12/2022): The 2021 Saint Joseph L'Olivaie is rock-solid, offering pretty darker cherry and fresh fig-like notes as well as spice, game, and flowery incense nuances. This medium-bodied, supple, nicely balanced, and textured effort has outstanding potential and will certainly drink nicely right out of the gate. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Joseph Rouge l’Olivaie ex-Domaine |
$41.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JD 93 (5/2025): All Syrah aged 15 months in barrel (15% new), the 2022 Saint Joseph Olivaie offers red and black fruits, leafy herbs, sappy flowers, and spicy wood. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with ripe tannins, it's a layered, elegant, and impressively made wine in a classic style. Drink bottles over the coming 8-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.
VM 91 (1/2025): The 2022 Saint-Joseph L'Olivaie mixes leafy accents with graphite, black cherry and a touch of cedar on the elegant aromatic profile. Medium-bodied, round and refreshing, the 2022 is a delicious Saint-Joseph that’s already starting to drink well. Drink between 2025-2030. Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2023 |
St. Joseph Rouge l’Olivaie Ex-Domaine |
$49.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JD 93-95 (5/2025): All Syrah, the 2023 Saint Joseph L'Olivaie brings another level of concentration, offering cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and classy oak on the nose. It has terrific purity, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. The overall balance and purity here are exceptional.
VM 90-92 (1/2025): Cedar, black cherry, wood smoke and pencil shaving introduce the 2023 Saint-Joseph L'Olivaie, a medium-bodied, deeply hued Northern Rhône Syrah. Touching the palate with elevated flavor concentration, the 2023 handles the oak well. I look forward to tasting the bottled version. Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2020 |
St. Joseph Rouge Silice ex-Domaine |
$31.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 93 (12/2022): Saturated violet color. Displays fresh-mineral-accented aromas of fresh red and blue fruits and candied flowers, with hints of savory herbs and black pepper in the background. Juicy and lithe on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry and boysenberry flavors and a touch of licorice. Finishes long and smooth, with resonating red fruit character and round, even tannins that come on late. Josh Raynolds.
JD 91 (12/2022): A great introduction to the wines of this terrific vigneron, the 2020 Saint Joseph Silice has classic darker berry fruits as well as peppery herbs, violets, and some obvious minerality on both the nose and palate. These carry to a medium-bodied effort with good acidity, firm yet ripe tannins, and outstanding length.
JS 91 (2/2022): An interesting nose of blackberries and blueberries with some graphite and leather adding interest. Robust structure for a St.-Joseph with plenty of pepper and spice, but the fruit is more than adequate to carry all this. Good length, if not tremendously complex. Sustainable. Drinkable now, but best from 2023. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Joseph Rouge Silice ex-Domaine |
$28.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JD 91-93 (12/2022): The 2021 Saint Joseph Silice is also beautiful, with a round, supple, layered style that shines in the vintage. Black raspberries, spice box, dried flowers, and hints of violets give way to a medium-bodied, up-front, charming, layered 2021 that certainly stands out in the vintage.
Decanter 91 (9/2022): Neat, well-balanced and fresh, with sappy acidity. It's a relatively light St-Joseph, as is common for the vintage, but they've found a good balance and reflected the vintage as well as it could be. Gently herbal streak and a touch of juniper. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Joseph Rouge Silice ex-Domaine |
$29.99 |
28 |
|
| |
JD 94 (5/2025): Showing the least amount of oak in Coursodon's lineup, the 2022 Saint Joseph Silice offers blackberries, peppery herbs, damp earth, and sappy flowers, all with remarkable purity and complexity. All Syrah, destemmed and aged 12 months in barrel, this cooler-fruited effort is terrific. Drink bottles over the coming 8-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.
VM 92 (1/2025): The 2022 Saint-Joseph Silice unfolds with ripe black cherry, pencil shaving, black tea, crushed violet and gently leafy subtleties. Medium-bodied at most, the 2022 is a classic, age-worthy Silice that’s gently structured by ripe tannins. Drink between 2025-2035. Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2023 |
St. Joseph Rouge Silice Ex-Domaine |
$31.99 |
60 |
|
| |
JD 92-94 (5/2025): The 2023 Saint Joseph Silice shows beautifully, with a pure, balanced, medium to full-bodied style as well as classic Saint Joseph minerality, the vintage's ripe red and darker, almost blue fruits, lots of spice and floral nuances, integrated oak, and outstanding length. All Syrah, destemmed and aged 12 months in barrel, it should shine right out of the gate
VM 90-92 (1/2025): The 2023 Saint-Joseph Silice evokes a classic aromatic profile so typical of the appellation. This accentuates its Syrah elegance through delicate graphite, red and black plum notes as well as spicy subtleties. The medium-bodied 2023 is shaping up to be a refreshing Saint-Joseph, closing with a resonant echo on the bright finish. It is very complete, even at this early stage. Drink between 2025-2033. Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
| Dom. de Mourchon |
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Family Reserve Grenache ex-Domaine |
$36.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (2/2025): Almost all Grenache the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Séguret Family Grenache was totally destemmed and spent 18 months in wooden conical trunk vats and barrels. It's a ripe, sexy, concentrated Grenache that has a rocking bouquet of black raspberries, black cherries, sandalwood, and peppery herbs. Reminding me of a great Gigondas, it offers medium to full-bodied richness, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. It will shine over the coming 10-12 years. |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Family Reserve Grenache ex-Domaine |
$36.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (11/2025): This is gorgeous stuff offering black raspberries, violets, blood orange, and tons of peppery garrigue, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality. Based on 98% Grenache and aged 18 months in 600-liter oak containers, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Seguret Grenache Family Reserve is medium to full-bodied and has a pure, layered mouthfeel with remarkable purity and fine tannins. It will stand up to just about anything in the region, and there are 375 cases produced. Drink 2025-2040. |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Family Reserve Syrah Ex-Domaine |
$36.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (11/2025): A bigger, richer wine, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Seguret Syrah Family Reserve offers blackberries, chalky minerality, pepper, and gamey, meaty nuances. Based on 98% Syrah from vines planted in the 1950s and aged 18 months in oak barrels, it's medium to full-bodied and has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel with ripe tannins. It will continue to drink nicely over the coming decade, and there are 333 cases produced. Drink 2025-2035. |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Grande Reserve Ex-Domaine |
$27.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (2/2025): The 2022 Cotes du Rhone Villages Segurey Grande Reserve is based on 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. Black raspberries, peppery herbs, spicy wood, and some meaty nuances all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a broad, layered mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and a great finish. I love it today yet it's going to have a solid 10-12 years of prime drinking. |
|
|
2025 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Loubie Rose ex-Domaine |
$16.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2024 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Nana ex-Domaine |
$17.50 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2025 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Soubois Rose ex-Domaine |
$22.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Tradition Ex-Domaine |
$18.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 89 (2/2025): Blackberries, darker cherries, peppery garrigue, and plenty of curshed stone-like notes define the 2022 Cotes Du Rhone Seguret Tradition, a medium-bodied, structured, yet elegant Seguret that has tons of character. |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Tradition ex-Domaine |
$18.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 88 (11/2025): The classic cuvée of this terrific estate, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Seguret Tradition offers red and black fruits, crushed stone, garrigue, and pretty floral nuances. Based on 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah and aged 20% in trunconic oak vats with 80% in concrete vats, it's medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with fine tannins and a good finish. This charming, balanced, elegant Seguret will keep for 5-7 years, and there are roughly 3,250 cases produced. Drink 2025-2032. |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Tradition (1.5 L) ex-Domaine |
$41.99 |
24 |
|
| |
| JD 88 (11/2025): The classic cuvée of this terrific estate, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Seguret Tradition offers red and black fruits, crushed stone, garrigue, and pretty floral nuances. Based on 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah and aged 20% in trunconic oak vats with 80% in concrete vats, it's medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with fine tannins and a good finish. This charming, balanced, elegant Seguret will keep for 5-7 years, and there are roughly 3,250 cases produced. Drink 2025-2032. |
|
| Dom. Duclaux |
2020 |
Cote Rotie La Chana ex-Domaine |
$44.99 |
29 |
|
| |
JD 89-91 (2/2022): Starting with the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Chana, which includes 7% Viognier, this has a ripe, up-front, charming style as well as classic Côte Rôtie black raspberry fruits mixed with spice and bacon fat nuances. It's going to drink nicely right out of the gate.
WA 89-91 (1/2022): Blended from several parcels and barrels for my evaluation, the 2020 Cote Rotie La Chana usually contains approximately 7% Viognier and sees no new wood. It shows attractive aromas of raspberries and apricot on the nose, a medium to full-bodied feel on the palate and a savory finish that nicely balances mouthwatering acids and softly dusty tannins. It should drink well for the rest of this decade. |
|
|
2022 |
Cote Rotie La Chana Ex-Domaine |
$49.99 |
53 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Cote Rotie La Germine ex-Domaine |
$46.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| Decanter 92 (10/2022): Spiced raspberry fruits on the nose, with a touch of blood orange. A dry, neat, compact style that will drink well young. Fine tannins reveal a gentle, light-bodied style with a good sense of freshness, if not concentration. Vines on gneiss, blonde soils. 20% whole bunch. Vinified in open concrete tanks. |
|
|
2022 |
Cote Rotie La Germine Ex-Domaine |
$48.99 |
44 |
|
| |
JD 93 (5/2025): Incorporating 3% Viognier, the 2022 Côte Rôtie La Germine reveals a concentrated, rich, nicely structured profile of ripe black and blue fruits, crushed stone, and floral, sappy, gamey nuances. Medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth and a great finish, it was vinified with 20% whole clusters and aged 20 months in barrels and demi-muids (15% new). It, too, should have 10-15 years of longevity. Drink 2025-2035.
VM 89 (1/2025): The 2022 Côte-Rôtie La Germine evokes a fairly simple aromatic profile, opening with red and black cherry notes alongside touches of violet and spice box. Medium-bodied and refreshing, the 2022 is an elegant, early approachable Côte-Rôtie culminating with brightness on the moderately long finish. (Drink between 2025-2030). NIcholas Greinacher. |
|
| Dom. Vincent Paris |
2020 |
Cornas Granit 30 |
$44.99 |
20 |
|
| |
JD 93-95 (2/2022): Starting with what could be considered the entry level cuvée, the 2020 Cornas Granit 30 comes from further down the slope, from vines closer to the village. That's obviously not a bad thing, since this plump, full-bodied, beautifully textured Cornas has remarkable purity and elegance as well as richness. Blackberries, blueberries, subtle smoke, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it has a seamless, incredibly elegant texture.
VM 93 (12/2022): Dark violet color. Dark berry preserve, licorice, olive and exotic spice aromas, with a hint of espresso in the background. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering spice-tinged cherry-cola, blueberry and candied violet flavors with a spicy snap of black pepper. The floral note carries through a very long, dark fruit-driven finish, where gently chewy tannins add shape and closing grip. Josh Raynolds.
Decanter 93 (10/2021): Very herbal, with leafy herbs like tarragon alongside woody herbs such as rosemary. Blueberry and liquorice too. Middleweight style, good concentration of fresh, juicy berry fruit and good persistence. Fresh, intense, gently saline and well-balanced. A good value pick this year. From 10-year-old vines, all destemmed. (Drink between 2022-2028) |
|
| Domaine les Goubert |
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Sablet ex-Domaine |
$16.99 |
30 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Gigondas Cuvee Florence ex-Domaine |
$44.99 |
37 |
|
| |
| JD 91-93+ (10/2023): Slightly deeper hued, the 2021 Gigondas Cuvée Florence has a terrific nose of darker berries, sandalwood, white chocolate, and pepper. It's a concentrated, medium-bodied, balanced 2021 offering solid mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. Based on Grenache and Syrah that sees an extended élevage in barrels, it should benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and have a solid decade of prime drinking. |
|
|
2024 |
IGP Vaucluse Principaute d’Orange Miss Grenouille ex-Domaine |
$19.99 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Jean-Luc Jamet |
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Rouge l’Enclave Ex-Domaine |
$34.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Rouge l’Enclave ex-Domaine |
$35.99 |
33 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
IGP Collines Rhodaniennes Rouge Syrah Valine Ex-Domaine |
$29.99 |
28 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Vin de France Syrah Valine ex-Domaine |
$31.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Mourchon |
2022 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Ex-Domaine |
$45.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (11/2025): A cuvée whose quality has soared over the past four to five years, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a brilliant effort in an arguably more challenging, heatwave-driven vintage. Sporting a ruby translucent hue, it boasts a brilliant perfume of ripe black cherries, redcurrants, peppery garrigue, and loamy earth with beautiful aromatic complexity. On the palate it's medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, layered mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a great finish. It's very much in the ripe, forward, sexy style of the vintage yet stays pure, graceful, and is just impossible to resist. It's not a long-term ager, so drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years. Drink 2025-2032. |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Ex-Domaine |
$14.99 |
54 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (11/2025): Lots of peppery red and black berry fruits, garrigue, and spice-driven aromatics emerge from the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône, with a hint of flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, has a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a juicy finish. It's one seriously good Côtes du Rhône that you could pretty much put up against anything in the appellation – count me impressed. This should have 10-12 years of prime drinking as well, and I'd be happy with a case in the cellar. Drink 2025-2037. |
|
|
2024 |
Cotes du Rhone ex-Domaine |
$14.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| | Rhone White |
| Dom. Coursodon |
2021 |
St. Joseph Blanc Silice ex-Domaine |
$29.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (12/2022): The 2021 Saint Joseph Silice Blanc has a Burgundian-like sense of reduction as well as beautiful quince, white flowers, honeyed minerality, and a kiss of background spice and toastiness. It's medium-bodied and has a clean, classy style that's going to evolve for 7-8 years in cold cellars. |
|
|
2023 |
St. Joseph Blanc Silice ex-Domaine |
$43.99 |
44 |
|
| |
JD 92 (5/2025): Based on 100% Marsanne, the 2023 Saint Joseph Silice Blanc reveals melon, honeyed flowers, spice, and toasted notes, showing impressive purity and cleanliness. It's fleshy on the palate, with beautiful balance and good purity, and while it has a slightly hazy color, it remains an impressive white. Drink bottles over the coming 4-6 years. Drink 2025-2031.
WA 91 (3/2025): Fresher and livelier than its Paradis Saint-Pierre counterpart, the 2023 Saint-Joseph Silice Blanc reveals aromas of confit citrus, spring blossoms and pear. Moderately weighted and delicately enveloping, it's juicy and layered with bright acids, concluding with a mouthwatering, floral finish.
VM 90 (1/2025): Flinty elements introduce the 2023 Saint-Joseph Blanc Silice, accompanied by notes of cedar, ripe pear, white peach and lemon flesh. Full-bodied, round and generous, the 2023 bundles vibrant energy and checks out with persistence on the sapid finish. This is an exquisite white Saint-Joseph. Drink between 2025-2027. Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2024 |
St. Joseph Blanc Silice Ex-Domaine |
$38.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. de Mourchon |
2024 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Soubois Blanc Ex-Domaine |
$22.99 |
20 |
|
| |
| JD 90 (11/2025): Based on 90% Viognier and 10% Roussanne and aged in demi-muids with weekly bâtonnage for six months, the 2024 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Seguret Soubois Blanc shows a light gold hue and offers crisp stone fruit, honeyed flowers, and a hint of orange blossom. It's medium-bodied, fresh, focused, and crisp, with terrific purity and balance. There are 191 cases produced. Drink 2025-2029. |
|
|
2025 |
Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret Soubois Blanc ex-Domaine |
$22.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. du Tunnel |
2024 |
Saint Peray Cuvee Prestige Ex-Domaine |
$48.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 97 (2/2026): Honeyed melon, crushed stone, mint, and hints of orange blossom all define the 2024 Prestige, an incredibly pure Saint-Péray that has so much to love. It's medium-bodied, has undeniable minerality, and outstanding length. You could put this up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, and while it plays in the fresher style of the vintage, it brings tons of character. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years. Drink 2026-2041. |
|
|
2024 |
Saint Peray Marsanne Ex-Domaine |
$37.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (2/2026): All Marsanne, the 2024 Saint-Péray Marsanne offers a gorgeous nose of honeyed quince, sappy white flowers, spice, and crushed stone. It's medium-bodied and has a focused, juicy, yet still nicely concentrated mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It plays in the fresh, juicy, focused style of the vintage and will evolve gracefully over the coming decade. Drink 2026-2036. |
|
|
2024 |
Saint Peray Roussanne Ex-Domaine |
$45.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (2/2026): Orchard fruits, honeyed mint, and sappy herb/floral nuances emerge from the 2024 Saint-Péray Roussanne, which is medium-bodied, juicy, fresh, and focused on the palate. I love its overall purity, and it picks up a beautiful sense of salinity with time in the glass. It has another decade or more of longevity ahead of it. Drink 2026-2036. |
|
| Dom. Duclaux |
2021 |
Condrieu Les Caillets ex-Domaine |
$46.99 |
26 |
|
| |
|
| Jean-Luc Jamet |
2021 |
Cotes du Rhone Blanc Couzou ex-Domaine |
$25.99 |
12 |
|
| |
| JD 89 (5/2024): The 2021 Côtes du Rhône Couzou Blanc is based on Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier, all from more granitic soils. It has a light gold hue as well as a subtle nose of ripe stone fruits, honeyed orange, and spice, and it's medium-bodied, nicely textured, and nicely balanced on the palate. It has a good sense of freshness, but it's certainly a rich white that's going to shine on the dinner table. |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes du Rhone Blanc Couzou Ex-Domaine |
$26.99 |
43 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Cotes du Rhone Blanc Couzou ex-Domaine |
$34.99 |
36 |
|
| |
|
| Mourchon |
2024 |
Cotes du Rhone Blanc La Source Ex-Domaine |
$16.99 |
25 |
|
| |
|
|
2025 |
Cotes du Rhone Blanc La Source ex-Domaine |
$16.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| | Southern France |
| Ch. de Pibarnon |
2020 |
Bandol ex-Chateau |
$44.99 |
15 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (7/2026): Under seven years of age, this 2020 Bandol Pibarnon keeps all its promises. It has taken time to develop and grow more complex, with delicate oak notes and others more smoky and typical of the terroir: sour cherry jam, leather, and precious wood. The texture is frank, coating, broad, and round, and the balance will confirm itself over the next 10-15 years. Best from 2027-2035. Antoine Petrus |
|
|
2021 |
Bandol ex-Chateau |
$46.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (5/2026): The 2021 Bandol leans fully into a classical style, opening with licorice, dried herbs, blackberry and peppery undertones as a beautiful spiciness grows steadily in the glass. Medium- to full-bodied, it is shaped by gently chalky tannins that lend real composure. The savoury finish is marked by pepper, subtle fleshiness and understated authority. (Drink between 2028-2046). Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2021 |
Bandol ex-Chateau |
$46.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (5/2026): The 2021 Bandol leans fully into a classical style, opening with licorice, dried herbs, blackberry and peppery undertones as a beautiful spiciness grows steadily in the glass. Medium- to full-bodied, it is shaped by gently chalky tannins that lend real composure. The savoury finish is marked by pepper, subtle fleshiness and understated authority. (Drink between 2028-2046). Nicolas Greinacher. |
|
|
2023 |
Bandol Blanc ex-Chateau |
$49.99 |
27 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (7/2024): The elegant and perfumed 2023 Bandol Blanc from Château de Pibarnon is a real success this year, despite a challenging vintage in the region. It evokes aromas of citrus, spring flowers, curry leaves and white fruits mingled with spicy notes. Medium-bodied, perfectly balanced and fleshy, it has a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and a long, mineral and saline finish. This blend of 55% Clairette, 30% Bourboulenc and the rest of a mix of other white grapes is an outstanding wine. |
|
|
2022 |
Bandol Rose ex-Chateau |
$36.99 |
60 |
|
| |
WA 93 (6/2023): The citrusy, mentholated 2022 Bandol Rosé was crafted with a blend of 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault and matured six months in barrels. It displays aromas of pomegranate, citrus, spring flowers, iodine, jasmine and crushed stones, followed by a beautifully defined texture, a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids that underpin a delicate, well-delineated and calcareous finish. It's going to drink nicely in its youth, but I suspect it will also age gracefully over the next 2-5 years.
VM 91 (5/2023): The 2022 Rosé is savory and sweet with a rich blend of rosemary, sage and tomato leaf, giving way to dried cherries. It's silky-smooth and round with a buzz of minerality and brisk acidity up front as ginger-spiked nectarine forms toward the close. This tapers off with a salty flourish. Spice and citrus notes keep the mouth watering. Eric Guido. |
|
|
2023 |
Bandol Rose ex-Chateau |
$34.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 93 (5/2025): The 2023 Bandol Rosé is a powerful, classy Rosé that delivers the proverbial “iron fist in a velvet glove.” Deep and rich, the 2023 takes its time in the glass, gradually unfurling layers of waxy cherry fruit, Mediterranean herbs, raspberry liqueur, , crushed oyster shell and dried apricot. There’s an impressive phenolic core and a wealth of complexity here, not to mention a long, long finish. This is a very serious wine with the stuffing to improve in the cellar. Billy Norris.
WA 92+ (7/2024): A blend of 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault, the 2023 Bandol Rosé from Château de Pibarnon offers up a delicate, complex bouquet of spices, licorice, red berries, lemon, spring flowers and herbs. Medium-bodied, enveloping and beautifully structured, it’s round and juicy with a delicate, lively core of fruit and a mineral, calcareous finish. This is a classical rosé wine from Bandol. |
|
|
2024 |
Bandol Rose ex-Chateau |
$37.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (6/2025): The 2024 Bandol Rosé is another stunning wine from Provence. Revealing a complex, fresh bouquet of red berries, pomegranate, grapefruit and spices, it's medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and round, with a supple, elegant core of fruit supported by moderate tannins, finishing long and delicately saline. |
|
|
2021 |
Bandol Rose Nuances ex-Chateau |
$47.99 |
14 |
|
| |
| JD 95 (7/2026): With the 2021 Bandol Nuances, Pibarnon produces a near-perfect rosé. The pale ruby color leads into spiced, smoky aromas of white pepper, redcurrant jam, and peppery touches, while numerous fine tannins coat the palate to provide power, character, and length. Drink now. Antoine Petrus. |
|
|
2022 |
Bandol Rose Nuances ex-Chateau |
$46.99 |
40 |
|
| |
|
| Dom. Le Roc des Anges |
2016 |
Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Asterolide |
$31 |
15 |
|
| |
|
| Les Restanques de Pibarnon |
2021 |
Bandol ex-Chateau |
$38.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Bandol ex-Chateau |
$38.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| | Alsace |
| Klipfel |
2012 |
Riesling Cuvee Louis Klipfel |
$18 |
18 |
|
| |
|
| | Champagne |
| Charpentier |
NV |
Tradition Brut Champagne |
$38.99 |
57 |
|
| |
|
| | Other France |
| Dom. Richard Rottiers |
2023 |
Moulin a Vent Ex-Domaine |
$24.99 |
54 |
|
| |
| VM 88 (4/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent was bottled a month before my visit. This has fine purity on the nose. The 20% used oak knits everything together nicely, though not as powerfully as the 2022. The palate is medium-bodied and silky, with fine tannins and red cherry and crushed strawberry notes leading to a smooth, easy-drinking finish. The 2023 is very fine. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2023 |
Moulin a Vent Champ de Cour Ex-Domaine |
$26.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 92 (4/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour was bottled one month before my visit. It has a lifted and more intense bouquet than the Mortperay, with floral scents of rose and violet emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied and well balanced, with supple tannins and a precise, graceful finish that lingers in the mouth. The 2023 is superb. Neal Martin.
WA 90+ (3/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Champ de Cour, aged in oak barrels, stands out as the most lavish offering of the lineup, showcasing deep sappy notes of prunes, cherries, licorice and cacao powder. However, it maintains a poised balance thanks to a refreshing edge of ginger spice and graphite. Full-bodied and with ripe acidity, the wine exhibits a firm structure that signals its aging potential with tightly woven, youthful tannins. |
|
|
2023 |
Moulin a Vent Dernier Souffle Ex-Domaine |
$27.99 |
59 |
|
| |
VM 93 (4/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Dernière Souffle is bottled a couple of months later than other cuvées. It has redcurrant and cranberry aromas on the nose, with light earthy scents in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red berry fruit, more grip than the Champ de Cour and more substance on the finish. This positively brims with potential. Neal Martin.
WA 91 (3/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Dernier Souffle is a luscious fruit-forward wine, yet one of refinement, with notes of rose petals, juicy cherries, vine smoke and sweet spices. It's full-bodied, with ripe acidity and a concentrated, sappy-fruited core. This richness is framed by smoothly integrated tannins that impart a velvety texture, with a dimensional finish toned with graphite. This is a generously proportioned wine that will undoubtedly benefit from time in the bottle or, at the very least, a spell in the decanter to unwind. |
|
|
2022 |
Moulin a Vent Mortperay ex-Domaine |
$24.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (4/2024): The 2022 Moulin-à-Vent Mortperay comes from clayey soils just below Fleurie; the vines here are 70 years old. It aged in old barrels sourced from Chablis. It has another mineral-driven nose but with more roundness and depth than the classic bottling. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, very well-balanced and poised, touches of freshly rolled tobacco on the finish. Excellent. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2023 |
Moulin a Vent Mortperay Ex-Domaine |
$26.99 |
60 |
|
| |
VM 90 (4/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Mortperay comes from a parcel next to Fleurie on clay soils. It was bottled in January and offers Morello cherry, rose petal and cassis scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with finely knit tannins. This is pure and elegant in style, with touches of sour cherry and raspberry . Neal Martin.
WA 90 (3/2025): The 2023 Moulin-à-Vent Montperay, slated for release in 2025, comes from 80-year-old vines located at the periphery of the Clos de la Roilette in Fleurie. The wine unfurls with a lush bouquet of stewed blueberries and cherries, accented by mocha spice and sweet soil. On the palate, the layered wine unfolds along a horizontal trajectory with subdued acidity that imparts a certain softness and density to its texture. |
|
| Pascal Aufranc |
2018 |
Julienas Les Cerisiers ex-Domaine |
$15.99 |
15 |
|
| |
|
| Richard Rottiers |
2023 |
Brouilly Ex-Domaine |
$24.99 |
20 |
|
| |
VM 89 (4/2025): The 2023 Brouilly comes from purchased fruit grown on granite soils. Pretty red cherry and crushed strawberry aromas blossom in the glass. The palate is well balanced and transparent, with light tannins. It's a little fleshier than expected, featuring brambly red berry and bergamot notes on the finish. It's lovely, though not long-term. Neal Martin.
WA 89 (3/2025): The 2023 Brouilly, from purchased grapes near Odenas, is a classic bistro wine. It's juicy, with notes of lilacs, raspberries and plums and tones of crushed stones that give the wine some dimension. It's medium to full-bodied, with a balanced density of fruit and bright acidity that keep it fresh. |
|
| | Germany |
| Weingut Georg Gustav Huff |
2020 |
Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Trocken |
$39.99 |
20 |
|
| |
|
| | Italy |
| Antonio Vallana & Figlio |
2020 |
Gattinara |
$43.99 |
22 |
|
| |
| VM 91 (2/2025): Vallana's 2020 Gattinara is powerful, rustic and a bit rough around the edges, and yet it conveys so much genuine, uncomplicated character. Dark fruit, new leather, licorice, dried herbs and mint are some of the notes that take shape as this rambunctious Gattinara gradually opens in the glass. Don't look for finesse here. (Drink between 2025-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Cantina Tibaldi |
2023 |
Langhe Favorita ex-Domaine |
$23.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2024 |
Langhe Favorita ex-Domaine |
$24.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Langhe Nebbiolo ex-Domaine |
$25.99 |
19 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Roero Arneis Bricco delle Passere Riserva ex-Domaine |
$24.99 |
29 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Roero Arneis Bricco delle Passere Riserva ex-Domaine |
$26.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
Roero Roccapalea ex-Domaine |
$29 |
34 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Roero Roccapalea ex-Domaine |
$33.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Caprili |
2023 |
Rosso di Montalcino |
$21.99 |
21 |
|
| |
| JD 90 (1/2025): The bright ruby 2023 Rosso Di Montalcino jumps from the glass with bright mixed berry fruit, peaches, crushed flowers, and sweet tea. The palate is juicy, with a snap of fresh acidity, fine tannins, and a clean finish. This is a total charmer of a Rosso to drink now or over the next 5-6 years. (Drink between 2025-2031). Audrey Frick. |
|
| Cavallotto |
2022 |
Barbera d’Alba Superiore Vigna Cuculo ex-Domaine |
$36.95 |
33 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Barbera d’Alba Superiore Vigna Cuculo ex-Domaine |
$44.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (4/2026): The 2023 Barbera D'Alba Superiore Vigna Cuculo pours a youthful red/purple hue and was fermented in stainless steel before aging 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks. It opens with wild black cherries, delicate rustic earth, incense, and violets. Medium-bodied, it’s vibrant and well-balanced, with fine tannins and a savory citrus lift that carries through the finish. A traditionally raised Barbera with both energy and structure, about 8,000 bottles were produced. Drink 2026-2036. Audrey Frick. |
|
|
2022 |
Langhe Nebbiolo ex-Domaine |
$37.99 |
55 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Langhe Nebbiolo ex-Domaine |
$42.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 91 (4/2026): The 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo is aged for 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks and pours a youthful ruby red color. It offers a ripe perfume that’s a bit shy, but the palate really shines, offering ripe red berries, a bit of rustic earth, fresh tobacco, and incense. Medium-bodied, zesty, and refreshing, with a good balance of sunny pure fruit, fine tannins, and refreshing acidity, it’s a very appealing Nebbiolo to drink now or over the next 8-10 years. A star in this category, no doubt, it’s delicious and I would snap it up. Drink 2026-2036. Audrey Frick. |
|
| Luigi Maffini |
2021 |
Cenito Cilento Aglianico |
$43.99 |
14 |
|
| |
| VM 93+ (5/2024): Wilted violets and ground cloves complicate a burst of dried wild blueberries and exotic spice as the 2021 Cenito smolders up from the glass. This is pure elegance—silky and polished, yet lifted and energetic, with a textural wave of ripe red and black fruits that flow across a stream of vibrant acidity. A caking of salty minerals mingles with fine tannins as the 2021 tapers off with staining length and youthful structure, leaving a tart blackberry concentration that puckers the cheeks. (Drink between 2026-2034). Eric Guido. |
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|
2024 |
Kratos Fiano |
$24.99 |
45 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (8/2026): Quite mineral-driven in style, the 2024 Fiano Kratos wafts up with salty sea air, crushed rocks and lemon-spiked green apples. The palate is zesty, with a bump of riveting acidity on the entry to energize its tart orchard fruits. It tapers off with sour lime and a saline saturation. Eric Guido. |
|
| Sottimano |
2023 |
Langhe Nebbiolo ex-Domaine |
$23.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (10/2025): The 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo, all young vines from Basarin, is terrific. Pliant and expressive, the 2023 is a superb choice for readers looking for a wine that overdelivers. Macerated cherry, plum, lavender and blood orange open first. Exotic floral and spice overtones develop with a bit of time in the glass. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's textural depth and balance. The 2023 was done a modified, light style of submerged cap maceration for about a week that worked wonders. Élevage was nine months in cask. And the young vines are now nearly 30 years old! Antonio Galloni. |
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|
2023 |
Langhe Nebbiolo (1.5 L) ex-Domaine |
$49.99 |
20 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (10/2025): The 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo, all young vines from Basarin, is terrific. Pliant and expressive, the 2023 is a superb choice for readers looking for a wine that overdelivers. Macerated cherry, plum, lavender and blood orange open first. Exotic floral and spice overtones develop with a bit of time in the glass. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's textural depth and balance. The 2023 was done a modified, light style of submerged cap maceration for about a week that worked wonders. Élevage was nine months in cask. And the young vines are now nearly 30 years old! Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Tenuta Cocci Grifoni |
2024 |
Tara Pecorino |
$15.99 |
37 |
|
| |
|
| Tenuta di Carleone |
2022 |
Chianti Classico |
$34.99 |
20 |
|
| |
WA 94 (10/2025): This is one of the most original wines from the appellation. The Tenuta di Carleone 2022 Chianti Classico sees partial whole-cluster fruit and up to three months of extended fermentation. The wine opens to a medium-garnet color with a shiny element to its appearance. The bouquet is similarly bright and punchy with lots of tart red and blue fruits. Fruit for this 55,000-bottle release is sourced from across this 32-hectare estate in Radda in Chianti. This wine is extremely giving and bright at the moment.
VM 92 (7/2025): The 2022 Chianti Classico is gracious, elegant and polished, as these wines so often are. Crushed flowers, herbs, mint, pine and light citrus overtones exalt the natural brightness of Sangiovese. This translucent, weightless Chianti Classico is a real beauty. (Drink between 2025-2037). Antonio Galloni. |
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| Tenuta Santome |
NV |
Prosecco Brut |
$13.50 |
28 |
|
| |
|
| Ultima Pietra |
2025 |
Gemina Rose |
$40 |
23 |
|
| |
|
| | Port |
| Quevedo |
2006 |
Late Bottled Vintage Port |
$29.99 |
52 |
|
| |
|
|
2010 |
Quinta Vale d’Agodinho Port |
$49.99 |
15 |
|
| |
|
| | USA Red |
| Behrens Family (Erna Schein) |
2005 |
Herrick-Moulds Cabernet Sauvignon |
$50 |
14 |
|
| |
| VM 91-94 (6/2007): Medium ruby. Aromatic nose combines currant, iron, mocha and pepper. Sweet, silky and pliant, with a captivating sugar/acid balance. This really vibrates on the palate. Finishes with suave tannins and terrific sappy, peppery length. This has the suavity and balance to age gracefully for a decade or more. |
|
| de Negoce |
2017 |
OG N. 123 Napa Valley Merlot |
$15 |
12 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
OG N. 480 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel |
$15 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| DeLille Cellars |
2011 |
Doyenne Grand Ciel Vyd. Syrah |
$25 |
12 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (6/2014): Slightly richer and more concentrated than the Signature Syrah, yet still playing in the elegant, seamless style of the vintage, the 2011 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard is 100% Syrah that was aged in 35% new French oak. Possessing beautiful black raspberry, currants, licorice, crushed rock-like minerality and hints of graphite, this beauty flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness, fabulous purity of fruit and a seamless, silky texture that carries through the finish. Give it a year or two and drink bottles through 2024. |
|
|
2012 |
Doyenne Grand Ciel Vyd. Syrah |
$25 |
13 |
|
| |
WA 93 (6/2015): A similar purple/ruby, semi-opaque color to the Signature Syrah, the 2012 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard has more minerality (no doubt due to coming from Red Mountain) to go with lots of blackberry, graphite, pepper and crushed violet notes. Like the Signature Syrah, it shows the vintage nicely with lots of concentration, integrated acidity and a big finish, where the wine's structure becomes more apparent. It will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 10-15 years of overall longevity.
VM 92+ (11/2015): Good dark red. Lovely perfume of cherry, cranberry, white pepper, spices and dusty flowers. Lovely fine-grained Syrah with a savory restraint to its highly aromatic red berry and spice flavors complicated by a hint of game. Made from a slow-to-ripen Entav clone. Finishing quite firm, even a bit youthfully sullen, this already complex Syrah needs time to evolve. (Drink between 2019-2028). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Donelan |
2013 |
Cuvee Moriah Proprietary Blend |
$50 |
12 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (7/2017): The 2013 Cuvee Moriah is 87% Grenache and 13% Syrah that’s all from the Dry Stack Vineyard in the Bennett Valley. It has a gorgeous (as well as complex) bouquet of ripe cherries, cranberry, dried flowers and incense. This carries to an ethereally textured, elegant Grenache that that has sweet fruit, medium-bodied richness and a great finish. It’s not going to make old bones, but it’s going to be impossible to resist over the coming 4-5 years. This may be my favorite vintage of this cuvee to date. |
|
| Failla |
2012 |
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir |
$45 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Girasole |
2019 |
Mendocino Pinot Noir |
$16.99 |
16 |
|
| |
|
| Kutch |
2013 |
Falstaff Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$45 |
12 |
|
| |
VM 91 (1/2015): Rose petals, mint, spices and sweet red berries are all laced together in the 2013 Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard. This is the most lifted and aromatic of the wines in this range. The 2013 is intensely saline, lifted and perfumed. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy aromatic, mid-weight Pinots. The 2013 is all about precision and nuance. It is also a bit light, even within the context of this style. (Drink between 2015-2025). Antonio Galloni.
BH 91 (10/2015): Notes of dried rose petal, anise, herbal tea, red currant and a hint of cinnamon introduce silky-textured medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length on the dusty, balanced and lingering finale. This too will need a few years but less than either the Sonoma Coast or Bohan, as the overall palate impression is notably finer. Note however that the balance should allow this to age, and improve, gracefully for up to a decade. (Drink starting 2019). |
|
| Matthews |
2010 |
Blackboard Colombia Valley Red Wine |
$15 |
12 |
|
| |
|
|
2006 |
Colombia Valley Claret |
$25 |
12 |
|
| |
| VM 88 (12/2009): Dark red. Expressive aromas and flavors of currant, plum, tobacco, graphite and chocolatey oak. Supple and juicy, with moderate sweetness and flesh. Slightly tart acidity gives shape and lift to this blend, which finishes with dusty, building, oak-driven tannins. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2010 |
Colombia Valley Syrah |
$20 |
20 |
|
| |
| VM 91+ (12/2013): (15.4% alcohol; aged in once-used puncheons and once-used barriques ): Saturated bright ruby. Very primary, dark aromas of blackberry, licorice and illegal resiny herbs, lifted by a high-pitched violet perfume. Dense, juicy and suave but quite tightly wound in the style of the vintage. Dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors work more savory than sweet. This very young, long wine finishes with very fine-grained, suave tannins and a hint of bitter chocolate. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Newton |
2019 |
The Puzzle Red Wine |
$49 |
55 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (2/2023): The 2019 Red Blend The Puzzle checks in as mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but includes 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 1.5% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot. This vivid blue-hued 2019 has a great nose of both black and blue fruits as well as sappy green herbs and crushed stone. Almost austere on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, has firm tannins, good mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. I’d give bottles at least 3-4 years in the cellar. (Drink starting 2026). |
|
| Sojourn Cellars |
2022 |
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ex-Domaine |
$44.99 |
60 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (6/2024): The 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was raised in 50% new French oak and was entirely destemmed. Pouring a youthful, ripe ruby color, it’s highly aromatic with floral and fruity aromas of sweet cola spice, mixed berries, and preserved flowers. Medium-bodied, it retains good energy and freshness as well as wonderful purity on the palate, with fine tannins and a clean, chalky textured finish. It is a beautiful entry to the range and is going to have a wide window for enjoyment over the next 6-8 years. Audrey Frick. |
|
| Sullivan |
2003 |
Estate Reserve Merlot |
$50 |
16 |
|
| |
|
| Varner |
2014 |
Spring Ridge Vyd. Upper Picnic Bloc Pinot Noir |
$45 |
53 |
|
| |
VM 95 (8/2018): The 2014 Pinot Noir Upper Picnic is all class. Silky tannins and expressive, perfumed aromatics give the wine unreal finesse. Just as compelling on the palate, the 2014 is absolutely exquisite in its understated, nuanced expression of the Santa Cruz Mountains. What a gorgeous wine it is. The Upper Picnic is the most elegant of these four Pinots. (Drink between 2018-2026). Antonio Galloni.
JD 94 (2/2019): I loved the 2014 Pinot Noir Upper Picnic Block Spring Ridge Vineyard. This beauty boasts fabulous red fruits, spice, dried flowers, and rose petal notes, with a hint of California bay leaf developing with time in the glass. Possessing a silky, rounded, elegant texture, medium body, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish, it’s a truly thrilling Pinot Noir that can be drunk today or cellared for 7-8 years. (Drink between 2018-2026). |
|
| Vincent Wine Co. |
2017 |
Bjornson Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$35.99 |
18 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (8/2020): Brilliant red. Highly expressive aromas of fresh red fruits, potpourri, exotic spices and candied rose, along with a hint of smoky minerality. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering penetrating raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that show fine definition and back-end lift. Intensely flavored and finely delineated, with an impressively long, perfumed finish that delivers firm mineral cut and resonating florality. (Drink between 2022-2029). Josh Raynolds. |
|
| | USA White |
| Bevan Cellars |
2021 |
Dry Stack Vyd. Sauvignon Blanc |
$35 |
13 |
|
| |
| JD 96 (8/2022): A blockbuster of a Sauvignon Blanc, Bevan's 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Dry Stack Vineyard comes from an Italian clone planted in gravelly soil in the Bennett Valley and is raised, I believe, in barrel. Bottled unfiltered so it has touch of haziness in its gold hue, it offers a heavenly bouquet of caramelized lemon zest, mint, orange blossom, honeyed flowers, and brioche. Rich, full-bodied, and opulent, it has incredible concentration, a layered, pure mouthfeel, good freshness, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It's not for those craving lightweight aromas and flavors and has the weight and richness of a great Chardonnay. Drink this beauty over the coming 2-3 years. |
|
| Bunnell Family Cellar |
2012 |
Helene Yakima Valley White Wine |
$20 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Convene (Dan Kosta) |
2021 |
Russian River Valley Chardonnay |
$48.99 |
50 |
|
| |
| Decanter 98 (2/2024): Dan Kosta and Shane Finely have worked together since 2006, when Finley, at age 26, began working in the cellar at Kosta Browne. These guys are having a lot of fun with Convene, the label Kosta launched in 2019. After their entry-level bottlings, the Convene label represents the 'Premier Cru' level wines, while DK Grail is the 'Grand Cru' tier. They are unquestionably 'Holy Grail' worthy. Finley and Kosta are big fans of longer ageing and extended lees contact with their Chardonnays. We tasted in February 2024, and they'd just bottled their 2022s. Super expressive nose with wonderful ripe fruit flavours alongside butterscotch and toasty brioche. Wonderfully rich and full-bodied with plenty of salty mineral tension. Partial malolactic fermentation means the wine retains great tension, vibrancy, and freshness. Flavours run the spectrum from Meyer Lemon to apricots and white peaches. Crushed Marcona almonds are entangled in the finish, and I find this a balanced expression of California Chardonnay with the right amount of toasty richness and acidity. |
|
| DeLille Cellars |
2016 |
Chaleur Estate Blanc |
$30 |
16 |
|
| |
|
| Gambal Work |
2017 |
Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay ex-Domaine |
$43.99 |
45 |
|
| |
|
| Girasole |
2019 |
Mendocino Chardonnay |
$10 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Hourglass |
2024 |
Estate Sauvignon Blanc |
$33.99 |
24 |
|
| |
JD 94 (12/2025): Based on 86% Sauvignon Blanc/Musque and 14% Semillon from Napa and Sonoma County fruit and aged six months with 30% in oak barrels, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc offers classic, fresh lime, ripe citrus, mint, and stony minerality aromatics. It's medium-bodied, has a bright, fresh, focused, pure mouthfeel, beautiful balance, and outstanding length. There are roughly 2,600 cases produced. Drink 2025-2035. (Drink between 2025-2035).
VM 90 (11/2025): The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is an airy, gracious, aperitif-style white drink now and over the next few years. Citrus peel, sage, tomato leaf and mint are all finely sculpted. (Drink between 2025-2029). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Lewis Cellars |
2016 |
Sonoma County Chardonnay |
$36 |
19 |
|
| |
|
| Scherrer Winery |
2019 |
Scherrer Vyd. Chardonnay |
$43.99 |
14 |
|
| |
| VM 94 (1/2022): The 2019 Chardonnay Scherrer Vineyard is a powerful, wild wine. Soaring aromatics and a deep structure give this Alexander Valley Chardonnay tons of character. Orchard fruit, mint, tangerine oil and dried flowers all open in the glass. There's something exotic about the 2019 that is undeniably appealing. The creamy, substantial finish is a thing of beauty. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Sojourn Cellars |
2023 |
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ex-Domaine |
$41.99 |
60 |
|
| |
|
| Stony Hill |
2024 |
Chardonnay |
$43.99 |
36 |
|
| |
| Decanter 94 (2/2026): Fruit from 1967-planted vines, the oldest Chardonnay vines in the Napa Valley, is at Haynes and Quartz Creek on alluvial soils. This wine balances plush fruit, fleshy pears, 30% new oak for 10 months, and only partial malolactic fermentation. This is a wine of elegance that balances white peach flesh, mineral-driven, mountain Chardonnay, and is oh so fresh. (Drink between 2026-2034). |
|
| | Other White |
| Quevedo |
2011 |
Oscar’s White Douro |
$9.99 |
31 |
|
| |
|
|